Chapter 87: Entering the Forest Once More

Update time: July 11, 2013

On this side, Yue Lingjun and Meng Chuchen were also whispering quietly to each other.

Glancing around anxiously, Yue Lingjun leaned in and asked softly, “Second Brother, do you and Little Sister feel anything? Is Yue’er really here?” Though he had already convinced himself, he still harbored a blind trust in the special connection between Meng Chuchen and Lian Yue.

“Yes, I can sense a general direction. She’s definitely in this forest,” Meng Chuchen confirmed, the faint feeling in his heart impossible to fake.

Shifting his body to block the view from behind, Meng Chuchen then took out the half token that Yue Zhanpeng had given him. Yue Lingjun was a little surprised and delighted, and quickly produced his own half. Fitting them together, they formed a complete token.

Exchanging a glance, Meng Chuchen placed his half into Yue Lingjun’s palm. Understanding his intention, Yue Lingjun gripped the token tightly in his hand.

Yue Lingjun then called over Qingling and flashed the token. Instantly, Qingling stiffened, his expression growing even more solemn. He quickly tucked the token into his cloak, standing at attention and waiting for further instructions.

“Take the token and secretly gather some men to assist Young Master Qin on his way to Floating Cloud Mountain. Then, assemble another group to quietly infiltrate this forest,” Yue Lingjun instructed.

“Yes, sir.” Not wasting a moment, Qingling turned and hurried toward the cliffs.

Afterwards, Meng Chuchen and Yue Lingjun resumed discussing their next steps.

Qingfeng and the others had long understood that Qingling’s identity set him apart, so they were used to his frequent disappearances and hurried comings and goings. As for Meng Chuchen, they were well aware of his true status, and made a point of shielding him from the curious gazes of others.

Qiao Zhi didn’t mind their whispered conferences one bit. He, too, knew who Meng Chuchen really was, but had no expectation that his own guards would ever fully trust the newcomers. What mattered now was how to disperse the beasts ahead and locate Lian Yue without delay.

With nothing else to do for the moment, Qiao Zhi turned his attention to the herbs Qingling had brought, his eyes occasionally drifting to the two groups deep in hushed conversation.

Qingfeng, Qingluan, and a few of Qiao Zhi’s guards methodically sorted the beast-repelling herbs into piles, reserving a small heap and packing the rest into several bundles.

From that heap, Qingfeng separated a portion, and with Qingluan and Qingqiu’s help, stacked the remainder five paces from the woods and set it alight. A pungent, acrid smoke immediately drifted out.

The effect was pronounced. The wild boars—just moments before sprawled on the ground—grew restless at the scent, some already retreating into the forest. The leopards in the trees scattered as soon as the smoke began to rise.

Seeing this, Yue Lingjun and Meng Chuchen stopped whispering and joined the others.

Once the wild boars had mostly been driven off, Qingling distributed beast-repelling ointment to everyone. After applying it, the group surrounded Qiao Zhi, Yue Lingjun, Qiao Zhi, Qiu Yifei, and Yu Dian in the center, each holding a pinch of the herb as they ventured into the woods.

It was much easier this time. Before long, they returned to the place where they had found the marker the day before.

Meng Chuchen’s sense confirmed this was the right spot, and he tried to send a few words to Lian Yue in his heart, but there was still no response. Clearly, they were not close enough yet.

Meng Chuchen nodded at Yue Lingjun, then shook his head—an agreed-upon signal from earlier that Yue Lingjun understood at once. Without delay, he quickly located the second marker.

Meanwhile, they discovered that the wild boars and leopards, though driven off, were lurking on the outskirts, refusing to depart. As soon as the scent of the burning herbs faded, the beasts would creep ever closer.

With supplies dwindling, it wasn’t practical to keep sending people back and forth for more herbs. So, they only burned four bundles at the compass points, which was sufficient for now.

Forty-Two dutifully reported their progress to Thirteen, who didn’t seem the least bit concerned. He merely handed Forty-Two two porcelain bottles without explaining their use, warning him not to open or sniff them carelessly, lest he have to tidy up his own corpse before dying.

Forty-Two froze, then made sure the bottles were tightly stoppered before tucking them away. He wasn’t about to take any chances—a drop of what was inside could very well cost him his life, and caution never hurt anyone.

After Forty-Two left, Thirteen’s previously blank face collapsed into a long, bitter grimace. Unfolding the letter clenched in his palm, he read it over and over, growing ever more despondent.

He mourned his future misfortunes in silence, then thought of Forty-Three, glanced up at the heavens, and silently cried, “Retribution!” Still, as long as Forty-Three didn’t find out the deed was his, there might yet be room for maneuver.

From afar, Forty-Three spotted Thirteen’s woeful expression and instinctively wanted to turn and flee. But Thirteen wouldn’t let him off so easily. One icy glare, and Forty-Three could only approach, bracing himself.

“Life’s a bit too easy for you, is it? How about I find you some fun?” Thirteen drawled.

Forty-Three quickly waved his hands in protest, his face a picture of misery. “Easy? Not at all! Not one bit! Could I request that next time, we send Sixteen—the one who speaks beast tongue—to handle this instead?”

With a half-smile, Thirteen replied, “Shall I also suggest you take over Sixteen’s current assignment? I’m sure Sixteen would be more than happy…”

A series of unspeakable images flashed through Forty-Three’s mind. He tried substituting himself for Sixteen in those visions—dear heavens! Too terrifying to contemplate.

Shivering as if abused, Forty-Three glared at Thirteen and snapped back, “That’s not fair—unless… unless you and that pervert Sixteen are an item!” He stepped back in horror, as if Thirteen were contaminated with something filthy.

Thirteen could barely restrain his urge to kick him, black lines running down his face. “The hell I am! If I’m with that pervert, then my ancestors for eight generations are with him, too!”

Seeing Thirteen so agitated, Forty-Three only let out a theatrical sigh of relief. “No need to overreact. If you’re not with him, then neither am I, and whatever my ancestors got up to is none of my business.”

Thirteen realized that if this went on, he’d lose his temper entirely, so he changed the subject. “Do you still have any of that Madness Powder?”

“Plenty! Three full porcelain bottles. Why?” Forty-Three’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Can I use it now? How much? When?”

Thirteen eyed the man who claimed tracking beasts was a hardship but seemed to relish the prospect of unleashing mayhem upon them. Truly, he thought, Forty-Three was a pervert in his own right. Still, given the choice between him, Forty-Two, and Sixteen, Thirteen would much rather work with Forty-Two.

Just thinking about Sixteen made Thirteen uncomfortable. How did his squad end up with someone like that? Worse, Sixteen was actually useful—so useful he couldn’t simply get rid of him.

“The night after tomorrow, there’ll be a torrential downpour. That’s when.”

“How am I supposed to administer the powder during a rainstorm? I can’t exactly stuff it down the throats of every beast out there.”

“That’s your problem. As for slowing down those behind us, that’s your responsibility, too. I’ll have Nineteen and Fifty-Four return to assist you. If necessary, reveal yourselves and cause a little chaos, but just make sure not to drag the young master into it.”

With that, Thirteen turned and walked away, not giving Forty-Three a chance to respond.

Left behind, Forty-Three muttered a string of curses at Thirteen’s ancestors. Easy for you to say—why don’t you try doing it yourself? He had no doubt about the coming rain; that was the least of his worries. To avoid having to personally venture among the beasts to administer the powder, he’d better start figuring out a solution now.

If he failed to complete the task, his standing in the squad would drop even lower. He might even be sent to join that pervert Sixteen.