Chapter 44 : Who Is the Prey?
Chapter 44: Who Is the Prey?
Shen Yanzhou was rather calm as he met the other’s gaze and said, “Senior’s eyes are sharp. Indeed, there are secrets upon me.”
“The old man admits defeat.”
“What kind of help do you need from me? If even a monster like you cannot solve the trouble you’re facing, I doubt this old man can help you.”
Lin Qingcang let out a cold snort.
As a Martial God, he still retained his pride. Though unwilling, he conceded his loss.
Shen Yanzhou said, “For Senior, it’s merely a small effort. Although I am confident I can handle that trouble myself, I still need to wait for the right timing.”
“I need you to take action—help me kill someone.”
Even though Lin Qingcang now existed merely as an obsession, once he struck, Shen Tian would surely die, even with the sword talisman left on him by Tantai Yuxian, the Sword Immortal of the Clear Serenity Pavilion.
The only chance of survival would be if the Demon Suppression King, Shen Jingxiao, had left some hidden means on him.
However, according to Shen Yanzhou’s understanding of the original plot, Shen Tian only possessed three strands of life-saving sword qi.
But then again, in the original storyline, as an important member of the protagonist group, Shen Tian had never truly faced a life-and-death crisis.
Later on, of those three strands, he had only used two.
Perhaps there were other trump cards that had never appeared in the original plot.
“What realm?”
Lin Qingcang asked.
The person who required him to act—could it be one of the absolute peak figures of this world?
A Daoist Patriarch? A Land-bound Martial Saint?
The Grand Ancestor of the Witch Sect? The Supreme Sage of the Confucian School?
“A fellow in the Sixth Rank, Mountain-moving Realm,” Shen Yanzhou replied.
“You—”
Lin Qingcang’s expression nearly changed.
He almost thought this fellow was making fun of him.
For a dignified Martial God to personally act against a mere Sixth Rank practitioner?
Shen Yanzhou’s expression remained unchanged as he said, “If it were an ordinary Sixth Rank, of course Senior wouldn’t need to act. But that man, though dying like a centipede that refuses to stiffen, still has many trump cards for preserving his life, and behind him stand two of the strongest figures of the current age who shield him and guide his path.”
Hearing this, Lin Qingcang’s expression softened slightly.
“The previous wager still holds. To show my sincerity—after Senior takes action, I shall naturally tell you all the secrets you wish to know.”
Shen Yanzhou turned and walked toward the front of the cave dwelling, his gaze seeming to pierce through the clouds, as if seeing Shen Tian within the depths of Hidden Moon Mountain.
In this hunt—who, after all, was the prey?
……
Within Hidden Moon Mountain, the miasma was thick.
In the gorge leading toward the Forest of No Return, the cold wind howled, carrying fine rain that scattered against the cliff walls.
Fu Yuying and the others stood on high ground, overlooking the scene below.
“Saintess, it’s been so long, yet there’s still no sign of anyone. Could it be that our plan has already been exposed?” an old woman beside her asked worriedly.
This time, Luofu Cloud Cavern had gathered many powerful experts. No matter how well they concealed themselves, traces would inevitably be left behind.
If they failed, the Demon Suppression King would certainly retaliate at all costs.
“Wait a bit longer.”
Fu Yuying waved her hand lightly. She appeared calm, though in truth, worry had begun to stir within her.
After all, this was the only path leading to the Forest of No Return. If Shen Tian wasn’t a fool, he would never take such a risk.
The safest plan was actually to have Shen Yanzhou appear as bait—to lure Shen Tian out.
But such words… she couldn’t bring herself to say them directly to Shen Yanzhou.
Besides, by now, Shen Yanzhou was likely already on his way up the mountain summit. Perhaps he truly could fulfill his wish—to see the sunrise with his own eyes.
As she thought so, a disciple came rushing toward her in slight panic, reporting, “Saintess, at the mouth of the gorge, we seem to have spotted a figure—but something feels off. That person…”
Fu Yuying turned abruptly toward the other side of the cliff, peering downward. Though it was night, the miasma heavy and rain misting, her vision blurred, she still recognized that familiar figure at a glance.
Who else could it be but Shen Yanzhou?
“Young Master Shen?”
Fu Yuying was stunned. She hadn’t expected Shen Yanzhou to return. Shouldn’t he be on his way to the summit right now?
Why had he turned back?
“Did Xiuer not see him?”
Unable to understand, she took out a transmission jade talisman to contact Chu Xiuer and asked about the situation.
“What?”
“That man surnamed Shen came back again? But I’ve already left the gorge and am heading toward the summit—I didn’t see him on the way…”
Chu Xiuer’s voice came through the jade talisman, filled with disbelief.
Fu Yuying furrowed her brows, then sighed softly. “It seems Young Master Shen has already realized Shen Tian won’t easily show himself, so he chose to return and use himself as bait.”
“……”
Chu Xiuer, who had originally thought Shen Yanzhou was merely toying with them, suddenly fell silent.
“He’s quite something,” she muttered under her breath.
Knowing the danger yet still choosing to return—wasn’t it said that smart people always avoided misfortune?
At this moment, Shen Yanzhou, walking out from the gorge’s mouth, seemed to sense Fu Yuying’s gaze upon him.
He smiled, lifted his head slightly toward the cliffside, and nodded, as if to say, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
Fu Yuying’s eyes shimmered faintly. She gently pressed her red lips together, feeling an inexplicable sense of peace.
They had known each other for such a short time—why did she feel this way toward Shen Yanzhou? It must be because of the Shewu Gu.
So she thought.
Shen Yanzhou withdrew his gaze.
He began to stroll slowly along the path he came from.
The miasma thickened, the wind grew biting cold, so he broke off a branch laden with leaves from a nearby tree and used it as a makeshift umbrella. From afar, the sight looked somewhat comical.
As he moved farther from the gorge’s mouth, the icy wind grew weaker.
Finding a tree nearby, Shen Yanzhou sat down heavily on a stone that hadn’t yet been soaked through by the rain.
At the same time, Fu Yuying, moved by a shared understanding, realized Shen Yanzhou’s intent.
She waved her hand, and several hidden experts from Luofu Cloud Cavern emerged from the shadows, swiftly moving toward Shen Yanzhou’s position.
“When do you plan to let me go?”
Shen Yanzhou frowned as he looked at the approaching figures, his voice sharp with anger.
“Quiet!”
The several experts from Luofu Cloud Cavern barked harshly. To avoid any mishaps, Fu Yuying hadn’t told them too many details.
All they knew was that the handsome man before them was the current heir of the Demon Suppression King.
To force the Demon Suppression King to withdraw his troops from the southern border, Luofu Cloud Cavern had taken a desperate step—they had kidnapped his son.
“You’re all bold beyond reason! Don’t you know who my father is? If you know what’s good for you, get down on your knees, kowtow a few times, and bring a few pretty girls to serve me…”
Shen Yanzhou cursed loudly, looking thoroughly irritable.
The faces of the Luofu Cloud Cavern experts darkened; they almost couldn’t resist the urge to teach this insolent man a painful lesson.
Did he not realize who was the prisoner now?
“Just wait! Once the experts from my father’s mansion arrive, you’ll all be the ones kneeling and begging me!” Shen Yanzhou continued shouting.
“Heh, if the Demon Suppression King doesn’t come, you’ll just wait here to die.”
“No wonder everyone in the capital hates you, and even dogs despise you. If not for your father, you’d have been beaten to death countless times already…”
“Judging from how things are now, it seems the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion has already abandoned you.”
The experts of Luofu Cloud Cavern sneered coldly, finally understanding just how detestable this man’s personality truly was.