As they moved toward the formation stone, tense silence filled the air.
Everybody in the village, both young and old kept quiet as they watched the commander, Peng Cheng activated the formation.
"Step forward," ordered Peng Cheng, still considering the probability that Lin Ziao was infected.
Without fear, Lin Ziao stepped as the other Peng Dynasty warriors input their Qi into the formation, the others standing around the formation stone in a circular formation.
Afterall,no one amongst them knew the truth.
Their commander acted on impulse during similar occasions.
He was known to be a very ambiguous fellow, whose course of action was not always understood.
If there was anyone that had served in the military and still make rash decisions, it would be him.
"Place your hands on the formation stone," said Peng Cheng, the air permeating with palpable tension.
"If the formation stone glows black after you place your hand on it, you have been infected, but if it glows green, you are safe," said the commander.
" I would like you to promise me something before I place my hand on this stone," said Lin Ziao taking a pause as his sharp eyes threw darts at Commander Peng Cheng.
He scanned the crowd, keeping their facial expressions in mind.
I will prove you wrong, sir Peng Cheng.
"You will kowtow to me 7 times, his bet isn't fair 'cos if I lose, I die but you will lose nothing, so at least drop your dignity on he line," said Lin Ziao in one quick and fluid motion.
Everyone subconsciously held their breath. Hushed discussions began among the Peng Dynasty warriors.
"This boy is quite ballsy for his age,"
"He said he was 15 right, he should know he is too young to die,"
"Let wish him well on his path to the afterlife,"
"I knew he would say this but knowing and witnessing are two entirely different things," Qingshan lamented among the noise in the crowd.
Haahahaha!!
Peng Cheng let out an unaltered laugh as his eyes contained traces of dark humour.
"What a bold kid when I was your age, I wasn't half as bold as you," said Peng Cheng looking at the boy.
"You really got me there, agreed," said Peng Cheng as yet another chill vibrated through the hushed crowd.
"Now let's begin," Peng Cheng said as he placed the formation stone on the altar prepared beforehand.
As the formation stone was placed on the altar, the entire gathering went silent. Everyone watched Lin Ziao closely. The air felt heavy, thick with tension. All eyes—from the elders to the youngest children—were fixed on the boy who had dared to challenge the commander.
Lin Ziao stepped forward. He paused for a second, then reached out and placed his hand firmly on the surface of the formation stone.
The stone was cold to the touch, smooth and hard. For a few seconds, nothing happened.
The silence grew deeper. The villagers held their breath. The warriors stiffened, ready for anything.
Then, a faint light began to glow beneath Lin Ziao's hand. At first, it was dim and unclear. But slowly, the color brightened.
The stone glowed two colours—red and black.
Gasps erupted across the crowd. Some stumbled back. Others leaned in, eyes wide with confusion and fear.
"What does that mean?" a voice muttered.
"No one said anything about red…" another whispered.
Even the warriors looked at each other, unsure. The formation had only ever glowed green for the clean, or black for the infected. But red and black together? That was unheard of.
Peng Cheng's expression changed instantly. The humour vanished from his face. He took a step forward, staring at the stone as if trying to read into it.
"Impossible…" he muttered. "It's never shown that before."
Peng Cheng didn't respond immediately. His eyes remained fixed on the stone, which now pulsed with a steady, unnatural rhythm—black on one half, with streaks of deep red slowly overpowering the black.
It was as if the stone itself was uncertain, reacting to something it had never encountered before...or had not for a very lengthy period of time.
The tension in the air turned suffocating.
Peng Cheng finally spoke, his voice low but firm. "The formation is designed to identify corruption from the forest.
A black glow means infection—nothing more, nothing less. But red… that's something entirely different."
He took another step toward the altar, his brows furrowed as he studied the multicoloured formation stone.
" Do you have a bloodline that has anything to do with violence and bloodshed or perhaps you have the War Blood Tiger Bloodline," Their commander, Peng Cheng asked as he slowly tilted his head to face Lin Ziao who looked straight into the eyes of the commander, Peng Cheng with stubborn resolve deep inside his eye balls.