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Chapter 114: The Fierce Pursuit
The Saint King was the largest among the Guzhao Clan, nestled deep within a valley. Leaning against a Banyan Tree that was even larger than its own massive trunk, Ji Zichen and Zang Da stood before the Saint King.
"The other Gu Diao insisted that I drive you away immediately, but I refused. They don't understand why I want to keep you here. I only wish to gain a deeper understanding of you," the Saint King said calmly.
Ji Zichen gazed intently at the Saint King.
"I have nothing to explain. I'm here for two reasons: first, to return the Azure Serpent Pearl to Big Fool, as I promised; second, to find someone named Canglin, who should not be half-human, half-god," Ji Zichen replied.
"Half-human, half-god? He is merely a sinner," the Saint King scoffed, lowering its voice to a hollow tone. "I know what Canglin means; he wants me dead."
Zang Da was taken aback, his body suddenly feeling unresponsive. "Saint King, what are you saying?"
The Saint King's gaze became very calm. "From a broader perspective, I admit that it may have to be this way."
Zang Da suddenly grew agitated. "Saint King, no matter what happens, you cannot die."
"This is my fate; I have foreseen it long ago," the Saint King said, gently placing a thick, hairy hand on Zang Da's shoulder. "Remember what I told you: every life in this world has its own path to follow."
Ji Zichen was confused. "What is going on, Saint King? Why must you die? Does this have something to do with the Sealing Technique?"
The Saint King did not answer immediately. It glanced up at the sky; the valley's height blocked out the sun, and it particularly despised the absence of sunlight.
Over the years, the Saint King's perception had weakened, and it could sense that its life was fading away.
Flying Wolf stood near the square, his expression grim.
The Pursuers he had sent out had already reported back, and this time they had lost quite a few Azure Blaze Lizards. The village's Militia and nearly all the remaining Azure Blaze Lizards had been dispatched to hunt down Ji Zichen and Yu Ren, leaving the cages of Azure Blaze Lizards nearly empty. Yet, they had found nothing.
Xia Lian stood beside Flying Wolf, seemingly having anticipated this situation, her demeanor remarkably calm.
"I should go after them myself," Flying Wolf murmured.
Xia Lian glanced at him and replied bluntly, "Flying Wolf, you're being too rash. You've sent everyone out; each of them is in danger!"
Flying Wolf did not respond. From the other side of the square came a group of armored Militia, led by Xi Zu.
As Xi Zu approached with his team, Flying Wolf first looked at him, then at Xia Lian.
When his gaze returned to Xi Zu, he opened his mouth to ask, "Did you catch them?"
Xi Zu shook his head and sighed. "No, we've already lost their trail."
Flying Wolf's expression tightened. "Lost their trail! With so many people, not a single one could see where they escaped to?"
Xi Zu felt displeased and thought, "Flying Wolf, I am not your lackey! If it weren't for my mother asking me to help, do you think I would bother with this?"
When Xi Zu mentioned the clan leader, Flying Wolf's expression showed great respect. He paused and said, "Young Master, I'm not blaming you. It's just that the criminal escaped right under my nose. If I can't catch him, how can I expect others to trust me in the future?"
Seeing Flying Wolf's tone soften, Xi Zu didn't push too hard. "There's no need to rush. With so many of us out there, we will definitely find some clues."
Flying Wolf glanced at Xia Lian and chose not to bring up Ji Zichen again. Instead, he asked, "Do you remember how we met, Xia Lian?"
Xia Lian was puzzled as to why Flying Wolf wanted to revisit the past. While she was contemplating his intentions, he sighed and added, "Back then, you weren't like you are now." Fearing that Xia Lian might misunderstand his comment as a jab at her transformation, he quickly clarified, "What I mean is, you were very hardworking back then." He stroked his chin and continued, "I really admired you during that time."
Flying Wolf's meaning was quite clear; he had always paid attention to Xia Lian. This attention had once made her feel flattered yet somewhat uncomfortable.
Xia Lian understood that Flying Wolf had feelings for her, but as someone who was immortal, she couldn't let him be burdened by her existence. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she asked, "Why do you bring this up?"
Flying Wolf smiled lightly. "There's no special reason; it just crossed my mind."
Although Ji Zichen seemed to have escaped capture for now, if Flying Wolf remained determined, he would eventually find her. Concerned for Ji Zichen's safety, Xia Lian said, "Flying Wolf, if she has run away, then she's gone. No one will blame you for it. Why not…"
Before she could finish her thought, Flying Wolf gestured for her to stop. "I know it was you who brought her back. Kai Zhou Shen is willing to meet her as well, which means she is someone special. I actually don't want to cause trouble for Ji Zichen; it's just that the clan leader really needs the Azure Serpent Pearl right now."
Xia Lian frowned and asked, "The clan leader needs the Azure Serpent Pearl? Why?"
Flying Wolf replied, "Haven't you noticed the wrinkles at the corners of the clan leader's eyes? If you want to help him, then tell me where they went."
It turned out that Flying Wolf was trying to play the friendship card by bringing up old memories. Their relationship was neither particularly good nor bad; fundamentally speaking, Xia Lian wouldn't refuse his request. However, if Ji Zichen's whereabouts were revealed now, it would not only endanger Ji Zichen but also put the Guzhao Clan at risk.
Xia Lian actually had no idea where Gu Diao Mountain Valley was, so he had only one choice. He said, "Flying Wolf, I really don't know where they went."
Flying Wolf locked eyes with Xia Lian and sighed, "So you really don't know."
With a wave of his hand, a Militia member immediately brought over Flying Wolf's horse. With an air of authority, Flying Wolf mounted the horse.
"Flying Wolf, do you intend to catch them yourself?" Xia Lian asked urgently.
At that moment, the Militia handed the reins to Flying Wolf.
Flying Wolf tightened his grip on the reins and declared, "I must obtain the Azure Serpent Pearl."
Xia Lian remarked, "It's going to get dark soon."
Flying Wolf understood what Xia Lian meant; once the sun set in the Opening of the Zhou Wasteland, it would be the world of Demon Beasts. However, Flying Wolf was not afraid of this. On the contrary, rather than waiting for news, he preferred to go find them himself. Right now, he was filled with pent-up frustration and felt that killing one or two Demon Beasts would be quite satisfying.
"Young Master, you stay here to protect the clan leader," Flying Wolf instructed.
Xi Zu nodded as Flying Wolf prepared to leave.
Xia Lian called out to Flying Wolf, "Wait! I'm going with you!"
After a moment of hesitation, Flying Wolf finally nodded. "If you want to come, then come along."
Xia Lian waved goodbye to Xi Zu while riding another horse, following the Cavalry of Flying Wolf as they set off.
Xia Lian rarely rode horses, and due to her fear of leaning forward, she tightly gripped the reins, trying her best to keep pace with the group. She chose to follow Flying Wolf not out of a desire to please him, but because if he happened to find Ji Zichen, her presence might help curb his impulsiveness.
Flying Wolf was familiar with the terrain nearby and knew that Ji Zichen had already left them far behind. However, he was patient; his patience would surely lead him to find Ji Zichen.
As always, once night fell in the Opening of the Zhou Wasteland, a thick black mist enveloped the area. The mist was heavy, and Xia Lian hoped that Ji Zichen would cherish this cover and seize the opportunity to escape.
Xia Lian stared straight ahead, wondering if this was the path Ji Zichen had taken. She hoped not; she wished they were completely off track and that their journey would turn out to be in vain.
They traveled through the night, and by morning, the dense black mist quickly dissipated. The morning fog rolled in shortly after, but it too cleared away in no time. The sunlight became unusually intense, scorching as if it aimed to drain every drop of moisture from Xia Lian's body.
When they reached a ridge, the sight before Flying Wolf made him furrow his brow, and several Militia members began cursing loudly.
Flying Wolf signaled for them to slow down as they approached a spread of earth mounds. Although he had received reports about this beforehand, he remained silent. As they drew closer to the mounds, they were met with a scene of corpses scattered across the ground, leaving everyone stunned.
At least fifteen Militia members lay dead, their bodies torn apart. Some were mangled beyond recognition, resembling fruit left out in the sun for too long without care.
One could imagine their desperate resistance before death, enduring unimaginable pain.
Five Azure Blaze Lizards were also dead; some had their throats ripped open while others had their innards dragged out.
"What a vicious method!" Flying Wolf growled fiercely. "They definitely weren't acting alone! There must be accomplices!"
Xia Lian was also shocked by the brutal deaths of the Militia and the Azure Blaze Lizard, but he knew that Ji Zichen was not responsible for this cruelty. Ji Zichen was not capable of such brutality, and it couldn't have been Zang Da either; with Ji Zichen present, Xia Lian believed that Ji Zichen would never allow Zang Da to act in such a manner.
Xia Lian paid little attention to what Flying Wolf had said; instead, he pondered what had transpired here. It looked as if a fierce battle had taken place.
Dismounting to examine the bodies, Xia Lian increasingly felt that this was not the work of humans. These individuals were certainly not killed by Ji Zichen, but the horrific state of the corpses was right before his eyes. If he didn't find some clarity soon, Flying Wolf would undoubtedly harbor misunderstandings about Ji Zichen.
Flying Wolf gazed at the tragic scene of the Militia and angrily declared, "At that moment, I should have killed that beast!" His fists clenched tightly; his determination to pursue was now even clearer.
Suddenly, one of the Militia shouted as he discovered something next to a corpse. "Come look! What is this thing?"
Flying Wolf immediately dismounted and handed the reins to a Militia member. He and Xia Lian widened their eyes, eager to see what significant discovery had been made.
The Militia had found a shattered Green Demon Eagle. The corpse of the Green Demon Eagle was grotesquely deformed, as if it had been caught in a frenzied battle between both sides.
Even in death, the Green Demon Eagle's visage was terrifying.
Flying Wolf asked calmly, "What is this?"
In an instant, Xia Lian felt a surge of joy. "This is a Green Demon Eagle! They must have encountered a Green Demon Eagle; these people were not killed by Ji Zichen!"
But then Xia Lian's smile faded. Although these Militia were not slain by Ji Zichen, they were still his own kin.
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