37: Encounter, Chen Cuo wants to escape

Chen Cuo remained in the middle of the group, always vigilant. When the giant python devoured people earlier, he did not intervene, only protecting himself and observing carefully.

Just as the sudden change occurred, Second Brother Lin was very cautious and quickly found a tree to hide behind, staying far away.

This made Chen Cuo nod in approval. And just now, Chen Cuo detected a surge of malice directed at him, as if a pair of eyes were staring at him. Chen Cuo scanned the source of the malice, which was exactly where Stone Deficiency was located.

He thought that old dog Shi Potian didn't want him to live.

Chen Cuo reined in his thoughts and focused his attention on White Chen and Black Yuan's actions. The Ironwood Python, being an exotic beast, was difficult to harm with ordinary swords and blades.

Only Lian Zang Realm Martial Artists, by attaching their Internal Energy to their weapons, could contend with it.

However, this snake, in the hands of two Acquired masters, did not last a single move before being killed by White Chen. It was just unexpected that it could still spit out a mouthful of poisonous mist before its death, claiming the lives of several more Martial Artists.

White Chen dragged the snake's corpse back to the group, disemboweled it, and took out an inner gall, intending to hand it to Chang Shi.

Chang Shi's expression remained unchanged, but he subtly showed some disdain, saying, "Keep it yourself!"

Many Vajra Sect Martial Artists looked at the snake's body, repeatedly showing shock and sorrow. They hadn't even entered the depths of the mountain range yet; just encountering a large snake had resulted in the deaths of seven or eight brothers.

As Gang Martial Artists, they had all previously lived a life of danger in the Jianghu, but now, those accompanying Young Master Chang to search for the Mountain Spirit, even if not high-ranking minor leaders of the Vajra Sect, were at least well-regarded members of the Gang.

After the Vajra Sect unified Wei City, it was supposed to be their time to enjoy life, yet they were sent here by Shi Renhsan to die. Thoughts swirled among the crowd, and they all began to feel a desire to retreat.

Chen Cuo noticed the change in everyone's emotions and found it amusing, only watching coldly from the sidelines of the group. He had already decided that he would leave the group as soon as the opportune moment arrived.

Black Yuan noticed the abnormal mood of the group and immediately said coldly, "Keep moving! No one is allowed to stop. Those who follow me will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver upon returning to Wei City. Those who desert in battle will be executed!"

Under his threats, a mix of stick and carrot, the previously noisy crowd quieted down again. Many people reined in their thoughts of retreating, and the group resumed its orderly formation.

Second Brother Lin climbed up from under a large tree and continued to lead the way for everyone. Along the path, although the terrain was wild and secluded, they did not encounter any impassable chasms. The compass rotated from time to time, changing directions.

Soon, they had ventured nearly twenty li into the mountain range. The atmosphere in the forest became extremely quiet. Besides themselves, they could not feel any human presence. This place was already rarely visited.

They traveled during the day and arrived at Xining County. Chang Shi feared that someone might get there first and find the Mountain Spirit, so he did not stop along the way. In the jungle, the light gradually faded, and night slowly enveloped the land.

A Martial Artist, with a flash of inspiration, took out a fire starter, intending to light a torch. Second Brother Lin saw it and immediately cried out in alarm, pinching out the fire and saying, "Do not light a fire! The light will attract some strange things, and those things are even more terrifying than exotic beasts."

"You, you country bumpkin, how dare you be so disrespectful to me!" The Martial Artist roared furiously, his face turning green with anger, and he drew his saber, ready to strike.

Chen Cuo quickly moved beside him and lightly slapped him. The Martial Artist's entire face swelled up, becoming extremely red.

Chen Cuo slowly said, "Foolish. If you kill him, will you lead the way later? When in the mountains, you should listen to the hunter's words!"

"Ah, Boss Chen, no, I, I just..."

This person was one of Stone Deficiency's subordinates, and at this moment, Stone Deficiency, and even White Chen, were staring at him. He stammered in a low voice, unable to speak further.

Chen Cuo ignored the other party. At this moment, he felt a surge of panic in his heart. Whether in his previous life or this life, even during the hard times after his Transmigration, he had always been in the city. Chen Cuo had never had experience surviving in the wilderness.

The quiet night at this moment made him feel a little uneasy. In such a primeval forest, no one knew what dangers they would encounter. With his current means, he still needed to be cautious, as Acquired Martial Artists had fallen here.

To survive, of course, he had to follow the experts. Therefore, Chen Cuo smiled kindly at Second Brother Lin.

"Young Master, do you think we should continue forward or wait until daylight?" White Chen asked Chang Shi. The compass had stopped at this moment, its needle pointing in one direction without moving again.

Chang Shi looked at the direction indicated by the compass, his eyes unusually cold, and slowly exhaled, saying, "Keep going! We cannot let the Martial Alliance get ahead of us!"

White Chen's heart tightened, and he could only nod in agreement. The reason Chang Shi was so anxious was that the Martial Alliance had already personally sent people here, and other aristocratic families were also doing the same. The other three Wei Cities had also cooperated with the aristocratic families in the State City, all wanting to find the Mountain Spirit and ascend to heaven in one step.

Fortunately, the Chang Family still had a rare treasure that played a role, allowing them to avoid any detours in this struggle for the Mountain Spirit.

White Chen looked at the compass in his hand, lost in thought.

This rare treasure was called the Spirit Seeking Compass. When activated with Internal Energy, it could search for spiritual energy. However, after each use, he would feel back pain for a period of time.

This item was kept hidden by the Chang Family. Now that it had appeared, the secret was broken. White Chen's heart turned cold as he recalled the Patriarch's instructions: only dead men can keep secrets.

After finding the Mountain Spirit, all the Martial Artists involved in the treasure hunt were to be killed.

If it weren't for the fact that capturing the Mountain Spirit required a large number of people, and the Chang Family's elites or household servants were all carefully cultivated and not worth such losses, the Chang Family would not have chosen to cooperate with a Jianghu Gang. It was truly a last resort.

Once the atmosphere among the group eased, Second Brother Lin, at Chen Cuo's instruction, had a dozen Martial Artists surround him, providing close protection. At this time, all the Martial Artists were very sensible, knowing that Second Brother Lin had rich survival experience in the mountains, and dared not be disrespectful in the slightest, so they could only endure it.

Chen Cuo didn't dwell on it too much, slowly falling to the back of the group, but he remained very close to Second Brother Lin, only a few steps away.

In the night, Chang Shi also dared not be too casual, only slowly traversing the forest with everyone under the faint moonlight.

However, just as everyone reached the entrance of a mountain hollow, at a bend, figures suddenly moved, and shouts of battle shook the heavens.

By the light of the moon, Chen Cuo looked over and saw forty to fifty people, armed with long blades, charging down from above towards their group.

Those people wore miscellaneous clothes, but the robes of the leading few had Dragon and Tiger patterns on their sleeves. From their speed of movement, these few were all Lian Zang Realm Martial Artists. The miscellaneous soldiers behind them were probably only at the Skin Tempering Realm level, and there were also a dozen or so Mortals who had not yet entered a Realm.

Chen Cuo observed them and found them familiar. The Dragon and Tiger patterns on the clothes of the two leaders looked very much like the attire of the Dragon Tiger Gang, a Gang from the northern Wei City.

But were they foolish, not seeing that White Chen and the other person were Acquired Realm Martial Artists?

White Chen did not give many warnings, only raised his hand and unleashed a burst of Qi. The two leaders opposite him were sent flying more than ten meters away, as if struck by a giant hammer, lying on the ground, their lives unknown.

A shocking Aura emanated, and the others dared not move again.

"It, it's a great master of the Acquired Realm!" The opposing side's Aura suddenly stagnated. Many people trembled, frozen in place, their eyes filled with surprise and fear, and some even lost control of their bladder.

"Hahaha, Old Ghost Bai, I heard your brothers all died in a small Wei City. Why are you still here acting so wantonly?" Suddenly, a long-bearded old man appeared, also with white hair, exuding a vigorous Aura, full of strong confidence in his every move. He immediately flashed to the front of the opposing group.

Chen Cuo saw another Acquired master appear, and his heart stirred. He silently moved a few more steps closer to Second Brother Lin, now only inches away from him.