Chapter 8: Things Don’t Go As Planned
==============================
In the chilling night breeze,
the Cold Moon Great King stood atop the city wall, her splendid gown fluttering in the wind, radiating elegance and unmatched charisma.
The Wolf Demon knelt respectfully at her feet and said, “My King, the scent of Guard Shi indeed stretches from here towards Thousand Bird City. Even after a whole day, I can still track him down.”
“Good.”
The Great King nodded slightly.
“Then I’ll lead the way.”
With that, the Wolf Demon leaped down and swiftly darted through the forest, following that faint scent.
Though he had no idea how the King would follow behind, he soon found out.
“Puh-chi puh-chi” echoed as a massive shadow approached from above, blocking out the starlight.
Each flap of the shadow’s wings whipped up small gusts of wind, sending numerous dry branches and leaves swirling through the air, crashing down upon him.
Was that the Dark Feather Crane?
He hadn’t seen it in a while, and it seemed much larger now.
Seeing that the Dark Feather Crane was racing ahead of him, the Wolf Demon hurriedly activated his highest speed, zigzagging between the thick trunks.
In just a short while, they reached the border between the Chaos Forest and the human world, where the path unexpectedly opened up under the moonlight.
“Whoosh whoosh…”
The Dark Feather Crane descended onto a patch of grass, with the King still standing firmly on its back, as majestic as ever.
After all that running, the Wolf Demon was completely exhausted.
He barely managed to kneel, saying, “My King, Guard Shi hasn’t stopped moving.”
Lin Nan looked up at the tiny Thousand Bird Floating City floating in the night sky, nodding slightly.
Why was Shi Yuan heading straight for Thousand Bird City?
If she wanted to figure this out, she would have to clash with the warring factions engaged in a dog-eat-dog battle.
Initially, she didn’t want to involve herself, but now it seemed things were going against her will.
She owed Shi Yuan a life, and if she could repay it, it would lift the heavy burden on her heart.
“Wolf Demon, you go back.”
The Wolf Demon looked up in shock. “My King, although I am unworthy, I still have the duty to protect you! Please allow me to stay and guard you.”
Lin Nan remained silent for a moment.
True, in order to pinpoint Shi Yuan’s exact location, she would need to use the character card.
If she appeared suddenly, she’d be too big of a target, not to mention it wouldn’t align with her survival principle.
So, it was better to let the character cards scout ahead first.
“Feng Yalin, come here.”
A tall, alluring lady with a pair of short swords walked slowly out of the darkness, kneeling before Lin Nan, “Greetings, My Lord.”
The Wolf Demon was completely dumbfounded.
Where on earth did this woman come from?
He could have sworn there was no one around for a hundred meters, and yet she seemed to materialize out of thin air, shaking his understanding of reality and making him question his own abilities.
Moreover, she referred to the King as “My Lord.”
Could it be that this woman, like the Demon-Slaying Squad, belonged to the Extermination of Immortals organization directly under the Great King?
The Wolf Demon was increasingly astonished, but he didn’t dare say anything and knelt quietly, waiting for the King’s orders.
“Wolf Demon, your task is to confirm whether Guard Shi has entered Thousand Bird City. Feng Yalin will accompany you; her words are my command and must be followed strictly. Do you understand?”
“Yes, My King!” The Wolf Demon replied with utmost respect.
“Go.”
After Feng Yalin and the Wolf Demon set off, Lin Nan found a nearby cave and summoned the remnants of the Demon-Slaying Squad to guard her main body’s safety.
Only then did she switch her consciousness to Feng Yalin.
She had her doubts about the system’s oversight.
In the darkness, two figures moved swiftly across the ground.
Suddenly, both saw a violent explosion erupt towards Thousand Bird City.
A dark red explosion lit up half the sky, reminiscent of a volcano erupting, followed by thick billowing smoke.
“Boom boom boom!”
The sound of explosions echoed continuously.
Even from a distance, they could feel the ground tremble slightly under the impact of the shockwaves.
They both halted, mesmerized by this dazzling yet terrifying sight.
As the firelight faded, the false facade enveloping the outside world crumbled completely.
In the darkness, they strained to see the thick fog surrounding Thousand Bird City.
The violent explosions had indeed originated from the Floating City.
Strangely, though, moments ago, flames and smoke burst forth, but now it seemed as if what they had witnessed was all an illusion, leaving only the dense fog.
What exactly was happening inside Thousand Bird City?
Feng Yalin found it even stranger that Sect Leader Li Ying Tian had clearly left Cold Wind City seven or eight hours ago.
At their speed, they could have returned to Thousand Bird City in just two or three hours.
Yet, despite the illusion being lifted, there hadn’t been a trace of Li Ying Tian or his disciples around.
Had they vanished into thin air?
Players might know something…
But once consciousness entered a character card, one had to wait six hours before switching back to their main body.
With no other choice, Feng Yalin had to continue following the Wolf Demon to track down Shi Yuan.
As they had suspected, Shi Yuan’s scent extended right up to the vicinity of Thousand Bird City, and then it abruptly vanished.
The Wolf Demon cupped his hands toward Feng Yalin, “Lady Feng, normally this scent shouldn’t cut off, but it’s like it’s been severed! I can’t figure out how it happened. However, it’s very likely that Guard Shi has entered Thousand Bird City. This place is packed with danger, perhaps you should wait here while I try to find a way in.”
Feng Yalin shook her head, “I appreciate your efforts, but you can return to join My Lord. You’ve fulfilled your task.”
The Wolf Demon exclaimed, “That’s not right! I can definitely help!”
Seemingly uninterested in prolonging the conversation, Feng Yalin took a few steps forward and vanished into the darkness like she melted away.
The Wolf Demon was taken aback. He instantly recalled the King’s order to heed this lady’s commands and promptly wilted in compliance. With a heavy heart, he glanced back at Thousand Bird City and reluctantly walked away.
At the same time, Cold Little Rain’s live streaming room exploded.
After dispatching those disciples, she had gained the League’s trust and joined their team to hunt down the disciples of Thousand Bird City.
Players were buzzing with chatter.
“Good thing I didn’t join Thousand Bird City.”
“Yeah, just look at those poor souls who chose Thousand Bird City; after being wiped out twice, they’re too scared to log in. They’re just lying around on the forums now.”
“White Feather City and the Ji Shen Alliance are genuinely insane, sweeping everything! Even Li Ying Tian is on the verge of collapse!”
“Ha! This guy was so cocky before, but now he has nothing nice to say about the twin girls from the Extermination of Immortals, serves him right!”
Thousand Bird City was in peril, and most players were seemingly abandoning Li Ying Tian.
Could it be that the official win prediction was actually true?
……
P.S.: A bit of a writer’s block today, only three updates. Dinner’s served!
