Chương 81: Chapter 81: The Weather Changes

Liao Pantu was about to say something when he suddenly sensed something unusual. He frowned and said, "This isn't good. The evil aura seems to be getting even stronger."

Lin Xiao, who had also felt it, immediately stood up. "I'll go take a look."

Liao Pantu followed suit, retracting his body back into the Soul Nourishing Wood, leaving only his head exposed, and then extending his legs out to stand. "I'll go with you."

The two of them quickly left the house. As soon as they stepped outside, they noticed that the sky, which should have been clear, was visibly darkening. The temperature, which had been steadily rising with the day, suddenly began to drop. The warm spring and summer breeze seemed to have taken on a layer of frost, chilling their skin.

Lin Xiao felt a sense of déjà vu, but he couldn't quite recall why. There was no time to ponder it further as he hurried to the cultivation room.

At the cultivation room, the others had already noticed the sudden increase in spiritual energy—it was nearly double what it had been before! They were excited to seize the opportunity for more intense cultivation. However, Sun Yigao, who had been meditating, felt something strange and went outside to investigate. He also noticed the eerie change in the atmosphere.

Concerned for his parents, Sun Yigao considered rushing back to the village. But remembering that most of the other villagers, including his family members, were still in the village, he decided to inform the others inside the cultivation room first.

Without further delay, everyone hurried down the mountain, leaving behind the rich spiritual energy. Lin Xiao joined them, making his way back to the village as well.

Only Yang Jinshu remained on the mountain with her two children. She frowned at the sudden change in weather, as if recalling something. Then, she stood up and called Liu Yunan and Liu Shengsheng to go chop wood with her.

Meanwhile, in Xiushui Village…

In the courtyard of his home, Hu Deli, the village head, was lying in a reclining chair under the shade of a tree, enjoying a peaceful moment. Suddenly, the sharp drop in temperature jolted him awake. Opening his eyes, he saw that the once-clear sky had turned ominously dark. It was as if a layer of black netting had been thrown over the sky, casting a gloomy shadow over the land.

Hu Deli's eyes widened in shock, and his expression quickly changed. He sprang to his feet with a swiftness that belied his age, rushing inside to grab a metal pot and spoon. Then, with hurried steps, he stumbled out of his house, banging the spoon against the pot as he went. His aged voice called out loudly as he moved through the village:

"Get ready to chop wood! Everyone, come out! The weather's changing—go chop wood!"

Hearing their old village head's urgent cries, the villagers were initially confused. Some stepped outside to ask what was going on, but as soon as they saw the darkened sky and felt the sudden chill, they were alarmed. Grabbing their axes and baskets, they hurriedly headed to the mountains to gather firewood.

This scene was playing out across the entire village of Xiushui. The heads of various families and the village elders were rushing about, informing everyone of the sudden change. Even the elderly who couldn't chop wood themselves were busy spreading the word throughout the village.

In the fields, those working the land had already noticed the change in the weather. Younger villagers were still a bit confused, thinking it was just a cold snap or a sign of rain. But the older villagers, upon seeing the sky darken and feeling the chill, immediately dropped their tools and ran home to grab their axes before rushing to the woods.

Some of the younger villagers tried to ask what was happening, but they were quickly pulled along by their elders toward the trees. Those who went earlier would be able to gather dry wood near the outskirts, but those who were late would have to venture deeper into the forest, wasting precious time. Even the children were instructed to gather as much dry grass as possible. If that wasn't available, they were told to collect leaves.

In no time, the entire village was in a frenzy of activity.

Lin Dayou and his two sons were rushing back to their ancestral home when they encountered Lin Laozi and the rest of the family, who were preparing to go chop wood. Lin Xiao quickly stepped forward, saying, "Grandpa, no need to rush. I have plenty of wood."

Lin Dayou took the axe and basket from Lin Laozi's hands and stood beside him. Seeing Lin Xiao and the others, Lin Laozi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Shaking his head, he said, "You should keep that wood. What if it's not enough? It's better to gather more now to avoid any trouble later."

Lin Xiao didn't argue and joined them in heading to the forest. "Alright, I'll go with you."

As they walked, Lin Xiao explained who Liao Pantu was to the family. Initially startled by Liao Pantu's appearance, they calmed down after hearing Lin Xiao's explanation. Given the circumstances, they didn't have the time or energy to dwell on his strange appearance. After all, nothing could be more terrifying than the ominous scene unfolding around them.

With his hands now free, Lin Laozi quickened his pace, his voice filled with resignation as he glanced at the darkening sky. "I never thought this cursed weather would return after eleven years… I thought it was gone for good. What bad luck we've had—what did we do to deserve this…"

Hearing his words, Lin Xiao remembered that it had been the same eleven years ago. Suddenly, the sky had changed color, and the temperature had plummeted. Overnight, a heavy snowfall had covered the land, and with it, his mother had passed away. The village had been draped in white mourning banners, and funeral notices had spread to the surrounding villages. The sound of weeping had filled the air for over a month.

Staring at the dark, oppressive sky, Lin Xiao's expression grew colder, and his heart filled with dread.

Liao Pantu, observing Lin Xiao's expression, hesitated for a moment before quietly whispering, "This doesn't seem like a natural weather phenomenon. I suspect it's related to the evil aura."

Lin Xiao clenched his fists tightly upon hearing this. Furrowing his brow, he thought hard, then spoke softly to Liao Pantu, "It's becoming clearer now. I just placed a spiritual vein, and as soon as the spiritual energy thickened, the evil aura followed. Then the temperature suddenly dropped. This thing is highly sensitive to spiritual energy. I first sensed its presence near the graveyard, although it was faint at the time. It seems that this creature has been lurking near our village for a long time. But what I don't understand is why it attacked our villages eleven years ago. Back then, there were no cultivators here, and the spiritual energy wasn't particularly strong either."