Chapter 47: Despair |
The corpses of Wang Ming and the other three, along with the abandoned saber, were clear evidence that Boulder Camp had encountered that Abomination before.
Finding only four bodies didn't mean just four people had died. After suffering heavy losses against the Abomination, Shi Qing must have gone north to Huang Zhao, Great Chuan, or even Rogge Camp to seek help. That's why no one from Boulder Camp had been seen at Redwood Ridge recently.
But the rescue mission clearly failed - only Shi Qing and one other returned, carrying just one bag of Crystal Fruits. Given the Abomination's cunning nature of rarely appearing personally, it likely controlled the corpses of Great Xia's lumberjack team to attack Shi Qing's group.
This perfectly explained why Shi Qing had looked so utterly desperate when surrounded earlier. He must have seen the imposter Xia Ding and believed Great Xia Camp had fallen. Suddenly encountering eleven young Lumberjack Realm cultivators like Xia Hong's group, Shi Qing probably assumed they were all Abominations - hence his despair.
When Shi Dong recognized them, realizing they weren't Abominations, Shi Qing's despair instantly turned to joy. His detailed knowledge about Abominations mimicking others further proved he'd already fought them.
Shi Qing's reactions made complete sense - he didn't recognize them and mistook them for Abominations. But how did Shi Dong recognize them?
Xia Chuan's words struck Xia Hong like lightning - Shi Dong's behavior had been unnaturally calm throughout, unlike Shi Qing's fluctuating expressions. That was precisely what made it suspicious. More damningly, Shi Dong had proactively identified them, clearly wanting to avoid conflict delaying their return to camp.
"The real Shi Dong is probably dead. What Shi Qing brought back must be a fake."
As Xia Hong desperately chased after the departing pair, his conviction grew stronger. Unfortunately, Shi Qing had too much of a head start. Even sprinting at full speed with his group, they couldn't catch up. By the time Pagoda Mountain where Boulder Camp was located came into distant view, there was still no sign of them.
………………
At Pagoda Mountain's base, Shi Qing and his companion reached the eastern side. Familiar with the route, they quickly located vines and climbed swiftly to the summit.
The snow-covered peak looked unchanged since their departure. Shi Qing went straight to the center, brushing aside snow to reveal a five-meter-wide square wooden board covering Boulder Camp's entrance.
Finding the board undisturbed and feeling residual warmth beneath his fingers confirming no abnormalities, Shi Qing finally relaxed.
He completely missed the sinister smirk flashing across "Shi Dong's" face behind him the moment the board was revealed.
Shi Qing lifted the board and jumped down the three-meter-wide opening, followed by "Shi Dong" who closed it behind them.
As they landed, several delighted camp members rushed over.
"Leader! You're finally back!"
"We've run out of Crystal Fruits! If you hadn't returned tonight, we'd have organized a foraging party."
"Why just you two?"
"Where are the other three?"
Pain twisted Shi Qing's face as he prepared to explain what happened at Rogge Camp when—
Whoosh!
"Shi Dong" suddenly raised a hand behind him, shooting out a nearly transparent white thread that pierced through Shi Qing's shoulder blade like a needle. The thread then wriggled alive, weaving through his body.
In an instant, white threads completely bound Shi Qing. Before he could even cry out, his paralyzed body collapsed sideways.
"Leader! What's wrong?"
"Shi Dong! What did you do?"
The approaching men froze in confusion—some rushing to help Shi Qing, others demanding answers from "Shi Dong".
"Keh keh keh keh..."
Instead of answering, "Shi Dong" lowered his head and emitted a horrifying, raspy laugh like grinding wood shavings—both terrifying and triumphant.
Hearing this familiar nightmare sound, the fallen Shi Qing's face contorted in horrified realization as he whipped his head toward "Shi Dong".
"Thanks for bringing me here. Where else could I find so many people? Keh keh keh keh..."
Shi Qing instantly understood—this wasn't Shi Dong. That fourth encounter when Wang Rui and Sun Xinzhu chased Shi Dong—they'd all assumed only Wang Rui and Sun Xinzhu had been replaced. In reality, Shi Dong had been swapped too.
The Abomination had staged an elaborate deception, faking a scenario where Wang Rui and Sun Xinzhu pursued Shi Dong, then infiltrated his group with this puppet.
Which meant... all their strategies discussed at Rogge Camp's hall about luring and ambushing it—the Abomination knew everything!
Poor Luo Ming and the others were still following Yang Ning and Li Hu, trying to bait out the Wood Puppet Abomination while the enemy had already infiltrated them.
It's over. Everything's over!
"RUN! EVERYONE, RUN NOW!!!"
Shi Qing turned frantically toward the campfire, his face crimson as he screamed himself hoarse.
He didn't know how the Wood Puppet Abomination controlled "Shi Dong", but he couldn't move a muscle. Unless they fled, all three hundred camp members would die!
Run. They all had to run. Maybe some could survive.
As Shi Qing tried shouting again, the white threads instantly pierced his lips, sewing his mouth shut.
"Mmmph! Mmmph!"
Frantically muffled, Shi Qing watched helplessly as confused camp members hesitated. His face turned purple, eyes bloodshot with desperation.
But "Shi Dong" had already moved.
He lunged forward, fist smashing through the nearest man's skull like a shattered melon, brains and blood spraying grotesquely.
The carnage continued.
"Shi Dong" grabbed two fleeing men, fingers stabbing deep into their throats. Both died instantly, bleeding from all orifices.
"Kekeke kekeke..."
As bloodlust filled the air, "Shi Dong's" face twisted in ecstatic cruelty, relishing each murder.
Three lives ended in seconds.
The remaining camp members finally realized—this wasn't Shi Dong, but a monster.
"AHHH—"
"Shi Dong's gone mad!"
"Run! Run!"
"Leader! Save us!"
Their terror only excited the Abomination more. It tore through the crowd with savage brutality, eventually grabbing a stone axe to kill more efficiently.
Watching friends, family, wives, children—everyone—being slaughtered, the bound Shi Qing burned with rage, eyes bulging.
But he couldn't move. Couldn't speak. Couldn't do anything.
As his wife fell among the victims, Shi Qing wept rivers of tears.
His agony slowly transformed into bottomless despair.