Chapter 36
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Chapter 36 – On the Verge of Death
Mu Xiaofeng still couldn’t draw the White Tiger Sword, and he was puzzled as to why it was glowing. He climbed up and asked the Tiger Immortal Clan Leader, “Clan Leader, why is this White Tiger Sword shining so brightly?” Mu Xiaofeng suddenly had a bad feeling, thinking that this light meant something terrible was about to happen.
The Tiger Immortal Clan patriarch stroked his beard, frowned in thought, then suddenly clapped his hands with a realization. He told Mu Xiaofeng, “I understand now. The bright light from the White Tiger Sword means that the prophecy is about to come true. It hasn’t happened yet, but it’s very close. Once the prophecy is fully fulfilled, you’ll be able to draw the White Tiger Sword.”
Mu Xiaofeng sighed in resignation; it seemed he could only wait. He wasn’t even sure why he wanted the White Tiger Sword—it was a one-handed sword and didn’t really suit him.
Then Mu Xiaofeng remembered the previous prophecy, and his heart skipped a beat. The prophecy had said that both the person who loved him most and the person who hated him most would die. He thought of Qiao Zi and feared for her safety if the prophecy was about to be fulfilled.
Without a second thought, Mu Xiaofeng grabbed his heavy sword and ran towards Qiao Zi’s location, leaving no goodbyes or explanations to the Tiger Immortal Clan Leader. Seeing Mu Xiaofeng leave abruptly, the Tiger Immortal Clan Patriarch closed his eyes with a faint smile and sighed softly, “It seems the time has not yet come.”
Mu Xiaofeng was anxious as he arrived at their previous gathering spot. He found a field of blood with Qiao Zi lying unconscious in a pool of it, and Ximo collapsed in front of her, unable to move.
Ignoring everything else, Mu Xiaofeng rushed forward, cradling Qiao Zi and crying out, “Qiao Zi! What happened? Who did this?” Qiao Zi was unresponsive, her heartbeat weak—her injuries were severe.
“Mu Xiaofeng! It’s too dangerous, you need to leave!” Zhang Wenyu’s voice called out. Mu Xiaofeng looked around and saw Zhang Wenyu and Qin Bao Yi sitting against a tree, covered in blood but still conscious.
It was then that Mu Xiaofeng noticed Ei Ying hanging motionless from a tree and Li Yi buried in the ground nearby. The mysterious Priest Brewer was propped up on his staff, half-kneeling in front of Ximo.
In the distance, Feng Xun and Yun Jie stood with their backs to Mu Xiaofeng, facing five strangers. Though Mu Xiaofeng didn’t recognize them, their odd equipment suggested they were the same strange people Feng Xun and the others had encountered before.
Seeing Feng Xun and Yun Jie standing there unmoving, Mu Xiaofeng felt a surge of panic. He rushed over and shouted, “Yun Jie! Feng Xun! Get out of there! What are you doing?”
Mu Xiaofeng grabbed Feng Xun and Yun Jie’s hands, trying to pull them away, when suddenly he felt sharp pain in his abdomen. He was stabbed by two swords—Yun Jie and Feng Xun had turned on him.
Confused, Mu Xiaofeng looked at them and saw they had their eyes closed and calm expressions, as if they were asleep. He had never seen anything like this before.
“Didn’t expect a leak, huh? Wondering why they attacked you?” A man in purple robes stepped forward. His pale, bloodless skin, hairless head, and deeply sunken eyes gave him a deathly appearance. He carried a long-handled scythe and had a circle of skulls around his waist, looking like a god of death.
Fear overwhelmed Mu Xiaofeng as he felt an intense mental pressure, driven by a sense of impending death. The man laughed coldly and sneered, “What a coward! I thought this guy might give me some excitement. Seems like I don’t even need sorcery to scare him to death. His skull isn’t worth adding to my Undead Whispering Bell collection.”
Mu Xiaofeng didn’t understand what “sorcery” meant, but he was sure that Feng Xun and Yun Jie had been controlled by it. At that moment, a low, gloomy voice echoed in his mind, repeatedly shouting, “It’s really delicious!” The fear in his heart faded, and he felt braver. He shoved Yun Jie and Feng Xun away, then pulled back and knelt on the ground.
Undead Whispering Bell was surprised by Mu Xiaofeng’s sudden strength, having underestimated him. The undead man’s eyes glowed as he laughed, “Heh heh heh, this is what I want for my collection. You’re going to die anyway, so I’ll tell you: these two friends of yours are under my control using the Living Death technique. It’s an ancient sorcery that uses voodoo and hypnosis to make them look dead but still follow my commands.”
Furious at the thought of his friends being manipulated by such an abominable technique, Mu Xiaofeng stood up with difficulty, drew his heavy sword, and charged at Undead Whispering Bell, shouting, “Then I’ll cut you in two to save them!”
Undead Whispering Bell watched as Mu Xiaofeng charged without dodging, his crooked smile indicating he knew Mu Xiaofeng couldn’t touch him.
Mu Xiaofeng used his body to push aside Feng Xun and Yun Jie, rushing towards Undead Whispering Bell. He swung his sword, but Undead Whispering Bell didn’t move.
Just as Mu Xiaofeng’s sword grazed Undead Whispering Bell’s skin, he was suddenly knocked away by a fast-moving figure. The speed was so great that Mu Xiaofeng didn’t see who it was.
A muscular, bald man appeared, kicking Mu Xiaofeng away with immense force. It seemed this man had saved Undead Whispering Bell. Mu Xiaofeng was stunned by the man’s speed and the power of the kick, which sent him flying a long distance.
A small amount of blood trickled from Undead Whispering Bell’s head, suggesting that Mu Xiaofeng’s heavy sword had grazed him as he was kicked away.
Undead Whispering Bell touched his head, then angrily pointed at the muscular man and cursed, “Damn fool Wu Xiaotian, you’re too slow. You even made me bleed from my head.”
Wu Xiaotian, who had looked serious earlier, now wore an innocent expression. He walked over to Undead Whispering Bell, touched his bald head, then playfully slapped it and laughed, “Haha, maybe this will help with your baldness. You see how sympathetic I am? Just treat me to dinner!”
Undead Whispering Bell’s mouth twitched as he glared at Wu Xiaotian. Mu Xiaofeng was dumbfounded by the unexpected turn of events.
Undead Whispering Bell roared at Wu Xiaotian, “Big idiot! I was born without hair. You’re the bald one!” His shout startled the birds in the woods, causing them to scatter.
As these two argued—one furious, the other mocking—Mu Xiaofeng was almost forgotten.
Struggling to his feet with the support of his heavy sword, Mu Xiaofeng saw another man in silver-white armor carrying a lance. The handsome, heroic-looking warrior rushed over and declared, “My turn to have some fun.”
Mu Xiaofeng hurriedly parried the lance warrior’s attacks with his heavy sword. The lance warrior was nimble and skillful, constantly shifting his position and attacking from different angles.
Overwhelmed, Mu Xiaofeng was beaten down with no strength to fight back. The lance warrior seemed to multiply, attacking from multiple directions. Realizing he couldn’t win, Mu Xiaofeng retreated to escape the lance warrior’s range.
The lance warrior didn’t pursue, nodding respectfully at Mu Xiaofeng. “What a respectable opponent. My name is Chen Ziyun. My Phantom Shadow Shot didn’t hurt you until I used it at full power. Most opponents can’t handle more than three shots.”
Chen Ziyun, though handsome and courteous, turned out to be quite unusual. Mu Xiaofeng appreciated his manners compared to the previous two.
Wiping blood from his mouth, Mu Xiaofeng took a deep breath and said, “I’m Mu Xiaofeng. If you want the title of ‘king,’ I’ll give it to you. I admit defeat, but I hope you’ll spare us. My friends are seriously injured, and I need to get them treated.” He knew he couldn’t win against all five of them.
“No,” Chen Ziyun said, shaking his head. “You interrupted our game, so you have to let us finish it.” Mu Xiaofeng realized Chen Ziyun was just another strange character—seemingly noble on the outside but twisted on the inside.