Chapter 65: A Lucky Accident |
Killing the Wood Puppet Abomination must bring tremendous benefits.
When Xia Hong first heard about Yang Ning and Li Hu from Shi Qing's account, he only had preliminary suspicions about this matter.
But after personally meeting Yang and Li, forming initial impressions of these two, and having his idealized view of Beishuo Town shattered, Xia Hong became almost certain.
These two were clearly no saints, nor were they the kind of warm-hearted do-gooders.
To risk their lives eliminating Abominations for insignificant people around Redwood Ridge without seeking rewards?
Given their personalities, they would never do such things.
Therefore, the only plausible explanation was that killing the Wood Puppet Abomination brought benefits.
Moreover, Xia Hong had noticed Luo Ming's subtle change in expression earlier.
Undoubtedly, Luo Ming was also well aware of this point.
Yang Ning raised his silver longsword and began frantically stabbing the already shattered skull, practically churning everything inside its cranium.
His silver sword proved remarkably effective - each thrust made the enormous Abomination's body tremble violently, clearly causing immense pain.
The Wood Puppet Abomination could no longer scream, its form growing increasingly faint, evidently on its last breath.
"Keke... I die... I die... Even in death... I won't let you off easy, keke..."
Everyone's expressions changed drastically. No one expected the Abomination, with half its head burned away, could still speak.
Its voice was extremely weak, but the venomous hatred dripping from its tone sent chills down everyone's spines.
"Die, die, die with me..."
The Wood Puppet Abomination roared skyward, stirring the scattered smoke and instantly darkening the valley's sky while making the earth tremble continuously.
Yang Ning and Li Hu, being closest, had already sensed danger and were desperately fleeing toward the valley's right stone wall.
"Press against the wall! Retreat! Run outward! Quickly!"
Luo Ming turned and shouted at the large group on the valley's western side before leading Shang Ping and the other two toward the left stone wall.
The western group numbered about a hundred people - both the ordinary folk Xia Hong and Luo Ming had rescued from the wooden house earlier, and members from the four camps including Huang Zhao and Hong Gang.
Hearing Luo Ming's shout, the hundred immediately divided into three groups, fleeing toward both valley sides and the western valley entrance.
The rubble pile blocking the valley entrance had been cleared by the Wood Puppet Abomination earlier, leaving the passage exposed.
Since Xia Hong's group happened to be on the western side, they also fled toward the entrance.
BOOM...
Unfortunately, before everyone could run far, the Wood Puppet Abomination exploded.
Its twenty-meter-tall body, originally composed of corpses from Rogge Camp, burst apart, scattering severed limbs and flesh across the valley floor.
Even the walls were painted crimson with blood.
The explosion's force imbued the flying flesh with terrifying power - many slower-moving ordinary people were blown away to their deaths, while even Lumberjack Realm practitioners were sent flying over ten meters, vomiting blood continuously.
The Wood Puppet Abomination's final attack left the valley filled with wails once more.
From behind a boulder near the western entrance, Xia Hong checked on Yuan Cheng's group of five, relieved to find only Qiu Peng and Yue Feng had minor injuries.
Standing up, he saw the enormous Abomination had completely vanished, finally allowing himself to relax.
"Since when could Abominations self-destruct?"
Just as this question arose, two voices interrupted him.
"Self-destruct? Abominations can do that?"
"That damned beast actually kept this move hidden!"
Yang Ning and Li Hu, having rushed to the explosion site first, were frantically searching through the scattered remains with extremely unpleasant, somewhat angry expressions.
Xia Hong froze, then frowned deeply in contemplation.
Even they didn't know Abominations could self-destruct?
Xia Hong had no reason to doubt them - regarding Abomination knowledge, Yang and Li far surpassed their group.
"Let's get out first. The smell here won't dissipate for a while."
"The mountaintop seems to be shaking. We can't stay inside."
"Right, hurry out before falling rocks kill someone!"
...
Something's wrong!
Xia Hong suddenly looked back - not just those who fled toward the entrance earlier, but also those who took shelter by the valley walls were all swarming toward the exit.
"Don't leave! Nobody leaves the valley!"
Xia Hong's shout made the hundred-plus people already moving through the passage halt immediately.
On the other side, Yang Ning, Li Hu, and Luo Ming paused briefly at Xia Hong's shout before realization dawned, their expressions changing dramatically as they raced toward the western entrance while echoing:
"Don't leave the valley, yes!"
"Nobody moves."
"Everyone stop immediately."
If Abomination self-destruction defied common sense and wasn't their natural behavior, then that final move must have been deliberate.
Would such a cunning, cautious creature stage this just for spite before dying?
Considering how the explosion killed many ordinary people - perfect victims for an Abomination to kill then impersonate - Xia Hong realized the Wood Puppet Abomination likely wasn't completely dead.
It was probably hiding among the crowd at the entrance.
Uncertain of the Abomination's current state, Xia Hong cautiously approached the crowd, waiting until Yang, Li, and Luo Ming's group of four arrived before moving to the passage entrance together.
The Rogge Camp valley passage stretched thirty meters long. Though the hundred people hadn't completely blocked it, they occupied nearly half its length.
"Everyone retreat back! One by one, no chaos!"
Yang Ning urgently ordered the crowd to withdraw from the passage back into the valley.
The ordinary folk obediently complied.
But suddenly, a voice came from the crowd's rear:
"Someone's still going out! That guy, stop!"
Hearing this, Xia Hong's group at the passage entrance turned pale.
In a thirty-meter passage, nobody could have missed their orders.
Who else but the Wood Puppet Abomination would keep charging outward now?
"Get the hell out of my way!"
Li Hu even roared, shoving past blocking people to charge forward.
Yang Ning moved faster, leaping over heads to rush down the passage.
As the crowd parted, Xia Hong and Luo Ming's trio followed closely.
"Ah..."
But upon entering the passage, a weak, miserable scream came from outside.
The Abomination's cry.
"You little bastard, stop right there!"
Suddenly remembering something, Xia Hong froze momentarily before hearing Li Hu's furious roar behind him, prompting him to accelerate his rush outward.
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