Chapter 281: Something Strange is Definitely Going On
Few people would have picked up on the detail related to the shadow. It was only because of Xu Qing’s experience with his own gruish shadow that he often paid close attention to the shadows of others. In fact, as Xu Qing looked off into the distance, his own shadow sent out excited fluctuations.
“Same... type... consume....”
Xu Qing didn’t need any translation from Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior to understand what the shadow was saying. His eyes narrowed. A moment later, he said, “Something strange is definitely going on here. Especially when it comes to that canal. It doesn’t look like they’re really trying to divert the water. More like they’re trying to attract our attention.”
Seeing the situation, the Captain smiled. “Is it a cry for help? Interesting. Men, bring the king of that small nation in for questioning. Something’s off here. They know the rules set forth by the coalition.”
Before long, a streak of light approached as officers from Seven Blood Eyes approached with a fat old man in a yellow robe. Trembling, the old man plopped onto the deck into a kneeling position.
“Higher Immortal, I beg of you, rescue my nation!”
Wailing, the king went on to explain the situation to Xu Qing and the Captain.
His nation was called the State of Chiruo. One of his ancestors had been a Foundation Establishment cultivator from a small sect. Because of having no hope of breaking through to Gold Core, he settled down in this area, started a family, and eventually gathered enough citizens under his banner to found a small nation. Life was hard, but because they paid fealty to a small sect in the Supreme Arbiter Salvation Mountains, they had enough protection to stay safe on a daily basis. Despite the mutagen that filled their food, they managed to survive.
Though mortals here had short lifespans, there was nothing they could do about it. However, everything changed when the Everlasting Immortal Profundity River tributary appeared. The reason for that change lay in the constantly vicious infighting between groups in the Supreme Arbiter Salvation Mountains. And the situation with the river made things even more dramatic. About a month ago, the small sect that the State of Chiruo had paid fealty to was wiped out by three nonhuman rogue cultivators.
They killed everyone and then took over the sect headquarters. Because they revered the Three-Spirits Dao-Suppressing Mountain, they called themselves the Minor Three Spirits. And they required all nearby nations to pay them fealty in the form of river water. If a nation didn’t give them the required amount of water in time, they would eat 1,000 citizens from that nation. At that rate, it wouldn’t take long for a nation to be completely wiped out if they didn’t deliver the water.
The Minor Three Spirits were obviously taking advantage of the way the Eight Sect Coalition treated other humans. After all, the coalition didn’t stop mortals from taking water from the river. Given how much water the Minor Three Spirits needed, and the fact that they were prohibited from directly diverting the tributary, they had come up with this clever plan.
The king was a cultivator himself, though he was only in the Qi Condensation level. Voice trembling, he said, “We missed the deadline, and the Minor Three Spirits came and devoured a thousand of our citizens. They left earlier this morning. If we don’t give them enough water next time, they’ll come back. There’s nothing I can do. My idea was to start digging that canal to attract the attention of you higher immortals.”
Xu Qing’s speculation had been correct. Their act of diverting the river water had been a call for help. Looking down, he studied the king’s shadow, cast by the sun onto the deck. The shadow’s left ear was missing. However, because of the angle, it wasn’t immediately noticeable. And whether intentionally or not, the king kept his head tilted to the side, making it difficult to spot that detail. Only someone paying close attention would notice it when he kowtowed.
“Minor Three Spirits?” The Captain narrowed his eyes. The Captain was very perceptive, and as a result, was able to identify which things the king said were true, and which were not.
Similarly, Xu Qing had enough experience to tell that some of what the king was saying was true, while there were other things he was keeping hidden.
Before making any final decisions, they sent some officers over to the area controlled by the Minor Three Spirits. A few hours later, when the officers returned with a report, the Captain chuckled. Looking at Xu Qing, he said, “The strongest among them are three cultivators with two-flame power?”
The Captain placed his right hand onto the deck, activating the spell formation. Instantly, an invisible pulse spread out in all directions. It had a very wide range, but the Captain focused on one specific area. Using the power of the spell formation, he was able to confirm that there were no Gold Core cultivators in the area. All of the information conformed to the report provided by the officers.
“The coalition spell formations are very accurate. Xu Qing, what do you say we send some people to wipe out these Minor Three Spirits?” With that, he prepared to give orders to some of the nearby officers to go handle the matter.
However, that was when Xu Qing suddenly said, “I’ll go with them, Eldest Brother.”
The Captain smiled enigmatically at Xu Qing, then nodded without asking any questions. “Want me to come along?”
After thinking about it, Xu Qing shook his head. “That would make things too complicated.”
After all, there were things he still wanted to keep secret. Even if the Captain didn’t notice anything suspicious in the heat of the moment, he would be able to think about the matter later and pick up on some of the clues. Ultimately, it was never a good idea to underestimate anyone. In fact, it would make more sense to simply tell the Captain his secret rather than risk him coming to the wrong conclusion later.
In any case, after hearing Xu Qing’s words, the Captain’s smile deepened, but he said nothing further.
Flying up into midair, Xu Qing beckoned at the roughly one hundred Seven Blood Eyes officers to follow him as he raced in the direction of the Supreme Arbiter Salvation Mountains. Even after triple checking that the information was correct, Xu Qing was the kind of person who still preferred to bring a lot of people with him for something like this.
As the Captain watched Xu Qing go, his eyes glittered with approval. Little Ah Qing doesn’t treat me like a stranger. Given that, I’m not going to get overly curious. Everybody has their secrets.
The Captain took out an apple and looked at the trembling king and his missing left ear. Smiling, he ordered the procession of ships to all stop and wait for Xu Qing’s return.
Meanwhile, Xu Qing and over a hundred Seven Blood Eyes officers from various mountain peaks were flying at top speed toward the Supreme Arbiter Salvation Mountains.
About thirty percent of the officers were in the great circle of Qi Condensation, but the rest were in Foundation Establishment. It was a given that anyone assigned to the Special Security Division would be a uniquely qualified person who could be described as being the best of the best. Only a few of the Foundation Establishment officers had ignited a life flame. There were twenty with one flame, six with two flames, and one with three flames. The Mute was in the group. He was in the great circle of Qi Condensation, and was incredibly ruthless. When he fought, it seemed without regard for his own life, and was considered outstanding among Qi Condensation disciples in the same level as him. A group as formidable as this could crush anyone they faced other than a Gold Core cultivator with two heavenly palaces.
As the Supreme Arbiter Salvation Mountains grew more and more clear in Xu Qing’s eyes, he saw how many countless mountains made it up. They were covered with dense, sinister vegetation, and in the light of dusk, seemed like they must surely be full of demonic monsters.
The sunlight had a hard time making it through the canopy, ensuring that the forest floor was as dark as night. The muddy ground had many crevices in it, and was full of all sorts of gruish dangers.
As Xu Qing got closer, he sensed gruish fluctuations coming from a location not very far away in the dense forest. Those fluctuations were not his target, but upon merely looking in that direction, he sensed an evil will rapidly stretching out to envelop him and those with him.
Xu Qing’s expression was the same as ever. Meanwhile, his shadow beneath him opened its mouth. In the blink of an eye, that evil, gruish will vanished without a trace.
Xu Qing didn’t pay any attention to the matter. He kept flying, taking note of the noxious smell coming from below. Further down, he saw the bloody skulls of both humans, nonhumans, and animals hanging from the trees. They dripped with blood that landed on rotting corpses below. The mud itself was like a mass of gore.
Everything seemed like it was an imitation of the Three-Spirits Dao-Suppressing Mountain. Frowning, Xu Qing looked at a specific spot ahead in the mountains, specifically, a huge cave, out of which emerged a cacophony of sound. Vicious nonhumans tromped inside, carrying the charred corpses of both humans and animals on their shoulders.
Seeing that, Xu Qing’s eyes turned cold. “Slaughter your way in. Kill the ringleaders. Don’t leave any survivors!”
“Yes, sir!”
The Special Security Division officers became beams of bright light that shot directly into the mouth of the cave.
The nonhumans carrying the food were shocked, and didn’t even have time to cry out for help before their own heads were flying off their shoulders.
The Mute was in the lead, wielding a dagger. After licking the blood off the blade, he shot into motion deeper into the cave. The others followed, and soon, howls of rage echoed out, along with screams of agony.
Face expressionless, Xu Qing strode inside, his iron skewer hovering next to him, his shadow stretching out from his feet.
Inside the cave mouth was nothing but corpses.
Laughing viciously, Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior sent the skewer stabbing into one corpse after another to make sure they were dead. Many were actually just pretending to be dead, and screamed before dying.
The shadow ignored the corpses and those faking death, and instead stretched into the deeper parts of the cave. Xu Qing followed, moving quickly. Around the time that the sounds of fighting started dying out, he reached the deepest part of the cave. It was a beautiful cavern with a roughly 3-meter wide hole in the top, through which was visible the evening sky. A bunch of tables were randomly scattered about, and the food laid out on them consisted of a variety of corpses.
The Special Security Division officers were all here, having captured over twenty nonhumans, who were now kneeling on the ground, bound. They were clearly terrified. Among them were three who had two life flames each, and they were covered with fresh wounds. Eyes full of horror, they looked at Xu Qing as he walked in.
The one with the highest cultivation base was covered with scales, and had his life flames burning. “If the supervisory sect would just listen to our—”
Xu Qing didn’t bother waiting for his explanation, and simply waved his hand. The nonhuman’s head flew off his shoulder.
The other nonhumans gasped in terror, and none of them dared to speak.
Xu Qing still hadn’t said a word. Looking at all of the shadows of the various nonhumans, he then focused his gaze on a nonhuman with wings on his back.
He was the second-highest ranking member of the Minor Three Spirits. He shivered as he looked at Xu Qing. Then, just as it seemed he might speak, his face distorted. Somehow managing to slip out of his bonds, he burst into motion, fleeing toward the entrance of the cave.
He moved with blinding speed. What was more, the astonishment in his eyes made it clear that his body was no longer under his own control. And he wasn’t being controlled by Xu Qing’s shadow. Instead, the nonhuman was being controlled by his own shadow!