"The Blood Moon Night is almost here. Black Mountain is about to undergo a great upheaval!"
Zhong Shenxiu rode his fine horse across the wasteland on patrol. Not far away, he could see a thin layer of Black Mist.
At that moment, he thought of even more:
"In Western mysticism, there are several great laws. Equivalent exchange, for example, and... never look directly at God!"
"I've more or less guessed what kind of method that count will use in the ritual he arranged..."
"Perhaps the chance to resolve this hidden danger lies in that ritual as well."
"Besides that, there are still some troubles..."
Zhong Shenxiu looked at Wang Lun, Ma Jing, and the other knights beside him, then suddenly pressed his fingers to his brow.
His body was gradually being eroded by the Vengeful Spirit, becoming less and less human. Not only had this brought him many troubles, it had also granted him several strange abilities.
For example, he was gradually losing his sense of touch and appetite, and no longer needed to sleep...
For example, spirit vision!
A trace of darkness flashed through his eyes. At once, the surrounding world turned bluish-black, covered in a hazy veil. In his eyes, the two men who had originally worn solemn expressions now had feral grins on their faces, their eyes brimming with malice as they stared over. Their killing intent was practically undisguised.
Are they trying to kill me? Tang Xiuzhen may well have given the order...
Zhong Shenxiu sneered inwardly, shifted his gaze, and looked toward the Black Mist.
With that glance, he immediately noticed that the strange fog was actually connected in some way to the Vengeful Spirit inside his body.
It seems I can borrow the power of the Black Mist, and I'm not too afraid of its erosion... Of course, I'm practically half a monster myself by now. Who knows what I'll become on this Blood Moon Night...
This time, I'll have to gamble everything. I don't have much time left... Hm? What is that?
In his spirit-vision state, his gaze pierced through the Black Mist and saw a monster.
The monster looked like a lump of rotting flesh, yet several hundred eyes grew across its surface. Each eye carried a different color and radiated strange light.
Its mere aura already made Zhong Shenxiu feel overwhelmed.
This... is absolutely not comparable to that hound monster from last time. It's far more powerful.
Just as he thought this, the monster suddenly glared fiercely at the outside world with its countless eyes, as if it had noticed his gaze!
At the same time, Wang Lun deliberately fell a horse-length behind and exchanged a glance with Ma Jing.
Their squad had five members in total, and four of them had received Tang Xiuzhen's hint to take the opportunity to kill Su Daozhi.
After all, it was perfectly normal for something to happen while cavalrymen were patrolling the wilderness.
Military regulations were strict, but loopholes still existed. Especially for those ostracized by their comrades and superiors, even if one in ten survived, they could count themselves extraordinarily lucky.
Wang Lun cast a sidelong glance at Zhong Shenxiu's back. His heart filled with a twisted delight. "Your luck has run out. Not only does Lord Tang dislike you—even the Company Commander of Black Mountain Fortress can't stand you. You've been showing off far too much, heh..."
He had long since disliked this sanctimonious fellow, Su Daozhi. At last, he had waited for his opportunity.
Under pressure from both sides, the other cavalrymen had naturally reached an unspoken understanding.
Kill that brat during this patrol!
In the distance.
Fisher had changed his appearance and stood beside Dilia, both of their eyes turned white.
Two hawks flying through the sky seemed to have become their puppets, their keen gazes fixed on the line of knights below.
"Miss, this Su Daozhi has truly become hated by everyone. I only gave them a slight hint, and it worked. Clearly, he's offended plenty of people in the past."
Fisher smiled.
In truth, he felt that the other party probably was not concealing anything.
After all, if he were a spy or an infiltrator, would he act so ostentatiously? Wouldn't that be asking to die?
But with the plan so close at hand, they could not afford to treat it casually.
"When faced with a crisis of life and death, any trump card will be exposed. But there are only this many people. Can they be trusted?"
Dilia herself did not know what she was feeling and asked casually.
"They're all Xiantian. Though there are differences between them, this isn't a one-on-one duel. Military formations excel at surrounding and killing targets with many against one... Besides, this is an ambush by comrades, emphasizing striking without warning."
Fisher smiled. "As long as he isn't a Gang Sha Realm cultivator, anyone caught in this situation will be forced to meet their death eight or nine times out of ten."
"Brother Su, we've been patrolling for half a day. Why don't we stop and rest, and have a drink of water?"
Ma Jing urged his horse forward with a beaming smile.
Zhong Shenxiu glanced at him, feeling somewhat impressed by his ability to endure.
He had clearly already resolved to kill him, yet he showed not the slightest sign of it on his face. His skill at maintaining composure was indeed formidable.
The most formidable way to deceive others in this world was to deceive oneself as well.
Unfortunately, he can't deceive his own heart. That's why his hostility is exposed so completely in my spirit vision.
Zhong Shenxiu acted as if he had not seen the monster about to charge out of the Black Mist. After thinking for a moment, he revealed a brilliant smile. "Sure!"
The five of them dismounted together. Some untied their waterskins, while others began eating the dry rations they had brought.
At their level, they no longer had to gnaw on those Grain Bricks. They were issued fried rice and the like, while Squad Leaders and above even received dried meat.
Zhong Shenxiu casually grabbed a handful of soybeans and slowly fed them to his horse. He did not even remove his bundle.
"Brother Su really knows how to take care of his horse. Here, have a drink." Ma Jing brought over a jug of water and spoke with a smile.
But inwardly, he was thinking that as long as the other party drank this water, the task would be completed with ease.
"I have no choice but to take care of it."
Zhong Shenxiu sighed. "In a moment, I'll have to rely on it to escape with my life."
"What?" Ma Jing's expression changed.
Immediately afterward, they heard Wang Lun's shrill voice, distorted by panic. "The Black Mist... the Black Mist has spread!"
Patrolling along the edge of the Black Mist was something they often encountered.
Although the Black Mist at the border was dense, its spreading speed was not particularly fast. Relying on their cavalry's advantage, they could easily shake it off.
Ma Jing had originally remained calm despite his surprise, but after turning his head for a look, his expression suddenly changed.
The Black Mist surged forward with overwhelming force. Its speed was actually more than ten times faster than usual!
In the blink of an eye, it completely enveloped them. A darkness in which one could not see one's own hand abruptly swept over them.
"Quick! Get on your horses!"
Ma Jing had only one thought in his mind. He instinctively reached for the nearest horse, preparing to flee for his life.
But in the next moment, pain struck his chest. It was as if his heart had been ripped out alive. He collapsed to the ground, still twitching.
"The Black Mist."
Zhong Shenxiu narrowed his eyes in enjoyment. "As expected... it feels even better."
He opened his eyes. Under his spirit vision, the originally dense darkness completely dispersed. "This monster really is powerful. I can't be bothered to fight it head-on... It wouldn't even give me any experience."
"What happened?"
Wang Lun was panicking as he mounted his horse when he suddenly felt two icy hands grip his neck.
With a crack.
The horse reared in fright, while a corpse tumbled from its back.
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