Chapter 521: Ninth Leader
Translator: KurazyTolanzuraytor Editor: Jay
A morning quickly passed by.
At noon, after he finished eating the fine wine and delicacies brought over by the academy workers, Duan Ling Tian left his courtyard.
"Squeak squeak~" The chubby little gold mouse lay on Duan Ling Tian’s shoulder with a round stomach.
In next to no time, the Inner Hall students walked out of their courtyards successively.
At the center square of the Dragon and Phoenix Academy, the ten Inner Hall students and the group of Outer Hall students had gathered together once more.
"Depart!" The Vice Dean, Chi Ming, personally led the group of students to leave the academy.
Blackwind Ridge was situated not far away to the east of the Imperial City.
The group of Dragon and Phoenix Academy students that dashed like the wind only spent an hour before arriving around Blackwind Ridge.
"It’s best if all of you act within the limits of your ability in Blackwind Ridge… If you encounter bandits that you’re unable to go against and face imminent death, there will be someone who will save you! Those that are saved will be taken to have failed in the mission, and their points will be zero." Chi Ming had a serious expression as he spoke.
This was him announcing the final rule.
Zero points?
The group of Dragon and Phoenix Academy students couldn’t help but shiver.
"Alright, everyone split up now!" Along with Chi Ming’s loud shout, the group of Dragon and Phoenix Academy students swarmed into the Blackwind Ridge like bees.
Amongst these people, there were lone wolves and there were many small teams.
Duan Ling Tian followed behind everyone and entered into Blackwind Ridge.
"Eh?" Right at this moment, Duan Ling Tian was able to clearly notice that after the group of academy students entered Blackwind Ridge, the group of martial artists at the Void Prying Stage and above followed up to them.
These Void Prying Stage martial artists were obvious in-charge of recording the score and protecting the group of Dragon and Phoenix Academy students.
"The hidden resources and reserves of the Azure Forest Imperial Kingdom’s Imperial Family are shocking… There are at least almost 100 people when all these Void Prying Stage martial artists are added up, right?" Duan Ling Tian couldn’t help but be astounded.
Although these Void Prying Stage martial artists were mostly only at the first, second, and third level, their number was still shocking.
After entering Blackwind Ridge, the group of academy students split up themselves.
In next to no time, Duan Ling Tian headed deeper into Blackwind Ridge by himself.
Meanwhile, Duan Ling Tian was able to notice that there was only one person remaining behind him.
Moreover, this person wasn’t unfamiliar to Duan Ling Tian.
It was precisely the Dragon and Phoenix Academy’s Vice Dean, Chi Ming!
"I never imagined that I had such high standing… Vice Dean Chi is actually personally recording my score." Duan Ling Tian was slightly overwhelmed by the sudden favor.
Of course, he knew clearly in his heart that besides recording his score, the reason this Chi Ming was following him was mostly for the sake of protecting him.
After all, the natural talent and strength he’d revealed now ought to have already obtained the attention of the Azure Forest Imperial Kingdom’s Imperial Family…
Whereas Chi Ming would probably not let anything happen to him before he participated in the competition of geniuses.
If it wasn’t for this, Chi Ming wouldn’t have sent someone to protect him from the shadows when he left the academy earlier.
Whirlwind!
Duan Ling Tian’s figure flashed out at full speed, and he entered deep into Blackwind Ridge in the blink of an eye.
It wasn’t long before Duan Ling Tian discovered a small lake.
"There are actually lakes in Blackwind Ridge?" Duan Ling Tian was slightly surprised.
Along with Duan Ling Tian soaring up into the sky and looking down and a large area beneath his feet, he instead noticed that besides the lake that he’d noticed, there wasn’t a second lake anywhere within the vicinity of this area.
"Those bandits are concealed in Blackwind Ridge. Normally, they wouldn’t be able to do without replenishing their food." Duan Ling Tian thought in his heart. "Water is a necessity to them!"
When he thought up to here, Duan Ling Tian plunged down and concealed himself behind an enormous rock that was behind the lake.
Hide and wait!
It was Duan Ling Tian’s current plan.
"Squeak squeak~" When the little gold mouse saw Duan Ling Tian leaning on a rock and resting, she couldn’t help but ask curiously via voice transmission. "Big Brother Ling Tian, what’re you hiding here for?"
"Little Gold, I’m waiting for those bandits to arrive." Duan Ling Tian smiled.
"Waiting for the bandits to arrive?" The little gold mouse was slightly puzzled, and her pair of jade green eyes were filled with a perplexed expression. "Big Brother Ling Tian, you’re not going to look for those bandits… Could it be that those bandits will come over by themselves?"
Duan Ling Tian smiled. "Little Gold, Blackwind Ridge occupies a vast area. Even if I search everywhere, I’ll at least need to spend one or two months of time to completely search it… Moreover, those bandits are extremely cunning, and they might not stay at the same place all the time."
"Whereas this place… So long as there are bandits concealed nearby, they will surely come here." Duan Ling Tian finished speaking with a single breath.
"Why?" The little gold mouse still didn’t understand. "Big brother Ling Tian, why are you so sure they will surely come?"
"You’ll know extremely soon." Duan Ling Tian smiled mysteriously, and he hid behind the rock while looking at the movement in the surroundings of the nearby lake.
Time silently flowed by.
At dusk, the sky was fully crimson, causing the entire Blackwind Ridge to seem as if it had transformed into a sea of flames.
"Squeak squeak~" The little gold mouse lay on Duan Ling Tian’s shoulder drowsily, and she said slightly impatiently, "Big Brother Ling Tian, how much longer must we wait?"
"You little fellow… They’ve come!" Duan Ling Tian wasn’t able to finish speaking to the little gold mouse when he noticed some movement ahead.
After a short moment, three burly middle aged men walked out from the nearby bushes to arrive nearby the small lake.
"F**k! I’m thirsty to death!" A middle aged man stood before the lake and stretched out his hand scoop up some water before pouring it into his mouth.
The other two people took out some water canteens to gather water.
"Ninth Leader is too cautious… Our brothers were all thirsty to death since the morning, yet he didn’t allow us to come out and gather water, and he insisted on it being dusk and almost night before allowing us to come out." Another middle aged man grumbled.
"Alright, don’t grumble anymore… Ninth Leader did this because he was worried that the Azure Forest Imperial Kingdom’s Imperial Family would send people over. Only by being cautious will our brothers be able to live long," said the last middle aged man.
"Quickly finish gather the water and we’ll leave!" In next to no time, the three middle aged men gathered the water and intended to leave.
"Squeak squeak~" The little gold mouse lightly cried out by Duan Ling Tian’s ear.
"Big Brother Ling Tian, you want to let them leave?" The little gold mouse asked via voice transmission.
"Yes." Duan Ling Tian nodded, then he silently followed them.
These three people were only ninth level Nascent Soul Stage martial artists, and if he wanted to kill them, he would be able to kill them all in the blink of an eye.
Now, Duan Ling Tian was following them precisely because he wanted to find where they concealed themselves.
Duan Ling Tian followed behind the three of them, yet the three of them didn’t notice in the slightest and chatted amongst themselves.
"I heard Seventh Leader brought along over 10 brothers and slaughtered two villages during these past few days, and he’d even seized many women… It’s truly enviable." A middle aged man spoke as he drooled, and his eyes flickered with a sheen of lust.
"If I knew earlier, I’d have followed Seventh Leader at that time… Although Ninth Leader is loyal, he has been busy breaking through lately, and it’s been an extremely long time since he brought our brothers to leave Blackwind Ridge to raid homes and plunder houses." Another middle aged man sighed.
"Alas… I haven’t savored the taste of a woman for half a month. But when I recall that woman from half a month ago, it was truly satisfying… Unfortunately, her temper was too violent and she took her own life after being played with me once! Back luck." As the last middle aged man finished speaking, he had an expression of pity.
"You still have the nerve to say that? You killed her husband and son before her eyes, it would be weird if she didn’t take her own life!"
…
Duan Ling Tian followed behind these three people and heard the three of them ceaselessly speaking about their own glorious deeds.
Unknowingly, Duan Ling Tian’s fists were already clenched tightly, and his eyes even flickered with frightful cold light.
Now, he wished for nothing more than to directly kill these three people.
But he still endured it in the end.
"Based on what they said, they have a total of nine leaders… In other words, this bandit group had a total of nine bandits in-charge? Now, they’re divided into nine groups that are scattered around Blackwind Ridge?" Duan Ling Tian found out some information from the conversation of the three.
"Ninth Leader is at the first level of the Void Prying Stage?" The corners of Duan Ling Tian’s mouth curled into an evil expression. "I never expected that it’s only the first day I’ve arrived at Blackwind Ridge, yet I’ve encountered a big fish!"
"Little Gold." Duan Ling Tian looked at the little gold mouse that was burning with eagerness on his shoulder, then warned. "Don’t interfere when I make a move later… Otherwise, don’t think of eating meat in the future!"
Duan Ling Tian’s words caused the Duan Ling Tian to be like a deflated rubber ball, she drooped her little head as she said via voice transmission, "Then I’ll go to sleep."
The little gold mouse did as she said, she grabbed tightly onto the clothes on Duan Ling Tian’s shoulder, and fell asleep in next to no time.
This caused Duan Ling Tian to be speechless.
"This Little Gold is similar to Little Black and Little White, they’re simply like the reincarnation of pigs." Duan Ling Tian shook his head and smiled bitterly.
Duan Ling Tian’s gaze become slightly distant when he thought of the two little pythons. "I wonder how Little Black and Little White are now…?"
Suddenly, Duan Ling Tian’s thoughts were pulled back to reality.
Because the bandits that he’d followed all the way had returned to their hiding spot.
This place was an inconspicuous gorge.
The entrance was only a single line that was extremely narrow and was merely able to accommodate one person entering sideways.
After the three bandits entered, Duan Ling Tian followed in and concealed himself nearby.
"Ninth Leader, we’ve returned!" After the three bandits entered the gorge, they shouted out loudly.
"Water! Water!" Instantly, the group of bandits swarmed over to receive the water from the three bandits before fiercely taking a mouthful.
"You didn’t notice anything off, right?" Right at this moment, a voice that was like muffled thunder abruptly sounded out, and it resounded within the gorge.
Subsequently, Duan Ling Tian, who was concealed on the large tree that was at the side of the entrance to the gorge, noticed that a robust man that wore worn-out armor walked out from the wooden house in the gorge.
The robust man had dense brows and large eyes, there were three saber scars on his face that were like three centipedes.
The most hideous scar started from below his eyes, and it was just a little bit away from crippling his eye.
"No… Ninth Leader, water." One of the three bandits that went to gather water walked out and respectfully passed over a water canteen.
"That’s good." The robust man nodded, then received the water before starting to drink with large gulps.
After he finished drinking, he tossed the water canteen to the side, then turned around and looked at the bandits under his command.
"Brothers, I’ll be able to break through in three days at most! At that time, I’ll bring all of you along to go around to see blood and play with women!"
