Chapter 79: The Master of Mysticism is an Internet Celebrity 18

“Please go ahead, fellow cultivator,” said Chen Ting, the head of the Luxi branch, whose cultivation level was on par with Mu Yin.

“It’s like this. I believe this strange disease might have been brought about by that little fish demon that escaped from Pinghu Village two years ago. I’ve been searching for it all this time but never found it. Now it seems it must have fled into the sea and somehow gained such abilities. But I feel certain this incident is connected to it. That’s why I suspect these people might have turned out this way because they ate fish meat.” Mu Yin shared everything she knew and her deductions.

The meeting hall erupted into noisy debate. Most people were discussing the credibility of this theory. Considering that all the afflicted had grown fish scales and exhibited cannibalistic behaviors, the connection to a fish demon seemed plausible. A few, however, tried to pin the blame on Mu Yin, as she was the only one to step forward.

Fortunately, most attendees had clear heads. The matter from two years ago had also involved cooperation from various branches, but there had been no findings. Now it turned out the creature had long fled to the sea.

“It’s just a little fish demon. How could it have caused such havoc? Don’t spout nonsense here.” A stern-looking man stood up. His appearance was old-fashioned, his hair neatly parted like an ancient scholar—an unmistakably rigid character.

“I’m only stating my conjecture. Whether it’s true or not requires investigation,” Mu Yin replied, indifferent to such rigid types—and judging by his look, was he not only stuffy but also a relic from feudal times?

“All right, we’ll verify this matter. For now, listen to my arrangements,” Chen Ting said, tapping the microphone, and another wave of commotion followed.

Afterward, each group was assigned to different villages to search for the source of infection and, if possible, seek a cure. For safety, they weren’t split up further—perhaps to ensure better cooperation within regional teams.

The Zhenjiang team was sent to the place where the infection was first discovered: a seaside village that had once survived on fishing. But that was decades ago. Rapid technological development had led to pollution and extinction of species. People then turned to environmental protection, and fishing was replaced by aquaculture, with only occasional catches now and then.

The village was sealed off by Luxi’s cultivators, but nearly all the villagers had either been infected or devoured. Now, the team needed to enter the village. With their entry talismans in hand, they went inside, a camera drone hovering overhead to record everything.

They were attacked almost as soon as they entered. The team quickly scattered, facing off against monsters that were human in shape but no longer human in essence. Their appearance was now almost that of fish demons—faces covered with scales, mouths split nearly across their cheeks, gills near the ears, ears turned into fins, mouths filled with sharp teeth, webs between their fingers, backs arched with a fin tearing through their clothes—yet their feet remained, not yet transformed into tails.

“Heavens!” Tang Lulu cried out in fright. These weren’t human anymore; was there any hope of saving them?

“As expected,” Mu Yin thought, feeling as if the other shoe had finally dropped.

“We need to find somewhere to hide,” Liu Li said as more and more infected closed in around them.

“Over there,” Li Jia said, having surveyed their surroundings, and pointed toward a tall tower.

“Good idea.” Yun Shuyang nodded. The group stopped dodging aimlessly and began moving toward the tower. At first, they tried not to hurt anyone, but as more infected surrounded them, they found themselves increasingly hampered.

Why did everyone in this world have decent cultivation, yet none could fly on magical instruments? Perhaps it was because there were no flying artifacts here? Her peachwood sword counted as a decent weapon for fighting and cutting through monsters, but flying was out of the question.

Yun Shuyang was an exception. Having reached the Fusion stage, he could soar through the air, but he stayed with the group for their sake, sharing their peril.

“This won’t do—we have to drive them back,” Mu Yin said, pulling out several talismans.

“Try not to kill them,” Liu Li reminded her. Hurting them was less of a concern, as the infected healed with alarming speed.

“These are cleansing talismans,” Mu Yin replied, then quickly activated several at once. The infected, tainted by demonic, evil, and even deathly energies, as well as something else unknown, were valid targets for cleansing.

A swath of infected was knocked down by the talismans’ effects. Taking advantage of the opening, the group rushed for the tower—a lighthouse for those who once went to sea. Once inside, they sealed the door with more talismans to prevent any infected from following.

At the top of the tower, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Is there any hope for these people?” Tang Lulu asked sorrowfully. After all, these had once been ordinary villagers.

“I don’t know,” Li Jia replied, shaking his head as he sat down.

Mu Yin walked to the edge of the tower, gazing back the way they’d come. She wanted to see where the infected would go without a target, since they weren’t mindless zombies who’d wander the streets aimlessly.

She noticed that after some wandering, the infected all returned to places with water—pools, the sea. That’s when she realized they’d all been dripping wet, though she hadn’t paid attention before.

Then she spotted something different: a few infected had not returned to the water, but were lying there, and seemed to be undergoing some kind of change.

“What is it?” Yun Shuyang came over, hearing her voice.

“Brother Yun, look at those infected over there. Don’t they seem different from before?” Mu Yin pointed them out.

“It does seem so,” Yun Shuyang said. With his cultivation, he could see things miles away as if they were right before him. He flew out, scooped up the five or six people, and brought them to the top of the tower.

“What’s going on?” The other three gathered around, puzzled.

“These people seem to be recovering,” Mu Yin observed. She pulled up the footage from the camera drone, comparing their earlier appearance. “They really are recovering.”

“How could they suddenly be recovering?” Li Jia asked in confusion.

“Is it the cleansing talisman? Let me see yours,” Yun Shuyang said, quickly grasping the key and asking Mu Yin for one of her talismans.