Jiang Cheng whispered, “Hopefully the prey he wants to hunt this time won’t be anything too difficult. I don’t know if there are any other exits here. If the ghoul or beast flips out inside of here, such a long vine might break in half and it’d be hard for us to even run away.”
The rest of the group was thinking the same thing. They couldn’t help but look up at the small, white spot that was the entrance. Everyone was worried.
Wen Chao leaped off his sword, “What are you doing just standing there? Do you need me to teach you what to do? Go!”
The group of the boys were chased into the depths of the cave.
Since they needed to scout the path at the front, Wen Chao ordered his servants to provide them with a few torches. The ceiling of the cave was both high and broad, unreachable by the light of the torches. Wei WuXian paid attention to the echoes. He felt that the deeper they went, the more spacious the echoes sounded. It was likely that they were already more than a hundred feet below ground.
The people at the front maintained high alert. They didn’t know how long had passed when they had finally arrived before a deep pool of water.
Even if the pool was above ground, it’d be considered a vast lake. The water was eerily black. Stone islets of all sizes were also protruding from the surface.
And there was no other path before them.
But, even though the path was at an end, they still hadn’t found the prey of their night-hunt. They didn’t even know what exactly it was. Everyone’s heart was filled with uncertainty, still stiffly maintaining their vigilance.
As he hadn’t seen the beast that he was expecting, Wen Chao also felt irritated. After cursing a few words, he suddenly had an ‘idea’, “Find somebody, hang them up, and let out some blood to lure the thing out.”
Beasts usually craved blood more than anything. It’d definitely be lured out by the scent of the blood and the immobile human being hanging mid-air!
Wang LingJie answered and immediately pointed to a girl. She ordered, “How about her?”
The girl was the one who gave out perfume sachets on their way here, ‘MianMian’. Suddenly having been chosen, her mind went completely blank. Although this choice of Wang LingJiao’s appeared random, she’d actually been planning it for a long time. Most of the people that the sects sent here were boys. Thus, toward the few girls, Wen Chao couldn’t help but pay more attention, especially MianMian. She looked fair and had been harrassed a few times by Wen Chao, though could only suffer in silence. Yet, Wang LingJiao had seen and loathed everything.
MianMian realized that she really was the one who had been chosen. With a face brimming with fear, she staggered a few steps back. Seeing that this girl was the one Wang LingJiao chose, Wen Chao remembered that he never had the chance to have her yet and felt that it’d be a pity, “This one? How about someone else?”
Wang LingJiao looked as though she’d been wronged, “Why someone else? I choose this one. Don’t tell me that you’ll miss her?”
She let loose her coquetry, and Wen Chao was over the moon with delight, half of his heart having already melted. Then, turning to look at the way MianMian dressed, he was certain that she wasn’t part of the sect’s clan. She was at most a disciple, so she’d surely be the perfect bait, as even if she was gone the sect wouldn’t come pester him, “Nonsense. Why would you think that I’ll miss her? Do whatever you want. Everything is up to JiaoJiao!”
MianMian knew that if she was hung up, she probably wouldn’t be able to come back down alive. She tried to run away, but wherever she fled, the people dispersed around her. Just as Wei WuXian twitched, Jiang Cheng held him firmly down. MianMian suddenly noticed that two people remained still. She hid behind their backs at once, shivering.
The two were Jin ZiXuan and Lan WangJi.
As the Wen Sect’s servants that were about to tie MianMian up saw that the two didn’t intend on moving, they shouted, “Move to the side!”
Lan WangJi was silent with indifference.
Seeing that the situation wasn’t good, Wen Chao warned, “Why are you standing there? You can’t understand human speech? Or do you want to save the damsel in distress?”
Jin ZiXuan lifted his brows, “Is that enough? It wasn’t enough for people to be flesh shields for you, and now you want live humans to bleed for you to use as bait?!”
Wei WuXian found this somewhat surprising, So Jin ZiXuan really does have some nerve.
Wen Chao pointed at them, “Are you rebelling against me? Let me warn you, I’ve been tolerating you for a very long time. Right now, hang the brat up with your own hands! Or else none of the people from your sects can expect to return!”
Jin ZiXuan sneered and refused to budge. Lan WangJi also looked as though he had heard nothing, so motionless that he seemed to be meditating.
However, one of the GusuLan Sect’s disciples on the side had been trembling as he listened to Wen Chao’s threatening words. He finally couldn’t hold it any longer as he rushed over, grabbing MianMian, and prepared to tie her up. Lan WangJi’s brows stiffened. He immediately struck the disciple to the side.
Although he didn’t say anything, the way he looked at the disciple was more than imposing. What such a look meant was clear to everyone—it truly is a shame that the GusuLan Sect has taught a disciple like you!
The disciple’s shoulders quivered as he backed off slowly, unable to face the others’ eyes. Wei WuXian whispered to Jiang Cheng, “Uh-oh. Judging from Lan Zhan’s personality, this won’t go well.”
Jiang Cheng clenched his fists as well.
In such a situation, it was almost impossible to care for oneself only and hope that no blood would be lost!
Wen Chao was enraged, shouting, “How dare you! Kill them!”
A few of the Wen Sect’s disciples unsheathed their swords, rushing toward Lan WangJi and Jin ZiXuan. The ‘Core-melting Hand’, Wen ZhuLiu, stood behind Wen Chao with his hands folded behind him. He never attacked, as though he thought that he didn’t need to do so. He was right, seeing that the two boys were at a loss in terms of both weaponry and sheer numbers. Even more, after the past days of being constantly on the move, they were in quite a bad state, not to mention that Lan WangJi had been injured. They definitely wouldn’t be able to last long. Watching his subordinates fight with the two, Wen Chao looked as if his mood was much better. He spat, “Talking back to me—what did you think you are? People like you really do deserve to be killed.”
A grinning voice came from the side, “That’s right. All those who oppress others and do evil relying on the power of their clan should be killed. Not only that, they should be beheaded for tens of thousands to revile so that those to come would beware.”
Hearing this, Wen Chao spun around, “What did you say?”
Wei WuXian pretended to be surprised, “Do you need me to repeat it? Sure. All those who oppress others and do evil relying on the power of their clan should be killed. Not only that, they should be beheaded for tens of thousands to revile so that those to come would beware. You heard it this time?”
Hearing this, Wen ZhuLiu seemed to ponder as he glanced at Wei WuXian. Wen Chao erupted, “How dare you say such absurd, outrageous, and pretentious words!”