Courtyard House: My Long and Hard Body Makes Me Play with All the Women in the Courtyard

"Ale, and some more food," Old Xiao said, then lowered his voice and asked, "What's wrong with the town? It wasn't like this before."

The bartender looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before whispering, "Strange things have been happening around town lately. Hunters have found mutated animals in the forest, and people have heard strange noises at night. The night before last, Old Li and his family from the east end of town disappeared; they were only found with some black slime in front of their house."

Su Ting and Lao Xiao exchanged a glance, both understanding the seriousness of the situation.

"Has anyone come to investigate?" Su Ting asked.

"The mayor sent several militiamen to check the forest, but only one came back, and he was acting crazy, constantly saying that someone was watching him." The bartender shook his head. "Now the mayor has ordered that no one is allowed to go out after dark."

After a simple lunch, they decided to find a place to stay and learn more. Old Xiao suggested they visit his friend Lin Qing, whom he had mentioned.

Chapter 837 Only by destroying the core can it be done.

Chapter 837 Only by destroying the core can it be done.

“If he were still in town, he would be living in the house with the garden on the east side,” Old Xiao said.

However, when they arrived at the house, they found the doors and windows tightly shut, suggesting it had been uninhabited for a long time. Just as they were about to leave, a young voice came from behind them.

Are you looking for Mr. Lin Qing?

Looking back, I saw a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in simple but neat clothes.

"Yes, you know him?" Old Xiao asked.

“I am his apprentice, my name is Xiaomu,” the boy replied. “Mr. Lin received a letter two weeks ago saying that he had urgent business to attend to and left the town. He asked me to look after the house and said that he would be back soon, but there has been no news since.”

Did he say where he was going?

Xiao Mu shook his head. "No, but he was in a hurry before he left, and he took his staff and the book full of runes with him."

Hearing this, Old Xiao's expression became even more serious. "Could you take us inside to take a look? Maybe we can find some clues."

Xiao Mu hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement and led them into Lin Qing's house.

The house was neat and tidy inside, with bookshelves filled with various books and strange maps and rune patterns hanging on the walls. Old Xiao went straight to the study and began searching through the desk.

Su Ting noticed a detailed map of the Black Rock Mountains on the wall, marked with several red dots, one of which was circled and labeled "Sealing Point".

"Found it!" Su Ting pointed to the map.

Old Xiao walked over and carefully examined the location. "Yes, this should be the location of the seal. It seems Lin Qing has realized the danger and may have gone there to check the situation."

Just then, a sharp alarm suddenly sounded outside, followed by shouts from people.

Xiao Mu's face turned pale. "It's an alarm! There's danger!"

The three rushed out of the house and saw the townspeople fleeing in panic. In the distance, thick smoke rose from the north of the town, and several huge black shadows could be vaguely seen moving about.

“They’re here,” Old Xiao said in a low voice, his hand already on the sword at his waist. “The infected creatures have found this place.”

A dark figure roamed the north side of the town, screams echoing around them. Su Ting drew his longsword and calmly observed the situation.

“What are those things?” he asked.

Old Xiao squinted: "The contaminated beast looks like a wolf, but it's three times the size."

Several giant black wolves were chasing townspeople through the streets, their eyes glowing with an eerie green light, and black slime dripping from their mouths. A militiaman raised a torch to meet them, but was swatted to the ground by a single claw and died instantly.

Xiao Mu turned pale with fright: "What should we do?"

"Let's find a safe place first, then we can make a plan." Old Xiao pulled the two of them back quickly. "Lin Qing's basement has protective spells, so it should be safe for now."

Just as they were about to turn around, a woman carrying a child ran out of the shadows, followed closely by a giant wolf. Su Ting had no time to think and charged forward.

"Su Ting!" Old Xiao called out.

The giant wolf leaped up, and Su Ting dodged to the side, his longsword slicing across the wolf's belly. But the blade seemed to cut through mud, leaving only a shallow mark, from which black liquid oozed. The giant wolf seemed to feel no pain, turning and pouncing on Su Ting again.

This time, Su Ting was well-prepared and aimed for the giant wolf's eye. The sword tip pierced the green light, and the giant wolf let out a piercing howl, its body convulsed, and it collapsed to the ground, turning into a pool of black water.

Old Xiao arrived: "This thing can only be destroyed by destroying its core, usually the eyes or the head."

Chapter 838: He regained some strength.

Chapter 838: He regained some strength.

"Get them to a safe place first," Su Ting said, pointing to the still-shaken women and children.

The group quickly returned to Lin Qing's house. Xiao Mu skillfully pressed a mechanism next to the bookshelf, and a hidden door opened, revealing a staircase leading downwards.

"Hurry up and go inside," Old Xiao urged, while carefully observing the situation outside the window.

The basement was more spacious than I had imagined, with runes carved into the walls that emitted a faint blue light. Several braziers lit automatically, illuminating the entire space.

"Is anyone else at home?" Su Ting asked the woman.

“My husband works in a blacksmith’s shop, I don’t know him…” she choked up.

Old Xiao lit a special lamp, its blue flames burning brightly: "This is a beacon, it can attract Lin Qing's attention if he's still alive."

"Do you think he went to the sealing point?" Su Ting asked.

"Very likely. Lin Qing has been studying the ancient seal. If he discovers the seal is loose, he will definitely check it out." Old Xiao walked to the bookshelf by the wall, rummaging through something. "The question is, why would the seal be loose?"

Xiao Mu sat in the corner with his knees drawn up: "In recent weeks, strangers have come to town. They are all guys in black robes who claim to be scholars and say they want to study the history of Blackrock Mountain."

Did you see where they went?

"They spend most of their time in abandoned temples outside the town, and sometimes they go into the mountains."

Su Ting frowned: "It sounds like you're looking for something."

Old Xiao finally found a thick book: "This is Lin Qing's research notes; perhaps it can provide some clues."

He flipped to the most recent record and read aloud: "The ancient seal has been interfered with; someone is attempting to release it. Evidence points to the Void Cult, but I have no record of this organization. I have already notified the Senate, but I fear it is too late. I must go to the sealing point and stop the ritual from completing. If I fail, remember: only the Silver Moon Tear can reinforce the seal."

“The Void Cult?” Su Ting repeated, puzzled.

“Never heard of it,” Old Xiao said, closing the book, “but it’s clear they know about the seal and intend to release it.”

The basement door suddenly shook violently, accompanied by the roar of a wild beast. Blue runes lit up, forming a protective barrier. Black slime seeped in from the cracks in the door, but evaporated immediately upon contact with the runes.

"How long can the protective measures last?" Su Ting asked.

Old Xiao shook his head: "I don't know, but it won't be long. We need a plan."

Su Ting looked at the map: "Since Lin Qing went to the sealing point, we should go there too. If we can find him, we can learn more about the situation."

"The problem is how to get out of here; the outside world is full of those monsters."

Just then, Xiao Mu exclaimed and pointed to the corner: "Look there!"

A circular pattern glowed on the floor, gradually forming the outline of a teleportation portal. Old Xiao's face lit up with joy: "It's Lin Qing's teleportation array! He activated it!"

A blurry figure emerged from the portal, gradually becoming clearer—an old man in a dark blue robe, with a white beard and holding a wooden staff. He walked unsteadily out of the portal, and the magic circle disappeared immediately.

"Lin Qing!" Old Xiao helped the old man who was about to fall.

Lin Qing weakly raised his head: "Brother Xiao, the situation is much worse than I imagined. Half of the seal has been destroyed, and the power of the void is beginning to leak out. These monsters are just the beginning..."

Su Ting handed over a glass of water: "Who is the Void Cult? What are they trying to do?"

Lin Qing took a sip of water, regaining some strength: "An ancient cult that worships a being in the void. They believe that releasing that being will grant them unparalleled power."

Chapter 839 The Voice Calling Its Own Name

Chapter 839 The Voice Calling Its Own Name

"What is that being?"

“An ancient demon known as the Thousand-Eyed One. The Senate sealed it deep within the Blackrock Mountains a thousand years ago.” Lin Qing coughed a few times. “But now the seal has loosened, and its power has begun to seep into the real world, twisting all living things.”

Is there any way to stop it?

“Yes.” Lin Qing took out a silver stone from his pocket, covered with runes. “This is a part of the Silver Moon Tear, which I brought back from the sealing point. The complete Silver Moon Tear was divided into three pieces, each kept by one of the three guardians. Only by collecting all three pieces can the seal be reinforced.”

Where are the other two pieces?

“One piece is in the hands of the hermit Chen Shan in the secluded valley, and the other…” Lin Qing hesitated for a moment, “is in the Watchers’ Guild in Blackrock City.”

Old Xiao frowned: "Who controls Blackrock City now?"

"The Watchers' Guild is nominally independent, but in reality it is controlled by the Northern Nobles. There have been recent rumors that someone has bribed some members of the Watchers' Guild."

Su Ting pondered for a moment: "So what is our plan?"

“We must split up.” Lin Qing looked at Lao Xiao. “Brother Xiao, you and Xiao Mu stay here to protect the townspeople. I will set up protection on the teleportation array so that you can evacuate to a safe area.”

He turned to Su Ting: "Young man, you must go to the Valley of the Darkness to find Chen Shan, and then we will go to Blackrock City together. I sense that you have a special power within you that can resist the erosion of the void."

Su Ting was surprised: "Me?"

Lin Qing nodded: "Ever since you entered this room, I've noticed the runes' reaction to you. You have innate resistance, which is crucial when fighting against the power of the void."

He took out a special slip of paper: "This is my letter of recommendation. Chen Shan will help you if he sees it. As for the situation in Blackrock City, we'll make plans then."

The roars from upstairs grew even more intense, the runes flickering as if they were about to give way.

"Time is running out." Lin Qing stood up, leaning on his staff. "I need your help to activate the teleportation array and send Su Ting to the entrance of the secluded valley."

Xiao Mu quickly brought over a few candles and placed them in specific locations on the ground as instructed by Lin Qing. Lao Xiao and Lin Qing began chanting incantations, and the rune patterns lit up again.