Chapter 70: Those Who Smelled (5)

‘This can’t be.’

Even up close, the scene was horrific, but after clearing away all the building debris, the sight that was revealed was truly something that one could not bear to see.

‘There are many traces of a large amount of blood being spilled. This means it wasn’t just a simple battle.’

She looked around.

‘It’s hard to figure out exactly what happened. But…’

The building was demolished and set on fire, with the intention of erasing the traces here.

But it’s too half-hearted.

‘If they wanted to properly erase the traces, they could have done it much more thoroughly. They could have completely eliminated the bodies and the building debris.’

Was there a lack of time?

No, that’s not it. Considering the distance the scouts sent ahead had to return and the distance back to this place, there was certainly no lack of time.

Given the audacity to provoke the sect’s disciples, they would have known that it would be better to take the time to erase the traces.

It must have been a mistake.

‘There are two conclusions.’

Either this crude trace is a bait, or there is a destination so certain that they can be caught no matter where they flee.

Swoosh.

As her hand swept over the cracked wall, a layer of white frost formed on it.

The Frost Heaven Hand of the Moon Sound Demon Art was naturally activated. The cold that permeated not only the surface but also the interior made the wall structurally unstable.

She tapped the frozen wall.

Rumble.

The broken wall sank into the ground.

‘Indeed, it was done carelessly. The oil was only roughly spread around.’

Everyone was taken aback by the sudden situation, but Juhua maintained her composure amidst the chaos. At least, that’s how it appeared on the surface.

Of course, how could she not be surprised? But Juhua was more concerned about how to handle this situation.

“Temporary Commander.”

“Yes, Chief.”

“Have you sent a message to the nearest branch?”

“I have. Given the distance, it should arrive in a day and a half. It will take two days for the message to reach the main branch.”

It’s too late to wait for orders from the higher-ups. It would be better to take action first and report later.

“I need some time to think. Please collect the bodies for now.”

“Understood.”

Juhua, who had moved to the side of the accident scene, sighed.

‘After all, Jiangxi is a region where the main sect has strong influence. There’s no need to rush.’

If it were another region, she would have immediately formed a tracking team and sent them out. Since Guangdong and Jiangxi are adjacent, she wanted to monitor the situation more closely.

‘Don’t act hastily. That will lead to mistakes.’

It was a sound judgment. If she had been impulsive or blinded by the desire for merit, she would not have been able to act this way.

Juhua, who had unconsciously crossed her arms, felt her forearms grow cold and uncrossed them.

‘Was it still in operation?’

As Juhua looked down at her hands, a subtle passion stirred in her face.

‘Already to this extent… truly, it’s fast.’

Xueliang’s treatment did not just restore her weakened body to normal.

Five days before arriving here, she could already actively use the Moon Sound Demon Art.

It wasn’t just about practicing and protecting her body. She had extracted the cold energy required for the Moon Sound Demon Art, established the foundation of demonic energy, and increased the amount of demonic energy to fill more than a third of her dantian.

Although it was still insufficient to fully recover her previous martial prowess, it was enough to hold her own against a decent expert for some time.

‘I thought it would take a month. No, even after a month of cultivation, I’m not sure I could reach this level.’

Juhua’s eyes wavered.

‘Just what is Third Young Master…’

Every morning, she could feel the dense traces of demonic energy remaining in her body.

Although it was in extremely small amounts, the demonic energy was so potent that the Moon Sound Demon Art was hastily activated to chase after it.

The young master injected a small amount of demonic energy every day to stimulate the revival of the Moon Sound Demon Art.

If it weren’t for his efforts, she would still be sitting in the carriage, cultivating to pass the time.

‘Ah! Come to think of it…’

The young master had not yet come out of the carriage. He must be curious about this situation.

She hurriedly walked towards the carriage.

At that moment.

Boom!!

A tremendous explosion sounded from the rear carriage.

Juhua, startled, looked in that direction. Not only her, but all the disciples who were clearing the debris also turned their gazes.

There, Madongfil stood with a flustered expression.

Juhua quickly used her lightness technique to approach Madongfil.

“What happened?”

“It’s….”

Madongfil slightly opened the carriage door.

Juhua’s eyes widened.

“…Where did he go?”

Madongfil, who had been looking around, sent a mental message to Juhua.

[Third Young Master said he would take a look around and not to follow him.]

[…Did you know about this?]

[Yes, I did. I was the one who accompanied the young master from Gaozhulinf.]

[It doesn’t matter. Quickly, find the young master…]

[It’s not possible.]

[What do you mean? The sect’s leader has left without any escort! And especially in this situation!]

Madongfil sighed, as if saying, “What did you do?”

“He said to clear the debris and that if we go about fifty miles northeast, we will find traces.”

“…What?”

“That’s all he said. He also said to avoid close combat as the enemy’s strength is considerable.”

Woo.

Steam rose from Juhua’s hands, and the surrounding air grew cold.

Madongfil sighed again.

“I would like to follow him, but the order we received from the transport team and the Law Enforcement Hall is….”

“It’s true.”

“Hm?”

“The order we received is to load the items to be handed over and return to the main sect. The Law Enforcement Hall’s task is to safely escort the transport team.”

“…”

“So we will all move.”

Juhua called out to Lian.

“Collect the bodies and move out immediately!”

The disciples moved quickly. With clear orders given, all that was left was to act swiftly.

Rattle.

The shaking carriage door. Inside, there was no one.

Naturally, there was no sign of Jinhuo.

* * *

“Huh.”

Wujinghua shook his head.

“Now, all that’s left is to wait. Hey!”

“Yes, Chief.”

“Bring some alcohol.”

Guo Si bowed and quickly moved.

It’s nice to see him become more efficient. Wujinghua, who had been smiling, suddenly felt a massive shadow envelop his head.

His face twisted as he looked up.

“What is it?”

“…”

“Why aren’t you asking me what it is!”

His sharp reprimand was tinged with annoyance.

The man standing in front of Wujinghua was a truly formidable figure. He was easily over six feet tall, with a broad chest and shoulders that evoked the strength of steel.

Moreover, despite the cold, he wore a costume that exposed his shoulders and arms. His upper body was made of tiger skin, and his lower body of bear skin, exuding a wild and savage aura.

Despite his imposing physique, his face was quite clean. He had no beard, and his eyes were deep like the abyss. However, his eyebrows were shaved, giving him a slightly fierce appearance.

The giant opened his mouth.

“I need food.”

“…What?”

“I need food to feed the children. Send some disciples to procure it.”

Wujinghua’s cheeks trembled.

“Are you giving me orders, you bastard?”

“It’s not an order, but a request.”

“I have no food to give to your kind. You should take care of your own food!”

The man said without blinking.

“In this collaboration, your group was supposed to provide our food. Keep your promise.”

“Are you crazy! Think about how much you’ve already eaten! And just a while ago, you were even eating corpses!”

“We are just requesting. We need more food.”

His low, mumbled voice sounded strangely awkward.

Swoosh.

Killing intent radiated from Wujinghua.

At the same time, the man’s gaze, which had been looking down at him, changed.

Rumble.

From behind the man, in the dark, the sounds of beasts could be heard. Dozens of pairs of blood-red eyes were a form of intimidation and threat.

“Are you going to break the agreement?”

Slick.

On the man’s thick lower lip, a fang that had been hidden suddenly appeared.

Wujinghua, who had been looking up at him with a murderous intent, smiled viciously.

“Yeah, I have to feed your beasts, which are worse than pigs. Since the higher-ups made a promise, that’s the way it is. Right?”

“Good.”

“Go and wait. I’ll prepare enough to burst your bellies.”

The man turned without a word.

Wujinghua, who had been glaring at his back, turned his wrist.

Crack. Crack.

It was an action filled with murderous intent. It seemed he wanted to blow off the man’s head right away.

‘Yeah, eat as much as you want.’

Sacrifice is an inevitable element in every mission. After all, any report about what happened here would have to go through him.

‘After this is over, I’ll bury all of you beasts.’

If Wujinghua had seen the man’s face as he turned, he wouldn’t have dared to think such thoughts.

The man’s face was contorted in a demonic grin, yet he didn’t reveal a single trace of killing intent, making him even more terrifying.

A moment later, Wujinghua’s subordinates appeared, carrying over a dozen deer.

Crunch! Crunch.

The deer were quickly swallowed up by the darkness. The large man watched the scene from the side, expressionless.

“My appetite is ruined.”

Wujinghua turned his head.

‘I really can’t understand it.’

The Iron Blood Sect is still powerful. He believed there was no need to collaborate with other organizations.

Why wouldn’t the Righteous Heaven Alliance and those damn demon sect bastards provoke the Iron Blood Sect? It’s because they don’t know if they can win or not, right?

In other words, the power of the Iron Blood Sect is not inferior to that of the Righteous Heaven Alliance and the demon sect. The saying “the three major forces of the martial world” is not just a saying.

‘No, that’s not it.’

Wujinghua’s eyes sparkled.

‘Collaborate with those savage beasts? No way. They must be using us and then discarding us.’

This collaboration is just a tool. Wujinghua believed this without a doubt.

If it were an equal collaboration, it would be unbearable. His pride as a lifelong member of the Iron Blood Sect would be shattered.

‘They call themselves the Southern Savage Beast Palace, but they are nothing more than beasts, not people.’

Traveling with those he didn’t want to be with, and now having to wait, made him unbearably annoyed