NABC Chapter 565: Ewu (I)
Chapter 565: Ewu (I)
Chapter 565: Ewu (I)
Ewu had lain in ambush near Golden Sack Island for several years, but his senior brother, Mutuo, still had not emerged from the island.
Both he and Mutuo had originally been monks at Qinling Temple in Youxiang Prefecture. After the Maha's fall, the temple collapsed, and Mutuo and Ewu fled Zhao Prefecture, each going in a different direction.
Qinling Temple's lineage had already been in decline; without even a protector like The Merciful One, and after the fall of the Wrathful One, the lineage had weakened more considerably. Many of their methods for divination and combat were now ineffective, forcing them to hide in various places.
Mutuo, though not skilled in combat, had managed to retain the temple's Dao lineage which allowed him to calculate others' movements, enabling him to live in relative comfort. Ewu himself, however, despite being stronger, lacked comparable divination skills which made his years rather difficult in comparison.
He had fled Zhao Prefecture to the Eastern Sea, passing through the Scarlet Pristine Sea when he sensed that something was wrong. Setting up a high altar for divination, he discovered that his senior brother's physical body had been shattered, and he was so wounded that he did not even dare reincarnate back in Zhao. His heart stirred at this revelation, "In normal times, you can hide your aura, preserve the lineage, and evade my searches... But now that your vial qi is depleted, the opportunity has finally come for this old monk!"
Over the years, Ewu had encountered a few fortuitous events. Combining these new skills with his knowledge of the Dao, he managed to divine Mutuo's location after vomiting three mouthfuls of blood, tending to his wounds before setting up his ambush.
The inheritance of Buddhist cultivators was tied to destiny, and Qinling Temple's Dao lineage was intricately linked to Mutuo's fate. As Mutuo's junior brother, if he could kill Mutuo and absorb his essence, the lineage would naturally fall into his hands.
However, despite lying in wait for several years, Mutuo had yet to appear. Instead, Ewu sensed the presence of a treasured artifact. The Buddhist cultivators of Zhao Prefecture were not known for much, but they were unmatched in survival techniques. Bold as ever, Ewu decided to investigate first, rushing off on the wind.
Meanwhile, Li Xuanfeng was standing still, cultivating on the sea, awaiting news from Golden Sack Island to the south when he saw a flash of golden light racing in from the north.
The figure hovered nearby, circling the area.
Using a perception technique, he took a closer look. Sure enough, it was a large monk with a long face and deep-set eyes, holding a pair of short staves. His entire body was flushed red, and his eyes were wide with anger. Clearly, he was a member of the Wrathful Dao lineage.
This monk's aura was intense, with a golden flame blazing all around him. Li Xuanfeng observed him from a distance, quietly reaching for the Golden Age Longbow strapped to his back and watching the newcomer intently.
Ewu ignored his cries, dislocating the cultivator's limbs and pulling out his white bones almost effortlessly.
Pressing a hand on his skull, Ewu— though unskilled in soul searching techniques— had learned a thing or two. After scanning through the cultivator's recent three-day memories, he laughed loudly and said, "Situ Mo is truly a coward! If not for that, my senior brother would have fallen into my hands long ago."
Not only did he spare the cultivator, but he used his mana to keep him alive. Carrying the limp body, he found a banyan tree on the island and secured the cultivator's head to it, preserving his life force.
Then, taking a handful of blood from the corpse nearby, he smeared it across his face, his features twisting and shifting until they morphed into the appearance of the Golden Sack Island cultivator.
"Hmm...Heh,"
Ewu chuckled sinisterly before rising on the wind, flying south with a carefree air.
After a good ten breaths, Li Xuanfeng finally landed by the edge of the island. He took slow, measured steps forward and raised his gaze to look at the large banyan tree.
The head affixed to the tree bore a strange expression, somewhere between a smirk and a sneer, a mingle between anger and excitement. It seemed that this man was still alive, caught in some delusion of escape or dreams of revenge. Li Xuanfeng studied him intently, his eyes narrowing. The sand and pebbles at his feet clinked and rattled, jumping and scraping against each other which produced a sharp, grating sound.
His gaze grew fierce, as if he could devour a person at any moment.
This man's fate reminded Li Xuanfeng of his younger brother, Li Xuanling, who had been beaten and killed and his body devoured at Zhenhui Temple.
Back then, only Li Tongya had managed to bring back the remains, and even that was just a lone head. Li Xuanfeng had been stationed in the Southern Border and had not witnessed it himself. Now, staring at this head, a boiling rage surged within him, his eyes nearly splitting in fury.
Unlike Li Xuanxuan, who had broken down in sorrow and hatred, allowing inner demons to take root, Li Xuanfeng's expression grew colder the deeper his hatred grew. In his mind, he calmly analyzed the upcoming situation, his bowstring vibrating slightly and producing a series of sharp, eagle-like whistles in the air.
He then turned, striding step by step along the coastline until he reached the shore. He lifted on the wind, headed straight toward Golden Sack Island.