The rock inside the mountain, eroded by trickling springs and wind over countless years, had carved out a space where people could live. The strong night wind blew in, indicating that sunlight would also reach this place during the day.
"After half a month of traveling by night, we've finally reached a place of refuge," Gu Zongshi relaxed considerably, his tone filled with emotion. "Chen Jianmin, your Chen family ancestors found a good spot."
Such a hidden location was impossible to find without someone leading the way.
Chen Jiuyang nodded. The place was almost like a maze.
Chen's father looked at the wooden houses, painted with oil, his tone somewhat complex. "My grandfather brought me to this place when I was a child. I never thought I'd have to use it myself."
"Let's unpack. We'll be living here for some time."
The group of over twenty people put down their belongings and began to settle in.
They hadn't carried much food; it was mostly clothes, salt, young poultry and pigs, and daily necessities.
Over the past half-year, Chen's father had stored a lot of dry goods like corn and rice. These wooden houses were also built by people he hired.
They cleaned the place and assigned living quarters.
Once everything was done, everyone lay down on their beds to sleep.
Although they were far from home, everyone felt a sense of security.
Chen Jiuyang was young, and after half a month of long-distance travel by night, covering over a thousand miles, his body was exhausted. When he woke up, it was already lunchtime.
He then took a closer look at the place they were now living in.
It was a huge mountain crevice. Water flowed down from the rock crevices at the top, forming a clear pond. The overflowing spring water flowed out along the rocks by the pond, nurturing the forest that concealed the place.
Even if they cooked and made smoke, the smoke dissipated at the top and couldn't escape.
It was truly a good place to escape the world and avoid disaster.
Fish had been placed in the pond beforehand to raise. In dry areas, several wooden enclosures kept the chickens, ducks, and pigs separated.
Some of the guards were chopping wood and piling it up, making charcoal under Gu Zongshi's guidance.
Charcoal had many benefits: it could be used for cooking, heating, disinfection, and even to eliminate odors in animal pens.
With a large ventilation opening, there was no need to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning.
Chen Jiuyang stood on the edge of the rock, looking out at the many mountains nearby. He could see a river at the horizon, so he didn't have to worry about getting lost.
"Although we've found a place of refuge, we must not let our guard down. We still need to have two shifts of people on watch, day and night," Gu Zongshi said.
Chen Jiuyang was puzzled. "Why? Can monsters find this place and attack us?"
Gu Zongshi said meaningfully, "When monsters attack, the most terrifying thing is not the monsters themselves, but people."
This statement left Chen Jiuyang in silence.
Soon, Gu Zongshi's words proved true.
Autumn turned to winter.
"Ah!"
A scream from somewhere far away penetrated the Chen family's rock cave.
Chen Jiuyang stood by the edge of the cave and looked in the direction of the sound.
Under the dim sky, people fleeing in groups appeared every so often.
"You stole our grain, how will our family survive..."
A desperate, piercing cry.
In the distance.
A group of strong young people had robbed a family of four of their winter clothes and food. The family of four stood there with numb, despairing expressions, crying their hearts out. After a long time, the family of four, old and young, slowly walked towards the river and threw themselves in to commit suicide!
Chen Jiuyang had never witnessed such a scene. His body trembled for the first time. He opened his mouth, speechless, but his soul roared and shattered.
Why! Why was it like this! Why would they do this!
His vision darkened, his body went weak, and he collapsed.
After an unknown amount of time, Chen Jiuyang woke up. His parents were not by his side; only Gu Zongshi was there.
Although he was awake, his hands and feet still felt cold, and his soul felt heavy.
"...Heh heh," Gu Zongshi grinned. "Young Chen, your parents are not in a position to tell you this, so I will."
"Monsters eat people. They don't attack scattered individuals; they only attack places where people live in concentration."
"I don't know why the Wu clan in Houcheng isn't killing the demon race."
"Over thousands upon thousands of years, the methods passed down by word of mouth from our ancestors are what allow ordinary people like us to survive."
"What you've seen today will happen many more times before the demon calamity ends. It's already very good that Qingcheng County received the news I passed on in advance."
"As for the people you see now, they are all foolish people with poor foresight, not worth pitying."
"After the news spread, they should have fled immediately instead of clinging to their current living conditions, or worse, trying to take advantage of others' misfortune, thinking they could survive."
"Think about it yourself. I've said enough to you."
Chen Jiuyang's small face remained pale, and he said nothing.
Were monster attacks really that terrifying?
Was Gu Zongshi perhaps right?
Chen Jiuyang felt as if the soul he had lived with for two lifetimes had shattered. He couldn't find any words to speak.
Just as Chen Jiuyang was lost in thought.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded, and everyone rushed into the room with pale faces.
Chen's father, trembling, tightly hugged Chen Jiuyang and Chen's mother.
Chen Jiuyang saw that Gu Zongshi, who had been smiling and mocking him moments ago, now had a greenish-white complexion.
Everyone looked fearful, trembling, not daring to speak or move.
What had happened?
At this moment, Chen Jiuyang saw the small stones on the ground begin to jump as if experiencing an earthquake.
The next moment, a scene appeared that made Chen Jiuyang almost suffocate and would be unforgettable for eternity!
It was a colossal figure that blotted out the sky, its body monstrous and terrifying. Its mouth, like that of an abyss or hell, opened, and with a gentle inhalation, it stirred up a gale. Dozens of human figures were swept into the air and into its maw. As its mouth closed, human limbs were torn apart, and a fine rain of blood fell from the sky.
"...Is... is this a monster?"
His teeth chattered, his soul trembled, his body shook. All words of description were pale and powerless before this sight.
Another gust of wind brought the terrifying smell of blood to Chen Jiuyang.
It was only long after the monstrous creature in the sky had left that Chen Jiuyang's soul returned to his body, his breath, heartbeat, and life gradually stabilizing.
At this moment, he felt something suppressed deep within his heart awakening and roaring.
Did humanity struggle and survive in such an environment?
After being reborn, would he have to live in fear like this his entire life?
He looked at Gu Zongshi and asked, "Gu Zongshi, can martial arts kill such monsters?"
Gu Zongshi replied, "Only when one enters the extraordinary realm."