Chapter 139: Huang Yongfeng's Goal
He took the box containing the Mingxi Grass from the Great Guardian's corpse and was preparing to pursue the Second Guardian.
But to his surprise, with his last ounce of strength, the Great Guardian's eyes filled with a savage light. He latched onto Chen Dong and shouted, "Since ancient times, death comes for us all…"
Chen Dong's eyes widened. He was about to land a fatal strike when he realized the man was already lifeless. That final action had been nothing more than a last, fleeting burst of energy.
'If these Guardians hadn't been so dead set on killing me, I wouldn't have risked aggravating my own injuries to slay them,' he thought with a sigh. 'I'm not some bloodthirsty killer.'
He gently reached out and closed the Great Guardian's unseeing eyes.
His killing intent began to fade, and so did the True Qi in his body. It was clear that pursuing the Second Guardian was now impossible.
In the distance, Chen Dong saw a group of experts in black uniforms rapidly approaching. The corner of his mouth tilted up slightly. 'If they're enemies, this is going to be a bloodbath!'
The black-clad figures quickly surrounded Chen Dong. They were a mix of old and young, but all wore grim expressions. Yet, even their stern faces couldn't conceal their astonishment. The scene was one of utter devastation, and with the bodies of three Celestial Spirit Powerhouses laid out before them, their shock was understandable.
A Celestial Spirit Powerhouse wasn't some stray cat or dog. According to their records, there wasn't a single one in all of Jiangzhou, yet here lay three dead ones!
A middle-aged man with a weathered, expressionless face stepped forward. "I am Xu Zong, an Inspector with the Military Suppression Department," he said to Chen Dong. "We need you to come with us to assist in an investigation."
Chen Dong relaxed upon hearing it was the Military Suppression Department. 'Looks like there won't be a bloodbath after all.' The moment his guard dropped, he choked and spat out another mouthful of blood. He immediately raised his hands and chuckled, "I'm innocent!"
Xu Zong's face remained impassive. "Take him away!" he ordered.
Just as Chen Dong was being led away, a surveillance drone hovered far in the distance before quietly flying off.
A figure appeared before the Second Guardian as he fled wretchedly through the mountain forest.
On edge and startled by every sound, the Second Guardian roared, "Who's there! Show yourself!"
Huang Yongfeng trotted out, a remote control in his hand. "Second Guardian, it's me!" he called out, his voice full of feigned eagerness. "How did it go? Were you successful?"
Seeing it was Huang Yongfeng, the Second Guardian let down his guard. "A disaster!" he lamented, grief-stricken. "The Great Guardian, Third Guardian, and Fourth Guardian... they've all been killed!"
His True Qi flared erratically, causing him to stumble. Huang Yongfeng hurried to support him, feigning shock. "Is Chen Dong really that powerful? Then what are we going to do?"
The Second Guardian sighed. "Of the four great Guardians, I am the only one left. What else can we do? We must return and seal the sect's gates. Chen Dong has reached the Outer Manifestation realm; he's not someone our Star-Picking Sect can afford to provoke. Even the Sect Leader would be no match for him!"
The words had barely left his mouth when the Second Guardian's eyes filled with terror. His Protective Celestial Spirits flared to life as he swatted Huang Yongfeng away with a single strike!
He spat out a mouthful of blood. "You...!" A Magical Artifact Knife was embedded in his back.
Huang Yongfeng struggled to his feet, his face a bloody mess. "A Celestial Spirit Powerhouse is no simple matter. Even completely exhausted, he could heavily wound me in a single blow, and that's with me wearing treasure armor!"
The Second Guardian slumped against a tree, his voice cold. "Why?"
Huang Yongfeng burst out laughing. "AHAHAHA... You're actually asking me why?" He coughed twice, the Second Guardian's desperate strike having wounded him badly.
"I wonder if you remember the name Wu Liu!"
The Second Guardian's eyes snapped open. "It's you! You're not dead?"
Huang Yongfeng's face twisted into a mask of manic glee. "That's right, it's me! I survived against all odds for the sole purpose of killing every last one of you! To repay you for everything you've done to me! If you managed to get back, how could I possibly get my revenge?"
The Second Guardian sneered. "You're just a cripple without a shred of True Qi. You want to wipe out my Heart-Picking Sect? You must be dreaming!"
Hearing this, Huang Yongfeng laughed with even greater abandon. "HAHA... Wasn't it I who killed Luo Tengfei? And now you're about to die by my hand! Next up is your goddamned Sect Leader!" As he spoke, a wave of pure hatred washed over Huang Yongfeng's face.
The Second Guardian took a sharp breath, struggling to maintain his crumbling Protective Celestial Spirits. He wished for nothing more than to execute this treacherous villain who had ambushed him, but he was completely powerless. The Magical Artifact Knife in his back was special; it prevented him from making any sudden moves. He roared in fury, "With just you? You can't even get past the Star-Picking Sect's Mountain Guarding Array!"
"I can't get in, but what if they come out? After more than a decade, Wu Xing must still be at the Celestial Spirit Peak, right? If someone were to tell him about a flowering Mingxi Grass, do you think his heart wouldn't be moved?"
The Second Guardian pointed a trembling, hate-filled finger at Huang Yongfeng. "You..." He couldn't force out another word. His arm fell to his side, and he slid down the tree trunk, lifeless.
Huang Yongfeng stared at the Second Guardian's body and murmured, "Xiaoyu, just wait. We'll be together soon!"
He then used his own blood to draw several sigils. The Magical Artifact Knife shot through the Second Guardian's heart and flew back into Huang Yongfeng's hand.
"I never thought Chen Dong would have the strength of an Outer Manifestation expert, or possess a rare treasure like the Mingxi Grass. It's a waste of the grand array I prepared for the four Guardians, but this is fine too. It will accelerate my plans! Star-Picking Sect... I swear I won't leave a single one of you alive!"