Chapter 51: Conflict Reignites [Request Follow-Up!]

The camps around Hongmu Ridge, though all located on the eastern side and roughly connected from north to south, did not interact with one another.

Members of two camps, whether intentionally or accidentally, only encountered each other within their own territories—that is, within five hundred meters of Hongmu Ridge’s perimeter.

The reason was simple.

First, the perimeter was familiar enough, making everyone relatively safer.

Second, to avoid mutual surveillance between the two camps, since hearts and intentions were hidden beneath skins.

Thus, unless under special circumstances, traveling from one camp to another generally meant first entering Hongmu Ridge, then following the eastern outer edge, heading north or south toward the destination.

The Daxia Camp’s position lay at the southernmost end of the eastern side; to reach Luo Ge’s camp, one had to pass through the territories of Dashih, Dachuan, and Huang Zhao before entering Luo Ge’s territory.

It was barely four kilometers on paper, but walking it was another matter.

The old problem remained: nighttime travel could never be fast, and out of fear of disturbing cold beasts, no loud noises could be made.

So even though Xia Hong was burning with anxiety, knowing Luo Ge’s camp had likely suffered disaster, he had no choice but to march steadily.

The more anxious one became, the more mistakes one made; one had to stay calm.

That wooden puppet demon was far more cunning than any cold beast; one misstep would not just cost one’s own life, but the lives of everyone in the camp.

“Leader, we’re here!”

Xia Hong looked up, following Xia Chuan’s pointing finger.

Two towering mountains stood on the eastern side, each about two to three thousand meters high, their peaks interlocking to form a valley over a hundred meters wide.

“The valley Shi Qing mentioned must be there.”

“Leader, shall we go straight there?”

Hearing Yuan Cheng’s question, Xia Hong hesitated, but after a moment’s thought, he shook his head and turned toward the inner side of Hongmu Ridge.

“We don’t know the situation at Luo Ge’s camp; rushing over would be dangerous. Let’s first find Luo Ming and Shi Qing’s mentioned Yang Ning and Li Hu—having them with us will be safer.”

Xia Hong had dealt with the wooden puppet demon a few times, but strictly speaking, he had never faced it directly.

He had no idea what its true strength was, or what other strange abilities it possessed.

Though he didn’t wish to see Luo Ge’s camp slaughtered, Xia Hong was no foolhardy altruist; risking others’ lives without ensuring his own group’s safety was kindness toward strangers but absolute stupidity toward his own people.

According to Shi Qing, Yang Ning and Li Hu had driven the wooden puppet demon away three times. Though Xia Hong had immediately suspected the demon had let them go on purpose, it at least proved the demon couldn’t handle those two.

Add Luo Ming and the others, and going together as a group would be the safest.

“Luo Ge’s camp usually only moves within a kilometer radius. You six split into two groups—one north, one south. I’ll head west into the inner perimeter. We’ll find them quickly this way. Once found, signal with the bone whistle. Stay careful.”

“Yes, Leader!”

Xia Chuan took Yuan Cheng and Lin Kai south; Yue Feng took Lu Yang and Qiu Peng north; Xia Hong went alone into the inner perimeter of Hongmu Ridge. The seven split up immediately to search.

………………

Inner perimeter, western side of Hongmu Ridge

Luo Ming and his group, unaware of Dashih Camp’s fate, now wore varying degrees of impatience on their faces.

“It’s been over two hours already—can we lure it out?”

“It’s run away four times already. Even if it were stupid, it wouldn’t come back again, would it?”

“Shh… don’t talk like that. Those two elders are right behind us.”

“What elders? I admit they have strength, but ultimately, that wooden puppet demon is stronger. Do you really think the first four times were driven off by them? I suspect the demon let them go on purpose.”

“How could it be intentional? Why?”

“Think about it: the demon deliberately appears to kill a few people each time, then gets chased off by those two, making us believe there’s hope—so we keep setting bait, and it keeps killing, right?”

“Huh… you’ve got a point.”

…………

Luo Ming, who was with Hong Gang and Huang Yong, heard the earlier murmurs and felt a growing unease.

For the last attempt to lure the wooden puppet demon, according to Yang Ning, everyone except himself and Li Hu was merely prey in the demon’s eyes. So this time, they’d grouped seven or eight people together, spreading out across the inner perimeter to see if they could draw it out.

Luo Ming, unfamiliar with the wooden puppet demon, naturally followed Yang Ning’s orders. This time he brought twenty-eight men: three Foundation Establishment cultivators and twenty-five Woodcutting Realm cultivators; the other four camps, including their leaders, had a total of twenty-four Woodcutting Realm cultivators.

So including himself, there were fifty-two people total, divided into seven teams. His team was the largest, with nine members: himself, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and the other eight, all Woodcutting Realm.

Hong Gang and Huang Yong, the two team leaders, happened to be assigned to his team as well.

As for Yang Ning and Li Hu, they remained hidden, constantly moving through the center of the seven teams, ready to rush in at the first sign of trouble.

“Leader Luo, something’s off.”

Likely having overheard the earlier talk, Huang Yong spoke up.

“It’s been over two hours and the wooden puppet demon hasn’t shown. The first four times, it appeared in under half an hour. Why is it taking so long now?”

Luo Ming’s face darkened—he had realized this problem even earlier than Huang Yong.

But they themselves were the bait; to put it bluntly, they were prey.

And the wooden puppet demon was the hunter.

When the hunter appeared depended entirely on itself, not the prey.

So even if they sensed something was wrong, they could do nothing.

But what troubled Luo Ming went beyond this.

If it didn’t appear this time, the implications were far greater.

Earlier, Yang Ning and Li Hu had said human lives were the most tempting prey to demons. The first four times, whenever bait was set, the wooden puppet demon appeared—confirming their claim.

But this time, with so many people deployed, the demon didn’t show.

Did that mean the demon could have chosen not to appear the first four times—and simply chose to appear?

If one followed this logic, then as someone earlier had suggested, the demon had been intentional all along.

Deliberately appearing to kill just a few, then being chased off by Yang and Li, giving them hope, making them keep sending out people, repeating the cycle so it could keep killing?

But if that were true, why wasn’t it showing up now?

Was he overthinking?

Or did the wooden puppet demon have something more important to do?

Crack…

A sharp slap echoed from nearby, jolting Luo Ming awake.

Followed immediately by a haughty, furious shout:

“Useless trash! I risked my life helping you eliminate the demon, and you don’t even show gratitude—yet you dare whisper behind my back? If you say another word, I’ll kill you fools before the wooden puppet demon even shows up!”

Hearing this, Luo Ming’s face turned grim.

Beside him, Huang Yong and Hong Gang reacted the same way.

(End of Chapter)