Chapter 102: Apprehension

Wangjiang Pavilion, one hour later, a gust of yellow wind swept in, quickly enveloping the entire platform. After a moment, as the yellow wind subsided, four figures dressed in black robes were revealed within it.

Under the faint moonlight, the faces of the figures shifted, among them the ox demon whom Hu San had seen before.

Besides this demon, whose body had evolved to grow hands and feet, there was also a tiger-headed humanoid monster. Apart from these two, the remaining two were unmistakably humans.

One was a middle-built man in a black robe, pale-faced and clean-shaven, his visage emanating a dark aura, as if he had not seen sunlight for a long time. The other was a stunningly beautiful woman with a graceful figure, yet her delicate face was marked with a pallor that betrayed a weary spirit, as if her days were numbered.

With a swing of the ox demon’s arm, the raging yellow demon wind on the platform dissipated completely, restoring calm. Yet, gazing around the desolate scene, the ox demon’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Brother Ox, it seems Purple Bear has indeed met with disaster. If my instincts are correct, there must have been a fierce battle here not long ago. The traces of the fight were deliberately erased. Should we search beneath the cliff? I believe the enemy must have thrown the bodies of Purple Bear and the others down there.”

The tiger-headed demon’s nostrils flared, a flicker of delight crossing his eyes as if he took pleasure in the unfolding events, though he showed no outward expression of mourning.

The ox demon lowered his head in silence, contemplating briefly before stepping toward the place where the giant bear had met its end. Along the way, he carefully examined the marks left by the giant bear’s strikes, his frown deepening with each step.

After a moment, the ox demon took a deep breath and said, “It appears their odds are indeed grim. Let us go down to the cliff and have a look. We should report back once we return.”

The other two exchanged a glance and both nodded; in the presence of these two great demons, it seemed they had little say.

Soon, beneath the cliffs flanking the Konghai Avenue, the two demons and the two humans stood silently, staring at the scattered, battered corpses strewn across the ground.

“Great King Ox, Great King Tiger, it seems some remnants have escaped. Why don’t we ride the divine wind to give chase? Afterwards, we can report back to our lord,” said the pale-faced, clean-shaven middle-aged man, his gaze lingering on the shredded corpse of the young master surnamed Shen. He then looked toward the two demons who were still inspecting the wounds on the giant bear.

But he received no immediate answer.

After a long pause, the ox demon finally rose from beside the giant bear’s body and asked the composed tiger demon, “Old Tiger, what do you make of the wounds on Purple Bear?”

“A skilled expert,” the tiger mused. “It’s clear the opponent’s strength far surpasses Purple Bear’s. The final strike revealed their true power. If it were the two of us facing them, we might not even escape unscathed.”

The tiger fell silent for a moment, then smiled wryly. “Maybe this is the same master who killed the Electric Serpent. The Electric Serpent had sixth-level cultivation and the terrifying Black Wind Formation, yet was killed without a trace. Purple Bear stands no chance. However, the enemy clearly took Purple Bear’s essence and blood. Could they be a demon as well? Or perhaps a human cultivator?”

To pursue or not to pursue?

At that thought, both demons’ minds simultaneously flashed the question.

The tiger recalled the Electric Serpent’s grim fate, the ox demon thought of Leopard Cong’s death, and together they made their decision.

Exchanging a glance, they shook their heads in unison. The tiger continued, “From the battle traces, the opponent must have left more than an hour ago. For a master of their caliber, an hour is enough to traverse half of Konghai Avenue, which means they have likely reached the Thirty-Six Connected Cities.”

“Although we have an appointment with your lord, until the elders of our tribe give orders, we cannot step beyond Qilian Mountain. Otherwise, the consequences would be beyond our bearing.”

“Tianluo Mountain Village barely falls within Qilian Mountain’s domain, but the Thirty-Six Connected Cities belong entirely to the human world. Please convey this to your lord: the enemy has left Qilian Mountain and entered the Thirty-Six Connected Cities. We can do no more. From now on, it’s up to you.”

Hearing this, the middle-aged man and the woman beside him exchanged troubled looks. Clearly, these two were displeased that the outsiders wanted to abandon the pursuit so readily.

Their quitting wouldn’t matter much, since their lord had no control over them. But after losing the Bone Scholar, the two humans were in a dire situation.

Whether due to differences in power or rank, though they harbored resentment against these foreign demons, they dared not show it. Instead, they pleaded, “Great Kings, perhaps the enemy has not yet left Konghai Avenue? Why don’t we chase after them and take a look?”

“Hmph, what’s there to see? I’ve been exhausted all night. Let’s deal with this tomorrow!” The ox demon snorted coldly and said no more. A gust of demon wind swept the two humans behind Wangjiang Pavilion, then the ox demon and tiger demon took to the air and departed, leaving no chance for further pleading. Only the two humans remained on the empty platform, staring helplessly at each other.

“Green Princess, our only option now is to report the truth to our lord,” the middle-aged man sighed, withdrawing his gaze from the dark void around them. The weight of his worries deepened.

“But this area was under the Bone Scholar’s charge. We know nothing of the local affairs or personnel. We can’t find anyone, and our lord is not here. What can we do?” The black-robed woman frowned, cursing, “That damned Bone Scholar! I’ve long thought him unreliable, but now he’s caused harm to himself and us. If any of the Kingdom’s elite have escaped, and the king becomes wary, how will we explain ourselves later?”

At the thought of their lord’s methods, even from thousands of miles away, both shuddered involuntarily.

The middle-aged man pondered for a long moment, then gritted his teeth. “The Black Death Corps is nearby. Perhaps we must mobilize them to intercept the enemy, or else we’re doomed.”

“But the Black Death Corps is arrogant. Why would they obey us?” The woman’s hopeful look quickly turned to worry.

“I am on good terms with their captain. Since this concerns our lord’s grand plan, I believe they won’t stand aside. Their power in the Thirty-Six Connected Cities is immense. Even if the enemy is strong, they can hardly escape the Black Death’s pursuit.”

“Then what are we waiting for?”

The woman cried out. With life-or-death urgency, she did not hesitate to ask for details and immediately unleashed a faint pink aura. Together with the man, they sped down the mountain.

In the pitch-black darkness at the entrance of Wucheng in the Thirty-Six Connected Cities, Ge Sanwang sat slouching on a stone block, holding a torch. He dangled his second leg while squinting toward the direction from which someone had come. Muttering to himself, he spat out sunflower seed husks, which arced gracefully, mixing with his gleaming saliva as they landed precisely on the adjacent path.

“Damn Liu Dan! Is it worth it to come here in the dead of night just because you won a few bets? Who in their right mind would enter the city at such an hour? If this keeps up, I might as well go starve. No, next time I gamble, I’ll deliberately lose to that bastard.”

Angrily spitting another seed hull, Ge Sanwang swore, “Damn it! He’s just a squad leader. When I make it big, I’ll show him.”

As a city gate guard, Ge Sanwang had ambitions, though reality had always suppressed them.

Usually, he dared not dream, but in the dead silence of night, he let his mind wander freely.

Just as he was reveling in his fantasies, his eyes suddenly blurred. When they cleared, the once empty city gate passage now held three figures.

Startled, Ge Sanwang stared closely, trembling all over. Then, saliva dribbled from his mouth. It was not the young man in simple green robes who caught his attention—though he seemed somewhat formidable—but the two black-clad women beside him were truly extraordinary.

One was tall and slender, with a face as white and smooth as jade, a sharp oval visage adorned with a touch of red makeup on her forehead. She carried a long sword at her waist, exuding a refreshing aura that was captivating.

The other was petite and graceful, with large, moist eyes that had undoubtedly ensnared countless men’s souls. Even Ge Sanwang, having lived a long life, had never seen such beauties.

“Good heavens! I always thought myself well-versed, but who knew such beauties existed in this world? Compared to them, the wife of Official Liu looks like a country bumpkin. Damn, that kid sure is lucky. I wonder what connection he has with these two.”

While his thoughts raced, Ge Sanwang moved quickly, releasing the barrier and smiling obsequiously. “Honorable guests, are you entering the city? According to regulations, night entrants must pay a city entry fee of ten copper coins each.”

Though he recognized their extraordinary nature from the two women’s appearances, Ge Sanwang had to demand the fee. After all, entry required a travel permit, which meant money. At daybreak, if the accounts didn’t balance, he’d have to pay out of his own pocket.

Extorting money from such people usually wasn’t feasible, but he had to try. Over time, he had encountered many martial artists here. Some might pay generously if pleased; others might be fierce and dangerous, and refusal could cost far more than money.

After saying this, he regretted it somewhat, recalling the pitiful fates of many comrades sent before him. He cursed the squad leader who had assigned him to this post.

“How far is it from here to the Wu Zang Kingdom?” the young man suddenly asked, then handed over a handful of silver coins.