Chapter 670: Chapter 530: Regroup_2
The old-fashioned loudspeaker above his head sounded again, this time urging Yang Xiao to leave, and like the previous times, he didn’t encounter anyone here and silently departed on his own.
The night had become deep and on the road back, Yang Xiao replayed in his mind the last moments before he left. The road was somewhat long and the place he lived quite remote, making the journey back seem particularly lengthy. When there was no one around, he took out the Soul-Capturing Mirror to look at it. The surface was covered with cracks, but it was in a slightly better state than during his mission.
He habitually reached for the Human Bone Staff, but this time, he paused slightly. The staff was trembling slightly, and a strong sense of unease suddenly exploded in his heart.
There was trouble nearby!
He made three steps into two and quickly found a hidden spot to conceal himself. As for the Soul-Capturing Mirror, Yang Xiao wasn’t ready to use it; the mirror itself was very dangerous.
After waiting in silence for half a minute, a figure dashed out from the cover of night, moving stealthily without a sound. At the same time, two other figures followed in hot pursuit, "Where do you think you’re running, you scoundrel?!"
Yang Xiao’s eyes widened in astonishment at the sight before him. The two people in pursuit wore similar attire and looked very much like Elder Qingmu, who had called at his house a few days earlier. Clearly, both men were from the academy and held positions of no small authority.
The one being pursued was dressed in black and wore a mask, but the mask bore no words, only a bizarre Ghost Face.
"How dare you run amok in Ru Lin Academy, who on earth are you?!" one of the older elders scolded sharply. This man had white hair and a rather frail build, but his sharp eagle-like eyes were enough to give him an imposing presence just by standing there.
"Surrender immediately, come clean and we may spare you from death!" The other, a middle-aged man of towering stature with bulging muscles under his clothes, clutched an Iron Rod in his hand. It was clear that this was his Magic Artifact.
Yet, facing these two, the chased individual showed no trace of fear. With hands clasped behind the back, a they laughed in a strained voice, "You two have chased me all the way from the council hall to here, without making a move along the way. You must not want to make too much noise, to avoid letting outsiders ridicule the great Ru Lin Academy for letting strangers come and go freely, tarnishing the Academy’s reputation. Am I right, Elder Liu, Elder Yu?"
At these words, the middle-aged man’s face showed a shock, "You know us?"
"That’s no longer important. If you had called for reinforcements on the road, I really would have had no way to handle the two of you today. But since you continue to chase me heedlessly, this will be your burial ground!"
No sooner had the words fallen than the man wearing the Ghost Face Mask swiftly retrieved a yellow cloth from his chest and threw it into the sky. In the next second, countless points of light shot out from the cloth, like an upside-down net enveloping the surrounding space. Unluckily, Yang Xiao was also caught under the net. Hidden behind a tree, he gripped the Soul-Capturing Mirror tightly, daring not to make a sound.
The elderly man with white hair widened his eyes upon witnessing this scene, his expression quickly turning ominous, "That’s the Star Chessboard stolen from the Treasure Pavilion three years ago. I didn’t expect it to be an inside job. Who are you?!"
"Dead men don’t get to ask questions. But rest assured, you two are just the beginning. Within a month at most, the entire Ru Lin Academy will be stricken from the world of martial arts!" The man in the Ghost Face Mask spoke in a sinister tone, articulating each word, "This is the price you pay for your mistakes!"
Before he could finish speaking, the middle-aged man struck first, swinging his Iron Rod in a charge, a sweep aiming to cut down all in its path. Though the rod was 2-3 meters away from the man with the Ghost Face Mask, he suddenly retreated, and in the position where he had stood, several small trees were instantly destroyed by a fierce gust of wind.
Having missed his attack, the middle-aged man quickly retreated, sensing danger. In the next moment, Yang Xiao’s eyes widened as he saw a streak of fresh blood spurting from the man’s left shoulder, a large chunk of flesh carved off, and half of his left ear destroyed, creating a chilling scene.
Elsewhere, the white-haired elder had also struck. With a flick of his sleeves, two dark wooden boards, tied together with hemp rope, landed in his hands, "Heavenly Dao Wind, champions loyalty and righteousness, without these, one cannot follow the Dao. The name of a gentleman..."
The elder shook his head and chanted with his eyes closed; to Yang Xiao, it seemed like nothing special, just a regular incantation. From Yang Xiao’s perspective, the elder was full of openings, but suddenly, a streak of silver flashed by at an incredible speed, aimed at the elder’s face. Shockingly, the silver light was blocked by something invisible, with only a ’ding’ sound, a sharp attack was dissolved into nothingness.
With the completion of a lengthy incantation, the old man raised the black wooden boards in his hands with utmost devotion. Striking them together, they produced a clang as if metal had struck stone. It was at this moment that Yang Xiao suddenly clutched at his heart. An intense pain shot through his chest... his heartbeat... his heartbeat had stopped!
Dizzy and weak, Yang Xiao used the last ounce of his energy to activate the Soul-Capturing Mirror. The next second, he plunged into the water behind him.
Falling into the Mirror World, Yang Xiao was already drained of spiritual power, and now, hit by this blow, he promptly lost consciousness.
After an unknown amount of time, Yang Xiao jolted awake. It took him a few seconds to take in his surroundings and recognize the situation. He was in the Mirror World, and to his relief, the Mirror Ghost hadn’t taken advantage of his unconsciousness to attack.
Once his spirit had revived, Yang Xiao looked through the standing water. What he saw next sent shivers down his spine. The battle had ended, the strange web of light that had enveloped the space disappeared, leaving nothing but limbs and severed arms scattered across the ground.
The middle-aged man with the staff had been torn to pieces, with chunks of flesh splattered everywhere. One severed head lay askew under a tree, eyes wide open, staring in death.
The old man too had had his limbs hacked off, leaving only his torso on the ground. Clutched in one of his severed hands were the two black wooden boards, the old man’s magic artifact.
This gruesome sight dealt Yang Xiao a heavy blow. These two had not been weak; by the way others addressed them, they were elders of the Academy. Previously, just being caught in the old man’s attack had nearly killed him. Although Yang Xiao was now at the end of his tether, the old man’s spiritual power, as well as the ability of the magic artifact, were both of the highest quality and certainly of Ghost Level standards.
At the old man’s waist hung a shiny, oil-smoothed wine gourd. Considering the state of the old man’s body, the fact that the gourd didn’t have a scratch confirmed it was also a magic artifact.
Suddenly, Yang Xiao noticed the old man’s broken body twitch slightly, and his closed eyes opened just a bit.
"Hai... Hai Hai..." The old man coughed up a mouthful of blood violently, his face contorted in agony, his cheeks a mess of blood and flesh.
"He’s still alive?"
Yang Xiao’s eyes brightened. He was quite fond of Ru Lin Academy, having a friendship with Yang Cha and knowing Lu Wencheng. Calming his mind, he quickly took out the Human Bone Staff to check for any issues. Sensing nothing amiss, he finally gathered the courage to leave the Mirror World.
Hiding behind a tree for another half a minute to ensure everything was clear, he then swiftly ran to the severely wounded elder and crouched beside him to assess the injuries, "Elder, how... how are you?"
"Hai... Hai Hai..."
The elder had barely a breath left in him, his throat filled with blood, making it nearly impossible for him to speak. He only gaped at Yang Xiao, his pupils almost dissipating. Yang Xiao dared not move him recklessly, as it would only hasten his death.
"I’ll call for help." Yang Xiao embraced the old man, but the next second, his expression changed dramatically. He noticed the old man—
"He’s still alive?"
Yang Xiao’s eyes brightened. He had quite a favorable opinion of Ru Lin Academy, having a friend in Yang Cha and an acquaintance in Lu Wencheng. Steadying his mind once again, he rapidly took out the Human Bone Staff to scan, and finding no issues, he dared to leave the Mirror World.
After hiding and observing from behind a tree for another half minute, and seeing no sign of danger, he quickly approached the grievously injured elder, knelt at his side, and inquired about his condition, "Elder, how... how are you?"
