Chapter 50: Chapter 50 Engaging in Battle
Li Fei hadn’t slept all night, always alert to the noises around him.
It was only when daylight began to break and the heavy rain had stopped that he slowly moved forward.
Thirty minutes later, he again found signs left by the main force ahead.
In this manner, Li Fei continued tracking until the afternoon, when it started raining heavily in the mountains.
Due to the distance and the rain erasing many signs, Li Fei wrongfully pursued several wrong directions and had to return to find the right path.
Fortunately, he found garbage carelessly discarded and feces left by the main force, allowing him to once again follow the correct direction.
After all, the Calming Sect was a cult, and the quality of its believers varied. Although Zhao Yu had explicitly ordered not to leave any garbage in the jungle, the believers initially maintained this discipline. However, after activating traps twice and another night of heavy rain, coupled with the distance they had already escaped, they no longer cared about Zhao Yu’s order.
Moreover, with nature’s call being inevitable, and the group consisting of hundreds of people, it was too much to ask them to carry their excrement with them.
Thus, Li Fei managed not to lose them.
Approaching dusk, as the rain gradually eased, the large force finally reached their destination.
This was a natural cave that the Calming Sect had discovered long ago, sprawling with numerous passages and large enough to accommodate thousands of individuals.
Zhao Yu had arranged for people to guard this place in advance and stored food, medicine, and some daily necessities inside.
This would be the new stronghold for the Calming Sect.
The Calming Sect believers who were guarding inside rushed up, visibly excited to see Zhao Yu and the others.
“Is everything ready?” Zhao Yu asked.
“Yes, we’ve already lit fires for the brothers and prepared meat soup.”
Zhao Yu nodded and then summoned a senior believer, “Arrange some competent brothers to guard the perimeter. Don’t be careless.”
The person nodded and turned to arrange the guards.
Then Zhao Yu led the main force into the cave, where several fires had been lit, and pots of meat soup were steaming over them.
The people who had traveled through the rain for two days were already exhausted. Smelling the meat, they all showed happy expressions.
Zhao Yu’s tense mood also relaxed.
About an hour later, everyone had changed into dry clothes, sitting around the fire, drinking soup, eating meat, the atmosphere was lively.
“I have a few words to say.”
Zhao Yu stood up from his central position and spoke loudly.
Soon, the cave quieted down, everyone looking towards this hierarch who had led them through a significant ordeal.
“This operation was very well executed by everyone!” Zhao Yu surveyed the surroundings, beginning his speech:
“Now we have guns, bullets, and gear. Moving forward, we will become stronger and create new glory!
You’ve seen what’s possible, the power of Calming is great—even a hundred fully armed inspectors from the Inspection Bureau, and the court-approved martial masters from the Zhi Ge Court are no match for us!
Everyone must believe that the sins of this world will eventually be cleansed by us, and we will create a new world!”
Finally, he formed a strange gesture with his hands and stated solemnly:
“Calming is immortal, Netherworld is eternal.”
As his words fell, a Taoist Technique silently completed, an invisible force spreading throughout the cave.
As a Mage in the Divine Transformation Stage, Zhao Yu could cast magic directly without the need for casting materials or ritual tools.
“Calming is immortal, Netherworld is eternal!”
The people inside the cave stood up, shouting fervently.
Zhao Yu revealed a satisfied smile.
Just as he felt victorious and thought he had reached a new peak in his life, an abrupt sound came from outside the cave:
Zhao Yu’s face changed and he immediately reacted.
“Old He, go check it out!”
He turned to a stocky middle-aged man with a crew cut who looked simple and honest.
Old He nodded and briskly ran towards the cave entrance.
Because he was moving so quickly, the wind he stirred caused the flames of the campfires to flicker violently.
Zhao Yu cursed darkly and then gave his order:
“Everyone check your weapons, load your bullets, guard all entrances and exits, and prepare for battle!”
Then he picked a team of elite members from the sect to charge out of the cave with him.
In the jungle, just before the gunshot rang out, Li Fei was moving stealthily.
Suddenly, the Steel Armor Implant inside him stirred restlessly, sensing danger!
Without hesitation, he leaped behind a large tree on his left, and at that moment, the gunfire sounded.
The bullet missed him, but it let him know he had been exposed.
“It’s either that I’ve followed too closely and was spotted by someone left behind, or they’ve reached their destination, and I was spotted by someone in charge of guarding the perimeter.”
Several thoughts flashed through Li Fei’s mind, and then he turned and ran without hesitation.
This was the plan he had set in advance: if he was discovered, he would immediately flee!
Having followed them all this way, he had done his best. Without any surprises, the Inspection Bureau should have noticed the signs he left along the way, so his contribution this time was surely unquestionable.
Next, he needed to focus on protecting himself.
In the jungle, the believer who was positioned to guard the perimeter and had spotted Li Fei saw him turn and run. Without a second thought, he chased after him.
While running, he blew a whistle hanging from his neck to signal his position to the others.
Those assigned to guard duty were all equipped with revolvers, but the terrain in the jungle was too complicated for a good shooting angle, so the believer gave up on shooting and simply charged forward.
He had once been a hunter in Luoshan, capable of tracking the fiercest wild boars in the mountains, so his skills in the woods were very agile. He wouldn’t have been able to outrun Li Fei on flat ground, but in the rough terrain of the forest, Li Fei couldn’t shake him off.
Listening to the hurried footsteps and the occasional whistle sounds behind him, a fierce look flashed in Li Fei’s eyes.
He abruptly stopped, turned around, and drew his sword!
A flash of white sword light glowed in the dim jungle.
The believer charging towards him immediately raised his revolver to shoot.
Li Fei’s foot heavily stamped into the muddy ground formed by the rain, splashing a large amount of mud.
At that moment, a phrase suddenly appeared in his mind:
“Beyond seven steps, a gun is fast; within seven steps, a gun is fast and accurate.”
Blood Rage activated.
1 Blood Soul was consumed, a warm current surged, and a powerful force exploded within him!
The sound of gunfire and the swish of the sword sounded almost simultaneously.
Then, a spurt of blood appeared—the believer’s wrist holding the gun was severed!
Before he could scream, Li Fei’s sword swept across his throat.
This time, Li Fei didn’t forget to dodge, and he wasn’t splattered with blood.
Watching the Calming Sect member clutch his neck and slowly fall, Li Fei wiped the rainwater off his face and whispered,
“Times have changed.”