Chapter 109: Have You Come In?

The sword-legged spider possessed exceptional combat power, technique, and awareness. Even until the very end, the flame werewolf failed to inflict any damage upon it. After tidying up the scene, Lu Sheng departed from the spider cave.

He trekked through the mountain woods until he reached a more open area, where he summoned the White-Flame Blue-Scaled Bird. Taking flight, he bypassed the Misty Mountains entirely. His next destination was the loess region, but with nightfall approaching, he needed to find a settlement to camp for the night. He mounted his bird and headed toward a nearby wilderness camp.

Deep in the woods, a man pulled out a sound-transmission insect. "Leader, I've found Lu Sheng..." Before he could finish, a voice came from the other end. "Where? Give me your location."

"He's flying away on a bird; he's no longer in the Misty Mountains."

"..."

"Forget it. It's almost dark. Based on the intelligence gathered over the past two days, he always rests at wilderness camps at night. That will be our chance."

He Fei, lurking at the foot of the Misty Mountains, felt annoyed that his ambush had failed. *A flying monster, eh? The brat is lucky, but it will soon be mine.*

***

Night fell rapidly, and Lu Sheng had already found a wilderness shelter to spend the night. Just as he was settling down to sleep, a note arrived, jolting him wide awake.

"Run!"

The note had drifted before him out of nowhere, bearing only that single word. Lu Sheng stared at it, gripped by uncertainty and confusion. There was clearly information he was missing. A sudden sense of crisis urged him to leave, and he did not hesitate.

However, as soon as he stood up, he saw a circle of people closing in around him. There were over a hundred of them, each armed with a heavy crossbow. The sharp bolts were clearly intended to target his White-Flame Blue-Scaled Bird. This time, things would be difficult.

He Fei stood at the forefront, holding a bloodied man with shattered limbs high in one hand. "Take a good look, everyone. This man dared to tip off our target about our arrival. He thought he was being subtle, but unfortunately, he was caught by me..."

He Fei released the man, and as the body fell, he delivered a brutal kick to the man's back.

*Thud!*

The body arched through the air in a grotesque, impossible posture that no ordinary person could ever achieve. The onlookers held their breath, realizing this was not a spectacle they wanted to witness. Lu Sheng watched as the man’s body folded, his vacant eyes and the spray of blood telling him everything: this man was beyond saving.

Lu Sheng looked at the note in his hand, a surge of rage rising within him. He looked up at He Fei. "This is the person who sent me the note, isn't it?"

He Fei leaned in, looking down from his height. "That's right. He might have actually succeeded, too, but unfortunately... my soul card is of the sensory type."

He Fei watched Lu Sheng with the air of a victor, the mockery in his eyes betraying a desire to see Lu Sheng struggle—only then could he truly savor the taste of victory. A target that didn't fight back was no fun at all. To He Fei, an opponent who didn't resist was no different from a dead fish. He relished the sight of a fighting spirit gradually fading into despair.

"Don't you have a flying monster? Why don't you try to run?" He Fei taunted. "I brought a batch of heavy crossbows specifically for that bird. If you don't test them, then I can't test them either. That would be a real pity."

Seeing Lu Sheng remain silent, He Fei felt disappointed. It was as if no matter how hard he pushed, the other side wouldn't even cry out. He lost interest instantly.

Lu Sheng remained silent, partly to suppress his rage and partly to assess how to break the deadlock. The man before him was stronger than a Fifth-Rank; when He Fei moved, Lu Sheng clearly sensed the aura of a Sixth-Rank. He didn't have time to hesitate; he had to make a choice.

He summoned every last one of his flame werewolves. The sudden appearance of thirty Fifth-Rank flame werewolves took the crowd by surprise. He Fei was momentarily stunned—this resistance was more intense than he had anticipated. It was as if he had been pushed away just as he felt he had the upper hand. Though annoyed, he felt a surge of excitement.

"Attack!"

He bellowed the command and charged forward with a heavy blade. As he moved, his muscles visibly expanded, stretching his formerly loose clothing until it clung to him like a bodysuit.

A volley of over a hundred crossbow bolts rained down toward Lu Sheng. At the same time, Lu Sheng commanded his werewolves to fire. They hurled their gathered fireballs, incinerating the incoming arrows, though the fireballs themselves exploded in mid-air upon impact.

This was something He Fei hadn't expected. He couldn't fathom how Lu Sheng possessed so many monster cards. Lu Sheng had never revealed this batch of werewolves; He Fei’s intelligence had only accounted for the Goblin Mermen. The unexpected development displeased him. If Lu Sheng were heartless enough to use these werewolves as a rearguard, he would likely escape. Although He Fei was a Sixth-Rank, he could not fly.

He rushed toward Lu Sheng, determined to capture him before he could decide to flee. The crossbowmen reloaded and fired again, and the werewolves responded with another barrage of fireballs.

This was the opening Lu Sheng needed. He hadn't been ready for the first wave, but he was prepared now. Under the cover of the flames, he summoned the White-Flame Blue-Scaled Bird and activated its rapid-takeoff ability, soaring into the sky. He ordered the flame werewolves to launch one final attack before ending their own existence.

He Fei was furious, feeling as though he had botched the job. The sheer number of monster cards in Lu Sheng's possession left him helpless. Yet, judging by Lu Sheng's choice to flee, he couldn't have reached the Sixth-Rank yet; otherwise, he might have been in real danger today.

*Forget it, I'll just kill his lackeys to vent my frustration.*

He Fei lunged at the remaining flame werewolves. When a fireball hurtled toward him, he shattered it with a single punch. The explosive energy was blocked by a layer of protective power, leaving him completely unharmed. Just as he prepared to slaughter them, he saw the flame werewolves collectively twist their own necks, committing suicide.

He Fei: "..."

*Why does it feel like punching cotton? Why is there no satisfaction in watching them die?*

"It makes no sense. Even if they were doomed, they should have died fighting the enemy, shouldn't they?"

No one answered He Fei's confusion, and he was forced to accept the outcome. He had arrived with great momentum, only to end with a whimper.