Chapter 566: Killing and Counter Killing
If it’d just been Wei Qing, Jiang Chen wouldn’t have hesitated in immediately summoning Long Xiaoxuan to make quick and decisive work of him. But the elder in the shadows made the duo difficult to deal with. He knew there was a decent chance of destroying the two with Long Xiaoxuan, but it wasn’t an absolute guarantee. The Walkabout Sect was well known for being adept at using poison, and Long Xiaoxuan had come off worse in the exchange when he’d battled Wei Wudao back at the spirit spring. Elder Wu Hen was stronger than Wei Wudao, and if he managed to make any preparations to catch Long Xiaoxuan off guard, the situation would rapidly turn dangerous.
Jiang Chen wasn’t brainless; The fact that Elder Wu Hen was still hiding his presence was a dead giveaway that he was setting up a devious trap. If Jiang Chen couldn’t get away immediately, they would spring the trap and he would really be in trouble.
“Trying to leave, huh?” We Qing flashed a hint of a sinister smile when he saw Jiang Chen want to leave. He immediately charged at Jiang Chen without hesitation. “Kid, how far do you think you’ll get, huh!?”
Jiang Chen didn’t even turn his head. “Come after me if you dare!” He didn’t fear a mere Wei Qing. The focus of his concentration was Elder Wu Hen. Although Wei Qing was the top genius of the Walkabout Sect, his martial dao strength wasn’t on par with Wang Han and Zhu Feiyang, the other geniuses at first level sage realm. His cultivation level was more than a small step away from Shen Qinghong at peak origin realm, half step sage realm.
His skill with poison was the reason he was listed among the top geniuses. His martial cultivation was only at peak eighth level origin realm. As for poison skills, it amounted to nothing but child’s play in front of Jiang Chen. What Jiang Chen feared the least was poison.
When Wei Qing saw how Jiang Chen’s tone was still as arrogant as ever as he fled, his rage only increased. If it’d been Shen Qinghong doing this, Wei Qing would’ve raised his guard some. But a mere fifth level origin realm? Not to mention the edge that his poison arts gave him? Wei Qing felt that he would’ve been able to trample Jiang Chen even without these. Killing intent surged in his heart as he saw Jiang Chen flee further and further. He’d really be made a laughingstock if word got out that he’d let Jiang Chen slip through his fingers. An elder and genius of the Walkabout Sect unable to hold and capture a mere fifth level origin realm young man? This would absolutely be a great humiliation.
“Stay, kid!” Wei Qing suddenly flung his arm out as he sent a few poison thorns shooting forward.
As Jiang Chen hastily leaped forward, he learned of a poison formation set up in front of him that covered a few kilometers. He naturally wasn’t afraid of it, but knew that if he passed easily through it, it would set off alarms in the other’s mind. Therefore, as he bounded forward, he formed a couple of plans in his mind. When he heard Wei Qing’s footsteps thudding behind him, he knew that Wei Qing was in close pursuit.
Jiang Chen suddenly stumbled, falling into a shrub. As he vanished beneath the branches, he activated the Lotus and had one of the vines transform into his double to lie in wait in the bushes. Jiang Chen himself was brought into the earth by a lotus and quickly tunneled through the earth, controlling a hundred lotuses to seal off the area. He’d be able to use the vines to truss Wei Qing up as soon as he came close. Jiang Chen wasn’t planning on using the Lotus to immobilize Wei Qing forever, he just needed a moment to guarantee a killing blow.
Wei Qing was slightly surprised to see Jiang Chen stumble into the shrubbery, but he was delighted as he sped to catch up. But he was naturally cautious, stopping when he was a hundred steps away from Jiang Chen. “After all that, that’s all you got, kid?”
Wei Qing was thrilled to see that Jiang Chen sprawled between the bushes as he spasmed in apparent pain. “Aren’t you supposed to be quite something? Don’t you have a senior sister protecting you? Aren’t you supposed to be the Pill Battles champion?” Wei Qing was working himself into a lather as he spoke, noticing that they were within the vicinity of Elder Wu Hen’s poison formation. At that moment, he knew that Jiang Chen was done for, and strode over to him. He stuck out his foot and stepped on Jiang Chen a few times. “Why don’t you keep strutting around, huh? A fifth level origin realm trash dares to throw his weight around me, huh?”
Wei Qing laughed heartily. “Elder Wu Hen, this kid is done; we don’t need to set up an ambush for him.” He’d just finished speaking when the foot he’d rested on Jiang Chen’s body was suddenly constricted. He looked down to find a vine entangled around his entire leg. It’d actually wrapped itself ten times around his ankle, all the way up his thigh. What the hell is this? Wei Qing was scared out of his wits. He’d never seen such a bizarre scene. How could someone who was about to die suddenly turn into a vine?
Countless vines suddenly appeared from around him as he pondered, shooting towards him like numerous vipers.
No!
Wei Qing wasn’t an idiot, he knew that he had fallen into Jiang Chen’s trap. But by the time he’d understood, it was too late. The vines had wrapped themselves around his limbs, and there were multiple ones entwined around his chest and waist. He was more wrapped up than a triangular dumpling. This development made Wei Qing’s expression change drastically. “Elder Wu Hen, save me!”
Elder Wu Hen had been lying in wait behind Wei Qing as he set up the formation. He revealed himself when he heart this cry and was equally surprised to see Wei Qing’s bedraggled state. Those vines were simply too baffling and too bizarre. He took to the air and flew towards Wei Qing. However, he’d only just jumped up into the air when his pupils suddenly contracted violently. He looked fixedly behind Wei Qing, a trace of fear appearing in his expression. “How dare you, Jiang Chen you little thief!”
When Wei Qing saw that Elder Wu Hen dash towards him but come to a halt screaming Jiang Chen’s name, he’d be an idiot to not realize that Jiang Chen was behind him. Jiang Chen was standing fifty meters behind Wei Qing at that moment, Sunpiercer drawn back to its fullest extent and the notched arrow locked onto Wei Qing’s life from afar. “Wu Hen, if you take another step forward, this bow will have no mercy when it fires.”
Elder Wu Hen roared furiously, “Don’t you dare, Jiang Chen!”
Jiang Chen flicked his eyebrow. “Try moving forward another thirty steps, I’ll gladly let you collect Wei Qing’s corpse!”
He relaxed his draw a little, and let Sunpiercer twang. Whoosh! An arrow drew an arch through the air like a meteor, instantly sinking into Wei Qing’s thigh.
“Ah!!” A ghastly, agonized scream reverberated amongst the clouds as Wei Qing’s thigh acquired a new hole.
Jiang Chen laughed, his expression not even flickering. “Elder Wu Hen, it looks like you don’t care about Wei Qing’s life or death anymore.”
Elder Wu Hen yelled out in a severe tone, “Jiang Chen, if you dare kill Wei Qing, it will be the beginning of a war between the Walkabout Sect and Regal Pill Palace!”
“Bullshit!” Jiang Chen laughed coldly. “So you hunting me down is right and proper, but me killing you in return will start a war. What kind of shitty, idiotic logic is this?” He didn’t keep wasting time with Elder Wu Hen. “Take another step forward if you dare!”
Elder Wu Hen lifted his foot, but didn’t dare place it forward. Wei Qing had been heavily favored as a genius in the Walkabout Sect. Even Sect Head Wei Wuying valued him highly. He had already been earmarked as a future successor from the current young generation. Thus, he could only grit his teeth, not daring to make a move. He raised both hands. “Jiang Chen, I can refrain from moving forward, but you have to release Wei Qing first.”
“Release him?” Jiang Chen burst out laughing. “What kind of nonsense are you coming up with at your age? What, I’ll let him go so you two villains can team up to come after me again?”
“Then what do you want?” Elder Wu Hen growled.
“Nothing much, we can just wile away the time here. Everyone will transport out automatically when time is up, or we’ll have whoever passes by here judge the situation.”
Elder Wu Hen responded coolly. “Let him go first. Wei Qing needs medical attention after taking that arrow. Leave if you want; I swear that I won’t do anything to stop you.”
“And how can I trust you?”
“What will it take for you to?” Elder Wu Hen was quite shrewd.
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. “Swear to the heavens and earth.”
Elder Wu Hen hesitated for a moment, his simmering rage obvious on his face. “Alright, I’ll do as you say. Don’t go back on your words then.”
He then pointed to the sky and swore, “I, Wu Hen of the Walkabout Sect, swear to the heavens and earth that I will not make a move to stop Jiang Chen from leaving. If I do, then may the heavenly tribulation descend to annihilate me.”
This kind of oath was very powerful. No cultivator, even Great Titled Emperors, would dare swear to the heavens easily. Once you did, you couldn’t go back on it. When this kind of oath was broken, thunder and lightning would descend onto the earth to destroy the oath breaker.
Elder Wu Hen glared at Jiang Chen after swearing. “I’ve already swore the oath, so you can let go of Wei Qing now!”
Jiang Chen laughed heartily, mockery all over his face. “Elder Wu Hen, do you think that you’re the only smart person beneath the heavens?”
Elder Wu Hen’s expression shifted. “Jiang Chen, what do you mean by this?!”
“Stop pretending!” Jiang Chen suddenly grinned and shot another arrow.
Pfft!
This one drilled through Wei Qing’s other thigh.
“Ah!! Elder Wu Hen, save me!!” Wei Qing screamed continuously in pain.
Elder Wu Hen’s expression changed drastically as he roared with rage. “Jiang Chen, you’re going back on your word! Don’t think I really won’t dare kill you!”
“Kill me? You run your mouth as if you don’t want to kill me. If you weren’t afraid of involving Wei Qing, you would’ve likely killed me ten, or even a hundred times over by now!” Jiang Chen laughed coldly as he jeered at Elder Wu Hen.
“You old bastard, trying to play those kind of tricks at your age! You swore not to make a move yourself, but the poison formations around this area will be able to keep me here, right? Even if they can’t, your summoned creatures will be able to ambush me from behind, right? You’ve kept a lot of plans up your sleeve, but do you think those parlor tricks are of any use?”
Jiang Chen couldn’t help but admire this old fox. He’d put on that pained front just now and pretended to be enraged, as if reluctantly making that oath. All of this had actually just been an act. The old fox had long since made his preparations with the poison formations and summoned creatures lying in wait beneath the ground ready to deal Jiang Chen a fatal blow at any time.
With these backup plans in place, why would he possibly need to make a move himself? However, how would a perceptive person like Jiang Chen not realize what devious tricks this old fellow was playing at? Besides, the creature that this sly fox had sent out was laying in wait beneath the ground. How could it evade the Lotus’ pursuit?