Chapter 148 — Civil Strife
劍問蒼天 · Page 4 of 7
Seeing Cang Yan descend, the King of Hell showed a trace of a smile and went to meet him. "Well?" he asked with a smile. "Did all go smoothly?"
Daoist Cang Yan nodded. "Just as the Sect Master expected. Qin Wujiu's injuries have indeed healed, and he has tampered with the box holding the sect leader's seal—most likely he put the seven-tailed centipede inside. Whoever opens that box, so long as Qin Wujiu works it in secret, no one can escape the centipede's bite. With the seven-tailed centipede's extraordinary venom, the victim will most likely be dead on the spot."
The King of Hell laughed aloud and turned to Mr. Ghost and the others. "You see? These crude old tricks, used a thousand times over—and still someone falls for them!"
Mingli's face was indifferent; he said nothing. Yousi too kept silent. Only Mr. Ghost said mildly, "The trick may be somewhat stale and crude, but so long as it works, it is a good trick."
The King of Hell nodded. "True enough. Speaking of it, Elder Venom God was a formidable figure of our holy cult in his day. How is it that every disciple he took is of such a sort? Truly disappointing."
Daoist Cang Yan laughed from the side. "Still, that Qin Wujiu is a rather capable fellow. A pity."
The King of Hell glanced at him and could not help laughing again. For a moment no one spoke. Mingli stood to one side, silently watching the King of Hell, and frowned. Somehow he felt the King of Hell was rather strange today.
But Mingli did not pursue the thought, for very soon, from the small town ahead—just waking in the morning light—burst a heart-rending scream. Quickly countless screams rose on all sides, and among them one could clearly hear someone crying in terror: "Beast demons—the beast demons are coming..."
A shrill and cruel whistling came from the south of the town. On the calm plains afar, clouds of dust suddenly rose, like warriors charging in thousands upon thousands, irresistible in their onset. That cry, coming from far to near and mingled with excited roars, swept in with a thirst for blood. The five of the King of Hell's faction, standing at the other end of the town, all leaped into the air and flew toward it.
Drawing near, even though they had witnessed countless great scenes before, the sight still made them change color slightly. Countless monsters and mutated beasts came howling and roaring out of the dust clouds on the plains—vast bodies, agile limbs, sharp teeth and claws, radiating a dense aura of death in the morning light. And at the other end, the townsfolk were panic-stricken, running madly in all directions, yet no one knew where safety lay.
The dense pounding of running feet grew nearer and louder, until at last it was deafening. More and more beast demons poured from the south, charging at the town. The old road across the plains and the broad land to either side had now become a playground for these beast demons. With eyes blood-red, the creatures surrounded the town amid earth-shaking roars. Wretches who could not flee into the town in time were swallowed in an instant by the dust raised by the beasts; in the gray fog bloodlight flickered, screams rang out, and were soon extinguished.
And atop the town wall, some few who still clung to the will to live desperately hauled up the drawbridge, holding the ferocious beasts outside for the moment. But the beast demons seemed endless, pouring from the south to surround the town completely.
The five in the sky all drew a sharp breath.
From the wilderness afar came a shrill cry—piercing to the ear, with a certain clangor to it, seeming to pierce through the dust and rush toward them from far away. The King of Hell's expression changed. "It's here," he said in a low voice. "This must be the beast demon. Everyone be careful; act according to plan."