Chapter 519: Fishing
Translator: Subudai11 Editor: Chrissy

The picture on the disc was bloody.

As a strange monster, the mental attribute of the fog monster greatly differed from human being. The perception and understanding of the world were also very different. Wang Lu directly extracted its memory using the soul searching technique, so naturally, it was difficult to interpret it intuitively.

However, Wang Lu didn’t further process the information and just presented it as it was. Most of the people present were ignorant of what they saw, but since they were all elites, they were able to interpret some of the content.

“From the perspective of the fog monster… It’s bloody red, which seems to indicate that it has been at a highly stimulated condition. But there’s no clear object in its field of vision, probably because its perception is blinded and nothing could be seen.”

Liu Xian speculated in a soft voice.

Wang Lu said, “The illusion of the opponent can deceive you, these elites, so it could certainly also fool this monster’s mind. Not to mention that the perception ability of this fog monster is average, so it’s normal that it couldn’t see anything… However, don’t you think that this bloody red background is very strange? The fog monster is a bloodthirsty creature, but when it’s in the tracking mode, the fog monster is only interested in the blood of the target creature.”

Liu Xian immediately responded, “In other words, this highly stimulated state was because the fog monster found the blood of Junior Brother Donghua?”

“Yes, and it’s a large amount of blood.” Wang Lu added, “Let’s combine this with the next question: as a tracker, Shen Yiwen had received very strict training in the sect, and is extremely vigilant… How could he suddenly be killed that he couldn’t even have the time to raise the alarm?”

Ouyang Shang said, “It’s probably because he relaxed his vigilance. After all, the training at the sect is limited, and many on-the-spot reactions can’t be done correctly without accumulating enough experience.”

“However, for a vigilant pursuer to relax his vigilance… I think it can be easily deduced that Junior Brother Shen Yiwen encountered a situation.”

Liu Xian said incredulously, “Do you think he saw… Wang Donghua?”

“Accurately speaking, I’m afraid it’s the corpse of Wang Donghua. The blood of a living person is far less attractive to the fog demon than that of the dead. To be able to make the fog monster produce such a high level of stimulation, I’m afraid only the whole body could do it.”

Ouyan Shang then said, “The opponent is likely to be in control of the corpse using the puppet technique, or taking possession of it… In short, after Junior Brother Yiwen saw the living Wang Donghua, he was lulled into putting down his guard, and then was killed by a sneak attack. This is probably the truth of the matter.”

Wang Lu said, “Of course, this is all just our speculation, and we can’t rule out other possibilities. But all in all, I hope you all can learn from this, always remain alert and vigilant to every change around us. Learn from Junior Brother Shen Yiwen’s mistake.”

The words were harsh and grim, so they didn’t any response, but Wang Lu did not care. He came with Ouyang Shang, each with a different task. Ouyang Shang who had a good relationship with his Junior Brothers and Sisters was responsible for being a good cop, while he… was responsible for saying things that no one liked to listenw but had to be said.

It was necessary to sum up the experience and lessons, but no one wanted to continue listening to this bloody conclusion.

“Then, what are we going to do next?” Liu Xian tried to change the topic.

“Withdraw.” Wang Lu gave his answer right away. “Everyone withdraw to the sect and hand over the matter to the Elders.”

“What solution is this?” Liu Xian could hardly accept it. “You want us to let go of Junior Brother Wang and Junior Brother Shen and just run away?”

Wang Lu coldly said, “I want you guys to at least save your own life. Previously, Wang Donghua’s life or death was still unknown, so you insisted on the search and rescue operation, thinking that he was taken as a hostage. Because of this, Junior Brother Shen Yiwen paid with his life. Now, relying on the sacrifice of Junior Brother Shen, we basically have clarified the situation. Do you want Junior Brother Shen’s sacrifice in vain?”

“We will make Junior Brother Shen’s sacrifice in vain if we leave now!” Liu Xian heatedly argued, “Not to mention how did you know for sure that Junior Brother Wang and Junior Brother Shen are dead? Perhaps…”

Wang Lu chuckled and said, “Perhaps they’re still alive? Perhaps they are just locked up, waiting for us to save them one day? Ha! You might as well assume that they might make a breakthrough in their potential in a critical moment and instantly become immortals. Be sensible, okay? You are, after all, one of the key subjects for the management trainee program, and the leader of one of the teams, but if you don’t even have the ability to face reality…”

“Enough, I know what you want to say. You are just trying to find an excuse to escape, you coward of unknown origin!” Liu Xian angrily interrupted, “I don’t want to hear any more of your nonsense… Big Brother, what do you say?”

However, when Liu Xian looked at his Big Brother with a hopeful look, what he saw was a complicated look.

Liu Xian stared at him in astonishment. In a trance, he felt as if his Big Brother had turned into a strange person.

“Big Brother, you’re… you’re not supporting him aren’t you?”

“…”

“Junior Brother Yiwen is still waiting for us to help him! Perhaps Junior Brother Donghua is not dead yet. He has the golden nucleus puppet, which is tantamount to having many lives. Even if a Daoist Master of Yuanying Stage wants to kill him, it would not be easy! Perhaps what the fog monster smelled was just the bloody taste of the golden nucleus puppet! It’s too hasty to conclude that they are dead!”

Liu Xian argued hard but was only met with the long silence from Ouyang Shang.

“Big Brother, I…”

However, when he reached this point, Liu Xian finally could not go on. He turned his head toward the other people and saw that, although they seemed embarrassed about it, everyone was standing on Ouyang Shang’s side.

Such was the prestige of the Big Brother of the golden generation. As long as he had made his decision, they would accept it, no matter how difficult it was for them.

“… Yeah, this is Big Brother’s judgment. Maybe I’m wrong.” Liu Xian inwardly thought.

“If they only saw the arm, perhaps they could still have the illusion about Wang Donghua’s survival. But when Shen Yiwen was killed, if they still guessed that the two were still alive… perhaps it’s just my wishful thinking. Maybe I can’t just accept that, as a leader, I can only look helplessly when my two team members suffered in the hands of the enemy but can’t do anything about it.

“This is exactly the attitude of bashing one’s head against a brick wall. I’m afraid I’m not too far away from suffering fire deviation. Fortunately, there’s Big Brother here that woke me up in time. It’s just that… This feeling of giving up, I really can’t stand it.”

After a long silence, Liu Xian finally looked up. “Let’s go.” It was a hoarse but decisive sound

On that same day, the team began to evacuate from the Ghost Weeping Forest.

It took time for the team to withdraw. Although Ouyang Shang, Wang Lu, and Wang Wu only took more than a day for their journey here from Blessed Fountain, they were coming without any burden. Plus, they had ample supplies from Blessed Fountain. After adding Liu Xian and the others, if they wanted to return to Blessed Fountain from the Ghost Weeping Forest, they would need at least three days.

The evacuation arrangement was organized in an orderly and not in a rush fashion—after all, everyone knew that there was a mysterious and powerful enemy who was watching them. Their two Junior Brothers had tragically died because of it. If one of them was even slightly careless, perhaps he or she would become the third victim.

On the first day, the procession moved slowly and went on to camp at a place not far away from Ghost Weeping Forest. Each cultivator of Spirit Sword Sect had their own duty. Some used their sword qi to cut off weeds, providing space for level ground, while some put magical tools around the camp to set up alarm array for surveillance. Others were responsible for refining simple medicine pill as a source material for medicinal cuisine. Those who weren’t assigned with a task found good position and began to meditate to maintain their power.

In the past, setting up camp was never without joy. Especially since there was a talented chef within the golden generation, Li Xi, in this team. He learned excellent medicined diets through self-study. Not only those cultivators in the same level as him, even those Yuanying Stage Elders were amazed by the food he cooked. Every time Li Xi went along, the food after setting the camp was extremely worth looking forward to.

However, today, everyone’s mood was very low. The thought about the two of their brothers who completely disappeared in Ghost Weeping Forest and the thought about them abandoning the two weighed heavily in their mind, which made it difficult for them to swallow even delicious food.

In this simple camp, only the short and stout chef Li Xi could still be in a good mood.

“Big Brother, Senior Brother Wang, this is the broth that I had just made. Please taste these first two bowls.”

Li Xi happily took two bowls of fragrant broth from a small tripod and handed them each to Ouyang Shang and Wang Lu.

“Oh? The broth seems to taste more delicious than ever.” Before he had actually tasted the broth, its rich aroma had already aroused his interest.

Li Xi said with a simple and honest smile, “Really? It’s lucky that a moment ago, I caught a pearl deer in the woods, which I had only seen previously in the book. Legend has it that its meat is very delicious, such that even if it is put in the tripod stove, it will not lose its tenderness, and it will instantly melt in the mouth.”

Ouyang Shang, feeling funny, shook his head. “Unexpectedly when we lost, we still have the blessing from the heaven in the form of this meat.”

Wang Lu, who was next to him, also laughed and nodded to Li Xiwhile holding the soup bowl with his right hand. However, the next moment, as fast as a flying sword, his left hand suddenly moved forward and grabbed Li Xi by the nect. And then, with his right hand, he poured the whole bowl of broth into Li Xi’s mouth!

Almost instantly, Li Xi’s whole jaw suddenly melted, as if it was a candle burned in high temperature. Blood, meat, and bone blended into a thick paste, and then dripped along with the broth toward his chest. When it touched with the defense and anti-poison spell of the gown, pungent blue smoke rose up.

“Hehe, instantly melt in the mouth indeed.”

Wang Lu sneered and threw away the soup bowl. He then summoned his Sword of Mount Kun. Beside him, Ouyang Shang had quietly put away the soup bowl on the ground. A thick quaint sword was held in his hand, and its sword intent was so thick that it enveloped Li Xi.

This change happened so suddenly that all the people present were caught off guard. However, Li Xi, as the concerned party, at this time, actually appeared extremely serious.

“How… did you know?”

The dull voice came from Li Xi’s belly—his jaw and throat had completely melted away, so he could not speak at all.

Wang Lu sneered. “Red blood poison. Colorless and tasteless, melting blood and rotting bone. Do you think only the demon race knows this poison?”

Not long ago, when he received special training at the mountain, Elder Lu Li focused on training how to counter this red blood poison…

Li Xi narrowed his eyes. At this time, the originally honest eyes of their master had become cold and sharp.

“Did you already plan this?”

“Of course we did. We have long calculated it that, as long as we decide to withdraw, you would definitely appear along the way! Because you won’t let us go back to the mountain to request for reinforcement! This day, we pretended to feel dejected, and we finally caught you this big fish… What a joke, you have killed two of the disciples of Spirit Sword Sect, how could we tolerate you to continue hiding in the dark! For each day I don’t kill you, my heart will never feel calm!”

“You want to kill me? That depends if you have…”

“Die, you bastard!”

Along with his exclamation, Wang Lu’s primal chaos heaven splitting sword qi directly blew Li Xi’s head.

At the same time, an exceptionally miserable scream rang in a far distance.