Chapter 84: The Beast Blocks the Way

Update time: 2013-07-10

The faces of the group looked grim; after finally obtaining a clue, they were now blocked by a horde of wild beasts. Anyone would feel frustrated in their shoes.

Curious gazes all converged on Qiu Yifei, who wore a look of relief.

“I encountered this once before,” Qiu Yifei hurried to compose himself and explained, “but there weren’t nearly as many, and I managed to escape by luck.”

“Make it quick,” Yue Lingjun spoke first.

George immediately waved to his personal guards, and the group swiftly scattered. In an instant, the forest was awash with blood and violence.

To avoid suspicion, Qiu Yifei stuck close to Qingqiu, never leaving his side.

Several hundred meters away, atop a tree, three figures dressed in black observed the battlefield below with thoughtful expressions.

“It really wasn’t you who brought them here?”

“It really wasn’t. Thirteen, you should know the extent of my abilities by now,” Forty-three replied, puzzled. Ever since Thirteen put him on this assignment, he’d been stewing in frustration. He had expended great effort to lure only a dozen or so wild boars, barely enough for the Yue family’s group to practice on, and they were dispatched in no time.

He was still racking his brain on how to attract another batch, when, unexpectedly, before he’d gone far, he saw wave after wave of wild boars stampeding in this direction. He had assumed it was all Thirteen’s doing and was filled with admiration—until he caught Thirteen’s equally bewildered gaze.

Thus, a dramatic scene unfolded: the two of them, having done nothing, had achieved the desired effect, and even better than expected.

“Your talent in this area is already widely acknowledged,” Forty-two quipped from the side, clicking his tongue. “It seems you’ve truly surpassed yourself. Impressive, impressive.”

Forty-three swatted away Forty-two’s wagging thumb in front of his face and retorted, “If I really had such skill, I’d use it on you first.”

“All right, enough, you two,” Thirteen interjected. “They’re just unlucky. No one knows how long this beast tide will last. Instead of standing around, we should consider our next move.”

Forty-two and Forty-three immediately fell silent, awaiting Thirteen’s instructions.

Thirteen looked helplessly at his two subordinates, who clearly had no intention of thinking for themselves. “Forty-two, keep monitoring this group’s movements. As for Forty-three, continue luring nearby wild beasts—every obstacle helps.”

Forty-two readily accepted the assignment. Though Forty-three was displeased, he dared not protest; objecting now would only land him an even more grueling task.

Besides, with the tide of beasts continuously converging on their target, his job had become much easier.

The two watched their busy targets without rushing to act. After all, a desperate struggle was always worth watching.

Thirteen, seeing the two of them still in the mood to enjoy the show, felt his temples throb. His subordinates were becoming bolder and more unruly by the day.

“What are you standing around for? Move!” he ordered sharply.

Before the words left his lips, Forty-two and Forty-three had vanished.

Thirteen shook his head helplessly and focused his gaze once more on the battle a few meters away. He quickly spotted Qiu Yifei, who never left Qingqiu’s side. No matter how he looked at it, Qiu Yifei’s behavior seemed suspicious. Moreover, from above, it appeared that the wild boars were more concentrated around them than elsewhere.

But these were not his primary concern. He glanced up at the sky for a moment, then disappeared into the forest under the cover of night.

Below, the group felt their scalps prickling. The wild boars before them seemed endless, and if anything, their numbers were increasing.

The once-pristine surface of George’s white folding fan was now stained crimson. He fought on, calling out, “Brother Yue, we’d better withdraw from the forest for now.”

“Yes, Young Master, let’s fall back for a while—it might just be a temporary beast tide. Once it passes, things should return to normal,” Qingluan echoed.

Among the group, aside from Yue Lingjun, George, Qingfeng, and two of the personal guards, everyone else bore wounds—some more, some less. In particular, Qingluan and Qingqiu were covered in minor injuries, looking quite disheveled.

Qiu Yifei, too, looked battered, but unlike Qingqiu and Qingluan, he had no real wounds—his blood-soaked appearance was only skin-deep.

Yue Lingjun surveyed the group, then reluctantly commanded, “Withdraw.”

Qingfeng, Qingling, Shan Feng, and Shan Liang led the way, followed by Yue Lingjun and George. The rest brought up the rear. Qiu Yifei was flanked by Qingqiu and Qingluan, and together they quickly broke through, making their way toward the forest’s edge.

At first, Qingqiu and Qingluan wondered if they would need to pull Qiu Yifei along, but to their surprise, despite his somewhat rotund figure, he kept pace with them, matching the speed of those trained in internal martial arts.

At last, they saw the silver gleam of a pond outside the woods beneath the moonlight. They finally emerged from the forest—only to find that not a single beast pursued them beyond the tree line.

Yet the beasts did not disperse. Instead, they glared out from the forest’s edge, green eyes gleaming menacingly, snorting from time to time.

George collapsed by the pond, breathless and frustrated. “What a curse—driven out by a pack of animals.”

Yue Lingjun stared back at the dark woods, his heart filled with worry. He wondered how Yue’er was faring, and whether she had encountered the same ordeal.

At that moment, on a high branch, Lian Yue dozed fitfully. Beside her, Yu Wen Lingxi hesitated, then edged closer, gently supporting Lian Yue’s head and allowing her to rest on his shoulder.

No sooner had he let go than the already deeply asleep Lian Yue unconsciously adjusted to a more comfortable position, showing no sign of waking.

Yu Wen Lingxi gazed at the shadowed forest below, motionless and serene, even his breathing softened for fear of disturbing her slumber.

The night deepened, the bright moonlight casting a silvery veil over the pair. The wind stirred, bringing a quietude hard to describe.

Seventy-one, perched on a branch, stared in awe at the scene above, marveling, “The young master is truly incredible. In just one day, she’s already fallen into his arms—outshining even her predecessors.”

A sharp pain to his head jolted his attention, and with a sidelong glance, he saw Sixty-nine leaning against another tree, baring his teeth and shaking a fist at him.

Sixty-nine shot him a deathly glare and made a gesture as if gouging out his eyes.

Seventy-one shuddered. How could he have forgotten about this? Thankfully the young master’s back was to him; had she caught him spying, his eyes might not survive the night.

Despite his fear, Seventy-one maintained a nonchalant expression, even shrugging at Sixty-nine.

Sixty-nine ignored him. After decades together, he could guess Seventy-one’s thoughts without so much as a glance. Stubborn as ever.

The night wind grew stronger, and the moon slipped behind clouds like polished agate, deepening the darkness.

Lian Yue, fast asleep, shivered and curled closer to Yu Wen Lingxi.

Yu Wen Lingxi frowned, then decided to wake her.

Lian Yue opened her eyes drowsily. Looking up, she saw the sculpted jaw beneath his mask and froze for a long moment before realization dawned. Her mind cleared in an instant, and she quickly sat up straight, eyes fixed on her toes swinging in the air.

Yu Wen Lingxi, feeling the lingering warmth on his shoulder, said softly, “The wind is rising. Let’s sleep on the ground.”

“I… I didn’t realize I’d dozed off. Thank you,” Lian Yue stammered, flustered. She thanked him and hurried down from the tree.

Yu Wen Lingxi smiled faintly and followed.

The campfire below had already gone out. Yu Wen Lingxi quickly rekindled it, set a few more fires around the area, and carefully made Lian Yue a bed of leaves in the center.

Already exhausted, Lian Yue didn’t stand on ceremony; with a yawn, she was soon fast asleep.

Yu Wen Lingxi watched her for a moment, then gently pressed a sleep acupoint on her. He made a hand gesture, and in less than a breath, Sixty-nine appeared before him, reporting the Yue family’s movements and their route for the next day. He then stood aside, awaiting further orders.

Yu Wen Lingxi was surprised the Yue family had made it down the cliff so quickly, but relaxed when he learned Yue Lingjun and George were leading.

As Sixty-nine turned to leave, Yu Wen Lingxi stated coolly, “Tell the one on the tree to mind his mouth and his eyes. Otherwise, I won’t hesitate to make another one of you disappear.”

Seventy-one, perched in the tree, nearly lost his balance at these words.

In his heart, Seventy-one added silently, The young master… truly terrifying!