The middle-aged cultivator's tone was slightly heavy, "Even without the Corpse Tide, anyone who can deceive the heavens and refine so many zombies with these methods is not someone easy to contend with."
"What good does this thankless task bring us? Why should we wade into these muddy waters?"
The gaunt old man was silent.
The middle-aged cultivator asked in surprise, "You don't plan to stay, do you?"
The gaunt old man's brows were tightly knit, and he nodded slightly.
The middle-aged cultivator clicked his tongue and turned to ask the white-clothed youth, "What about you, young master?"
The white-clothed youth nodded and said:
"With the Corpse Tide wreaking havoc and the lives of sentient beings at stake, I also wish to stay and offer whatever help I can."
Such youthful idealism and fiery words gave him a bit of a headache.
But if he were to leave alone… without the old man's Three Talents Divination with Copper Coins, he would be like a headless fly, bumping around aimlessly.
The middle-aged cultivator, somewhat unwillingly, asked the old man:
"Do you really want to stay?"
The gaunt old man nodded, as if pondering something serious, and after a moment, he slowly said:
"I… have a premonition…"
The middle-aged cultivator was taken aback, "What premonition?"
The gaunt old man took a deep breath, his gaze uncertain:
"These days, I occasionally feel a sense of dread."
"It seems that there is a great terror ahead, extremely dangerous, with life and death uncertain."
"Yet, if we can suppress the Corpse Mine and save this city, or even the cultivators in this prefecture border, perhaps we can establish a good karmic connection. In a future encounter with life-and-death adversity, there might be a glimmer of hope for survival…"
The middle-aged cultivator furrowed his brows.
He felt nothing, and naturally, he believed in nothing.
But he also knew the saying: Heed others' advice, and you'll have enough to eat.
In the Cultivation World, cultivators who live to an old age must trust even the most ethereal of premonitions.
"Fine, I'll stay too, but let me make it clear: the moment things look bad, I'm out of here."
The middle-aged cultivator said resignedly.
The gaunt old man nodded, the white-clothed youth breathed a sigh of relief and smiled faintly.
The next day, there were fewer people in the inn.
Some had left South Yue City, unable to find any clues about Mr. Zhuang, and went elsewhere to search.
Some, concerned about the outbreak of the Corpse Tide and unable to fend for themselves, left without a word.
But there were also those who stayed.
Some, like the gaunt old man, had a vague premonition of a thread of karma and mystery emanating from the Corpse Mine.
There were also those who had no premonitions but were simply of upright character and wished to eliminate the zombies, hoping to do something for the local cultivators.
The crowd discussed how to suppress the Corpse Mine.
However, with countless zombies inside the mine, dealing with it was extremely tricky.
"With just us cultivators, I'm afraid it won't do."
"We need to write a letter, to call for reinforcements from our clan or sect."
"It will take some time..."
"But there's no other way, we can't just rush in unprepared like a brash young man and seek death..."
"We know nothing about the situation inside the Corpse Mine."
"How many Iron Corpses, how many Walking Corpses, are there any other special zombies, and who is refining them? Are the local Tao Cultivation forces involved?"
"Don't even think about it, there must be local forces involved. The construction of a Corpse Mine requires a lot of manpower and material resources. Without the support of local forces, it can't be built."
"The Lu Family, perhaps..."
"I think so too."
"Any evidence?"
"Just a hunch, you can tell at a glance..."
"When the mighty dragon doesn't suppress the local snake, then we're in trouble."
A young cultivator said proudly:
"It's a pity that this place is only a Second-Grade Prefecture Border. The Heavenly Dao limits us; Golden Cores cannot act. Otherwise, I would have my father come over and flatten this mountain with one sword!"
"Alright, alright, we know your father is a Golden Core..."
"Even a Golden Core coming over wouldn't be able to flatten it with one sword..."