bookbashuk Chapter 17 The Breakup in the Mountains
Chapter 17 The Breakup in the Mountains
Mu Shan remained indifferent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and said, "Continue leading the way."
He didn't care whether Sun Chang fed him the Blood Essence Pill or not; as long as someone was willing to die in front of him, he could test out the potential danger.
……
After traveling for several more hours, it was now noon.
The mountain road winds its way through the blazing sun.
The group dared not waste their magical power, as they were exhausted and the heat was intense.
The disciple in blue finally collapsed to the ground, his eyes bloodshot.
"I can't go on, Senior Brother Mu, I really can't walk anymore!"
"If we continue, we will expend our magical energy, and if we encounter enemies, we may perish here."
Seeing that the group had stopped, Sun Chang trembled as he stuffed the exhausted mouse into his pocket and pleaded.
"Yes, Senior Brother Mu, we're only a few hills away from the Shen family. Since there are no thieves here, it means there won't be any."
"Why don't we take a break?"
Lu Qingyun was also exhausted at this moment, and even his dark-skinned senior brother beside him was about to give up, but the two still exchanged a tacit glance without saying a word.
In fact, he actually preferred Mu Shan's approach.
Since the Shen family is right in front of us, why not rest there after we arrive?
It should be understood that every second in the mountains means great danger.
Mu Shan coldly said, "Our sect is only a two-day journey from the Shen family, but only one or two out of ten of the Beast Taming Peak disciples who went to the Shen family this month have returned."
"You are taking your chances because you haven't been attacked by bandits or even encountered a beast tide, but you haven't considered that the bandits might be on their way right now."
As he spoke, he drew his whip, ready to lash the blue-robed disciple who had collapsed to the ground.
"Mu Shan, why get so angry?"
The dark-skinned senior brother grabbed Mu Shan's whip and said with a smile.
"Your cultivation is superb, but they are only at the third level of Qi Refining. I see that the trees here are sparse, so the thieves would not lie in ambush here."
"Taking a break for a while won't hurt, right, Junior Brother Lu?"
Lu Qingyun stood to the side of the tree.
Neither explicitly agreed nor disagreed.
Seeing that everyone was resisting, Mu Shan frowned.
Unexpectedly, even the dark-skinned senior brother supported these two idiots.
It would be inappropriate for him to leave here on his own, as it is still several hours' journey from here to the Shen family's residence.
If you really encounter thieves, you risk losing your life.
He should have just agreed to let them rest.
But Mu Shan always felt a vague unease in his heart.
The distant forest is dense and is a necessary route from the Yunxia Sect to the Shen family. If he were a member of the Cui family, he would also set up an ambush here.
There must be spies from the Cui family among the sect and the Shen family. They set off from the sect, and by now, the Cui family should know about it.
The thieves disguised as members of the Cui family could arrive at any moment.
He didn't know whether this mission was a trap set by the elders of the Beast Taming Sect to lure out their prey.
But otherwise, those few hours would be their chance to survive.
Seeing that Mu Shan was reluctant to rest.
Sun Chang's eyes were bloodshot. He stood beside the blue-robed disciple, glaring fiercely at Mu Shan. He had no intention of leaving at all.
"Senior Brother Mu, if you do not agree to rest, please leave on your own."
"The mouse and I are exhausted and can no longer pave the way for you."
Mu Shan gave a cold laugh: "Good advice is useless against a damned fool."
"Since you insist on staying here, I will not keep you company any longer."
Having said that, he gave everyone a deep look.
He walked alone into the distant dense forest.
The dark-skinned senior brother, Sun Chang, and the blue-robed disciple were all astonished upon hearing this.
However, they were too proud to ask them to stay.
The dark-skinned senior brother glanced at Lu Qingyun and transmitted his voice:
"Junior brother, wait for my instructions and come with me to investigate."
Lu Qingyun was only at the first level of Qi Refining and had not yet learned the art of transmitting spiritual information. He nodded slightly upon hearing the voice.
At that moment, he also sensed that something was off about the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, in the lining.
The bee seemed to have sensed something and became quite uneasy.
Watching Mu Shan depart, the blue-robed disciple spat in resentment.
"It's good that the man surnamed Mu is gone. Perhaps some thief will kill him ahead, and we can arrive at the Shen family safely to report back."
Sun Chang nodded and said with a cold laugh:
"Mu Shan's storage ring contains everything he gave to the Shen family. It's perfect for drawing our attention. Even if he's dead, as long as we reach the Shen family, the sect won't blame us."
The Yunxia Sect has a very clear division of sect missions.
In this mission, Lu Qingyun and the others were only responsible for accompanying the group. Once they arrived at the Shen family's residence, the mission would be considered complete.
As for Mu Shan, as the leader of this mission, he is also responsible for escorting the materials from Beast Taming Peak to be handed over to the Shen family.
However, in a short while, Sun Chang was no longer as respectful as before, and began to describe Mu Shan as a hardworking laborer.
The dark-skinned senior brother narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled.
"However, Mu Shan's words make some sense. We should rest for an hour or two and then set off as soon as possible."
"Otherwise, if we really encounter thieves, it won't be good either."
"Senior Brother Zhou is so understanding!"
Sun Chang and the blue-robed disciple agreed, expressing their gratitude for meeting a kindred spirit.
"We have offended you because Mu Shan was the leader of this mission. We hope that Senior Brother Zhou will forgive us."
The dark-skinned senior brother waved his hand dismissively.
"We're all fellow disciples, no need for such formalities."
"You all rest first. My cultivation is slightly higher, so I'm not that tired. I'll go find some wild game around here."
"Senior brother, I used to be a hunter in the mountains, perhaps I can be of some help."
Seeing his dark-skinned senior brother give him a meaningful look, Lu Qingyun knew that the other party was hinting at something, and with a thought, he added.
Sun Chang and the blue-robed disciple looked disdainful, thinking that Lu Qingyun felt his cultivation was too low and he had been of little use along the way, so he was busy trying to curry favor with the dark-skinned senior brother.
However, neither of them stopped it.
Instead, they each took out a spirit pill and fed it to the spirit beast.
After the gray mouse took the light gray pill, its complexion finally improved.
Lu Qingyun lowered his brows slightly, released a spirit bee, hid it under the soil, and followed his dark-skinned senior brother toward the path to the lower right.
With a speed exceeding that of an ordinary early-stage Qi Refining cultivator, Lu Chang'an quickly withdrew from the scene and disappeared into the mountains and forests.
After walking several hundred meters, the dark-skinned senior brother suddenly turned around and said to Lu Qingyun:
"Junior brother, we must catch up with Mu Shan immediately; we cannot linger here."
Lu Qingyun immediately became serious and looked at his dark-skinned senior brother, saying:
"Senior brother, is there something wrong with those two senior brothers from Beast Taming Peak?"
The bee had previously told him that the gray mouse would suddenly stop to the right for a few moments after traveling a certain distance ahead.
He didn't reveal this matter, partly because he only suspected it, and partly because even if he did, the others might not believe him, and it might even incur Sun Chang's hatred.
The dark-skinned senior brother thought for a moment and then shook his head.
"I don't know either, but Mu Shan's idea is indeed not without reason."
He chuckled and winked.
"Let Mu Shan scout ahead, and leave Senior Brother Sun and the other two behind. Wouldn't that ensure our safety?"
Lu Qingyun nodded silently.
Of course, he didn't completely trust his dark-skinned senior brother.
The dark-skinned senior brother's invitation to him wasn't necessarily entirely out of goodwill.
After all, Sun Chang of Beast Taming Peak was inseparable from the blue-robed disciple, and calling one of them would inevitably alert the enemy.
On the contrary, his cultivation level was low, making him easy to control.
However, after the two had walked a short distance, Lu Qingyun's expression suddenly changed.
"Senior brother! Something's wrong!"