“What’s going on?”
In the wildlands, Three Blades Lin was staying behind Jiang He’s group of six persons, frowning and looking confused. “Are they rerouting? They would soon reach the Red Toad King’s territory if we continue ahead.”
When it came to the Red Toad King…
Three Blades Lin was absolutely familiar with the beast.
He had been stationed at Mount Kunlun before, and had come to Lake Kanas a few times to fight the Red Toad King.
If the beast had come ashore, Three Blades Lin could give it a beatdown.
If it stayed inside its lake, Three Blades Lin would be powerless.
Still, that was a mere thought for Three Blades Lin.
After all…
It was already labeled on the map, and the six of them were no fools. Surely they would not provoke the Red Toad King for no reason, would they?
As long as they did run off to provoke the Red Toad King or go around Lake Kanas picking a fight, the Red Toad King would never attack Jiang He and the others on its own. Moreover, the rank-nine and rank-eight water monsters of Lake Kanas would never win against Jiang He and the others.
***
The first light had appeared over the horizon.
Day would soon arrive.
Jiang He whipped out his phone for a look—it was already eight in the morning.
The sun would have come up at eight back at Lingzhou City, but there was basically a two-hour difference between the Western Frontier and Lingzhou City, which was why the sun would only rise around nine and ten.
After checking the map, Jiang He then said, “Everyone, look lively and speed up—we’ll take a break when we reach Lake Kanas.”
Chen Jingzhou’s face dropped at that and he exclaimed in shock, “Are we going to keep going straight? We’re at best fifty km away now, and we’ll reach the forbidden zone if we continue ahead. It’s the Red Toad King’s territory, and while Feral Kings would not attack martial art elites or Awakened beneath divine-tier, but intruding on its territory counts as provoking it.”
The others appeared somber as well, with Cheng Dongfeng speaking out, “Jiang He, should we change our path? Just a hundred km more and we’d bypassed Lake Kanas.”
Meanwhile, He Litong was silent.
All he did was kept his eye on Jiang He, studying him.
What was he trying to do?
On the other hand, both Zhou Rui and Yang Chengwei were panting heavily, after running over seven hundred km at one go, as well as encountering multiple Feral ambushes, the fights had certainly tired them with their cultivation.
“Hyah!”
With a shove using both feet, Jiang He hit the black panther on the rump with a branch that he snapped off a tree, driving the Feral ahead as he said, “We didn’t rest for an entire night, so let’s go fishing and rest on the shores of Lake Kanas. The Red Toad King would not be so unreasonable that they would fight us over that, would it?”
“…”
Chen Jingzhou and the others shuddered in utter astonishment and stopped right there, afraid of advancing.
What the hell!
If you run inside someone’s house to catch fish, is it not absolutely logical for them to kill you?
Unreasonable?
Trying to reason with a Feral King… could you be that suicidal?
Jiang He: “Yu~~~”
Scowling, the black panther halted, convinced that it must now resist despite being Jiang He’s mount.
Hence, it pleaded with its spirit voice, “Master, I’m a panther!”
It was unbearable with you going “Hyah” and “Yui” when I’m a panther, not a horse!
“What the heck? Don’t I know that you’re a panther?”
Jiang He slapped the black panther on the head, sneering, “Being a mount, you need the resolve of a mount. Another word out of you and I’ll kill you for grilled me.”
The Black Panther King shuddered.
Jiang He leapt off the panther then and walked up to Chen Jingzhou and the others, asking in surprise, “Commander Chen, Battalion Commander He and Master Cheng… Why aren’t you guys moving?”
“Move, my foot.”
Cheng Dongfeng planted his backside on the ground, grumbling, “I’m still young and unmarried, so I don’t want to die. Let’s change our route, Jiang He.”
Jiang He did a double take.
He had assumed Cheng Dongfeng to be a widower all along, but to think that he was single…
And you’re over forty, sir. Aren’t you embarrassed calling yourself young?
Jiang He turned to Chen Jingzhou at that and asked, “What do you think, Commander Chen?”
“We can’t take the risk, Jiang He!” Chen Jingzhou seethed through clenched teeth.
“Alright, then!”
Leaping atop the black panther, Jiang He firmly whipped it with the branch. Pained, the black panther promptly leapt forward.
Panther-type Ferals had always been adept at speed, and since the Black Panther King was a rank-seven advanced Feral, it was as quick as a rank-nine martial artist. It disappeared as a black blur into the mountain forest, even as Jiang He’s voice could be heard from the distance, saying, “Commander Chen, wait here for a bit. I’ll be right back?”
Cheng Dongfeng leapt up to his feet from the ground, staring at the direction where Jiang He disappeared while frowning, “Say… do you think that brat is really going fishing at Lake Kanas?”
“There’s no way, is there?”
Chen Jingzhou forced a smile, not quite knowing Jiang He as well as Cheng Dongfeng. “Jiang He must be joking. Why would he provoke a Feral King on purpose, knowing that one is residing at Lake Kanas?”
Joke, my foot!
Cheng Dongfeng recalled Jiang He’s deeds over the last month or so. With a shove of his feet, he chased after Jiang He from the direction where he disappeared.
Was there anything that brat would not dare to do?
If he said that he would go fishing at Lake Kanas…
He might really do it!
“Old Cheng!”
Seeing that Cheng Dongfeng was giving chase, Chen Jingzhou promptly used his form technique in pursuit as well, yelling, “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to drag Jiang He back!”
Even so, with Cheng Dongfeng’s speed and being in the forest, how could he speed match a black panther’s?
Indeed, the black panther quickly covered the fortyish kilometers of road.
After traversing the mountain forest, a massive lake appeared before him.
The azure lake water was rippling beneath the brush of a breeze. Rocky peaks as well as many abandoned buildings stood on both ends of the lake—after all, Lake Kanas had been a 5A national tourist spot, a geographical park, a forest park, a natural preserve, a natural heritage, a low-carbon emission experimental tourist zone and was famous for being the most beautiful lake of Hua Nation.
For example, Lake Kanas was famous for its color-changing pool.
Located at the heart of Lake Kanas, the changing of seasons and climate would alternate the shade of the lake between different colors such as green-gray, azure, milky-white, black-green or emerald.
Jiang He estimated that his might be around the ‘color-changing pool’ presently.
Jumping off the black panther, Jiang He promptly strode towards the lake, walking over water for a dozen meters before realizing something—
“Hold on…”
“Since Chen Jingzhou and the others did not come, that Red Toad King would not go out of its way to attack them, would it? So, they safe now, and why would I waste my time fighting the Red Toad King?”
“Why shouldn’t I save time and head straight to Mount Tian and kill that Golden-Crowned Black Eagle, and then hurry on to Tantra.”
Jiang He returned ashore.
He was about to leave when he remembered an article he read on a magazine—Lake Kanas was famous for its lenok, burbot, arctic catfish, red bass, and other species of fishes.
Even as he stared at the water, Jiang He’s spirit could sense the huge fishes swimming within the lake.
“All of you are swimming and seducing me here!”
Whipping out a handful of pea bombs and simply throwing it into the lake, he thought to himself, “The Red Toad King probably wouldn’t mind me blowing up a few fish for a sumptuous meal, would it? Moreover, Lake Kanas is so huge, and it probably would not sense what’s going on here if it stayed downstream.”
In the next instant—
Booooom!
The pea bombs hence erupted under the lake.
The shockwave from the explosion kicked up huge waves, and the flames generated shot up into the air with the waves.
It was quite the sight.
“Most of the aquatic life here would have evolved into Ferals. I wonder if a handful of pea bombs could blow them up… but just in case…”
Jiang He whipped out two more handfuls of pea bombs and threw them into the lake as well.
He could not help chuckling upon hearing the rumble of explosions.
Back then, Lake Kanas was a 5A tourist spot and a national preserve. Fishing—let alone blast fishing was basically poaching.
He might be the only one who dared to do this.
***
Cheng Dongfeng and Chen Jingzhou were left dumbstruck when they heard the rumble of explosions, even as they gave chase from behind.
Up in the distant skies, Three Blades Lin was utterly stunned as well.
What the hell!
What was Jiang He doing?
Was he throwing bombs into Lake Kanas?
In the next split second, Three Blades Lin’s face dropped as he looked downstream of Lake Kanas from afar…
A horrific aura was bursting out from the lake, and rapidly approached Jiang He’s location.
***
At the shores of the lake.
Jiang He’s face twitched as he stared out into the distance, unable to hold back his rage as he sensed the Feral King aura that was rapidly closing in from afar.
That vermin the Red Toad King was actually threatening and intimidating him with its aura.
Was that necessary? I’m just blasting a few fishes in your territory…
The Red Toad King… was rather unreasonable!
