Chapter 150 — Frenzy

"Do you know where Snake Valley is?" Xiao Yichen made his voice as gentle as he could, letting it carry a note of kindness. But the demon-sect disciple shuddered and buried his head even lower, saying nothing. Xiao Yichen asked three more times in succession, but the man seemed deaf, giving no response at all.

Xiao Yichen rose slowly and looked at the others. No one spoke. He sighed. "What now?"

Li Xun, standing to one side, frowned, then suddenly strode to the demon-sect disciple, seized him by the collar, and hauled him up, shouting, "Where is the place where those monsters kill people?"

The demon-sect disciple convulsed; in an instant an expression of utter terror spread over his face, and his mouth gaped wide. A moment later he let out a scream of the most piercing shrillness. But Li Xun was hard as stone and iron, gripping him fast and shouting, "The place where those monsters kill and eat people—where is it?"

"Ahh—!"

The demon-sect disciple, sunk deep in terror, shook all over, his teeth chattering, his eyes full of dread—yet his head turned of its own accord toward the north. Li Xun's eyes narrowed sharply. "In the north, is it?"

Suddenly the demon-sect disciple's head lolled to one side and his whole body went limp. The others were greatly alarmed and rushed to examine him, but saw only that his pupils were dilated; they felt at his nostrils—no breath remained. He was dead.

Li Xun slowly laid the corpse down and stood up, facing north. The others all followed his gaze: far off across that sea of forest, though it was a clear bright day, a cloud of blood-red seemed to hang over it.