"Why am I here? Are you surprised? Did you think I was killed by you?" Hu Yuan said with a smile, but the coldness in his eyes betrayed his mood.
I never expected to see Hu Yuan appear here. Chen Yun told me she had tricked Hu Yuan once. When she learned that Hu Yuan was divining for Elder Huang, I had worried about him. Divining for someone several times stronger than oneself, without dying, would at least result in severe injury. I didn't expect Hu Yuan not only survived but also stood before me in good health. It seems the Hu family's influence is not ordinary.
"What do you want?" I asked, frowning. Logically, he should seek revenge from Chen Yun, not come to me, and at this time?
"What do I want? You little bitch, I can't move you for now, but that doesn't mean I can't move you. You, like that little bitch, deserve to die." Hu Yuan's words were venomous. Before he finished speaking, he flipped his right hand, and a dark thread shot out.
"Despicable."
I didn't expect him to attack so readily, and his target wasn't me, but Zhang Dabiao, whom I was supporting. This gave me no chance to escape.
I placed Zhang Dabiao on the ground, drew my Yin Iron Wood Ruler, and slashed at the dark thread.
*Bang—*
My wrist went numb as I blocked Hu Yuan's attack.
I gained an understanding of Hu Yuan's strength. Just as Chen Yun said, Hu Yuan was a good-for-nothing. His body had long been depleted by wine and women. His so-called attack looked ferocious but lacked real power.
"You little bastard, don't think you're safe just because you're clinging to that little bitch." Seeing his attack blocked, Hu Yuan naturally wouldn't admit defeat. He let out a whistle, and then a rustling sound came from all around.
I frowned and looked. Under the trees in the dark, many starry eyes appeared. These eyes varied in size and height, all exuding a scarlet, bloody aura, staring directly at me.
"Demon souls."
Under the gaze of my ghost eyes, the owners of these red eyes were all deceased wild immortals. However, they lacked the righteousness of common wild immortals, possessing instead a certain malevolence. It was more fitting to call them beasts that had lost their minds and only knew how to kill, rather than wild immortals.
Yet, they were different from true beasts. They possessed a spiritual energy that beasts lacked, making them faster and more dangerous. Most importantly, they obeyed Hu Yuan's commands and waited for an opportunity to strike.
"Hu Yuan, do you really want to fight to the death?" Looking at the dense, scarlet eyes all around, I withdrew my gaze and looked at Hu Yuan. The Hu family was a towering mountain I didn't want to provoke. Even though I owed Chen Yun's ancestors a great debt, I didn't want to clash directly with the Hu family. But now, it wasn't me seeking refuge; it was Hu Yuan refusing to let go.
"Fight to the death? You really have a big mouth, like a toad puffing itself up. When you colluded with that little bitch to trick me, you should have known your death was imminent."
As the last word left his mouth, the wild beasts around, like a starry sky, lunged at me like madmen. They didn't just bite me; they didn't spare the injured Zhang Dabiao either.
While frantically striking the charging demon souls with my Yin-Yang Iron Wood Ruler, I tried to help Zhang Dabiao up, attempting to break through the encirclement. If I were surrounded by these ghastly creatures, the outcome would be death.
"Brother, put me down. Leave by yourself. Only one of us can escape." Zhang Dabiao, injured, knew that if he tried to escape with me, he would only be a burden, and neither of us would make it.
"How can I do that? You were injured for me, how can I abandon you?" I killed another weasel with the Yin Iron Wood Ruler, gritted my teeth, and carried Zhang Dabiao on my shoulder. If we die, we die together. I cannot leave you here.
At this moment, I was fighting like a madman. The demon souls around were like ants; one wave was dispersed, and another arrived. These ghastly creatures didn't rush forward in a swarm. Instead, one would appear from the east, another would leap out from the west, take a bite, and then flee.
I did my best to dodge their attacks, but I was still bitten more than a dozen times. Each bite was a piercing pain. My entire body was covered in bloody wounds, making me look like a living blood gourd.
"We can't afford to drag this out any longer. If we continue to be pinned down, we'll bleed to death from blood loss alone. Qingyun, don't worry about me. Capture that beast first," Zhang Dabiao said, panting heavily after killing a red-eyed hedgehog.
Even with my help, he had as many, if not more, bloody wounds than I did.
I remained unmoved. If I left, these demon souls would surely use Zhang Dabiao as a sacrifice, potentially ending his life immediately. I didn't want Zhang Dabiao to die due to my negligence.
Seeing that I hadn't moved, Zhang Dabiao's mind raced, and he knew my concerns. He quickly said again, "I know you're worried about my safety, but if you don't kill that guy, both of us will be finished. Think about your father..."
The words "father" struck me like a thunderclap.
I cannot die now, nor can I allow myself to die. My master is waiting for my money to pay for my father's medical treatment. I still owe ten million to the Ox-Head and Horse-Face spirits. Even if I die, they will likely demand repayment. How can I die like this?
It seems I must subdue this scoundrel Hu Yuan first.
"Brother Zhang, be careful. Make sure you preserve your life." Su Dan Novel Network
Zhang Dabiao laughed heartily. "You think these beasts can take my life, Zhang Dabiao? How could that be?" With a roar, he wielded his mountain-splitting saber with great force. Even sitting on the ground, he was like a fierce tiger, giving the demon souls no chance to get close.
I knew he was trying to reassure me, so I turned my attention to Hu Yuan. Hu Yuan's face wore a wicked smile, like a mischievous neighborhood child admiring his handiwork, completely indifferent to the suffering of others.
"Your death is here." I tightened my grip on the Yin Iron Wood Ruler, cast the Tian Qiao Seal on myself, and with a stomp, my body leaped into the air over the charging demon souls, heading straight for Hu Yuan.
I believed my speed was fast enough. With the Tian Qiao Seal's enhancement, my speed was surely faster than a hundred-meter champion. I unleashed the Yin Iron Wood Ruler with all my might. This strike, let alone the useless Hu Yuan before me, would force even his father, Hu De, to avoid its edge.
*Bang—*
*Clang—*
"What? How is this possible?"
Hu Yuan, who had been standing still with a smile on his face, actually blocked my full-power strike. He didn't even use a weapon, merely extending his left hand, and caught it so easily. His smile didn't even change.
"Kid, did you really think I was unprepared? With my family immortal here, you've no hope of capturing the king!"
Only then did I notice that at some point, a figure had appeared behind Hu Yuan. It was only about 1.2 to 1.3 meters tall, with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks, and a pair of narrow, small eyes emitting a sinister red glow. It made the same move as Hu Yuan, catching the attack with its bare hands.
I understood why Hu Yuan was so fearless; he had summoned his family immortal. With it here, let alone me alone, even if Zhang Dabiao were fully recovered, we wouldn't be a match for a wild immortal.
After all, such wild immortals, who cultivated over time, couldn't compensate for the gap in talent with time. Sometimes, the accumulation of quantity could change the quality of the gap.
"Hu Yuan, if you have something, come at me. Can you let my friend go?" My voice was bitter.
"Letting him go is not impossible. If you kneel down and kowtow to me twice, I might consider it."
A man's knees are made of gold; one kneels only to heaven, earth, and their parents. How could I kneel to a dog? I gritted my teeth and looked at Hu Yuan, "Don't you think you're going too far?"
"Too far? I don't think so. Since you don't agree, then forget it. Hu Biao, he's yours now. Eat him however you like."
"Thank you, Young Master." Hu Biao, standing behind Hu Yuan, licked his lips and looked at Zhang Dabiao with bloodthirsty eyes, already contemplating how he would savor his meal.
"Hu Yuan, how dare you let a wild immortal eat a person? Aren't you afraid your Hu family will be slandered?" I trembled all over at Hu Yuan's words, astonished that he would dare let his family immortal devour a human.
"What's there to fear? In this desolate wilderness, as long as you two die, who will know?" Hu Yuan's lips curled up, and he said nonchalantly, as if he had done this sort of thing before.
Seeing Hu Biao getting closer and closer to Zhang Dabiao, I felt I was about to collapse. I quickly spoke out, "I'll kneel..."