Chapter 471: Meteorite
The Soul-Shattering Silence
Lin Dong and his team checked every house. The situation was the same everywhere.
The entire village—sixty-nine households—had been wiped out.
The air was wrapped in a deathly silence.
The old Daoist Master left the village and walked to the nearby forest. He found several sparrows in the grass, pried open their eyes to examine them closely, and then picked up a shovel to dig into the earth.
The damp soil revealed various insects: earthworms, crickets, ants, centipedes... without exception, they were all dead.
The deaths of humans and domestic animals were understandable, but it included flying insects, crawling creatures, snakes, and mice.
In his years of service in the special department, Lin Dong had seen many bizarre sights, but this was a first.
"Daoist Master, is this the work of a demon?"
"No."
The old man threw down the dirt, his expression exceedingly grim. "It's something far more terrifying."
"When was this discovered?"
"About four days ago. A migrant worker returning home reported it. Besides this village, Gali Village on the other side of the mountain is also affected."
"Let's go take a look."
The group drove away. Along the way, the old man continuously surveyed the environment. The more he looked, the darker his expression became. Beyond the villages, the mountain forests for dozens of miles around were not spared.
What kind of entity could possess such terrifying power?
The group was heavy-hearted. As members of the Special Affairs Processing Department, they had battled vengeful spirits, fought fierce ghosts, and dealt with three-hundred-year-old blood-sucking zombies. No matter how dangerous the situation was, it always remained within the realm of the understandable.
This was different. The souls of every living thing in the entire mountain forest had been extracted. The silence was unnerving; they could even hear the thump-thump of their own hearts beating.
The dirt roads in the mountains were difficult. They finally climbed the slope and looked up, instantly freezing where they stood.
In the middle of a verdant pasture, hundreds of goats stood motionless, as if dead.
"Stop."
The driver quickly braked. The old man rushed to the center of the flock, checking each one. Their bodies, fur, eyes, and tongues were all intact, just like the villagers before.
One man hissed,
"They've been dead for four days, but the bodies haven't decayed. That's extremely abnormal."
Lin Dong lowered his voice. "Daoist Master, have you found anything?"
The old man shook his head. He returned to the car. The sedan started and followed the mountain road to another village. Lin Dong and his colleagues went in to check, while the old man picked up a tree branch and started drawing on the ground.
As he drew, he calculated with his fingers. Before long, a Bagua (Eight Trigrams) pattern appeared on the ground, surrounded by characters unintelligible to ordinary people.
Lin Dong dared not disturb him. Only after the old man finished drawing did he speak.
"We've checked everything. No living things."
The old man opened his eyes, his voice flat.
"What time is it?"
"Three o'clock in the afternoon."
"Hmm."
The old man hummed, flicked his whisk, and sat cross-legged in the center of the Bagua pattern. He remained seated for four hours. Lin Dong and the others were anxious but helpless, so they got out their meal boxes to eat.
Time passed minute by minute. Unconsciously, it reached midnight.
The old man suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing within them.
In a trance, a faint, visible phantom emerged from his body. The phantom glanced indifferently at the sleeping Lin Dong and the others, then turned and walked into the forest.
It strode over the pasture and flew across the hill.
The scenery suddenly changed. A ball of flame appeared in the distance. The flame was a strange, eerie ghostly green, and even from a distance, a soul-piercing coldness could be felt.
The phantom extended its thumb and middle finger and gently snapped them. A faint golden light appeared on its surface. The light flickered, forming four golden talismans that circled its body.
Protected by the talismans, the chill was greatly reduced.
The phantom let out a soft breath and slowly walked toward the flame.
It dared not get too close, stopping about fifty meters from the fire.
Staring intently, a human face could vaguely be seen within the burning green fire. The face was young, about twenty years old.
The phantom's heart sank. The presence of a face meant the flame was not a masterless object. After a few seconds of silence, it flicked its finger, and a beam of golden light shot out. It dissolved into nothingness before it could even get close.
"What terrifying flame. What powerful cultivation."
The phantom was shaken. It dared not try any further tests. It glanced at the red metal in the dirt pit and turned to leave.
The Grandmaster of White Cloud Temple
Night quietly departed. The red sun rose, and a new day began.
The old man, seated cross-legged on the ground, opened his eyes, raised his whisk, and walked toward the slope. Lin Dong and the others quickly followed him. They crossed the slope and arrived at a dirt pit halfway up the mountain.
The pit was circular, seemingly created by something heavy impacting the ground.
In the center of the pit was a fist-sized piece of red metal. The old man's expression was grave. He removed his Daoist robe and wrapped the metal in it, acting with extreme caution. A closer look would reveal his wrist was trembling.
Lin Dong was confused.
"Daoist Master, what is this...?"
"An extraterrestrial meteorite."
The old man offered no further explanation. He carefully put away the meteorite and walked toward the cars.
"Let's go. We're heading back."
Lin Dong hesitated. "What about those villagers?"
"They can't be saved."
A chill ran through the group's hearts. Two villages, hundreds of lives, just gone.
A young man felt indignant.
"Daoist Master, we came here to investigate. Even if we can't save them, we should find the culprit and seek justice for the villagers. How can we end it so hastily?"
The old man replied without raising his head,
"The meteorite is the culprit. If you want justice, take it!"
Lin Dong gave a forced smile. "Please calm down, Elder. He is young and doesn't know any better. I apologize on his behalf." He then took out a cigarette and lit it for the old man.
"We traveled a long way. If we don't figure out the cause and effect, we really can't report back. Please help us, I beg you."
The old man stroked his gray beard, seemingly considering the request. After a moment, he said solemnly,
"When I return, I will call your supervisor and explain the situation."
"Thank you, Daoist Master Zhang! Thank you so much!"
Lin Dong was excited. He quickly got into the driver's seat and personally drove the car.
Two days later, at the White Cloud Temple on Qingyun Mountain, the old man, carrying a parcel, walked through a clean, forested path. He arrived at a stone wall, took an offering stick, lit it with a candle flame, and placed it in the incense burner. When the offering stick had burned halfway, he smoothed his robe and bowed deeply.
"Twenty-eighth generation disciple Zhang Ruochen requests an audience with the Sect Leader Brother."
After a moment's wait, a crack sound echoed. The stone wall split, revealing a door gap.
Zhang Ruochen tidied his clothing, wiped the dust off his shoes, picked up his parcel, and stepped through the opening.
Inside the stone wall was a hidden world. Bright candlelight illuminated a descending stone staircase. At the end of the stairs was a vast stone chamber. The chamber was lit by the candlelight, and upon closer inspection, one could vaguely see memorial tablets lining the walls.
The names on the tablets could be traced back thousands of years; every one of them was a hero of their time.
Zhang Ruochen placed the parcel on a meditation cushion, cautiously unwrapped it, and respectfully withdrew to the side.
The Sect Leader of White Cloud Temple, Zhang Rusu, who was meditating, suddenly opened his eyes, staring intently at the red metal in front of him.
"A Demon!"
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