Ren Qing found the surroundings drastically changed, he had somehow arrived in a dilapidated courtyard.
All around grew strange, misshapen plants, and even he himself had turned into a sapling.
The sapling that was Ren Qing had branches covered in leaves, each bearing the pattern of double pupils that occasionally blinked.
He realized it was likely due to his Double Pupils that he had accidentally fallen into the Disaster Dispelling Forbidden Zone.
Ren Qing had heard from Song Zongwu that forbidden zones at Ghost Envoy realm and above, due to their varying Supernatural Remnants, manifested in bizarre and unpredictable ways.
But this was beyond baffling.
Instead of rushing to escape, he boldly surveyed his surroundings.
This courtyard resembled a medicinal herb garden more than anything, enclosed by towering walls that stretched into the clouds.
Unfortunately, no matter how much he stretched his branches, his vision remained limited, allowing him only a rough view of the garden.
Ren Qing counted thirteen different herbs in the vicinity, though their significance eluded him.
Just as he was about to examine them closely, the forbidden zone suddenly changed. The sky darkened under a looming shadow.
Heavy footsteps approached from afar, shaking the entire garden as cracks spread across the ground.
A herbalist was walking toward them.
To Ren Qing's eyes, the herbalist stood a thousand zhang tall, its body seemingly composed of foul, rotting sludge, its facial features nothing but hollow voids.
With each step, muddy water dripped from its form.
The herbs absorbed this water and grew, their branches soon bearing fruits imprinted with twisted human faces.
The herbalist bent down, plucking the ripe fruits and placing them into a basket on its back before methodically harvesting the rest.
Once stripped of their fruits, the herbs rapidly withered, soon reverting to seeds.
Ren Qing was stunned to notice that the seeds themselves had roots, connected to rotting, flesh-covered corpses.
These corpses were likely the Supernatural Remnants, forming a bizarre cycle within the forbidden zone.
As for why the forbidden zone took the form of a medicinal garden, it might be related to the technique of possession. Even the core Supernatural Remnant might not belong to the Disaster Dispelling technique…
The herbalist noticed the new herb in the garden and moved toward Ren Qing. But before it could get close, the herb had already vanished.
Ren Qing's consciousness returned to his body.
He gasped for breath, hot tears streaming from his eyes.
Song Zongwu asked with concern, "How did your soul leave your body so suddenly? Even for just a moment, it's terrifying."
"I don't know either…"
Ren Qing shook his head as he came to. It felt like a fleeting dream, he only vaguely remembered turning into a sapling.
Muyi spoke up, "Forbidden zones at Ghost Envoy realm and above are unfathomable. I once heard a senior Restraint Officer speak of his experience."
"He entered a Yin Runner realm forbidden zone and found himself surrounded by flesh, with passages branching in all directions and occasional hurricanes."
"It turned out the forbidden zone had formed a colossal, neither-living-nor-dead corpse. He was actually inside its intricate network of meridians."
Song Zongwu helped Ren Qing up. "Let's leave first. With two techniques sealing it, there's no need to worry about anyone entering the forbidden zone for now."
Ren Qing quickly regained his strength and followed the two back down the mountain.
Under Muyi's technique, the vegetation gradually closed in, sealing off the mountain path once more.
Ren Qing took the opportunity to ask why they needed to excavate the mountain to seal the forbidden zone.
Song Zongwu avoided a direct answer, only saying he would understand after seeing the map.
By the time they returned to camp, it was already deep into the night.
Distant howls could still be heard from the forest, though the beasts' instinct for danger kept them away from the camp.
Muyi nodded at Song Zongwu and Ren Qing before heading toward the military tent.
Instead of resting inside, she planted her feet, sending out countless roots into the soil as her skin transformed into vegetation.
Guo Qing, on night watch, gaped before hastily looking away, remembering Wang Wen's earlier warning.
"I see nothing, nothing at all…"
Ren Qing's lips twitched. Restraint Officers concealed their techniques within the yamen, but outside Sanxiang City, they were utterly unrestrained.
Then again, it made sense.
The wilderness was dangerous. If they deliberately held back, they might not react in time during an emergency.
"Ren Qing, come with me."
Song Zongwu led Ren Qing into the cave. Both possessed night vision, eliminating the need for torches.
They passed through spacious tunnels that gradually narrowed as they went deeper.
After several forks, they arrived at a stone chamber used as a transit point, filled with tools like pickaxes.
What shocked Ren Qing most was the mapped routes carved into the walls.
Judging by the scale of the project, the Restraint Officers planned to excavate nearly a third of the mountain, creating an intricate network of tunnels.
A realization struck Ren Qing. He couldn't help but ask, "Senior Song, are you planning to destroy the entire mountain?!"
Song Zongwu smiled. "Only the parts near the forbidden zone. Collapse the rocks to bury it underground and this is just the first step."
Ren Qing understood. Dealing with the forbidden zone directly was too difficult. If Restraint Officers died inside, the situation would spiral out of control.
It was better to settle for minimizing the problem.
"Because of Song Rong, some Restraint Officers will remain at the camp as guards, so progress will slow."
Ren Qing hesitated. "Tomorrow, the yamen runners will join the excavation, but…"
Song Zongwu sensed his concern. "What is it?"
"I suspect the other groups of yamen runners were ambushed by beasts, with heavy casualties. We might not have enough manpower."
"I've already sent Restraint Officers to assist them in the mountains. Whether they'll make it in time is another matter."
Song Zongwu sighed. "Once things stabilize here, new yamen runners will arrive soon, led by Restraint Officers."
Ren Qing knew that, to Restraint Officers, yamen runner casualties weren't a priority.
Even Song Rong's presence wasn't critical. At most, his entry into the forbidden zone would be inconsequential.
With two techniques temporarily containing the Disaster Dispelling Forbidden Zone and one Restraint Officer stationed outside, no more resources would be allocated.
The top priority now was sealing the forbidden zone as quickly as possible.
Ren Qing agreed before returning to the military tent to rest.
He swallowed some pig eyes and wolf blood, cultivating under the moonlight seeping in from outside.
Though far less efficient than direct absorption, he could still feel the werewolf transformation gradually spreading to his waist.
After replenishing his energy, Ren Qing took out paper and brush, sketching designs for a one-wheeled soil cart from his past life.
The cart's structure was simple, only the wheel posed some difficulty, but with effort, it shouldn't be hard to make.
This would make transporting rocks and soil much easier.
Ren Qing couldn't help but sigh. Who would've thought that as a Corpse Burner, he'd end up doing manual labor and even becoming a foreman?