Chapter 146 Malice (Third Update)
Wu Youren led the way, running at full speed, with eight people following closely behind, completely disregarding whether they had alerted the Weird Race.
He charged straight through places where he would normally have had to take a detour, even when there were Weird Qi right in front of him.
This was still because he wasn't familiar with all the maps of Bellflower Mountain, so he could only take shortcuts to a certain extent; otherwise, he would have just charged straight through.
The Weird Qi was violently impacted, and instinctively tried to surround the martial artist's blood and energy; it was just too tempting.
But then, the Weird Qi shrank: What the hell is that thing behind me!
A martial artist's vital energy is indeed fragrant, but the subsequent fluctuations are deadly.
The Weird Qi that can withstand the initial fluctuations has a strong intuition for danger.
Fine, let's just consider this piece of fat meat as we've passed by. Let the individual lesser Weird Race chase after it if they want; it's just a bite to eat anyway.
Daiqisi followed closely behind, and upon seeing this scene, she couldn't help but be astonished. This young man—
His originally handsome face didn't evoke any dislike in people; it was just that the blood from his mouth and nose made him look somewhat disheveled.
But this forceful, aggressive advance—she's a little wet, and somehow, it feels so masculine.
Wu Youren ran, pursued by others. Along the way, he seemed to see people calling for help, but no one paid any attention.
Until one moment, the earth trembled violently twice; he still shouted, " Battle Qi Stomp the Earth! Stomp the Earth!"
"The entrance is just ahead; perseverance will lead to victory!"
The next moment, a huge tree, as thick as a man's embrace, flew horizontally towards them with incredible speed!
Wu Youren did concede, but not quickly, because he didn't feel threatened much.
The best course of action is to get out of there as soon as possible.
But to his surprise, the huge tree, which could be embraced by two people, had a thick branch that crashed into him at high speed.
It's not a big deal. If he wanted to, he could easily carry the whole tree down on his own.
But this thick, sturdy scepter suddenly appeared, at a very tricky angle—it was completely bald!
Wu Youren dodged it, but he was carrying a huge package on his back, which was swept away.
At that moment, he moved extremely fast. Carried by his backpack, his body involuntarily spun around, stumbled dozens of steps, and rushed down the steep slope beside him.
The slope wasn't long, only fifty or sixty meters, and it wasn't even steep, but there was so much sand and gravel that it was hard to stand.
Daiqisi never imagined that after weathering so many storms, the other side would capsize here.
She rushed over and, noticing something was wrong, immediately shouted, "Do you need help?"
This isn't just polite talk; for the Knight, this is nothing at all!
"Hurry up!" Wu Youren waved his hand, still unsteady on his feet, "Run straight ahead, half a kilometer!"
It's less than a kilometer; a quick acceleration and it's off.
Daiqisi was running too fast and couldn't stop in time, so she simply sped up, "Then I'll wait for you outside!"
For the Liang, there's absolutely nothing wrong with doing this.
The slope wasn't deep, and the exit was just ahead. The other party also possessed cultivation and had proactively indicated that they didn't need rescue!
If someone actually stops to help, it would seem like they're just putting on a show.
The Liang never put on airs.
That's what she thought, and the others behind her thought the same thing, and they ran over in a flash.
With Little Wu's abilities, he can handle it himself. Why are we pretending?
As Hong Da passed by, he casually waved, intending to pull the boy out of the ditch.
But the ground trembled slightly, causing her attack to falter, and as luck would have it, several large trees were sent flying.
Come.
Her figure flashed by, leaving only her signature husky voice, "I'll keep an eye on them. You'd better watch yourself."
We'll be waiting for you outside!
You're supposed to take good care of them? Wu Youren didn't know what to say—please, I'm the only Knight Apprentice!
He was trudging uphill, his steps uneven, when the last Namuzha, arrived and called out from afar, "Shall I pull you up?"
Suddenly, Wu Youren felt a faint sense of malice approaching him!
"What did I do to you?" he wondered, quite puzzled. "Weren't the three of us the ones who worked together and risked everything to drive away the Tianjing Martial Academy?"
At that moment, he had no time to think too much. He simply shook his head, pointed forward, and the meaning was clear: Run!
Namuzha noticeably slowed his pace, but only a few steps, before quickening his pace again.
In the blink of an eye, his figure disappeared into the sandstorm.
Wait a minute! Wu Youren subconsciously slowed his pace. Could this guy be lying in ambush ahead?
He didn't know where the other party's malice came from, but that didn't matter.
Simply stating that the enemy nation's hostages possessed astonishing potential was enough to incite their murderous intent; did they need any further reasons?
The malice emanating from that Namuzha was not obvious, it was subtle, and it might even have been his imagination.
However, Wu Youren didn't want to gamble. He was about to rush out, and as the saying goes, "He who travels a hundred miles is only halfway there at ninety," meaning that this is when one is most prone to carelessness.
Having weathered raging storms, only to capsize in a small ditch at the last moment—if such a thing were to happen, he truly could not forgive himself.
The Weird Domain was in chaos, and everyone's senses were severely impaired, a fact well understood by the opposing side.
If Namuzha conceals his aura and ambushes him on his inevitable path, he can easily succeed.
Caught off guard, even a tree branch could sweep him down a slope, let alone Knight's sneak attack?
"We can't rush out!" Wu Youren made a decision, and—he had to take a slightly longer route.
He found a large, sheltered rock and decided to rest for a while.
The large backpack was sturdy and was not damaged.
He first took out the Weird-Repelling Jue from his waist, held it in his hand, and then took out his water pouch and drank deeply.
After running and sweating profusely, it's time to replenish some water.
He drank too quickly, and some water trickled down his chin and onto his body.
However, he didn't care. On the battlefield, one must not only be able to eat combat meals quickly, but also drink like a cow.
That is to open the throat and pour water directly into the esophagus without swallowing.
It's normal to spill some water when you're replenishing it so wildly.
The next moment, he poured water directly on his head to cool it down physically.
But then he realized something was wrong. Looking down, he saw a—bare little bird—at his feet.
Such phenomena are commonplace during such violent fluctuations, affecting countless bird nests.
Fortunately, the little guy was still alive and was safe behind the rock for the time being.
Without parents, you can't survive all alone, "Wu Youren, lifting his foot.
Hmm, all alone? His feet were dangling in mid-air.
Ever since Jin Garden, his attitude towards small animals has only been one of two things: can they be eaten or can't they be eaten?
The original recipe even included insects; there was no other way, meat was so scarce.
Wu Youren looked at the ironwood Weird-Repelling Jue in his hand, then at the little bird at his feet.
He hesitated for a moment, then lowered the Weird-Repelling Jue and swayed it.
The little bird's head was wet, and it was opening its beak wide, trying to catch the water droplets dripping from the rocks.
Unfortunately, this guy's Toad Glasses only had a crack, so his vision was practically nonexistent.
Almost all the animals in Bellflower Mountain have been Weird Transformation Weird Transformation, yet there are indeed some that haven't.
Like this little bird, it showed no reaction to the Weird-Repelling Jue; its only action was to open its beak wide and stumble around trying to catch the water.
"Fine, I'll just die with a full stomach," Wu Youren squatted down, tilting his water bag slightly.
A stream of water poured into the wide-open beak of the bird.
It needs a rest; the little guy is all alone, hasn't even opened his eyes to see the world yet. Let him fend for himself.
At this moment, Instructor Hong had already rushed out of the Weird Domain and immediately spotted his six Knight.
At least two or three hundred people have gathered Weird Domain, most of them wounded and in terrible condition.
Many are missing limbs, and some are even lying on the ground unable to get up.
Even those whose bodies were intact were inevitably ragged, and most of them looked exhausted.
In comparison, the six Knight of Red Pine were already quite conspicuous.
Although there were some lightly wounded and their clothes were torn, all six of them were at least unharmed and in relatively good condition.
They actually carried out four large packages; that's really impressive.
The way others looked at them was quite strange.
Someone recognized Red Pine's instructor, went up to greet him, and eagerly asked for medicine for his injuries and Weird-Dispelling Powder.
These people had endured great hardships to escape, and were in dire need of various medicines; it was rare to see anyone carrying a large bundle.
Money is no object; saving lives is the priority.
"Back off! Back off!" Instructor Hong ordered his Knight with a stern face. " The Weird Domain might expand further."
The six people were obedient; even after running away, they remained on guard, only temporarily placing their backpacks at their feet.
Someone opened their backpack and handed various kinds of medicine to the acquaintance who had asked for help.
At a distant military checkpoint, dozens of soldiers watched them intently.
"These two—" Instructor Hong turned to look at the Weird Domain, his brow furrowing slightly, "Why haven't they come out yet?"
The next moment, more people rushed out, but they were other martial artists.
Seven or eight minutes later, Namuzha rushed out, his brows slightly furrowed. He said that he had encountered several Weird Race.
This is not surprising. Most of the Weird Race were affected by the fluctuations, but some were really oblivious and still attacked human warriors.
They encountered this situation more than once during their breakout from the Weird Domain, and most of the time they had to fight while running.
Since there are teammates both in front and behind, it's easy to support each other.
Although the Weird Race launched an attack, they were still affected by the anomaly and did not engage in a prolonged and relentless battle.
Namuzha was in charge of covering the rear and had almost never encountered such a situation.
But it's not surprising that Wu Youren encountered the Weird Race after rushing down the slope.
Instructor Hong vaguely sensed that something seemed amiss, but she couldn't think about it too much at the moment.
"How is Little Wu? Haven't you seen him?"
"I wanted to save him, but he refused," Namuzha helplessly, spreading his hands.
The next moment, he angrily said, "Later, I wanted to wait for him to catch up, and that's when I got entangled by the Weird Race."
That makes perfect sense; many people have had similar experiences.
"Let's wait a bit," Instructor Hong decided. "We'll leave after we see him."
Just then, the military's loudspeakers blared, "Everyone, please be quiet, we have important news to announce—"
Chapter 147 Entangled (Fourth Update)
The military claims that the unusual activity in the Weird Domain has been initially brought under control.
The martial artists who escaped now need to wait a while before they can be released after inspection.
Given the drastic changes that have occurred in the Weird Domain, it's understandable that those who fled in panic are currently prohibited from leaving.
However, some people couldn't stand it and felt that if the Weird Qi test was passed, they could pass.
Now, some people have started to confront the military, and some wounded soldiers need better medical care.
Everyone rushed here in response to the official call to investigate the anomaly, so what's going on here?
The atmosphere is gradually becoming tense, and there's a sense of impending conflict.
The military had no choice but to announce that the situation was under control and that everyone should remain calm.
If anyone needs Weird-Dispelling Powder or medicine for injuries, they can contact the personnel remaining in the military camp.
"Tch," someone scoffed, muttering under their breath, "Who knows if it's true or not."
This isn't meant to be argumentative, but the reputation of the Liang's military is truly not good.
Most martial artists were still busy with treatment and rest: if there were any changes on the outskirts of the Weird Domain, they would run away without hesitation!
Among Red Pine's group, the female archer continued the previous topic, "Will Little Wu be alright?"
The disciplinary inspector, who was eating meat with gusto, stopped upon hearing this and mumbled, "Should I go back and provide backup?"
"No need," Instructor Hong stated decisively. "His methods of avoiding ghosts are very strong. He was leading the way and wasn't entangled by the Weird Race."
It would have been better if she hadn't said anything; it was only after she did that everyone realized what she meant.
Most of the people were entangled by the scattered Weird Race, but the Knight Apprentice ran at the front were unharmed.
However, everyone was so focused on guarding against various dangers that they didn't realize what was happening.
"And carrying such a huge bundle," Daiqisi thought, increasingly convinced that the man was no ordinary person. "I hope he comes out soon."
About ten minutes later, the boy finally appeared, still carrying the large package.
To everyone's surprise, a bare little bird was perched on the other person's shoulder.
The little bird was about the size of a palm, its eyes were not yet open, and its two tiny claws were gripping the boy's shoulders tightly.
"You—" the female archer was somewhat taken aback, "You actually brought living beings out with you?"
Wu Youren produced a piece of ironwood used for Weird-Repelling Jue. "Here, it's nothing—it just insisted on following me."
"This Weird-Repelling Jue is of good quality," the discipline inspector nodded. "No wonder."
Namuzha glanced at him, seemingly casually: That guy has even better ones, but he's hiding them!
Instructor Hong showed no interest in the small animals, only asking why they were out so late.
Wu Youren's answer was simple: He got a stitch!
This answer is both laughable and absurd; Knight Apprentice actually got a stroke?
However, even the Knight have experienced this in some extreme cases.
Even though it sounds bizarre, this situation does objectively exist.
Daiqisi went even further, saying, "Xiao Little Wu, you need to be careful in the future. This could become a chronic condition, and it might only be cured after you advance in your cultivation level."
The boy nodded, put down the large package, and plopped down on the ground.
He wore a military-style buckle, which didn't need to go over his shoulder when he took it off. The little bird on his shoulder, wearing Toad Glasses, was firmly attached to his body.
Seeing him sit down, even Instructor Hong breathed a sigh of relief and sat down as well.
Red Pine and his group of nine immediately relaxed.
It's really strange, as if the boy has some kind of aura that can influence others.
Namuzha spoke up first, "Where did you find this little bird? You don't want to eat it, do you?"
"They're everywhere," Wu Youren replied casually. "I gave them a couple of sips of water, and they just wouldn't leave."
Believe it or not, having a small animal can actually bring people closer together. The female archer took out a strip of dried meat and tried to feed the bird, but the bird simply wouldn't open its mouth.
With those Toad Glasses, it actually gives off a somewhat arrogant vibe.
"It's almost longer than its body," the male archer couldn't help but laugh at her, "Wouldn't it choke to death if you ate it?"
"Have you ever kept birds?" the female archer replied casually. "These little guys are incredibly resilient."
"I'm sure I haven't played with as many birds as you have," the male archer said with a wicked grin.
Seeing the other person's expression change, he remembered that there was a senior instructor beside him—that person genuinely disliked dirty jokes!
His expression hardened, and he spoke solemnly, "You've killed too many birds; your aura isn't right, the little guy won't dare eat you."
Daiqisi asked, "What kind of bird is that?"
After much investigation, it was a Knight who came to ask for medicine that revealed the truth, "It's a snow harrier chick!"
Snow harriers are not common in Liang. They build their nests on rock walls and can grow to half a person's height when they mature. They fly silently and quickly.
"Snowy Harrier?" The discipline inspector swallowed hard. "This is delicious!"
"Can you even eat it?" The female archer rolled her eyes at him. "You'll have to raise it first before you eat it!"
I don't know if it was just my imagination, but the bare little bird seemed to be trembling slightly.
The visiting Knight received the medicine and, wanting to befriend them, offered a brief explanation.
Snowy harriers are very intelligent and difficult to tame. If they can be trained properly, they can help with hunting.
Before leaving, he added, "I've heard that snow hawks can become spirits."
After he left, Instructor Hong surprisingly spoke up, "The creatures of the Weird Domain are not easy to take away."
"Why so much trouble?" Another Great Knight walked over; he was a man with a face full of tattoos.
He spoke in a gruff voice, "It's just that you Martial Academy people are so rigid. So many of you have brought back living beings; they're in high demand!"
When Instructor Hong saw this person, he raised an eyebrow and said, "So, you vampire, you've come too?"
"Manners, manners!" The tattooed man straightened up and spoke seriously, "And you call yourself an instructor?"
Do you have any Weird-Dispelling Powder? I'm willing to pay a high price—and also Weird-Repelling Jue.
Red Pine's team brought a lot of Weird-Dispelling Powder, and they do have some in stock.
Other teams also brought a considerable amount of Weird-Dispelling Powder, but due to the suddenness of the event, many people were unable to bring all their stock.
The timing of breaking out of the Weird Domain is also very important. Many people want to escape from the beginning, and they will inevitably consume a lot of Weird-Dispelling Powder on the way.
Instructor Hong sold two sets to the other party. She had prepared all the basic resources for this event, so whether or not to sell them was naturally up to her.
Daiqisi quietly told the boy from the side: This person is a loan shark!
In Wu Youren's view: This is the leader of a dynamic social group!
To make a name for yourself in the gray or even darker spheres, you definitely need to have some fighting skills.
However, it's quite rare for Great Knight to do this; no wonder he's managed to make a name for himself.
Instructor Hong sold two doses of Weird-Dispelling Powder and received four gold coins.
Previously in Red Pine, a dose of Weird-Dispelling Powder one hundred silver dollars, but she sold it at a very reasonable price. On the battlefield, that was a fair price!
The tattooed man was quite satisfied and asked again, "No Weird-Repelling Jue? I'll pay a high price!"
No one responded to him. After a long while, the discipline inspector finally snorted, " The Weird-Repelling Jue has already gone crazy!"
The market price of Weird-Dispelling Powder has already soared to nearly two hundred, while the Weird-Repelling Jue has an active defense function.
Moreover, the latter can be reused; only the durability decreases. Once the Weird-Dispelling Powder is used, it's a one-time use item.
The two have different growth rates, which is reasonable.
Upon hearing this, Wu Youren's mind stirred, and he silently sensed it.
That's quite interesting. The Namuzha's gaze wandered, glancing over every now and then.
Could it be for my Weird-Repelling Jue? Wu Youren thought this was quite possible.
The world is truly absurd; this notoriously poor man has actually been targeted for his wealth!
But it wasn't worth fussing over; aside from finding it a bit ridiculous, he wasn't even interested in being disappointed.
They weren't even comrades-in-arms. They joined forces to destroy Tianwu at night—but that was only to protect their valuables and their own lives.
He even felt a little relieved, knowing he was already on guard; if things really turned sour, it would be another learning experience.
After the gang leader left, Daiqisi, who was beside him, tried to tease the little bird, but when it didn't respond, she turned her head and whispered something to him.
"Can I take a look at your Weird-Repelling Jue?"
Wu Youren glanced at her and silently took it out.
Before entering the Weird Domain this time, he hid the jade pendant and replaced it with ironwood trophies.
Firstly, the design of the jade pendant could easily reveal his identity; secondly, he was worried that the unusual activity in the Weird Domain might damage the jade pendant.
Spoils of war are considered windfall gains, and most people have a similar attitude towards them; they won't be too upset if they get damaged.
The key point is that Wu Youren also had a guess and wanted to test what caused the changes in the jade pendant.
He couldn't believe that his grandfather from the Jin could provide such a miraculous cheat code.
This experience of more than ten days proved that he was right.
The ironwood amulet, which Weird-Repelling Jue, can actually absorb experience points and improve its quality.
However, differences objectively exist, and very little experience is absorbed.
It's unclear whether it was because Tiemu's potential was inferior to Yujue's, or because of the Liang's system—a foreign captive, after all, was not a teacher from his homeland.
Therefore, the improvement in the quality of the ironwood was almost negligible, and it might not have been noticed if Wu Youren hadn't observed it carefully.
But for him, this result was just right; if the quality improved too quickly, he would have to keep it a secret.
The Weird-Repelling Jue everyone has will lose durability and become less and less durable. How can they possibly get better and better?
Daiqisi glanced at it a few times, then touched the little bird with the Weird-Repelling Jue, but there was really no reaction.
Then she handed it back to the boy, saying, "As expected, there's no Weird Qi. This piece is of really good quality."
It was clear that she was also worried about this creature, fearing it wouldn't be able to easily pass through the military checkpoint.
The truth is, Wu Youren didn't care—whether a snow harrier was easy to raise or not was none of his business.
He was genuinely entangled with the little guy, but didn't want to kill him, which is why he brought him out.
However, this tactic of reinforcing the image of someone who lacks ambition seems rather effective, doesn't it?
At the very least, the label of "farming" attached to him makes people look down on him, and it wouldn't hurt to add another label like "wasting his time on frivolous pursuits."
About ten minutes later, another Great Knight appeared, accompanied by five Knight, looking rather pitiful.
This man had a bad temper and started arguing with the guards, insisting on leaving immediately.
"My men are in this state. I'm warning you, don't force me to take action."
(4 chapters, 12,000 words. Requesting monthly votes, subscriptions, and recommendations.)