Mo Fan at his best – Versatile Mage

During the day, the entry and exit of living people were not very strict, but as evening approached, the military no longer allowed people to leave the city so freely. Everyone knew that once an ordinary person stepped beyond the protection of the outer city wall, they would directly become food for the undead.

After passing through the heavily guarded outer wall, the situation inside remained relatively stable, no different from other cities. However, due to the concentration of people from various suburbs within these limited urban areas, the streets appeared exceptionally lively and crowded. A newly constructed massive city wall, stretching like the body of a giant dragon, protected everything within. The citizens no longer needed to worry about the bloody storms outside—or perhaps they had simply grown accustomed to them and continued living their lives as usual.

Mo Fan took the two sisters and first wandered around the nearby magic market, but what left him speechless was that the gray garlic had completely disappeared. After searching for a long time, he still could not find a single trace of it.

Mo Fan was familiar with both the Ancient Capital and Wei Ju Village, but without gray garlic, even he did not believe he could safely fight his way through. After all, the Land of the Undead was inherently strange and unpredictable. War General-level undead and servants posed no real threat to them, but no one could guarantee that Commander-level undead would not awaken. Even the Qinling demon race was unwilling to provoke the undead. If even such a powerful demon race avoided them, it was clear that traversing this land was far from simple.

By chance, Mo Fan ran into the Dwarf Man again. Although the fellow was somewhat shady, Mo Fan still chose his team. Ten million—after all, they were risking their lives, so there was no reason to bargain. With the Dwarf Man’s group, they set off early the next morning toward Wei Ju Village.

At the Outer South Gate, Mo Fan searched for quite a while before finally spotting the Dwarf Man hopping around while speaking on the phone, his bald scalp barely visible in the crowd. Around him, several people had already gathered. Most of them looked ordinary, but one woman stood out immediately. She wore a black silk veil, which was unusual in a time when most people preferred masks. The veil gave her a strange blend of heroism and softness, making her presence particularly striking.

This woman was none other than Asha Ruiya. Accompanying her were two men, clearly acting as her escorts. Together with the Dwarf Man and the muscular man beside him, their group totaled eight people.

The wind in the early morning carried a strange odor, but once the sun rose and baked the earth, the smell vanished, as if the horrors of the night had never existed. The Outer South Gate remained open during the day, allowing passage after registration. Once outside the city walls, guided by the Dwarf Man, the group began heading toward Yang Yang Village.

To the south lay the Qinling Mountains. Flying or driving through that region was considered disrespectful to the Qinling demon race, so travel was done on foot. The group moved mostly in silence. As dusk approached, the atmosphere grew heavier. Nights were long in this season, and unease naturally crept into everyone’s mind. The land was vast—there was no way to know whether one had unknowingly stepped into undead territory. Without gray garlic, being surrounded and devoured would be inevitable.

“Here, eat this.” The muscular man took out a gray garlic-like object from his bag.

Despite his robust build, he did not appear to be a mage. There was no magical aura around him, and even his vitality felt strangely muted. Still, as he handed out the gray garlic, everyone accepted it and consumed it. With its protection, they continued forward, and even the undead no longer posed a threat.

While passing through wandering undead, the black-veiled woman finally spoke. Her voice was clear and ethereal, like a melody drifting down from the sky. It lacked emotion, yet that very detachment stirred curiosity in those who heard it. “Is it always like this here?” she asked.

The Dwarf Man immediately perked up, flattered by the attention. “It wasn’t like this before. Ever since the Sha Wang River riot, the area has been filled with death aura. Some say a new era of the undead is coming. If the ruler of this undead kingdom changes… then this situation might become permanent,” he explained eagerly.

“Ruler?” she asked again.

“No one has seen it, but everyone knows it exists. They call it the Undead Monarch—said to be a Tang Dynasty emperor transformed after death,” the Dwarf Man continued, clearly enjoying himself.

“How many years ago was your Tang Dynasty?” the woman asked.

“Our?” The Dwarf Man paused, then realized she was likely not from this country. He quickly began explaining in greater detail.

It had to be said that the Dwarf Man knew quite a bit. With only Intermediate Mage strength, his survival clearly relied on his knowledge and wit. Though small in stature, he had experienced far more than most.

Along the way, the group passed through the Xianchi region, where fine white sand was scattered everywhere. Nourished by death aura, it had become a resource for the undead. Mo Fan observed many undead gathering the sand like gold prospectors, collecting anything that might strengthen their bodies. Though lacking intelligence, they were strangely diligent when it came to growing stronger—or devouring the living.

“Since there’s such a method to ward them off, the undead aren’t as terrifying as imagined?” one of the escorts asked.

“Gray garlic is rarer than gold and cannot be cultivated. It only grows in places thick with death aura, feeding on decayed flesh. Only the people of Wei Ju Village know how to harvest it, and even then, the supply is limited. Without my brother here, you wouldn’t have gotten any,” the Dwarf Man said with a grin.

The muscular man smiled honestly, though his gaze subtly drifted toward the black-veiled woman. It was likely he had never seen someone like her before.

“Yang Yang Village is just ahead. The night is still long, so we’ll rest there first,” the Dwarf Man said, pointing toward a distant hill.

“The village has rules. If you want to enter, it’s best you follow them,” the muscular man added.

Everyone nodded in agreement.