Chapter 18: Oscar-Worthy Acting
In the dim, blood-soaked forest, two figures raced across the treetops, startling birds into flight.
Rustle, rustle—BANG!!
Xia Feng was struck again, sent flying backward. He crashed through several thick branches before landing in a large depression where a tree had been uprooted.
Boom, boom, boom—during the tumble, the crystal pocket watch on his chest flew into the air, shattering into pieces. A yellowed old photo fluttered down.
"Puh, puh, puh!" Xia Feng struggled to his feet, spitting out dirt. He caught the photo, carefully tucked it into his pocket, and looked up, squinting.
The bald man stood at the edge of the depression, looking down.
"Haha~ Kid, if you go further in, you'll reach the disaster zone. Where else can you run?"
Seeing the man's arrogant grin, Xia Feng couldn't help but think of Han Xin dancing around Lu Ban. He'd used similar tactics in the past—mean but effective.
"Forget it, bald guy. I won't run anymore." Xia Feng swung his long knife and beckoned. "Come here."
"Looking to die!" The bald man's face turned cold. In an instant, he was upon Xia Feng. "Crack"—the clash of metal rang out, and the shockwave sent Xia Feng flying.
"Puff—" Blood sprayed from his mouth as he spun in the air. But Xia Feng grinned, using his tail to strike the ground three times—BANG!!
The force propelled him higher, toward a shrinking black hole—the same one that had sucked him into the Evil Dragon Forest earlier.
Before entering, Xia Feng flipped the bald man off as a "friendly gesture."
The bald man smirked, leaping into the black hole. Did the kid think he could escape by running into a disaster zone? How naive.
In an instant, they were in a world of heavy snow. It was night, and thick fog obscured the distant landscape.
The bald man immediately sensed the abnormally high concentration of evil energy, realizing he'd entered a severe disaster zone.
He glanced around and spotted Xia Feng in the distance, seemingly panicked. The young man stumbled, nearly falling face-first into the snow.
The bald man laughed mockingly. "It's not safe to stay here long. Kid, I'm done playing with you!"
With that, he unleashed his ultimate move, sending waves of white air from his feet. His eyes turned blood-red—WHOOSH!
The snow cleared in an instant as the bald man shot forward like an arrow, aiming a punch at Xia Feng, who was scrambling away in panic—ten meters.
Xia Feng noticed the movement and turned slightly. The bald man's soulless body flew past him, plowing through the snow for nearly a hundred meters.
Seeing this, Xia Feng calmly clapped his hands and stood, wiping sweat from his brow. "Finally tricked him in. That acting was exhausting."
He reflected on his performance—panic, fear, despair, and helplessness in the face of death. He'd even fallen into the snow, rolling and crawling, only managing five meters in the last five seconds.
With such superb acting, he deserved an Oscar, right?
"Help—help me!"
A faint, hoarse cry came from above. Xia Feng looked up to see countless black fog balls surrounding the bald man's spirit, like wolves devouring a rabbit.
The spirit's face was twisted in pain as it reached out to Xia Feng. "Save me!!"
"As expected of a second-level expert. He can still speak in spirit form," Xia Feng mused.
"The Black Moon Church! They sent me to kill you!"
The black fog swallowed the spirit's neck, leaving only its head exposed. It stretched its misty hands toward Xia Feng, screaming, "Save me! I'll help you kill them!"
The bald man was terrified and furious. A second-level spiritualist, capable of fighting third-level opponents, had been tricked by a kid!
He didn't understand how Xia Feng was unharmed in this hellhole. But if Xia Feng could survive, maybe there was a way to save him.
Surrender first, then kill the brat!
"You said the Black Moon Church sent you?" Xia Feng looked puzzled. "Who in the Church?"
The bald man had no idea. The masked man who hired him had left no clues. His deduction about the Church was based on years of experience, but that was all.
"Save me first! I'll tell you, I swear to the Star God!" The black fog reached his nose. His voice weakened. "Xia Feng, save me…"
Xia Feng nodded thoughtfully. "So, you don't know who it is either."
"I do!" The bald man's eyes widened.
"No, if I say you don't know, then you don't."
"!!! Xia—" The last visible eye filled with rage and regret. The black fog consumed it. "No!!!"
Tear—
The black fog devoured the spirit, leaving the sky and earth empty.
"Ten hours."
Wei Shutong glanced at his watch, expressionless. "This is the longest time yet. Acting President Zhao, why not send someone in to check?"
"No need." Zhao Jie waved his hand, his martial arts robe swaying. "I know my apprentice. He won't leave the Evil Dragon Forest easily. He's probably searching for treasure and will come out when he can't withstand the evil energy."
As he spoke, a rustling sound came from ahead.
Both men looked up, and Zhao Jie grinned. "Old Wei, time to transfer the money."
Wei Shutong leaned on his crutch, his back straight. He was about to speak when he froze, staring in shock at the black-haired figure emerging from the jungle.
He suppressed a twitching smile and said calmly, "Is that so? Perhaps President Zhao should take a closer look."
"…"
Zhao Jie's grin faded as he saw the figure approaching. It wasn't who he'd expected.
A black-haired young man in a tattered windbreaker, his face bloodied but grinning, walked toward them, a knife resting on his shoulder.
"Xia Feng?"
Zhao Jie's scarred eyes narrowed in surprise and doubt. How was this possible?
Wei Shutong stepped forward, passing Zhao Jie and patting his shoulder. "Acting President Zhao, if your eyes are failing, you should see a doctor. If you're hallucinating, come to me. I'll treat you for free."
Zhao Jie: "…"
"Teachers, here's the life fruit you asked for."
Xia Feng tossed the fruit over. "This ends the game, right?"
Zhao Jie caught it, glanced at it, and looked up. "Where's Qi Xiao? Did you kill him?"
"Yeah, how else?" Xia Feng shrugged casually.
Impossible! Zhao Jie's eyes turned cold, and the pressure of a third-level spiritualist bore down on Xia Feng. "Tell me! How did you kill him?!"
Clatter—
A middle-aged man in a suit, with greasy hair, stepped forward, blocking Xia Feng. "Mr. Zhao, Acting President! Are you openly violating the rules of the Six-Tails Society?"
(End of Chapter)