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墨書 Inktalez
The group returned to the camp, first counting heads and checking for casualties.
After the count, all the Camel Drivers were present, not a single one was missing. One Camel had died, its neck bitten through by a wolf, blood pooling on the ground, its large eyes wide open, indicating a very tragic death.
Additionally, there was one unfortunate piece of news: the Guide was dead, and his body was nowhere to be found.
At first, the group suspected he had taken advantage of the chaos to escape, but a Camel Driver had seen him being carried off by a wolf.
Just moments ago, the Guide had been here reprimanding the Camel Drivers, appearing very experienced and seasoned. Who would have thought that he did not stand with the Camel Drivers and thus met such a gruesome fate?
If he had wanted to escape, he could have walked out from here; there were wolves all around, so it was unlikely he could have survived.
If he was taken by the wolves, it could be concluded that he had met an untimely death.
Seeing this situation, everyone felt heavy-hearted, but not solely because someone had died. The main concern was that without the Guide, they would likely have to take some detours on their journey ahead.
The twelve Bear Demon Death Warriors returned, leading the way with bloodstains all over them. However, since they wore Bear Demon masks that only revealed their noses, mouths, and eyes, it was impossible to discern their expressions. On the surface, they appeared very indifferent, like grim reapers.
Next, ten Camel Drivers took action to clean up the scene, disposing of the wolf's carcass far away. The dead Camel was also buried; after all, it had contributed to their efforts and it was too unfortunate for it to be eaten by wolves.
In just four short hours, they had encountered two major crises: a Desert Storm and a wolf attack—truly perilous experiences.
That night, everyone spent it with heavy hearts, managing to get through as best as they could.
The next morning, they packed up the camp and set out again.
Fortunately, Princess Zhulan had learned to read the parchment while communicating with the Guide and remembered the general route ahead.
So for the time being, Princess Zhulan acted as the Guide and led the way in front.
From then on, the journey remained relatively calm without any significant crises occurring again.
By the Eighth Hour, it was evening again. The group had chosen a campsite and set up their tents to rest.
Suddenly, there was a commotion in the distance, a rustling sound that was very chaotic. From the sound, it seemed unlikely to be humans; if they were humans intending to attack Lu Chen and the others, they would have approached quietly, trying to conceal their presence.
Lu Chen and the others immediately rushed out of their tents, only to see twelve Bear Demon Death Warriors taking up positions, ready for battle.
Just as they thought that the attackers might be wild wolves or similar beasts, they were taken aback by the newcomers.
It was people, not beasts, and they didn’t seem to have any intention of attacking the campsite, which was why their footsteps had been detected by Lu Chen and the others.
Instead, they slowly approached the campsite, showing no signs of combat readiness; even their weapons were sheathed. There were nine of them in total, with Yue Shaoting leading the group.
“Sister Yue?” Lu Chen exclaimed in surprise, calling out the name of the leader.
She was still the same girl dressed in a black trench coat, her long hair cascading down like a waterfall. Her skin was pale and delicate, and two Dual Blades were strapped to her back.
However, due to her long journey through the desert, her complexion appeared somewhat haggard. Behind her followed the Shark-Slaying Eight Guards.
“Lu Chen, it really is you.” Upon seeing Lu Chen, Yue Shaoting's tone carried a hint of surprise.
“Indeed, it’s me. Are you here to seek revenge?” Lu Chen stated bluntly. He had killed Yue Shaoting's brother, so it was only natural for her to come looking for him.
Last time at Wind Blinder Archipelago, Lu Chen had relied on Jun Bell's power to eliminate all of them. Now that things had reignited, it was within expectations.
The pursuit from Giant Barbarian Island and the Yue Family would be relentless.
Lu Chen never expected that Yue Shaoting would track him all the way into the desert. In his mind, even if someone from Qi Kingdom or Korea came after him, it would be understandable; but for it to be Yue Shaoting left him stunned.
The atmosphere on site instantly turned cold. Princess Zhulan and others surrounded Lu Chen from behind, vigilantly watching Yue Shaoting and her group. If they dared to show any signs of treachery, they would immediately pounce and tear them apart.
"At first, I only heard rumors and suspected it was you. I didn't expect to come and see that it really was you, Lu Chen. You're quite impressive," Yue Shaoting said in a calm tone, which often precedes an act of violence.
"That's right, it's me. Surprised, Sister Yue? So, are you here to kill me today?" Lu Chen took two steps forward, his fists clenched tightly as he asked Yue Shaoting if she had come to execute him.
Yue Shaoting chuckled and replied, "Lu Chen, you're too arrogant, but also quite clever. Do you really think I'm here to kill you?"
Lu Chen laughed heartily and countered, "Sister Yue, last time at the Wind Blinder Archipelago, your team set a trap but ultimately failed to kill me. Instead, I captured you and gained the upper hand. What do you think will happen this time when you come to kill me again?"
During the last encounter at the Wind Blinder Archipelago, Lu Chen had turned the tables on Yue Shaoting and her companions, yet they had refrained from taking lethal action against him, showing a degree of mercy.
Princess Zhulan looked at Lu Chen with a questioning gaze; she had never heard him mention this incident before. It was surprising to learn that there had been some friction between Lu Chen and Yue Shaoting.
Listening to Lu Chen, Princess Zhulan fell silent, pacing back and forth about ten paces away from the camp.
The atmosphere at the scene remained tense; any slight movement from either side could trigger a major conflict.
After a long while, Yue Shaoting slowly lifted her head and said seriously, "Lu Chen, I'm here just to verify your presence; I'm not here to kill you. If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have come so openly. With my strength and the Shark-Slaying Eight Guards by my side, I could easily take down half of you."
Yue Shaoting continued slowly; indeed, if she and the Shark-Slaying Eight Guards had concealed their presence and infiltrated the camp, they might not have been able to kill Lu Chen outright. Just dealing with Old Mu and his group would likely be enough to ensure their escape.
As for those Camel Drivers, they wouldn't even realize what was happening until it was too late.
"Is that really your only purpose?" Lu Chen stared directly at Yue Shaoting, somewhat skeptical of her words.
"What do you think?" Yue Shaoting tossed her long hair back and retorted.
Yue Shaoting and the nine members of the Shark-Slaying Eight Guards had actually walked into the desert on foot; they hadn't ridden camels but carried only a small amount of food and water. They traveled light with minimal preparation.
They relied solely on the strength of their Qi Master to reach this point. Ordinary people would never be able to catch up with Lu Chen and his group; walking such a distance like this would leave them utterly exhausted.
"Princess Zhulan" couldn't hold back her anger and said to "Lu Chen," "I came to find you, what a waste of effort, hmph."
With that, "Princess Zhulan" stormed off. Seeing this, "Tu Youdong" also led the "Bear Demon Death Warriors" away.
Once they left, the "Shark-Slaying Eight Guards" also withdrew, and the atmosphere on site relaxed considerably.
"She is really beautiful."
"Yue Shaoting" remarked with a smile as she watched "Princess Zhulan" leave.
"Sister Yue came to see me; there must be other reasons behind it," "Lu Chen" said with a serious expression after everyone else had departed.
At this moment, they were alone, with the "Shark-Slaying Eight Guards" keeping their distance, leaving only "Lu Chen" and "Yue Shaoting" together.
"Of course, I know you are a clever Ming Ren, what do you think?" "Yue Shaoting" replied coldly with a smirk.
"For treasure? And to kill me? Those are probably your only two objectives, right?" "Lu Chen" countered.
"I'll speak plainly; after leaving the Wind Blinder Archipelago, I didn't return to the Yue Family or Giant Barbarian Island. I've been staying in Central Plains," "Princess Zhulan" stated.
"Oh, why is that?" "Lu Chen" asked in surprise.
"Yue Shaoting" sighed and said, "Hehe, if I don't complete the task assigned by my family, I'll be punished upon returning. You have the Xuan Huang Sect's Jun Bell on you; I know I can't kill you, so I thought of using this batch of treasure to redeem myself."
"You went to see Young Master Ming?" "Lu Chen" inquired.
"Yue Shaoting" nodded but didn't say more.
She didn't need to; "Lu Chen" understood well enough. With "Yue Shaoting's" position, it was impossible for her to obtain the parchment from "Young Master Ming."
She probably went to face a setback, or even clashed with Young Master Ming, but she couldn't possibly be his match, so she failed to obtain the parchment.
Young Master Ming is the leading figure of the Martial Arts Association, exceptionally skilled; even Lu Chen wouldn't dare to underestimate him, let alone Yue Shaoting.
However, this made Lu Chen even more curious about Sun Zizhao. It seemed that what everyone thought was impossible, he managed to accomplish, which was puzzling.
Lu Chen was silent for a moment and then said, "If you want to use this batch of Treasure to atone for your sins, that would be truly regrettable. I cannot agree to that."
This batch of Treasure might be important to Yue Shaoting, but it was even more crucial for Lu Chen; no one could take it from him.
Chen Qilin's Mechanism Base is currently in need of funds, like a large black hole opening up to Lu Chen, demanding money from him.
"Don't answer so definitively. After all, Treasure is still Treasure; who knows what's real and what's fake? What if it doesn't exist at all?" Yue Shaoting said as he paced back and forth.
Lu Chen chuckled and replied, "What do you mean, Sister Yue?"
In Lu Chen's mind, he recalled when Huangfu Xun tried to recruit him into Qi Kingdom by offering himself. Could this Yue Shaoting be thinking along the same lines?
"Don't get the wrong idea. If the Treasure is real, you might not be able to obtain it. Who knows who will prevail in the end?" Yue Shaoting's tone was somewhat sarcastic.
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