Chapter 206: Bamboo Sea Flute Melody

Rustle, rustle…

A gust of wind blew, causing the entire bamboo mountain to rustle, producing wave-like sounds. Riding in a carriage along the winding mountain road felt like being in a vast ocean of bamboo. The air was fresh and refreshing.

At some point, amid the bamboo sea’s rustling, faint and elusive flute sounds began to drift in. They were faint, sometimes there, sometimes not, as if coming from deep within the bamboo sea. But when he listened carefully, there was nothing but the swaying of the bamboo grove—it seemed like just his imagination.

Was it a shepherd boy herding cattle in the mountains, a recluse living in seclusion here, or…

The faint flute sounds drifted in and out. Uncle Fu, who was driving the carriage upfront, seemed to hear nothing, but Mu Feng, who had been deep in cultivation, quickly woke up and secretly became more alert. “Uncle Fu, you mentioned earlier that this area isn’t very peaceful. What exactly is going on?”

“Ah, it’s a long story!”

Uncle Fu shook his head as he drove the carriage and said, “Originally, although this road was a bit rough and hard to travel, it was always peaceful. But for some reason, ever since a wandering monk claimed ten years ago that the feng shui here was bad and persuaded people to donate funds to build a temple to suppress evil spirits, a lot of strange things started happening. Many families’ livestock died mysteriously. Moreover, some traveling merchants who were perfectly fine one evening were found dead the next morning with no wounds on their bodies. Odd incidents occurred frequently. Over time, those who often traveled this road no longer dared to rest nearby.”

Died overnight?

Mu Feng frowned. He had originally thought that a group of bandits might be lurking here, but the situation turned out to be beyond his expectations.

If one or two traveling merchants died mysteriously, it could be explained, but if it happened frequently, it was suspicious. The unexplained deaths of livestock made it even more peculiar.

No wounds were found on the bodies—could it be that a blood-sucking zombie or a terrifying tree demon had appeared here?

Mu Feng’s heart stirred as he quickly recalled the Millennium Tree Demon he had encountered outside the Ethereal Temple. “Uncle Fu, did the victims die from blood loss or withering, with tiny pinprick-sized holes on their bodies?”

“That, I don’t know. Over the years, I’ve seen a few traveling merchants who died suddenly, but I always passed by quickly without stopping to take a closer look. When traveling far from home in unfamiliar places, no one wants to meddle in others’ affairs. If the deceased had no relatives or friends around, their bodies were dragged to the wilderness and buried hastily, without even a tombstone. Ah, it’s pitiful!”

Uncle Fu shook his head and continued, “Those who often travel this road know how strange it is here. Unless absolutely necessary, no one stays overnight nearby. If they really miss the time and have to lodge at the Mengzhu Inn at the foot of the mountain, I’ve heard that burning incense at the temple can ensure a safe journey. Just in case, I brought some incense earlier. Young Master Mu, you can rest assured!”

“Uncle Fu, thank you for your trouble. By the way, did you hear any flute sounds just now?” Mu Feng asked Uncle Fu calmly as he drove.

“Flute sounds?”

Uncle Fu shook his head. “No, apart from the Mengzhu Inn at the foot of the mountain, there’s no one within miles around. Where would flute sounds come from?”

“Oh, then maybe I misheard.”

Mu Feng smiled and said no more, but he remained secretly alert.

Sitting cross-legged in the carriage, he appeared to be deep in cultivation, but in reality, he was quietly sensing the surroundings. To his surprise, even as the carriage climbed to the mountaintop, nothing unusual happened along the way, and the strange flute sounds did not reappear—it seemed like it really was just his imagination.

Just as he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to continue his focused meditation, the swiftly moving carriage suddenly came to a halt. Uncle Fu, sitting in front, cried out in alarm, “Snakes, Young Master Mu, there… there are snakes…”

Snakes?

Mu Feng was a bit puzzled. In such a wild and mountainous area, encountering a few snakes was perfectly normal. Uncle Fu, being old and often traveling outdoors, couldn’t possibly have never seen snakes before, could he?

Puzzled, Mu Feng lifted the cloth curtain to look but saw nothing. He then leaned out to check the path ahead of the carriage and instantly felt a chill run down his spine.

The uphill road showed no abnormalities, but for some reason, after reaching the mountaintop, the downhill path ahead was covered with snakes of all sizes. There were giant pythons over ten meters long and venomous bamboo green snakes as thin as fingers, all densely entangled together as if gathering in a mass, blocking the way. Upon seeing the carriage, they all raised their heads—a dark, dense swarm that made one’s scalp crawl.

During his training with the Ghost Mother, Mu Feng had seen many venomous snakes, but he had never encountered such a massive gathering of snakes!

“Young Master Mu, this isn’t right. Bamboo Mountain usually only has some bamboo green snakes—how could such large pythons appear? Let’s go, quickly turn back the way we came!”

Uncle Fu was terrified. Though he desperately wanted to jump off the carriage and run, in this critical moment, he did not forget Mu Feng inside the carriage. Gritting his teeth, he reined in the equally frightened warhorse and snapped the whip hard, hoping to turn the carriage around and head back. However, before the carriage could complete the turn, a sharp, piercing flute sound suddenly came from deep within the bamboo sea. Immediately after, the dark mass of snakes slithered over, surrounding the carriage tightly.

Faced with the endless, dark swarm of snakes, not only Uncle Fu but even the warhorse pulling the carriage felt its legs go weak and began to tremble uncontrollably.

“Hmph, so something is indeed wrong. Uncle Fu, control the warhorse—I’ll handle the rest!”

With a cold snort, Mu Feng swiftly leaped out through the window and landed on the carriage roof.

Thump, thump, thump…

After a series of dull thuds, eighteen sinister banners appeared on the ground around the carriage. They grew with the wind, and a chilling Yin Wind began to swirl.

The Eighteen Blood Witch Commands!

At this critical moment, Mu Feng quickly summoned the Eighteen Blood Witch Commands artifact and commanded in a deep voice, “Miss Liushuang, come out!”

Before his words faded, a chilling Yin Wind emanated from the central banner, and a wisp of white mist emerged, transforming into the figure of a woman in white. It was none other than He Liushuang, who had achieved a Spirit Body. With a sharp shout, clusters of eerie Ghost Fire materialized in the air and exploded with a roaring sound.

Immediately, sand and stones flew. Within ten steps of the carriage, any snake that touched even a speck of the green Ghost Fire instantly burst into flames. Unlike ordinary fire, rolling on the ground did not extinguish it. Soon, the snakes were reduced to piles of ashes.

Spirit Cultivation Art!

In the hands of He Liushuang, a Spirit Body, the true power of this technique was revealed. The explosive force of the Ghost Fire was even stronger than that of the North Flow Twin Ghosts, those Devil Leaders!

“Oh…”

A surprised exclamation came from deep within the bamboo grove, and three girls wearing large bamboo hats and dressed in Southern Borderlands attire appeared. Each held a small bamboo flute to her lips. With a gentle blow, the snakes hissed and surged forward, swarming toward the carriage one after another!