Village West Refugee Land

Sometimes, once the seed of doubt is planted, it will become like a vine, tightly binding the heart, impossible to break free from.

The two exchanged a glance, then quickly looked away.

Neither of them spoke.

Ultimately, Zhou Lingxuan was just an ordinary steward. No matter how great his other skills were, he would still make mistakes in his judgment of the wilderness.

He wasn't an elder, so naturally he didn't have any extraordinary abilities.

Having always been in the abandoned hall of the sect, how could they possibly have any experience going out!

In their view, Zhou Lingxuan is now acting solely out of curiosity!

Wandering through these mountain villages.

Zhou Lingxuan could ignore everything, but the disciples of the Enforcement Hall dared not truly become hands-off managers.

Their habit of going out made them afraid to fall asleep easily, especially since they also had to protect Zhou Lingxuan.

So no matter how much they doubted Zhou Lingxuan's choice, in the end they still chose to take turns keeping watch at night!

It was midnight, just as the two were changing shifts.

Under the thick darkness of night, a wisp of black smoke drifted in.

The wisp of black energy was extremely faint. If the two of them hadn't been quick-witted and spent years wandering around, they probably wouldn't have been able to detect these subtle changes!

"who!"

The two instantly released their divine senses, locking onto the spot where the wisp of black energy had drifted away.

The black aura spread out like a ghost, so they could only let their divine sense spread out like a tide, covering the entire courtyard completely and searching every corner thoroughly.

But that wisp of black energy was moving too fast.

It drifted away like smoke, vanishing the moment it touched the divine sense, and merging into the night in the blink of an eye.

There was no trace left, as if their feeling was wrong and the so-called ghost did not exist at all.

The evening breeze continued to blow gently, the shadows of the trees swayed softly, and everything was unusually peaceful.

"Could I be mistaken?"

"Impossible. Our keen senses couldn't be wrong. It can only mean that the thing was very good at hiding."

The speaker's tone was firm, but a hint of seriousness had already appeared between his brows.

The Enforcement Hall is adept at tracking down clues, and their investigative methods are virtually infallible.

Countless times, the pursuit and suppression of evil cultivators and the capture of traitors have relied on this ability to uncover even the slightest clue.

Tonight, I was actually tricked by a dark aura right in front of me; I doubt anyone would believe it if I told them.

The fact that things have turned out this way only proves that the person's methods of concealment are even more powerful than theirs.

"Do you think it might be an old monster?"

"Impossible! If an old monster really had infiltrated, the sect elders couldn't possibly have been completely unaware!"

People of the old monster's caliber would sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth whenever they approached the territory of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion.

Not to mention the sect elders who are stationed day and night, their divine senses covering a radius of a hundred miles year-round.

The large formation not only covered the Heavenly Sword Pavilion, but also the village at the foot of the mountain.

Although this array is not as powerful as the mountain-protecting array, it has been repeatedly reinforced by generations of array masters. Ordinary villains would have no chance of sneaking in without paying a price.

The array covering the village, while not enough to keep all intruders out, was also not so dilapidated that it would not sound an alarm if any old monsters passed through it.

If he were truly that kind of person, the formation would have already lit up with a soaring spiritual light, and the elders would have arrived in an instant.

Then there's only one possibility: it's not an old monster, but just a low-level cultivator who can still act like a ghost.

The thought that they might have been tricked by these things made them feel a little resentful.

Normally, those evil spirits and heretics would be terrified and run away in fear at the sight of the Enforcement Hall's badge. But now, they've been completely fooled by some nobody right under their noses. If this gets back to the hall, their fellow disciples will laugh their heads off.

These people value their reputation above all else. How could they possibly accept being teased like this? Their expressions were full of disgust and annoyance.

Their breathing became heavier, and their hands unconsciously pressed against the magical artifacts and weapons at their waists, their knuckles clenching until they turned slightly white, waiting for the thing to reappear so they could take it down with lightning speed.

However, these emotions did not last long, as Zhou Lingxuan came out of the room, breaking the deadlock.

The dilapidated door creaked open, and Zhou Lingxuan's figure emerged from the shadows.

The moonlight bathed him, clearly outlining his features.

He walked very slowly, as if he hadn't noticed the chaos that had just occurred.

Looking around and taking in the gazes of the two from the Enforcement Hall, Zhou Lingxuan smiled faintly.

His smile, so casual in the quiet night, made people extremely nervous.

"It's so lively, I didn't expect there to be such a scene."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clearly transmitted to their ears.

Upon hearing this, a look of surprise flashed across the eyes of the two officers from the Enforcement Hall as they stared at Zhou Lingxuan in disbelief.

Although they took the initiative to keep watch, they never expected that black aura!

The black aura vanished in an instant, and before they could figure out its source, they heard Zhou Lingxuan's ambiguous words.

"Deacon Zhou, do you perhaps know what that thing is?"

"I don't know, but judging from its appearance, it's probably not a good thing."

Zhou Lingxuan looked at the spot where the black energy had dissipated, his expression solemn.

Although his strength seemed to be the lowest among them, his aura was second to none, especially standing straight in the courtyard in the night sky, like a sharp sword that had not yet been drawn!

His mere presence alone made him second to none among those present!

Although his spiritual sense was weak and he came out late, he still managed to catch a glimpse of the black mist slipping away!

The black aura emanated a sinister and terrifying presence, clearly originating from an evil cultivator!

The direction that black mist fled in was too strange, especially the trail it left behind!

Evil cultivators have always been secretive and should not want to be exposed, but the black mist clearly slowed down for a second when it fled!

That single second was enough for them to pinpoint the direction the other person had last left in!

It seems like everything about it was done intentionally!

It seems like the other party deliberately wanted to expose themselves!

"There's not much noise. Let's go take a look and see what this person is up to."

Zhou Lingxuan's tone remained indifferent, yet it was like a dull knife, slowly revealing the truth of the matter.

Since the other party chose to act in the dead of night and was so careful to erase the traces, it shows that he is not confident of a direct confrontation and can only stir up trouble in the dark.

Zhou Lingxuan looked towards the west of the village, remembering that the village chief had mentioned during the day that it was a gathering place for refugees.

The refugees were ragged, emaciated, and looked like a group of withered leaves battered by wind and rain. They had finally found a place to shelter from the wind and rain.

It's perfectly normal for refugees to pick up some bad habits, but Zhou Lingxuan didn't think it was the refugees who did it.

There was still a light in their eyes—a longing to live and a hope for a peaceful life.

If they really did it, what would be their motive?