At the dark stone doorway, accompanied by a somewhat smug chuckle, more than a dozen figures cloaked in darkness slowly filed in.
The face of the man at the front gradually became clear beneath the light refracted by the Moonlight Stone. It was Mu Li, the young leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group.
Mu Li swiftly swept his gaze across the stone chamber. The smug smile on his face gradually vanished, replaced by livid fury.
Judging from the chamber's arrangement and the decayed skeleton, it could never have been empty. There were also traces in the corners where items had once been piled up.
His gaze passed over Mu Chen and Xiao Yi Xian before settling on the three opened boxes. There was no need to think further—the treasure in the cave had undoubtedly been taken by the two before him.
"Heh, quite capable, aren't you? Good thing I was clever enough to send those idiots away in time. Otherwise, you might really have carried everything off," Mu Li said, his venomous gaze falling on the calm Mu Chen.
Xiao Yi Xian was merely a frail young woman with no strength to truss a chicken, while this boy could fight a Snake-Tail Leopard head-on. No matter how he looked at it, the cave's treasure had to have been taken by him.
Mu Li glanced at the dozen-plus elite members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group beside him. The cave exit was narrow, and he and his men now guarded its only way out. He was not afraid that the two could escape.
Mu Li smiled. Though the process had been somewhat roundabout, the result was still the same, and that was enough.
Certain of victory, Mu Li looked at the tense Xiao Yi Xian and said smugly, "I originally thought the information was false. Who would have expected there to truly be treasure hidden in these desolate Magic Beast Mountains? At least all the effort I put in—and the sacrifice of my looks—wasn't wasted getting this information."
"How did you find out? I only told my assistant Lifi about the cave. You... bought her off?"
Xiao Yi Xian was initially confused, but anger quickly rose within her, along with a sense of loss. Lifi had been one of her few friends. Whenever something happened, Xiao Yi Xian would always tell her about it; it was one way Xiao Yi Xian eased her own torment and pain. Yet she had never imagined that Lifi would betray her.
"That's right. That woman was an idiot too. I'm the young leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. What status do I have? Why would I ever take a fancy to such a plain-looking woman?"
Mu Li wore a look of disdain, though he was rather proud of his methods. He continued, "I merely made a few casual promises, and that woman was completely taken in. She told me every last detail about you."
"You really are a complete bastard!" Xiao Yi Xian mocked him without mercy. Her pretty face was covered in frost, and her delicate brows furrowed with anger. It seemed this would be difficult to settle peacefully today.
"More than ten Dou Zhes, and that bastard Mu Li is even a Six-Star Dou Zhe. Can Mu Chen really escape with me in tow?"
"Heh, you two, my apologies. This batch of treasure is of great importance. It could allow the Wolf Head Mercenary Group to take another step forward, perhaps even expand into the surrounding cities."
A wild flame burned in Mu Li's eyes. He had told his father about the treasure, and his father had strongly approved. Otherwise, even as the young leader, Mu Li could not possibly have mobilized forty or fifty members at the Dou Zhe level.
Ignoring Xiao Yi Xian's angry expression, Mu Li stared at her with lust-filled eyes. He licked his lips and grinned. "Xiao Yi Xian, hand over everything you obtained from the stone chamber. You know how I feel about you. As long as you follow me, I can promise you that once I take charge of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, I definitely won't treat you poorly."
Xiao Yi Xian gave a cold laugh and sneered, "You really know how to dream. I feel sick just speaking to someone like you."
Mu Li smiled viciously. "It doesn't matter. Whether you're willing or not, you'll become my woman.
Any woman I, Mu Li, have set my eyes on has never escaped my grasp."
Shifting his gaze, Mu Li faced the cold-eyed Mu Chen and sneered, "You were the one who crippled Bud's two useless younger brothers, weren't you? I don't know how you suddenly jumped from Fifth Segment Dou Qi to a Dou Zhe, but given the current situation, I'm sure you'll make the sensible choice.
Hand over what you got from the stone chamber, and I might consider sparing your life. Otherwise, I'll break your arms and legs and throw you into a Corpse-Eating Ant nest, letting you die after experiencing the agony of countless ants devouring your body."
Mu Chen glanced at Mu Li, who stood with folded arms and a mocking look. Mu Li was a Six-Star Dou Zhe, so dealing with him one-on-one would not be difficult.
The troublesome part was the dozen or so subordinates behind him. They were all Four-Star and Five-Star Dou Zhes. If they rushed him all at once, it would be extremely difficult to handle.
The terrifying destructive force of the Xuan Huang Flame could instantly kill even a higher-ranked Dou Master if they were caught unprepared. Mu Chen calculated the maximum lethal range he could maintain.
Ten meters! That was the farthest distance Mu Chen could control the Xuan Huang Flame.
However, the Xuan Huang Flame's terrifying consumption of Dou Qi meant Mu Chen could only use it once in a short period. That would be his final trump card.
The atmosphere inside the cave grew increasingly tense. Xiao Yi Xian pressed her cherry lips together tightly and, following Mu Chen's earlier instructions, stood close behind him.
"Fortunately, I prepared two packets of Sleeping Powder for self-defense in case something like this happened. This should be able to help Mu Chen."
Xiao Yi Xian secretly took out the Sleeping Powder from within her dress, hooked Mu Chen's palm with her finger, and slipped the packet into his hand. She whispered, "This is Sleeping Powder. It's enough to make ordinary Dou Zhes weak all over and unable to fight for a short time."
Mu Chen pinched the packet between his fingers. If it could make the battle easier, he would not be foolish enough to refuse it. This was not a game where he could start over after losing. If he died, then he would truly be dead.
"Killing." That was what Mu Chen lacked now. If he could overcome today's ordeal, he would completely adapt to this naked world where strength reigned supreme.
"Heh, I've changed my mind. Once I kill you, the treasure you obtained from the cave will still fall into my hands." Mu Li could not stand seeing Xiao Yi Xian being affectionate with another man. His face immediately filled with killing intent as he waved a hand behind him and shouted, "Move! Kill this brat! Be careful—Xiao Yi Xian is the woman I've claimed. Don't hurt her!"
At once, five Great Hans rushed out from behind Mu Li, all wearing savage grins as they charged toward Mu Chen.
Mu Chen remained calm. When the five Great Hans drew close, he raised both hands, and a cloud of medicinal powder instantly spread through the air. The five men charging at the front bore the brunt of it, getting blasted full in the face by the powder.
Clang! Clang...
"Xiao Yi Xian, hold your breath. We're breaking out."
After giving the order, Mu Chen seized Xiao Yi Xian's delicate hand with his left hand. With a slight turn of his right hand, a handful of glittering gold coins appeared in his palm. Then his hand shook at extreme speed, and the golden coins became streaks of shooting light, blasting forward like bullets fired from a gun.
Every coin Mu Chen fired with full force was capable of embedding itself in wood. The cave entrance was narrow, leaving almost nowhere to hide.
"Six-Star Dou Zhe!" Mu Li's expression changed. Mu Chen's attack had completely exposed his true cultivation. Mu Li did not dare be careless. He quickly retreated behind a relatively fat subordinate and urgently shouted, "No one is allowed to retreat! Get up there! Don't let them escape!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The coins Mu Chen fired had now turned into sharp killing weapons. None of the Great Hans dared use their flesh and blood to withstand them head-on. That would have been no different from courting death.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Everyone hurriedly used their weapons to block. Mu Chen's lips curled upward, and another full handful of gold coins appeared in his hand as though by magic.
In an instant, another barrage shot out like a rainstorm of pear blossoms, causing several Great Hans to curse in frustration. Those with especially large builds found it difficult to dodge so many flying coins.
Splat! Splat! Splat!
The coins embedded themselves in flesh, immediately setting off waves of screams. Several people at the front fell stiffly to the ground. The gold coins that they usually prized had become deadly weapons. Countless coins were embedded in their bodies, blood gushing from their wounds, and the cave was soon filled with the stench of blood.
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