Chapter 316: The Ghost Still Exists

After saying this, Mapeier was about to quietly leave when she heard Wang Feng sigh at the entrance of the cave: "Ah, of all times to feel the call of nature, why now... Hey, buddy, let's not get physical! Everything in this world comes down to 'profit.' Whatever you need, we can discuss it!"

Old Wang spread his hands helplessly towards the front.

In the cave, a mist of blood drifted out from the cave wall and then condensed into a human form.

A vampire, not Manku, but someone who could evade the ice bees and seemed quite skilled, probably ranked within the top 100 at the War Academy. High ranking, plus vampires are naturally adept at stealth, no wonder he could evade the detection of the ice bees.

"Hey!" Old Wang knew there was no point in hiding, so he greeted him cheerfully.

"Hehehe..." The vampire's face showed a hint of a smile. He had caught the scent of life but never expected to catch such a big fish: "Wang Feng? What an unexpected surprise!"

"Brother, you've got the wrong guy!" Old Wang widened his eyes, looking genuinely surprised. "My surname is Ni!"

The vampire laughed. He had never seen someone lie so blatantly and with such confidence.

He leisurely examined the man who had the highest bounty from the fifth prince. Catching such a big fish was the greatest harvest for him. He sneered, "Don't give me that nonsense. Do you think you can survive this?"

"It's not about survival! Brother, you really have the wrong guy!" Old Wang took out a black Soul Token from his pocket, speaking with conviction. "A real man doesn't change his name or surname. I, Ni Laozi, am no nobody. In life, I am of the Ni family; in death, I am the Ni family's ghost. I can never betray my ancestors. Even if I die today, we must first clarify this issue. Losing my life is trivial, but dishonoring my ancestors is a big deal..."

He rambled on, and the vampire was momentarily confused but quickly realized.

Ni Laozi? Your father, right?

"You dare mock me? Take advantage of me?" The vampire was amused. After all, this was a key figure. The name 'Wang the Deceiver' was known even in the War Academy. "I don't think you understand the 108 tortures of our vampire clan..."

Mapeier was both angry and amused. Instead of acting immediately, the vampire was chatting with the enemy. What a fool... And the next second, Old Wang had immediately surrendered.

"I was wrong, brother. I just thought the cave was stuffy and wanted to joke with you..." Old Wang said with a smile. "Don't get violent! Let's talk. Here, you want the Soul Token? I'll give it to you! No need to make it so bloody..."

The vampire sneered. The Soul Token was the only proof of killing an enemy, so he would take it, but he would also take the man. After all, this was a Holy Sanctuary disciple with considerable soul power, a fine supplement for a vampire!

"I..."

Before the vampire could finish his sentence, his sharp eyes noticed that something else was attached to the thrown Soul Token.

What is that?

A hidden weapon? Poison?

A look of disdain flashed in his eyes.

A weakling like this can only play such petty tricks. Does he think I can't see in the dark cave? What a pity. The night vision of vampires ranks among the top three of all races on the continent! In my eyes, such tricks are useless!

Catch it? Only a fool would catch it with his hands! Whatever it is, just send it back!

He calmly waved his hand, a surge of soul power ready to send the thing and the Soul Token back to Wang Feng, but the next second...

Boom!

A terrifying explosion, flames surging towards both sides of the cave.

Old Wang knew the power of the Skyburst Grenade all too well. The explosion was just the surface; the hidden soul energy impact was deadly. A second before the explosion, while the vampire was still showing off, he had already rolled into the cave where Mapeier was hiding.

Blowing oneself up? What kind of nonsense is this?

Old Wang felt the pain. Although he had rolled into the adjacent cave in advance, the shockwave still left him dizzy and his buttocks burning, probably hit by the blast's shockwave. But he had avoided the worst of the explosion and being buried by the falling rocks.

In an instant, the situation had reversed. Wang Feng rolled towards her, safely avoiding the explosion.

Mapeier stared blankly at Wang Feng, who had rolled to a stop in front of her, her mouth slightly agape, feeling both amused and exasperated.

Honestly, that Blood Demon was such an idiot. Facing an enemy weaker than himself, instead of thinking about how to quickly eliminate the opponent, he just rambled on with nonsense. He deserved to die! Wang Feng was really too cunning, actually throwing the Skyburst Grenade along with the Soul Token, pretending to throw it clumsily so it would be easily noticed... Wait!

She quickly shook her head. She was a Mi of the Nine Gods, how could she have such thoughts? The enemy had just killed her comrade, why was she feeling happy about it? It seemed that the peaceful life in the League of Blades had really dulled her edge!

After all, not long after she infiltrated the Aurora organization, Karida suddenly emerged, and then Luo Lan was sent by the higher-ups to intervene. Most of the time, the higher-ups assigned various tasks of the Aurora to Luo Lan, making her one of the few reserve Mi in the League of Blades who were left on the sidelines.

Without tasks, not even able to access the upper echelons, merely holding onto some trivial information about a few dandelions, after years of peaceful life, the blood oaths from the training camp had nearly faded from memory. Sometimes, she even felt that the blood oaths from back then were just a fleeting dream, but...

Mapeier quickly drove these thoughts out of her mind, silently repeating to herself several times: I am a Mi, I really am a Mi!

Before she could finish her jumbled thoughts, she saw Wang Feng roll over and get up from the ground. Mapeier had just finished silently repeating 'I am a Mi' ten times, and now she stared at him in a daze. Old Wang rubbed his slightly singed buttocks and then looked at Mapeier in surprise, saying, "Huh, junior sister, weren't you going to the bathroom? Why didn't you drop your pants?"

You still want to see me drop my pants?

After just surviving a life-and-death situation, Mapeier had thought he would say something profound, but she never expected it to be something like this. She couldn't help but open her mouth, a vein popping on her forehead, but she quickly reacted, "Ah, I, I just finished! Senior Brother Wang Feng, are you okay?"

Fortunately, Old Wang didn't pursue the details of 'where' she had gone. He said nonchalantly, "With my Formless Heavenly Thunder Technique, taking out a small fry is nothing..."

As he spoke, Wang Feng glanced towards the cave where the explosion had just occurred. That Blood Demon's rank must be pretty high, that Soul Token must be valuable!

Unfortunately, that area was now mostly buried under a pile of collapsed cave wall debris, with many rocks still rolling down towards them, blocking most of the cave entrance. If he really wanted to find the Soul Token, he'd have to clear the area completely, but he didn't have the time for that.

Mapeier obviously also saw his thoughts. The commotion here just now was bound to attract more people.

She hesitated for a moment but decided to remind him, "Senior Brother, there are no weaklings in the Blood Demon ranks. The rank of that person just now must be very high!"

Old Wang also felt quite regretful. This was at least a top 100 token; tossing it was a shame, but he couldn't stay here to slowly search for it. The token was good, but his life was better. He said lightly, "It's not even in the top ten, a token of this rank isn't worth my time."

As he spoke, he still felt a pang of regret, but he had to let it go and urged Mapeier, "Let's go, let's go, we need to hurry..."

But before he could finish, Old Wang's hair stood on end, his senses tingling. The perception of the Insect God species came a bit late this time.

There's a pro here!

"Want to leave?"

A sinister voice echoed around the cave walls. Old Wang's scalp tingled. To be able to get so close without being detected, the newcomer was truly not ordinary, and must be extremely skilled in stealth.

As soon as the voice fell, a shadow flickered in front of the two, and a pale, sinister figure appeared before them.

Old Wang's mouth twitched.

Blood Demon Manku!

His insatiable bloodlust had replenished his soul power, and his injuries had long since healed. He even felt that he was on the verge of breaking through to the Tiger Peak. This illusion had been a huge boost for him. It was conceivable that with enough time, he could even break through to the ghost level within this illusion. By then, even Hei Wukai wouldn't stand a chance against him!

"Too late!" Manku smiled at the two prey before him, a crimson Blood Demon mark on his forehead, clearly visible in the dark cave.

He hadn't been following them. When Old Wang dealt with that Blood Demon, Manku happened to be nearby. The explosion was too loud, attracting him over.

He had just come to see if he could pick up some scraps, but he never expected to catch a big fish!

Wang Feng was the highest on the War Academy's bounty list for this operation, but honestly, with Manku's Blood Demon background, he wasn't really after that. What truly attracted him was Wang Feng's identity. This guy had been personally named by two of the Nine Gods' princes!

Manku wasn't like Long Feixue and Cang Yu, who had solid backgrounds. Although the Blood Demons were one of the Nine Gods' top ten families, due to some historical reasons, they weren't as trusted by the royal family as the Cang Clan. The family's position in the Nine Gods was somewhat awkward, seemingly top-tier nobles but always on the fringes of core power.

And now, an opportunity to get close to the royal family was right before him. If he could gain the trust and favor of the princes and the fifth prince by this, stepping onto these two giant ships that hadn't truly set sail yet, then when these two came to power in the future, he might have the chance to represent the Blood Demons in the next generation of the dynasty's core power.

Taking him out would be a huge win!

Chapter 238

Manku was in an excellent mood, his face brimming with a wide smile: "Just when I thought I’d never find you... come here, my little treasures!"

But to his surprise, Old Wang blurted out: "What little treasures? You’re in your twenties, you shameless geezer!"

Manku was taken aback.

Then Wang Feng said: "Mapeier, didn’t you say you needed to go? Get moving!"

Mapeier was also stunned. She had expected Wang Feng to turn and run or something equally embarrassing, but she never imagined he would tell her to go first. Was he planning to hold off the Blood Demon for her? It seemed he really considered her his closest fellow disciple...

"What are you staring at? Move it, don’t stand in the way!" Old Wang glared: "This is the fourth-ranked Blood Demon. If I clash with him, even the shockwaves could finish you. Besides, if you stick around, people might think I’m ganging up on him. What kind of person do you think I am? I wouldn’t do such a thing!"

"Tsk tsk tsk!"

Clap clap clap!

"Playing the hero, are we?" Manku laughed and clapped: "How touching. Too bad you’re both dead meat. I can’t stand you League of Blades types, always so full of yourselves!"

Old Wang rolled his eyes. He really wanted to shout, "Hey man, I’m not with the League of Blades, we’re on the same team..."

Mapeier didn’t budge. Not because she wanted to stay, but because she couldn’t leave.

The Blood Demon was too fast, and he didn’t know her identity. If she tried to leave, she would become Manku’s primary target. There was no way she could leave; she had to face this, of course, after Wang Feng died.

Sure, there was a brief flicker of feeling, but Wang Feng still had to die. It was her destiny. But considering he had just told her to go first, she would at least help him with his burial.

Mapeier didn’t say a word, just took half a step back diagonally behind Old Wang.

"Planning to go down together? How pathetic." Manku laughed heartily. To him, they were like two juicy lambs ready for the kill. He licked his lips, completely ignoring Old Wang’s challenge to a duel: "Then I’ll have to consider carefully. Who do you think should die first for maximum fun?"

"Guess I’m just not cut out for lying. Can’t fool anyone." Mapeier wasn’t running, and Old Wang was helpless. She had guts, but she was kind of dumb, wasn’t she? This just increased his risk.

"Alright, alright, since we’re all goners anyway, might as well go out in style!" He simply pulled Mapeier over and hugged her.

Mapeier was caught off guard, totally clueless about Old Wang’s next move. She never got it right! At this moment, she felt his strong grip and a robust masculine aura enveloping her, momentarily forgetting to resist.

Damn, this girl’s got curves.

Wait, this isn’t the time to be getting handsy...

Old Wang reached into his chest and said to Manku: "I give up, here’s the token, buddy. Just make it quick, let us be a pair of doomed lovers..."

Before he finished speaking, a Soul Token was thrown out.

It was indeed Old Wang’s own Soul Token. The one he picked up earlier had been used against the previous Blood Demon. Of course, just like before, along with the token, a black object was also thrown.

A glint of mockery flickered in Manku’s eyes.

He wasn’t like his fellow clansman from earlier. Wang Feng’s little tricks were completely transparent to him. He spotted the black object instantly—a Skyburst Grenade!

Manku reached out and steadily caught both the Soul Token and the black object.

But there was no explosion. A crimson surge of soul power wrapped around Manku’s hand, snagging both the Soul Token and the Skyburst Grenade. The soft tendrils of soul power coiled around the grenade’s surface.

The soul power cushioned the blow, deftly neutralizing the grenade’s force. Without a direct hit, the Skyburst Grenade wouldn’t blow. This was its fatal flaw. To a master, it was just a toy, though pulling it off took serious skill.

"You really think this thing’s gonna work?" Manku laughed, probably guessing how his fellow clansman had died earlier—just plain dumb. But it was just as well, saving him the hassle of offing another clansman to hog the glory.

He sneered, "Only losers rely on this crap!"

But Old Wang also laughed, shaking off his earlier resignation, and said with a grin, "But my Skyburst Grenade’s built to take out trash like you—boom!"

Manku’s pupils contracted sharply. He felt something, and disbelief flickered in his eyes.

He tried to toss the grenade away, but a fiery explosion tore through his hand.

Old Wang spun around, clutching Mapeier tightly as a golden glow instantly enveloped him.

With Manku, there was no room for escape moves like before. Even the slightest twitch of his shoulder, the faintest hint of flight, and Manku would outpace him in a heartbeat.

He had to take the blast head-on, but Old Wang dared to do it because he still had his protective treasure.

He held Mapeier so tightly his fingers nearly dug into her flesh. Their close contact made the Golden Aegis recognize them as one, and a golden shield instantly wrapped around them.

"Golden Aegis, shield us!"

Boom!

He couldn’t turn to see what was happening behind him.

A fiery shockwave slammed into them from behind. Old Wang and Mapeier were tightly cocooned in the barrier, which, meant for one, was stretched to its limit, forming a golden sphere that was hurled forward by the force.

Bang!

They crashed into the cave wall at a turn over ten meters away. Old Wang, flipped mid-air, landed back-first, cushioning Mapeier as his back slammed into the hard rock. The pain made him clench his teeth, barely holding back a scream.

It wasn’t the Golden Aegis’s fault—its protection wasn’t weak. Honestly, the two Clara had collected, both in quality and the soul crystals inside, were top-tier. Whether it was the Skyburst Grenade or the cave collision, it should’ve defended them flawlessly.

But the problem was, it was designed for one person. Protecting two meant its power would take a hit.

Now, the Golden Aegis had dissipated. Old Wang, wincing in pain, gave Mapeier’s plump butt a sharp smack. "Get up! You’re crushing me!"

Damn it, all because of this deadweight. Otherwise, he’d have walked away unscathed. But it was unavoidable—who made him the kind of guy who couldn’t stand seeing a cute girl in pain?

Mapeier was still reeling from the impact when she felt the sharp smack on her butt, jolting her awake.

They’d tricked Manku, but at the cost of a Golden Aegis. Old Wang was gutted, but there was no time to mourn. Blood Demon Manku was a guy who’d escaped Hei Wukai’s sword—there’s no way he’d go down that easy.

Old Wang rolled to his feet, yanked Mapeier’s hand, and bolted, afraid she wouldn’t snap out of it. "Little girl, you’re lucky! If it weren’t for your senior brother, this freak would’ve had his way with you, over and over. Run, run, run!"

Old Wang shouted frantically, but Mapeier didn’t budge. The girl suddenly had a death grip. He glanced back to see her brows furrowed, clearly conflicted.

"Not the time for a meltdown, sis!" he barked. "Junior sister, move it! This guy’s a master—a Skyburst Grenade won’t take him out. If he gets up, we’re dead!"

Mapeier stared at him, dazed. "Why?"

Old Wang was frantic. If she hadn’t been acting so strange, he’d have smacked her already. "What ‘why’? Go! If we don’t, we’re toast!"

Mapeier looked at him, clearly anxious but still refusing to leave her, and suddenly smiled.

Back in the potion workshop of the Judgement Sanctum, their first meeting had been full of his teasing and bullying. In the Misty Forest, he’d even snatched her things. Though they weren’t close, it felt like they were old friends. The Golden Aegis was meant for one person—using it for two was risky. And yet, at the critical moment, he’d shielded her with his back. She understood now—someone out there was willing to lay it all on the line for her, a person destined to be a tool.

And this man, after all that, acted like it was nothing.

"Wang Feng, why did you save me?" Mapeier suddenly widened her eyes, as if making a very important decision.

Wang Feng was momentarily stunned, then flicked Mapeier's forehead, "Why all the questions? Did the explosion scramble your brain? I'm your senior brother, it's my job to mess with you, but others can't. With me here, you'll be fine!"

"Alright, alright, little ancestor, stop being emotional!" Old Wang felt they couldn't delay any longer. If they waited for Manku to recover, he and Mapeier would be like sitting ducks. He yanked Mapeier to her feet and took off running.

Mapeier, being dragged by Wang Feng, showed a genuine smile.

"Senior brother, you said it yourself," Mapeier whispered.

"Relax, relax!" Old Wang glanced at her with a smile, noticing that she didn't seem to hold a grudge for the slap on her butt. He better not bring it up; being handsy is a bad habit that needs to be broken, but the heart must not be restless: "Who doesn't know Wang Feng? The famously trustworthy and dependable guy, a man who keeps his promises..."

Just as he was saying this, Old Wang suddenly shut his mouth, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

He had just pulled Mapeier and run not far when the ice bees left behind to monitor had already detected Manku's pursuit, and the speed of the chase was much faster than his and Mapeier's, clearly not injured at all!

Damn it... This guy just won't quit!

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