Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Insect Tide

RUMBLE...

The spring rains of Yunjiang arrived heavier, fiercer, and faster than anywhere else.

And due to the unique geography, the weather here often followed the saying, "rain in the east while the sun shines in the west."

Now, a spring rain as ferocious as a summer downpour descended upon Jianshan Mountain.

Spring rains were supposed to be gentle, yet this one was as violent as a summer storm, and it was relentless.

Terraced fields, layer by layer, channeled the endless rainwater down the mountainside.

Each terrace filled to the brim with muddy water, waiting only for Jingzhe to pass before providing ample nutrients for the rice seedlings.

RUMBLE...

The flash of lightning that accompanied the rolling thunder illuminated Zhu Ge’s face.

He stood at the entrance of the house outside the cellar, gazing into the distance through the curtain of rain.

The houses at the summit of Jianshan Mountain had been mostly dismantled, so his view was wide and unobstructed.

Within Zhu Ge’s line of sight, countless mountains and ancient forests were shrouded in heavy, dark clouds, within which lightning flickered.

This was no isolated shower exclusive to Jianshan Mountain, but a torrential downpour sweeping across thousands of surrounding mountains.

Everything he could see was gray, gloomy, and shrouded in thick fog.

Desolate, vast, and hazy.

This was a great storm!

"Jingzhe is here..."

Zhu Ge knew in his heart that after this thunderstorm, all of creation would stir to life.

Plants would grow with wild abandon, the kind of frenzied growth exemplified by bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

Animals would either reawaken from hibernation or hatch from their eggs, covering the land.

The most numerous among them, naturally, would be the hatching insect eggs.

The insects that had hibernated all winter and those newly hatched would all be ravenous, eager to devour everything.

Fortunately, even so, there were many animals that preyed on insects.

But recently, he hadn’t heard the chirp or seen the flight of a single bird for a long time.

"This insect tide is going to be terrifying," Zhu Ge said helplessly.

’If only we could rely on the Raincoat Fisherman to get through the insect tide.’

Unfortunately, the Raincoat Fisherman clearly had no intention of helping them.

BUZZ.

A grasshopper broke through the rain and flew toward him, only to be swatted into pieces by Zhu Ge before it even got close.

"A locust?" Zhu Ge frowned. "The thunder is startling the insects. The tide will probably arrive within three days, won’t it? I hope the rain stops soon."

Another terrifying aspect of the insect tide was that fire would be weakened by the damp, rainy air.

In the end, the rain fell for more than a day, and the water from a well at the foot of the mountain even overflowed.

The next day, Zhu Ge stood at the summit, his expression grim as he watched the distance.

Silence.

The entire jungle had fallen silent.

Before, all sorts of beastly roars could be heard around Jianshan Village.

Now, there was not a single sound.

’It’s too quiet!’

Zhu Ge strained his eyes, scanning the horizon. With his keen vision, he searched for quite some time but couldn’t spot a single animal.

"The insect tide is coming!"

Zhu Ge shouted down below.

Duan Lei, Ji Fuhui, and Yu the Scholar immediately popped their heads up and emerged together.

The fierce wind whipped through their hair, and the scorching sun beat down on their faces.

It was noon. The rain had stopped, and it was even a little hot.

The mountains and rivers stretched into the vast distance.

Wisps of mist danced in the air.

The greatest sound is silence.

"Something’s wrong!"

Zhu Ge’s expression suddenly shifted. He turned and strained his eyes toward a specific direction.

There, a range of majestic green mountains stood tall, shrouded in mist.

After a few minutes, a black dot abruptly appeared on a mountaintop.

The black dot was only the beginning.

Then, the dot rapidly expanded, like a bottle of ink poured into a vat of water, or like a hornet’s nest dropped to the ground.

Dense and swarming, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Zhu Ge’s eyes narrowed. "Light the fires!"

Duan Lei and Ji Fuhui, their faces tense, immediately started lighting the fires.

"Why is the insect tide like this this year?!"

Ji Fuhui cursed under his breath.

Zhu Ge frowned but had no time to dwell on it.

Because at that moment, the insect tide was sweeping over everything in sight. The black mass of insects resembled the shockwave from a meteor impact, a dark tide that fanned out and resolved into a kaleidoscope of colors as it spread.

Insects of all shapes and colors swarmed toward them from the south, a magnificent and terrifying sight.

"There are too many!"

Yu the Scholar was aghast. "This is impossible! Why are there so many insects this year?! And, and it wasn’t like this in previous years!"

"Now is not the time to think about that!" Zhu Ge barked, frowning. "Quick, light the fires according to the plan we prepared, and keep the entrance clear!"

"The fire’s ready!" Duan Lei said nervously, handing over a torch.

Zhu Ge immediately took the torch, went to the side, and lit the various fuels and firewood that had been piled up long ago.

WHOOSH!!!

The flames shot high in an instant, releasing a thick, fiery scent.

"Get inside, quickly!"

Seeing the fire grow stronger, Zhu Ge and the other three immediately entered the cellar and went to the room where they were staying.

After the fire was lit, the opening above them was sealed off.

To avoid the intense heat, stuffiness, and lack of oxygen, they had to retreat to a ventilation shaft they had dug earlier.

This so-called ventilation shaft was actually just an opening facing north, which Zhu Ge had blocked with a stone door. The stone door itself had some holes carved into it.

Soon, the faint sounds of scuttling and flapping wings arose, moving from south to north.

BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ...

SKITTER SKITTER...

The various sounds grew louder and louder until they were as thunderous and earth-shaking as Celestial Thunder and hellfire.

But it seemed that because of the burning flames, most of the insects were avoiding their location.

"They haven’t found us." Yu the Scholar sensed that the insect tide wasn’t approaching the very peak of Jianshan Mountain too closely. He slowly breathed a sigh of relief, then added, "Something is wrong with this year’s insect tide!"

"You think we need you to tell us that?" Zhu Ge shot him a glance. "If there were usually this many insects, this place would have turned into a desert long ago!"

"What’s a desert?" Yu the Scholar asked, confused, but then immediately shook his head. "No, what I mean by ’wrong’ is that this insect tide seems to be... purposeful!"

"Purposeful?" Zhu Ge was startled for a moment, then he understood as well.

’What is a normal insect tide?’

Insects emerge from the ground and the grass from all directions, impossible to kill completely, impossible to burn away entirely.

But what about now?

It was obvious those insects were coming from the south.

"River Mouth Pass!"

Zhu Ge and Yu the Scholar looked at each other and said in unison.

The southernmost point was River Mouth Pass, which bordered the Red River Bank!

Yunjiang has three prefectures: Dali Prefecture, Red River Prefecture, and Dianchi Prefecture.

Red River Prefecture is located in the southernmost part of Yunjiang, and south of River Mouth Pass lies Man Yue.

"Are you saying this insect tide was stirred up by Great Witches and Gu Masters?" Zhu Ge’s expression turned grave.

"Yes!" Yu the Scholar frowned. "My master once said that the lands of Man Yue have the Witch Dao and the Gu Dao. Could it be them?"

"Forget about that for now." Zhu Ge pressed against the stone door. "Just block these insects."

By now, insect appendages were already probing through the cracks in the stone door.

Ji Fuhui and Duan Lei grabbed kitchen cleavers and hacked at the insects trying to crawl in through the holes in the stone door.

SKITTER SKITTER.

The sound of countless insect legs tapping against the stone door and the earth was a dense, unending patter.

Perhaps because of the ventilation holes, the insects outside caught the scent of the people within and began to desperately squeeze their way in.

"Little Sister!"

Zhu Ge called out softly.

A thick, red Yin Qi poured out from Zhu Ge’s eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, surging outward.

In an instant, vast swaths of insects died.

Soul Bewitchment!

The soul-bodies of these insects, which lacked Spiritual Wisdom, were instantly drawn out and devoured by Hua Liusha.

But in the next moment, countless more insects flooded the area.

"I can’t eat anymore, Brother! I’m stuffed!" Hua Liusha couldn’t take it after just one second.

The "Double Happiness" character in Zhu Ge’s mind also swelled by a size, a clear sign that Hua Liusha had eaten her fill.

Meanwhile, the sky outside had grown dark.

"I’ll go add more fuel to the fire! You guys hold this position!"

Zhu Ge’s heart sank. He went to the cellar entrance and lifted the cover.

The sound of CRACKLING and POPPING was incessant as countless insects surged and crashed against the fire they had built.

The flames, originally over ten meters high, were now dwindling.

Zhu Ge’s eyes narrowed. He immediately dragged out several huge logs and threw them into the fire to fuel it.

But at that exact moment, a whistling sound cut through the air, aimed directly between Zhu Ge’s eyes.

"An Insect Demon?"

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