Chapter 329: Rest
Ma Wan berated Shen Daoxing relentlessly. Seeing him still casually waving his fan with a nonchalant air, Ma Wan became infuriated.
With a sharp "SMACK," he knocked the fan right out of Shen Daoxing’s hand. "What’s the use of this stupid fan?"
Then, Ma Wan produced a long saber. "This is what you use to save your life. If we run into danger later, no one will be able to watch your back."
With that, he brandished the long saber and shoved it directly into Shen Daoxing’s hands.
Shen Daoxing instinctively gripped the long saber, stunned. Before he could even react, Ma Wan was already pushing him forward.
Chu Guifeng led the group forward in a panic, only slowing down when there was complete silence behind them.
After walking for a while longer, Chu Guifeng looked up at the darkening sky. Although the fear of Chi Yi still lingered, traveling at night in the Jiuli Mountain Range was extremely dangerous. Moreover, everyone was utterly exhausted from the long run. He raised a hand, signaling the group to halt.
He then found a clearing and prepared to make camp for the night.
"We’ll take turns on watch in groups of four. If you spot anything unusual, wake everyone up immediately."
Chu Guifeng gave his orders.
A bright bonfire was soon crackling to life.
The group gathered around the bonfire, roasting the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Wolf meat they had hunted earlier in the day.
Smelling the fragrant aroma of the roasting meat, the Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat in Shen Daoxing’s robes poked out its little head, already drooling profusely.
After a short wait, a piece of wolf meat was finally cooked. Shen Daoxing picked it up, but instead of eating it himself, he first offered it toward his chest.
The Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat, its mouth already watering, opened its jaws to take a bite.
Suddenly, with a "THWACK," a piece of wood came down, smacking it hard on its head.
Nearby, Xin snatched the wolf meat away. With a mischievous grin, he took a large bite right in front of the Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat.
The Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat gnashed its teeth in fury.
"I can’t believe the Chi Yi from the depths of the Jiuli Mountain Range suddenly appeared out here. It’s even driven out the other powerful beasts that normally stay deep inside. What in the world is going on?"
The Leader of the Escort Team, Chu Guifeng, wore a grave expression.
Beside him, Ma Wan’s brow was also furrowed. "The Chi Yi would never leave the depths of the Jiuli Mountain Range unless someone disturbed it."
"People come to the Jiuli Mountain Range for profit. Who’d be suicidal enough to deliberately provoke a Fierce Beast?"
The Merchant, Qian Gui, voiced his confusion.
Chu Guifeng and Ma Wan didn’t answer, merely shaking their heads in unison.
"In any case, we need to be even more cautious on the path ahead," Chu Guifeng said.
Nearby, Luo Xi looked at Luo An with a worried expression. "Brother, what if we really do run into that Chi Yi?"
Luo An tilted his head back, his face a mask of arrogance. "Don’t you worry, little sister," he said, brimming with confidence. "With me here, if that Chi Yi dares to show its face, I’ll beat it so badly it’ll run away pissing itself. It’s just a puny Fierce Beast. Why, back in the day, your brother faced down the second-ranked Fierce Beast, the Great Wilderness, without a shred of fear! I beat it so thoroughly it fled in terror. Relax. As long as I’m here, you’ll be perfectly safe."
Upon hearing this, the Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat abruptly poked its head out of Shen Daoxing’s robes, giving Luo An a look of utter disdain.
Suddenly, a gray shadow flashed through the sky.
"Ouch!"
Luo An felt a sharp pain at the back of his head, as if something had kicked him hard. He instinctively clapped a hand to his head and whipped around, but saw nothing.
Meanwhile, the Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat yawned and burrowed back into Shen Daoxing’s robes. ’That Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Wolf meat was so delicious,’ it thought, ’but there wasn’t even enough to get stuck in my teeth.’
The more it thought about it...
...the more furious the Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat became.
’It’s all that little brat’s fault! He stole so much of my meat. I could have eaten so much more!’
Shen Daoxing was not a talkative person, so he just quietly savored the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Wolf meat by himself.
’As a beast, the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Wolf’s meat is a bit tough,’ he thought. ’It’s also a little too gamey.’
’Hmm!’
’It should have been marinated first to get rid of the gamey taste.’
So Shen Daoxing mused.
Seeing that Shen Daoxing remained silent, Luo An, who was nearby, assumed he was also worried.
He walked over to Shen Daoxing’s side and clapped him on the back.
Shen Daoxing jumped, startled.
Luo An was already puffing his chest out with confidence. "Yang, you don’t need to worry! With me around, there’s no need to be afraid of some Fierce Beast like Chi Yi. I’ll make sure you’re safe. We still have to travel to Cangzhou together and witness the true essence of the Great Dao."
Luo An then launched into a long-winded tale, regaling Shen Daoxing with his glorious exploits from his travels in the East Continent, though whether any of it was true was anyone’s guess.
He didn’t stop until Chu Guifeng spoke up again. "Alright, everyone, let’s get some rest. We need to get an early start on the road tomorrow morning."
The group slowly dispersed. Only then did Luo An, looking as though he still had more to say, finally close his mouth. He slowly stood up and returned to his tent to rest.
Instantly, Shen Daoxing felt the world grow quiet around him. Before long, there was no one left outside.
However, two people in the group had caught Shen Daoxing’s attention. One was the woman in the horse-drawn carriage. Ever since Shen Daoxing had joined the party, she had never once stepped out. An old servant simply drove her carriage, following along with the group.
The other was a shady man named Tai. He rarely spoke and, unless you were specifically looking for him, his presence was almost unnoticeable.
Night fell, and everyone retired to their tents to sleep.
The bright moon hung high in a star-dusted sky. The Jiuli Mountain Range, already quiet, grew even more silent after dark. The few Darts Masters on watch could no longer fight off their drowsiness and began to nod off.
Amidst the silence, the flap of one tent was suddenly pulled aside. A gaunt figure slowly emerged—it was the shady man named Tai.
After emerging, he glanced around. Seeing no one, he crept out silently. Like a formless shadow, he slipped past the dozing Darts Masters and stole away to a hidden thicket of bushes.
He checked his surroundings again to confirm he was alone, then gestured toward the sky. A faint light glowed, and a paper bird took flight, soaring high into the air. It flew toward the nearby forest and vanished, as if carrying a message.
Afterward, the shady man named Tai emerged from the thicket. He soundlessly slipped past the night watchmen once more, returned to his tent, and lay down as if nothing had ever happened.
But the very instant the shady man lay down, in the adjacent tent, Elder Mu’s eyes snapped open.
"Young Master Shen, it seems there’s a problem with that man, Tai."
Elder Mu’s hushed voice sounded in Shen Daoxing’s ear.
"I know."
Shen Daoxing gave a slight nod without opening his eyes. "Elder Mu, I’ll have to trouble you to keep an eye on him from now on."
Elder Mu nodded and then closed his eyes once more.