“His cultivation is roughly at the second-rank, and his injuries are extremely severe… If I act now, my chances of success are very high.”
Tu Dai, like a leopard blending into the shadows, held his breath and focused, lurking deep within the dense grass, his cold gaze fixed on the burly man leaning against a tree, gasping for breath.
Murderous intent brewed in his heart. Just as he was about to make his move, Jin Peng suddenly let out a roar filled with pain and anger!
“I’ve been discovered?” Tu Dai’s heart tightened, his muscles instantly tensing. “I’m still not cautious enough…”
However, the next moment, Jin Peng’s roar was not directed at his hiding place. Not far away, in the dim forest, several figures with obvious malice pushed aside branches and slowly emerged.
“A variable?”
A sharp glint flashed in Tu Dai’s eyes. He forcibly suppressed the urge to act, pressing his body even lower, and watched coldly from the shadows.
“I say, Jin Peng, don’t push yourself.”
The leader, also dressed as a hunter, with a scar across his face, grinned, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth.
“Hand over all the good stuff you found in the cave, and for old times’ sake, I’ll be merciful and let you live!”
The men behind him also revealed their hunting knives and sturdy bows, surrounding him with ill intentions, clearly not allied with Jin Peng.
“Jia Erxiao?!!!”
Jin Peng’s pupils suddenly contracted as he recognized the newcomers, and a flush of rage surged onto his pale, blood-loss-stricken face. “No wonder I always felt like I had a tail! I thought it was those young masters from the aristocratic families… So it was you!”
“Heheheh…” The scar-faced man called Jia Erxiao sneered, his eyes gleaming with greed. “Enough nonsense! Hand over the Gu Master’s Legacy!”
“Pah!” Jin Peng spat out a mouthful of blood, forcing himself to straighten his back, attempting to intimidate his opponents with his Aura. “I am a Gu Master now! Do you few beasts really think you’re worthy opponents for me?!”
“A Gu Master?”
Jia Erxiao seemed to have heard the biggest joke, clutching his stomach in exaggerated laughter. “Oh my, what a grand display of power! I personally saw how you were almost beaten to death by those young punks! Look at you, you’re practically bled dry, and your Gu worms are probably mostly crippled, aren’t they?” He triumphantly pointed at his helpers behind him. “I’ve invested a lot to deal with you! Now, well… I’ve changed my mind.” Jia Erxiao’s smile suddenly became incredibly sinister. “Today! You’re going to die right here!”
Jin Peng was struck as if by lightning, the ferocity on his face instantly replaced by immense terror. The next second, he actually fell to his knees with a “thump,” tears and snot streaming down his face, begging humbly: “Erxiao… Brother Erxiao! Spare me! Please spare me! The things… I’ll give you everything! Gu worms! Primeval stones! All for you! Just let me live!”
“Oh???” Jia Erxiao had completely not expected such a reaction from Jin Peng. He was stunned for a moment, then burst into ear-splitting laughter: “Hahahahahaha!!! Jin Peng! You’ve finally met your match! If that bitch Erya could see you in this pathetic state, she’d probably regret it so much her intestines would turn green, crying and begging to be with me! What a pity…” He deliberately drew out his words, his eyes glinting with cruel pleasure. “She’ll never see it again.”
“You… what did you say?!” Jin Peng suddenly looked up, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Jia Erxiao, his voice trembling slightly.
“You… what did you do to her?!”
“What did I do?” Jia Erxiao’s face twisted with a morbid excitement. “Of course, I did her! That little bitch was so feisty, I accidentally killed her, you know.”
He licked his chapped lips, roaring venomously: “Why?! Her father had already promised her to me! Why did her heart only have room for a good-for-nothing like you?! What part of me isn’t better than you?! Huh?!”
“Yes, yes, yes, Brother Erxiao is right, that… that ungrateful woman, she deserved to die!” Jin Peng lowered his head, silent for a moment. When he raised his face again, he forced out an extremely fawning, humble smile, his voice nauseatingly soft. “Brother Erxiao… no, Grandfather Erxiao! You are a man of great generosity! Please come over… I’ll offer you all my primeval stones and Gu worms! I only ask that you be merciful and spare my wretched life!”
“Hahahahahaha! Good! Well said! You’re smart!” Extreme pleasure clouded Jia Erxiao’s mind. He got carried away, laughing loudly as he stepped towards Jin Peng, who was prostrate on the ground, completely oblivious to the fact that Jin Peng’s cheeks, lowered, were swelling violently at an unnatural rate, as if something was frantically brewing in his mouth.
Just as Jia Erxiao stepped one pace in front of Jin Peng.
“Pfft—!!!”
A large stream of thick, black liquid, like a high-pressure water cannon, spewed from Jin Peng’s mouth!
Second-rank! Viscous Oil Gu!
Jia Erxiao was caught off guard and sprayed all over!
Almost at the same moment! Behind Jia Erxiao, several poisoned arrows tore through the air, their deadly whistles piercing through, striking Jin Peng’s body!
“Hahahahahahaha!!! Jia Erxiao!!! I want you dead!!!! Go and be buried with my Erya!!!!” Jin Peng suddenly looked up, his eyes blood-red, two streams of hot blood mixed with endless resentment and madness pouring from the corners of his eyes! He actually didn’t dodge the arrows that were so close! His blood-stained hands rubbed together fiercely across his chest with astonishing speed.
Whoosh!
An orange-red fireball, emitting scorching heat, appeared out of thin air! First-rank! Fireball Gu!
Jin Peng used his last ounce of strength to hurl it fiercely at Jia Erxiao, who was covered in black oil, utterly terrified, and trying to wipe the grime from his face!
Pffft! Pffft!
The dull thud of arrows piercing flesh rang out, embedding deeply into Jin Peng’s chest and shoulder blades!
“Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah—!!!”
Jia Erxiao’s unearthly shriek instantly shattered the deadly silence of the forest!
The flames, upon contact with the black oil, found the perfect fuel and instantly erupted! Jia Erxiao instantly transformed into a wildly flailing, twisting, and wailing human torch! The stench of charred flesh instantly spread.
“Madman! He’s completely mad! Run!”
This extremely tragic scene made the remaining hunters’ Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering. They no longer cared about any reward, scrambling to their feet and fleeing, disappearing into the depths of the dense forest in the blink of an eye.
“Jia Erxiao—!!! I curse your ancestors for eighteen generations!!!!” Jin Peng was like a madman, letting blood gush from several arrow wounds and previous injuries. His eyes were completely consumed by crimson blood-light, like two burning fires of vengeance, his life rapidly fading in the extreme hatred.
Just in this flash of lightning, as Jin Peng’s entire attention was focused on his burning enemy, and his mind and body were on the verge of collapse at this critical juncture.
A quiet blue afterimage, silent and ghost-like, shot out from the shadows behind Jin Peng!
Swish!
A cold light flashed!
Jin Peng’s head, covered in blood and tears, burning with endless hatred, instantly separated from his neck!
The headless body swayed, then heavily crashed to the ground, blood gushing like a fountain.
Jin Peng, dead!