Chapter 114: Killings in the Forest

The moon's silvery glow cast eerie shadows through the forest.

'Damn it, just where are those brats?' Jin Mo thought, his nose twitching as he sniffed for their scents; his martial soul was the Hellhound, a beast-type soul that specializes in tracking and hunting down targets.

Despite his formidable abilities, he was having difficulty pinpointing the exact location of Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao.

'Just why are we doing this? Tch, stupid spoiled brat, ordering us for something this malicious. I can't believe he's the son of the great general, but I guess he got his nasty personality from his mother. And just why is the leader following that woman's orders? We follow the general, not the duchess. Is it because...'

"Augh!"

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his leg, causing him to cry out in pain and stumble. He looked down to see a black dagger embedded in his calf, its blade shimmering in the moonlight. Blood trickled from the wound as Jin Mo struggled to remain standing.

"Who's there?!" he growled, scanning the darkness for any sign of his assailant.

"..." Silence greeted Jin Mo's question, adding to the ominous atmosphere of the forest. His heart pounded in his chest as he strained to listen for any sound, any indication of where the attack had come from.

'What's going on here? Even if they managed to erase any noises they make, their scent would still linger in the air,' Jin Mo thought, his mind racing with paranoia as he tried to make sense of the situation. Dumbfounded that those kids were this skillful, are they really just core disciples of the outer courtyard?

They were like skilled assassins!

Swoosh!

"There!"

With his guard up, Jin Mo swiftly dodged to the side as another dagger came flying towards him. He managed to avoid a direct hit, but the dagger grazed his shoulder, leaving a shallow cut.

Grinding his teeth against the pain, his purple(4th) soul ring shone and Jin Mo's mouth opened and a scalding darkish-purple fiery breath erupted from his jaws, engulfing the surrounding area in hellish flames. The trees crackled and hissed as they caught fire, casting flickering shadows that danced eerily in the moonlight.

Jin Mo's eyes blazed with fury as he unleashed his martial soul's power, the Hellhound's Hell Flames licking hungrily at the darkness. He knew he had to flush out his unseen assailant, and what better way than to scorch the forest with his fire breath.

The flames illuminated the forest with an intense orange glow, revealing the twisted shapes of the trees and casting long shadows that seemed to reach out like grasping claws. Yet, amidst the chaos of fire and smoke, Jin Mo's eyes were still focused on finding the one who hurt him.

"H-Huh?"

He stumbled, his eyes wide, confused by what he was seeing. It was like everything around him was changing, morphing into something unfamiliar and unsettling. The flames that once burned with his furious energy now took on a sinister hue, casting an eerie purple light that seemed to twist and warp the very fabric of reality.

As Jin Mo struggled to make sense of the surreal scene before him, he felt a cold chill creep up his spine. The air grew heavy with an oppressive darkness, suffocating him with its malevolent presence. It was as if the forest itself had turned against him, its ancient spirits awakened to wreak havoc upon any who dared to intrude upon their domain.

'No! This... this is poison!' But having much experience in combat, Jin Mo recognized the signs of a potent toxin spreading through his veins. His heart raced as he looked down at his hands, dark blue veins standing out prominently against his skin, pulsing with the poison's deadly grip. Panic surged within him as he realized the gravity of his situation.

'What kind of poison is this? None of those brats have a poison-type soul martial soul or skill. Is this... Tang Sect?!' Unfortunately however, this realization came far too late. The vicious toxin had already reached his vital organs.

"You... cowards...!"

He fell to the ground, dead. The flames that had once been his skill now consumed him, casting a macabre glow upon his lifeless form.

From atop the trees, both Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao took deep and heavy breaths, their eyes wide as they watched the tragic scene unfold below. They had executed their plan flawlessly, using their stealth and precision to incapacitate Jin Mo without him ever detecting their presence. Now, as they observed the aftermath of their actions, a mixture of relief and remorse washed over them.

"We... we did it," Wang Dong'er whispered, her voice barely audible over the crackling flames. "That poison truly was lethal, too bad we only carried a few doses of it." she said, trying to sound optimistic.

Key word, trying. Because despite the assassins coming after them with ill intent, they were still people. This was different from killing soul beasts.

Their stomachs churned with unease, and guilt gnawed at their consciences despite their justifications. They couldn't shake off the weight of taking a life, even if it was in self-defense.

Xiao Xiao nodded, her expression somber. "...We need to go, the other assassins have probably notice the disturbance."

Wang Dong'er nodded and watched as Xiao Xiao took out a fist-sized bag from her pouch.

"That is...?"

"A bomb," Xiao Xiao nonchalantly replied, calculating the timing of the assassins' arrivals and the bomb's detonation, as she didn't made it remote controlled.

"A bomb!? Why do you have a bomb?!" Wang Dong'er spluttered in shock, her eyes widening as she looked at Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao innocently shrugged, "Just in case."

"Just in case of what?"

"Just in case Teacher Zhou decides to train us by trapping us in a confined space," she shook her head and prepared to throw the bomb. "Questions later, get ready to run!"

At that moment, three figures with varying wings descended from the sky, the wind whipping around them, dissipating the flames, as they landed gracefully amidst the chaos. Their presence was commanding, their eyes sharp as they surveyed the scene.

One of them, a tall man with dark hair and piercing eyes, spoke first. His wings was like a swift sparrow, brown and sharp feathery wings. "What happened here?"

Another one kneeled to the burnt corpse of Jin Mo, their face grim. He had blue colored, leathery wings like a bat. "...Brother, I think this is Jin Mo."

"What?" Their voice was filled with disbelief. "Jin Mo? But how..."

The third figure with wings of shimmering silver, stepped forward, their expression solemn. "We must report this to the leader and vice-leader. This is a grave matter."

"We just have to wait here then, they must have noticed the disturbance as well. In the mean time, let's try and search around the area. We came as quickly as the flames lit up the night sky, they must not be far."

Just as the trio were chatting together, several shurikens suddenly flew out from the shadows, aimed directly at them. Reacting swiftly, they deflected the shurikens with their wings, the sharp projectiles clattering harmlessly to the ground.

Unbeknownst to them, one of the fallen Shurikens had turned into the bomb that Xiao Xiao had held. The remaining flames on the ground soon started burning it.

"Ambush!" the tall man with dark hair growled, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the surrounding darkness for any sign of their attackers.

The third figure, with wings of shimmering silver, drew a gleaming sword from their sheath, their movements fluid and precise. "That must be the brats. We-"

They didn't manage to finish their sentence when a fiery explosion engulfed them in an instant.

Boom!

Wang Dong'er glanced back at the explosion behind them, and asked. "Xiao Xiao, just what kind of bomb did you make...?"

Xiao Xiao smirked from behind her mask. "Well, unlike a certain someone, I sometimes listen to Yuhao's rambles about soul engineering."

"Oi." Wang Dong'er blankly stared at her.

Xiao Xiao giggled. "Well, I have a basic understanding about how to make a soul tool that I can haphazardly make a decent home-made bomb." her eyes then narrowed. "Because of that, I'm sure that it wouldn't cause any serious injuries to them. They are Soul Kings after all, it would take more than a homemade bomb to cause them serious harm."

"Then what was the point of throwing that bomb at them then?"

Her lips curved into a cold smile. "Simple, to anger them."

The smoke coming from the explosion site dissipated as three pairs of varying wings shot up to the sky.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it! Where are those fucking brats?!" The one with sparrow-like wings roared in anger, their cloak billowing into ashes around them in the night breeze. Revealing their skin tight black clothes, his face and parts of his skin had sustained some minor burns.

The other were the same.

The figure with bat-like wings clenched their fists, their eyes glowing with intensity. "We can't let them get away with this!"

The third, with wings of shimmering silver, remained composed but determined. "We will find them, brothers. And when we do, they will pay for what they've done."

The first one nodded, raising his fist. "Scatter, if one of us find any of them, immediately call out. We are not holding back any more. This became personal."

"... Is what they must be thinking," Xiao Xiao said to Wang Dong'er, waiting patiently under the shadows of the trees for their assassins.

Wang Dong'er looked at her with wide eyes. "Don't tell me, you predicted this outcome in that short amount of time?! And if they really are scattering out to find us..."

"Then we're going to pick them off one by one," Xiao Xiao finished Wang Dong'er's thought, a determined glint in her eyes. "We'll use their own tactics against them and turn the tables."

Wang Dong'er nodded in agreement, her expression resolute. "Let's stay hidden and wait for the right moment to strike. And let's just hope that we don't encounter with their leaders."

With that, the two girls hunkered down in the shadows, their senses alert and their minds focused on the task at hand. They knew that their survival depended on their ability to outmaneuver their pursuers and strike when the opportunity presented itself.

A few minutes passed by and then they saw one of them landing on a tree, a few trees to the left of where they were hiding, it was the one with bat-like wings. The trio had separated into three directions: north, east and west, he was the one who went the east.

He grumbled, surveying the area around him. "Stupid fucking brats, fighting back against us like that. I swear, when I get my hands on them..."

He sighed and focused on finding them, as someone with a bird-type martial soul, not only could he fly but his eyesight was also exceptionally sharp, making him a formidable opponent to evade.

Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao exchanged a knowing glance, silently communicating their next move.

With careful precision, they began to inch closer to their target, taking advantage of the cover provided by the dense foliage.

'Haa, if only we had Yuhao's Spiritual Detection helping us out.' They thought, having some trouble navigating through and finding the perfect position to attack.

If Wang Dong'er's martial soul wasn't so flashy, they would've attacked them in the air.

Even so, within minutes, they were in a close position to their target.

They both shared a look, and nodded.

"Just where are they..." The assassin muttered.

Rustle~

As the assassin scanned the area, a large black cauldron came flying out from his right side, catching him off guard as it slammed into him with incredible force, breaking one of his wings in the process. The impact sent him crashing into a nearby tree, his body crumpling to the ground in a daze.

Before he could recover, Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao sprang into action, coming up to him at both sides. Their hands moved with lightning-like speed, forming several hand seals in a second.

Water converged in Wang Dong'er's hands, it quickly formed into a trident-like form. While Xiao Xiao's hands was enveloped by intense wind force, swirling around her like a cyclone. Together, they unleashed a devastating combination attack on the fallen assassin without any hesitation.

Puchi!

Blood spilled out, taking out the second of the five assassins.

Three more to go.

.....

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