Chapter 40 p2
Thinking this, Xiao Xiao said to Yu Ling’er, “I’m tired, I can’t walk anymore.”
Yu Ling’er was used to Xiao Xiao’s spoiled acts of feigning illness, so she could only helplessly call Asheng over to crouch down and carry Xiao Xiao up the mountain.
As Asheng approached Xiao Xiao, the silver ring on her wrist began violently shaking, growing more intense the closer he came.
Xiao Xiao recalled Wei Jie’s words – those deeply inflicted by the puppet worm, with it having reached their heart, would develop a double pupil in their eyes.
As Asheng drew near, Xiao Xiao indeed saw two pupils in his eyes.
As she stared at the fox youth, his hand suddenly transformed into sharp fox claws, thrusting straight towards Xiao Xiao’s heart!
Though his strike was swift, Xiao Xiao was already on guard. She drew out her precious sword, severing Asheng’s claws while simultaneously throwing out a Spirit-Binding Talisman to immobilize the attacking fox youth.
At that moment, the other youth Amu viciously seized Yu Ling’er’s throat, flatly stating to Xiao Xiao, “Don’t move, or I’ll snap her neck!”
Yu Ling’er, never expecting her own tribesmen to suddenly turn traitor, stared at Xiao Xiao in shock, feeling as if struck by thunderbolts.
Knowing she could not rely on Yu Ling’er, Xiao Xiao lightly waved her fingers.
No matter how fast Amu moved, he could not outpace the “Defying the Heavens” sword.
The demon-slaying blade unsheathed, tracing an arc before stabilizing horizontally beneath Amu, knocking him backwards with a ringing strike and causing him to tumble unconscious.
Xiao Xiao swiftly approached and slapped a Spirit-Binding Talisman on Amu’s forehead before telling the still dazed Yu Ling’er, “They seem to be inflicted by the puppet worm… There’s something strange happening on this mountain!”
She could not directly touch the silver ring, so she had Yu Ling’er remove it and attempted to extract the puppet worm using the same method Wei Jie had used on his mother Si Ling.
Unfortunately, the worms inside these two had grown too large, likely having already reached their hearts. Wei Jie’s method could not draw them out, and the two youths began bleeding profusely from their noses – not a good sign.
Not daring to proceed further for fear of killing them, Xiao Xiao stopped.
At that moment, Yu Ling’er’s exposed fox ears twitched as she alertly said, “Someone’s coming!”
The two of them dragged the incapacitated youths into a nearby bush.
Soon after, two more fox youths unable to conceal their ears appeared, blankly leading a group of burly men up the mountain.
One of the thugs seemed impatient, viciously kicking the fox youth guiding them. “Damn it! Useless! If we’d succeeded, why bother dragging this old man up the mountain? This place was just struck by heavenly thunder – are you luring us up to get struck too?”
One of his lackeys chimed in, “How could that be? These little fox brats have all been inflicted with the puppet worm and are completely obedient. It’s just that those old, cunning foxes have hidden the spirit stones. But it’s good that big brother obtained the Enlightenment Beast’s urine – with it, those old foxes won’t be able to get close. After finishing this job, we can report back to Prince Can. Otherwise, we’ll have to return the down payment from our contractor, Hunter King, and end up with nothing.”
Xiao Xiao pieced together the gist despite the vague words.
These men climbing the mountain were subordinates of the late Hunter King.
Although the Hunter King had perished in Ghost Alley, these underlings did not wish to forfeit Prince Can’s deposit, so they were using some method to inflict the fox youths with puppet worms to obediently lead them up the mountain and steal some spirit stones.
Yu Ling’er also understood and was enraged to see her tribesmen insulted and the thugs plotting to rob her homeland. Her face flushed red as fox fur emerged, baring sharp fangs in a ferocious snarl.
In this moment, her dormant fox king bloodline seemed to awaken, exuding a fierce bestial aura.
However, Xiao Xiao patted her back, signaling her to remain calm for now.
These men mentioned having the Enlightenment Beast’s urine, which was likely lethal to the fox tribe. Even if they struck now, their advantage could shift if that substance was deployed.
It was better to bide their time and seize an opportunity for a counterattack.
At that moment, a series of fox howls echoed from all directions. Yu Ling’er instinctively wanted to join in but Xiao Xiao swiftly slapped a Body-Binding Talisman on her to prevent giving away their position.
Soon after, the cunning elder foxes emerged to block the path, a beautiful vixen coldly declaring, “Ashui, Aili, how dare you privately lead outsiders into our territory? What are you trying to do?”
The two fox youths guiding the thugs remained motionless, while the burly men exchanged glances before suddenly leaping into action. They flung ceramic vials filled with the Enlightenment Beast’s urine directly at the foxes!
As the vials shattered and the pungent liquid splashed out, the scent of the primordial beast indeed had an immense effect on the fox tribe, paralyzing them like frogs mesmerized by a snake. They trembled helplessly in place, unable to move.
The beast hunters immediately broke into raucous laughter, rapidly nocking and firing their arrows towards the immobilized foxes!
Judging by the hunter king’s troupe’s sinister reputation, those arrows were undoubtedly poison-tipped for instant kills.
Xiao Xiao had been prepared, chanting a water-guiding talisman to draw the nearby stream outwards, forming a liquid barrier like a huge bell to shield the paralyzed foxes.
The poisoned arrows could not penetrate this qi-infused water shield, simply dropping harmlessly.
Realizing they had been foiled, one of the thugs bellowed, “Who’s there?”
Xiao Xiao removed the Body-Binding Talisman from Yu Ling’er, preparing for them to reveal themselves together. However, Yu Ling’er remained frozen, her body trembling like a sieve from the beast scent’s effects.
With no choice, Xiao Xiao plucked some wild grass, rolled it into a ball, and stuffed it into Yu Ling’er’s nostrils.
This seemed to work, allowing Yu Ling’er to move freely without being affected by the odor.
As the two girls emerged, the thugs were momentarily stunned. One of them sneered, “How can you move?”
It seemed Xiao Xiao’s delicate beauty had caused the thugs to mistake her for a fox spirit as well.
Xiao Xiao had no patience to bandy words, immediately commanding the “Defying the Heavens” sword to charge the men.
Meanwhile, Yu Ling’er followed Xiao Xiao’s instructions to swiftly stuff grass into the paralyzed foxes’ nostrils as well.
By the time the fox tribe regained mobility, the thugs had already been thoroughly thrashed by Xiao Xiao, leaving them powerless to resist!
Though skilled in capturing demonic beasts, they were no match against a properly cultivated practitioner like Xiao Xiao.
At that moment, the beautiful vixen and her fellow foxes revealed their fox claws, pouncing on the downed thugs in a frenzy!
Unlike Xiao Xiao’s restraint about taking lives, they would tear these trespassers to shreds for daring to invade their territory!
Seeing their dire situation, one of the thugs hurriedly blew a bamboo whistle hanging from his chest.
As the whistle produced a sound resembling a fox’s howl, one of the small fox youths behind the vixen suddenly went blank-eyed before plunging its sharp claws towards her back!
