Chapter Eleven: The Battle at Night
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The babbling stream flowed down from above, and No Falling Blossom leapt nimbly from the carriage, remarking, “If we don’t eat, at least we have water to drink.”
Mo Bai replied, “Little Flower, unless you’re not afraid of being poisoned, you can try some. By the way you jumped off the carriage, you hardly seem starving.”
No Falling Blossom grimaced in pain. “Brother Mo, can’t we drink the water?”
Mo Bai said, “You can.”
No Falling Blossom was overjoyed, but Mo Bai continued, “I meant, the horses can drink some.” With a flick of his middle finger, the white horse ambled to the riverbank and drank, leaving No Falling Blossom envious.
At this moment, Shun Qing spoke, “Hero Mo, if we can’t eat the cakes, may I have a sip of water?”
Mo Bai asked, “How do you plan to drink?”
Shun Qing smiled, “I’ll drink downstream from the horse.”
No Falling Blossom was speechless. “That’s impressive, I couldn’t manage that.”
Mo Bai said, “Go ahead, but be careful not to choke.” As he spoke, Mo Bai instantly heightened his sense of hearing to the extreme, and the scar on his left brow moved imperceptibly.
Shun Qing, as if pardoned, jumped off the carriage and hurried to the water, carefully positioning himself downstream. The young man was clearly aware of the Four Venoms Hermit’s prowess and feared the water might be poisoned. Yet the stream flowed, and the horse drank without harm, so he should be safe. Just as he was about to drink, the horse suddenly startled and stepped back several paces. Shun Qing found himself upstream of the horse and, alarmed, immediately stopped drinking, stood up, and scolded, “Damn horse, it can’t even drink water properly!” He failed to realize how the horse had managed to swap positions with him.
Mo Bai said, “Master Shun Qing, you shouldn’t scold it. Otherwise, after three days without food, you’ll be lucky to reach Cloud Sky Sect alive, and only half of you will make it.”
Shun Qing paused, compelled to accept his fate. No Falling Blossom laughed heartily, “Well done, horse! Of all of us, you work the hardest, so you alone may enjoy this sweet stream. When we reach the next town, I’ll be sure to bring you the finest fodder.”
The horse neighed, as if greatly satisfied.
Mo Bai gazed at the sky and spoke aloud, “Senior Four Venoms, this water is no longer usable. I hope you will do a good deed and restore it once we leave, so the locals may use it.”
Suddenly, the Four Venoms Hermit’s voice echoed from above, “Rest assured, boy. Though I am ruthless, I never harm ordinary folk.”
Mo Bai smiled, “Then I thank you.”
Shun Qing asked in confusion, “Hero Mo, how do you know the water is unusable?”
Mo Bai replied, “Do you see any fish in the water?”
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The night sky glittered with stars, darkness enveloping the land.
No Falling Blossom stretched lazily, saying, “Brother Mo, let’s build a fire. It’ll be warmer, and the firelight will brighten things. I’ll keep watch so you can rest for a while.”
Mo Bai replied, “No need. I’ve slept enough these days; three or five nights without sleep won’t hurt me. But you, without any spiritual power and a day without food or drink, should sleep early.”
No Falling Blossom tightened his clothes, “But why won’t you build a fire?”
Mo Bai answered, “I fear the smoke.”
No Falling Blossom was puzzled, “A fire produces smoke. What’s so frightening about smoke?”
Mo Bai explained, “I fear it might mingle with the Four Venoms Hermit’s poisonous smoke. I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.”
No Falling Blossom sighed, “That old villain’s methods for poisoning are indeed varied.”
Mo Bai said, “Tonight, let Shun Qing protect you. Many fierce beasts will appear at night.”
No Falling Blossom nodded, “I understand. Wild beasts naturally fear fire. Seeing that we haven’t built a fire, the Four Venoms Hermit will surely use his methods to drive beasts toward us. If we build a fire, he can use the opportunity to poison us. If we don’t, fighting beasts will waste much of our energy, making it harder to focus on tomorrow’s journey.”
Mo Bai nodded, “That’s why I want you to rest early. Tell Shun Qing, if he wishes to return to Cloud Sky Sect alive, he mustn’t be stingy with his spiritual energy tonight, for tomorrow night we’ll have an inn in town.”
No Falling Blossom grew a bit excited, “Looks like we’ll find a bit of thrill in the jungle tonight.”
No sooner had he spoken than the roar of a leopard echoed, and a spotted leopard appeared before them. No Falling Blossom laughed, “What a frightening roar, but that old Four Venoms fool is naive if he thinks one leopard will scare us.”
Mo Bai’s expression turned grave. “It’s not here to frighten us—it was frightened itself.”
No Falling Blossom was startled, but before he could react, Mo Bai sent him into the carriage with a burst of spiritual energy, and Shun Qing, sensing danger, immediately set up a spiritual barrier.
Cultivators possessed special powers, but could not defy nature. And in nature, the most terrifying animals were wolves—the wolf pack. The leopard had been driven here by the wolves.
Mo Bai said, “Senior, you are truly meticulous. I wonder how much of your precious Beast-Driving Powder this cost you.”
A voice from the air replied, “No choice. To make you build a fire, I must spend a bit more. You know night wolves fear fire most, so it’s not too late to build a fire now.”
Mo Bai laughed, “I’d rather face savage wolves than your poisonous smoke, Four Venoms Hermit! Your smoke is the most deadly.”
The Four Venoms Hermit snorted coldly, “So you know quite a bit. Then die with the wolves!”
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Mo Bai said, “I’m afraid it’s too soon for me to die with the wolves. Senior, why not face them with me?” With these words, Mo Bai suddenly moved. His speed seemed to reach its peak; after a few changes in his Spirit Leap technique, he appeared atop a tall tree. He shot a beam of white light, and with a loud crash, a shadowy figure in black tumbled from behind the tree.
The Four Venoms Hermit staggered before regaining his footing, snarling, “Your Spirit Leap is formidable. But I don’t know how you found me.”
Howl—the wolf pack attacked, surrounding the two men viciously.
Mo Bai said, “Senior, your poison arts are indeed exquisite. But you also know how savage night wolves are. Once they see a human, nothing will stop them from tearing him apart. Only when they can’t see people will they be held back by something they fear. That something is your prized treasure. So the wolves avoided the area where you were—because you were there.”
The Four Venoms Hermit sucked in a cold breath. “You’re quite shrewd, boy.” His eyes flashed suddenly. “You lured me here on purpose?”
Mo Bai laughed, “Forgive my boldness. Without the wolves, I couldn’t have found you relying solely on my senses.”
The first night wolf pounced, its eyes gleaming green, its emaciated form as if it hadn’t eaten for days. Mo Bai swung his hand and killed one, but that only provoked the rest to attack more fiercely. Beside him, the Four Venoms Hermit was also caught in the wolves’ assault. Inside the carriage, Shun Qing struggled to maintain his formation. Counterattack was out of the question.
The wolves attacked relentlessly, never ceasing. Sweat appeared on Mo Bai’s brow, while the Four Venoms Hermit was already breathing heavily, clearly near exhaustion.
Mo Bai pleaded, “Senior, may we build a fire now?”
The Four Venoms Hermit grunted, “Should have done so long ago.”
Mo Bai said, “Then you should show some sincerity—throw out all your Nine-Curve Smoke.”
The Four Venoms Hermit’s face twitched. He was called the Four Venoms Hermit for a reason—he possessed four deadly poisons. The first, Azure Corrosion, was colorless and flavorless, only harmful if ingested—so it needed to be attached to food or water. Unfortunately, Mo Bai and his companions neither ate nor drank. The second was Beast-Driving Powder, used to drive poisonous creatures and monsters to attack. The third was Nine-Curve Smoke. The fourth was unknown; those who learned of it never survived.
The Hermit found a gap amid the chaos and tossed out several bamboo tubes, saying coldly, “Boy, you distract the wolves, I’ll build the fire.”
Mo Bai laughed, “If you’re sincere, let me build the fire. I’d never trust a fire you light.”
The Hermit forced a bitter smile, “I’ve thrown out all the Nine-Curve Smoke tubes. What are you afraid of? Besides, do you think I can lure all these wolves away?”
Just then, someone spoke, “That’s what it means to lift a stone and smash your own foot. Brother Mo, let me build the fire—I have a magic treasure.” It was No Falling Blossom. Shun Qing, meanwhile, could barely hold on; his spiritual energy was depleted, and his body was faltering. Mo Bai knew this was the aftereffect of practicing Yang Arts; without a woman to replenish his energy, his power would wane.
Mo Bai made several leaps to the carriage, driving away the wolves. No Falling Blossom jumped out, and from his jade pouch, produced a red pine resin. With a puff, he ignited a flame, and the night wolves, as if faced with a deadly enemy, quickly retreated.
Immediately, No Falling Blossom gathered dry branches, and with a rush, a large fire blazed. The Four Venoms Hermit, still fending off wolves, now felt no pressure. With his back to the group, a sly grin crept onto his lips.
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