Chapter 103: That Sort of Unclean Thing

In truth, Zhang Pu was not the only one among this large group who sensed something amiss. Two others had also felt a strange sensation shortly after him.

One of these two was an older man in Zheng Lan's retinue. He was around fifty years old, and though he did not look as fierce as Zheng Lan's other subordinates, both she and her men seemed to consult him on certain matters.

Unexpectedly, this old man belonged to the same general category of people as Liu Yingde. However, while Liu Yingde dabbled in shamanism and spirits, this old man was more of a geomancer, highly skilled in feng shui and divination.

Yet, whether it was him or Liu Yingde, both possessed a supernatural ability to see "ghosts" and sense their presence.

To ordinary people, it was only natural for ghosts to haunt such a desolate wilderness.

"Elder Yang, what's wrong?" Zheng Lan was highly perceptive. As she was standing right beside the old man at the moment, she immediately noticed his unusual behavior.

Zheng Lan had come from overseas because her family had learned of a supreme treasure they needed, hidden in Wulong Town within the Jinmu Region. As a renowned expert among the family's younger generation, she had been dispatched here. It was both a test for her and an opportunity to earn merit. Her grandfather had even specially arranged for a capable assistant like Elder Yang to accompany her.

"Something is not right," Elder Yang whispered to Zheng Lan, deliberately lowering his voice.

"Is there an enemy?" Zheng Lan asked, surreptitiously glancing around.

"No," Elder Yang replied. "It's *that* kind of thing."

*That kind of thing...* Zheng Lan was momentarily taken aback, but knowing Elder Yang well, she quickly understood what he meant.

As long as it wasn't a formidable human enemy, she was actually relieved if it was one of those entities. Elder Yang was exceptionally skilled at dealing with such bizarre anomalies.

In fact, Elder Yang had accompanied her on this trip specifically to deal with the legendary Wulong, which itself belonged to that category of strange and unnatural entities. He carried several mystical items with him.

If those items were laid out before Zhang Pu, he would have been able to guess that they were similar to minor magical artifacts and treasures from the cultivation world. Elder Yang had likely inherited or acquired them from demonic or beast cultivators.

"I will search carefully. Keep quiet for now," Elder Yang instructed.

After giving Zheng Lan these instructions, he took out a Bagua compass he kept on his person, stood up, and casually began walking through the crowd as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

As Elder Yang moved about, he nearly bumped into Liu Yingde, who was doing the exact same thing. The two men, similar in age, were now strolling through the crowd as if taking a leisurely walk, though both were driven by a hidden purpose.

In truth, they had already secretly observed each other earlier. Given their respective abilities, they could sense that they shared a similar nature. However, due to their mutual pride, neither had deigned to acknowledge the other first.

But now, as they searched for that faint, elusive presence, they seemed to share a common enemy.

Before taking action, Liu Yingde had briefly met with Zhang Pu. Their brief exchange confirmed to Zhang Pu that his initial suspicion was not an illusion.

*Who would have thought this forest harbored such a thing?* Zhang Pu thought to himself. Superstitious folk would call it an unclean spirit, but as someone reborn from the cultivation world, Zhang Pu possessed a broader perspective. He knew they had encountered a demonic cultivator or a beast cultivator.

This journey to the Poison Dragon Pool was turning out to be far more exciting than expected! Ah...

Amidst his silent lament, Zhang Pu found himself forced to weigh his options more carefully.

He pondered: strange occurrences seemed to be arising one after another. First there was the Dreamstone, followed immediately by this entity, and further ahead lay the Wulong!

Even this ragtag group of people around him was far from simple...

Yet, while Elder Yang and Liu Yingde were secretly searching for the entity, Zhang Pu was not idle either.

At that moment, Zhang Pu noticed Caihua leaving the warmth of the campfire to go somewhere, accompanied by Guangcai. Two of the men her father had assigned to her followed at a discreet distance.

Seeing this, Zhang Pu understood: Caihua was likely going to relieve herself.

Zhang Pu wouldn't normally pay attention to such matters, but the atmosphere here felt increasingly off, and he suspected that Guangcai and Caihua were completely oblivious to the danger.

Still, when nature called, there was little Zhang Pu could do to stop them.

*Strange. Where did that mysterious presence go?* When he turned his head again, Zhang Pu could no longer sense it.

Since he had not yet unlocked the divine sense required for scanning his surroundings, he could only leave it at that.

Meanwhile, accompanied by Guangcai, Caihua drifted further away from the campfire, with her two bodyguards tailing behind them.

After walking a bit further, Guangcai felt an inexplicable chill. He began to feel that the moonlight tonight was exceptionally pale—ghastly pale, like the color of a dead man's shroud.

Guangcai tried to convince himself that it was just his mind playing tricks on him due to being in the desolate wilderness at night. Yet, no matter how hard he tried to calm himself, he found it impossible.

Caihua wanted to keep walking, but Guangcai suddenly stopped her. "Let's stop here!"

Caihua heard the tremor in Guangcai's voice. However, as a martial artist, she was far braver than him.

Disregarding the eerie atmosphere, Caihua originally intended to venture further. But at Guangcai's insistence, she relented and stopped behind a nearby earthen bank, saying she would go no further than that.

Guangcai said no more.

Back at the campfire, not only had Zhang Pu lost track of the entity, but even Elder Yang and Liu Yingde seemed to have lost its trail.

"Ah—!"

As Guangcai stood waiting and looking up at the moon, a piercing shriek suddenly erupted from behind the earthen bank. It was Caihua.

To Guangcai, this was an earth-shattering shock. Caihua was a passionate woman who knew no fear. Knowing full well the dangers of the Poison Dragon Pool, she had followed him here without a second thought. What on earth could possibly terrify her? Guangcai was utterly baffled. Even if she had encountered a snake, Caihua would have killed it in an instant.

Regardless of his racing thoughts, Guangcai lunged forward without hesitation, rushing toward Caihua.

By now, Caihua had already pulled up her trousers, but in Guangcai's eyes, she looked utterly terrified. Her face was completely drained of color, looking even more ghastly than the pale moon above.

When Guangcai reached her, she seemed to have lost her voice entirely, staring blankly at him in mute horror.