"Seven days ago, Lady White Bone led her forces into Ghost Head Town, manifesting a hundred-meter-tall White Bone Dharma Body to burn, kill, and plunder."

"The entire town..."

"...was wiped out!"

Fang Zheng looked sorrowful and sighed:

"I happened to be out of town that day on some business, luckily escaping the massacre. But when I returned, it was as you see!"

"Lady White Bone!" Elder Ren gripped his Bone Staff tightly, his face a mix of shock and anger:

"How dare she attack the town like that? Isn’t she afraid of inciting a full-scale war between Fengdu and Black Mountain?"

"Ghost Head Town had tens of thousands of people..."

"How could she bring herself to do it!"

"Hmph!" A tall and thin middle-aged man snorted coldly at the words:

"The Black Mountain Evil Dao lost their humanity long ago. For the sake of blood food and cultivation, there is nothing they wouldn’t do."

"Brother Fang."

The man cupped his hands towards Fang Zheng:

"I am Ding Li. You can just call me Old Ding."

"Elder Ren." A female cultivator spoke quietly:

"Ghost Head Town had two Great Mages guarding it, along with arrays isolating the inside and out. Could it be they still couldn’t withstand Lady White Bone?"

"If it were only Lady White Bone, though she’s strong, she might not have been able to break into the town." Elder Ren shook his head:

"But would she have come alone?"

"Exactly!" Fang Zheng nodded:

"Besides Lady White Bone, there were Sword Ghost Bao Zhuang and Flower Ghost Guan Suo, each bringing their own Ghost Soldiers."

"I was useless, could only watch helplessly as they committed evil, not even having the courage to lend a hand."

He sighed and shook his head as he spoke.

"That makes sense." Elder Ren said:

"Bao Zhuang and Guan Suo are top experts of Black Mountain, one is a top Great Mage, the other a Martial Dao master."

"Brother Fang, you shouldn’t blame yourself; preserving your life in such circumstances is the most crucial thing."

"Indeed!"

"Yes, Brother Fang, don’t lose heart."

"..."

No matter what they thought, the others all spoke up to console him.

"Elder Ren."

Fang Zheng came back to his senses and said:

"After Black Mountain Evil Dao broke the town, they killed the mayor and others, and took everyone else captive."

"Is there a way to notify Fengdu and rescue them?"

"Yes!"

Elder Ren’s eyes lit up.

He quickly took out a bone fragment, reluctance showing on his face, then clenched his jaw and began inscribing on the bone fragment with bent fingers.

Not long after.

As the bone fragment emitted a faint halo and scattered into flying ash, Elder Ren visibly relaxed.

"I’ve sent the message; Fengdu’s experts should be mobilizing."

"Thank Heaven."

Fang Zheng nodded:

"I hope they can rescue them."

Even as he said this, he held little hope in his heart.

Elder Ren had means to notify Fengdu, and Ghost Head Town, being a large town, would surely have ways to send messages in times of crisis.

Yet for so long, no help had arrived.

Considering Lady White Bone dared to act, she must have ensured she could take everyone from the town.

"Mage."

At this moment, a woman approached and spoke:

"The porridge is ready!"

"Mm!"

Elder Ren nodded:

"Drink the porridge, fill your belly first!"

"Brother Fang, join us."

"Thank you!"

Fang Zheng thanked them.

This was a group of over a hundred people, more than half under ten years old.

Resources were scarce in the Fengdu Territory.

The children mostly wore tattered clothes; even Elder Ren and others had clothes patched and stitched.

Their bodies were mostly thin and frail, with no robust practitioners, clearly malnourished.

The porridge was watery.

The large pot simmered with something akin to millet mixed with some grass stalks, exuding a dark green hue.

The wooden ladle scooped up a gooey mass.

Though unappetizing, the group ate cautiously, licking the bowl bottoms clean, afraid to waste a single drop.

Besides porridge, there were stone-like buns, small yet requiring two people to share.

Fang Zheng received a bowl, mimicking the others’ manner as he tasted it. The porridge was bitter, but fortunately nutritious.

The bun...

Purely something to stave off hunger.

Given what was visible, the survival situation in the Yama Secret Realm was obviously tough. It must be noted that everyone present practiced martial arts or cultivation.

There was almost no ordinary person among them.

If their clothes and food were like this, one could only imagine how dire the common folk’s living conditions were.

"Elder Ren."

Ding Li leaned closer to Elder Ren, speaking softly:

"Can we trust Fang Yan?"

"Should be no problem." Elder Ren took a sip of porridge, a faint mystic light gleaming deep in his eyes, and spoke slowly:

"His aura is pure, cultivating the most orthodox Yama Heart Sutra, and carries no malevolent intent."

"Entirely different from Black Mountain cultivators."

"Hmm..." Ding Li nodded:

"Your Yin Demon Eye is undoubtedly reliable, but I don’t recall any Family Fang cultivation clan in Ghost Head Town?"

"Perhaps he’s just a loose cultivator." Elder Ren replied:

"Ghost Head Town borders the Valley of Evil Fate, a convergence point for all sorts of loose cultivators, coming and going freely, it’s normal not to recall."

"Besides..."

"If he were with Black Mountain, do you think we could hide from him?"

Ding Li suddenly realized.

Indeed!

Even Ghost Head Town with its tens of thousands was laid to waste, what could they possibly do?

Having finished his porridge, Elder Ren set down his bowl, adjusted his sleeves, and walked towards Fang Zheng.

"Brother Fang, are you full?"

"Full!"

Fang Zheng stood up:

"Thank you for the hospitality!"

"Ah, we are all citizens of Fengdu, it’s only right to help each other." Elder Ren seemed quite pleased with his hospitality, for a bowl of Spirit Porridge was no easy offer, he paused then said:

"Brother Fang, are you headed to Fengdu City?"

"Yes."

Fang Zheng nodded:

"With Ghost Head Town destroyed, I have nowhere to go, and the outside isn’t safe. Fengdu City is the best choice."

"Hmm."

Elder Ren lightly brushed his beard:

"Then Brother Fang must know, entering Fengdu City is easy, but staying there is not."

Hmm?

Fang Zheng’s heart stirred, yet his face remained impassive.