Chapter 1061: Descending the Mountain
Chapter 1061: Descending the Mountain
2017-09-25
You never know who your true enemy is.
Sometimes, the ones who appear to be your allies might be better off dead than by your side, as you can never predict how they might secretly aid the enemy!
There's nothing more infuriating than a useless teammate, and if there is, it's a whole group of them.
And Lu HaiKong was unfortunately blessed with such a group of incompetent allies.
On the other side, Lu HaiKong, with his men, finally managed to destroy the three Mystic Gates in his territory, eliminating his worries.
Although the rewards he obtained from destroying these three Mystic Gates were significantly less than the rewards other Wanderers received for their tasks, he still acquired three Mythical Treasure Chests, which were more than just mosquito legs; they were three enticing chicken legs.
So, Lu HaiKong was in high spirits, planning to return to Bei Feng and claim all the treasure chests and task rewards he had earned recently.
However, upon returning to Bei Feng, Lu HaiKong's initial feeling of contentment was quickly replaced by the 'surprise' Gongsun Zan had meticulously prepared for him.
Just the night before, within a single night, Liaoxi Prefecture, which had been doing relatively well, fell, and the entire prefecture became a haven for Zombies.
The blood-red sky over Shanhaiguan in Youzhou now seemed to engulf the entire Liaoxi Prefecture, and a large number of Zombies were spreading beyond its borders.
This was the surprise that awaited Lu HaiKong upon his return to Youzhou!
Hearing this surprise, Lu HaiKong was momentarily stunned, unable to react immediately. This news came as a shock to him, as he had been closely monitoring the situation in Youzhou while focusing on the Mystic Gates in his territory over the past ten days.
It was precisely because of this that the sudden fall of Youzhou caught him off guard.
For the past nine days, everything seemed fine, and Xun You had even sent out intelligence and, with Lu HaiKong's authorization, begun discussing relief plans with Gongsun Zan and Zhang Yan.
Yet, suddenly, within a single night, the entire Liaoxi Prefecture fell, leaving Lu HaiKong bewildered and unsure of what had happened.
"How could this have happened? Is Gongsun Zan incompetent? I repeatedly emphasized the importance of this, and yet this is the result!"
In the Northern Defense Tower of Bei Feng, Bingzhou, Lu HaiKong was so furious that he felt like tearing that good-for-nothing apart.
Beside him, Xun You carefully analyzed Xi ZhiCai's intelligence on Youzhou, and his brows furrowed.
"My Lord, based on my analysis, one of the five Demon Generals must have taken action this time. I previously learned about some of the abilities of the five Blood Generals from the Malevolent Spirit. Among them, one has the power to control the Zombie transformation.
In these nine days, he must have controlled the Zombie toxin, waiting until enough people were infected before unleashing them, directly causing the fall of the entire Liaoxi Prefecture!"
Xun You deduced the general truth from the limited intelligence available, but at this point, the truth was not the most important issue. What mattered most was the situation Lu HaiKong now faced.
The situation was already challenging, and now it had become even more difficult.
Although Youzhou had a sparse population, the prefecture had millions of residents. Even if the entire prefecture wasn't completely overrun and the people weren't all killed, the number of Zombies that appeared overnight numbered in the hundreds of thousands.
More importantly, with a Demon capable of controlling the Zombie toxin, Lu HaiKong could only imagine how dire the situation was.
"We can't wait any longer. Inform Zhang Yan that I'll arrive in Guangyang Prefecture the day after tomorrow!"
Lu HaiKong had intended to prepare more thoroughly before taking action, but with his incompetent allies' blunder, he had no choice but to head there first and deal with the situation. If the situation deteriorated further, the battle would become unwinnable.
"I hope this time, Zhang Yan will cooperate properly."
After saying this, Lu HaiKong glanced in the direction of Youzhou and then immersed himself in his urgent tasks.
...
In a certain mountain range, within a high mountain reaching several thousand meters above sea level, there were a few quaint wooden cottages.
In front of the small cabin, there was a cleared-out open space, filled with various training equipment, evidently a small practice arena.
At this moment, two figures were engaged in a sparring match in the arena.
The two combatants were an old man and a young boy, the former appearing to be around fifty years old, while the latter was only sixteen or seventeen.
Both were dressed simply; the old man wore a plain robe, while the boy was clad in animal skins.
Despite the roughness of the animal skins, the boy exuded a delicate and handsome aura rather than a rugged, wild one.
The fact that he could make animal skins look so graceful was a testament to his extraordinary good looks.
Even though he had been training for years under the sun, his skin remained fair, and even his hands, which held the spear, were free of calluses. With his exquisite features, one might mistake him for a stunningly beautiful girl at first glance.
However, the harsh reality was that he was not a girl but a man with exceptional strength, as evidenced by his sparring with the old man across from him.
The two were clearly holding back, using only ordinary wooden spears, but with their skill, even a casual thrust could pierce through steel armor.
They were from the same martial lineage, intimately familiar with each other's techniques, making their sparring somewhat peculiar.
For over thirty minutes, they exchanged moves without a single clash, constantly adapting as they exploited each other's weaknesses with every strike.
Finally, the boy ended the bout with a flourish of his spear, pressing the tip against his opponent's neck.
Despite his victory, the boy didn't feel a sense of accomplishment, knowing that his master had held back, perhaps using only a fraction of his true power.
It wasn't that the boy was indifferent to winning or losing; he was well aware that his master hadn't given it his all.
"Master, you're at it again," the boy said, lowering his spear, his handsome face showing discontent.
"I'm getting old, and it's not that I'm intentionally holding back," the old man replied, his sturdy frame belying his words. "Some powers are becoming harder to control, so it's best to avoid using them if possible. I'm sure you wouldn't want to see your old master suffer, would you?"
No matter how dissatisfied the boy was, he couldn't help but obey whenever the old man brought up this topic.
Even though the boy knew his master was putting on an act, he still helped the perfectly capable old man to a recliner outside the cabin and brought him a jug of wine and some snacks. As his master enjoyed the wine and food, the boy dutifully massaged his shoulders and back.
"You're the most filial of my disciples," the old man said, his eyes narrowing into a smile as he lay in the recliner. "I haven't been wrong in doting on you."
His words were sincere; although the old man seemed less reliable in the mountains than he did in the city below, he was still a normal person who couldn't help but adore a disciple with such astonishing talent and filial piety.
However, no matter how much he loved and doted on his disciple, he knew he couldn't keep him by his side forever.
This thought caused the old man's relaxed smile to fade as he opened his eyes and looked towards Youzhou, his expression filled with hesitation.
"What's wrong, Master?" the boy asked, sensing his master's unease.
After a moment of silence, the old man took a swig of wine and said to the boy, "Pack your things tomorrow and head downhill."
The boy's movements froze at the unexpected instruction, feeling that this decision had come out of the blue...
(End of Chapter)
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