NFBE Chapter 23 Deer Shu Deer Shu
Chapter 23 Deer Shu Deer Shu
As the group stepped into the woods, a sinister atmosphere immediately enveloped them.
The towering trees blocked out the sun, their tangled branches making the forest extremely dark. Only a few faint rays of moonlight struggled to squeeze in through the gaps in the branches, like the helpless helping hand extended by a dying person.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the muffled echoes of footsteps on the damp ground, as if each step was treading on the heart of the forest, stirring up an unknown fear.
“This forest has an eerie feel to it,” Zhang Hu couldn’t help but whisper, his voice sounding particularly abrupt in the silence, trembling slightly.
Wu Dayong frowned slightly, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily: "Everyone be careful, don't get separated."
Wang Wei gripped his crude weapon tightly and replied, "This place is gloomy and makes me uncomfortable. Will those who came in still be able to find us?"
Wu Dayong led the way, his expression serious: "Don't talk too much, and pay attention to the surroundings."
They continued deeper into the woods, and as they walked, they faintly heard a melodious sound. The sound was like a ballad coming from a distant valley, ethereal and otherworldly, as if someone were gently humming in their ear, gentle and lingering, full of endless allure.
"A sound again?" Ning Xiaoxi was startled. She could sense a strange magic in the sound. The sound outside had dissipated, but it came out again after she entered the woods.
"It seems to be coming from ahead." Wu Dayong gripped the knife in his hand tightly, and his pace unconsciously quickened.
As they moved forward, the sound grew clearer, as if an invisible force was drawing them in. Finally, they saw the constables and prisoners entering the woods ahead. The men seemed to be under a spell, their eyes glazed over, their steps mechanical as they walked towards the source of the sound.
Ning Xiaoxi and the others quickly followed. In the deepest part of the forest, they saw a strange figure walking under the moonlight.
Its body was like a horse's, agile and elegant, covered in a layer of mottled fur, as if meticulously painted by nature with the finest brushstrokes. Its head was as white as snow, standing out starkly in the dark forest, its bright eyes gleaming with a mysterious light, like the brightest stars in the night sky. Its tail was a vibrant red, like a burning flame, swaying gently with its movements, as if dancing a silent melody. The guards and prisoners followed it in a daze.
"What... what kind of monster is this?" Zhang Hu's eyes widened, his face filled with terror.
Ning Shi also looked solemn: "I have never seen a creature that looks like this before. Its voice seems to be able to bewitch people."
The Deer-Shu is a peculiar mythical beast. It resembles a horse but has a white head, tiger-like stripes, and a red tail. Its roar sounds like singing, melodious and beautiful, full of rhythm and grace. This sound is not only captivating but also imbued with mysterious power or symbolism. Wearing Deer-Shu fur is believed to bring many children and grandchildren. It is forbidden to wear it near water.
“This is the soul of the Deer-like Beast.” Ning Xiaoxi carefully observed the Deer-like Beast, her voice very soft, as if afraid of disturbing the wandering monster.
Wu Dayong couldn't help but tighten his grip on the knife. Since this thing was a soul, it didn't have a physical body, and he didn't know if his knife would even be of any use.
"Don't disturb it, I'll handle it." Ning Xiaoxi knew she had to wake up the bewitched people as soon as possible, or the consequences would be unimaginable.
She slowly closed her eyes, focusing her spiritual energy and sensing the fluctuations of spiritual energy around her. Her hands gently formed a mudra in front of her chest, and she chanted incantations. A gentle stream of spiritual energy gradually gathered into a powerful force.
Ning Xiaoxi's expression was solemn. She took a deep breath and quickly formed hand seals again. The powerful spiritual energy gathered in her body slowly surged out, like strands of silver threads wrapping around her fingertips, condensing the spiritual energy into a soft light shield, which she then gently pushed towards everyone.
As the protective aura of spiritual energy enveloped them, the constables and prisoners, who had been staring blankly like zombies, began to react. Their bodies trembled slightly, and their eyes gradually regained their clarity.
Some of the guards shook their heads, as if they had just woken up from a long nightmare, their faces showing confusion and fear; while some prisoners were panting heavily, as if they had just gone through a life-or-death ordeal.
“What happened? How did I get here?” a constable muttered to himself.
"I only remember hearing a pleasant sound, and then I don't know anything else," one prisoner echoed.
The Deer-like Soul Shadow, which had been strolling, suddenly stopped, its eyes fixed on the crowd before it, radiating a mysterious yet peaceful aura. Suddenly, its eyes flashed with anger, and it let out a sharp screech that seemed to pierce the soul, causing the surrounding trees to rustle.
"Oh no, it's been enraged!" Zhang Hu shouted in alarm.
Just as the crowd was regaining their senses, they noticed the eerie yet noble and arrogant figure standing in the forest. In an instant, panic gripped them, and fear spread through the group.
"What should we do? It looks very angry!" Wang Wei said, his voice trembling.
Wu Dayong looked helplessly at Zhang Hu and Wang Wei, who were filled with fear from the bottom of their hearts. He gripped his waist knife and stood in front of Ning Xiaoxi, preparing to block the angry Deer-like spirit with his own body.
Ning Xiaoxi frowned, channeling her spiritual energy once more, trying to guide it to flow from her fingertips. The spiritual energy shimmered faintly at her fingertips as she rapidly chanted incantations, simultaneously using her spiritual energy to draw runes swiftly in the air. Runes appeared one by one, radiating golden light.
The deer charged angrily toward the crowd, its hooves thundering and shaking the earth.
Ning Xiaoxi shouted, "Freeze!" and pointed the drawn talisman towards Lu Shu. The talisman instantly grew larger in the air, transforming into a golden net of light that enveloped Lu Shu. Lu Shu tried to dodge, but the net of light was extremely fast, instantly enveloping it.
The deer-like spirit struggled within the net of light, its body constantly colliding with it and letting out angry roars. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Ning Xiaoxi's forehead as she continuously channeled spiritual energy into her hands to maintain the stability of the net of light.
"Miss Ning, won't it break free?" a constable asked fearfully.
Ning Xiaoxi gritted her teeth and said, "No, as long as my spiritual power continues, it won't be able to escape."
However, the Deer-like Soul Shadow was extremely powerful, and it struggled incessantly, causing cracks to appear in the light net. Seeing this, Ning Xiaoxi took out a spirit crystal from her bosom, quickly channeling the spiritual energy within into her body, and then increased the output of spiritual energy to the light net.
As the spiritual power increased, the light net became solid again. The struggles of the deer-like spirit gradually weakened, and a trace of unwillingness flashed in its eyes.
Ning Xiaoxi chanted the incantation again, causing the runes in the light net to begin rotating. The runes released streams of purifying power, which eroded the deer-like spirit. The deer-like spirit let out a painful wail, and its soul gradually became transparent under the effect of the purifying power, eventually dissipating into the air.