Chapter 64: The Black Wind Refuses to Retreat?

Zhao Yu looked outside with a hint of perplexity: "Although I haven't kept track of how many days the black wind has been blowing, I know it has been quite a while. Based on past experience, shouldn't the black wind have receded by now?"

Even if it hadn't completely cleared, the intensity of the black wind ought to have diminished.

Yet, in reality, the black wind raging outside showed no signs of abating whatsoever.

If this continued, the black wind of Yin Mountain would soon be everywhere.

In that case, stepping outside would simply be asking for suffering.

Ying smiled gently and said, "My husband, you forgot. The onset of the black wind came earlier than usual this time."

A bitter expression crept onto Zhao Yu's face: "So, this black wind is going to last another two or three years?"

Until the time it normally departs?

He hated pain... Save me...

Ying's expression turned rather peculiar.

Xiaowanzi cast a cautious glance at Ying, then muttered, "Brother-in-law, if you ask me, this black wind isn't going to retreat. Unless something unexpected happens, this wretched place is going to be plagued by these annoying black winds forever."

"Forever? It... it won't retreat..." Zhao Yu felt his scalp go numb.

Does this mean every time he stepped outside from now on, he would be battered by the black wind?

No, no, if it really came to that, he might as well just move.

Move?

That seemed like a lot of trouble.

So what should he do?

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Yu clenched his fists: "I heard that the black wind blows from a place called the Abyss of Despair. My dear wife, how about we go to the Abyss of Despair and beat it up, then threaten the abyss into taking the black wind back? What do you think?"

He neither wanted the hassle of moving nor wished to be buffeted by the black wind.

If you can't solve the problem, solve the one who caused the problem... Ahem, solve the abyss that caused the trouble.

Ying, dressed in red, glanced at the raging black wind and whispered softly, "Husband misunderstands. It is not that the abyss is unwilling to leave, but rather that the people outside are too greedy. They used certain methods to anchor a corner of the abyss, binding and pulling it with arrays..."

Most of what his wife said went right over Zhao Yu's head, but one thing was crystal clear: the reason the black wind wouldn't recede was because of people outside.

As expected, the outsiders were all uncivilized barbarians devoid of moral virtue.

Should he just go out and beat all those barbarians to death?

At this thought, Zhao Yu hurriedly shook his head... Although those people were barbarians, they were also cultivators, not to be trifled with.

He couldn't win against them.

Take the Liu family, for instance; they actually had a steward who could pierce through his thoughts and knew he went out to "earn quick money." Who knows, he might even be one of those legendary "sweeping monks" from storybooks.

Too dangerous to mess with.

Inevitably, Zhao Yu developed a headache: "I was planning to go herb-gathering once the black wind cleared, but now..."

His younger brother and sister-in-law hadn't taken their medicine in ages.

Ying offered a faint smile and gracefully returned to the bedroom.

Muhan glanced sideways at the black wind and also went back inside.

Xiaowanzi watched for a moment, then crawled onto the table and began to space out.

After agonizing for a while, Zhao Yu gritted his teeth: "No, this won't do. Xiaowanzi and my brother have been off their medicine for too long... Since the black wind isn't going to retreat, I'll just have to brave it and go gather herbs anyway."

Anyway, the black wind couldn't kill anyone. As long as he was careful, the threat wasn't that big.

Besides, he was a cultivator now; even if he got surrounded by the black wind, he could easily fly out of its range in no time.

With this thought, Zhao Yu stomped his foot in a burst of determination and quietly shouldered his wicker basket.

Ying immediately emerged from the room and urged, "Husband, there is still plenty of black wind outside, be careful on the road."

"Don't worry, wife, I will be careful," Zhao Yu replied earnestly.

He hated pain the most, so he definitely couldn't afford to get trapped by the black wind.

He stepped outside.

Just a few paces away, Zhao Yu stopped and fell into silent contemplation.

Since this trip wasn't particularly rushed, he kept feeling like he had forgotten something.

What could it be?

He turned his head to glance back at the house. His wife was still at the doorway, and his beautiful wife looked even more stunning when she smiled.

Xiaowanzi was staring blankly with unfocused eyes... Looking at that vacant gaze, he needed to find the medicine quickly, otherwise her condition might flare up.

His brother hadn't come out of the room, and there was no telling how he was doing.

After scanning the surroundings, Zhao Yu's gaze lingered on the doorway of Xiaowanzi's guest room.

He remembered!

He strode back home.

"Husband?" Ying looked puzzled.

Xiaowanzi was equally perplexed: "Brother-in-law?"

"Xiaowanzi, there's a bone necklace in your room that has gained sentience. I have a feeling it's going to turn into a man-eating monster. Hurry up and bring it out so your brother-in-law can throw it away." With that, Zhao Yu secretly congratulated himself.

He almost forgot again.

Good thing he remembered, otherwise, what if that necklace actually started eating people...

Xiaowanzi blinked, looking somewhat bewildered.

Zhao Yu grew anxious: "You don't believe me?"

"Since brother-in-law says so, it must be true. I'll go get the necklace right now." Xiaowanzi snapped out of her daze and scurried back into the room.

Within just a few breaths, she ran out clutching the white bone necklace.

She shoved the necklace into Zhao Yu's hands at lightning speed, her face full of terror: "Brother-in-law, hurry up and throw it away."

Zhao Yu couldn't help but comfort her: "Don't be afraid, I'll throw it far, far away. Even if it wants to eat people, it definitely won't come to our house."

After offering a few more words of reassurance, Zhao Yu finally left with the necklace.

A quarter of an hour later.

When his house was completely out of sight, Zhao Yu stopped and casually tossed the necklace away.

With the necklace successfully discarded, it was time to gather herbs.

Before he had taken a few steps, the necklace suddenly shuddered and floated right in front of Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu immediately drew his wood-chopping saber in warning: "What are you doing? I'm warning you, I'm not someone to be bullied!"

Deep down, he felt even more validated—this thing really was about to turn into a man-eating monster. Good thing he remembered today.

The necklace trembled incessantly.

Shortly after, a human face formed on the necklace, wearing a pleading expression: "I don't eat people, I don't eat anything... Master Brother-in-law, please don't throw me away, okay?"

It looked thoroughly pitiful.

Zhao Yu couldn't help but doubt himself. Did he guess wrong?

Yet, Zhao Yu recalled that when this necklace turned into a human form the other day, it had a full eight arms!

Goodness, that was eight arms!

Even now that he had started cultivating, he still didn't have eight arms!

Without a doubt, Zhao Yu remained resolute: "No way, you'll definitely eat people, so you can't come back."

The human face on the necklace burst into tears: "Master Brother-in-law, I really don't eat people..."

He felt so wronged.

He hadn't done anything at all, just quietly hung on the wall, and his great master hadn't even thought of discarding him.

Yet, simply because his master's brother-in-law spoke up, his master was going to throw him away... He was just a necklace, how could he possibly eat people?

Zhao Yu grew even more steadfast: "I don't believe it."

Seeing that the necklace was about to speak again, Zhao Yu worried he might soften his heart, so he immediately turned around and walked away.

The necklace was left stunned in place.

Then, it transformed back into the blood-stained, mutilated human figure Zhao Yu had seen before, leaning silently against a tree and looking utterly pathetic.

Once Zhao Yu had walked far away, the necklace pitifully cast its gaze toward the courtyard: "Great master, can you secretly take me back? I promise, I will never let your brother-in-law see me..."