Yu Kong sneered and said no more. A streak of crimson light shot abruptly from his palm, heading straight for Old Man Muteng. It was the very chain he had used to rescue Yan Wu—a top-grade magic tool.
The others still had not figured out what was happening. None dared intervene rashly to help either side, watching helplessly as Yu Kong made his move against Old Man Muteng.
The chain transformed into a fiery streak shooting forward.
Yet as it reached midair, an unexpected twist occurred.
Just as the chain swept past Crescent Fairy, it abruptly reversed direction. Its speed exploded as it coiled toward her like a spirit serpent.
Crescent Fairy was completely caught off guard. When she realized something was amiss, she hurriedly channeled her red silk threads to ward it off, but it was already too late. Before the threads could unfurl, they were easily whipped aside by the chain, which bound her securely from head to toe.
At the same time, the moment Yu Kong made his move, Old Man Muteng abandoned any wishful thinking. Letting out a loud shout, he stamped his foot heavily against the ground. Dozens of thick vines sprouted from the cracks in the rock, growing wildly and twining together to form a massive, dense wall of vines before him in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, Old Man Muteng used the momentum to shoot backward toward the cave, hoping the wall of vines would hold Yu Kong off long enough for him to escape through the exit.
Unexpectedly, no sooner had Old Man Muteng moved than a slender black sword thrust toward him. It appeared without the slightest omen or sound, angled with deadly malice straight for his chest.
If Old Man Muteng ignored it and continued fleeing for his life, the sword would undoubtedly pierce his chest.
Alarm bells blared in Old Man Muteng's mind. His body came to a jarring halt, forcefully twisting at a bizarre angle. To his shock, he saw that the one holding the slender sword was Yan Wu!
"It's you!" Old Man Muteng roared furiously, suddenly realizing what was going on.
Ever since stepping off the rainbow bridge, Yan Wu had stood silently to the side, lingering behind everyone else. With all eyes drawn to the mysterious herb garden, no one had paid attention to Yan Wu's low-profile behavior.
Now that Yan Wu had struck without warning, the others suddenly realized the truth: Yan Wu had been Yu Kong's man all along, hiding at the rear specifically to cut off Old Man Muteng's retreat!
Aside from Old Man Muteng, Qin Sang's heart also sank.
Had he known earlier that Yan Wu belonged to Yu Kong, he would have endured Yan Wu's taunts rather than use him to establish his own authority!
Yet it was too late for regrets now.
Qin Sang's eyes flickered, hundreds of thoughts flashing through his mind, but in the end he neither crushed the Concentric Pendant nor stepped forward to help Old Man Muteng.
"Old bastard..." A cruel sneer curled on Yan Wu's lips. "Get back in there!"
*Crack!*
A yellow talisman drifted from Yan Wu's hand and burst apart in midair with a sharp snap, transforming into a streak of lightning as thin as a strand of hair. The lightning darted forward silently, aiming straight for Old Man Muteng's face.
Though the lightning appeared exceedingly fragile, not only Old Man Muteng but the rest of the onlookers showed deep dread on their faces.
This talisman was undoubtedly crafted from an exceptionally profound incantation, for the lightning harbored terrifying destructive power!
Facing the lightning directly, Old Man Muteng felt it even more keenly. Having hastily dodged the sneak attack, his momentum had already run its course. Now pressed by Yan Wu, if he wished to survive, his only option was to retreat.
There was no other way.
Naturally, Old Man Muteng had no desire to die at Yan Wu's hands, yet he dreaded falling back even more. Maintaining that awkward posture, he bent his torso abruptly backward as if snapping in half, narrowly evading the lightning. Then, his figure turned into a beam of azure light as he charged toward the exit with all his might.
Alas, Old Man Muteng was still one step too late. Yu Kong had already subdued Crescent Fairy, and his chain whipped around with greater speed than Old Man Muteng could muster.
Beside him, Yan Wu refused to be outdone, his slender sword darting in and out unpredictably.
Caught in a pincer attack and facing Yu Kong, whose cultivation was an entire major realm higher, Old Man Muteng barely mounted any meaningful resistance before the chain impaled the back of his head, killing him on the spot.
Yu Kong gave his arm a flick, retracting the chain. With a thud, Old Man Muteng's corpse crashed down beside Crescent Fairy.
"Senior Yu, this servant didn't even know this old geezer before! Why did you ambush me? Do you intend to slaughter us all?" Crescent Fairy cried in terror, frantically protesting her innocence.
As she spoke, Crescent Fairy cast meaningful glances at Qin Sang and the others, her eyes clearly urging them to act before Yu Kong could pick them off one by one.
"You're quite the flirtatious wench. I never expected that old rascal Luo Xingnan would be willing to send his own mistress to act as an undercover spy. Unfortunately for you, Yu has no interest in your charms. Today is your day to die!"
Yu Kong swept his gaze over the two captives, his tone chillingly nonchalant.
Crescent Fairy was struck dumb with shock. After a tense pause, she slumped and gave up struggling. "So you knew all along?"
Yu Kong sneered without replying. Turning to Qin Sang, Shangguan Lifeng, and Wu Chen, he said, "Fellow Daoists, there is no need to fear. You saw what happened outside the cave dwelling. Yu has long-standing grievances with those two old fellows. These two were spies they planted at my side. I deliberately allowed them in to seize the chance to settle old scores. It has nothing to do with the three of you. When the time comes to claim the treasures, I will still honor my promise."
Carrying his sword downward, Yan Wu walked over to stand behind Yu Kong. With his hulking frame, he looked every bit the capable bodyguard.
Shangguan Lifeng held his long saber cradled across his chest, his thoughts inscrutable.
The shock had not yet faded from Wu Chen's face, but hearing Yu Kong's words, the uneasiness in his heart settled somewhat.
Qin Sang lowered his head slightly, keenly sensing Yan Wu's gaze lingering on him from time to time with the playful cruelty of a cat watching a mouse.
Having pacified the trio, Yu Kong squatted down.
"You've already passed the message outside, haven't you?"
A strange smile tugged at the corner of Yu Kong's mouth. Ignoring the tangled horror and terror on Crescent Fairy's face, he channeled a surge of spiritual power into his palm and struck her dead with a single blow. He sealed the bloody stench from her corpse and began drawing upon it.
In the end, the spiritual power formed a bizarre pattern. After flickering for a moment, the pattern faded within, and Yan Wu pulled out several talismans and stuck them onto the corpses.
Qin Sang watched their actions in silence, having already deduced the truth from Yu Kong's words.
Yu Kong had deliberately allowed the two spies to enter, letting them witness the process of opening the secret passage and spread the news, all for the obvious purpose of luring Luo Xingnan and Sheng Yuanzi here.
Where did he get the confidence to deal with two adversaries whose strength was on par with his own at the same time?
Qin Sang glanced out of the cave from the corner of his eye. The secret likely lay ahead.
"Follow me, fellow Daoists."
After finishing all this, Yu Kong carefully erased the traces of battle in the cave. In truth, neither Old Man Muteng nor Crescent Fairy had been able to put up any real resistance, so aside from a few withered vines, hardly any signs remained.
Then, Yu Kong condensed his spiritual power into a giant hand, grabbed the two corpses, and walked toward the cave exit.
Yan Wu held his sword, watching like a hawk from the side. The three glanced at one another and hurriedly followed.
Chapter 287