Chapter 00150: Suspicion Among Each Other
# Suspicion Among Each Other
Chapter 150
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 150: Suspicion Among Each Other
This knife truly had a connection with him; even when thrown casually, it could automatically correct its trajectory.
Unfortunately, he had thrown it away.
To be honest, he really wanted to enter the dream world once more.
Moreover, earlier, when Lu Yao had shot at him with the Ghost Eye Bow, the Broken Knife had given him a warning.
What a fine knife it was.
He Lingchuan sighed inwardly, and as he ran, his fist brushed against his waist.
Suddenly, he felt something was off with the sheath and looked down—
The Broken Knife was still there, quietly lying in its sheath.
“…”
He Lingchuan was overjoyed, touching the hilt several times before recalling that Sun Fuping's short staff would also automatically return to its owner's hand.
This meant that these two items were at least of the same grade of treasure!
Since the Broken Knife had automatically returned, did that mean this treasure acknowledged him as its master?
Joyful and exuberant!
However, when had this acknowledgment taken place? It seemed he had never performed the blood oath ceremony to establish ownership.
Time did not allow him to ponder, as He Lingchuan suddenly noticed that the bandits below had split into two groups, each heading in a different direction.
This was not infighting; Lu Yao and Pei Xinyong had not quarreled but simply exchanged a few words before parting ways, more like a division of labor.
Among them, Pei Xinyong was taking the wrong path, leading to a steep slope ahead, resembling terraced fields—He Lingchuan did not understand why this fellow insisted on going that way, and he walked with such confidence?
He did not know that this was the result of the fog formation laid down by the mountains and marshes, causing a misalignment of sounds.
Pei Xinyong truly believed that stones were falling from there, and footsteps were echoing from that direction.
Lu Yao's direction, on the other hand, was correct.
The Broken Knife had spun and slashed at the Red Falcon, leading Lu Yao to believe the knife had come from that direction, naturally assuming that the scout who had attacked was also in that direction.
The fog had twisted his perception.
As a result, the mistakes were just right.
He led his subordinates, accelerating towards the mountain ridge.
Seeing this scene clearly, He Lingchuan could not help but say, “Lu Yao is chasing over here; what a great opportunity!”
Lian Deng forced a bitter smile, “Brother Chuan, can you speak like a human? Lu Yao is chasing over here, and that’s a good opportunity? A chance to be killed?”
“Without the Red Falcon guiding him, it won’t be long before he gets himself dizzy.” He Lingchuan remained optimistic, “But he has already separated from Pei Xinyong; we can go find Pei Xinyong now.”
“Find Pei Xinyong?” Lian Deng was uncertain, “General Wu had previously sent a message to him using the mechanism bird. Since he was with Lu Yao, these two probably made peace or formed an alliance. It would be too dangerous for us to show ourselves.”
“Who said we need to show ourselves?” He Lingchuan laughed, “Don’t forget, I can see them, but they can’t see me.”
“Be careful!” Lian Deng suddenly grabbed him and pulled him back.
With a “whoosh,” a flying axe whizzed past He Lingchuan's waist, cutting through two small trees as thick as bowls before embedding itself into a piece of green stone.
He Lingchuan broke into a cold sweat.
Damn it, if it weren’t for Lian Deng’s quick reflexes, he would have almost been cleaved in two!
That axe belonged to Lu Yao.
Had the bandit already discovered him?
He Lingchuan turned his head and indeed saw Lu Yao standing ten zhang away, cursing:
“Damn that thief! If I catch him, I’ll chop him into seventeen or eighteen pieces for a drink!”
He was in a bad mood and did not ponder much about how to cook a person.
He Lingchuan and Lian Deng exchanged glances and let out a sigh of relief.
Sure enough, Lu Yao waved his hand, and the axe embedded in the stone automatically flew back.
Fortunately, this fellow was merely venting his anger by throwing the axe, relying on the weapon's ability to return, and did not truly see the two of them.
Indiscriminate attacks were the most terrifying.
He Lingchuan ran faster than a rabbit, quickly distancing himself from Lu Yao's army.
…
The sounds of footsteps and stones falling were very close.
Pei Xinyong judged that the enemy was less than five or six zhang away from him, so he turned his horse's head and chased after them.
He was very clear that the only way to catch the enemy here was to be quick.
Before the opponent could escape far, he needed to drag them out of their disguise.
The large group of soldiers naturally followed him around the bend.
However, after only ten zhang, the two riders on the far left suddenly let out a terrible scream and fell into the valley below.
The others broke out in cold sweat: it clearly looked like a patch of low shrubs!
At that moment, two arrows shot out from the thick fog, thudding into the ground two zhang in front of Pei Xinyong's horse's hooves.
Pei Xinyong pulled the reins sharply, and his steed reared up, coming to a sudden stop.
“Who?”
He could tell that these two arrows carried a strong warning but no hostility.
“General Wu Shaoyi's left-wing vanguard, Lian Deng!” The voice came from the white fog, but this time, Pei Xinyong did not dare to move recklessly.
Lian Deng continued, “If you go any further, it’s an abyss with no bottom!”
Standing beside him, He Lingchuan silently grinned: this kid was also a master at scaring people.
What abyss was there between them and Pei Xinyong? It was all a smooth road, not a single bend in sight.
Of course, Lian Deng himself could not see; he was merely following He Lingchuan's instructions, shooting arrows at the ground five zhang away.
This threat was like a spell, directly pinning Pei Xinyong's troops in place, not daring to move an inch.
The unseen threat was the most frightening.
Lian Deng then added, “General Wu wants me to ask you, why are you colluding with the bandit Lu, and why are you traveling with the murderer who killed the Holy Master?”
The implications of his words struck Pei Xinyong hard, causing him to exclaim, “What are you saying?”
“Wu Shaoyi is still alive?”
“The Holy Master was truly killed by Lu Yao?”
The pitch of his voice rose with each question.
He Lingchuan could hear his tumultuous emotions and nodded at Lian Deng.
Wu Shaoyi had sent Lian Deng over precisely because of this verbal confrontation; a few words could clarify the situation.
Now, he was also showcasing his talent:
“General Wu sent a message via the mechanism bird; did General Pei not receive it?”
“Mechanism bird?” Pei Xinyong was puzzled, “I only received the mechanism bird sent by Lu Yao. Wasn’t Wu Shaoyi bitten to death by the Crocodile God? Are you saying he is still alive?”
“General Wu is alive and well, and even rode the Crocodile God through the water to come!” Lian Deng said, “General Wu sent me ahead to ask you, will you join us or continue with the bandit Lu?”
The Crocodile God did not eat Wu Shaoyi but instead became his mount? This was too exaggerated; Pei Xinyong did not dare to believe it: “Do you have evidence that Lu Yao killed the Holy Master?”
“The Holy Master’s Ghost Eye Bow is in Lu Yao’s hands, with countless witnesses; Lu Yao used the Holy Master’s treasured Black Dragon Essence Blood as bait to lure the Crocodile God into the Immortal Spirit Lake, waiting to ambush you and General Wu, intending to seize power when the three armies met!” Lian Deng sneered, “When the Wailing Tomb Pass was breached, there were already rumors that Lu Yao killed the Holy Master; could it be that there was no reason behind such rumors? Now that you hear this, if you say the Holy Master’s death has nothing to do with him, do you believe it?”
Pei Xinyong's gaze flickered.
He had always been troubled by the Crocodile God entering the Immortal Spirit Lake with Lu Yao and could see that Lu Yao had not spoken the truth at all.
The Black Dragon Essence Blood, was this the truth?
“You’re hiding in the fog; how can I confirm that you are truly Lian Deng?” he said in a deep voice, “Also, why can you move freely in the fog? Is this Wu Shaoyi’s method?”
If Wu Shaoyi had laid down the fog, it would not be surprising for his subordinates to move freely within it; if the fog was released by the soldiers, and this person before him was indeed Lian Deng, then the implications behind it would be very profound.
Could it be?
“Of course, it is General Wu’s method.” Lian Deng stepped out from the fog, a purple marten perched on his shoulder.
He stopped, but the purple marten lightly leaped down, swaggering towards Pei Xinyong, and with a gentle jump, landed on the horse's head, waving its tail at him.
The purple marten was Wu Shaoyi’s spirit pet, and Pei Xinyong had teased it many times; he was very familiar with the small tuft of mixed fur on its forehead, so he recognized it at a glance.
Most importantly, humans could lie, but spirit pets were not easily disloyal.
Pei Xinyong asked the purple marten, “Is he really Lian Deng?”
The purple marten nodded.
“Is everything he said the truth?”
The purple marten twitched its whiskers: “Yes!”
“Then, where is Wu Shaoyi?”
“On the way here.” The purple marten said, “My master said: ‘He can harm me, and he can harm you,’ so before our troops arrive, be careful of sudden attacks and being caught in a pincer!”
“By the way, raise the blue flag during the battle, just like before!”
At this moment, the thick fog on Pei Xinyong's left suddenly stirred, and a group of soldiers rushed over.
It was Lu Yao returning after failing to find anyone, coming back to meet with Pei Xinyong.
In the fog, once the cloth strips were cut, it would likely isolate them from their teammates.
In such an unstable environment, numbers equated to strength, and unity ensured safety.
As soon as the purple marten spoke, Lian Deng retreated into the fog.
The moment Lu Yao appeared, the purple marten jumped off the large horse and quickly leaped onto a nearby branch.
With Pei Xinyong and the others blocking the way, Lu Yao could not see clearly, but as soon as the purple marten landed on the branch, it stopped, stared at him with bared teeth, and then leaped into the fog, disappearing from sight.
This pause allowed Lu Yao to see it clearly, and his heart involuntarily skipped a beat:
Wasn’t that Wu Shaoyi’s spirit pet?
With the purple marten here, could it be that Wu Shaoyi had also arrived?
Thinking of Wu Shaoyi, his scalp tingled.
The man who could not be killed by the Crocodile God and instead became its mount, how had the man with the surname Wu suddenly become so sinister?
No, they had no horses; it was impossible for them to arrive so quickly!
Lu Yao, filled with trepidation, asked, “What’s going on?”
“I had two people fall down!” Pei Xinyong pointed to the thick fog not far away, “What about you? Did you catch the scout?”
Lu Yao shook his head, his expression heavy; he too returned empty-handed.
Pei Xinyong exhaled, appearing quite irritated.
Lu Yao noticed that he did not mention the purple marten, which made him even more suspicious, asking, “What was that just now…”
Before he could finish the words “that thing,” he suddenly jolted: he couldn’t ask!
Behind him were groups of bandits, and Wu Shaoyi’s old subordinates made up the majority.
If he asked now, and Pei Xinyong answered truthfully, what would his new subordinates think?
Would they continue to follow him, or return to their old master?
The human heart could not withstand the test; he could not let them make a choice!
Pei Xinyong was confused: “What are you talking about?”
“No, it’s nothing.” Lu Yao forcibly swallowed his doubts.
The more he looked at Pei Xinyong, the more he felt that this person’s gaze was evasive; he must have spoken to the purple marten earlier.
This meant that Pei Xinyong most likely knew that Wu Shaoyi was not dead and that the two sides had already made contact!
Were they plotting something, how to ambush him?
Caught in this fog, which was both a fairyland and a dead end, Lu Yao’s entire back broke out in a cold sweat.
(End of Chapter)