Chapter 315 - 195: Escape

Chapter 315: Chapter 195: Escape

Su Mu said gravely.

The others finally snapped out of it, staring at Su Mu in utter disbelief.

’Had Su Mu made some kind of deal with this ugly four-legged snake?’

A silent, knowing glance was all it took for them to understand Su Mu’s intentions.

Though they didn’t know what had just transpired, it was obvious they had no chance of defeating the four-legged snake.

Staying behind with Su Mu would be pointless.

Their only option was to get back to Hujue Pass and summon reinforcements!

"Wait for us!"

The men responded to Su Mu with a look before turning to retreat toward Hujue Pass.

At first, they worried their movements would provoke a reaction from the ugly four-legged snake. But after a few steps, they saw it was paying them no mind at all.

And so, they broke into an all-out sprint, bolting in the direction of Hujue Pass.

In the distance, a commotion broke out among the Demon Court’s soldiers, punctuated by bursts of low growls.

But not a single demon dared to cross the fissure that had been lashed into the ground by the four-legged snake’s tongue.

A Tier Four Demon roared a few times, then some of the demons turned and ran back toward their encampment.

They were going back to seek orders from the Demon Court General.

...

Some forty to fifty li from the ugly four-legged snake’s territory, several figures appeared atop a hill.

They stared from a distance at the unusually conspicuous dense forest, their faces etched with doubt and astonishment.

"Has the Demon Court lost its mind? Why on earth would they provoke that crawler for no reason?"

Zhang Wangyue muttered to himself.

Even with the dense forest in the way, he could still make out the vast number of demons on the other side.

There were simply too many for the trees to conceal.

Zhang Wangyue had led a dozen or so Taiping Captains out of the city to investigate. Following the plumes of dust, they arrived only to find the Demon Court’s soldiers had surrounded this very forest.

As the Governor of the Hujue Pass Taiping Bureau, Zhang Wangyue knew exactly what this forest was.

The forest, spanning a radius of thirty li, was a lawless place beyond the jurisdiction of both Da Xuan and the Demon Court.

In the past, even when Hujue Pass and the Demon Court were at war, both sides made a point to steer clear of this area.

A powerful demon isn’t necessarily fearsome.

What’s truly fearsome is a powerful demon with no restraints.

This crawler was not only immensely powerful, but it also had no weaknesses. It was a loner, with no kin or descendants.

It was the kind of being you never provoked unless you were certain you could annihilate it in a single blow.

With no restraints, its retaliation, if angered, would be devastating—something neither Da Xuan nor the Demon Court could withstand.

The destructive potential of such a powerful demon lying in wait to ambush was simply unimaginable.

Fortunately, the crawler was devoted to its cultivation. As long as it was left alone, it rarely stirred.

That was why both Da Xuan and the Demon Court allowed it to remain.

So for the Demon Court’s soldiers to suddenly surround the area was something Zhang Wangyue couldn’t quite fathom.

Still, he was more than happy to watch the crawler and the Demon Court tear each other apart.

Just then, a Taiping Captain suddenly shouted, "Someone’s there!"

Zhang Wangyue looked over and, sure enough, saw several figures bursting out of the dense forest and running toward them.

"They couldn’t be demons in human form, could they?"

a Taiping Captain asked, puzzled.

It was common knowledge that no one who entered the crawler’s territory ever came out.

How could anyone possibly have come from there?

"The Demon Court has been researching methods for demons to assume human form, but as far as I know, the most they can achieve is transforming their bodies. Their heads remain unchanged."

Zhang Wangyue shook his head. "It’s impossible for a demon to look perfectly human," he said gravely.

"They’re human!"

Zhang Wangyue was inwardly stunned. ’Someone actually made it out of the crawler’s territory alive? How did they manage that?’

"Let’s go. We’ll find out."

Zhang Wangyue was a decisive man. If he couldn’t figure something out, he wouldn’t waste time dwelling on it. He’d find out simply by asking.

Taking the lead, he leaped off the hill and ran toward the approaching figures.

...

Shi Ziran, Xu Chongyuan, Zhong Guizheng, and the others ran with all their might.

They couldn’t believe they had actually made it out of the ugly four-legged snake’s territory.

The Demon Court’s soldiers had been stopped in their tracks.

They had actually escaped with their lives.

To be hunted by tens of thousands of Demon Soldiers, only to escape through the territory of a powerful demon feared by both Da Xuan and the Demon Court—it was a story they could tell for the rest of their lives.

But there wasn’t the slightest hint of joy on their faces.

They knew full well that they hadn’t accomplished this through their own strength. Someone else had paid the price for them.

If Su Mu hadn’t made some sort of deal with the ugly four-legged snake, it would never have let them through.

They were free, but Su Mu was still trapped with the creature.

They had to get back to Hujue Pass as fast as possible, get reinforcements, and find a way to rescue Su Mu.

To deal with that ugly four-legged snake, it would take at least an expert at the Commander-in-Chief level.

In fact, even a Commander-in-Chief might not be enough. They’d need a Marquis to intervene!

"Can you really convince a Marquis of the Taiping Bureau to help? Would they take action for a mere Taiping Captain?"

Shi Ziran asked worriedly.

The rank of Taiping Captain was too low; it was hard to say whether such important figures would intervene for a single, low-ranking officer.

After all, the ugly four-legged snake was incredibly powerful.

"They will. I’m sure of it!"

Xu Chongyuan said gravely, "The Taiping Bureau has never abandoned anyone, especially not Junior Brother Su!"

"As long as we get the message back to Hujue Pass, the Taiping Bureau will do whatever it takes to bring him back!"

’If there’s still time,’

Xu Chongyuan added silently.

There was no doubt the Taiping Bureau would give its all to save Su Mu.

The problem was, the Commander-in-Chief of the Hujue Pass Taiping Bureau was probably no match for the ugly four-legged snake, and the Marquises weren’t stationed at Hujue Pass.

Requesting their help would take a significant amount of time for the messages and travel.

’Could Su Mu hold out for that long?’

They had no idea what kind of deal Su Mu had struck with the ugly four-legged snake, nor how long he could possibly last against it.

So they pushed themselves to the limit, running even faster than they had when fleeing for their lives, all to save every precious second.

"Someone’s there!"

Zhong Guizheng shouted. "Senior Brother Su can be saved!"

Suddenly, they saw a figure in the distance rapidly approaching.

The uniform was unmistakable: a Governor of the Taiping Bureau!

Joy erupted on their faces.

A Governor was no match for the ugly four-legged snake, but he could run much faster than they could.

He could get reinforcements much more quickly!

Zhang Wangyue sprinted ahead, heading straight for the humans who had emerged from the crawler’s domain.

He was just about to greet them, having stopped in their path and opened his mouth to speak.

But suddenly, without breaking stride, they ran right past him.

Zhang Wangyue: "..."

"Governor, run! We can talk while we run!"

one of them shouted as he passed Zhang Wangyue.

Zhang Wangyue froze for a second, glancing behind the running men. No one was chasing them.

Still, he turned and ran after them. Once he caught up, he matched their pace, running alongside the group.

"Governor, sir, we are Taiping Captains from the Wuling Taiping Bureau! My name is Xu Chongyuan."

Xu Chongyuan shouted as he ran, not breaking his stride toward Hujue Pass.

"I’ll make this quick. First, there are traitors in Hujue Pass. They’re planning to coordinate with the Demon Court to bring down the pass from the inside! The Demon Court has amassed an army of tens of thousands of demons, already gathered a hundred li outside the pass. The leader of the traitors is Shao Santong!

Second, Su Mu, a Taiping Captain from our Wuling Taiping Bureau, is back there stalling that ugly four-legged snake. He’s the one holding off the Demon Court’s pursuing army, and he needs to be rescued.

That’s all I have to say. Governor, use your top speed! Get this message to Hujue Pass and bring back reinforcements!

Now run!"