Chapter 400: Unreasonable (Requesting Monthly Votes)

"We are all grasshoppers on the same rope; if you refuse to save me, I can only drag you to die with me."

Gao Wanli gritted her teeth fiercely and said, "Let me see."

Zhu Zhanlei tore open his clothes.

Gao Wanli examined him carefully.

"Alright, put your clothes back on." Gao Wanli frowned tightly: "Give me some time to think of a way. This thing... is not simple; if you force it off, your life will be buried along with it."

Zhu Zhanlei put his clothes back on, and in his heart, he hated Xu Miao to death.

Zhu Zhanlei also figured it out; Luo Gongqiao and the others must have never intended to fight to the death from the very beginning.

They followed behind, watching from a distance at all times. If the evil spirits were too powerful, they were dozens of li away and could withdraw from Ghost Wushan a step ahead.

Only he was the unlucky one.

Xu Yuan secretly glanced at Gao Wanli; if his stepmother were here, she would certainly think of a way immediately.

But comparing Gao Wanli to his stepmother... it was putting Gao Wanli in a difficult position.

For the rest of the journey, Gao Wanli kept her head down, thinking.

In the mid-afternoon, Bai Laoyan led them to a second hut, but still no trace of Gao Guanzi was found.

Gao Wanli knew Gao Guanzi was most likely either at Copper Coffin Cliff or at Qidou Village.

But she dared not say it.

Once they went to either of these two places, they might never return.

"It is getting dark; let us stay here for the night."

Gao Guanzi's hut was relatively safe.

Since there was no room for so many people, Gao Wanli still set up the tent.

"Tonight, Zhu Zhanlei and I will be together; I need to make some attempts," Gao Wanli said.

Although Zhu Zhanlei was unwilling, he could only agree.

Xu Yuan and Bai Laoyan stayed in the hut, while the others occupied another tent.

Bai Laoyan slept soundly.

He saw that Lord Xu was plotting something, but he asked absolutely nothing. Whatever Lord Xu told him to do, he did.

Xu Yuan felt somewhat worried and thought to himself: I hope Gao Wanli tries her best.

Xu Yuan turned over several times and still could not fall asleep; he then felt that something was not quite right about this matter.

Xu Miao did not know that the so-called "villains" did not exist at all.

And she had no unsolvable deadly grudge with Zhu Zhanlei.

Suggesting this plan was merely to earn merit.

There was also some intention to tease Zhu Zhanlei.

But it seemed unnecessary to necessarily trap Zhu Zhanlei to death.

The Zhu family was not one to be trifled with.

"Could it be that I am blinded by a single leaf?" Xu Yuan formed a new hypothesis: "Someone can directly remove the Dragon Affliction from Zhu Zhanlei?"

Dozens of li behind.

Luo Gongqiao led the "large force" moving stealthily along the way.

The two Fourth-Rank Envoys used techniques to suppress their auras, making this squad appear to be nothing more than an ordinary mountain goods caravan.

Besides the two Fourth-Ranks, there were also two Sixth-Rank River Camp Adjutants.

Additionally, there were Miao Yu, Zhu Zhanmei, and Xu Miao.

Apart from these, no low-level Captains were brought along.

At night, they all entered those camouflaged tents.

Zhu Zhanmei and Xu Miao shared one tent.

Yesterday, Fu Songyu in the front and Luo Gongqiao made contact once.

Through the "Harmonious Rattle," they reported that Gao Guanzi had not been found, and that the Fu family's secret method had been used for the first time, yet no villain secretly practicing the Dragon Transformation Method had been discovered.

Zhu Zhanmei frowned deeply.

After enduring for a day, tonight he finally said to Xu Miao: "If my younger brother encounters trouble, the Zhu family and the Xu family will form a deadly grudge!"

He then added: "Miao Yu is devoted to my eldest sister. I originally did not intend to interfere with this marriage, but if my younger brother dies, I will strongly urge my eldest sister to marry Miao Yu.

The Xu family and the Miao family will also form a deep grudge!"

Xu Miao chuckled: "You are more able to keep your composure than I expected; I thought you would have been unable to hold back and force the issue last night."

Zhu Zhanmei looked at her with a face full of confusion.

Xu Yuan suddenly got up and left the hut.

In the deep night of Ghost Wushan, ghosts wept and wolves howled; a cold wind rose and mist formed.

The grass and trees around rustled shivering, as if "unable to bear the loneliness," wanting to transform into something eerie, giving birth to evil mouths capable of devouring flesh and blood.

Bai Laoyan turned over and continued sleeping.

Xu Yuan suddenly ducked into a tent.

Three Captains of the Shanhe Bureau were sleeping soundly and thought some evil spirit had broken into the tent to kill them.

They suddenly rolled over and rose, but were covered by a grid net, rendering them all unable to move.

"Lord Xu?"

Xu Yuan looked at them coldly: "I consider myself to have treated the three of you well, did I not?"

"What exactly does my lord Xu mean?"

"Zhu Zhanlei is my brother. He, my lord Miao Yu, and I have an extremely close relationship; it is known to everyone in Champa, and we are just one head-kowtow away from becoming sworn brothers."

"Today, when Zhu Zhanlei forced Gao Wanli, it was I who gave him the idea."

"However, I thought about it at night, and something seemed rather off."

"Which of the three of you is it? Please step forward. If you are unwilling to step forward, then do not blame me for being ruthless!"

As Xu Yuan spoke, he placed his hand on the tent curtain: "I will lift the tent, let the evil spirits in, and whether you live or die depends entirely on your own ability!"

Someone immediately shouted: "Don't! Absolutely don't!"

"My lord Xu, what are you doing? Explain yourself. We have gotten along well these past few days; why do you intend to deal a killing blow to us?"

Xu Yuan sneered: "Why? Because I treated the three of you with sincerity, yet someone did not treat me with sincerity!"

Xu Yuan's gaze swept over the three again: "Whoever can remove the Dragon Sickness from Zhu Zhanlei, step forward!"

Xu Yuan's hand moved slightly; the tent curtain swayed, and the cold wind from outside, mixed with various strange and evil sounds, crept in together.

"I will count to three. One..."

A Captain hurriedly said: "My lord Xu, wait."

He smiled bitterly: "You guessed correctly; it was me."

Xu Yuan snorted coldly.

That person hurriedly said: "I absolutely had no other intention; I was simply following orders. These past few days, my lord Xu did not look down on us few lowly Captains; whenever there was any benefit, you remembered to include us. I am actually quite ashamed in my heart.

However, my lord Xu Miao also instructed me that if we truly encountered that villain, I would immediately remove the Dragon Sickness for my lord Zhu."

Xu Yuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief; this made sense.

"Tomorrow, first help remove it from Zhu Zhanlei. Rest assured, I will not let you disobey orders; it is merely for verification. I will have Zhu Zhanlei put it back on, and we will continue the mission." Xu Yuan said with deep feeling: "Those lords above are full of schemes; we who charge into battle must also have our own defenses!"

The three Shanhe Captains nodded thoughtfully.

Xu Yuan exited the tent but did not return directly to the hut.

He closed the mud face, transformed into an evil spirit, and moved silently through the night. He had not gone far before he found Tian Jing.

Tian Jing's level had risen.

He is now at the Sixth Grade, which counts as a great evil spirit in the mountains.

"How is the Dragon Transformation Method progressing?"

Tian Jing grinned, and two dragon whiskers had appeared on the corners of his lips at some point, swaying in the night breeze.

"With the help of the Jiao, it is naturally very smooth." Tian Jing said: "However, it has only reached this point. To rise further, I cannot bear to do it."

Tian Jing's Dragon Transformation Method also reached the Sixth Grade, all by relying on feeding the Jiao's scales.

But to rise further, one would need to feed on the Jiao's flesh and blood and the like.

Tian Jing could not bear it, and Xu Yuan could not bear it either; therefore, when cultivating the Dragon Transformation Method, Xu Yuan never intended to target the Jiao from the start.

"Come, let us discuss; tomorrow we will draw in the net!"

Upon obtaining the "Dragon Sickness," Xu Yuan's Dragon Transformation Method will likely rise to the Fifth Grade.

(End of this chapter)