Chapter 129
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Escape (4)
Four Thousand Four was trapped alone in a poison chamber billowing with toxic fumes. All sorts of hidden weapons rained down like a storm inside. Unless his body was forged from iron plating, it was a deathtrap he couldn't survive.
"Heh heh!"
Cha Hu chuckled.
"Your mission's already failed, at any rate. Heh heh heh!"
"Is that so?"
Mian Xiaosal smirked slyly.
"Yeah, now I remember who you are. You're that greenhorn called Mian Xiaosal."
"Have you ever seen a greenhorn this big?"
"What else do you call someone who can't tell a place to die from a place to live and just charges in?"
"I've already made that distinction. This didn't look like a place to die, so I jumped in. Isn't that distinction something you can't make, Cha Hu? Looks like you're the greenhorn here."
"Heh heh heh!"
Cha Hu laughed as he raised his hand.
This was the home turf of the Lesser Punishment Squad's martial artists. The entire Thunder Prison had been built for them. And in this activated formation, only the Punishment Lord and Cha Hu could manipulate its changes.
Just moments ago, Cha Hu had used one of its countless variations.
Martial arts? In pure martial skill, Mian Xiaosal held the edge.
Martial artists could gauge an opponent's realm just from their movements. High experts like Cha Hu and Mian Xiaosal excelled at reading their foes.
They had sized each other up.
In an empty space with nothing around, Mian Xiaosal would win. Out of ten bouts, he'd take eight or nine. The one or two exceptions were down to chance.
But things were different on enemy turf.
Cha Hu had the Thunder Prison's mechanisms at his command—tools for launching surprise attacks.
A fight's outcome couldn't be called one-sidedly.
Strictly speaking, Cha Hu held a massive advantage. The mechanism formation itself acted like a supreme expert.
"Time to settle this, right? You're not going down without a fight."
Shing!
Cha Hu drew his sword.
Drawing his blade meant he was staking his life on the duel.
"No rush on my end."
Mian Xiaosal smirked as he gathered qi in his raised hands. At that moment,
Rumble!
A stone door rose, and a figure appeared.
"Punishment Lord!"
Cha Hu immediately reversed his grip on his sword and cupped his fists in salute.
The Punishment Lord ignored Cha Hu and addressed Mian Xiaosal.
"Mian Xiaosal. I've heard your martial name for years. To be counted among the Central Plains' Five Great Experts means you're the real deal. What's the secret to reaching such heights at your young age?"
The Punishment Lord, stepping into the Thunder Prison, slipped on a pair of gauntlets.
He was probing Mian Xiaosal's background. Who had taught him what arts to achieve such mastery? A realm like his demanded peerless techniques.
"No real secret... Call it innate talent? Doesn't it show?"
Mian Xiaosal shrugged.
He was trapped in the Thunder Prison. The Lesser Punishment Squad's top experts—the Punishment Lord and Cha Hu—blocked his path. Yet he didn't waver. It wasn't feigned calm; he was truly serene.
Mian Xiaosal didn't care about his predicament.
Did such a trap mean nothing to him, or did he have another ace up his sleeve?
"Shall we test you?"
With those words, the Punishment Lord shot forward.
In the pitch-black darkness, the air rippled faintly. A swift surge of airflow erupted.
Whoosh! Thud!
Their palms clashed perfectly.
"Ngh!"
Surprisingly, it was Mian Xiaosal who grunted. He bellowed immediately.
"Aren't you ashamed, you so-called Punishment Lord of the Lesser Punishment Squad?!"
Even as he roared, Mian Xiaosal staggered back repeatedly.
Thump!
His back hit the stone wall.
Only then did he stop retreating, breathing raggedly.
"A martial artist must always be ready for any attack, anytime. Tsk!"
"Ngh!"
The Punishment Lord chuckled, while Mian Xiaosal groaned.
Mian Xiaosal seemed truly in dire straits.
"One more?"
Whoosh!
Wind howled without a breeze. The darkness churned again, air quivering.
"Urgh!"
Mian Xiaosal grunted but raised his hand.
He couldn't dodge. Though the chamber was lightless, both the Punishment Lord and Mian Xiaosal saw through each other clearly. Shift two steps left, and he'd be pursued instantly.
No matter where he moved, the strike would find him.
He had to block or take it head-on.
Mian Xiaosal's deflecting hand trembled violently. But then,
"Ack!"
The advancing Punishment Lord recoiled in shock.
"It's him!"
The Punishment Lord cried out in alarm.
'Him?'
Cha Hu blanked for a second, unsure who 'him' meant. Was someone else here? But the thought vanished as a name flashed in his mind.
'Four Thousand Four!'
Cha Hu steadied his heart and focused on every ripple around him.
The way to detect Shadowless Form.
Sss!
Sure enough, an odd motion stirred in one patch of darkness.
Cha Hu leaped back instantly. Just as he did, a gust whistled past his chest.
Shadowless Form was active in the dark.
Impossible to spot even wide-eyed in light, let alone utter blackness.
"What got you?"
A calm voice echoed.
"Poison. The Punishment Lord's gauntlets are coated. No—poison needles embedded."
"Can you endure?"
"About an incense stick's time. Longer's impossible."
Mian Xiaosal reported his condition honestly.
No point in lying now. The Punishment Lord knew his state best. Hiding what the enemy knew from allies was useless.
More importantly... Mian Xiaosal wondered how Four Thousand Four had escaped the chamber.
She had predicted this exactly.
Cha Hu or the Punishment Lord would block the way, mechanisms would trigger. Ditch Four Thousand Four and pull back immediately. Moving together meant no escape.
It played out precisely.
The stone door had sealed blindingly fast—even the activator struggled to exit. Forget someone noticing a breath late.
Mian Xiaosal had poured every ounce of effort to break free.
Four Thousand Four had been slumped against the wall, seemingly recovered from unconsciousness but with qi flow still blocked.
Impossible without help.
Yet he'd escaped. And his Shadowless Form was strong enough to rattle the Punishment Lord.
Four Thousand Four spoke calmly.
"Know the way?"
"I do."
"Out in an incense stick?"
"If you clear the path."
"I'll clear it."
Swoosh!
A firm hand gripped Mian Xiaosal's waist.
"Heh heh! Just moments ago, I had you grabbed."
"I know you don't need propping. But escaping's priority now."
"Got it. Out the door, then left."
Shh! Shh shh!
Of course, no sound. But the air rippled.
Mian Xiaosal sensed Shadowless Form unfolding.
'Ah.'
A quiet sigh escaped inwardly.
Shadowless Form couldn't be blocked. Dodge was the only option. Standing firm from pride meant getting skewered.
He'd never witnessed it before. But he'd been confident he could handle it.
Shadowless Form? An invisible, unfelt attack? Nonsense!
Yet here it was. Even seeing it unfold beside him felt unreal—only Four Thousand Four's grip let him sense it.
Swoosh!
Four Thousand Four slipped past the Punishment Lord to the stone door.
Swoosh!
Mian Xiaosal rubbed the wall, activating the mechanism only the Punishment Lord and Cha Hu knew.
The stone wall slid up smoothly.
"That bastard!"
Cha Hu lunged after Four Thousand Four. But a strong arm held him back.
"Master!"
Cha Hu said urgently.
"Stay calm. Shaken by this, and you're no Cha Hu."
"My apologies, Punishment Lord."
Cha Hu regained his composure.
Their master-disciple bond lasted only so long. Once Cha Hu was named successor, 'Master' became 'Punishment Lord,' thrusting them into a food chain where only the strong survived.
Cha Hu hadn't reached that peak yet.
"Right!"
Four Thousand Four moved as Mian Xiaosal directed, triggering mechanisms in turn.
"You're a mechanism expert."
"Surprised myself."
"Spy in the Lesser Punishment Squad? No other way."
"Guessing the same."
"Zhuge Soso told you all this?"
"Correct."
Mian Xiaosal revealed his source freely.
Zhuge Soso indeed... Only she could unravel the Thunder Prison's mechanisms and maze formation. Assuming, of course, a spy inside provided the formation map.
No one, not even Zhuge Soso, could divine operations without the map.
"Why save me?"
"Punishment Lord planned to kill you. Heavenly Annihilation Division HQ agreed to stand by. You were doomed here."
"Not afraid of death."
"So consistent on dying, then and now?"
"..."
"Since you're throwing your life away anyway, make it last a bit longer."
"What?"
"Don't die here—die at Heavenly Annihilation Division HQ. Doesn't suit your style, but dying in a blaze of desperate glory would suit me fine."
"Escorting me there?"
"Think I'm so free to guide you? You find Heavenly Annihilation Division yourself. I'll give you a route map. Go or not, your call. Going means suicide—no sane man would. But Zhuge Soso said you would. True?"
"Since you're giving a map, one more favor."
"What?"
"Tell me where the Green Master is."
"Ha ha ha ha! Ugh!"
Mian Xiaosal clutched his gut laughing, then winced as poison surged.
"Of course. You're heading to Heavenly Annihilation Division to rescue that old Green Master, right? Amazing master-disciple bond. You're probably the only one in the world who'd treat passing through like walking a stray dog."
"Incense stick's almost up. Hold on?"
"Don't worry. We're here."
Slide!
Mian Xiaosal moved his hand. A stone door rose as always. But this time, a fresh, crisp gust rushed in—cool and invigorating.
"Th...!"
"Escape...!"
The guards at the underground waterway spun toward them in shock. But they only uttered a word or two before collapsing lifelessly.
Many warriors blocked the Thunder Prison exit. Yet none swung a weapon. By the time they spotted the pair, Shadowless Form had pierced their flesh.
"Just ride the boat and..."
Thud!
Mian Xiaosal succumbed to the poison and blacked out.