Chapter 00101: The Cautious Dung Beetle (Bonus Chapter for Alliance Leader DaZhaoYouDee)
# The Cautious Dung Beetle (Bonus Chapter for Alliance Leader DaZhaoYouDee)
Chapter 101
Novel: After the Myth
Chapter 101: The Cautious Dung Beetle (Bonus Chapter for Alliance Leader DaZhaoYouDee)
It seemed like I needed to get myself a spear.
No matter what, I had to test whether this Nine Paths technique was truly as powerful as it was said to be.
But where could I get a spear? Ah, right—the Qu family.
The Qu family was one of the four great families in Huaxia specializing in cold weapons.
As long as I brought the materials, they would surely forge a decent spear for me.
Looking at the half-piece of Divine Spark Crystal in my hand, Ding Huan knew that continuing to cultivate was pointless.
"Big Brother... I think I saw the Dung Beetle," Qi Xinyue whispered as she entered, sensing that Ding Huan had finished his cultivation.
She used to call him "Brother Ding," but now she had even dropped the surname.
In her hand, she held a telescope.
Knowing that Ding Huan was waiting for the Dung Beetle, Qi Xinyue had been keeping watch by the window with the telescope whenever she had free time.
Unexpectedly, she had actually spotted him.
The Dung Beetle was here?
Ding Huan's spirits immediately lifted.
This was great news.
The Dung Beetle carried at least tens of thousands of Divine Spark Crystals.
If he could take him down, not only would he rid Earth of a menace, but he would also gain a massive amount of Divine Spark Crystals.
"Where is he? When did he arrive?" Ding Huan asked urgently.
"Just a short while ago. He was being very cautious, wearing camouflage, and seemed to be heading toward the International Museum," Qi Xinyue replied.
Ding Huan inwardly cursed.
If he had known the Dung Beetle was coming, he would have hidden near the museum.
That would have been the perfect spot.
"Xinyue, pretend to go to the museum. I'll hide nearby," Ding Huan quickly decided.
"Alright," Qi Xinyue agreed immediately.
"Remember, if you have your back to him, you must dodge within a single breath, whether or not you sense an attack," Ding Huan added, worried that the Dung Beetle might strike too quickly for him to intervene.
This Dung Beetle was even more cunning than Old Six.
He had to be extra cautious.
"Got it," Qi Xinyue nodded.
Although she had lost her divine power, she was now a second-level gene cultivator.
Her true essence was even more robust than before.
Coupled with her skill in stealth and movement, her dodging speed would only be better, not worse.
Qi Xinyue cautiously made her way to the museum, her movements so stealthy that it would be hard to notice her unless one looked closely.
Ding Huan followed her at a distance, using his Wind Riding Technique and divine sense.
...
Outside the Federal International Museum, a thin man was cautiously scanning his surroundings, ready to flee at the slightest disturbance.
A few low-level beasts scurried past, but the man didn't attack.
Instead, he became even more alert and avoided them.
After waiting outside the museum for at least half an hour, he finally slipped inside, confident that no one was around.
When he saw the wreckage of the Divine Seeker, which had been hacked to pieces by Ding Huan, he trembled with rage.
"These bastards! They've ruined a perfectly good starship. If I don't kill every idiot here, I, Zuo Shanyi, am a dog's son!" the thin man muttered furiously.
After venting, he quickly boarded the ship.
When he saw that the floor of the living quarters had been dug up and the Divine Spark Crystals were gone, his expression changed.
Without hesitation, he turned and rushed out of the ship, then bolted out of the museum.
Not far from the museum entrance, Zuo Shanyi suddenly felt a chill and quickly hid behind a pillar.
He rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing.
It was really Qi Xinyue.
How could this woman be here? Wasn't she supposed to be dead? No one else from the Divine Seeker could have survived except him.
Even if someone had survived, they shouldn't be walking around freely.
Although he knew Qi Xinyue was no match for him, Zuo Shanyi still didn't make a move.
After observing for a few minutes, he noticed that Qi Xinyue was also moving cautiously, as if she were sneaking around.
This made Zuo Shanyi realize he had overthought things.
He knew exactly what kind of person Qi Xinyue was.
In terms of cunning, she wasn't even worth a speck in his eyes.
Confident that there was no danger, Zuo Shanyi stepped out.
He had come here to find the Dung Beetle, and now that the target had appeared, he was ready.
Qi Xinyue, startled by his sudden appearance, instinctively retreated, which only reinforced Zuo Shanyi's belief that she posed no threat.
Even if there was danger, he wasn't afraid.
At worst, he could easily escape.
"Black Bug Ball... how could it be you?" Qi Xinyue feigned shock, though she was genuinely surprised.
She was amazed by Ding Huan's accurate prediction and that the Dung Beetle was not only alive but thriving.
If it weren't for Ding Huan saving her, she would have died long ago.
Hearing Qi Xinyue call him "Black Bug Ball," Zuo Shanyi's killing intent flickered briefly.
Ever since boarding the Divine Seeker, no one had treated him as a human, not even as a dog.
In their eyes, he was just a "Black Bug Ball."
In truth, Zuo Shanyi was wrong about Qi Xinyue.
If there was one person on the Divine Seeker who hadn't looked down on him, it was her.
Qi Xinyue genuinely thought he didn't have a name, which was why she called him "Black Bug Ball" like everyone else.
If she had known his name was Zuo Shanyi, she would have called him by that.
"Sister Xinyue, how are you here?" Zuo Shanyi's face and eyes were filled with joy, as if her survival was the best news he could have received.
But in his heart, killing intent surged.
However, until he figured out why Qi Xinyue was here, he wouldn't act.
Knowing that Ding Huan was nearby, Qi Xinyue couldn't help but feel fear toward this thin man.
She now realized that nothing about his outward appearance could be trusted.
This guy was far too cunning.
If Ding Huan was right, it was likely that this man had brought the Divine Seeker to Earth.
The once harmless, pitiable figure had hidden depths she hadn't imagined.
"I was captured, but when the beast tide broke through some defenses, I managed to escape. What about you? How did you survive unscathed? I heard that the others were all killed or captured," Qi Xinyue said truthfully, as that was indeed how she had escaped.
Hearing her words, Zuo Shanyi relaxed.
This was normal.
According to his calculations, out of the five people on the ship, only he should have survived.
"Sister Xinyue, where are you planning to go now?" Zuo Shanyi asked cautiously, his tone tinged with timidity.
"I want to check the Divine Seeker. If possible, I'd like to leave this place. I feel so scared here," Qi Xinyue explained carefully.
"Sister Xinyue, can I come with you? I..."
Zuo Shanyi's voice was even more submissive and pleading.
"Ah..."
Qi Xinyue looked at Zuo Shanyi.
"Black Bug Ball, how did you escape? Were you captured too, and then escaped during the beast tide?"
After asking a few times without getting a straight answer, Qi Xinyue wanted to clarify.
Zuo Shanyi shook his head.
"I have some stealth skills. When you all drew most of the attention, I managed to slip away. After escaping, I was worried about you. Now that I see you're safe, I'm so grateful to the heavens."
"Let's go to the museum first," Qi Xinyue nodded and walked toward the museum, seemingly without caution.
At that moment, Zuo Shanyi suddenly struck, a gray light slashing toward Qi Xinyue.
Almost simultaneously, Qi Xinyue dodged.
"Boom!" A terrifying force struck the spot where Qi Xinyue had stood just a breath earlier.
She stared at the mark on the ground, her face pale.
If Ding Huan hadn't warned her to dodge immediately if her back was to the Dung Beetle, she would have been split in two.
"Black Bug Ball, you... If I hadn't sensed a beast in the museum and dodged in time, you would have killed me," Qi Xinyue said, shocked.
Zuo Shanyi was equally stunned that she had dodged his attack.
He hadn't attacked because he feared her—Qi Xinyue's abilities were nothing to him.
He had struck because he was always cautious, unwilling to let any surprises occur.
But now, a surprise had indeed happened—he had failed to ambush Qi Xinyue.
Fortunately, she hadn't dodged because she sensed his attack.
It was pure coincidence.
"Sister Xinyue, I was worried you wouldn't take me with you, so I thought of injuring you first. Then I would definitely take you with me. Think about it, on this ship, it's just the two of us. I've always admired you. How could I really harm you?" Zuo Shanyi's tone remained timid.
Qi Xinyue's expression turned cold.
"So that's how you survived while the rest of us died or were captured. You've been scheming all along. How despicable."
Seeing that Qi Xinyue no longer trusted him, Zuo Shanyi straightened up.
"To be honest, if it weren't for the damn signal here, you would have died long ago."
Seeing Qi Xinyue's confusion, Zuo Shanyi continued indifferently, "I was planning to poison all of you, but then the Divine Seeker picked up Earth's signal. Even if I tried to hide it, it wouldn't have lasted long. So I decided to use the idiots here to get rid of you."
Qi Xinyue fell silent.
It seemed that if they hadn't come to Earth, she would have died even sooner.
"Sister Xinyue, why don't we leave this place together? It's better to have company. The universe is vast, and we don't know when we'll return to the Divine Spark Continent. Having someone by your side would make the journey less lonely. Besides, I've always admired you..."
"Don't just say it. If you truly admire me, why haven't you given me any Divine Spark Crystals? You must have taken all the crystals from the Divine Seeker, right?" Qi Xinyue interrupted.
Zuo Shanyi took out a small bag and tossed it to Qi Xinyue.
"Sister, what are you saying? What's mine is yours. This bag is full of Divine Spark Crystals. Take it."
Qi Xinyue's eyes lit up, and she reached for the bag.
But as she did, Zuo Shanyi's lips curled into a cold smile.
He stepped forward, and a large net was cast, enveloping the space where Qi Xinyue stood.
(Many fellow Daoists have asked for bonus chapters.
After finishing the bonus for the alliance leader, I'll add ten more chapters.
I truly feel this mistake shouldn't have happened, and I apologize again.
Thank you all for your understanding!)
(End of Chapter)