Chapter 28: A Shocking Explosion

Mu Yudie’s delicate body trembled, powerless as she leaned against the tree trunk. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. Along the way, Luo Hao and Zhao Xin had done their utmost to protect her; she had endured this far because Luo Hao was her pillar of strength. Now, hearing that Luo Hao and Zhao Xin had both perished, grief overwhelmed Mu Yudie’s heart, and even the will to continue fleeing slipped away.

Di Yalan’s eyes blazed with fury, her teeth clenched so tightly they threatened to shatter, her voice trembling as she demanded, “Who did this?”

Hu Long’s voice was choked with sorrow as he quickly recounted the events, adding, “Besides ‘Dark Nether’ and the Fanged Mercenary Group, I believe there’s also the Mo family from the Merchant Alliance. The power of lightning that one released wasn’t refined from essence—it was the Mo family’s ‘Lightning Martial Soul.’”

“The Fanged Mercenary Group! Dark Nether! The Mo family!” Di Yalan spat out each name with venom. “I’ll make them pay dearly!”

Shi Yan frowned; as soon as Hu Long mentioned the ‘Lightning Martial Soul,’ he realized the Mo family’s true target might be him.

Suddenly, a peculiar scent wafted into Shi Yan’s nose. He sprang up, circled around Hu Long, his expression abruptly changing. “Brother Hu Long, there’s a strange fragrance on you… You shouldn’t have made it out alive. Alas…”

“You brat, what are you implying?” Di Yalan’s eyes flashed angrily. “Are you wishing Hu Long had died?”

But Hu Long himself, after a moment’s confusion, quickly understood, and let out a bitter laugh. “So that’s it. They spared me so they could track us. I thought I was just lucky, hah.”

Without waiting for Di Yalan’s protest, Hu Long suddenly knelt before Mu Yudie, knocking his head three times on the ground with a resounding thud. “Miss Mu, you must live! You must avenge us!”

He sprang up and darted away, but his anguished voice echoed from afar: “Get out of here! Take another route—I’ll draw them away and buy you as much time as I can.”

“Hu Long!” Di Yalan and Mu Yudie cried out together, their voices breaking with grief.

“We must leave immediately! Miss Mu, remember this hatred—we must survive!” Shi Yan’s face was grim as he stretched out his hand to Di Yalan. “Give me the ‘Star Thunder.’ Take Miss Mu and go now—I’ll follow soon.”

With her friends falling one by one, Di Yalan was almost paralyzed, but after a brief hesitation, she handed the three ‘Star Thunder’ bombs to Shi Yan, her voice hoarse. “What are you planning?”

“Just collecting a bit of interest for our uncle.”

Shi Yan’s face was icy as he quickly moved to Tu Mu’s corpse, cut open his abdomen with a dagger, stuffed two ‘Star Thunder’ bombs inside, then carefully smeared ‘Seven Snake Venom’ over them. Gently, he turned Tu Mu over, placing him face-down on the ground.

“People are always curious. When the Fanged Mercenary Group arrives and sees Tu Mu like this, someone will definitely flip him over to check. The ‘Star Thunder’ bombs detonate upon vibration—what do you think will happen when Tu Mu’s body is forcefully turned?” Shi Yan sneered.

“I understand.” Di Yalan’s face was equally fierce. “Let’s hope more of them die!”

“I also added poison powder to Tu Mu’s body. When the ‘Star Thunder’ explodes, some fragments will be laced with poison. If anyone’s skin is cut, they’re as good as dead.” Shi Yan’s expression was ruthless. “Let’s go. We must survive! Only by living can we avenge our uncle!”

“I hope Hu Long stays safe,” Mu Yudie murmured, her eyes vacant.

Shi Yan sighed inwardly. He knew Hu Long was doomed, but he comforted her, “Don’t worry too much. The traps we set might deal them a heavy blow. We might still see Hu Long again.”

“Really?” Mu Yudie asked weakly, though she sensed the answer wasn’t realistic. Still, she longed for a reassuring reply, even if it was a lie.

“Yes, he’ll be fine.” Shi Yan nodded firmly, then signaled to Di Yalan.

Di Yalan understood, stepped forward, scooped up Mu Yudie, and rushed into the forest.

Shi Yan drew a deep breath, gathered all his strength, and hurried after them.

…

A quarter of an hour later.

Dark Nether, the Mo family, and the Fanged Mercenary Group—three factions appeared together, following the scent on Hu Long all the way here.

“Tu Mu!”

Barnard spotted the battle axe beside Tu Mu and instantly realized that the body lying face-down was his man. His face changed dramatically, and he exclaimed, “Impossible! How could they have killed Tu Mu?”

“Didn’t you say all we had to do was divide the men and women after we arrived?” The Nether Moon Envoy from Dark Nether’s eyes were gloomy as he snorted, “Luckily I marked that kid with ‘Dark Moon Fragrance,’ otherwise it would’ve been a pain to track them.”

Barnard’s expression shifted between anger and gloom. He ordered, “Zuo Song, turn Tu Mu over and see what’s going on.”

“It was that kid who killed him!” Mo Yanyu whispered to Mo Chaoge beside her, “Everyone killed by him ends up shriveled—the kid’s weapon must be laced with deadly poison!”

“That boy’s no ordinary opponent.” Mo Chaoge nodded softly, warning, “Be careful—don’t act impulsively.”

“I understand,” Mo Yanyu replied.

While they spoke, Zuo Song of the Fanged Mercenary Group, following Barnard’s orders, had already rushed to Tu Mu’s corpse.

Grabbing Tu Mu’s shoulder, Zuo Song flipped him over to inspect the body.

With a heavy thud, Tu Mu’s back slammed into the ground.

“Boom!” “Boom!”

Suddenly, violent explosions sounded!

In an instant, Tu Mu’s body shattered into countless pieces. Fragments of flesh-laden blades shot out like a storm of stars, radiating in all directions from Tu Mu’s body.

There was no warning. The moment the blast erupted, the fragments—coated in blood and flesh—rained down upon everyone.

The Fanged Mercenary Group, closest to Tu Mu, bore the brunt of it. Their members were the first to suffer.

Under the hail of blades, three mercenaries were riddled like beehives, their bodies riddled with bloody holes.

Zuo Song, who’d triggered the trap, was blown apart, his flesh mingling with Tu Mu’s, scattering in pieces all around.

Dark Nether and the Mo family were caught off guard, and fared little better. Though separated by dozens of meters, their martial artists suffered as well—especially those of the Mo family who were only at the acquired stage, utterly defenseless as the blades ripped through their bodies.

The air was filled with screams. The sudden explosion of the two ‘Star Thunder’ bombs turned the area into a hellish slaughterhouse, with flesh and viscera strewn everywhere.

The cries of terror echoed as everyone was plunged into utter panic.

Protected by Mo Chaoge, Mo Yanyu couldn’t bear the carnage; her face was pale, and she bent over, retching repeatedly.

Several martial artists from the Mo family and Dark Nether, whose skin had been cut, at first felt lucky—until they gradually noticed numbness spreading through their bodies and their vision clouding…

“Damn! The blades are poisoned!” Mo Chaoge’s face looked as if it had been stomped by a giant; he stared at the wounded Mo family members and shouted, “Cut away the injured flesh—quickly!”

The burly Johnson’s arm had been pierced by a blade, blood gushing.

Johnson, his face contorted in terror, clenched his teeth and hacked off half his left arm, collapsing with a scream, crying out, “Miss Mo, please, help me bandage this!”

Mo Yanyu, just standing up, glanced at Johnson’s severed arm, felt another wave of nausea, and bent down to vomit again.

Gazing at the mangled flesh, viscera, and limbs sprawled across the ground, and the corpses turning blue, Barnard and the others were so furious they nearly spat blood. Their faces were twisted with malice, eyes blazing with murderous light, ready to tear apart whoever had orchestrated this vicious trap.

Among the three factions, Dark Nether had lost three, and the Mo family five.

Barnard had been closest to Tu Mu, and suffered most—after the blast, he was left alone, his entire team wiped out.

“I’ll kill them all! I’ll slaughter every last one! I’ll make them wish they were dead!” After a long pause, Barnard howled at the sky, like a beast driven mad.

“Humph!” The Nether Moon Envoy of Dark Nether snorted coldly and said to Mo Chaoge, “Let’s keep pursuing. Ignore him.”

He’d lost three men and blamed Barnard for it, thinking that if not for Barnard ordering Zuo Song to turn Tu Mu over, this disastrous explosion wouldn’t have happened.

“We’ll keep pursuing,” Mo Chaoge nodded, ignoring the nearly deranged Barnard, leaving with the Dark Nether members.

“I’ll kill them all!” Barnard panted, his gaze sinister as he glared at the departing Dark Nether and Mo family. After a long while, murderous rage still boiling, he followed after them.

…