I Became the Devil Queen's Heart Demon novel Chapter 372

Chapter 372: Chapter 161: The Seductive Holy Daughter Catches Cicadas, The Roast Chicken Sect Master Follows!_3

The branches of the old pagoda tree at the village entrance were strung with dozens of shriveled, headless corpses, both old and young.

On the ground below, a heap of heads was arranged in the shape of a Seven-Star Formation. Rusty iron nails pierced their brow centers, their eyes bulging with resentment, unable to find peace, yet their mouth corners wore an eerie smile.

The air was thick with the stench of decay, green flies buzzing noisily around the bodies.

"Every time the Blood Demon finishes massacring a village, he arranges the corpses like this, as if he’s demonstrating against the court."

Xu Chengbi said in a low voice, "To avoid alerting the snake, the bodies have not been dealt with yet and are left hanging here for the time being..."

Chen Mo remained silent, continuing to ride his horse forward.

As they delved deeper into the mountains, the ghastly scene kept repeating itself.

Everywhere he looked, nearly all the villages were slaughtered to extinction, with as many as a thousand people. The shriveled bodies were stacked like blocks to form a mountain cairn.

The pressure grew increasingly heavy, and the Fire Department Constables’ expressions were extremely unpleasant.

Having served in the Capital City, they were accustomed to prosperity and grandeur, and such a hellish scene gave them a huge shock.

Here, human life seemed as worthless as weeds...

Under her Daoist robe, Ling Ningzhi’s slender hand clenched tightly, her palm imprinted with red marks from the effort, the cold penetrating her black and white eyes.

In just a few short days, so many people had been killed, and the Blood Demon had caused havoc for years. This was just the tip of the iceberg, and the amount of lives taken by his hands was probably beyond count!

What frightened her even more was that such a heinous villain was only ranked seventh on the Heavenly Demon List!

At this moment, she finally had a personal understanding of the "chaotic world" her master spoke of.

Passing through the narrow pass between two mountains and leaving behind the Thousand-foot Stone Screen, the surrounding villages became increasingly sparse.

After traveling dozens of more miles, a roaring sound of water came from ahead, and a turbulent river rushed through the mountains. The swirling muddy water revealed the presence of dangerous reefs below.

"This is the Snake Mother River, a torrent originating deep within the mountains of the Ten Thousand Peaks."

Xu Chengbi pointed to the thick fog on the other side of the river and said, "Beyond the Snake Mother River lies the Sky Miasma Abyss, stretching hundreds of miles, where the Blood Demon has been confirmed to flee deeper into the swamp."

"The Sky Miasma Abyss is shrouded in toxic miasma, making sky flight impossible. Below is a mass of black mud, making progress difficult... This is the best opportunity to apprehend the Blood Demon!"

As Xu Chengbi spoke, his tone became increasingly urgent, and his expression was filled with excitement.

As a Hundred Household Officer of the Tiannan State division, he knew how rare this opportunity was after years of pursuing the Blood Demon!

"The Blood Demon is adept at transformation and should have opportunities to escape. Why did he choose to burrow into this swamp?" Chen Mo furrowed his brow, feeling doubtful.

The Blood Demon had been wreaking havoc in Tiannan for years and should be well aware of the terrain here. The likelihood of panicking and choosing a poor route was low.

Although something felt amiss, having pursued to this point, returning was not an option.

Dragon’s pond or tiger’s lair, once inside, the truth would naturally emerge.

Everyone tethered their horses to the trunks by the riverbank, dashed across the river’s surface, and arrived before the Sky Miasma Abyss, known to be impassable to birds.

In front of them, the dense miasma lingered, the muddy black swamp heaved with bubbles, rotting weeds and decaying banyan trees entwined in the mud, rising and falling unpredictably.

A wrist-thick iron chain was bound to a tree trunk, linking a series of wooden boats, extending deep into the swamp.

"There are spirit plants growing in this swamp; harvesting just one is enough to feed a family for years. Thus, the mountain people use this iron chain and boats as a walkway to avoid getting lost in the fog and miasma," Xu Chengbi explained.

Chen Mo glanced at him, "Hundred Household Officer Xu seems quite familiar with the situation here?"

Xu Chengbi smiled and said, "I came out of the mountains too, muddling around here for years, so I naturally know a few things."

He glanced up at the sky and said, "Mr. Chen, it’s getting late, and when it gets dark, ghost fires will appear in this swamp. It’s very dangerous, so if we want to catch someone, we should act early."

"Makes sense."

Chen Mo lifted his leg to step into the swamp, but just as his toe touched the edge of the mud, he suddenly halted and said, "But I have another question."

Xu Chengbi said, "Go ahead and ask, sir."

"Is Hundred Household Officer Xu a Martial Cultivator?"

"Yes, a Fifth Grade Martial Artist, with a family-transmitted spear technique."

"Oh." Chen Mo nodded, then asked again, "Where is your spear?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Chengbi was momentarily taken aback. He abruptly slapped his forehead and smiled wryly, "Oh, my memory! I was so focused on reporting to you that I left my weapon hanging on my saddle... Please wait a moment, sir, I’ll go and fetch it."

With that, he turned and headed back towards the Snake Mother River.

"Stop."

Thump thump thump—

Just as Chen Mo spoke, footsteps suddenly echoed.

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