ASER - Chapter 104
Chapter 104: Give Money
Before the Pule Moth opened its eyes, in a precipitous mountain gorge ten kilometers away, white mist lingered, and the jungle was dense. From time to time, the roars from Demonic Spirit lairs could be heard.
It looked like a region that ordinary cultivators wouldn't dare approach, but no one knew that a bandit stronghold was hidden in the secluded valley at the bottom of this gorge.
The more than 40 people who had just been captured were now being escorted by a group of bandits into a cave. The main hall was spacious, but everything resembled a primitive mountain stronghold.
It was both ancient and conformed to the primitive ugliness of human nature.
Seeing several skeletons in the corner, their hearts trembled in unison, and they were frantic with anxiety. However, the girl in green and a red-haired youth only showed a slight flicker in their eyes, with no other reaction.
It was also difficult for them to show any other reaction, because their hands were cuffed with manacles specifically designed to suppress Spiritual Power, and an A-rank cultivator had cast a spell on them, leaving them even more powerless to resist.
Their strongest member was only at C+ cultivation level.
This time, they had truly fallen into a trap.
But a glimmer of hope for survival flickered in everyone's hearts—their captors hadn't killed them; perhaps they wanted to extort them? In that case, there was room for negotiation.
Two to three hundred ferocious bandits were gathered in the cave. Their gazes towards the captives were exceptionally predatory, as if they were looking at treasure troves.
The coarse-looking man seated at the head, sipping crimson red wine, sized them up and spoke: "Want to live? Hand over your storage equipment and unlock it. I only want money. Then you can go."
Really? The group wasn't entirely convinced. But exchanging glances, they also knew that these bandits were worried that even if they killed them, the death-warning devices loaded in their storage equipment would send a message back.
Because bandits were rampant everywhere nowadays, students from academies or disciples from prominent families would buy such items and place them in their storage equipment for emergencies. And these devices didn't require electronic signals; once triggered, they would release strong electromagnetic waves, connect to satellites via telepathy, and directly transmit their location.
"You can choose not to believe me, or not to hand them over. The consequences will be the same as those people over there."
"If it weren't for the fact that you look like people from various academies, we businessmen would prefer to make money amicably. We can't afford to offend your academies, so we wouldn't resort to this."
"What's the point of taking your lives?"
This coarse man seemed sincere, and some were indeed moved, almost believing him. But a few felt a chill in their hearts: there was a contradiction in his words. If they were truly afraid of the academies receiving news and coming to rescue, they wouldn't let those who had seen their faces leave alive. They should eliminate all witnesses.
So, he was just trying to trick them into removing all potential threats, so he could both get their wealth and kill them without any future worries.
But while these bandits could make the optimal choice, the captives had no choice.
Finally, the red-haired youth said in a deep voice, "We can agree, but you must guarantee that you will really let us go."
Heh, naive children, so easily scared.
The coarse man narrowed his eyes and said with continued frankness, "Of course. Men, untie them and let them open their storage equipment."
The A-rank cultivator who had acted earlier went over. But on the other side, a refined-looking young man pushed up his glasses and exchanged a look with him. The girl in green noticed this and slightly lowered her gaze.
Click, clack. The binding Daoist arts and the manacles were removed by the A-rank cultivator. This person watched them with a smile, but he had actually locked onto the strongest one, the red-haired youth.
A C2 cultivation level, truly remarkable. But these academy students must have many treasures on them.
The red-haired youth sensed this person watching him, a flicker in his eyes. While unlocking his storage ring, his Spiritual Power suddenly erupted... his killing power instantly soared to nearly C7 level, and he directly attacked this person.
But the gap was too large.
The A-rank cultivator sneered, and in an instant...
But he also noticed that the others had started to act as well. However, the bandits were far more experienced; they immediately locked onto everyone and subdued them one by one in a flash. Yet, with so many people, it seemed no one noticed the slender, frail girl in green make a slight movement with her fingertip.
Buzz!!!
That device was triggered?
The coarse man above sneered, raised his hand, and a beam of light blasted the instrument. But in the next second, the girl in green activated a bracelet with her other hand, and a small to medium-sized protective shield instantly appeared. Everyone leaped back in unison... and took cover inside it.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The bandits' attacks struck the shield, including those from the two A-ranks, but their attacks were all ineffective.
"Damn it! Boss, this is at least a D-grade forbidden item!"
"To be able to wield such a powerful effect with only a C-grade cultivation, it must be D-grade, worth at least two billion! We've struck it rich!"
"Rich my ass, they're about to activate the device! Fuck!"
After everyone hid inside the protective shield, they immediately tried to activate the device, but...
"If you dare activate it, I'll kill him immediately!" The red-haired youth was pinned to the ground, a blade pressed against his throat.
The people inside the shield were immediately hesitant, fearing for the hostage. But the girl in green's expression suddenly changed; her device had already been destroyed, so she could only shout to the others... The red-haired youth, lying on the ground, also saw the secret of the floor and immediately shouted, "Activate it quickly! There's poison below..."
It was too late.
Holes appeared in the ground where everyone stood, hissing as they released wisps of green disorienting smoke. In an instant, a large group of people went limp. Only the girl in green, whose cultivation was second only to the red-haired youth, tried to pick up a companion's device to activate it, but she eventually collapsed from weakness.
In their weakened vision, they could only see the surrounding bandits, laughing wildly like demons. And the tall, burly, fur-clad coarse man walked down, treading in his leather boots.
As he approached, the protective shield finally collapsed because the girl could no longer sustain it with her Spiritual Power. In front of all the students, he pinched the girl in green's cheek.
"Such an ordinary little face... you must have used a disguise technique, right? I see you look like people from Yunzhou Academy. I've heard Yunzhou Academy has a pair of beauties, young but exceptionally beautiful. Let me guess, are you Li Zhaowu or Hang Xiujin?"
With a wipe of his large hand, he dispelled the disguise on the girl in green's face, revealing a stunningly beautiful, delicate face.
Seeing his lewd gaze, her delicate brows furrowed coldly. She didn't want to struggle, but instead prepared to detonate her Spirit Cluster...
But just at this moment.
In the vast cave, suddenly, it was too damn sudden.
Music, suddenly there was music.
The theme song of some old TV drama, it seemed to be called Little Li Flying Dagger.
The lyrics went like this: Rare to have such great skill, yet the trials of love can never be overcome. Cannot break through tender affections; wielding swords in chaos yields no result. Flowing water, endlessly, cannot be severed; threads of love, a hundred knots, cannot be broken through. The blade is cold, but passion hasn't cooled; the heart is even more sorrowful. The heartless dagger never knows its fault; no destiny, only sighing in vain...
Lingering, moving, and full of chivalrous classical rhythm, it was originally an ultra-classic song. But here, it was somehow... shocking and outrageous!
Especially when the prelude started, it simply numbed everyone's scalps.
Fuck, fuck, fuck!???
From Kui Yang +99999!
From Zhao Cheng +77462!
From Wang Dao +66666!
From...
From Hang Xiujin +55555!
From Chi Cheng +53435!
From...
A group of bandits and a group of students collectively surged Mental Power. The two A-ranks and the coarse leader, caught off guard, immediately unleashed all their Spiritual Power, while the other bandits frantically searched and locked down the entire cave, also trying to pinpoint the source of the music.
There!
The coarse bandit leader locked onto a spot. He flung a wild blade, its edge flashing, flames burning upon it like a fiery python coiling around the blade. After striking the wall, it unleashed A6-level destructive power, also shattering some stone fragments, which carried sparks.
Wrong?
The coarse leader's expression changed, and he reached out to recall his blade. Suddenly, a dense swarm of crimson bee-like dots mysteriously appeared with a buzzing sound. And with a whoosh, they all flew towards the crowd, piercing through.
The speed was too fast, far too fast.
However terrified A'Diao had been when facing Li Yuanshu's ultimate move back then, these people's state of mind would only be worse, because the gap between them and the attacker was even greater.
Now, the speed, penetration power, and even the quantity of the blood bees were ten times what Li Yuanshu could control.
At the same time, they also realized they had been simultaneously afflicted with more than three negative statuses: blindness, weakness, and immobilization.
Fuck!
If there were three thousand of them, two thousand five hundred split off to besiege and kill the coarse leader and his two A-rank companions. Their defensive armor was bombarded and was on the verge of collapse. As for the others... below A-rank, all were brutally crippled. Not dead, but their Spirit Clusters and limbs were destroyed.
Hang Xiujin and the others watched this brutal scene unfold. They instinctively prostrated themselves on the ground, thinking they too would be killed.
But... these terrifying blood bees all flew past them.
The music continued, but the slaughter quickly ended with the shattering of the armor.
The coarse leader's group of three A-ranks were also quickly crippled, lying on the ground like dead dogs, barely breathing.
Throughout the entire process, they had no power to resist, not even seeing their opponent's face.
However, it did continuously generate over a million Mental Power points.
And it was still increasing.
Blood flowed on the ground. The three thousand blood bees flew towards one spot and soon entered a person's palm.
After the crimson glow disappeared, the person was revealed from within the bloody aura.
The music was still playing, the slaughter still fresh. Against this backdrop, regardless of this person's appearance or temperament, they possessed an aura that made people look up to them in awe.
Chi Cheng and the others indeed tried hard to look up.
Ordinary trousers and a floral shirt. Fair skin, but unremarkable features. Height around 1.7 meters plus. Slightly curly hair, looking amiable but also like an ordinary, baby-faced young man in his thirties.
He walked down, his bracelet released tentacles, and swept away all the spoils of war.
But... he didn't touch Hang Xiujin and her companions' storage equipment.
Everyone seemed to realize something. Chi Cheng struggled to use the last bit of Spiritual Power in his body to dispel some of the poison, and said with difficulty, "Thank you for saving our lives, Big Brother. May I ask your..."
Then he saw the class beauty he had a secret crush on being approached by the other person, who extended a hand...
His expression changed instantly.
Hang Xiujin was a little nervous, as she didn't understand the other person's intentions. But after all, she had been saved, so she couldn't assume malicious intent. It was just that the other person extended a hand towards her...
He didn't touch her, just opened his palm, fingers spread.
"Give money."
His posture was exactly like that of a professional beggar chief on the roadside holding a blue-and-white porcelain bowl—self-righteous, persistent, and firm.
Hang Xiujin: "?"
Chi Cheng: "??"
The others: "???"
From all the above +++ Mental Power.
Half a million, easy peasy.
A'Diao's gaze towards them became even gentler.
Aiya, I really do like these students. There aren't many of them, but their Mental Power contribution is strong. Most importantly, they're good-looking too.
But, do these academies have, like, one little fairy per capita?
Comments
Post a Comment