All dead?
My head felt like it had been smashed by a hammer, buzzing. This outcome was far from what I had anticipated!
Although I knew that the border men entering the valley wouldn't end with just one or two casualties, I never imagined that not a single one would make it out alive.
Zhang Dabiao, upon hearing this, was also shocked. Perhaps fearing he'd misheard, he quickly pressed, "Ling'er, you're saying they all died?"
Compared to my and Zhang Dabiao's surprise, Yue'er appeared much more composed, as if nothing had happened. She didn't seem surprised by the deaths of the border men, giving me the impression that she viewed everything with a detached calm. This made me wonder if she considered the deceased border men to be mere ants.
Bai Ling'er's anthropomorphic eyes held a hint of a smile as she sneered, "What? You humans can slaughter us elves, but we can't slaughter you humans?"
Bai Ling'er's words left me speechless, unsure how to retort. Humans had always viewed themselves as masters of all creation, looking down on other beings. While I knew they had brought this upon themselves, I still felt a pang of regret.
After all, these were the lives of over a dozen people, lost in vain due to a moment of carelessness. It was truly difficult to accept.
Zhang Dabiao walked over, his expression grim. He patted my shoulder and said, "Brother, this world is simply like this. It's survival of the fittest; there's no right or wrong. Once you embark on this path, no one can get off midway. They were working for money, and they couldn't have been unaware of this potential outcome."
I nodded without speaking, knowing Zhang Dabiao was right. Those men, like the deceased Wang Jun, carried a foul odor, suggesting they were experienced in their line of work.
However, they possessed something more than Wang Jun: resentment.
Resentment could be of two types. One was the resentment carried by those possessed by evil spirits. Judging by the vitality of the border men, no evil spirit would dare to approach them.
The other type was the resentment generated by those they had harmed. This type of resentment was difficult to dispel, often clinging to a person for life until death, or until a virtuous person was willing to perform a ritual of deliverance for the resentful spirits.
However, generally, enlightened individuals would refuse to perform exorcisms for those afflicted with the latter type of resentment.
Thinking this, I felt a little better. Those who kill will be killed. Since they chose a profession where their heads were on the chopping block, I assumed they had long since come to terms with life and death.
Just as my expression began to ease, Bai Ling'er dropped another bombshell.
"I advise you not to wallow in self-pity here. The mountain spirit chieftain is about to go mad. Those men killed quite a few of the comatose mountain spirits after entering the valley. I estimate that in a while, the mountain spirit chieftain will lead his subordinates to cause trouble for you."
As Bai Ling'er finished speaking, a deafening roar echoed from within the valley. The anger in the sound was palpable even from miles away.
Seeing Hei Zi and the others still guarding the valley entrance, I quickly rushed out. So many had already died; I didn't want to see any more bloodshed. Whether I was called a saint or accused of having ulterior motives was irrelevant.
Before I had taken more than a few steps, I felt my legs buckle, and I fell to the ground with a thud. Just as I was about to have an intimate encounter with the earth, I felt my backpack being grabbed from behind.
Turning around, I saw Yue'er looking at me with anger on her face.
"Are you crazy? The mountain spirits will surely retaliate madly against humans when they emerge. Rushing out now is suicide. If you insist on dying, I won't stop you." With that, Yue'er released her grip, and I slumped to the ground.
Just then, I saw the white-haired mountain spirit chieftain charging out of the valley with a group of guards. Hei Zi was the first to bear the brunt of it, as if hit by a train. The mountain spirit chieftain swatted him away with a single blow, sending him flying into the air. After a 360-degree mid-air somersault, he crashed into the bushes, his fate unknown. Su Dan Novel Network.
Then, I saw Li Jian, Fang Niuzi, and Kang Pangzi scramble out of their hiding spots as if their pants were on fire, and bolt away.
The bodyguard team guarding the valley entrance had descended into chaos. Some returned fire, while others abandoned their weapons and fled. Whether they resisted or fled, they were quickly wiped out by the enraged mountain spirit horde.
Being thrown down by Yue'er had sobered me up. In the face of death, no one remains composed. When one's own life is hanging by a thread, who has time to worry about others?
Moreover, I had watched the mountain spirit chieftain bite off a bodyguard's head, its bloodshot eyes indicating it had lost its natural instincts. Now, only slaughter was the best means of catharsis.
After throwing me down, Yue'er said, "You wait here to die!" Then, without looking back, she turned and ran in the opposite direction of the valley, disappearing into the dense foliage within a few flashes.
I quickly got up from the ground, cast a Tian Qiao Seal on myself, and also fled madly.
The blood-crazed mountain spirit chieftain wouldn't remember if it had seen me before. I reckoned even Bai Ling'er would be torn to shreds if she stood in its way.
Kang Pangzi had only managed to stun the mountain spirits with sleeping gas, yet the mountain spirit chieftain had nearly gone mad, chasing me all over the mountains. I had almost lost my life in the mountains then. If Bai Ling'er hadn't intervened, who knows how long I would have lasted.
Now, those border men had entered the valley, firing guns and setting off explosives, killing who knows how many mountain spirits. Given the chieftain's protective nature, it would be strange if it didn't go berserk.
With the blessing of the Tian Qiao Seal, my speed increased significantly, but I was still a bit slower than Yue'er and Zhang Dabiao. Initially, I could still see Yue'er's fleeting figure, but as we ran, her figure vanished.
Zhang Dabiao, who was right behind Yue'er, disappeared in the same manner. After passing through a patch of bushes, his figure simply vanished.
The sporadic gunshots from behind had fallen silent. Apart from the occasional scream, there were more roars from the mountain spirit chieftain, as if it wouldn't rest until all those who had trespassed into the valley were killed.
At this point, I was also starting to panic. My earlier compassion had long since vanished. I had only one thought: I absolutely could not be caught by the mountain spirits.
As I too passed through the bushes, following Zhang Dabiao, I felt the ground disappear beneath my feet, and my body began to plummet rapidly. This time, I truly panicked. I wanted to shout for help, but the branches and leaves prevented me from opening my mouth.
My hands flailed in the air, desperately trying to grab something to slow my descent. I managed to grasp a few vines twice, but due to my rapid fall and the thinness of the vines, they snapped, and I continued to fall with them.
It's over. Is this how my life ends?
Just as I was preparing to accept my fate, a powerful tug pulled at my waist. Suddenly, I felt myself collide with someone. This involuntary action caused me to reach out.
Instantly, I felt something soft in my hands, as if I had grabbed a ball of cotton. Just as I was wondering if I had grabbed something I shouldn't have again.
A gust of wind flashed past my face.
*Slap—*
"Pervert!"
I felt a sharp pain on my cheek and then passed out. Before losing consciousness, I finally understood what I had grabbed. I could only hope that nothing would be missing from my body when I woke up.