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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 111: The Pursuit
Ji Zichen had been fleeing for half a day when he finally realized that he might have fallen for Canglin's trick. Flying Wolf wanted to kill Zangda, but as a loyal follower, Zangda could be spared with just a word from Kai Zhou Shen. There was no need for such elaborate rescue efforts. In the heat of the moment, Ji Zichen hadn't thought of this angle, but now that he had some time to reflect, it dawned on him.
However, he couldn't quite figure out if there were other factors involved.
The horses galloped tirelessly; even the most resilient steed couldn't endure such relentless exertion. Ji Zichen thought they had escaped far enough that the villagers would likely not catch up to them. They chose to rest in a grove of trees. After their frantic flight, Lin Chuyu had already fallen asleep beside him. Ji Zichen ate some dried rations as night fell.
Regardless of whether it was a crescent or full moon, the grove was always illuminated by moonlight. Even at night, Zangda remained highly alert, not wanting to be captured by humans and turned into a pet for display. Ji Zichen and Zangda sat on High Slope, having already checked their surroundings for any signs of Demon Beasts.
Zangda scrutinized Ji Zichen, who couldn't decipher the meaning behind Zangda's gaze. However, he could see hints of frustration in Zangda's eyes. After a moment of silence, Zangda asked, "Why did you save me?"
Ji Zichen replied, "You are a member of Big Fool's clan; why wouldn't I save you?"
"Thank you," Zangda said.
Ji Zichen smiled and asked, "Can you take me back to your Mountain Valley?"
Zangda hesitated slightly. Friends were friends, but bringing a human back to Mountain Valley was another matter entirely. After pondering for a moment, Zangda said, "You saved me. If it were up to me, I would gladly take you to our Mountain Valley, but..."
"But you know that we humans are not welcome," Ji Zichen interjected.
"Yes," Zangda confirmed. "We have been deceived by too many humans before."
Ji Zichen nodded. "Honestly, I don't want to disturb you either, but I promised Big Fool that I would personally return the Azure Serpent Pearl."
Zangda fixed his gaze on Ji Zichen intently. "You helped Big Fool and saved me; you have done our Guzhao Clan a favor. Fine, I will take you back to the valley."
Ji Zichen was taken aback; he hadn't expected Zangda to agree so readily.
In truth, Zangda's willingness to bring him back wasn't solely due to Big Fool or its influence. The primary reason lay in its own mission for leaving the valley: the Saint King had tasked it with investigating the Vortex matter. Yet now it saw Vortex within Ji Zichen —something the Saint King did not perceive. Zangda contemplated how to proceed with this newfound knowledge about Vortex and thought about the Saint King's formidable powers; the Saint King could foresee many things that it itself did not understand.
Perhaps the Saint King had already foreseen that it would bring Ji Zichen back.
Ji Zichen and Zang Da took turns keeping watch. As dawn approached, Zang Da called Ji Zichen awake. "We should leave now. Once it’s fully light, it won’t be good for us, because from a distance they will be able to see us."
Ji Zichen nodded in agreement, not wanting to clash with the villagers.
At that moment, Zang Da perked up his ears. "Someone is coming," he said.
Ji Zichen placed a hand on the ground and felt a slight tremor beneath him. The vibrations came from hooves; he could almost hear the distant whinnying of horses. He called out to Lin Chuyu, and they immediately set off.
The colors gradually shifted from black to white, not from light but from the misty morning fog in the forest.
Ji Zichen was quite pleased with the sudden fog. No matter how long it lasted, he just hoped that his horse wouldn't lose its way in the gray haze.
The surroundings were sometimes blurry, sometimes clear. Ji Zichen reached out to touch the Five Elements Pearl. Although he didn’t want to use it against the villagers, if they were pursued, a conflict would be inevitable. However, if possible, Ji Zichen preferred not to resort to excessive force.
The sound of hooves grew closer and closer this time, surprising Ji Zichen. In such thick fog, it seemed as if their pursuers could see exactly where they were; their pursuit was remarkably precise, staying right behind them.
Zang Da let out a low growl. "Something is following us underground."
Ji Zichen's expression tightened. "What could possibly follow us underground?"
Zang Da didn’t know either, but he sensed something was indeed trailing them beneath the surface.
Ji Zichen cracked the whip against his horse's flank, urging it forward as he and Lin Chuyu vanished into the mist. Zang Da quickened his pace, worried about losing sight of Ji Zichen.
Suddenly, Lin Chuyu's horse swerved to avoid a protruding tree root. Although she could ride, her skills were mediocre. As she tried to turn the horse’s head, she pulled on the reins and twisted her body but lost her balance.
Lin Chuyu fell off her horse and landed on the uneven, hard ground before rolling into a patch of weeds nearby.
Ji Zichen had already heard Lin Chuyu's cry as she fell from her horse. She pulled her own mount to a stop and saw Lin Chuyu struggling to rise from the underbrush. Looking around, Lin Chuyu noticed that her horse had continued running, disappearing into the thick fog.
The sounds of pursuit grew louder.
"Come, get on my horse," Ji Zichen called out.
Lin Chuyu stumbled over to Ji Zichen's horse. Noticing her unsteady gait, Ji Zichen asked with concern, "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Lin Chuyu gritted her teeth. "Just a headache."
Seeing Lin Chuyu's petite frame, Ji Zichen worried that the fall might have shaken her up quite a bit. Just as she was about to help Lin Chuyu onto the horse, rustling sounds came from the nearby underbrush, which was knee-high and obscured what lay within.
Ji Zichen remained on high alert. If it were villagers approaching, she felt confident in handling them. But if it were something from underground, she would have to rely on luck. Suddenly, sand and debris flew as a creature burst forth from the ground with a loud "thud." It was an Azure Blaze Lizard. Ji Zichen was taken aback; as soon as the Azure Blaze Lizard revealed itself, it let out a shriek that seemed to call for its companions.
The call of the Azure Blaze Lizard resembled that of a wolf mixed with a fox, yet its appearance bore no resemblance to either; it looked more like a lizard.
However, this Azure Blaze Lizard had sharp teeth, and green, viscous saliva dripped from its mouth, setting it apart from ordinary lizards.
Though Ji Zichen had seen many creatures in her time, this was her first encounter with an Azure Blaze Lizard, and she had no experience fighting one. The creature was powerful on its feet; it launched itself toward Ji Zichen just as she prepared to defend herself. Suddenly, Zang Da's strong body collided with the Azure Blaze Lizard, sending it flying three yards away.
Zang Da bared his teeth at the Azure Blaze Lizard and said, "So it's just a burrowing lizard. I thought something was following us underground."
Although the Azure Blaze Lizard was larger than Zang Da in size, its length did not intimidate him. "You all go ahead," Zang Da declared. "I'll tear this lizard apart."
Ji Zichen was concerned for Lin Chuyu's safety and urged, "You go!" She then spurred her horse onward.
The Azure Blaze Lizard regained its senses after being knocked aside by Zang Da. Facing Zang Da, who appeared as a massive creature to it, the lizard hesitated before attacking; it seemed to recognize that this opponent would not be easy to defeat.
After pausing for a moment, the Azure Blaze Lizard suddenly swiped its claws at Zang Da. Its claws were exceptionally sharp, aiming to tear Zang Da in half. Seeing the deadly swipe coming his way, Zang Da sidestepped and used all his strength to deflect its claws with his own sharp limbs.
The Azure Blaze Lizard swayed its body slightly, paused for a moment, and then scrutinized Zang Da once more.
At that moment, Zang Da seized the opportunity to launch an attack, using his sharp claws to swipe at the Azure Blaze Lizard's forehead. If the Azure Blaze Lizard were an ordinary Demon Beast, Zang Da's claw would have surely left a deep gash. However, the Azure Blaze Lizard's hide was thicker than that of typical Demon Beasts. Despite its long body, it was surprisingly agile and possessed immense strength.
Zang Da's claws only managed to leave a shallow scratch on the Azure Blaze Lizard's forehead. In response, the Azure Blaze Lizard moved faster than Zang Da, filled with a fierce hatred that amplified its power.
Seeing the Azure Blaze Lizard's claws slicing toward him, Zang Da leaped backward. As he landed, he propelled himself forward again, testing the thickness of the Azure Blaze Lizard's skin. This time, he aimed for the creature's eyes. The sudden attack caught the Azure Blaze Lizard off guard, and Zang Da successfully gouged out its eyes.
Black blood flowed from the hollow eye sockets as the Azure Blaze Lizard let out a piercing scream. Its body began to sway violently. Seizing the moment, Zang Da leaped onto the Azure Blaze Lizard, gripping its neck tightly. His long claws sliced through the creature's throat; although its skin was thick, the skin around its neck was surprisingly thin. With a light stroke, blood gushed forth from the wound.
Just as this Azure Blaze Lizard fell lifelessly to the ground, another one burst forth from nearby soil and charged directly at Zang Da. He wasn't particularly afraid of this new threat, but as the sound of hooves grew closer, he couldn't be sure how many more Azure Blaze Lizards were coming. Not wanting to engage in a prolonged fight, he decided to flee.
The pursuing Azure Blaze Lizard called out as it chased after Zang Da.
In his haste to escape, Zang Da failed to notice a tree root that suddenly emerged from the ground and tripped him up. He tumbled heavily to the ground.
Although Zang Da had decent balance, he lost control of his body during the fall and crashed into several nearby trees, breaking them upon impact.
As he finally came to a stop, his vision was filled with stars, making it difficult for him to focus on the approaching Azure Blaze Lizard. Hearing its footsteps drawing near, he swung his claws wildly as if they were spears aimed at the creature.
The Azure Blaze Lizard swept its tail powerfully, knocking aside Zang Da's aimless strikes. Though his vision remained blurry, this exchange allowed Zang Da to pinpoint the location of the Azure Blaze Lizard and charge toward it.
As Zang Da rushed forward, the Azure Blaze Lizard opened its massive jaws and lunged at him.
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