Chapter 264, Everyone Has Their Own Agenda
Xiang Zimo had imagined many unexpected situations during a mission.
Mistakes in formation.
Suddenly summoned reinforcements from the other side.
Even a sudden downpour washing away the formation due to bad luck.
But he never imagined that while enjoying hotpot and singing, he would get knocked out by two masked thugs.
The problem was, these thugs didn’t look like Demon Cultivators at all.
Why would the Demon Cultivators send troops in disguise? They could just show up and throw down, right?
Sneak attacks and underhanded tricks? They were even worse than those Demon Cultivator scum!
Anger aside.
Xiang Zimo was clear that the situation wasn’t optimistic, and he couldn’t let his guard down.
He sensed that the two on the other side were Crossing Tribulation Stage powerhouses, their auras steady and seasoned.
Though he didn’t know who these guys were or why they were attacking him, showing fear at this moment could lead to the whole mission failing.
That was a responsibility he absolutely could not shoulder.
“Gentlemen.”
His jaw completely shattered, and his voice became a bit garbled: “I didn’t mean to offend either of you.”
“I am… I am a junior master from the Holy Kingdom, executing a mission on the Emperor’s order. If I’ve offended you in any way, please forgive me…”
At this moment, the two thugs listened to his mumbling, glancing at each other.
“…Yuanming, do you understand what he’s saying?”
“I don’t understand.”
“Forget it, let’s just beat him up first.”
With that, Elder Yongning swung his club straight at Xiang Zimo.
Xiang Zimo’s eyes widened in shock; he hastily performed a few hand seals to briefly defend himself and then took off running.
After all, he was a junior master from the national teacher’s office and not skilled in physical combat—getting close meant he’d be turned into a pig’s head!
So, the scene turned ridiculous.
A grand battle between Crossing Tribulation Stage powerhouses became a game of hide and seek.
Xiang Zimo desperately used various spells and formations to block, while Yongning and Yuanming chased him like two rabid dogs, ready to pounce.
However.
Xiang Zimo was just a novice fresh to the world.
The theoretical spells he learned in the national teacher’s office were no match for these two seasoned veterans.
None of his spells could hold them off for long, and a few times he was smacked by those two old geezers, his head bleeding, looking even more pitiful.
A cornered dog will jump over a wall, and what more a boy who had lived a cushy life? He had never been driven to such a lowly state!
Soon, unable to bear the humiliation, he shouted, his pendant suddenly shining like stars, radiating a powerful pressure.
“You… you’re going too far!”
The aura emitted from the pendant made Yongning and Yuanming pause, cautiously eyeing him.
“Wow, this kid has such a powerful magical item?”
“Hmph. Probably just stolen loot from those Demon Cultivators.”
“Hey, don’t rush. We’ll make sure to confiscate that loot later.”
Xiang Zimo, blood trickling from his mouth, stared intensely at the two.
He hadn’t wanted to use the “Waning Spirit Jade.” His teacher had cautioned him repeatedly that using it with his ability and mindset would cost him his Dao heart. It was essentially an all-or-nothing gamble.
But at this moment.
He was really cornered by these two old dogs.
Frustrated, he ignored his teacher’s warnings and started gathering his magic:
“You’ve forced my hand… I am a junior master of the Holy Kingdom, serving under divine auspices. No matter the cost, I will protect the honor of the Holy Kingdom!”
“All things return to spirit, the heavenly way compensates for the lack—hey! What are you doing!”
Just as he was weaving his spell, Yongning and Yuanming suddenly lunged forward, swinging their clubs at him.
Scared, Xiang Zimo abandoned his spell and fled while mumbling,
“You… you are breaking the rules! First attacking from behind, and now interrupting my spell before I finished… didn’t your teachers teach you this is quite rude?”
Of course, Yongning and Yuanming didn’t understand him at all.
But they found it strange.
Was this kid actually stupid? How could he start gathering his spell right in front of us?
He can’t think we’d actually wait for him to finish, can he?
Do we look like fools?
Poor Xiang Zimo, filled with indignation, yet never found an opening to strike back.
From start to finish, he was chased around like a dog by these two scheming old foxes.
Until finally, exhausted and fed up, he was caught.
And Yongning and Yuanming were polite about it too.
After catching him, they didn’t say much and simply raised their clubs to give him a good beating.
“Ouch! You actually dare to hit me! I… I am from the Holy Kingdom… ouch!”
“I’m so mad at you! You wait! The Holy Kingdom… won’t let you off, you dirty scoundrels… ah!”
Yongning was getting more into it, his eyes glowing red: “Damn it, kid, you’re getting your butt kicked that badly and still shouting about the ‘Holy Kingdom’ and ‘dirty scoundrels?’”
“I’ll make sure you remember the Holy Kingdom and what it means to be a dirty scoundrel!”
All the grievances and anger from being oppressed by Demon Cultivators were being fully unleashed on this young lad.
At that moment, lying on the ground, bruised and battered, Xiang Zimo shifted from initial humiliation and rage to desperate screams and pleas.
“Stop hitting me… sob, stop hitting me…”
“I… I won’t go into the world anymore, I want to go home… I want my mom…”
Finally, when the two looked at the boy whose activity had dwindled, barely breathing, they reluctantly stopped.
“Spit, little brat, now you know what happens when you mess with the wrong people, right?”
Elder Yongning spat at him.
“Yuanming, go check the baggage left by them on the roadside, whatever you find is yours.”
Yuanming didn’t waste words and went to rob the baggage Xiang Zimo had brought.
Meanwhile, Yongning searched Xiang Zimo, cleaning him out of all his treasures.
Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes, glancing subtly at Yuanming not far away.
“Hmph, kid, I won’t hesitate to let you know our names, so you’ll know which divine beings you’ve offended.”
“The esteemed name of this great one is Yuanming Daoist from the Floating Feather Hall.”
After saying that, he hurried off.
But just as Yongning left, Yuanming crept over and said fiercely,
“Kid, let me tell you our names so you’ll know which divine beings you’ve offended.”
“The esteemed name of this great one is Elder Yongning from the Pool Fish Sect.”
As soon as he finished, Yongning shouted from a distance: “What are you waiting for? We’re done, hurry up and run!”
“Coming, coming.” Yuanming quickly chased after him.
As the sun set, the two walked side by side, chatting and laughing like the best of friends.
Meanwhile, Xiang Zimo lay on the ground like a dead dog, trembling lips endlessly murmuring:
“Pool Fish Sect… Floating Feather Hall…”
“Elder Yongning… Yuanming Daoist…”
As if he wanted to carve those names into his bones.
