The Portal of Wonderland

“Town Chief Wang is too modest. I didn’t expect that Your Excellency would be a famous magician,” Shi Mu sized him up once and said.

“This old man had learned a few superficial magic techniques when he was young. But, they aren’t worth mentioning in front of Senior Mu’s proficiency.”

However, Wang Ying stopped and shifted the thread of conversation, “Senior Mu isn’t a disciple of the Dark Moon Cult, right?

“Oh, what makes you think so?” Shi Mu asked.

“As far as I know… the Star-ranked magicians of the Dark Moon Cult have basically headed to the Western coastal area since it’s a relatively bountiful area. So, they are unlikely to come to us,” Wang Ying smiled as he spoke.

“That’s right. I don’t belong to the Dark Moon Cult. I just happened to pass by this place,” Shi Mu replied.

“May I ask if Senior Mu can stay in this town for some time…?” Wang Ying considered for a moment. Then, he asked in a hesitating manner.

“I have some important matters that I need to take care of. So, I’m afraid that I can’t stay here for a long time. Thank you for your hospitality. But, I would like to request the Town Chief to enlighten me about a couple of things. Any information about the Yellow Sea… or the way to proceed towards the west coast would be highly appreciated. Therefore, I will look forward to hearing a couple of useful information from you,” Shi Mu asked in a noncommittal manner.

“Does Senior Mu wish to go to the sea?” Wang Ying asked.

“Yes,” Shi Mu replied.

“He he, this old man would ask someone to help Senior Mu in scooping out some necessary information. Besides, I will also give Senior Mu a hand-drawn road map at the appointed time. It would take a little time… two or three days at the most. I won’t delay Senior Mu for a long time. Senior Mu can stay in the town till then. Meanwhile, you may help a thousand residents of this town in finding out the person who is in the possession of the evil spirit. I will certainly express gratitude to you once this job is done,” Wang Ying said. Then, he stood up and clasped his hands toward Shi Mu in obeisance.

“But, I don’t know anything about these evil spirits that Town Chief Wang has just mentioned. Can you enlighten me?” Shi Mu asked.

“Look at me… I have become a decrepit old man. Senior Mu is a stranger here. So, it’s only natural that he wouldn’t have heard about the evil spirits. The fact is that the evil spirit is a relatively special kind of Dead Spirit creatures. They are a ghost without any entity. Their natural disposition is to feed on people’s life essence and blood. They don’t have formidable strength. But, they can take possession of the ordinary villagers and inherit their memories very easily. You can’t find any abnormalities on the surface. But, they are practically impossible to guard against. The town’s people have been repeatedly attacked by someone. The victim turns into a dead body once their life essence and blood gets sucked away. This senile old man’s magic power is very feeble. So, I haven’t been able to find the murderer. I’ve also sought help from many disciples of the Dark Moon Cult. But, even they couldn’t remain unaffected. They were similarly attacked and changed into a dry corpse. Senior Mu’s magic power seems very profound. So, it seemed that you might grab that evil spirit,” Wang Ying explained everything in a quick manner.

“I’ll try to do everything possible to sort out this problem. Oh, that’s right… I wonder why the Dead Spirit creatures are roaming in the vicinity of White Feng Town…” Shi Mu nodded. Then, he suddenly changed the thread of conversation and asked.

“Alas, this situation doesn’t confine to this town alone. In fact, the entire ancient Xixia country is permeated by these Dead Spirit creatures nowadays. And, we bestow the credit of this to the Transcending Heaven Immortal Cult!” Wang Ying started to give details about this incident. However, an indignant look also flared up on his face during this process.

“I wonder if Your Excellency can elaborate a couple of things…” Shi Mu’s face gleamed with a hint of curiosity.

“This decrepit old man will explain a few things since Senior Mu seems very curious. However, it’ll take a long time if I begin to talk about this matter…” Wang Ying sighed.

Shi Mu eventually got to know a couple of things about the Xixia country and the Dark Moon Cult.

It turned out that the Lu Shan Kingdom and the Transcending Heaven Immortal Cult had made an alliance with the Great Qin Kingdom’s Heavenly Demon Sect and several other smaller sects a hundred years ago. They had joined hands since they wanted to eradicate these outsiders. In addition, they had also carried out a mission in the entire continent. The goal of this mission was to encircle and erase the disciples of the Dark Moon Cult.

The scope of the Eastern Dark Moon Cult’s power had eventually been forced back to the territory of the ancient Xixia country after several years of intense combat.

The alliance was initially ready to continue their advance into the Xixia ancient country so that they could annihilate the power of the Dark Moon Cult. But, the Heavenly Demon Sect had somehow withdrawn from the alliance at the last moment. And, that had driven the Union to the verge of collapse.

However, the Transcending Heaven Immortal Cult was still reluctant to give up. It had then integrated the remaining Sects and had continued to follow the victory in hot pursuit. They had advanced triumphantly, and had eventually attacked the Dark Moon Cult’s Main Altar. The bloody battle between the Transcending Heaven Immortal Cult’s head, Elder Taoist Wu Chen and the Dark Moon Cult’s Head, Dong Fang Xian Tian had raged non-stop for seven days and seven nights.

Elder Taoist Wu Chen had eventually succeeded in rendering severe injuries to Don Fang Xian Tian. But, his own strength couldn’t remain unaffected. And, he had also been injured in the end.

Dong Fang Xian Tian had wanted to prevent the Dark Moon Cult from getting extinguished. So, he hadn’t hesitated in risking his own life to open a huge passage. This space passage had connected this world to the Dead Spirit World. Afterwards, numerous Dead Spirit creatures had gushed out of the passage to this world.

This action had inflicted serious damage to the allied forces, and had compelled them to draw back. However, the Dong Fang Xian Tian eventually lost his life in the aftermath of the battle. He couldn’t even get enough time to close the space passage. On top of that, the star stone’s energy hadn’t yet exhausted. So, it had led the never-ending flow of the Dead Spirit creatures. These creatures had gradually dispersed to every corner of the entire Xixia ancient country, and had stirred-up havoc wherever they had gone.

Consequently, the Dark Moon Cult’s strength was terribly affected. The Cult Head’s position has been vacant until now. In addition, the internal forces of the Cult split-up, and the disciples started to seek their own way in the country.

Many disciples had set out to wander around each city, town, and village to exorcize evil spirits for the common people. They could later sacrifice these Dead Spirit creatures in order to upgrade their own strength. At the same time, they could also earn a little money and spirit stones.

In addition, there were also some powerful tyrants who had chosen to proceed towards the Yellow Sea. They had done this because they wanted to hunt the sea beasts to perform the living sacrifice.

Wang Ying finally explained Shi Mu about the nearby geographical distribution as per his request.

Shi Mu also learned that this White Feng Town was located in the Xixia country’s northeast region. Also, this town was regarded as the most remote place. There were no other cities or towns nearby. In fact, the nearest city was three hundred miles away.

The two of them talked for some time. After that, Shi Mu declined Wang Ying’s urge to stay his residence in a polite and tactful manner, and he departed from there. He then went to the town’s only inn to find a residence.

The same day… at nightfall… the stars and the moon were dull and dark. The world seemed to be wrapped in a curtain of darkness.

There was a small courtyard in front of a house’s gate somewhere in this town. The horse-like long-faced man Tian Song and a seemingly well-behaved and sincere old farmer were chatting over there.

Suddenly, a person’s silhouette appeared in this courtyard in a silent manner.

Both people discovered the presence of that silhouette at the same time.

“Mr Mu, how did you come…” Tian Song looked surprised as he asked.

Tian Song hadn’t finished his sentence when he saw that Shi Mu pointed his right hand and a white light fled from his hand. Then, the light turned into the chain of white Qi and bundled the old farmer who stood beside him.

“Thump” a stuffy sound was heard. It seemed as if a heavy object had fallen to the ground.

It was the old man! He was the one who had crashed to the ground! And, he was unable to budge an inch at this time.

“Mr, please spare my life. This trivial person neither knows you… nor has offended you in any way.” The old farmer looked at Shi Mu in alarm. Then, he started to beg for mercy in a loud voice.

“Mr, you… why do you want to catch my second uncle…?” Tian Song drew two steps back. Then, he asked hurriedly.

“To save you!” Shi Mu replied as he moved towards the farmer.

Tian Song froze to the spot on hearing his reply… it seemed as if he couldn’t understand how to react to this.

Shi Mu wore a dark expression on his face as he gazed at the old farmer who lay on the ground. The farmer was also looking at him with a pitiful and fearful look on his face. And, he was constantly begging for mercy.

But, Shi Mu remained unmoved. Instead, his left hand suddenly moved and grasped the head of the farmer. Then, his five fingers emitted faint white light.

It seemed like the old farmer had received some kind of stimulation since his eyes had instantly turned bloodshot. Then, he stared at Shi Mu’s throat in a fierce manner… it seemed as if he wanted to bite his throat off.

The farmer then opened his mouth, and sharp fangs grew out of his mouth at an extremely fast speed. They were sending out a queer and cold blood-light.

“What is this?” Tian Song cried out in alarm. His complexion had turned deathly white.

The white light in Shi Mu’s hand extended in an unrestrained manner, and changed into a mass of white light. Then, the light enveloped the farmer’s head.

After that, Shi Mu retracted his left hand. Then, his magic power congealed into a mass of white light. The white light then darted out and engulfed a shadow. This shadow was a condensed form of the grey fog.

The farmer stopped breathing as soon as the grey shadow departed from his body. Then, a faint deathly aura bubbled-up on his body.

Shi Mu’s sudden appearance inside this courtyard obviously had a reason to it.

The fact was that Shi Mu had sensed the faint presence of Yin Qi around this long-faced man when he had seen him for the first time.

Shi Mu had then surmised that this aura could only exist if the opposite party had been in touch with the Dead Spirit creature for a long time. Therefore, he had taken the help of his spirit sense’s sensing ability when he was at the inn. He had then found the long-faced young man’s residence in a silent manner.

And, everything had happened as he expected.

Shi Mu abruptly turned his head and looked at Tian Song.

“Mr …” Tian Song was startled.

He hadn’t yet finished his sentence when he saw that Shi Mu had wielded his right hand. His hand then released a strong wind that swept over the back of Tian Song’s head.

Tian Song felt that everything had turned black before his eyes. And, he passed out the next moment

The fact was that Shi Mu didn’t wish to alarm other people. So, he could only make Tian Song rest for a while.

“Speak out the person’s name who directed you to come here.” Shi Mu turned his head and asked while enshrouding the grey shadow in his spirit sense.

The grey shadow was tumbling in the same place, but it didn’t make any sound.

Shi Mu let out a cold snort. Then, his right-hand moved, and a red fireball appeared in his hand.

Then, he softly rolled it forward, and the fireball started to burn the leg of the grey shadow.

“Ah!” a mournful screeching sound resounded in Shi Mu’s mind.

“I’ll say… I’ll say…” the grey shadow started to ask for forgiveness.

…

In the center of the town… in front of that two-storey garret.

Bang!

Shi Mu pounded his foot and kicked-open the door. Then, he strode into the garret.

He swept his gaze around, and his eyes got attracted towards a side room.

Squeak!

The door opened, and a twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old young man walked out of the room. His complexion looked somewhat pale. He looked at Shi Mu and said, “Senior Mu, you broke into Wang’s house this late… I’m afraid that it’s against manners, right?”

“Town Chief Wang, do you know this thing?” Shi Mu extended his right hand and a grey shadow appeared in the palm of his hand. Its whole body was tied with the Chain of white Qi.

“Senior Mu deserves to be called a Star-ranked magician. You grabbed the evil spirit so quickly; it would’ve indeed been very exhausting.” It seemed as if Wang Ying had been expecting this. However, he still stretched out his hands to applaud Shi Mu.

Suddenly, a grey magic circle appeared on the ground around Shi Mu. This circle was about twenty-feet in diameter.

After that, a cylindrical and grey-colored transparent light screen rose from the magic circle and surrounded Shi Mu. Then, the grey light flashed and an ash-grey halo appeared on Shi Mu’s limbs. Shi Mu felt that the magic power in his body had abruptly stagnated.

Meanwhile, a grey bone-stick appeared in Wang Ying’s hand with a flash of grey light. Then, a grey luminescence flashed on the tip of that stick, and a mass of grey-colored fog emerged in the void around Shi Mu. It was followed by four zombies that sprung out from inside.

The one that stood in front of Shi Mu was a grey-haired zombie. And, the other three white-furred zombies stood behind the grey-haired zombie.

The grey-haired zombie’s body was surrounded by a very formidable and imposing aura. It almost possessed the strength of the Xian Tian primary stage. But, the aura around the other three zombies was very weak; they were barely at Hou Tian advanced stage.

“He he, your magic power is incredible, but it has been imprisoned now. So, you can only sit back and wait for your death. I can break through the bottleneck of the Spirit-rank and advanced to the Star-rank if I offer your body and soul as sacrifice at the appointed time!” Wang Ying’s voice resounded.