Chapter 2885: Let’s See Who Among You Can Kill Me |
Heaven and earth were deathly silent.
Su Yi stood before the stele. River Ancestor Shen Xiao’s murderous intent locked onto him, making his skin prickle.
But Su Yi just laughed, not the least bit bothered. “I’m the only one who knows how to enter the Cave of Obsession. Are you sure you want to attack me?”
River Ancestor Shen Xiao’s expression filled with uncertainty.
After a brief pause, he burst into laughter and stuck up his thumb. “My young friend, you’re quite bold, and clever, too. Impressive!”
He then said solemnly, “Allow me to make myself perfectly clear. If anyone does anything to hurt my young friend on our way to the Cave of Obsession, I’ll consider them my irreconcilable enemy!”
He spoke with firm conviction.
Su Yi clasped his fist. “An opportunity to work with you is my honor.”
Their eyes met, and they both couldn’t help but smile and laugh.
Innocence’s eyes lit up. Master’s methods are so impressive that even a River Ancestor has no choice but to hold his nose and endure. Who else could have managed that?
Now, even River Emperor Hong Ye, who’d chastised Su Yi mere moments prior, plastered an amiable smile onto his face and applauded. “Fellow Daoist Su, now that you and my Daoist Brother have joined forces, our success is assured!”
He changed his tune with such speed that several of the others could feel their horizons broadening.
Only River Emperor Winged Dragon and Lu Shi felt their hearts sink. They knew this didn’t bode well for them.
From River Ancestor Shen Xiao’s perspective, they were the least useful people here, and the most extraneous. That meant they were the most likely to suffer an “accident.”
“What do we do, Fellow Daoist Lu?” River Emperor Winged Dragon transmitted.
“What can we do?” said Lu Shi, his gaze cold and tinged with madness. “I didn’t endure all that humiliation just to slink off with my tail between my legs in the end!”
River Emperor Winged Dragon’s heart shook. Is Lu Shi determined to go all out!?
He then watched as Lu Shi stepped forward and said coldly, “Are you planning to join forces to eliminate us ‘eyesores’?”
River Ancestor Shen Xiao narrowed his eyes. It seemed he hadn’t anticipated that Lu Shi would be so direct.
“Hah! So, you know you’re an eyesore!” Wang Zhiwu laughed.
Lu Shi was extraordinarily calm, his gaze icy. “I’ve been tolerating you for a long time! Go ahead, jump around all you like. It won’t be long before I twist your head clean off your shoulders!”
He looked at River Ancestor Shen Xiao. “That goes for you, too, you old bastard. Do you really think you’re a big shot just because you’re a River Ancestor?”
River Ancestor Shen Xiao furrowed his brow. Has Lu Shi gone insane?
Next, he turned his attention to Su Yi. “And you…”
But then, Su Yi interrupted him. “If you want to explore the Cave of Obsession, you can come with us.”
Everyone was stunned. Even Lu Shi was gobsmacked. After a brief pause, he laughed out of sheer anger. “Trying to trick me again, huh? Forget it!”
His long hair was loose and disheveled, his eyes were bloodshot, and his aura was terrifying to behold. He gnashed his teeth and said, “If you can’t kill me, I’ll kill you!”
He really was about to explode. He’d been minding his own business, slowly piecing together the stele’s mysteries, only for disaster to strike out of nowhere. First, Wang Zhiwu came in, shouting and yelling and demanding a battle.
Before they could determine a victor, the insidious River Emperor Hong Ye snuck onto the battlefield and came dangerously close to ambushing them!
As if that weren’t bad enough, River Ancestor Shen Xiao showed up, followed by Su Yi, and none of them treated Lu Shi with any respect at all.
He’d been whipped, and even the Writing Brush of Genesis had turned on him by accepting Su Yi as its master!
All of this had filled Lu Shi with endless frustration, fury, and hatred. Now, all of it erupted at once. Who bullies people like this? You want to fight, don’t you? Fine, let’s fucking go!
“Come on and get me!” bellowed Lu Shi, his murderous intent connecting heaven and earth.
“If you want to enter the Cave of Obsession, you can come with us,” repeated Su Yi.
As he spoke, he led Wei E, Innocence, River Empress Peacock, Wang Zhiwu, and River Empress Lu Ping away.
River Ancestor Shen Xiao’s eyes flashed, but then, he laughed, disregarded Lu Shi, and followed Su Yi. “My young friend, you’re bold and forthright, and your actions frequently exceed expectations in thought-provoking ways. You’ve truly made me see you in a new light.”
“You exaggerate,” said Su Yi. “In terms of strength, majesty, and magnanimity, I’m far beneath you. I’ll have to earnestly request your guidance going forward.”
River Ancestor Shen Xiao threw back his head and laughed.
The two of them left, laughing and chatting all the while. The group following them saw it all, and their hearts churned with emotion.
All of them knew that although they were laughing and chatting on the surface, both harbored ulterior motives. This… was perhaps one of the great absurdities of human life.
But it was Lu Shi who felt the most awkward and frustrated. He’d gone all out, roaring for battle. All he wanted was to end this, once and for all.
He would never have guessed that he’d simply be ignored!
It wasn’t just Su Yi. Everyone was ignoring him and leaving!
Lu Shi was so angry that he almost coughed up blood. Their disregard is just too much!
River Emperor Winged Dragon, however, felt a massive weight lift from his shoulders. “You’re truly impressive, Fellow Daoist Lu! Not even River Ancestor Shen Xiao dared fight you. And you scared Su Yi off, too!”
Lu Shi barely resisted the urge to slap him. They humiliated me to such an extent. What good will all that delusional nonsense do me?
But in the end, he resisted the impulse. “This is a chance at life. You’re welcome to leave the Abhorrent Evil Origin Zone immediately. If you do, you’ll be out of danger.”
River Emperor Winged Dragon hesitated. “What do you plan to do, Fellow Daoist Lu?”
“I’m entering the Cave of Obsession!” said Lu Shi. A powerful sense of humiliation washed over him.
Earlier, Su Yi invited him to join them on their journey into the Cave of Suggestion, only for Lu Shi to demand a battle to the death. In that moment, he wasn’t at all concerned about such things.
But now, awkwardly, whether he wanted to acquire the Key to Endless Tribulations or reacquire the Writing Brush of Genesis, he had no choice but to follow them to the Cave of Obsession first.
“How confident are you, Fellow Daoist?” River Emperor Winged Dragon asked tentatively.
Lu Shi said coldly, “There are no absolutes in battle, nor is the outcome ever certain. All you can do is prepare to face your fate, be it what it may. If you want to come with us, don’t pin all of your hopes on me!”
River Emperor Winged Dragon fell briefly silent, then gnashed his teeth. “There’s no reward without risk. I’m going!”
Lu Shi couldn’t help but take another look at him. He was surprised, as deep within his heart, he looked down on River Emperor Winged Dragon. Sure, he was one of the thirteen strongest River Emperors, but the way Lu Shi saw it, he was helping the River Emperor far more than the River Emperor was helping him.
But in the end, Lu Shi said nothing. The two of them just set off, and soon, they noticed Su Yi and the others standing in a clearing. It looked like they were waiting for something.
Lu Shi stopped in place, his heart full of surprise. Don’t tell me the entrance to the Cave of Obsession is nearby? But… it doesn’t seem like there’s anything at all noteworthy nearby.
River Ancestor Shen Xiao turned to wave and smile at Lu Shi. “You’re here, Fellow Daoist. I just knew someone of your breadth of spirit wouldn’t take that earlier unpleasantness to heart.”
Those who didn’t know better might well have assumed that this was a reunion between old friends.
Lu Shi’s expression shifted erratically. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
“Come on over. We’ve been waiting for you,” Su Yi said with a smile.
The whole situation left River Emperor Winged Dragon deeply unsettled. He strongly suspected that the others had formed an alliance and set a trap for them to fall into.
Lu Shi frowned. “Su Yi, what exactly are you up to? Just give it to me straight. I’ll accompany you to the bitter end!”
“You’ve misunderstood,” Su Yi said with a laugh. “I’m really just inviting you to travel with us.”
Lu Shi laughed coldly. “Could you possibly have such good intentions?”
Wang Zhiwu suddenly cursed him out. “Lu Shi, we’re trying to give you face, dammit! This is your last opportunity. If you don’t want it, just get the fuck out of the Abhorrent Evil Origin Zone already!”
He wasn’t the least bit polite, but Lu Shi wasn’t bothered. He just stared at Su Yi. “Those who offer unsolicited kindness are either thieves or scammers. Besides, I know that given even the barest hint of an opportunity, you’ll kill me without hesitation, so why invite me to join you? Surely you have a reason?”
River Ancestor Shen Xiao suddenly interjected, “Fellow Daoist Lu is absolutely right. I find it strange, too. Fellow Daoist Su, might you tell us directly why you’re doing this to dispel our doubts? That way, we can all cooperate smoothly on the road ahead.”
Lu Shi’s gaze shifted slightly as River Ancestor Shen Xiao’s words made it clear that no true alliance existed between him and Su Yi! The two of them were working together for now, but both of them had secret plans and ulterior motives.
Su Yi said forthrightly, “The reason is quite simple. This time, I want to end things with you once and for all. If you aren’t there, how can I possibly realize that goal?”
Lu Shi’s gaze focused. Even before Su Yi spoke, he quietly decided that no matter what reason Su Yi offered, he wouldn’t believe it.
But this, he believed. Because he wanted to end things with Su Yi once and for all, too!
When River Ancestor Shen Xiao heard that, he sighed. “Better to resolve your enmities peacefully. On the Path of Eternity, what grudge could possibly matter more than the Grand Dao?”
Wang Zhiwu laughed coldly. Someone would have to be a real dumbass to believe a thing you say, old man.
Wang Zhiwu even suspected that River Ancestor Shen Xiao would love nothing more than if Su Yi and Lu Shi fought to the death. After all, when the snipe and clam fight, it’s the fisherman who benefits.
“But I’m sure you won’t heed my advice, and I’m not the type to meddle in other people’s business. There’s just one thing I must make clear before we go,” said River Ancestor Shen Xiao. “Until we find the Key to Endless Tribulations, we’re travel companions. That means we must work together to face any unexpected danger we encounter!”
His eyes glinted like a knife. “If anyone tries to trip us up or play any petty little tricks, I’ll be first in line to kill them!”
Everyone was solemn.
Su Yi nodded. “You’ve considered the matter carefully. I feel the same way.”
Lu Shi said nothing, but he didn’t argue, either.
Only Wei E stammered, “Your Excellencies, I’m just a small fry. I humbly beseech you to let me leave. I swear on my life not to divulge a single thing that happened here today!”
Everyone was stunned; they hadn’t expected that Su Yi would try to bring a craven like Wei E on their expedition.
Whap!
Innocence jumped three feet into the air and smacked Wei E on the head. “You’re really useless!”
Su Yi said directly, “You’re dreaming!”
Wei E looked as if he’d been struck by lightning. He wanted to weep, but he had no tears.