Chapter 39: Journey Alone - I Forged Them in Darkness, and They Buried Me in It

Chapter 39: Journey Alone What is up with this boy? Has he been scared stupid by this bizarre and terrifying scene? Simultaneously, this thought flashed through everyone's mind. However, they quickly gathered their wits, no longer pondering the boy's condition, and instead, they all scrambled towards the large iron door. Chen An did not stop them. He observed the panic-stricken faces of the people as they hurried past. In less than three seconds, Wang Que and the others were standing in the courtyard. Suddenly, someone shouted out. "Get in here, don't just stand there like an idiot!" Then another voice, filled with urgency, echoed. "Close the door, hurry up, close the door!" As for whether this seemingly ancient and decrepit iron door could actually keep out that malevolent practitioner, it was left to fate. Surviving a moment longer was a moment gained. After all, with such a commotion, those cultivators and higher-ups couldn't possibly just sit idly by, right? Perhaps if they could hold out a little longer, help would arrive. This was the thought in everyone's mind. But the next second, the urgent shouting stopped abruptly as all eyes widened and mouths hung agape, forgetting to voice any calls. The strange young boy indeed started closing the door upon hearing their commands. But to everyone's shock and confusion, he was outside the door as he closed it. A calm voice emanated from beyond the door, almost advisory. "Stay put, and keep it down." Then, the iron door let out a grating screech, followed by a heavy thud as it shut tightly. Wang Que and the others watched as the door closed, the last thing they saw was a pair of eyes, stark and black-and-white. In those eyes was none of the fear they imagined, nor any panic. "This guy... could he be a fool?" Someone stammered and voiced the thought. But he quickly faced angry glares from others. Zhang Yong, an honest and straightforward man, wanted to lash out at the person who spoke, but recalling the warning, he tried to keep his voice down. "Gao Ping! Cut the nonsense, if you have the guts, go out there yourself!" After speaking, Zhang Yong saw the man's face turn beet red and snorted coldly. He mustered up his courage and crossed to the iron door, pressing his whole face against the crack, peering outside. Then, his pupils contracted sharply, as he witnessed a scene that would be etched in his memory forever. ... Chen An stood in front of the door, holding a wooden stick, gazing towards the road. There, an endless sea of bloodied hands surrounded a faintly flickering green light. The hands climbed over the barrier, obstructing all view beyond. Nearby, a pale and thin man stood. Zhang A Si licked his dry lips as he looked at the two women within the green barrier. He grinned widely. Initially, he was worried that the flesh of just one Qi Condensation stage cultivator wouldn't heal his wounds. But then came the delightful surprise. Not one cultivator, but two in total. Such a splendid turn of events! Zhang A Si couldn't help but cheer inwardly. Then, his eyes fell upon the young boy standing by the orphanage gate. He frowned, an inexplicable irritation building within him. Because this boy was the very one that his instincts had previously warned him about so fervently! Zhang A Si curbed his thoughts and discreetly took a step back. Simultaneously, his mind stirred, causing the ground beneath the boy's feet to suddenly become muddy. Then, horrific, ghastly bloodied hands, like starving beasts finding their prey, began climbing up his legs with haste. The grotesque maws on the hands slithered and began gnawing. Seeing this, Zhang A Si's heart settled. Sure enough, just an ordinary person. All that gut feeling nonsense, purely the calm facade of the boy playing tricks on his mind, scaring himself. Yet the expected screams did not materialize. Chen An moved. The boy walked straight towards Zhang A Si. His legs bore bloodied hands still gnawing at his flesh, yet he seemed to block out the pain entirely, his visage calm and unperturbed. Witnessing this, Zhang A Si was gripped by a visceral chill, nearly leaping out of his skin. What the hell is this?! Zhang A Si, a self-disciplined practitioner of malevolent arts, always considered himself tough. He once hid motionless in a pit of filth for three hours to escape pursuit! But now he felt mistaken. Zhang A Si could not fathom how this odd young boy could endure the excruciating agony as calmly as if it were nothing. Moreover, staying calm was one thing, but to keep walking?! It was as if absurdity itself had come knocking, reaching unimaginable limits! And this was the very scene Zhang Yong watched unfold through the crack in the door. He instinctively froze, his inner turmoil far greater than Zhang A Si’s, because he had personally felt the excruciating pain of being gnawed upon. The feeling was akin to being flayed; a multitude of fanged maws biting, pulling away chunks of flesh. Even for just a moment, Zhang Yong nearly succumbed to despair, unable to move. Had the bloodied hands not voluntarily let him go, he'd have already perished in that sea of blood. Zhang Yong’s stupefied appearance quickly drew the attention of the others in the courtyard. They all harbored a fleeting sense of pity. Presumably, that young boy had already met a tragic fate, leaving Zhang Yong in such a daze… "Wait, why aren’t there any screams?" Wang Que suddenly questioned. His query snapped the others from their pitying daze. Indeed, why was there no noise? The same question rose within them. Wang Que took a swift step forward, nudging Zhang Yong aside, and, mimicking his earlier action, pressed his eye to the crack in the door to look outside. Then he, too, shivered, words escaping his trembling lips. A suffocating aura of blood. Endless bloodied hands. But only one small figure moving forward alone. Yet no matter how strong the will, it could not withstand the decay of mere mortal flesh. The bloodied hands were quick, especially when there was only Chen An as their target. The boy had barely taken two steps, and the flesh of his legs was nearly gone, exposing the white of bone. Seeing this, Zhang A Si, previously chilled with cold sweat, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He had no choice—the boy's peculiarity and determination, even Zhang A Si felt alarmed and horrified. But you're almost a skeleton now, about to fall apart entirely; surely, you can't keep walking? The boy's actions answered him. New tender flesh spontaneously formed over the previously exposed bones. Smooth and supple, like the skin of a newborn, shining with a moist luster. Zhang A Si was visibly floored! He felt a fresh wave of terror that almost had him bolting. Damn it, who’s the real practitioner of dark arts here?!