Chapter 75: Chapter 67: War of Apex Predators
When two top predators go to war, which one of them will die first?
No one knows the answer to this question, as it’s too ambiguous. Even though they are called top predators, their tonnage, strength, combat style, and even their battle tactics are all unknown. How can one judge the victory or defeat of these two top predators in such a total unknown?
But regardless of who wins or loses, one thing is certain.
That is, all other living beings around them will surely die.
"Eeeh-hehehehehe—"
"Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill—"
Another round of desperate fighting, this has been the umpteenth encounter between them, maybe fifty times, or a hundred times. Anyway, no one could remember such numbers, not even the combatants themselves cared.
Since life-and-death struggles leave no room for distraction.
"Zheng—"
Thirteen bone-made curved blades and six blood-stained short blades crossed paths, yet neither side suffered a scratch.
But after one fight, neither side intended to turn back for another round.
Instead, they seized the moment, slaughtering the fleeing soldiers from the prairie in front of them.
Thirteen bone-made curved blades swept through, and over a dozen prairie soldiers who had just gathered together were torn to pieces by the flesh-and-blood monstrous bird. On Du Chengfeng’s side, it was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, with short blades clutched between his fingers like sharp claws. With just one strike, he severed more than twenty heads.
Not enough, still not enough.
To kill the other, relying on this bit of accumulation is still not enough.
"Next time we meet, I will definitely eat you!"
"It should be me eating you."
After the monstrous bird took flight, Du Chengfeng also turned his body, each side leaving separately.
As it has always been.
The flesh-and-blood monstrous bird cannot kill the evil Qi-filled Du Chengfeng, and Du Chengfeng can’t reach the high-flying monstrous bird, leading both sides to continually forage for food, constantly seeking any targets they can use to kill.
As long as they kill more, they will become stronger and be able to kill their mortal enemy.
This is what they both believe.
But as their prey, the remaining prairie soldiers of the Qingyang Tribe, are ultimately finite.
"If I had known, I wouldn’t have cleared the field..."
In a bandit hideout concealed within a mountain, a resting Du Chengfeng sighed.
It’s indeed a pity, considering there aren’t many survivors left within Ji Prefecture now—the people of Ji Town were slaughtered by the prairie soldiers initiated by He Xiqing when he broke the city; the villages and towns below had fled south early in the beginning of the great battle. As for those left by Governor Liu, the swordsman and ranger resistance forces... they were chased away by Du Chengfeng himself.
It turns out that the swordsman named Cui Yuan has a rather insane mindset, but his execution ability is extraordinary; when tasked with clearing the field, he indeed drove away all swordsmen and rangers without leaving a single one.
This directly results in Du Chengfeng now being unable to find opponents to kill even under the guise of dueling.
"Brother Du, what’s wrong?"
Li Carpenter, who came to deliver food, also heard Du Chengfeng’s sighs and couldn’t help but offer comfort.
"If, and I mean if, it really doesn’t work out, you should hurry and leave, head south to Yanzhou. If that doesn’t work, go to Jiankang, to the capital over there... There’s always someone who can handle that monster, there’s always..."
"Thinking too much."
Du Chengfeng shook his head repeatedly.
He has considered escaping, but the so-called Da Chen in the south has already had its frontier army wiped out by the monster in one fell swoop—it’s well-known that frontier armies, guarding the borders, are usually the best at fighting. If even the frontier army couldn’t stop that monster, how could the further south hold it back?
Moreover, the monster grows stronger the more it fights and devours.
Currently, it’s the best opportunity; both the monster and he can no longer kill anyone, meaning the monster at least temporarily can’t continue to grow.
And now, the competition between them is all about speed and familiarity with the surrounding environment.
Whoever manages to overwhelm the opponent with their weapon’s evil Qi first will be the final victor.
"I’m going out to have a look; I remember there are some bandit nests left..."
Saying this, Du Chengfeng took the food and gulped down a few bites.
Meanwhile, Li Carpenter noticed the scales faintly showing from Du Chengfeng’s sleeves.
"Brother Du, is that..."
Li Carpenter grabbed Du Chengfeng’s wrist, disbelief at what he was witnessing.
"Your hand... there are scales on your arm too?"
"Ah, it’s nothing."
Du Chengfeng pulled down his sleeve, not paying much attention.
"To defeat monsters, becoming a monster is only natural... Though I don’t know why I’ve turned like this, but fortunately, it feels quite good."
While speaking, Du Chengfeng gathered his evil Qi, making his eyes shine like two ghostly fire points in the dim cave.
"How is it, pretty cool, right?"
"..."
Li the Carpenter didn’t feel anything cool, it was as terrifying as facing some kind of large feline predator.
"Oh, right, this is for you."
Avoiding those eyes, Li the Carpenter pulled out a finely crafted handle from behind him.
Upon receiving the handle, Du Chengfeng’s eyes lit up, and he immediately took out the broken axe head from his saddlebag, knocked out the wood chips inside, and attached it to the handle.
Yes, that’s the convenience of axes: even if the handle breaks, replacing it with a new one allows continued use.
But that’s just about all there is to it.
For chopping wood, it might still be a good tool, but Du Chengfeng could no longer feel the cold chill from the northern desert.
Just like those two battle knives.
"Better leave it with you for now."
With a sigh, Du Chengfeng handed the axe back to Li the Carpenter.
Then, he picked up the two battle knives beside him.
The work of repairing these two battle knives began when Du Chengfeng returned from the attack on the Qingyang Tribe. The Yang clan provided tools, and at the bandits’ hideout, they cobbled together a forge. Relying on the half-baked blacksmithing skills of a steppe blacksmith, Du Chengfeng managed to reattach the two broken blades.
Yet, whether due to the crude craftsmanship or his own lack of skill, the two long knives, though now reattached with blades, remained unresponsive.
Even when Du Chengfeng used them to kill, the result was the same.
Worse still.
Despite getting blood on them as before, the two battle knives became increasingly dull. If not for the weight in his hand reminding him that these knives hadn’t changed, Du Chengfeng might have thought he was holding two crudely made pieces of metal.
And when he struck the fleeing soldiers of the steppe, these blades, once capable of easily cutting through bone and flesh, snapped on the spot.
It was as if these knives had died.
Although Du Chengfeng thought describing a knife as "dead" might be somewhat inaccurate, the knives indeed gave off a deathly vibe.
In the past, the heavy great saber always wanted to cut something and wanted cheap wine, while the Broken Horse Long Saber was always entangled with those tongue-twisting move names or asked Du Chengfeng to chant a few remaining verses—something he found bothersome. A knife is just a knife, meant for cutting.
But now, holding the two battle knives, no one would trouble him anymore.
"I... I’ll head out."
Putting down the two battle knives, Du Chengfeng stood up.
Having adapted to the evil Qi in his body, using other weapons was not an issue for him. Just like the seventeen short knives on him, although they were ordinary and inexperienced in killing, once in his hands, they became a formidable close combat weapon.
If any issue was to be mentioned, it was that he had killed far too many.
Even without Li the Carpenter’s reminder, Du Chengfeng had noticed the physical changes. Clearly, there was a price to pay for excessive use of evil Qi. The influx of overwhelming evil Qi not only strained his mind to the breaking point but also caused his body to evolve in an inhuman direction.
"So, what exactly is this so-called weapon evil Qi?"
Du Chengfeng couldn’t comprehend the nature of this bizarre power.
It seemed to boost combat power, allow massive knife lights, grant weapons mysterious abilities, even create bodily mutations—sounding like some legendary, all-powerful inner strength.
But compared to the so-called magical inner strength, this strange power was more vicious and bloodthirsty.
It could even turn someone inhuman.
At least he now understood why He Xiqing turned out that way, as he himself felt he was changing in some unknown direction.
"When the time comes, will I become insane like He Xiqing?"
Du Chengfeng frowned.
He didn’t know how to answer this question.
For now, it wasn’t something he needed to think about.
"Yee-hehehehe—"
A piercing screech echoed, as thirteen giant bone scythes instantly gouged a massive hole in the mountain.
And Du Chengfeng, Li the Carpenter, along with the hidden villagers of Yangjiabao, were exposed.
"Ah-hehehe! I’ve found you!"
In mid-air, the monster named He Xiqing flapped its wings.
"You’ve stored so much good food!"
"I’ll eat you first."
His hands reached into his outer robe, drawing out six sharp daggers.
Clutching the daggers like sharp claws between his fingers, Du Chengfeng lowered his body, revealing increasingly sharp fangs.
In the next moment, he leaped out like a hungry tiger.
