M49S Vol 1 Chapter 5. Reunion

Meng Qiqi did not expect to come face to face with Chen Boyan so soon. With so many lakes in the secret realm, the two of them happened to end up in the same one.

Through the dimly glowing lake water, Meng Qiqi saw the pale blue robe drifting in the current. The face behind the ripples seemed to return to the youthful look of his teenage years. Because of that illusion, the cold lake water carried a fleeting warmth.

But the wind above the water remained cold. After a round of killing, the warmth and rising aggression in Meng Qiqi’s heart faded away completely.

Chen Boyan did not react to the peculiar name “Mad Dog.” His gaze swept across the wild plains toward the distance. Roars from the monsters echoed endlessly as they called out to one another. It would not be long before they came swarming.

He looked up. The sky, which had been clear moments ago, was now covered with heavy clouds. If it rained, it would be troublesome. The rain in the secret realm contained violent elemental force, enough to cut their combat power in half. But the land was dotted with lakes, turning the ground into uneven terrain. No flat green space could be found, only tangled grass and dry vines.

Only the pavilions and towers faintly visible between the valleys seemed suitable for shelter and regrouping.

Chen Boyan said, “Young master, heavy rain is about to fall. You may head to the structures in the mountains to take shelter. Slaying monsters is not urgent.”

“You are not going?”

“I still need to find my junior brothers and sisters. We part ways here.” Chen Boyan had paid close attention to this “Mad Dog” earlier. Judging by his ruthless moves and strong cultivation, he seemed capable of acting alone.

But while Meng Qiqi said goodbye, his feet still followed behind him.

Chen Boyan was not the kind of man who meddled out of kindness. He had said what needed to be said, and left it at that. Just then, a sword light flared ahead. The beam shot straight into the sky like a flying sword piercing the clouds.

That was the usual signal method of Gushan Sword. Chen Boyan immediately changed direction toward it.

The one who released the signal was the youngest junior brother, Tu Youqiong. But at the moment, he was not alone. The lake he had been teleported to was large, and eight cultivators had gathered there. Among them were one female disciple from Ruizhu Sect, two disciples from the Wang Clan, three rogue cultivators, and one from Beidou Sect.

Tu Youqiong felt that the situation was turning bad.

After releasing the signal, they stumbled upon a monster nest. The nest was in a small cave near the lake’s edge within the forest. The cave entrance was narrow, so only one or two monsters could emerge at a time. Someone suggested that they wait near the cave entrance and ambush the monsters as they emerged.

Eight people hid around the cave mouth. One monster comes out, they kill it. Two monsters come out, they kill both. If the monsters did not come out in groups, their combat strength would not be significant. So the suggestion sounded tempting.

But Tu Youqiong looked at the sky and recalled what senior brother had warned before departure. He could not help but remind them, “The rain’s coming soon. The trees here are too sparse to block it. If monsters get wet, their strength will spike, while ours will be weakened. If they all charge out at once, I’m afraid…”

“I understand your concern,” Wang Zi’an of the Wang Clan interrupted him. “But our clan has used this tactic before. As long as everyone works together, nothing will go wrong. Besides, the monsters haven’t gone berserk yet. This is the best time to strike. If we wait until after the rain, they will all become stronger and even more vicious. By then, it will be too late to act. This kind of opportunity is rare.”

“I agree with Brother Wang,” said one of the rogue cultivators, resting his sword on his shoulder. “Fortune favors the bold. There’s always something good in a beast’s lair. It’d be a waste to let it slip by.”

Rogues were known for their appetite for risk. After he spoke, the other two nodded in agreement. The Ruizhu Sect disciple frowned slightly but still nodded after considering the sect’s ties with the Wang clan.

Zhao Xing from Beidou was even more blunt. “You beat my senior, Cai Mu, last night, and now you’re backing off like a coward? Besides, didn’t you already send up the signal? Are you afraid that no one will come?”

Tu Youqiong bristled with frustration. Before he could reply, Wang Zi’an stepped in to mediate. “Junior Brother Tu is only being cautious for everyone’s safety. No need for conflict. Let’s get started.”

More and more beasts were pouring from the cave. They had to move fast.

Tu Youqiong, still young and full of pride, couldn’t just back down after being provoked like that. But when he thought about it carefully, the plan, while hasty, didn’t have any major flaws. Worst case, a few more beasts broke through than expected. But none of them were weaklings. They had all come to compete in the Knock of the Immortals. What could possibly go wrong?

He finally relaxed a little. To show his disdain for Beidou, he deliberately chose the spot farthest from Zhao Xing and even made a face at him.

Zhao Xing had nothing to say. Gushan Sword was supposed to be a renowned sect. How could someone like this exist within it? How did this kind of person even defeat Senior Brother Cai Mu? Was it because of that ridiculous face?

Tu Youqiong had no idea what Zhao Xing was thinking. His eyes stayed fixed on the cave entrance.

They were coming.

Wang Zi’an was not the reckless type. From the beginning, he had asked about everyone’s strengths to make the best arrangement. He was the oldest and a member of the Wang clan, so the others were more or less cooperative.

Wang Zi’an moved ahead of the rest. With full strength behind his sword, he struck the first beast charging out and sliced it clean in half. Two rogue cultivators lying in wait on the other side followed closely behind, stepping over the corpse to intercept the two beasts coming next.

“Youqiong,” Wang Zi’an called out.

Tu Youqiong stepped forward immediately. Qi surged along his sword. Several streaks of flying sword qi shot toward the cave entrance and pierced through the two beasts, killing them instantly.

Everything happened within moments. The four of them worked together, and the battle went more smoothly than expected. Tu Youqiong’s final attack cleared the entrance, giving the other four a brief moment to get ready.

A flicker of excitement stirred in everyone’s heart. Even Tu Youqiong felt fired up. They continued in teams of four, growing more in sync with each passing round.

But soon, they quickly noticed the beasts were pouring out faster and in greater numbers. The temporary coordination began to falter. Zhao Xing’s group missed one, and a beast slipped through.

Wang Zi’an rushed over and struck it down with a single blow. Breathing lightly, he said, “Don’t worry. Keep going.”

But more and more beasts surged out of the cave. Even with Tu Youqiong and Zhao Xing taking turns to launch flying sword qi to push them back, it was no use. The tide was turning. And it cost too much qi. A few more rounds, and Tu Youqiong wasn’t sure he could keep up.

He looked up. The sky was heavy with clouds. The first drop of rain landed on his face.

“Brother Wang.” Tu Youqiong shouted.

A cold bead of sweat slid down Wang Zi’an’s forehead. Judging by the size of the lair, there shouldn’t have been this many beasts. Reality had far exceeded his expectations. He gritted his teeth. “Collapse the cave.”

“You’re mad. The treasure inside will be buried too.” Luo Hai, a rogue cultivator, clutched his wounded arm. They had fought this long and still gained nothing. He refused to accept it.

The Ruizhu Sect woman’s gaze was like frost. Without waiting for anyone’s approval, she raised her sword and slashed toward the entrance. “Move. You need to stay alive if you want to claim anything.”

Tu Youqiong silently applauded her. He charged in after her. Wang Zi’an pulled him back.

“We’ll handle the cave. You and Zhao Xing hold the beasts inside.”

Tu Youqiong turned at once. He no longer cared about bickering with Zhao Xing and moved in sync with him to force the beasts back.

The beasts let out furious roars as they struggled to break through the net of flying sword qi, but Heaven favors the determined. With a thunderous crash, dust exploded outward, burying them all beneath the rubble.

Just as the cave collapsed, the rain finally began to fall.

Some collapsed to the ground, others propped themselves up on their swords, all of them breathless. The looks they exchanged carried a rare sense of relief. Only the injured Luo Hai wore a dark expression. Even when he took the healing medicine from Wang Zi’an, his tone remained cold.

Wang Zi’an shook his head and said nothing.

“Brother Wang, the rain is getting heavier. We should move soon,” said the female cultivator, Yang Hui.

Wang Zi’an could feel it too. His qi was beginning to circulate slower than before, and a surge of violent, uncontrollable qi was pouring into his meridians. He looked around and said, “Let’s head east. There’s a valley with shelters there. We might run into others on the way, better to stay together.”

Wang Zi’an had already taken the lead. No one objected. They got up and prepared to move out.

Just then, a strange sound came from the collapsed cave.

Tu Youqiong turned sharply. The pile of rubble was shifting. The movements grew more frequent and forceful. A familiar beastly roar echoed from beneath the stones.

He froze. Were the beasts still alive?

But Wang Zi’an noticed something else. Rain fell harder onto the stones, and more water pooled before seeping through the cracks, flowing steadily into the cave below.

“Move,” Wang Zi’an said.

A glint of calculation flashed through Luo Hai’s eyes. The beasts had been buried under the collapsed stones. Even if they weren’t dead, soaked in rainwater, they would be on their last breath at best.

If they managed to break through the rubble and expose the deeper part of the cave, then the treasure hidden inside might still be within reach.

Luo Hai no longer trusted the disciples from these so-called prestigious sects. They had all been raised to be spineless cowards. He had already made up his mind, though his face gave nothing away. He followed Wang Zi’an and the others as they retreated.

Step by step, he began to lag behind. When everyone was too focused on leaving to notice, he slipped into the forest and circled back.

He didn’t take the same route. The beasts could track blood. First, he hid and changed out of his stained robes, then found a way around toward the rear of the cave.

Halfway there, just as he expected, he heard the sound of beasts crashing through the rubble. He stayed low in the distance and waited for them to rush out.

Wang Zi’an’s group had seven people, most of them marked with blood. That would be enough to draw the attention.

After about the time it takes one stick of incense to burn, Luo Hai assumed the beasts had mostly left. He stepped out from hiding and made his way to the cave.

Then he saw something that would stay with him for the rest of his life.

Beasts were still pouring out of the exposed cave mouth. The numbers were staggering. But instead of chasing Wang Zi’an’s group, they were stopped in their tracks.

Two people stood there. One held a sword, the other a sabre.

Luo Hai recognized the one with the sword. It was Chen Boyan, senior disciple of Gushan Sword. His presence made sense. Tu Youqiong had sent a signal earlier.

But the one with the sabre…

He was terrifying. Utterly ruthless. Luo Hai had never seen anyone kill with such precision. Each strike landed cleanly. Almost every swing took down a beast, the blade slicing through the horde as if no one stood in the way.

Even though he wasn’t killing people, Luo Hai’s legs still felt weak.

The way he moved, as casually as chopping wood, was too horrifying to watch.

Compared to that, even Chen Boyan, who could kill in a single sweep, seemed far less threatening.

No, wait—

It was raining. Violent qi from the storm should have been disrupting their meridians. Even if they could suppress it with strong cultivation, their movements shouldn’t have been this smooth. It was as if the rain had no effect on them at all.

Could they really be powerful enough to suppress all that violent qi without a trace?

The more Luo Hai thought about it, the colder his spine became. Wang Zi’an’s group must have already realized he was missing. If Chen Boyan spotted him here, it would only bring trouble. He wouldn’t survive long in the secret realm with enemies on his back.

He swallowed hard and began to retreat step by step. After slipping back more than ten paces, he turned and ran.

But this time, heaven no longer favored him.

A sabre flew through the air and stabbed into a tree just ahead of him. The blade hummed against the wood, ringing like struck metal.

Sweat trickled down the side of Luo Hai’s face. A black boot landed lightly on the flat of the sabre.

Hands behind his back, the man looked down at him with a smile at his lips.

“What are you running for? Feeling guilty about something? Tell me.”