Chapter 86

Suddenly, Qi Xiang felt a surge of unease, as if a great calamity was about to befall him...

In an instant, Qi Xiang sensed something and quickly withdrew his umbrella, raising his head to look at the sky. At that moment, a massive snake-like lightning bolt struck down from the pitch-black sky.

The light was dazzling, as if it could tear through the sky, and it was extremely terrifying. The most frightening thing was that the massive lightning bolt, descending from the sky, was aimed at the old bamboo forest on Mount Laozu.

Qi Xiang's eyes widened in shock, his pupils contracting rapidly. However, before he could react, the lightning had already struck, and the thunderous explosion immediately shook the entire mountain.

In an instant, a fierce wind blew, and the heavy rain strangely froze. Then, a massive, terrifying force, like a tidal wave, swept through the bamboo forest.

"Zzzz..."

As the lightning flashed, a series of crackling sounds filled the air, and one by one, the sturdy old bamboo stalks snapped and split.

However, these scenes were just a prelude. When the lightning exploded, the rumbling thunder, like the simultaneous eruption of dozens of tons of explosives, produced an extremely terrifying sonic boom.

The thunder was deafening, and large patches of bamboo were knocked over, their roots pulled out of the ground, and they were swept into the sky by the tornado generated by the sonic boom.

At the same time, Qi Xiang was also shaken to the point of almost fainting.

He was still okay, barely able to hold on, but the two people next to him, Mr. Wu and the other, had no idea what was happening. They groaned in the shock, their bodies going limp, and they fell to the ground, unable to get up.

Seeing this, Qi Xiang was alarmed and hurriedly went to help them. After a quick check, he found that their body temperature and breathing were relatively normal, so they had probably just fainted.

Qi Xiang breathed a sigh of relief, but he frowned as he surveyed the chaotic scene around him. He had a vague feeling that the terrifying lightning strike was not a random occurrence.

After the thunder struck, the strange and obscure aura that had been floating in the bamboo forest mysteriously disappeared.

"There's something strange..."

Qi Xiang thought to himself, casually covering the two people with rainwater, and then cautiously moved toward the direction where the lightning had struck.

On the way, he saw scenes of devastation, which made him somewhat uneasy. Even the outer part of the bamboo forest, though not the center of the lightning strike, had been affected, with bamboo stalks scattered and broken, a sight that was unbearable to see.

However, it was precisely because of this that the obstacles were cleared for him, and he didn't have to detour. He could follow the broken bamboo branches directly to the center of the bamboo forest.

Qi Xiang walked slowly, his eyes and ears alert.

Suddenly, a series of loud noises reached his ears. Qi Xiang's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stopped, listening intently.

"Gu Shanhe, you despicable scoundrel, give me back what you took..."

"Heavenly treasures belong to those who are destined for them. Miss Bai, thank you for showing me the way. I'll take it."

"Damn you, go to hell!"

Accompanied by a soft, delicate cry, Qi Xiang also sensed a strange fluctuation in the air, followed by the sound of clashing weapons.

"Miss Bai, it's just a lightning bamboo. Even if I give it to you, you won't be able to use it. Why are you fighting so hard? Just let me have it. I'll owe you a favor and repay it when I can..."

"...Fine, fine, if you're not kind, don't blame me for being unrighteous..."

The voices were muffled and unclear, a chaotic mix of light and heavy sounds.

Qi Xiang couldn't hear clearly and couldn't help but follow the sounds, slowly approaching the center of the bamboo forest. At this moment, through the sparse bamboo branches, he could see the situation inside.

The center of the bamboo forest was the most severely affected by the lightning strike. A large area of bamboo had been charred, with smoke still rising and a burnt smell in the air.

Next to the charred bamboo, there were five or six people lying on the ground in various positions.

Qi Xiang's sharp eyes could see that among the five or six people, there was an elderly man in his seventies or eighties, dressed in simple clothes. If there were no surprises, this elderly man was likely Mr. Wu's great-uncle.

The elderly man lay still on the ground, motionless, and it was unclear whether he was alive or dead.

"If he just fainted, that would be easier to deal with, but if he was struck by lightning..."

Thinking of this, Qi Xiang felt a bit uneasy and was moved by compassion. However, what surprised him more was that there had been sounds in the center of the bamboo forest just now, but now it was suddenly quiet.

"What's going on?"

Qi Xiang was puzzled and looked around, but there was no sign of movement or people.

"Did they move away?"

Qi Xiang speculated, thinking it was quite possible. After the argument, they might have fought and quickly left the bamboo forest.

Qi Xiang thought for a moment and then walked quickly into the center of the bamboo forest.

He approached the elderly man, bent down, and felt his nose, finding that his breathing was steady, indicating that he had just fainted.

"Thank goodness, nothing serious..." Qi Xiang felt relieved and placed a large umbrella over the elderly man to shield him from the rain.

Just as he was about to stand up, he sensed a warning. Before he could react, he felt a sharp point at his waist, making him stiffen and unable to move.

Qi Xiang was sensible and immediately raised his hands. Then he heard a weak voice ask, "Who are you?"

"…I'm not a bad person," Qi Xiang said truthfully. "It was raining heavily, and the old man's great-nephew was worried that he would get wet, so we came to bring him an umbrella."

"What about the person who came with you?" the person behind him asked, their voice weak and feeble.

"He's outside. The thunder knocked him out," Qi Xiang quickly explained. "I made sure he was safe, but I was worried about the old man, so I rushed over to check on him."

As Qi Xiang explained, he felt the sharp point at his waist slowly move away. Sensing that the person behind him was no longer hostile, he relaxed and slowly turned around. "Are you the one who ordered the mahjong set…?"

Before Qi Xiang could finish his sentence, he felt a gentle breeze, and someone fell into his arms. He was stunned and a bit flustered, not knowing what to do.

At the same time, a soft voice whispered in his ear, "Take me away from here… don't take me to the hospital…"

"Huh?" Qi Xiang was taken aback, then quickly regained his composure and asked, "Not to the hospital, where then?"

After a long pause, there was no response.

Qi Xiang's mind raced, and he looked down to see that the person was pale, with their eyes tightly closed, seemingly unconscious.

"Hey, hey!"

Qi Xiang shook the person, confirming that they were indeed unconscious.

After a moment's consideration, Qi Xiang decided to do as the person asked and carried them out of the bamboo forest.

The person in his arms was as light as a feather, almost weightless.

Qi Xiang walked quickly, and in about seven or eight minutes, he reached the edge of the bamboo forest. At that moment, he sensed something and stopped, his gaze falling on a young man crouching on a large rock about a hundred meters away. The young man looked like a hunting leopard, ready to pounce.

At this time, the heavy rain had gradually weakened, turning into a fine drizzle.

The drizzle was like smoke and mist, hazy and fresh.

Even through the mist and at a distance of over a hundred meters, Qi Xiang could sense the explosive power and the dangerous, sharp gaze of the young man.

Qi Xiang suddenly felt as if he was being watched by a venomous snake or a fierce beast, and any wrong move would cause it to pounce and deliver a fatal blow.

For a moment, the air was filled with an unsettling tension, and the person in Qi Xiang's arms seemed to be affected, their long, delicate eyelashes trembling slightly.

After a few seconds of standoff, Qi Xiang suddenly walked away, as if he hadn't seen the young man, and continued toward the mountain's exit.

Seeing this, the young man was taken aback and a bit unprepared. He was initially angry and ready to move, but the cool breeze calmed him down.

"Is it a trap?"

The young man hesitated, struggling with his decision, and finally reined in his hostility. "Forget it. Even though we've already shown our true colors, there's still a chance to make peace. If I use more force, it will truly be a fight to the death..."

"Leave some room for reconciliation, for the sake of future encounters!"

The young man stood up and immediately changed direction, sprinting away. In fact, there was another reason: his animal-like intuition told him that Qi Xiang was not someone to be trifled with.

"Who is he?"

The young man ran, thinking to himself, "Things are really getting interesting lately. The time hasn't come yet, but all sorts of strange people are appearing. It's quite lively. But this is good; with so many people around, it's easier to take advantage of the chaos..."

The young man chuckled and disappeared into the mountains.

At the same time, Qi Xiang returned to the small village with the person in his arms and then made his way back to town after some effort.

In town, he found a clean room in a hotel, and under the hotel owner's suspicious and somewhat ambiguous gaze, he opened a room and carefully placed the person on a soft bed.

Don't misunderstand; Qi Xiang wasn't harboring any evil intentions. During the close contact on the way, he had noticed something strange.

First, he had to admit that Mr. Wu's cousin was right; this was a beautiful girl. Her skin was smooth and white like jade, her features delicate like a porcelain doll.

Second, he suddenly thought of a famous line from Xu Zhimo's poetry: "The most gentle is the lowering of her head, like a water lily shy of the cool breeze." Her bright and shy demeanor was touching and endearing.

Finally, he knew that this delicate flower seemed to have thorns, and touching it would hurt.

Qi Xiang looked at her with interest and soon noticed that some hidden parts of her body seemed to be filled with strange power, like landmines that would explode at the slightest touch...

For the last two days, I'm pushing hard, hoping for more collections and recommendations. Thank you for your support.