After some observation, Feng Yang discovered that almost all the deceased villagers were fully clothed, with no bloodstains or visible wounds.
From this, he deduced that their deaths were likely the work of a ghost.
To gather more useful information, Feng Yang began carefully searching the villagers' corpses.
He worked quickly, mindful that the 'potentially existing' ghost might return.
He noticed that the villagers' coarse linen clothes generally lacked pockets. Instead, they often had a 'cloth bag' sewn into the chest lining.
Inside these bags, Feng Yang found some reddish-brown and silver-white metal discs, made of copper and silver, which he speculated were this world's currency.
Although the amount was small, it was better than nothing.
After pocketing the money, Feng Yang found an iron longsword next to a shirtless, burly man, apparently its owner.
"Good stuff. Now I feel more at ease, at least it is a hundred times better than the kitchen knife."
Muttering such he wrapped the longsword in a strip of cloth and hung it at his waist. Besides the sword, he also found a small booklet titled 'Dragon Tiger Strength'.
Was this a martial arts manual from this world?
Feng Yang was overjoyed. He quickly flipped through it. The booklet contained five illustrations, each depicting five people performing different movements, with explanatory text below each one. This booklet is something like The Compound Movement System enhances strength and builds a foundation.
But one thing is clear, martial arts and martial artists existed in this world that he had only read about in novels and watched in movies.
After obtaining the manual, Feng Yang became even more motivated and, like a professional bandit, swiftly started searching the nearby houses as well before leaving the village, satisfied, but his gain wasn't much.
But as he reached the entrance, a protective light barrier appeared before him. Unlike the transparent one he had seen when leaving the city, this one had a peculiar crimson hue.
This puzzled Feng Yang; he hadn't noticed the barrier when entering.
Why would a red light barrier suddenly appear?
He quickly considered a possibility: perhaps it only restricted those leaving the village. This reasoning had some basis, as the villagers' bodies were concentrated inside. He guessed they might have been trapped and unable to flee.
Thinking this, Feng Yang grew more vigilant.
Mimicking his previous test with the transparent barrier, he first threw a pebble at it. Nothing happened. He then plucked a hair and inserted it into the barrier. Still, nothing unusual occurred.
Seeing this, Feng Yang finally relaxed. He carefully inserted his little finger into the light, and then his whole body passed through effortlessly.
Thankfully, everything went smoothly! He was finally out.
But a new question immediately arose: if the barrier was harmless, why hadn't the villagers fled before dying? Could the barrier have a time limit and now be inactive? Or perhaps it was created by the villagers themselves to defend against external monsters?
This world seemed far more dangerous than he had imagined.
Once outside, Feng Yang didn't dare linger. He walked nearly two kilometers before finding a secluded spot to open the 'Dragon Tiger Strength' manual.
The booklet was brief and illustrated, making it easy to read. According to its contents, this martial art used specific breathing rhythms to strengthen the body through inhalation and exhalation. Unlike in martial arts novels, it could not cultivate 'internal energy' or perhaps such a concept didn't exist in this world, at least not within this manual. But it also makes even if such things as internal energy exist, there is no way a random villager could have this kind of thing, otherwise it would be a bit too cheap.
Feng Yang assumed the postures depicted and practiced the breathing for nearly half an hour. He stopped not because the session was complete, but because his willpower could sustain him no longer. Maintaining the specific posture and concentration was taxing for an ordinary person like him.
After finishing, Feng Yang drew the cleaver from his waist and swung it a few times. There seemed to be no noticeable change. He guessed he simply hadn't practiced long enough. According to the manual, an ordinary person needed to practice four to five hours daily for three to five years to see "significant results."
"Nothing can be achieved overnight, but isn't the time for such a basic technique a bit too long?"
Thinking such, he honestly put the booklet aside. For now, Feng Yang's priority was to find a populated place to settle. Where there were people, he could gather more intelligence.
More importantly, his food was running low. Although he had acquired some currency in the previous village, he had found no edible food. His backpack now contained only two packets of instant noodles, two and a half packs of dried noodles, some biscuits, hot sauce, and chocolate bars, likely insufficient for a week.
As the sun set and darkness approached, Feng Yang finally found another village. As before, he observed it from outside before entering. He noticed two old men reclining in deck chairs near the entrance, seemingly chatting.
That didn't matter. As long as there were no corpses, it was fine.
Feng Yang checked the longsword at his waist and approached the two men, who seemed to have poor eyesight and only noticed him as he drew near.
"Hello, I'm from out of this area, and just came here. May I ask if I could stay here for the night?" Feng Yang asked in a friendly tone.
His arrival seemed to startle the old men. One looked astonished and asked, "You came from outside? How did you get through the barrier?"
"Huh? Barrier? What barrier?"
Feng Yang was puzzled by the question.
Was the old man referring to the red light shield from the previous village? Did this village have one too? Or the giant barrier protecting this forest?