Counter-Ambush

Facing the pincer attack of the two men, Cultivator Bao was unable to hold his own. He soon showed signs of defeat. In the end, with nowhere left to flee, he attempted suicide, but it was already too late, and he was captured alive. Kong Xin's eyes gleamed with green light as he pounced forward like a ravenous wolf. Beneath Cultivator Bao's terrified gaze, he sank his teeth directly into the man's neck. Bizarre gulping sounds echoed from his throat as warm blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, dripping onto the ground in a glaring patch of crimson. A piercing, bloody red. Cultivator Bao's pupils gradually dilated until all life faded from them. With his essence blood completely drained by Kong Xin, his body shriveled into a dried corpse. Watching Kong Xin crouched over Cultivator Bao's corpse, madly gulping blood, even the black-robed man felt a chill of dread in his heart, secretly wary. Kong Xin lifted his head, flicked out his scarlet tongue, and licked away the blood around his mouth. An insatiable look lingered on his face, but the ferocity in his eyes receded, and some color returned to his pale complexion. Tapping the center of his brow, he reined in all the demonic energy around him, once again resuming his harmless, unthreatening appearance. The black-robed man clicked his tongue in admiration. “Fellow Daoist Kong truly hides his depths! This old man has drifted around Wuya Valley for so many years and only ever knew of your stellar reputation. Among those who work as guides, your standing was universally praised. If I hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes, I could have racked my brains forever without imagining that you practiced a demonic art that devours the essence blood of others.” “Humph! Normally, I only need the blood of demonic beasts. Had I not suffered severe injuries this time and desperately needed the essence blood of Foundation Establishment cultivators to heal, would I ever have stooped to joining hands with a devil like you?” Kong Xin sneered disdainfully. The black-robed man mocked, “This old man merely kills a few people. How could I compare to you, Fellow Daoist Kong, swallowing the essence blood of the living raw? If others were to see the way you gorged on blood just now, I doubt anyone would think me more of a devil than you. Since you are also one of us on the demonic path, why don't we continue working together in the future and pull off a few more deals?” “Impossible!” Kong Xin shook his head flatly. “This was a special circumstance. First, I was injured and needed essence blood, and then I discovered the vein of cold metal ore—killing two birds with one stone. That was the only reason I risked ruining my reputation by picking a few rogue cultivators to serve as scapegoats! Right now, the unrest in Wuya Valley has only just settled, so an accident occurring in the valley is still plausible. If we do this too often, it won't be seen as an accident every time, and it certainly won't escape the sharp eyes of those old monsters in the merchant guild. This once, and never again!” The black-robed man said nonchalantly, “With your skills, Fellow Daoist, why bother flattering those old bastards? So what if you're exposed? At worst, you could flee into Wuya Valley with me and become a true devil. Wouldn't that be far more thrilling?” “What the hell do you know!” Looking completely disgusted at being associated with him, Kong Xin kicked the dried corpse, pulled the mustard seed bag into his palm with a gesture, and tossed it to the black-robed man without even looking at it. Then, he cast a ball of spiritual flame to incinerate every trace. “According to our rules, the next person's mustard seed bag is mine,” Kong Xin said, glancing left and right. “Let's move quickly! We must destroy the tiger-winged eagles' nest and lure them over before the two Daoists arrive. That woman is all by herself, so there's no rush with her. But those two Daoists are no easy prey; if we miss the opportunity, taking them down unscathed will be difficult.” The black-robed man clutched the mustard seed bag without stowing it away. Looking at Kong Xin with an amused, calculating gaze, he said, “This old man suddenly feels that the rules we set earlier were a bit hasty.” Kong Xin's expression instantly darkened. “What do you mean?” “If what you said wasn't a lie, Fellow Daoist Kong, then Daoist Qingfeng's flying sword is extraordinary. Even two or three top-grade magic tools might not match its worth. “Originally, these people had roughly similar wealth, so even if I took a small loss, I would have accepted it. “Who could have guessed that a mere rogue cultivator would possess such a supreme treasure? “I risked my life going deep into the subterranean cavern to draw out the evil ghost leader. Even though it didn't end up being needed, I still put in the effort even without the merit. “If you take the finest treasure for yourself, and the rest of the spoils can't hold a candle to that flying sword while I still have to split them evenly with you, wouldn't I be getting completely cheated?” The black-robed man appealed to reason and sentiment before finally stating, “Seventy percent of the Cold Metal Ore Matrix will still belong to you, Fellow Daoist. As for everything else, we split it fifty-fifty. Otherwise, my mood will be foul, and if my hand slips in the middle of battle and I fail to leave them alive for you to devour their essence blood, don't blame me.” Kong Xin glared at him with fury. The black-robed man met his wrathful gaze calmly, entirely unmoved. “Fine!” Gritting his back teeth, Kong Xin snarled, “We do as you say!” The black-robed man laughed heartily. Opening Cultivator Bao's mustard seed bag, he extracted everything inside, laid it out on the ground, and said magnanimously, “You pick first, Fellow Daoist!” Kong Xin snorted coldly. Casting a careless glance over the items, he took the lump of Cold Metal Ore Matrix, summoned his streak of flight light, and departed. Taking no offense at Kong Xin's attitude, the black-robed man gathered up the remaining items and followed closely behind. …… The ground was cracked and dry, devoid of grass or trees, looking exceptionally desolate. Towering stone hills stood in rows across the wasteland. From deep within the wastes rose an unbroken chorus of roars, reminiscent of tiger roars and laden with overbearing pressure. Deep within the hills, dozens of giant birds circled around the peaks. With wingspans stretching well over a hundred feet, their feathers bore patterns remarkably resembling tiger stripes. The roars, which sounded nothing like bird calls, came from none other than them: demonic beasts known as tiger-winged eagles! The black-robed man and Kong Xin arrived stealthily, fixing their gaze on the tiger-winged eagles' nest and the shadowy high mountain behind it, where the Huanglong Grass grew. “Fortunately, I gave them the longer route. The two Daoists haven't arrived yet. Let's find a place to lie in wait...” After searching around and finding nothing amiss near the nest or on the mountain, Kong Xin relaxed slightly. Unexpectedly, before Kong Xin's words had even finished echoing, a voice suddenly sounded behind them: “Is Fellow Daoist Kong looking for us?” …… The ones lying in ambush here at this time could only be Qin Sang and Yunyouzi. Wuya Valley was labyrinthine and intricate. Not knowing how many stalkers there were, and worried they might provoke the forces of a major demonic sect, the two had not wanted to meddle in outside matters, but they had also been concerned that someone harbored ill intent toward them. After parting ways with Kong Xin, the two of them had consulted together and decided to lie in wait near the tiger-winged eagles' nest first. For one thing, the road ahead was fraught with danger and would offer few chances to rest, so they wanted to adjust their condition to its peak now. For another, they intended to wait and see what developed. If the other party was not after them, remaining at peace would be ideal. If they were targeted, with no way to avoid it, then regardless of who the other party was or how powerful they might be, they had to be killed! Although gathering Huanglong Grass was not their true objective, this place was not far from the second tier, and the other party could very well guess their movements. If an ambush were launched while they were crossing the ancient restrictions, it would cause massive trouble. To that end, as soon as they left the sight of Kong Xin and the others, Yunyouzi had brought out the spirit bamboo flying boat. Flying aboard it, their speed had far exceeded Kong Xin's imagination, allowing them to arrive near the tiger-winged eagles' nest early.