Chapter 85

The Demon's Selection (85)

"Who are you talking about?"

Chao E Liang chuckled at Fan Jiewei's question.

"The guy who sprinkled lime powder in your eyes and ran away."

Fan Jiewei's face immediately twisted.

"Oh! That bastard! I get angry just thinking about it! If I meet him again, I'll definitely tear him limb from limb…."

Chao E Liang cut off Fan Jiewei's words.

"If it's that guy, he should be a worthy opponent for Dan Yixian's martial arts competition."

After a moment of deep thought, Fan Jiewei nodded.

"You're right."

Dan Yixian became curious.

"Who is this person?"

"It's a guy called Gui Ying Ma Zi (Ghost Shadow Demon Child)."

Chao E Liang continued his explanation.

"He's a thief who roams all over the Central Plains, primarily in Shaanxi. He likes to call himself Shen Tui (Divine Thief) and boasts about it."

"A thief?"

"Yes. There are many people who grind their teeth at the thought of him."

No wonder he has become one of the most wanted criminals in the martial world, regardless of the sects.

However, the fact that he was still alive despite all this showed that he was indeed a formidable opponent.

"His martial arts aren't particularly impressive, but his lightness skills are so outstanding that they can match ours. Moreover, he is skilled in all sorts of tricks and is utterly ruthless, willing to use any means to achieve his goals."

"If he can earn Chao Uncle's recognition, he must be quite remarkable."

"Well, he's not that great…."

Chao E Liang trailed off and then gave a meaningful smile.

"But he will certainly be of help to you."

Thus, their first destination in Shaanxi was decided.

They headed south immediately to find Gui Ying Ma Zi.

Four days later, at Mount Taibai.

Though not as famous as the Five Great Mountains, Mount Taibai, along with Huashan and Zhongnanshan, was one of the representative mountains of Shaanxi.

The climate changes dramatically throughout the four seasons, and the eternal snow at the summit, which exudes a mysterious atmosphere, has attracted countless poets and painters.

However, Dan Yixian and his companions had no time to appreciate the beautiful scenery of Mount Taibai.

"This guy really hides deep."

Fan Jiewei muttered as they searched the deep ravine.

Even though it was already late afternoon, the sky was growing dark.

How long had they searched the ravine?

Chao E Liang's eyes suddenly lit up.

"There it is!"

Chao E Liang leaped to a large rock nestled between the ravines.

It was clearly a place that had been touched by human hands.

At that moment, a pile of rocks caught their attention.

When they moved the rocks, a small incense burner hidden inside was revealed.

Fan Jiewei approached the incense burner and gathered his inner energy.

Whoosh.

He inserted his flame-encased finger into the incense burner, and it quickly caught fire.

A moment later, a thin stream of blue smoke began to rise toward the sky.

The smoke was peculiar.

Even though the wind from the ravine blew it, it neither broke nor dispersed.

It seemed to have undergone some special treatment.

"He will appear soon."

Dan Yixian nodded at Chao E Liang's words.

"Then we'll have to camp here tonight."

At that moment,

Pitter-patter.

Raindrops suddenly began to pour down.

The weather on the mountain is unpredictable.

Especially Mount Taibai is known for its capricious weather.

Dan Yixian started looking for a place to shelter from the rain, his face showing his distress.

At this moment, Han Xuehua quietly approached Dan Yixian.

"Huh?"

Dan Yixian looked at Han Xuehua with a puzzled expression.

Even in the pouring rain, she still looked calm.

"Ah!"

A soft exclamation escaped Dan Yixian's lips.

In the heavy rain, not a drop of water had touched Han Xuehua or himself.

The raindrops that fell near Han Xuehua slipped away as if blocked by an invisible wall.

It was due to the naturally manifested protective aura.

"Amazing."

Dan Yixian marveled and turned his head toward Chao E Liang and Fan Jiewei.

Similarly, both of them were using their protective auras to avoid the rain.

"You will be able to do this someday too."

Fan Jiewei nodded at Chao E Liang's words.

"What's the big deal about this?"

Fan Jiewei boasted.

"There are many ways to avoid the rain without relying on a protective aura."

"Really?"

At Dan Yixian's question, Fan Jiewei smiled.

"Want to see?"

Chao E Liang and Han Xuehua shot him a disdainful look.

"How can you have so little to boast about…."

Fan Jiewei's face turned red at Chao E Liang's reprimand.

Seeing this, Dan Yixian quickly made a suggestion to defuse the situation, as he didn't want Fan Jiewei to feel embarrassed because of him.

"How about we make a bet?"

"A bet?"

Fan Jiewei asked with a puzzled look, and Dan Yixian continued.

"The one who gets wet first will help me prepare dinner. Of course, without using a protective aura."

Seeing Chao E Liang's somewhat reluctant expression, Dan Yixian tried to persuade him.

"We have a long journey ahead, and a bit of fun seems necessary."

Chao E Liang chuckled at Dan Yixian's request.

"It's not difficult."

With that, Chao E Liang picked up a branch lying nearby.

"There's no need to rely on a protective aura…."

As he spoke, Chao E Liang withdrew his protective aura.

At the same time, he began to deftly deflect the falling raindrops with the branch.

"Wow!"

An involuntary exclamation escaped Dan Yixian's lips.

The precision of his movements was hard to believe even when seen with the naked eye.

Although he was using a branch, Dan Yixian vaguely noticed that it incorporated techniques from the Siliang Fachenjin, which he had adapted from the Wushi Jing.

Seeing Dan Yixian's continuous admiration, Chao E Liang smiled slightly.

However, his smile didn't last long.

"Try harder, try harder."

At Fan Jiewei's voice from the side, Chao E Liang's face twisted.

Sizzle.

The raindrops that fell near Fan Jiewei immediately vaporized, turning into a mist of steam.

Curious, Dan Yixian looked at Han Xuehua, but the situation was similar on her side.

The raindrops that reached her vicinity suddenly turned into small ice pellets and fell.

Han Xuehua, who met Chao E Liang's eyes, smiled slightly.

"You just need to avoid getting wet, right?"

"…!"

Chao E Liang felt inwardly wronged.

Both of them were clearly not using a protective aura.

But what was the difference from using a protective aura?

Moreover….

'Damn it!'

Unlike Chao E Liang, who was gradually becoming more anxious as time passed, the other two remained calm.

If this continued, he would surely lose.

Then, at one moment,

Chao E Liang's eyes sparkled.

He began to deflect the raindrops toward Han Xuehua with the branch.

Plop!

The hailstones that collided with the incoming raindrops changed direction and flew toward Fan Jiewei.

"What are you doing?"

Fan Jiewei roared and glared at Han Xuehua.

Han Xuehua, in turn, glared at Chao E Liang with wide eyes.

Chao E Liang smiled and said,

"I just recalled the conditions of the bet."

"…?"

"There was no rule against interfering with each other."

Fan Jiewei's eyes widened at this.

Indeed, that was true.

If this continued, the match with Han Xuehua could drag on indefinitely.

Moreover, if he could win alone, Chao E Liang and Han Xuehua would have to respect him for a while.

Fan Jiewei stealthily approached Han Xuehua.

At that moment, the heat emanating from Fan Jiewei shook Han Xuehua's cold aura.

A single ice pellet melted into a water droplet and was about to fall on her shoulder.

"…!"

Startled, Han Xuehua quickly moved to avoid the raindrop.

"What is this?"

Fan Jiewei's provocation made Han Xuehua's eyes turn cold.

Han Xuehua, gathering her inner energy, swung her sleeve at Fan Jiewei.

The steam surrounding Fan Jiewei instantly condensed and rained down like a shower.

"Ah!"

Startled, Fan Jiewei hurriedly unleashed a palm force toward the sky.

Boom!

The impact shattered the water droplets into a fine mist.

"Do you want to try this too?"

As Fan Jiewei roared in anger, Han Xuehua gave a short, derisive laugh.

"With that skill?"

Han Xuehua's mockery made Fan Jiewei furious, and he unleashed a palm force.

Han Xuehua, not to be outdone, swung her sleeve, continuously releasing cold energy.

Boom, boom, boom.

Explosions echoed between the two, and water droplets splattered in all directions.

Thanks to this, Chao E Liang's hands became even busier.

He was already struggling to deflect the raindrops falling from above, and now he had to deal with the water droplets coming from the sides.

"Cut it out! You two!"

Unable to bear it any longer, Chao E Liang's shout made Fan Jiewei and Han Xuehua turn to glare at him.

"That guy was the culprit!"

As soon as Han Xuehua spoke, Fan Jiewei darted toward Chao E Liang.

Chao E Liang, startled, tried to back away, but Fan Jiewei was faster.

Trapped in the territory of Fan Jiewei and Han Xuehua, Chao E Liang's face showed clear distress.

Then, at one moment,

"Fine! Let's all get wet together! You two!"

A sinister look appeared in Chao E Liang's eyes.

In an instant, cold energy and fiery energy intertwined.

With the addition of Chao E Liang's Wushi Jing, the scene quickly descended into chaos.

The raindrops, shattered by the swirling energy and inner force, turned into a fine mist that enveloped the area.

Watching this, Dan Yixian sighed deeply.

"Ah…."

The three people, who seemed to have forgotten about him, were now engaged in a fierce battle.

Thanks to this, Dan Yixian was drenched from head to toe.

There was no way to avoid the rain and wind coming from all directions.

'Where did things go wrong?'

Dan Yixian reflected on the current situation.

The bet he suggested to stop the fight had only fueled it.

He hadn't expected them to fight so fiercely over a mere bet.

It was the price he paid for not understanding the nature of these experts, who valued their pride as much as their lives.

However, regret always comes too late.

'I won't make a bet again.'

Looking at himself, thoroughly soaked, Dan Yixian shook his head.

And he made a firm decision.

'Absolutely! Never again!'

That night,

A figure approached the incense burner, blending into the darkness of the ravine.

He was probably in his early fifties, with small, beady eyes reminiscent of a rat and a thin, goatee-like beard. He had a short, stocky build.

He cautiously approached the incense burner, constantly looking around.

'What happened here?'

The entire ravine was in disarray, as if a typhoon had swept through.

Broken rock fragments and piles of dirt were scattered everywhere, and there were signs of scorching.

Moreover, everything was covered in mud.

Yet, the incense burner was intact.

This made it seem even more bizarre.

'Not good!'

His intuition, honed from years of experience in the martial world, sent a warning.

No matter how good the opportunity, it was best to avoid suspicious situations.

Driven by an ominous feeling, Gai Duda slowly retraced his steps.

His movements were extremely cautious, making no sound.

However,

Click.

Before he could take a few steps, he bumped into something.

He turned his head unconsciously to look behind.

In the dim darkness,

A thin, glowing object caught his eye.

Realizing too late that it was the gleam in someone's eyes, Gai Duda felt a chill run down his spine.

At that moment, a voice he would never forget shook his mind.

"It's been a while."