Chapter 218: Of Course, It’s the Fist
Chapter 218 -217: Of Course, It’s the Fist
Although the two spoke in hushed tones, the surrounding Demon Suppression Guards were all Silver Wolf Captains at a minimum. They were also all at the Mid Stage of the Organ Refining Realm or higher, and their hearing was extraordinary.
Naturally, they heard every word the two said with perfect clarity.
But everyone simply hurried along in silence. No one dared to chime in to back up their Golden Eagle Captain. Instead, knowing smiles crept onto their faces in unison.
“You!”
Sun Yuting was so incensed by Wu Chen’s words that she ground her teeth. Annoyed, she raised a delicate fist, ready to lash out.
But then she remembered that so many Captains were watching, that a deadly fight could break out at any moment, and that they had a mission to accomplish.
She could only suppress her temper, silently cursing him in her heart, ‘Nothing good ever comes out of that mouth of his.’ With that, she turned her head away, giving up in frustration.
“We’re here, everyone.”
Led by the captain on duty, the group bypassed Zhao Deyi’s party and walked about another half-mile deeper into the mountains before the leading captain stopped.
The rest of the group behind him stopped as well.
Wu Chen seemed to sense something and looked up.
There, on a protruding boulder about seventy yards away toward the mountain peak, sat a cross-legged figure in grey robes.
The man wore filthy grey cloth robes, and his long, dry, grayish-yellow hair was splayed out messily, fluttering slightly in the mountain breeze.
His head was slumped down to his chest, and he was so still that, at first glance, he looked dead.
However, Wu Chen could still see the slight rise and fall of the man’s shoulders and the rhythm of his breathing. From this, he could tell the man was injured and was currently circulating his energy to recuperate.
“The figure on the rock ahead is an Elder from Hidden Blade Valley.”
The leading captain turned to face the newly arrived reinforcements and said in a cold voice:
“This Elder, along with three of his disciples, attempted to force his way down the mountain.”
“Fortunately, Captain Zhao Deyi risked his life to stop them. He not only killed the three disciples but also injured the Elder, forcing him to retreat back into the mountains.”
…
Hearing the captain’s perfectly crafted words, Sun Yuting sneered inwardly.
‘Zhao Deyi risked his life? More like he risked the lives of the Provisional Guards and Demon Suppression Guards!’
This captain clearly didn’t want any trouble, so he credited all the hard work to Zhao Deyi.
But this was how all the captains acted when dealing with disciples from prominent families.
None of the Silver Wolf Captains thought anything of it; they were long used to it.
“So, your mission this time isn’t difficult.”
After giving all the credit to Zhao Deyi, the captain continued with the briefing:
“You only need to stand guard here. Do not allow the man on the rock, or any other presence from Hidden Wind Valley in these mountains, to cross this line by a single step!”
“Hidden Wind Valley has Cloud Pattern Captains overseeing the main operation. Once our superiors have dealt with the main forces inside the valley, they will free up their hands to eliminate the remnants.”
“So, mark my words: your mission is to stand guard! Not to enter the mountains and kill the enemy!”
“Even if the man on the rock is right in front of you, you do not have the authority to engage!”
As he spoke, the captain’s gaze fell on Wu Chen. There was a profound look in his eyes, but he said nothing more.
The implication was clear. His last words were meant for this rather famous newcomer to the Demon Suppression Bureau.
He didn’t know Wu Chen personally, of course, but he had heard of his reputation.
Besides, he was well aware of Zhao Deyi’s little stunt of blocking their path just now.
Thus, he knew that this young Provisional Guard before him was the one who had captured the barbarian spy alive.
But in his eyes, a mission where a hundred-odd Demon Suppression Guards captured a few barbarian spies was nothing compared to a mission that mobilized nearly a thousand Demon Suppression Guards to surround Hidden Wind Valley.
No matter how strong someone was, the disastrous consequences of brainless, reckless fighting would have to be borne by everyone else.
Seeing that the captain was pointedly addressing Wu Chen, Sun Yuting immediately took a step forward, about to say something to defuse the tense atmosphere.
She wanted to avoid any internal strife or, worse, a physical fight before the mission even began, which would only make them a laughingstock for Zhao Deyi, who was camped not far behind them.
But before she could do anything, Wu Chen cupped his fist and said:
“I will naturally follow Captain Sun’s command.”
“That’s good to hear.” The captain, whose robes were embroidered with the head of a fierce tiger, nodded, his expression finally softening.
He gave a few more instructions, and having said all that needed to be said, he walked briskly back down the mountain.
“Huh?!”
Once the captain was a good distance away, Sun Yuting stared at Wu Chen as if seeing him for the first time. Her beautiful eyes scanned him up and down several times before she spoke:
“I thought you were going to prove your strength right in front of that ‘Tiger Captain’ by taking down the guy on the rock, just as cleanly as you took down that barbarian outside the city.”
“What’s with the sudden change in attitude? You’ve only been in the Demon Suppression Bureau for a few days. Have you already lost your youthful vigor? Lost your drive?”
Wu Chen shook his head and said flatly, “It’s unnecessary.”
“The Hidden Blade Valley Elder on the rock was already injured by Zhao Deyi. Even if I went and captured him now, I’d just end up squabbling with that guy over the credit. It’d be a waste of time and Qi Power.”
“Hm, I suppose you have a point.”
A trace of dissatisfaction appeared in Sun Yuting’s eyes:
“If we were filling in for anyone else, we might be able to reason with them. But that guy is a piece of shit. No one wants to get mixed up with him.”
After saying that, she remembered how Wu Chen had compared her to Zhao Deyi earlier, and a knot of frustration tightened in her chest.
She was about to say something, but Wu Chen had already walked away and started familiarly giving orders to a few of the Silver Wolf Captains:
“Since we’re standing guard, and we don’t know how many days we’ll be here, let’s get the tents set up.”
Seeing him take charge like that, Sun Yuting puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. “I’m the team leader!”
Wu Chen said flatly, “My cultivation realm is higher than yours.”
“I’m a Golden Eagle Captain!”
“My cultivation realm is higher than yours.”
…
Sun Yuting was furious, but what Wu Chen said was the undeniable truth, so she couldn’t refute it.
‘Truth be told, Wu Chen’s realm is high enough to contend for the rank of Cloud Pattern Captain! He really is out of my league as a mere Golden Eagle Captain.’
She gritted her teeth. “Besides your realm, what else are you better at than me!”
Wu Chen immediately replied, “My muscles are harder than yours.”
His casual words made Sun Yuting’s ankles feel weak, and a strange tingling sensation washed over her.
Unable to help herself, she clenched her fist, hopped up, and punched Wu Chen’s arm.
THUMP!
“Owww~”
After landing the punch, Sun Yuting clutched her fist, her delicate brows knitting together. “You…! How are you so hard!”
‘Hmph, this spot is nothing. I have a place that’s even harder.’
“Harder than this?”
Sun Yuting knew she was no match for him physically, but she refused to lose the war of words. Blushing slightly, she said, “Where? Tell me more!”
Wu Chen gave her an exasperated glance and raised an eyebrow. “My fists, of course!”
‘Do you want a taste of my Dragon-Capturing Meridian Lock, too?!’
“Where else did you think it would be?”
…
Wu Chen’s retort left Sun Yuting speechless, her cheeks flushing crimson.
Clearly, there were many things she had only ever heard about.
The moment the topic got more intimate, her inexperience was exposed by her shyness.
Knowing that continuing this conversation would damage her dignity as a Golden Eagle Captain, she wisely shut her mouth. Without putting on any airs, she took a folded tent from her storage pouch and started setting it up with the others.
However, as Sun Yuting and her party were busy at work, Zhao Deyi—his arm wrapped in bandages—peeked out from the shadows under a tree over a hundred paces away. Watching the two of them banter playfully in the distance, his face turned ashen, his expression twisting with rage.
“You really deserve to die!”
Especially when he saw the girl’s intimate gesture of playfully punching Wu Chen, he ground his molars so hard they audibly creaked, nearly shattering them.
The glint in his rat-like eyes was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, aimed straight at Wu Chen.
Envy, jealousy, and resentment!
‘Why isn’t that me!’
“Damn you… Before, I just wanted to make your life in the Demon Suppression Bureau difficult.”
“But now, it seems I have no choice but to have you killed!”
After the captain with the tiger-head embroidery left, Zhao Deyi had originally planned to swallow his pride and try again to win over the Provisional Guard in the Leakless Realm.
It would have been a wonderful thing for both himself and his family.
But seeing Sun Yuting’s actions, seeing the two of them laughing and talking…
Zhao Deyi now had only one thought:
‘I want Wu Chen dead!’