CH 61

Xiao Yu grew a little interested, “Treasure? Intriguing, to say the least. I don’t know what it is, so please go into detail first.”

Zhao Changping walked forward and explained as he reinserted the sword into his ring: “Black Bear’s henchmen were the ones who first found this thing. Somewhere in the nearby forest, there is a mystical spring. The spring water has some extraordinary powers. After drinking it, not only can the body heal from all injuries, but it can also effectively strengthen the body; its effects are comparable to those of a panacea, which are very miraculous.”

Could it be the fountain of life… 

Xiao Yu’s heart trembled slightly, but he said calmly on the surface: “There is such a good thing, yet you guys didn’t take it; instead, you’re inviting me to share a portion. The way I see it, I’m afraid there are some setbacks to getting this water.”

Zhao Changping didn’t try to hide anything and said calmly, “That is correct. Near the spring, there is a swarm of mighty monsters. Those monsters became more vigilant since Black Bear’s subordinates found this spring and brought back some water. They are tightly surrounding the spring as we speak, and they are very powerful, with at least two first-order monsters amongst them. Therefore, we had no means of assaulting them, so we could only wait and watch.”

Xiao Yu had some understanding of Zhao Changping’s character; the latter should not be deceiving him. Furthermore, Xiao Yu also knew a thing or two about the fountain of life. This type of spring could only form in regions with an abundance of life, such as the depths of the forest, where the powerful energy of life gradually concentrates into the spring’s water over time. This water had an excellent healing effect, making it a unique holy material for healing. However, its most important function was that it could enhance and improve people’s physiques. While in the hands of an alchemist, this water could prove to be a good ingredient for crafting various potions, and it was practically a rare treasure that could only be found by chance.

The formation of a fountain of life begets the concentration of the essence of life in a specific location. Because its existence is so enticing to all living organisms, there ought to be monsters guarding nearby. Zhao Changping’s depiction of the situation was very plausible.

After giving it some thought, Xiao Yu judged that there should be no issue. Getting the Fountain of Life was a great opportunity, and he didn’t want to miss it. However, since there were more than two first-order monsters in the vicinity of the Fountain of Life, he knew he’d struggle to beat them without Zhao Changping’s support. Hence, cooperation was his only choice.

“Okay, I agree.” Xiao Yu agreed first and then asked, “What do you want me to do?”

……….

At this moment, the camp was in chaos. Black Bear, one of the people with the highest status inside the facility, was beheaded and killed in broad daylight, along with a dozen of his elite subordinates. This was unquestionably tantamount to dropping a bombshell inside the camp as everyone started spreading the word. The regular inhabitants of the camp all rejoiced because the biggest villain in the region, Black Bear, had finally been killed. Still, several people were also extremely upset about the incident, especially the remaining subordinates of Black Bear and the leaders of several other factions in the camp.

Once Black Bear died, the position of his subordinates was significantly impacted, and they would most likely have to change ’employers’. The leaders of the other factions were even more worried, fearing that Zhao Changping would seize full control over the camp in the near future. This level of anxiety was justified. After all, no one would dare to holler at Zhao Changping after Black Bear disappeared from the picture.

Though he had not been a resident of the camp for very long, Zhao Changping had already earned the respect of his fellow camp inhabitants. Now that the overall balance of power has been considerably weakened on the leaders’ side, as long as Zhao Changping calls, people will follow. His strength was unrivaled; no one in the settlement could face him. If there was an actual battle, the odds of the leaders’ victory were only around 30 to 40%, even with the combined might of all factions’.

We can only hope this strange outsider is strong enough to kill that damned Zhao Changping… Wait, what if Zhao Changping dies and the outsider comes back? It’s best for both sides to suffer severe injuries and then die together!

Unfortunately, the development of things was often disappointing, and the ideal picture was not realized as Zhao Changping reappeared dozens of minutes after leaving the camp, and he actually came back alone.

Seeing this, Chen Feng had a strange expression on his face, secretly worrying for Xiao Yu’s safety. This time, the incident occurred solely because of him; he was using Xiao Yu to eliminate the threat that shrouded him and his sister. However, although the other party knew he was being used, he still moved forward to kill Black Bear, which confused Chen Feng. He could not understand why Xiao Yu would take such a risk to help him, although he knew that the latter had a kind heart, which was why if the other party got gravely hurt or killed due to this incident, Chen Feng would be haunted by his guilt.

Zhao Changping returned, but to the others’ surprise, he came back injured. His armor was torn, and his body was covered with wounds. His face looked pale as he cut a sorry figure. Zhao Changping’s subordinates raced over after hearing the news; they were all astonished to see this and hastened to help him rest.

“He has already left; I lost the battle.”

This piece of news came as a bombshell in the camp.

When the leaders of the other factions heard the news, they were even more surprised and speechless. Someone as powerful as Zhao Changping was not the other party’s opponent? It’s difficult to fathom just how powerful this outsider was.

That night, except for Zhao Changping, the leaders of all four factions in the camp sat together, with seven to eight trusted subordinates standing beside each of them. At the same time, someone was sent to guard the door as if they were discussing something very secretive and vital.

A man in his thirties was the first to speak: “Although Brother Black Bear is dead, Zhao Changping was also seriously injured in the battle with that man. So this may be a God-sent opportunity for us. How much fighting power does he have left after those serious injuries? Previously, even if we joined forces, we may not have been his opponents. So how about we take this opportunity to kill that bastard, Zhao Changping? The entire camp will then be under our rule. Food, equipment, and women—everything will belong to us; how wonderful is that?”

“Don’t be reckless; things are not that simple.” An older-looking man stated, “No one can say whether that strong man from outside will come back or not. Even the mighty Zhao Changping is in that state after facing him, not to mention us, with our strength below that of Black Bear’s. If this person turns back to give us an unexpected blow, no one can stop him in the camp. Only Zhao Changping can deal with him.”

“I don’t agree with you.” Another person said: “That guy severely injured Zhao Changping, meaning their powers should be about the same; otherwise, the latter would have been killed rather than injured. Yet as we can see, now that Zhao Changping was seriously injured, the outsider still didn’t chase after him; therefore, there is absolutely no way he was left unscathed after that battle. Perhaps he is hiding somewhere to recover from his injuries. If we seize this chance to eliminate this Zhao Changping and dominate the whole camp with our collective strength, we will be able to accomplish our objectives. Then, hunting and slaying monsters will certainly enable us to grow swiftly, and at that point, even if that man returns, we may not necessarily be afraid of him.”

“You’re right. Sooner or later, Zhao Changping will try to deal with us; I can’t rest easy till he’s dead!”

“Death in the hands of an outsider or death in the hands of Zhao Changping both lead to the same ending. Therefore, to avoid such a fate, we should adopt this plan and try to kill Zhao Changping first. Then, perhaps by adhering to the so-called “seeking wealth in peril,” we may achieve the first-order realm and become the camp’s local emperors, after which no one will be able to stop us!”

“…”

“All right, I’m in!”

“Me too!”

After some discussion, the four leaders finally made up their minds to get rid of Zhao Changping. However, just as they were about to discuss the specific plan, there was a crisp sound, and the door was suddenly slammed open.

No stars or moon could be seen in the dark sky, and it was still pouring buckets. A man suddenly emerged from the darkness, carrying a four-foot-long blade as bright as autumn water. In the dim glow of the small fire inside the room, the blade glowed coldly, striking fear in the hearts of onlookers.

Everyone in the room changed their countenance. They discovered that the two elementary warriors guarding the door had already collapsed amidst a pool of blood; they had long since turned into corpses. These two were elementary warriors, yet they couldn’t even utter a sound before they got killed. Is it possible that this person is… 

The four leaders had the answer in their hearts, but they still asked in fear, “Who are you!”

“The one who will kill you!”

After some patching, Xiao Yu looked like he had several wounds covering his body. He glanced coldly at the men in the room, and with a cruel smile on the corner of his mouth, he jumped up and rushed in as the blade light directly covered the leaders.

Screams came and went as blood splattered across the room. The four influential leaders of the camp had already been beheaded after just a few rounds.

“He’s back; he’s back! First Leader Zhao Changping, help us!”

Everyone else screamed in horror and fled out of the room, one after another. Xiao Yu knocked down one or two people and let the others leave. The shrill howl echoed throughout the camp in the darkness of night, and the entire scene devolved into chaos.

Zhao Changping appeared as expected, brandishing a long sword and fighting Xiao Yu directly for hundreds of rounds. The two extreme figures were pursuing each other through the night. The shadows of a sword and a blade flashed erratically, and everyone was impressed by the battle between these two masters as they showed marvel and awe on their faces.

Previously, Xiao Yu had already beheaded the leaders of the four forces; the purpose of this trip had been achieved.

It looked like both Xiao Yu and Zhao Changping were fighting very fiercely, but in fact, neither of them took any serious action, and it was just for other people in the camp to see. Finally, after more than ten minutes of fighting, Xiao Yu left the camp and fled into the nearby woods.

Right after the death of Black Bear, the leaders of the four factions were killed at the same time. Only Zhao Changping remained, so the other factions could be recruited openly and aboveboard. Relying on his own strength, Zhao Changping would not be afraid of the five faction leaders at all, but once he started a fight with them, there would have been serious collisions between the several forces. The deaths of their subordinates will immediately reduce the overall strength of the settlement, making it more challenging to fight the monster invasion.

Zhao Changping tolerated Black Bear and others precisely because of the broader picture. The sudden appearance of Xiao Yu was undoubtedly an unexpected opportunity. He murdered all leaders, wounded Zhao Changping, and even fought that battle in public, all of which led to widespread panic in the settlement. Everyone directed their hatred against Xiao Yu, and then, under the pressure of the threat he represented, they had no other option but to turn toward Zhao Changping. As a result, the forces in the camp were unexpectedly united, and their overall strength did not suffer too much loss.

If Zhao Changping could control everyone, things would be easier to handle. Furthermore, if he gradually started getting rid of the black sheep amidst them, this settlement would be truly under his grasp, and the entire camp would develop harmoniously as a result. Exactly what he wanted to see.