Chapter 133: Madam Rouge's Request for Help
The skeleton was itself a master of an advanced fist technique, but one inferior to Xiao Nanfeng's Hegemon's Fist.
"Break!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted. He struck the skeleton's neck with a punch, causing it to break and sending its head flying.
Just then, all the cursed slaves stopped attacking the serpent and instead guarded the beheaded skeleton.
"I've been rescued!" the serpent cried out in glee. It had wounds all over its body.
"I saved you. Don't forget that," Xiao Nanfeng reminded him, turning his head.
The serpent: ...
"Dream on! You aren't going to make me thank you!" The serpent scowled.
Xiao Nanfeng didn't mind. He asked, "Where's the exit to the divine domain?"
"The exit? Hmm? Where's the mist we passed through?" the serpent suddenly cried out.
Mountain peaks dotted the horizon; there was no sign of the mist through which they had entered.
"Aren't you supposed to be familiar with the divine domain? Why don't you know anything?" Xiao Nanfeng frowned.
"How should I know? The divine domain wasn't like this in the past. Everything's changed!" the serpent replied.
Just then, the skeleton stood up, picked up its fallen head, and placed it on its neck once again.
"You broke my neck? Do you know how much cursed spiritual power I'm going to lose as a result?!" the skeleton thundered.
"Next time, I'll break all the bones in your body, not just your neck," Xiao Nanfeng threatened.
Knowing that it was no match for Xiao Nanfeng, the skeleton suddenly howled into the air. The howl echoed through the skies.
"It's summoning its companions. Take it down with me!" Xiao Nanfeng called out to the serpent.
By the time he turned his head, however, the serpent had already flown off.
"You do that yourself! I'm not going to help you—dream on, haha!" The serpent was laughing as it shot away.
Xiao Nanfeng: ...
Just then, dozens of cursed slaves appeared in the air, pouncing on the serpent. Two skeletons commanded the slaves from above, striking at the serpent and dealing it a grievous wound.
The serpent slammed down into a valley in the distance.
"Save me, Sir Nanfeng!" the falling serpent cried out.
Xiao Nanfeng: ...
By then, it was so far away that, even if Xiao Nanfeng wanted to help it, he couldn't do anything. What's more, it seemed as though there were no benefit to helping someone like the serpent.
Xiao Nanfeng put the serpent out of mind—the skeleton before him was charging forward once again.
Man and skeleton exchanged blows. Xiao Nanfeng didn't drag the fight out; rather, he turned and ran into the forest. He could see that more reinforcements were coming by air, including cursed slaves and skeletons.
He had a few treasures with which he could deal with the skeletons, but there was a price to be paid for each one. He didn't want to use his trump cards this early.
"Stop right there! Don't move!" The skeletons chased after Xiao Nanfeng.
Their motion was no different from that of ordinary people, unlike Madam Rouge, who could teleport.
Xiao Nanfeng moved faster than they did, and he quickly left them behind. He hid in the forest and observed as the cursed slaves spread out through the mountain in search of his whereabouts.
"They're all over the mountain and wilderness. What sort of opportunity might await me here?" Xiao Nanfeng frowned.
Suddenly, a bundle of black smoke appeared before Xiao Nanfeng, slowly forming into the word 'come'. Then, the black smoke drifted off in a certain direction.
Xiao Nanfeng hesitated. He didn't understand how the black smoke's owner knew where he was hiding. Curiously, he followed the black smoke past several mountains before arriving at a small valley. Within the valley was the sound of vigorous fighting.
He snuck into the valley to see dozens of cursed slaves attacking Madam Rouge simultaneously. Atop a large boulder not far away was a large skeleton overseeing the fight.
"To think that the divine domain would see the likes of a cursed effigy from afar. In what era were you created? I might have heard of your name before," the skeleton began.
Madam Rouge ignored it as she continued to defend against the cursed slaves' onslaught, though in a somewhat imperfect manner.
"Don't you know that cursed effigies can't leave their own hidden realms? Did you leave because your leader was preparing to descend back to the mortal realm? But you seem to be rather too weak. It's disappointing," the large skeleton criticized.
Madam Rouge was so incensed that her jaws clattered.
"Since you're in our territory now, you won't be able to escape. Hand me your cursed spiritual power, and I'll make them go easy on you," the large skeleton ordered.
Madam Rouge naturally ignored the skeleton as she continued to fend off the cursed slaves' attacks. Eventually, after being dealt several heavy blows, it rushed up to the large skeleton.
The large skeleton struck, forcing Madam Rouge to stumble back. Even so, she had managed to pluck off one of its fingers, which she immediately swallowed.
"You dare injure me? Die!"
All the cursed slaves suddenly leapt toward Madam Rouge, whose body began to crack. She was trapped with countless cursed slaves all around her. Unless she self-destructed, she wouldn't be able to escape.
Xiao Nanfeng understood what was going on now. Madam Rouge had to have a way to pinpoint his location, and that bundle of black smoke had to be a request for help from Madam Rouge! That was certainly a good sign.
Xiao Nanfeng struck immediately, transforming into a beam of light as he shot toward the tall skeleton.
The tall skeleton, noting the sudden intruder, punched at him.
Xiao Nanfeng spun to the side, dodging the skeleton's fist as he punched its neck.
The large skeleton's neck cracked, and its head was sent flying. In shock and rage, it commanded a group of cursed slaves to strike at Xiao Nanfeng. As Xiao Nanfeng brandished the dragon-quelling spike in his hand, the cursed slaves immediately stepped back.
Before the large skeleton could reattach its skull, Xiao Nanfeng quickly punched its four limbs, disassembling it.
"You'll die for this, brat!" the large skeleton howled.
It let out an ear-splitting bellow, as though summoning other cursed effigies over.
Meanwhile, Xiao Nanfeng rushed over to Madam Rouge and saved her from amidst a pile of cursed slaves.
"Leave!" he urged.
However, Madam Rouge shook herself free of Xiao Nanfeng's hands and rushed toward the bones on the ground.
Opening her mouth wide, she sucked up the large skeleton's bones.
"Stop it, you bastard! That's my cursed spiritual power!" the large skeleton's skull raged.
The cursed slaves all around her leapt straight at her, but Xiao Nanfeng shielded Madam Rouge with his dragon-quelling spike.
The large skeleton attempted to struggle, but Madam Rouge was consuming its body extremely rapidly.
"Just you wait. I'll come back, and when I do, none of you will get away!"
The large skeleton's skull let out a final scream before Madam Rouge ate that whole, too. Finally, the cursed slaves it was controlling stopped moving.
"We have to leave. More cursed effigies are on their way," Xiao Nanfeng urged.
Madam Rouge and Xiao Nanfeng left the scene as another large group of cursed slaves and skeletones descended from the skies. By then, however, Xiao Nanfeng and Madam Rouge were long gone. They had found a nearby hidden valley.
"Well? We cooperated well, didn't we?" Xiao Nanfeng smiled even as he guarded against Madam Rouge.
A screen of black smoke appeared before Madam Rouge. Words formed on it. "I simply didn't want to hand them my cursed spiritual power," she wrote. "It wouldn't have been hard for me to escape."
Xiao Nanfeng's eyes brightened. The fact that Madam Rouge was willing to communicate with him was an excellent start.
"You're right, but I was ultimately helping you, wasn't I? See, I'm sincere." Xiao Nanfeng grinned.
"You can be sure I'm aware of what you're planning. You were forced to compromise with me because you can't do anything about me otherwise. Furthermore, don't imagine that you saved me just now. I'm not at the point where I'd need to be saved by an Ascension-realm hunter. Don't expect my gratitude, either. My grudge against you had not been fully resolved. Just you wait." Madam Rouge seemed to be growing more angry.
Xiao Nanfeng's face twitched.
"Give me a cursed king's token," Madam Rouge requested.
"What's that?"
"These 'dragon-quelling spikes'. Hand me one, and I guarantee that I won't drag those around you into our feud. I won't target your two wives. Quickly!" Madam Rouge urged.
Xiao Nanfeng gave her a strange look. It was, however, a good sign that Madam Rouge was negotiating with him.
"What's this cursed king's token? Why didn't the slaves back there dare to gather around it?" Xiao Nanfeng retrieved a dragon-quelling spike, but he didn't hand it over to Madam Rouge.
"Are you unaware even of that? There's a group of cursed effigies in the vicinity, along with their king, the cursed king. The cursed king's token can easily suppress the might of all the cursed slaves in the vicinity. Who would dare countermand his order?
"But Blue Lantern stated that all these dragon-quelling spikes were his..." Xiao Nanfeng frowned.
"That chattering fool? He's a cursed slave, too," Madam Rouge continued forming characters in the air.
"Blue Lantern is a cursed slave?" Xiao Nanfeng gasped in shock.
"He should be one of the cursed king's slaves, a rather advanced one who hasn't perished just yet. Even so, it doesn't matter. A cursed slave is a cursed slave, dead or alive. His life hangs in the balance; one errant thought from the cursed king could easily end it. Are you going to give me a cursed king's token or not?" Madam Rouge finished.
Xiao Nanfeng frowned. He began to doubt Blue Lantern's promise of a wish given what Madam Rouge had stated; she seemed the more reliable source.
"I'll hand you this dragon-quelling spike in hopes that you're willing to drop your grudge." Xiao Nanfeng offered the dragon-quelling spike to Madam Rouge.
"To drop my grudge? Dream on! I'll come back and deal with you later when I've grown stronger."
The black smoke that served as Madam Rouge's pen dissipated as Madam Rouge dashed into the forest and vanished.
Xiao Nanfeng frowned. "Did I end up helping my enemy, then...?"
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