Chapter 986: Choice
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
There was also another issue that kept nagging on Zuo Daquan’s mind, which was something his daughter Zuo Qing told him. She said that Tang Xiu had helped resolve his enmity with the Huang. He had previously ignored the thought because he thought that Tang Xiu had no ability. But now it seemed that his daughter was right. All things considered, it was he who had looked down on Tang Xiu.
“All of you, remember this. Be sure to be polite and respectful whenever you meet Tang Xiu later! He’s a very powerful man, much more terrifying than the Huang Family of the f.u.kang province in China. He’s someone who we cannot afford to mess with.”
“Understood!” replied the few middle-aged men respectfully.
***
In another direction, Singli led 13 Shaman Guardians of the Dark Shaman clan to silently lurk above tens of coconut trees. s.h.i.+elding themselves amid the leaves of the coconut trees, they calmly observed the battle scene in the distance.
Their purpose in coming here was originally to prepare for Singluen’s rescue and not to be involved, even though if the people under Singluen were all killed. However, the current situation really shocked him too much after Singkuo and his men couldn’t get the upper hand at all. Even more accurately, they were completely unable to defend themselves against Singluen’s side.
‘What should I do now?’
The thought kept nagging his mind, yet he was still unable to find a solution. Help Singkuo? That was not even an option as it was not the order he received from the Patriarch. He could not take any action rashly; yet, could he just sit still while watching Singkuo and his men get completely destroyed?
He fell into a dilemma for quite a while.
The scene of the battle was decorated with the glint and flash of cold steel as it reached max intensity. Tang Xiu moved lightning-fast and killed nearly 20 people under Singkuo in just a few minutes, all alone. In a similar fas.h.i.+on, Tang Guang also reaped in the battle, every flicker of his sword harvesting a combatant’s life.
“Singkuo, my dear big brother. If I were you, I would just kneel and obediently give me your neck for me to cut your head off,” said Singlue. The excitement made his blood boil and his body tremble. It was the scene he had been dreaming of countless of times that had finally come true.
Singkuo was currently being besieged by Singluen and the feminine woman, and the man had a look of despair evident on his face. Even in his wildest dream, he had never once thought that the trash that was his younger brother would have equal power to him. He also thought that the little b.i.t.c.h next to him was nothing but trash. But now, she turned out to be as powerful as him, even enough to force him to bow his head when the two of them joined forces to fight him.
The most important thing of all was that his side with forty-plus people were now currently being crushed by the other party up to the point of being nearly annihilated. Only a dozen of them now remained, all wounded, and some were even gravely injured.
He had lost!
He knew that he had fallen into a trap devised by Singluen and Tang Xiu tonight. The outcome was his tragic defeat and the deaths of his men. It was such a grave mistake that it suffocated him.
“SCRAM!!!”
Two of his subordinates among the five guardian elders were trying hard with bloodied bodies to fend off Mo Awu and Jin s.h.i.+’s group of eleven, and were just barely able to survive the encounter. The other two elders had now even determined to perish together as they rushed over to Singluen’s five guardian elders and began engaging in combat.
“There’s no escaping for us.”
One of the guardian elders suddenly wore a firm look. He heaved a long sigh as his figure streaked into the sky and shouted, “The rest of you, protect Young Master and run! Just remember to avenge me.”
In a flash, he dashed tens of meters higher. Suddenly, his body combusted with a black flame. A heatwave came rolling out of him, moving into the surroundings and increasing the temperature by at least seven degrees Celsius. The faster he cast the incantation, the more blazing and increasingly powerful the black flame became.
At this moment, whether it was Tang Xiu, Mo Awu, and the rest, all of them wore a surprised expression. Everyone could faintly sense that the old man was likely casting a forbidden art with formidable might.
Singluen and his men, however, looked horrified and panicked. They never thought that Singkuo’s guardian elder would make this decision. They knew that once the Darkness Forbidden Art was cast by their clansmen, the result was not as simple as just dying.
Those who died still had their souls retained. Those who cultivated in shamanism and wizardry also cultivate their souls, and their clansmen could help gather their souls once they died. After years, they could make their souls enter reincarnation and be resurrected. But this Darkness Forbidden Art only had one outcome, which was to make their souls scatter into nothingness.
“DON’T DO IT, FIFTH ELDER!!!”
With a painful expression on his face, Singkuo let out a shout and wept.
The Fifth Elder floating in the air just let out a smile and shot a deep glance at Singkuo before his body exploded. As his flesh and blood splashed over along with the black flame, the flame instantly descended from the sky. It was like a rain of fire, though the flame was black and brought about devastation.
A few kilometers from the battlefield, the scene made Zuo Daquan atop the water tower infinitely shocked. No matter how knowledgeable he was, such an artificial horrifying scene was something he had never seen.
‘Are they supernatural beings?’
Rumor had it that such people existed in the world; Zuo Daquan had heard about it as well. He also had heard about people with bizarre abilities, as well as a group of people called cultivators. The two groups of people before his eyes were a perfect testimony to this legend.
‘But still… it’s very strange. Some people with Tang Xiu should be from the same origin as their enemy. Tang Xiu himself looks like an outsider, whereas the two sides should similarly have experts with the same abilities, making them genuine rivals. Don’t tell me there’s an internal fight in that mysterious clan and one of them is seeking Tang Xiu’s help? If so, is this the real reason why Tang Xiu brought his men to Bangkok with such secrecy?’
Zuo Daquan stroked his chin in thought.
In the other spot, the thought that Singkuo would lose had never come to Singli’s mind. The thought that nearly fifty people under Singkuo were almost annihilated was simply unbelievable, especially since Singluen’s side lost very few people. On top of that, two of the five guardian elders under Singkuo had died. One of them even died after casting the Darkness Forbidden Art.
This was really tragic and miserable!
Singli himself had experienced numerous battles, yet he had never encountered such a tragic situation. The fact that Singkuo’s guardian elder sacrificed himself only to give Singkuo a chance to escape was unimaginable.
‘Alas! It seems like there’s no need for me to act.’
Singli shook his head. Singkuo’s guardian elder had used the Darkness Forbidden Art, so Singluen and the rest must have escaped already. Although only Singkuo and his three guardian elders were left alive, it was much better than all of them being annihilated.
‘You d.a.m.n Chinese. You want to get involved in the internal strife of Dark Shaman Clan, huh? Regardless of who wins between Singluen or Singkuo, I must report this to the Patriarch. Revenge is a must. They must know how great the price is for killing any clansman of the Dark Shaman Clan.’
“Shall we go back, Elder Singli?”
The leader of the 13 Shaman Guardian, a middle-aged man with a chilling aura, whispered to him. He thought that the problem was gone with the escape of Singkuo.
Yet, Singli hesitant for a moment. Then, he shook his head and said, “We’ll wait a bit more. The battle was brutal and the outcome could change at any moment. We can’t afford to have any peculiar circ.u.mstances occur here.”
“Understood!”
After having a killing spree that claimed the lives of the Dark Shaman clansmen, Tang Xiu looked up to sky. His eyes were gleaming with a chilling expression as his figure then flashed into the sky. At the same time, his hands constantly moved, casting a seal art. Overlapping layers of water curtains then formed tens of meters away from the ground. Although the black flame was hugely destructive, the water curtain had too many layers, and the volume of water contained in it was too much for it to evaporate. Most of the black flame was simply being extinguished by the water.
“Heh… what a trivial skill!””
At this moment, Tang Xiu cast another seal. Dark clouds quickly enveloped the blue sky and quickly crashed down. In just a few breaths, all of the black flames had been completely extinguished and had dissipated in the air.
“KILL THEM ALL!”
Tang Xiu relentlessly issued another order.
In the distance, Tang Xiu’s technique made Singli shocked and frightened. He never thought the Darkness Forbidden Art of his clan would be so easily broken by others. It must be noted that the price to cast this forbidden art was too far too great to pay.
He was hardly able to turn his head to look at the leader of the 30 Shaman Guardians next to him. He could also see the shock on the man’s face and how stiff his body was.
“Act now! Protect Singkuo and leave!”
Lips squirming a few times, only then did Singli issue an order with a bitter expression.
The 13 Shaman Guardians moved like arrows unleashed from their bows atop the coconut tree. In just a few breaths, they had arrived around Singluo with their respective crescent sabers. Overlapping layers of mist instantly emerged and covered all of them within.
Singli came flying and stood a few dozen meters above the ground. He stared at Singluen and said, “Let’s stop here and now! The Patriarch won’t interfere with the power struggle between you both, but neither of you can die!”
Just as Singluen saw Singli, a scowl instantly appeared on his face and he furiously shouted, “Did father send you here to help Singkuo to kill me?!”
“He did send me here, but it was to protect you, not Singkuo.” Singli shook his head and forced a smile. “Your father said that power struggle between you both will prove who has the ability to be the future Patriarch of the clan. But he absolutely doesn’t allow anyone of you to die!”
Singluen was stunned and shocked, looking at Singli with an incredulous expression. Inwardly, he also agreed with what Singli said. Perhaps in his father’s heart, he was not as good as his big brother, Singkuo, and thus believed that he would fail in the end.
However, now was the perfect chance for him. As long as he killed Singluo, he had a chance to be the Patriarch of his clan! If he were to let Singkuo go because he was afraid of Singli and these 13 Shaman Guardians, it would be equal to letting the tiger go back to the mountain freely, leaving behind endless troubles that would haunt him in the future.