Chapter 54: The Fishing Trio

As Li Luo and the other two crossed the stream and stepped onto the opposite bank, they simultaneously noticed some figures flashing by not far away. However, after their gazes met, they all scattered by unspoken agreement, quickly disappearing into the complex terrain and dense forests of the mountains.

Li Luo and his two companions also entered the dense, shaded mountain forest. Listening to the birds chirping among the mountains, their expressions grew somewhat solemn.

"What are your plans now?" Li Luo asked, looking at Zhao Kuo and Yu Lang.

Zhao Kuo laughed, "I originally planned to just go and scrape together some points on my own after entering the elimination round, but now I think I’ll stick with you for a while."

"Is it because of what Lian Zhong said?"

Li Luo said, "There’s no need for that. I haven’t really paid his threats any mind."

"Brother Luo, I know you have the ability and aren't afraid of him, but I’m worried that he might gather people from the Dongyuan Academy to surround and suppress you. Even if my strength isn't up to yours, I can at least help you share some of the burden if that happens," Zhao Kuo said.

He then grinned and added, "Besides, isn't it faster to rack up points by following you, Brother Luo?"

Li Luo smiled. He knew that Zhao Kuo was doing this mostly because he wanted to do something for him, so he didn't try to persuade him further and nodded.

"What about you?" He looked at Yu Lang.

Yu Lang flicked his bangs and said profoundly, "You know my skills. As long as I’m willing, I, Yu Lang, will be like a fish in water in this elimination round. So, if you’re willing to pay a high price to hire me to protect you, I can give you a fifty percent discount out of our friendship—one thousand gold!"

Before he could even finish speaking, Li Luo and Zhao Kuo had already walked ahead.

Yu Lang panicked: "Five hundred gold!"

Li Luo still ignored him.

Yu Lang said angrily, "If you don't like the price, then make a counteroffer! You’re being so disrespectful! Where did you learn such bad habits?"

"Five gold." Li Luo held up his left hand and shook it, a smile playing on his lips.

"Deal!"

Li Luo nearly threw out his back and said, "You shameless guy, you really are something else."

Yu Lang said triumphantly, "As long as you dare to counter, I dare to accept. Li Luo, did you think you could humiliate me with five gold? How naive."

Li Luo shook his head helplessly, but his eyes held a hint of a smile. He knew that both Zhao Kuo and Yu Lang were worried that he would truly be targeted by the Dongyuan Academy, which was why they chose to follow him to ensure he didn't capsize in the gutter.

These two had different personalities, but they were both good friends worth deep friendship.

"I have a suggestion."

Yu Lang suddenly said, "The three of us together is too conspicuous. I suggest that Zhao Kuo walks alone in front, and then Li Luo uses the Water Shadow Art to hide me behind him."

Li Luo said thoughtfully, "You want to go fishing?"

The bait was clearly Zhao Kuo. Walking alone, he looked honest and simple-minded, making it easy for others with ill intentions to target him and attempt to snatch his points.

"This is a good idea."

Zhao Kuo laughed, then composed his expression. Instantly, his whole demeanor gave off a sense of being simple, dull, and even a bit timid.

"Zhao Kuo, your acting skills were truly wasted at the Nanfeng Academy," Yu Lang said, shocked by the sight.

Zhao Kuo scratched his head with a foolish grin.

"Then let's do it that way." Seeing this, Li Luo made the final decision. The Fishing Trio was officially established.

In the dense forest, the bushes were thick, and many spots of light were cast down through the gaps in the leaves.

A somewhat burly figure walked cautiously through the forest, his flickering gaze vigilantly scanning all directions, looking extremely wary.

Occasionally, he would even hide in a shadow for a moment before quietly moving forward.

He perfectly embodied the aura of someone who was terrified and weak.

In a hidden spot behind the burly figure, Li Luo and Yu Lang watched from the shadows. Seeing Zhao Kuo’s cautious appearance, they were both somewhat dazed.

"This acting is too deep," Yu Lang sighed. He had originally thought he was quite skilled at acting, but it seemed Zhao Kuo was no simple character either.

Li Luo nodded in deep agreement, and he felt that Zhao Kuo was truly putting his heart into the performance; he had great potential.

"But the others are also very cautious."

Li Luo glanced at a certain shadow. He had long since discovered that two people had been tracking Zhao Kuo for a while, but they had never made a move, instead trailing him even more sneakily and keeping a constant eye on him.

Clearly, they were also confirming whether Zhao Kuo was truly as timid and fearful as he appeared on the surface.

Furthermore, those two had probed Zhao Kuo’s rear several times, but Li Luo’s concealment methods were clearly beyond their ability to pierce; instead, they had been tracked by Li Luo because of it.

But Li Luo could feel that the two were starting to lose their patience. Because Zhao Kuo’s acting was so immersive, those two were likely about to take the bait.

Just as Li Luo was counting down in his heart, the leaves in the dense forest rustled. Two figures shot out rapidly and landed in front of and behind Zhao Kuo, perfectly blocking all his escape routes.

This sudden turn of events made Zhao Kuo look terrified. He then said with an angry expression, "What do you want? I’m from the Nanfeng Academy! Just try touching me!"

This display of being fierce on the outside but cowardly on the inside made Li Luo and Yu Lang, hidden in the shadows, applaud in their hearts once again.

The two who had appeared seemed to be from two different academies, but their strength was not weak. Their Phase Power surged, clearly having reached the Seven-Seal Stage.

"Brother, we’ve been following you for half a day. You’re that Zhao Kuo from the Nanfeng Academy, right? I’ve seen you in the entrance exam data. Stop talking nonsense and hand over your points," the two road-blockers said.

"In your dreams!" Zhao Kuo roared. As his silver Phase Power surged, he had already activated his Silver Bear Phase.

The moment he moved, the two didn't hesitate to attack. They were seen holding long swords, one in front and one behind, attacking Zhao Kuo as fast as lightning.

Their strikes were quite sharp and vicious.

However, just as their attacks were about to land on Zhao Kuo, a subtle sound of wind being broken suddenly came from behind the two.

The hair on their bodies stood on end, and then they saw a mocking smile appear on the face of the previously timid Zhao Kuo.

"Damn it, it's a trap!"

The two understood instantly. Their hearts were filled with unease and anger. They had clearly probed the surroundings very carefully many times—why had they failed to discover the others?

The other side was just too cunning!

Feeling a chill in their hearts, the two were also ruthless. They directly channeled their Phase Power, their sword tips pointed straight at Zhao Kuo. They knew they had been set up, and now they could only join forces to capture this guy who was playing the pig to eat the tiger, using him as a hostage to force the others to hold back.

Zhao Kuo also sensed their intentions, but instead of dodging, he revealed a fierce look in his eyes—a look completely different from his previous timid aura.

He swung his large axe, which seemed to form a blade wheel, and collided head-on with the two.

Clang!

The sound of metal clashing rang out, and sparks flew. Zhao Kuo let out a muffled groan as his body was sent flying backward. After all, the two opponents were not weaker than him, and now that they had joined forces, they naturally suppressed him instantly.

However, before the two could continue their pursuit, two powerful surges of Phase Power roared from behind them, slamming directly into their backs.

Pfft.

The two spat out a mouthful of blood and tumbled down like rolling gourds.

By the time they struggled to stand up again, a deep blue short blade and a thin sword were already hanging at their throats.

"Brother, if you move again, you’re going to bleed," a cheeky voice came from the side.

The two looked at each other, their expressions turning gloomy and dejected. They cursed, "Damn it, you Nanfeng Academy people are too insidious! You’re actually playing at fishing!"

"If you guys weren't so greedy, you wouldn't have been caught," Li Luo said with a smile.

He then signaled to Yu Lang and Zhao Kuo to take off the crystal badges from their chests. They rubbed them against the crystal badges of these two big fish, directly clearing their points to zero.

As the points on the two badges returned to zero, the badges suddenly flashed with rapid red light, and then rays of light extended from them, binding the two tightly.

This indicated they had been eliminated, and the temporary binding was also to restrict their movement so they wouldn't interfere with other students.

Having taken the points, the three couldn't be bothered to waste any more breath on these two guys. They turned and walked away leisurely, their voices faintly drifting back.

"The harvest isn't bad. I wonder who the next unlucky guy will be?"

"Hope they’re a bit fatter than these two?"

"But Zhao Kuo, your acting is really quite good. Those two were already very cautious and followed you for half an hour, yet they were still tricked out by you."

"Haha, you’re too kind, you’re too kind. Actually, there are still some details that need improvement. For example, when they appeared to grab me, I should have shown some panic to make it more realistic."

"Your attitude is truly professional."

"Hey, when you do something, don't you have to love the job you're in?"

"You’ve left me speechless with that."

(One chapter today, no backlog left. Two chapters tomorrow.)

(End of chapter)