Chapter 461: A Bunch of Oddballs

On the cliff, a large flying bird stood with its wings folded, its bright eyes shifting left and right beneath the starlight. Nearby, Chao Shenghuai stood shoulder to shoulder with the He brothers, gazing toward the place where Niu Youdao and the others had dropped.

"Awooo..."

A strange roar drifted faintly from the distance. It was not loud, but in this silent, deep region it carried with unusual clarity. The flying bird gave a low coo, shrinking its neck before stretching it again to stare in that direction. The three men exchanged puzzled looks.

He Youchang asked, "Why would there be the roar of a tiger?"

None of them knew. They watched that direction for a while longer, but the violent commotion they had expected never came.

He Youjian frowned. "What's going on? Why is there no reaction?"

He Youchang said, "Could the Butterfly Rakshasas have finished the killing too quickly for much noise to break out? That bear wasn't killed by them, was it?"

Chao Shenghuai's eyes flickered for a moment. "Let's go take a look."

He Youjian reached out and stopped him. "Don't be reckless. Why do I feel something is wrong here?"

Chao Shenghuai asked, "What insight does Senior Brother have?"

He Youjian pondered. "I keep feeling that the man leading them isn't quite right. He was respectful toward us, but his bearing was steady and composed. He doesn't feel like an independent cultivator. And that woman clearly has a higher cultivation than the others, yet she behaved like his attendant. Don't you find that strange?"

"Besides, after what we did just now, how could they fail to realize the situation had changed? Yet instead of scrambling to escape, they simply sank down into the forest and disappeared. Something is wrong."

Things had not developed the way they expected. All three suddenly shifted their gazes to the left. Several Myriad Beasts Sect disciples could faintly be seen emerging from the forest and standing atop the treetops, apparently looking around. They had clearly been alarmed by the tiger's roar as well.

Chao Shenghuai said, "Martial Uncle Ma is over there. I'll ask him to bring the other senior brothers and lend us a hand."

He Youchang said, "Why don't we just forget it?"

A trace of anger flashed across Chao Shenghuai's face. "We've already done it. Can we still turn back? Alive, we need to see the people. Dead, we need to see the bodies. If they get out and report us, none of us will be able to bear the consequences."

He Youchang looked somewhat displeased. Anger rose inside him. This fellow's attitude did not show the slightest respect for him as a senior brother. But there was nothing he could do. Chao Shenghuai's background was what it was. He could not afford to offend him.

All He Youchang could do was patiently say, "Junior Brother, my elder brother has a point. That group truly is abnormal. They may have concealed their identities. They might genuinely be people with powerful backgrounds."

Chao Shenghuai replied, "Senior Brother, use your head. Precisely because their backgrounds may not be simple, we cannot let them leave alive. If ordinary people complain, it won't matter. But if they're people whose words carry weight, then we'll truly be in trouble. Once this affair comes out, all of us will suffer."

"There's nothing to hesitate over. Let's go!"

With that, he snapped his fingers at the flying bird beside them. The bird jumped from the cliff, spread its wings, and took flight. Chao Shenghuai was the first to leap onto its back. He Youchang's eyes flashed with irritation. If you knew they might have powerful backgrounds, why did you dare act in the first place? But some things could only be swallowed. He Youjian tugged lightly at his brother's sleeve and shook his head, signaling him to endure it.

The brothers leaped out together and landed on the flying bird. The three rode it toward the place on the left where the other disciples had appeared. Several men stood atop the canopy and looked up at the approaching mount.

The flying bird swooped down backward and landed among the treetops, its beating wings stirring a powerful wind that sent the branches and leaves swaying. The same gust also scattered the wisps of green smoke rising from the forest below.

Several large incense burners were burning down there. The smoke came from those burners, and its scent was the same as Light-Repelling Grass, only much stronger—strong enough to sting the nose.

The three men landed before their fellow disciples and cupped their hands together. "Martial Uncle."

The slightly portly man before them was named Ma Jin. For the moment, he was in charge of planting Light-Repelling Grass in this area.

His gaze shifted toward the direction where the disturbance had come from, and he asked heavily, "What was that commotion just now? Did it have something to do with you?"

It was difficult not to suspect them. The flying mount had been borrowed from this side, so Ma Jin knew they had been here.

Chao Shenghuai extended a hand. "Martial Uncle, could we speak privately?"

Ma Jin gave no answer, but floated over to another treetop and stood there with his hands clasped behind his back. Chao Shenghuai immediately followed and began speaking with him. Aside from the He brothers, none of the people left on the original treetop knew what the two were whispering about...

On the cliff, a group hidden in the dark mountains finally revealed themselves and came one after another to the edge. They too were drawn by the magnificent, fantastical scene before them.

"It truly deserves the name 'illusory realm,'" Luo Yuangong said with heartfelt admiration.

These were Tang Yi and the other members of the Shangqing Sect. Niu Youdao had told Tang Yi to take her people and leave the illusory realm, but Tang Yi had ignored him and secretly followed instead, taking advantage of the pitch-black surroundings to avoid discovery.

They had seen Niu Youdao's group leap from the cliff and had originally intended to follow and see what was happening. But then the Myriad Beasts Sect disciples traveling with Niu Youdao returned, forcing them to continue hiding for a while longer. Only now did they show themselves.

Su Po asked in surprise, "He actually left the area protected by Light-Repelling Grass and entered this place. Will he be all right?"

Tang Yi pointed in one direction. "Look. People from Myriad Beasts Sect are there too. He was traveling with Myriad Beasts Sect disciples earlier, so he should have made preparations. He should be fine."

Luo Yuangong looked around. "They have people from Myriad Beasts Sect helping them, so they can enter this region. We don't. There's no way for us to keep following."

Su Po said, "He said something was about to happen, but we still don't know what. That man's level is different now. He even has ties with Myriad Beasts Sect. We're starting to fall behind."

They had followed secretly the whole way and seen Myriad Beasts Sect disciples guiding Niu Youdao around as though taking him sightseeing. No one else received such treatment, so they had mistakenly assumed Niu Youdao had some relationship with Myriad Beasts Sect.

And because Niu Youdao had said something was about to happen, Tang Yi had refused to obey his order to leave. Her intention had been good. She wanted Shangqing Sect disciples nearby so that, if anything did happen, they could lend him a hand.

Tang Yi looked around, pointed toward a rugged area beside the cliff, and led the Shangqing Sect group over to hide. They decided to wait here and observe the situation first. None of them dared enter the fantastical lands beneath the cliff...

"You don't even know who they are, yet you dared attack them? You have no idea how high Heaven is or how deep Earth runs. Utter nonsense!"

Ma Jin glared at Chao Shenghuai and berated him fiercely.

Chao Shenghuai cupped his hands. "Martial Uncle, this disciple knows he was wrong. But if they really get out and report this, whether I am punished doesn't matter. The one who will lose face is my grandfather."

His grandfather was Ma Jin's master. The moment those words were spoken, Ma Jin's expression shifted repeatedly. He had the urge to slap this brat across the face.

If Chao Shenghuai had never told him, that would have been one thing. But now that the matter had been brought before him, if he sat by and ignored it, perhaps he would bear no formal responsibility if something happened later—but what would his master think of him? Some consequences were harsher than punishments written in rules.

Ma Jin ground his teeth. "You know what kind of place this is. If we rush in carelessly, we won't be able to hold out for long."

That meant he had softened.

Chao Shenghuai was delighted and nodded repeatedly. "Martial Uncle is right. We'll search. If we truly can't find them, then there's nothing else we can do."

Ma Jin's teeth itched with anger. If this boy were not his master's grandson, he would have taught him a vicious lesson. But there was nothing to be done. The matter had already reached him. When the time came to answer to his master, whether he had managed to salvage the situation was one thing. Whether he had made the attempt was another matter entirely.

The two flashed back.

Ma Jin quickly gathered some of the disciples present. The He brothers exchanged a glance. They could both read the same thought in each other's eyes. Having a powerful backer really was useful. Even a martial uncle could be ordered around.

Before long, four flying mounts carrying twelve people rose into the air and flew toward the place where Niu Youdao and the others had landed. Once above the area, four people remained on the four mounts while the other nine dropped swiftly into the forest. The instant they landed, they spread out and guarded the surroundings.

Soon, the nine men saw the dead White-Wing Rakshasa on the ground. Ma Jin led Chao Shenghuai and the others over to inspect it and saw that it had died beneath a sword.

Ma Jin surveyed the surroundings. "See whether you can find any trace of where they went."

The disciples obeyed and began searching in all directions, each remaining cautiously alert. Far away, inside a hollow in one enormous tree large enough to accommodate more than ten people, Niu Youdao and the others were hiding. They had chosen this place precisely because it gave them a view of the area being searched. Seeing even more Myriad Beasts Sect disciples become involved, Niu Youdao frowned slightly. He could not quite understand what was happening. Could Myriad Beasts Sect itself truly be trying to deal with him?

He reviewed everything that had happened from beginning to end and still felt that was unlikely.

After thinking for a moment, he tilted his head and said quietly, "They've pushed this right to our heads. There's no need to be polite anymore. I want to see exactly what game Myriad Beasts Sect is playing."

"Try to capture those three alive and take them away. As for the others... kill them."

Guan Fangyi's heart jumped. "Have you gone mad? Are you tired of living?"

Niu Youdao replied, "If Myriad Beasts Sect truly intends to deal with us, they control the entrances and exits. Do you really think we'd still be able to leave smoothly?"

"Better to make the matter bigger. Best if we can draw Myriad Beasts Sect's elite forces over here. Once the waters are muddy enough, perhaps we'll have a chance to slip out."

Guan Fangyi's face twitched.

Today she had finally seen the ruthless side of this man who lived with his head on the line. Push him hard enough and he really would dare fight anyone.

"Roar..."

"Yaa..."

Guan Fangyi looked back.

Yuan Gang was already communicating with the Blood Rakshasa, roaring, shrieking, and gesturing at it. This tree hollow was the Blood Rakshasa's own nest. A peculiar smell lingered inside.

"I was living perfectly well in the Qi capital. Then I met you two bastards and used up eight lifetimes of bad luck. Sooner or later, you'll get this old lady killed..."

Guan Fangyi looked bitter and aggrieved. She knew she could not stop them. More importantly, she could not think of any better plan herself. All she could do was stand to the side and curse. Yuan Fang looked around innocently, tense from head to toe.

He was frightened too.

But at a time like this, he clearly had no right to speak. Even if he did speak, no one would listen. All he could do was stare anxiously while praying to Heaven, Earth, and the Buddha for safety.

"What are you muttering about?" Guan Fangyi turned and hissed at him.

Yuan Fang replied weakly, "Reciting sutras!"

Guan Fangyi was speechless.

She rolled her eyes.

Somehow she had ended up mixed in with a whole bunch of oddballs. What kind of people were these?

[End of Chapter 461]