Chapter 1384: Waiting by the Stump for a Rabbit

There was something else Qi Wantong could not understand.

Yuan Se had left the instant he emerged. Why was this Sacred Venerable standing here instead, forcing everyone else to tread as though on thin ice?

There were too many things he simply did not know.

He did not know Yuan Se had been tricked by Wu Chang into testing the Holy Rakshasa's strength.

He did not know Wu Chang had thrown Mu Lianze to the Holy Rakshasa.

He did not know Wu Chang had ambushed Granny Xue.

Still less did he know Zhangsun Mi had already died inside.

Naturally, he also had no idea that Wu Chang was waiting here like a hunter by a tree stump, hoping for a rabbit to appear. He was watching for an opportunity to put Granny Xue or Mu Lianze to death.

In truth, Wu Chang already believed Mu Lianze's chances of coming out were slim.

Under those circumstances, once entangled, it would be very difficult to escape. Unless Mu Lianze managed to deal with the Holy Rakshasa, he was unlikely to survive the Rakshasa Tide.

Wu Chang did not believe Granny Xue would go back to save Mu Lianze either.

If she refrained from throwing stones at a man who had fallen into a well, that alone would be generous.

Unable to understand Wu Chang's intention, Qi Wantong quietly moved aside and whispered a few words to a disciple.

The disciple left.

A long while later, he returned carrying a chair.

Qi Wantong personally moved the chair beside Wu Chang.

Before he could invite him to sit, Wu Chang glanced at it and casually pressed one palm through the air.

Bang!

The chair turned to powder.

Wu Chang had never had the habit of sitting or reclining. He had always treated his own body harshly.

The act frightened Qi Wantong badly. His face changed, uncertain whether he had done something wrong.

But Wu Chang showed no further reaction.

Qi Wantong could only remain quietly beside him.

And the one who was bound to come finally came.

A figure suddenly flashed out from the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm.

Before one Myriad Beasts Sect disciple could understand what was happening, he was spun around. Only after he stopped did he realize his outer robe had been torn away.

Granny Xue landed with her hair disheveled, already wrapping the Myriad Beasts Sect disciple's robe around herself.

She pointed at Wu Chang and shouted furiously, "Wu Chang!"

Without another word, her cane shot out like thunder and blasted toward him.

Wu Chang struck with one palm.

Palm and cane head collided with a thunderous explosion.

The power of the exchange shook earth and sky, leaving every Myriad Beasts Sect disciple staring in horror.

Only now did they truly understand just how terrifying the strength of the Nine Saints was.

Violent astral winds swept outward, making it difficult for the weaker Myriad Beasts Sect disciples even to remain standing.

Wu Chang stumbled back two steps.

In terms of the true depth of their cultivation and spiritual power, he was still inferior to Granny Xue.

"Hmph!"

After that single blow, Granny Xue gave a cold snort. "I'll settle this account with you later!"

Then she flashed away.

Wu Chang silently watched her leave.

He made no further move.

That exchange had been a test.

He now believed Granny Xue still possessed considerable strength.

If he continued fighting, killing her would be difficult. He could only give up.

Many of the Myriad Beasts Sect disciples exchanged glances with pounding hearts, unable to understand what any of this meant.

High in the air, Granny Xue suddenly gave a muffled groan.

A mouthful of blue blood spilled from her lips.

She hurriedly wiped the blood away, turned to look back, then swiftly descended toward the ground and vanished deep into the mountain forest.

At the entrance to the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm, Wu Chang suddenly turned his head sharply toward the direction Granny Xue had gone.

His gaze flickered.

He abruptly realized he might have fallen for the old demon hag's bluff.

He might have missed the best opportunity to kill her!

His cheeks gradually tightened.

Suspicion was useless now.

She was already gone.

He had lost the chance to test her again.

With Granny Xue's abilities, once she was out of sight, catching up to her again would be nearly impossible.

Apart from the cold flicker in his eyes, Wu Chang's expression remained indifferent.

Nothing unusual could be seen.

Then he suddenly swung one palm.

Bang!

A Myriad Beasts Sect disciple was struck by the sudden palm force and blown apart, flesh and blood scattering everywhere.

Every Myriad Beasts Sect disciple recoiled in shock.

No one dared approach Wu Chang again.

No one dared run either.

Their hearts were filled with fear.

The man before them was someone they did not dare resist. They could only stand there like animals waiting to be slaughtered.

Wu Chang did not move.

No one else dared move either.

Everyone stood like wooden stakes, silently accompanying him.

...

As night fell, a figure descended from the sky.

Luo Qiu had arrived.

He swept his gaze over the scene, not understanding what was happening, especially why Wu Chang was standing there.

Luo Qiu had only learned of the Holy Rakshasa's appearance after returning to Daluo Sacred Land. He had immediately rushed here.

Another one had arrived.

Qi Wantong's heart tightened. He hurried forward first and bowed. "Greetings, Sacred Venerable!"

At his words, the other Myriad Beasts Sect disciples learned that another of the Nine Saints had arrived and quickly saluted together. "Greetings, Sacred Venerable!"

Luo Qiu asked Wu Chang, "What are you doing here?"

Wu Chang answered indifferently, "The same thing you're here to do."

The situation seemed strange.

Luo Qiu turned his gaze toward Qi Wantong and asked, "What happened?"

What was Qi Wantong supposed to say?

With Wu Chang standing right there, how could he dare recount what he had seen?

Luo Qiu's expression darkened slightly. "I asked you a question. Did you not hear me?"

Qi Wantong wore a truly bitter expression. He cupped his hands and said, "Sacred Venerable, I genuinely do not know exactly what happened."

As he spoke, his eyes repeatedly darted toward Wu Chang's back.

The signal to Luo Qiu could not have been clearer.

Ordinarily, Qi Wantong would never have dared show such disrespect.

But circumstances had driven him into a corner. Wu Chang had only just killed one of Myriad Beasts Sect's disciples, and even now no one dared collect the corpse.

Luo Qiu understood.

He did not make things difficult for Qi Wantong.

Instead he looked at Wu Chang again. "What happened?"

Wu Chang turned his head, glanced at Luo Qiu, then suddenly flashed away without saying another word.

He was gone.

Since Luo Qiu had arrived, there was no reason for Wu Chang to remain here waiting for Mu Lianze.

Wu Chang already judged Mu Lianze's chances of coming out alive to be very low, especially since so much time had passed without any sign of him.

In that case, he might as well leave this position to Luo Qiu.

Wu Chang believed that if Mu Lianze truly emerged in a condition that presented an easy opportunity, Luo Qiu would not let him go either.

After so many years among the Nine Saints, Wu Chang understood all too well what kind of people they were.

Another figure came flying through the sky.

The newcomer nearly crossed paths with Wu Chang in midair.

He paused, looked back at Wu Chang's departing figure, then glanced toward the Butterfly Valley entrance before descending beside Luo Qiu.

"Greetings, Sacred Venerable!"

Qi Wantong bowed yet again, prompting the disciples to follow suit.

The newcomer was Du Wuxu.

He walked to Luo Qiu's side and asked exactly the same question. "What happened?"

Luo Qiu said, "I just arrived too. I was asking."

Du Wuxu did not doubt him.

When Du Wuxu left the Sacred Realm, he had deliberately questioned the guards at the exit, naturally wanting to know whether the others had already come out.

The guards had told him when each Sacred Venerable had departed.

So he knew Luo Qiu could not have arrived much earlier than he had.

Luo Qiu turned back to Qi Wantong. "I won't make things difficult for you. But you should know what's good for you as well. Wu Chang is gone now. Can you speak?"

His tone was mild, yet the pressure within it allowed no refusal.

Qi Wantong cupped his hands. "Sacred Venerable, I truly do not know exactly what happened. I only know that early this morning, several Sacred Venerables suddenly arrived..."

He honestly recounted everything from beginning to end.

He told them how the Sacred Venerables first arrived, how Yuan Se's emergence drew the Rakshasa Tide to the exit, how Wu Chang and Granny Xue later came out, how the two exchanged a blow, and how after Granny Xue left, Wu Chang killed a Myriad Beasts Sect disciple.

At the end he added, "Then the two Sacred Venerables arrived just now. That is the entire sequence of events."

After hearing the account, Luo Qiu and Du Wuxu exchanged looks.

Luo Qiu waved his hand and dismissed Qi Wantong.

Some affairs among the Nine Saints were better kept from outsiders. Allowing too much to spread would damage the Nine Saints' image, which meant damaging their own image as well.

"It seems they've already fought the Holy Rakshasa. Yuan Se and the old demon hag were most likely injured," Luo Qiu said.

Du Wuxu nodded faintly. "Wu Chang remaining here means the Holy Rakshasa isn't so dangerous that no one can escape."

Luo Qiu looked toward the Illusory Realm entrance. "But it probably isn't easy to deal with either. Mu Lianze and Zhangsun Mi seem to have run into trouble. Whether they live or die is uncertain."

Du Wuxu gave a cold snort. "Wu Chang was waiting here because he probably wanted to 'welcome' Mu Lianze and Zhangsun Mi when they came out. Once we arrived, he left."

The Nine Saints all understood their relationships with one another far too well.

Once the sequence of events became clear, they could more or less guess what had happened.

Luo Qiu asked, "Go inside and take a look, or what?"

Du Wuxu said, "Five went in and only three have come out. Do you think it's appropriate for the two of us to rush in blindly?"

Luo Qiu glanced sideways at him. "Wait?"

Du Wuxu said, "Let's wait and see."

Exactly as Wu Chang had expected, the two remained here and took over his watch.

...

Roughly two hours later, another person arrived.

Lan Daolin had come.

The moment he landed, he asked what had happened.

Luo Qiu and Du Wuxu briefly explained the situation.

So Lan Daolin joined them in waiting.

In the latter half of the night, Lü Wushuang arrived as well.

She had known nothing about the matter earlier.

Only when she returned to the Sacred Realm entrance did she meet disciples who had been unable to contact her and were waiting there. From them she finally learned what had happened: the Holy Rakshasa had appeared, and most of the other Saints had already rushed over.

So she immediately turned back and came here.

The four Saints who had not previously entered the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm were now all present.

Together they waited at the entrance, intending to see how matters developed before deciding whether they should go inside.

But Mu Lianze and Zhangsun Mi still did not appear.

The sky gradually brightened.

...

Several Myriad Beasts Sect disciples emerged from a ravine.

After hiding for several days, they had finally reunited with Xi Haitang.

"Let's go," Xi Haitang said.

The disciples looked at the two people behind Xi Haitang, both dressed in Myriad Beasts Sect disciple robes.

They had no idea who these people were.

They only knew Myriad Beasts Sect definitely did not have two disciples like them.

Still, the disciples Xi Haitang had brought to handle this secret matter were all trustworthy enough to understand one principle: do not ask about things you should not know.

The group climbed out of the deep ravine.

Almost immediately, everyone dropped flat and scrambled back down into cover in alarm.

Xi Haitang asked the disciples, "What happened?"

They had just seen many Butterfly Rakshasas around the exit.

There was no sign of the disciples who were supposed to be guarding it.

And what they saw now was already far fewer than before. After all the turmoil, many of the Butterfly Rakshasas had gradually dispersed.

One disciple answered, "We don't know. We've obeyed Sect Leader's order and remained hidden inside the sealed cave the entire time. We don't know what has happened outside."

Xi Haitang abruptly turned his head.

The disguised Niu Youdao had prodded him in the back and given him a look.

The two moved away from the disciples and went to the other end of the ravine.

Yun Ji followed.

After glancing toward the Myriad Beasts Sect disciples in the distance, Niu Youdao told Xi Haitang, "No need to ask. It must have been caused by the clash with the Holy Rakshasa."

Xi Haitang said, "I guessed as much. The problem now is how we get out."

Niu Youdao said, "Kill our way straight through. With our strength, this short distance should be impossible for the Butterfly Rakshasas to block."

Xi Haitang said, "What about these disciples of mine? If we fight in front of them, they'll see our cultivation and strength. That will expose us."

Niu Youdao said, "Have them hide back inside the cave first. The three of us leave ahead of them. I need to learn as quickly as possible which of those Saints went in and which came out."

Xi Haitang silently nodded.

That was the only practical choice.

They could hardly kill every one of these trusted disciples merely to silence them.

[End of Chapter 1384]