Chapter 92: The Ashen Graveyard
*Rumble—*
The sky, covered in dense clouds, suddenly echoed with a muffled thunder.
"Huami…"
The mention of this word stirred up unpleasant memories for Hua Mi. The sheer awfulness he felt when the Devil Projection appeared remained unforgettable, an experience he never wished to relive. Looking back, he realized that without the calming influence of the Cloak of Composure, he might not have reacted at all.
That could have been the end of his journey in that otherworldly place.
"It's impossible," Carter dismissed, "I merely mentioned it that day. In reality, there shouldn't be anyone capable of creating a resurrection corpse, especially not in a small place like Huaishi Town…"
However, after saying this, he seemed somewhat hesitant, discreetly observing Hua Mi, trying to gauge his reaction.
But Hua Mi knew that there weren't just people capable of creating resurrection corpses in this world. Just recently, a resurrection corpse had emerged in the Black Forest, its body obliterated by a unicorn.
As for its soul…
Hua Mi suddenly remembered the traits of a resurrection corpse. As long as it remained within the revenge period, no matter how many times its physical form was destroyed, the soul would find another suitable humanoid body to inhabit.
How long was this revenge period?
Several months or a year?
If the time spent in the mortal realm by that resurrection corpse hadn't exceeded its revenge deadline, it could reappear and its target remained unmistakable—the unicorn in the Black Forest!
This explained Little Ford's persistence in targeting the Black Forest after his revival.
Hua Mi meticulously recollected the scene from before. The cloaked mage only sacrificed three souls, and the soul of the resurrection corpse served as a conduit to the Nine Abysses, not being sacrificed itself. Later, even though the corpse was destroyed by the unicorn, what about its soul?
Initially, Hua Mi believed that since the creator of the resurrection corpse, the cloaked figure, had died, the spell effects tethering it to this world should've dissipated, much like the golden birdcage trapping Little Orange.
However, now reconsidering, as a formed resurrection corpse, it might no longer require the cloaked figure's magic or contract to sustain itself. It had become an independent entity.
If that were the case, according to the traits of a resurrection corpse, it could reappear in a different form—such as inhabiting the recently deceased Little Ford's body. Freshly deceased, the body wouldn't look much different from a living one.
But what about the changes occurring within him?
Why take the mayor's daughter along?
These aspects remained unclear.
Furthermore, there were other minor details. Though explanations existed, they often felt strained.
Observing Hua Mi lost in thought, the trio held their breath, clutching their teacups, afraid to disturb his train of thought.
Hua Mi's concern lay in the introduction of such an unstable factor into the Black Forest, posing potential threats to himself and Hua Tian. It was necessary to investigate thoroughly; otherwise, it felt like a thorn lodged in his mind.
If the Star Observer, Clark, were present, with his keen observer's perspective, he could surely pinpoint the target swiftly. However, the pigeon seemed to have flown off somewhere, and it was nearing noon, still absent.
Use scout bees?
The Black Forest was vast; searching without a specific target wouldn't be that easy.
Or perhaps, a visit to the unicorn first?
If Little Ford had transformed into an ordinary resurrection corpse, Hua Mi believed the unicorn could handle it.
However, according to the trio's descriptions, Little Ford had undergone some sort of transformation.
In the asymmetry of information, another occurrence like the last time couldn't be ruled out.
If caught off guard, even a formidable creature like the unicorn might face defeat.
If the unicorn faced trouble, the one beneath the ruins of Black Castle would be in jeopardy.
Such a situation must not be allowed.
The Black Forest shouldn't harbor such formidable malevolence.
How could one farm and tend bees with such concerns?
"During this trip, I could also bring Thunder Lily Honey to the unicorn."
…
Hua Mi informed them of his intention to go somewhere, unsure if any clues regarding Little Ford could be found there. Whether to go or not was their own decision.
The three almost instantly replied: to go.
Only then did they remember to ask where they were headed.
"Black Castle Ruins."
"…"
All three were taken aback.
If memory served, that place was the unicorn's territory?
It wasn't a place where one could casually stroll in.
But considering that he could even obtain a unicorn's broken horn, it wasn't surprising.
In fact, that broken horn might have come from the unicorn within the ruins of Black Castle.
This left only two possibilities.
Either he killed the unicorn.
Or he subdued it.
Either way, it spoke volumes about the terrifying strength of this recluse fluent in bee language!
For a moment, the trio felt as if they were admiring a towering mountain, overwhelmed by the pressure.
"Any flying apparatus?" Hua Mi inquired.
"Oh, yes, we have one."
Carter hastily retrieved a flying vessel from a storage ring, capable of accommodating four people.
The vessel had a shuttle-like appearance, with two rows of seats inside and a control lever upright at the front.
Carter operated it from the front while the others sat behind.
With a hum, the vessel illuminated a blue pathway and ascended into the sky, heading towards the ruins of Black Castle.
This vessel was much faster than a flying carpet but not as comfortable and a bit bumpy.
During the flight, apart from Carter concentrating on driving, the other three kept an eye on the ground.
It was the Ice Age, and with the foliage gone, there was an unobstructed view.
After flying for more than half an hour, Hillar suddenly noticed something and pointed in a direction. "There, is that fog rising?"
The vessel slowed down.
All three followed her gaze.
Indeed, there was a hazy mist rising from the surface in the distance.
It took her keen sight to distinguish it; otherwise, most would mistake it for snow.
It was unusual for fog to form on such a cold day naturally.
"That mist looks peculiar. Let's check it out," Carter redirected the vessel towards the mist.
Soon, they arrived directly above the fog.
From this close, things seemed even more amiss.
The mist only reached a limited height, barely past their knees—though for Alyss, it would probably be around her waist.
The murky fog slowly spread outward, indicating a source.
"That direction… should be the 'Ashen Graveyard,' right?" Hillar uncertainly stated, "Could something abnormal be happening inside the graveyard?"
"That's it!" Col exclaimed, pounding his fist. The others looked at him, puzzled.
"What's 'it'?"
"Graveyard, death, resurrection, Little Ford—aren't they all related? I bet Little Ford is in the Ashen Graveyard, and this mist is probably related to him!"
"…"
Oddly enough, though it was a bit of a wild theory, it might just hit the mark. Sometimes, the straightforward thought process of a beastly person might cut through all convolutions and get straight to the truth itself.
Regardless, something was certainly off about this place, demanding investigation.
The vessel proceeded towards the
Ashen Graveyard.
Due to uncertainties about the mist, Carter cautiously slowed down.
Meanwhile, Hua Mi controlled a scout bee to approach the fog below.
The scent…
It resembled the stench of rotten meat left out in the hot summer sun for several days.
A smell of decay and death.
Hua Mi involuntarily held his breath.
Of course, it was futile.
Because the smell wasn't his; it came from the shared sensory perception of the scout bee.
As they drew closer to the center of the graveyard, the mist thickened.
Additionally, amidst the ashen mist, there were red veins akin to blood streaks.
The scent transmitted by the scout bee now carried a tinge of blood.
They could already discern scattered, askew tombstones on the ground.
Hua Mi closed his eyes, scrutinizing the bee's transmitted visuals.
Suddenly, a broken tombstone flashed in his view, catching his attention.
Hua Mi immediately directed the scout bee to focus back on it.
Through the dense fog, a figure lay sprawled atop that tombstone.
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