Chapter 567 - Shadow in the Forest
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Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, RockOf the men below, there were two who were the head guards of the Wang Family in Sky Bearing. In Ling Tian's memories, one of their martial arts weren't too bad. There were a few times where he had disguised himself as one of Wang Bo's followers to protect him in the brothels. Coincidentally, Wang Bo was with Ling Tian during those few times. Of course, this was when Ling Tian was still the number one profligate in Sky Bearing and this young noble Wang Bo was one of the three profligate young masters in Sky Bearing.
Up until now, Ling Tian could still remember that Wang Bo was always dressed in green robes like he was a walking bamboo stick. However, Ling Tian had never placed Wang Bo in his sights because Wang Bo was truly a profligate young master of a noble family. Thus, Ling Tian was truly shocked by how Wang Bo actually had a hidden identity.
Could it be that he was also feigning to be a pig to eat the tigers? Ling Tian was puzzled.
Ever since the Ling Family took over Sky Bearing, not many changes were made to the original officials. Thus, the Wang Family was still in their original post and Ling Tian was certain that the soldiers guarding Tai City were also under the Wang Family's command!
For these individuals to appear here at this moment, their motive was obvious!
Ling Tian clenched his teeth. So it turned out that the imperial tutor, Wang ZhiHong, was actually someone of the Xiao Family! Furthermore, they were in power for so many years already! Just when did the Xiao Family begin coveting Sky Bearing?
This matter was far too shocking!
Ling Tian was confident that he would be able to unify the continent and bring peace to the land. However, when he was scheming against others, weren't others also scheming against him? He previously made a bet with Yu ManLou with the world as the stakes, and now there was a mole of the Xiao Family holding such a high position in Sky Bearing! To think that the Xiao Family that he had never placed within his sights actually had such deep planning!
Did he truly look down too much on the heroes of the world?! This truth had undeniably set off the alarm bells in Ling Tian's head!
I must use this incident as a warning. If I want to rule over the world, I must not look down on any enemy. Be it the Yu, Shui or Xiao Families! Since they are able to stay alive for a thousand years, they must definitely have their means of survival. From now on, I must definitely be more careful! The lucky star would not be shining on me all the time!
Hearing the conversation of the two individuals, it seems like Wang Bo had already gone on ahead to receive their 'allied forces'. Those allied forces were without a doubt forces from the Xiao Family! In just an instant, a light bulb lit up in Ling Tian's head and he decided on a brilliant plan.
Looking in Ling Jian's direction, Ling Tian signaled to Ling Jian to kill everyone present. He then placed a finger on his lips to remind Ling Jian to not make a huge commotion!
In just a moment, these people who just came out from hiding were going to face the biggest nightmare of their lives!
Ling Jian's figure slipped down from the tree silently and he landed without making a single sound. Beneath the tree, three burly men took their last breath without even letting out a groan. With another step forward, four small dots could be seen on another four necks as they collapsed onto the ground.
On Ling Tian's side, his figure darted around in the shadows like a ghost and under the cover of the darkness, more than ten people had their lives reaped by him. The two of them had split up the work extremely clearly, with one taking the left and the other taking the right. Their figures darted around like a bolt of lightning and they were undetectable like spirits. Before anyone noticed anything, more than thirty people had already taken a step into the underworld.
In the air, a bloody smell gradually became thicker. In the middle of a clearing, someone rubbed his nose and asked with doubt, "What is this smell? Why is it so fishy? Is anyone injured?"
The moment he mentioned it, a few others also realized that something wasn't right and the one in the lead immediately let out a roar, "Gather immediately! There is something strange going on!"
Flurried footsteps could be heard and the burly men who were spread out in all directions gathered towards the clearing. The leader who was in charge of them was immediately dumbfounded upon seeing all of his men. Of his hundred and twenty men, less than 70 were able to make it back to his side!
Where did the rest go?!
There wasn't a single groan nor was there the shadow of a blade. Before they even managed to spot where the enemy was, almost half of his men were killed! Just what was going on?! Could there be a ghost?!
In the darkness, the vague outline of a dozen people could be seen leaning on the tree motionlessly in a weird posture after the order to gather was given. At the same time, the fishy smell of blood floated over in the breeze.
This wasn't their first time out in the pugilistic world and they all understood that their brothers had met with an accident!
"Old Four Wang! Old Four Wang….dammit, where are you?" The leader could not believe in what he was seeing and shouted out for his partner's name while holding on to the last bit of hope in his heart. The anxiousness and panic in his voice could not be concealed at all. However, his question was greeted by the silence of the night and the drifting fog, making the forest even more eerie.
Everyone could feel that something wasn't right and they all broke out into a cold sweat, shuffling on the spot with their palms drenched in sweat. The surroundings were completely silent but there seemed to be ferocious beasts lurking behind the fog, biding their time to launch a sure kill attack! The atmosphere of the forest was filled with death and this atmosphere made the hearts of the burly men palpitate in fear!
A series of clanging sounds could be heard and the burly men had all unsheathed their weapons as they raised their guards and watched the surroundings carefully. Their weapons reflected the light of the moon and when this light was reflected onto the faces of the burly men, all of their expressions were extremely pale without any exceptions!
In a state of extreme fear, someone's teeth began chattering and this usually inaudible sound was like thunder in the silent forest.
"Du Qi, go and take a look at Old Four Wang and see what is wrong with him." The leader grabbed onto his sword and ordered. His face was filled completely with perspiration but he did not dare to even wipe the perspiration off his face.
A black-robed man acknowledged the order as he walked forward prepared to give up his life! He held onto his blade carefully and walked towards Old Four Wang slowly with a rustling sound. For some reason, in the ears of these extremely frightened individuals, this rustling sound sounded like the rhythm of death!
Seeing Du Qi approach Old Four Wang, everyone stared at him intently without daring to even blink. Du Qi finally plucked up his courage and walked up to Old Four Wang's body. Taking a look down, he saw that Old Four Wang had a strange smile on his face with his eyes wide open. At the same time, a thin red mark could be seen on his neck and he had obviously stopped breathing for a long time already.
In a state of shock, Du Qi took a step back by reflex and felt like his throat was filled with sand. Just as he turned around and was about to say something, he heard the gasp of his fellow comrades.
Old Four Wang who was originally a dead man suddenly stood up with a weird smile on his face and pounced towards Du Qi!
Du Qi felt his soul leave his body in fright and he actually forgot to swing out his own weapon. He then felt a sharp pain in his chest and a long sword was quickly retracted back into the darkness.
The wound was small and while the sword had penetrated through his chest and reaped his life, Du Qi's blood could not spray out but could only gather into his abdomen. Du Qi felt a wave of warmth and comfort spread throughout his body and during this moment before death, Du Qi felt as though his feeling of death was different from what others had experienced. This is because Du Qi actually felt happiness! 1
In the eyes of the others, they saw that Old Four Wang who was supposed to be dead had suddenly jumped up and pounced towards Du Qi. They then collapsed without making any noise and during this period of time, Du Qi actually did not even bother retaliating. Instead, it seemed as though he was excitedly embracing death and filled with satisfaction and happiness!
This scene was far too weird, abnormal and baffling!
A person who was already dead killed someone who was there to check on him, and the person who was killed was actually filled with satisfaction and happiness!
This was just too frightening!
For such a scene to occur in the already eerie forest, everyone felt their hair stand up on edge as though something was about to explode! They felt their backs turn cold and a chilly sensation by their ears as though someone was blowing wind into their ears. Everyone present had an identical reaction. Their eyes spun around in fear but their bodies seemed to weigh a ton and they were completely incapable of making a single movement.
Extreme fear ruined the mental capacity of everyone present! None of them realized that during the moment they went still, two shadows flashed past the ten or more people at the rear and they silently collapsed onto the ground.
When the last person collapsed onto the ground, the soft thud snapped everyone back to their senses. Their comrade who was standing alive and well before them previously was now on the ground lifelessly! Everyone was filled with incredulity!
It was just too strange! Just how did they die?
Could there truly be spirits playing them like a fool?!
Looking at the sight of their comrades' death, someone couldn't take it any longer and bent down while puking profusely.
Everyone seemed to have woken up from a nightmare as they let out a miserable scream. Their leader was drenched in sweat as his voice tremored, "…Charge… charge out… charge out first before anything…"