Chapter 122: Chapter 46: Our Hunt Begins
Chapter 122: Chapter 46: Our Hunt Begins
The people inside the room stirred.
All eight here had some bravado and did not show much fear or timidity.
Some were here specifically to achieve meritorious deeds and were actually eager to try.
A Linfeng Hall elder brother, unfamiliar to them, stood up. His face was square and exuded a resolute strength as he said, "Officer Lian, could this be the work of the tiger demon?"
Lian Bing, serving as both an arrestor and Martial Artist for the Guardian Martial Department, stood up, looked around, and said, "Based on the intelligence we've gathered so far, the tiger demon in the mountains has a preference for eating humans. Although there are no traces of fierce animals here, it's highly likely that it's related to it."
The elder brother said, "So, you mean the tiger demon is nearby?"
Lian Bing nodded and then shook his head, "Not necessarily. That tiger demon moves like the wind, its whereabouts uncertain. It may have already left for another place."
Having said that, he instructed sternly, "Search the surrounding area and see if there are any traces."
"Yes."
Including Shen Qing, the seven from Linfeng Hall scattered in all directions from the house, following Lian Bing's order.
Xiao Zhi, having witnessed Shen Qing's capabilities and trusting him, instinctively moved closer to Shen Qing, "Junior brother, shall we go together?"
"Alright."
Relieved by Shen Qing's agreement, Xiao Zhi came closer, lowered his voice, and said, "Junior brother, if the tiger demon appears, remember not to charge ahead. If we can join, take the chance to earn some merit, but if the situation turns bad, run immediately. Life is the most important thing."
Shen Qing glanced at Xiao Zhi, whose grease-slicked ears somehow gave off a 'sneaky' aura, prompting him to take another long look at him.
At that moment, he realized the cook had some wisdom.
Good.
If he couldn't judge what was important, it would be a lot more trouble for Shen Qing.
Shen Qing smiled and said, "Thanks for the reminder, senior brother."
Xiao Zhi waved a hand and began searching the area for clues around Shen Qing.
But after searching for a long time, not a single tiger hair was found.
"Junior brother, does this count as a clue?" Xiao Zhi pushed aside some bushes and pointed to a spot.
On hearing this, Shen Qing went over and saw that behind the bushes was a small clearing.
There was a piece of excrement on the ground.
Human excrement.
It had not yet started to decompose.
Shen Qing was at a loss for words. He turned his head and said, "If this were tiger dung, it would be considered a clue. Unfortunately, it's human, so it doesn't prove anything."
"Right..."
Just then, someone shouted from not too far away, "Come over here, there's someone here!"
Shen Qing and Xiao Zhi looked at each other, "Let's go take a look."
The two made their way toward the voice.
By the time Shen Qing and Xiao Zhi arrived, the surrounding area of the bushes was completely sealed off.
Someone on the periphery said they found an officer from the Guardian Martial Department in the bushes, still alive, barely hanging on to his breath.
The people lifted the officer out, making room, and placed him on the ground.
Lian Bing quickly took out a small blue pill and administered it to him with some water.
Moments later, the rescued officer's face turned rosy, and he began to cough vigorously. Slowly, he opened his eyes and regained some spirit.
Seeing Lian Bing, he grabbed his collar, agitated, and said, "Quick, quick, there are others who are not dead, go save them, and we have found the tiger demon's tracks..."
The rescued officer said a lot in one breath.
Lian Bing's face changed dramatically, and he asked urgently, "A Lin, what exactly happened?"
"No time now, save them first. After the rescue, I'll explain slowly..." The rescued officer let out a breath, sat up straight, and hurriedly said, "You carry me, I'll guide you all!"
Lian Bing frowned, looked up, and randomly pointed at one of the crowd, "You, come over and carry him."
"Me?" Shen Qing was slightly taken aback, and before he could ask, Lian Bing did not seem inclined to explain.
He called out to the others loudly, "Get ready, let's go save them, the tiger demon might be right there with them."
Whoosh!
Everyone geared up, full of alertness and readiness.
Seeing that Shen Qing had not yet approached, Lian Bing shot a sharp glance his way, "Come over here, quickly."
Shen Qing, realizing he could not avoid it, had a look of helplessness on his face.
Reluctantly, he walked over to the rescued officer, crouched down, and motioned for him to get on his back.
The rescued officer said apologetically, "Sorry for the trouble."
Shen Qing looked the officer up and down surprisingly but said nothing more.
The saved officer sprawled onto Shen Qing's back, and Shen Qing barely felt any weight, easily standing up.
"Go!"
After the saved officer pointed in a direction, Lian Bing hurriedly led his men to rush there.
Soon, under the guidance of the saved officer, they plunged into the dense forest.
Within the forest, Lian Bing and others indeed found some bloodstains and viscera, which couldn't help but make their expressions even more solemn.
After making several turns in different directions, the group went deeper and deeper.
"Little brother, why are you falling further behind?" the saved officer asked strangely, "How can I guide you like this?"
"My training is all in finger techniques, I'm not good with leg techniques, naturally, I can't match the other seniors," Shen Qing said without a blush or bated breath, "To guide us, you can just shout."
"Alright then," the saved officer stopped quibbling and asked, "What's your name, little brother?"
"Shen Qing!"
"Oh, you look quite young."
"I'm only sixteen."
"That is quite young."
At the very front, Lian Bing, who hadn't yet reached the destination, had his patience nearly worn thin, "How much farther to go?"
"We're already near, we've arrived!" the saved officer shouted, his voice spreading far and wide.
"Huh?" Just after the officer had shouted, he saw that Shen Qing had already stopped in his tracks, and said in dismay, "Why have you stopped moving?"
Shen Qing said, "You're too heavy, my feet are sore, I can't walk anymore."
The saved officer was somewhat speechless.
But seeing that they had already come this far, it didn't matter to him anymore.
At this moment, the saved officer's face began to melt away like a burning candle, slowly transforming into another, unfamiliar face.
With a ferocious smile, he suddenly reached out for Shen Qing's heart.
However, just as he raised his hand, Shen Qing had already grabbed his arm.
"What are you trying to do?"
The color drained from the saved officer's face, clearly Shen Qing had taken him by surprise. Discover hidden content at m,v l'e-NovelFire
He looked up and shouted loudly, "Brothers, our hunt begins now!"
"The hunt?"
Those at the front hadn't yet processed what was happening when dark shadows emerged from the deep, shadowy forest, numerous and more than twenty strong, encircling Lian Bing and his men.
Seeing the many shadows that suddenly appeared, Lian Bing's scalp tingled, "Ghosts???"
"Kill!"
As if given a command, all the ghosts surged forward.
Lian Bing shouted hurriedly, "Everyone, don't be afraid at all! They can shift between tangible and intangible, and once you fear the ghosts, you won't be able to catch their bodies, and death is certain!!!"
Unfortunately, he was still a step behind, and some were so terrified by the sudden turn of events that their faces turned ghostly pale.
A ghost dove straight into one of them, bursting out through his stomach.
The screams of agony were incessant, with many martial masters succumbing and being no match at all.
The saved officer sighed deeply and said, "You're pretty sharp, not falling into the trap, but our mountain lord cherishes fine, tender flesh like yours, what a pity! Die!"
After that, he clawed down.
Shen Qing watched as those sharp fingers aimed at his body.
They drew closer and closer.
He couldn't help but inhale sharply.
The black nails looked cold and grim.
If he were injured, who knew what the consequences would be.
And facing a ghost for the first time, his pupils dilated instantaneously, and the muscles on his face involuntarily twisted into a grimace.
At that moment, Martial Arts such as Nine Revolutions Mysterious Skill, Wind Defying Finger, and Blood Dominance Technique were activated to their utmost.
Shen Qing's body crackled, veins on his arms bulging as his muscles swelled markedly.
He brought his fingers together and spun around abruptly, pointing a finger at the officer.
Boom!
A burning heat and an explosive force burst forth simultaneously.
The ghost, bewildered by what had happened, still had its smile frozen on its face when it was instantly turned to dust and smoke.