Chapter 189: Ambush

The monk smiled without speaking.

Qilin had grown accustomed to it and didn't think he could ask anything.

He approached Mu Yuanzhi, gazing at the Rainbow Pond reflecting the surrounding flowers and grasses, all splendid, and suddenly wondered: "Could there be reed wood here?"

Hearing that, Mu Yuanzhi looked into the distance, "It's getting dark soon; I can't see far."

"I'll look around." Qilin said.

The monk just smiled, "Maybe it's at the bottom of the pond; why don't you jump in?"

"Don't try to fool me!" Qilin indicated he wouldn't be taken in.

Only an idiot would jump in.

The National Teacher, however, glanced at the monk and said, "Maybe it's really under the Rainbow Pond."

"How come even you, Master, are saying that?!" Qilin's doubtful gaze shifted between the two.

I wonder if those two have secretly allied without us knowing.

"Qilin isn't good at swimming," Mu Yuanzhi said.

"We have someone here who's excellent at water," the National Teacher said, looking at Gu Rongjin.

Gu Rongjin: ……

"You really know how to talk, Xiao Yang." Gu Rongjin's mouth twitched.

"It's too dangerous; who knows if this pond is poisonous?" Mu Yuanzhi objected.

"Senior Sister, just now you didn't say that to me, you just said I can't swim." Anyway, Qilin sensed a bit of favoritism, then started to sulk, "Little Black drank it and is still hopping about lively."

"Meow!" the named Little Black cried out happily.

"Yuan Yan, you jump—you aren't the strongest here?" Qilin raised an eyebrow at the monk.

"At this time, you're definitely putting a high hat on the poor monk?"

"If you won't accept the praise, then forget it—I know you're scared."

"You're about to use the goading tactic, Qilin benefactor really is a childish little imp."

"Are you jumping or not?"

"No need to jump, Qilin, you've forgotten that the Grand Master can part the sea?" Gu Rongjin reminded Qilin.

"Exactly, hurry up and part one!"

Then, the monk struck the ground with a palm, using his skill for the second time!

As the earth shook and mountains trembled, the Rainbow Pond was split in two, exposing the plants inside beyond doubt.

Everyone peered in, but there was no reed wood they were looking for.

Qilin: "Strike again! A bit to the side!"

Until the monk struck several times, the reed wood still wasn't seen in the pond.

Qilin was utterly disappointed: "Looks like your intel isn't great either."

Mu Yuanzhi: "Reed wood seems to grow in swamp forests, right?"

"I was thinking maybe this strange forest would have it growing in the pond." Qilin shook his head. "Forget it, let's go."

"Wait!"

Mu Yuanzhi grabbed Qilin, pointing to a modest plant in the split Rainbow Pond, not conspicuous, easily hidden by the dusk's rosy light if not examined closely.

"It really looks like reed wood!" Qilin exclaimed delightedly.

Gu Rongjin had already flashed over, he swung his sword to cut away the obstructing weeds, and upon looking, sure enough, it was reed wood!

"Rongjin, be careful, hurry back!" Mu Yuanzhi worried, she glanced back at the monk still gathering his energy, worried he might exhaust his strength and be unable to sustain it.

Gu Rongjin plucked the reed wood and hurried back to shore, offering it like a treasure, placing the harvest in Mu Yuanzhi's hands with an expression seeking praise.

The monk withdrew his hand, hiding his merit and fame.

"This way we've completed the task; can we go out now?" Qilin said to the others.

Mu Yuanzhi: "We'd better wait until daytime to go out?"

"But there's no safe place to go even here." Qilin said.

Gu Rongjin: "Let's go, we're heading out; no matter what, it's still unsettling."

Mu Yuanzhi looked around, "Which direction should we take to get out now?"

"Maybe we shouldn't follow the direction we came from; perhaps we'll avoid dangerous creatures?" Qilin said.

Gu Rongjin shook his head: "The whole Black Sea vicinity is under control; wherever we exit makes no difference."

"Just find any exit, the nearest one." Mu Yuanzhi said.

Everyone looked toward the monk.

The monk: "What are you looking at me for?"

"The Grand Master knows this place well, so naturally we look to you." Mu Yuanzhi, holding Little Black, said.

"Right, quit being coy; everyone knows you're capable." Qilin urged.

"To the west, we can get out in half an hour."

"You really are the know-it-all of this place." Qilin muttered.

Mu Yuanzhi: "Thanks to Grand Master Yuan Yan, otherwise we might not know when we'd get out this time; perhaps we'd be trapped for months, a near-death experience."

"Senior Sister, don't praise him so highly; this guy originally came after you!" Qilin reminded Mu Yuanzhi.

"Then let him make up for his faults with merit."

The monk also paid no attention to what they were scheming behind his back; he remained the same, walking at the rear of the group.

After walking about half an hour, we really saw the exit; the road had clearly widened considerably.

One could feel the atmosphere outside differing from that within the forest.

The night was deep, all around pitch black, with no lights—only the torches they had lit for illumination.

Mu Yuanzhi felt a bit dazed—had they really come out this quickly and safely?

She couldn't help but glance back; the pitch-black forest seemed to be hiding a huge danger.

And those dangers are now far away from them.

There was always a feeling of unreality.

But this time it was indeed thanks to that monk.

Loss may be a blessing in disguise.

Suddenly, in the pitch-black night where you couldn't see your hand, a blaze flared up!

Immediately after, flames sprang up from all directions, lighting the place as bright as day.

Gu Rongjin instinctively stepped in front of Mu Yuanzhi, and the Qilin did the same.

It looks like these guys had been lying in ambush here all along—cavalry!

They were surrounded by iron-armored cavalry, each riding a tall warhorse, a solid black mass, a murderous atmosphere spreading, giving a suffocating sense of oppression.

Even though this isn't a battlefield, it's enough to make one's heart race!

Just who are these people? Where did this cavalry come from?!

"Be careful, everyone," said the National Teacher.

Everyone gripped their weapons tightly, watching warily the sudden formation.

Each of these cavalrymen was huge and burly; lined up they formed a towering wall, an overwhelming pressure covering heaven and earth.

And Mu Yuanzhi and the others were like turtles in a jar, with no escape, only able to struggle futilely.

But on closer look, there were two people here who were relaxed and at ease: the National Teacher, always calm and breezy, and the monk, as ever mysterious and unfathomable.

This actually made them appear not lacking in the slightest in aura.

"Who are you?!" Gu Rongjin shouted.

These cavalrymen were like war puppets, grim-faced and silent, especially frightening in the night.

"Could it be they don't understand our language?" said the Qilin.

But they look like Han people!

"Long time no see, old friend."

A familiar voice came, and everyone except the monk was greatly startled.