章 8: The Massacre in Dragon Village
編集者: EndlessFantasy Translation
Huoshi looked up at the sky and howled after he saw Wutian jump and disappear into the river. He could not control his anger.
"Little bastard! Unless you have the magical ability to hide from me, I'll grind your bones to dust when I catch you! Let's get out of here, Sister Liuyan!" Huoshi's face darkened. His eyes were filled with murderous intent as he jumped onto the bird's back.
Liuyan sighed and followed suit. She had initially wanted to avoid such ruthlessness, but since the situation had escalated, the only way to fix it was to kill Wutian to silence him.
The Flamingo took off and hovered above the river. Meanwhile, using his keen eyes, Huoshi scanned every inch of the river below. However, the current was swift and strong with a vicious undertow.
"Damn it! Damn it! I just can't believe that you managed to trick me!" Huoshi inspected the river but found no trace of Wutian. He gritted his teeth and cursed furiously.
"What are we going to do, Brother Huoshi? Wutian has gotten away. Obviously, he has discovered our intentions. If he successfully gets away and reveals the secret about the emblem, we won't have a second chance anymore."
Huoshi had a grave expression. "He can get away from us but not the river's violent current. It could have swept him downstream, so we just need to search along the river. We'll definitely find him. By then, I'll make sure that he receives a fate worse than death."
"Let's go."
The Flamingo received his command and shrilled, then it flew along the river.
"Caw!"
Not long after Huoshi and Liuyan left, something cried in the river. A fist-sized creature that looked like a Demon Toad emerged from the water. It swiftly examined its surroundings with its slender eyes before it submerged again.
A short while later, the river's rapid current formed a vortex. Then, someone's head emerged from the eye of the vortex and looked around cautiously. Only after making sure that the coast was clear, the person leaped out of the water.
"Move, move, little thing." Wutian lunged out of the river and quickly ran into the dense forest.
"Caw!"
"Sssshhh, be quiet!" Wutian cupped his hand over Little Tian's mouth as they hid in a bush and observed the sky.
Not long after, a bird's shriek could be heard; the Flamingo had brought Huoshi and Liuyan back. Wutian could sense their homicidal aura even from such a great distance.
"Could he have drowned or been killed by the aqua beasts, Brother Huoshi?" Liuyan's brows were knitted together as she sighed. "With him dead and without the emblem, what are we supposed to say when we return to the clan?"
"This has a huge implication. We have to find him—dead or alive. Let's carefully comb every inch of the area. If we still don't find him, we'll kill everyone in the village and wipe everything out, especially Longhe. Only then will we send out men to retrieve his body from the river. We must find that item."
Huoshi was mad. Had he known that Wutian was so smart, he would have waited until they returned to the clan and only gone from there. But it was too late now. The only way to bury the evidence was to kill everyone in the village. He had no other choice in order to keep things a secret.
"Sigh! Do we really have to kill the innocent?" Liuyan hesitated.
Huoshi shot her a look. "Let's go!"
After Huoshi and Liuyan left, Wutian poked his head out of the bush. Following some consideration, he turned around and ran deeper into the forest toward Dragon Village.
He wanted to find out what the emblem was all about and why Longhe did what he did.
On top of that, a murderous intention was growing within him. He had almost been killed twice, all because of Longhe. He could not take it anymore. He was still human, after all.
Longhe was at the Reborn Beta stage of cultivation, but since he had lost his hand, his combat strength might have been reduced to the Reborn Alpha stage. With Little Tian's help, Wutian could definitely kill him.
For the first time in his life, Wutian had the urge to kill a person. He had gradually figured out the complexities of the human mind. It was natural for men to be driven by desire, but Longhe's actions had really angered him.
Two days later.
Wutian stood on the peak and looked into the distance. He finally saw the vague silhouette of Dragon Village. He had encountered many monster beasts on his way, but with Little Tian by his side, he defeated them without a problem.
"It's faster riding the Flamingo. We've spent two days and only covered a few hundred miles." Wutian sighed as he sat on a bluestone. His body was covered in dirt and wet bloodstains, while his black hair was matted and pointing in all directions.
If they were to ride the Flamingo, it would take them merely two hours to complete the few-hundred-mile journey. Walking, on the other hand, took them two days, so Wutian could not help but lament. He would not have taken such a long time if various monster beasts had not been bogging him down.
"Caw!" Little Tian cawed as if it was responding to his complaint.
"Hey, little one. We still have a few dozen miles to cover. We need to move now."
Just as he picked Little Tian up and was about to move, he heard a screech. He jumped into a bush and hid at once like a frightened rabbit.
A few moments later, a Flamingo swooped down with heat radiating from its body. Riding on the back of the bird was a boy and a girl. They were, of course, Huoshi and Liuyan.
Wutian stood up in astonishment. "Where are they heading to?"
"Not good! They're heading to the village!" Wutian's expression changed. He quickly ran toward Dragon Village as if his butt was on fire.
...
It was business as usual in Dragon Village. There were clucking chickens and barking dogs; everything appeared calm and normal.
On an open field, those youngsters, whose physiques had yet to be unlocked, were swinging their fists to practice their martial arts. Despite sweating profusely, they did not stop because they were determined to unlock their physique and become cultivators next year.
Sitting on a stone bench at the side were a dozen villagers. They were watching the kids and whispering among themselves with smiles on their faces.
They were happy because this year, brilliant talents had emerged from their community. Not only did Longhu possess the body of a fire being, but he had also been recruited into the Fire Cloud Clan. Even Wutian had unlocked his physique. There were now two cultivators from the village. Once those two finished their cultivation and returned, the village would no longer have to worry about food.
Those villagers wanted nothing but food on the table and a roof over their heads. Little did they know that disaster was looming on the horizon.
"Look, Uncle Longhe! What's that?" A kid stopped what he was doing and shouted.
"Huh, that's a Flamingo! Why are the people from the Fire Cloud Clan coming back?"
"Some more kids in our village must have gotten their attention again."
"That's probably the reason. Our village has gotten lucky this year."
The villagers were all smiles as they got to their feet and went off to wait at the village entrance.
My opportunity has finally arrived. Longhe was delighted as he clenched his fists with excitement.
He had discreetly told Huoshi and Liuyan a secret while Wutian sorted himself out the other day. He knew that the villagers would despise and disown him if things were exposed. However, when he considered becoming a censor elder in the Fire Cloud Clan and not having to work like a slave for the villagers, the sacrifice was worth the while.
Besides, Huoshi should know the importance of the emblem and would, thus, tie up any loose ends. No trace would be left behind. Even if people ever found out that Wutian was dead later, they would not blame it on him, Longhe figured.
"All hail the young clan master."
While Longhe was still deep in thought, the Flamingo arrived above the village. The villagers greeted their visitors and received them respectfully.
"I am glad to see you again, my young clan master." Longhe bowed. "I knew that you hadn't forgotten our deal. You are truly a man of your word."
"Our deal? Are you on drugs or what, Longhe? I haven't received the emblem. Even if I have, do you think you'll stay alive?" Huoshi sneered.
Longhe's expression changed, and his heart raced. An uneasy feeling hit him like an open floodgate. "I'm not sure that I know what you mean, Young Clan Master."
"You will know soon enough."
Huoshi smirked. The moment he waved his hand, the Flamingo under his feet screeched. As it opened its sharp beak, beams of light shot out into the air, and a violent storm instantly gathered.
The storm was as red as a flame, and it radiated a shocking level of heat. The plants in the village rapidly withered before they were reduced to ashes.
Heat engulfed the village, and the villagers' mouths dried up as they sweated profusely. It was as if they had been distilled.
"What are you doing, Young Clan Master?" The villagers were puzzled.
There was a cold-blooded look in Huoshi's eyes. "Sending you all to hell. Kill!"
In response to Huoshi's command, the Flamingo flapped its wings, and turbulent winds formed alongside the storm, which suddenly descended from the sky.
Cries and screams rose from the village as one villager was sucked into the storm. The red-hot air current acted as sharp blades and killed him instantly.
There was a splash of blood as a human head dropped to the ground. The earth was soaked in blood, and it was a gross scene.
"Stop it, Young Clan Master!" Longhe shouted angrily.
Huoshi just sneered. A red glow appeared in his hands and emitted deadly energy like the blade of a knife. He then jumped down into the crowd.
People wept and wailed while limbs and body parts flew in all directions. Not to mention, blood poured down like rain, dyeing the earth red.
Right then, only viciousness filled Huoshi's eyes. He went around and harvested lives like the Grim Reaper. He was unstoppable. With his cultivation level at the Reborn Omega stage, he killed the helpless villagers without mercy, as though he was slaughtering livestock.
The storm ruthlessly ravaged the village while the villagers fled all over. But they were inevitably sucked into the eye of the storm, and their bodies were slashed apart and flung away. With blood and body parts strewn all over the earth, it was truly a tragic scene.
Cruel... Bloody... Horrifying... Disgusting...
Liuyan could not bear the sight and looked away, her eyes welling up. She had never witnessed such a bloody scene in her life. She was extremely disturbed emotionally.
As Wutian ran home from afar, waves of uneasiness hit him harder and harder. It was as if he had sensed the ongoing tragic massacre in the village. Tears as large as peas flowed down his cheeks uncontrollably.
"Hang in there, Grandpa…"
-- 贈り物
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