69novels Chapter 841 Ye Zhen is unwilling
Chapter 841 Ye Zhen is unwilling
But he was unwilling to return empty-handed. Long Si's dragon bloodline was a crucial clue; capturing him might lead them to the dragon clan's lair, a tremendous achievement. Now that the connection between the demon race and the dragon race had been confirmed, this lead couldn't be lost. Ye Zhen pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the crowd. He gestured to a few quick-witted, slightly more powerful disciples: "You five stay here and continue scouting in the mountains. Bring plenty of array plates and communication talismans. Search in sections, don't overlook any suspicious places."
He paused, then his tone became more serious: "Remember, once you discover any news about the demon race, do not act rashly. Immediately report to me using a communication talisman, understand? They were able to kill Brother Ye, so they are no pushovers. Don't throw your life away in vain!"
The disciples whose names were called quickly nodded and replied, "Yes, Brother Ye Zhen! Don't worry!" They knew perfectly well that the Ye brothers, despite their considerable cultivation, had met a tragic end, demonstrating just how troublesome the demon and dragon races were. With their limited abilities, it was best to focus on reconnaissance and not try to steal credit; preserving their lives was paramount.
Ye Zhen glanced one last time at the rolling mountains, their peaks shrouded in mist, as if concealing countless secrets. A flicker of resentment crossed his eyes, his fists clenched white at his sides, but he finally turned and said, "The rest of you, follow me down the mountain!" The main group followed him, their footsteps crunching over fallen leaves as they gradually descended the mountain.
He had to return to his family first to report that the demons might have fled to a neighboring mountain, and that alternative plans needed to be made. The rest was to be left to those who remained. The mountain wind whistled through the treetops, making a "whooshing" sound, like someone chuckling in the shadows, or perhaps mocking the futile search, echoing long afterward in the valley.
Ye Zhen searched the desolate mountains and wilderness for most of the day, the withered branches and leaves crunching under his feet. Apart from the cold, stiff corpses of Ye Xue and his brothers, he found not a trace of dragons or demons. Broken fragments of magical artifacts and dried blood littered the ground, leaving only a scene of devastation and the exhausted faces of his disciples. He gazed at the deepening twilight, the setting sun painting the mountains and forests crimson. His anger and resentment burned ever brighter, like a fire churning within his chest. But he knew that continuing would be futile; the deeper mountains would be even more difficult to search under the approaching night. He could only suppress his rage, gritting his teeth as he waved his hand, ordering his disciples: "Collect Ye Xue and the others' bodies properly. Return to the Ye family mansion first. We'll discuss this matter further!" The journey was silent; the silence within the group was more suffocating than the howling mountain winds. Everyone kept their heads down, no one daring to look at Ye Zhen's grim face.
Half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.
Deep within the cave, fine water droplets seeped from the damp stone walls, and the air was filled with the fragrance of herbs. The spiritual energy here was several times denser than outside, swirling around him and nourishing his damaged meridians. Xiao Shuai leaned against the stone wall, playing with a smooth, round spiritual pearl in his hand. His complexion had regained most of its rosy hue, and even the fur at the tip of his tail had become fluffy and shiny again. A while ago, in protecting Long Si's retreat, he had almost exhausted his magical power, leaving his dantian feeling empty and nearly damaging his foundation. Fortunately, Xiao Li's mother had been traversing the dense forest every day, finding many spiritual herbs to strengthen his body and replenish his vital energy—such as a hundred-year-old placenta and dragon's beard grass covered in morning dew—which she brewed into a faintly glowing medicinal soup for him to drink every day. She also used her own pure demonic power to soothe his disordered meridians, which is why he recovered so quickly.
"Auntie, I really have to thank you for taking care of me during this time." Xiao Shuai bowed slightly, his voice full of gratitude, his tail swaying gently behind him. "If you hadn't arrived in time that day and taken such good care of me, my master and I would have really perished this time, and our remains would probably have been fed to the wild animals in the mountains."
Xiao Li's mother was sitting at the stone table, grinding herbs with a stone mill. Hearing this, she looked up and smiled, her eyes filled with gentle warmth: "You child, why are you being so polite with me? We're neighbors, we should look after each other. But..." She changed the subject, with a hint of curiosity, "When did you acknowledge Long Si as your master? I saw you two meet by the mountain stream the other day, and you were fighting like roosters, neither of you willing to give in."
Xiao Shuai's face flushed, and he scratched his head sheepishly, his ear tips turning red. He briefly recounted how, when they were in danger that day, Long Si had taken a heavy blow from Ye Zhen, imbued with a talisman, to protect him, but had been so shocked that he coughed up blood. Finally, he couldn't help but look at the figure lying on his side inside the cave, his tone filled with worry: "Auntie, why hasn't Master woken up yet? It's been half a month, I'm really afraid he..." He didn't finish his sentence, but it weighed on his heart like a stone.
"No rush." Xiao Li's mother put down the medicine grinder, patted the powder off her hands, walked to Long Si's side, first checked his breathing, then gently pressed her hand on his wrist, closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, then turned around and comforted him, "Your master forcibly activated his source power to break through his realm, and was also ambushed by Ye Zhen, suffering from some insidious poison. His spiritual power was greatly depleted, which is why he fell into a deep sleep to focus on recuperating. Look at him, his breathing is steady, his chest rises and falls evenly, and although his pulse is weak, it is even and strong. I reckon he will wake up soon."
As soon as she finished speaking, Long Si, who was lying on his side in the cave, suddenly twitched his eyelids slightly, his long, thick eyelashes trembled, and then he slowly opened his eyes. His golden vertical pupils were initially somewhat confused, as if veiled by a thin mist, but after a moment they cleared, becoming sharp as a hawk's. His gaze immediately fell on Xiao Shuai, his voice hoarse from just waking up, yet filled with concern: "Xiao Shuai, are you alright?"
"Master!" Xiao Shuai was both surprised and delighted. He sprang up from the ground and rushed over in a few steps. His eyes reddened instantly, and tears welled up in them. "I'm fine... It's all my fault. If I were stronger, you wouldn't have been so badly injured protecting me."
Long Si waved his hand, struggled to sit up, leaned against the stone wall to catch his breath. The wound on his chest was still throbbing, but his eyes held a hint of approval: "Alright, stop crying. This time it's all thanks to your quick thinking in setting up a maze by the mountain stream to buy time. If it weren't for you, we would both have fallen into the hands of the Ye family."
As he spoke, his gaze swept across the cave entrance, his brows slightly raised. A faint blue spiritual energy flowed outside the cave, like a thin veil shrouding the entrance, forming a barely visible barrier. It both blocked outside observation and gradually gathered the mountain's spiritual energy, clearly a remarkable formation. "Not bad," Long Si said, looking at Xiao Shuai with a hint of appreciation in his voice, "This formation is much stronger than the one we set up in the valley last time. The patterns are denser, and the spiritual energy flows more smoothly. It seems you've put in a lot of effort these past few days."