Chapter 93: Chapter 92: Stone Bamboo Grass

A handful of sand, flung right into the unprepared Wolfman Leader’s face!

"AWOOO!" The Wolfman Leader cried out in pain. Its two eyes, once wide and round, were now squeezed shut. The arm reaching for Ling Xiao retracted as it desperately rubbed its eyes.

How could Shangguan Yutong, Xiao Lin, and Ling Xiao possibly give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? Shangguan Yutong made a grasping motion with her hand, and a sword appeared in it. Dazzling Seven-Color Sword Qi erupted forth, viciously stabbing at the Wolfman Leader’s lower abdomen. The Wolfman Leader’s body was tougher than imagined; the full-force strike from Shangguan Yutong, a Tier Two Demon Swordsman, only managed to pierce to the depth of the sword’s tip before it could go no further.

But the Sword Qi had truly injured the Wolfman Leader. Xiao Lin’s sword slashed at the Wolfman Leader’s arm, while Ling Xiao, seeing an opening, stabbed at the eye the creature was struggling to open.

*SCHLICK!* The narrow Fine Willow Sword plunged completely into one of the Wolfman Leader’s eyes. The Wolfman Leader let out an earth-shattering, miserable howl, its incomparable frenzied power stomping deep craters into the ground!

The surrounding area was completely flattened. The thick layer of vegetation was kicked away by the Wolfman Leader, and dust filled the air, obscuring the sunlight. In the distance, other Beastmen seemed to have become aware of the situation and were roaring as they rushed over. Su Embroidery and Zhao Jie took this opportunity to desperately kill the other Werewolves, and both of them ended up somewhat injured in the process.

Shangguan Yutong seized the moment while the frenzied Wolfman Leader was raging. Her Seven-Color Sword Qi flashed continuously, leaving countless wounds on its body. Although none were fatal, the damage they caused was by no means small!

After having one eye stabbed blind, the Wolfman Leader desperately protected it with one hand while flailing wildly with its other arm. Though it couldn’t see, the Beastman’s sense of smell was astonishing, making it hardly any less dangerous than before it was injured.

Shangguan Yutong and the others exchanged a look. Ling Xiao said one word: "Go!"

The group had a tacit understanding. They simultaneously gave up their siege on the frenzied Wolfman Leader and sped away upstream along the river. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Not long after the group left, several Beastmen of a similar build to the Werewolves arrived. One of them, a Tiger-headed Person, saw the Wolfman Leader’s tragic state and roared in fury, "Mad Wolf, who did this to you?"

But the frenzied Wolfman Leader was nearly insane. Though close to exhaustion, it continued to roar and swing its arms, letting no one approach.

This Tiger-headed Person didn’t have much fur on its face, making it look somewhat more human. But that was just a passing resemblance; its ugly and vicious appearance was enough to make a child burst into tears on sight.

Gritting its teeth, it reached out and knocked the Wolfman Leader unconscious with a single slap. It then looked in the direction Ling Xiao’s group had fled, a trace of hesitation in its fierce eyes. With a wave of its hand, two other Tiger-headed People lifted Mad Wolf. The leader of the Tiger-headed People took one last, long look in the direction Ling Xiao’s group had gone, then turned and headed back toward the main force.

It hadn’t been easy for them to get out of Penzes Swamp. They were exploiting a time-sensitive opening. If the Southern King’s troops arrived in time, this large horde of Beastmen would surely be annihilated on the Mesopotamia Grassland. Therefore, they couldn’t afford to waste any time. Any human Adventurers and Mercenary Corps they encountered along the way were to be eliminated without exception. That was why those sent to carry out these killing missions were all Elite Warriors of the Beastman Race!

Everything had been going smoothly until they met Ling Xiao’s group. After losing some Elite Beastman Warriors, they had dispatched Mad Wolf, one of the Wolf Race’s most powerful warriors. The goal was to kill these humans cleanly and quietly, leaving no witnesses. But unexpectedly, they hadn’t managed to kill a single one. Instead, Mad Wolf himself had nearly died here. If the leader of the Tiger-headed People hadn’t arrived so quickly, Mad Wolf would have surely met his end!

The Tiger-headed Person’s confidence in this raid on Cameron Town suddenly plummeted. ’So, the strong among the Human Race can be this powerful!’

Ling Xiao’s group ran a long way without stopping before they finally halted. It seemed the pursuing troops had given up. After a night of several battles, followed by a long-distance escape, they were all nearly exhausted. They sat, panting heavily. Shangguan Yutong had a worried look on her face. "We have to find a way to get this information back. If Cameron Town isn’t prepared, I’m afraid they’ll be caught completely off guard!"

Xiao Lin shook his head. "It’s definitely too late! We don’t even know where we are right now. We’ve run a good hundred *li* tonight, and we don’t have any carrier pigeons. Besides, when we ran into those Beastmen, they were already at the edge of the Mesopotamia Grassland. Don’t worry, the Cameron Town Defense Army isn’t just for show. And our students, they’ve just never seen real bloodshed. It’s not that they have no fighting ability at all. I believe they’ll mature quickly when faced with a life-or-death crisis!"

Zhao Jie said, "Doesn’t this whole thing with the Beastmen appearing seem a little too strange? Why haven’t the Southern King’s troops heard a single word about this?"

Shangguan Yutong froze, her face turning pale. She then said, "Teacher Zhao, are you suggesting... there’s a traitor?"

Zhao Jie nodded. "Think about it, Teacher Shangguan. We’ve almost only ever heard about the Beastmen of Penzes Swamp in legends. I even used to doubt whether they were real. According to historical records, the Beastmen there haven’t invaded human territory in several hundred years. I’m afraid many people in the Empire, like me, have forgotten that Beastmen even exist on the continent. So why would they suddenly appear on such a large scale now? The strangest part is that the Southern King’s army, which has always been stationed near Penzes Swamp, hasn’t made a move. Without an inside man to show them the way, could they have advanced so smoothly?"

Zhao Jie paused, then continued, "Of course, this is just my speculation. But the timing is too coincidental. They showed up right when we came here for training. You can’t blame someone for being suspicious."

After hearing Zhao Jie’s words, the group fell into contemplation. Only Ling Xiao wasn’t particularly concerned. Although Ling Xiao knew Luo Tian’s identity and had learned some secrets of the Royal Family from him, he had little interest in such matters. Whether there was a conspiracy or not, the Beastmen were real, standing right before him, and they weren’t weak. Ling Xiao even thought, ’If all the Beastmen are as strong as the ones who attacked us, then Cameron Town is in real danger.’

Shangguan Yutong let out a soft sigh. She knew more details about the Royal Family’s affairs. She was even well aware of the years-long conflict between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince. His Majesty the Old King had always been hale and hearty, remaining aloof and allowing this open and hidden struggle between his two sons. The Royal Family had never been a place for warmth; only through this kind of struggle could they ensure the vitality of the bloodline and prevent a good-for-nothing from taking power!

Survival of the fittest didn’t just apply to animals.

Ling Xiao’s body was also deeply fatigued after the night’s ordeal. However, at that moment, his eyes suddenly fell upon the base of several trees by the riverbank, a look of pleasant surprise appearing in them.

He had worn out iron shoes in his fruitless search, only to find it now without the slightest effort. A large patch of Stone Bamboo Grass was growing there, swaying gently in the wind.