The chosen guard also hesitated for a moment, but soon accepted his fate, displaying a demeanor of resignation.
The guard said to Dongfang Wutian solemnly, "Please arrange for the reward to be delivered to my sister-in-law."
Dongfang Wutian patted his shoulder. "What's your name?"
"I'm Huang Wenqi."
"I'll remember you," Dongfang Wutian nodded, then said softly, "Rest assured, if anything happens, I'll take care of your sister-in-law."
Huang Wenqi expressed his gratitude. "Thank you, young master."
Dongfang Wutian turned to Chen He, displeased:
"And you don't seem very willing. Either die now, or follow orders and complete the mission."
Cold water dripped onto his face, carrying a faint bitterness. Chen He snapped back to reality, nodding quietly in response.
"This is a special potion I made. It can mask your scent," the hunter said, dipping his fingers into a bowl of green liquid and sprinkling it over the two men.
After sprinkling the potion, the hunter took out two red pills from his pocket and placed one in each of their hands.
"These red pills contain a sedative that I added. If the beast cubs eat them, they'll fall into a deep sleep within five breaths at most. Take them."
Chen He took a deep breath, steadying himself. He carefully stowed the red pills in his pocket.
"Young Master Dongfang, spare me. I'm just a farmer, thin and skinny. The beasts won't eat me. Please, Young Master Dongfang, spare me."
At this moment, begging for mercy could be heard from the left. Chen He glanced over.
Only the tall figure of Chen Qing could be seen, carrying two bound farmers as he walked along the slope, the pleading voices fading into the distance.
"Brother Qing, Lord Qing, please, considering we're from the same village, please let us go."
"Ah! Ah!"
Before long, the sounds of two screams echoed one after another.
The two men involuntarily rolled down the slope, their bodies bouncing painfully against the protruding rocks and soil on the ground.
Their screams intertwined as they rolled.
They soon reached the flat ground below, coming to a stop. They were covered in dust, their clothes tattered, their skin scratched in many places, blood flowing incessantly.
One of them, after catching his breath, suddenly burst into a string of curses: "Chen Qing, you ungrateful beast! You've forgotten the kindness of the Chen family village. Back then, the village pooled money to help you go to the city to learn skills, and now you've returned like a dog to bite the hands that fed you! Ahh!"
"You despicable scum! You'll face karma and meet a bad end!"
"Wuwuwu! I don't want to die!"
On the slope, the crowd watched coldly as the two farmers, who had transitioned from cursing to desperate sobbing, received no hint of pity from anyone.
Chen He lay silently, averting his gaze from the two bait farmers. He didn't have the ability to sympathize, nor the right to choose. He was also a prisoner.
Just this morning, he was still a bait. After finally breaking free from fate, he now found himself in a circle of servitude, completely powerless to change his circumstances.
He turned his attention to the cave below, hoping to find a way to save himself.
But the cave was pitch black, as if there was no light to guide him, just darkness.
At that moment, Chen Qing returned with a thunderous anger brewing in his chest. His face was dark, bloodshot veins streaking across the whites of his eyes, and his eyelids twitching uncontrollably.
The farmer's insults had lifted the veil on his true character, revealing his despicable nature for all to see.
He reported back to Dongfang Wutian, "Young Master, the bait has been set."
Dongfang Wutian nodded, then lifted his chin slightly, signaling to the hunter to proceed with the next step.
The hunter looked at Chen He and the selected guard, Huang Wenqi, and smiled. "Gentlemen, please follow me."
With that, the hunter turned and walked to the right.
Huang Wenqi followed without hesitation, and Chen He stepped forward as well.
In the rear, Dongfang Wutian followed leisurely.
When they reached a large tree at the edge of the slope, the hunter stopped and took out a rope. He tied one end to the tree and let the other end drop down the slope.
After everything was set up, the hunter said, "The Shadow Beast is curious and playful. When it comes out to play with the bait, you two gentlemen will descend from here. Seize the opportunity to quickly enter the cave and retrieve the cubs."
The young master is a martial artist of high caliber, with robust and boiling blood. He's not like ordinary people and descending may easily expose him.
"Meow~!"
"Meow~!"
Suddenly, two melodious cat cries came from below, interrupting the hunter's words.
The hunter immediately lowered his voice and said, "The Shadow Beast has sharp hearing and smell, but average eyesight. Everyone, try to stay low and silent."
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Wutian immediately ordered everyone to lie down, not daring to be careless in the slightest.
The success of this hunt is crucial for his advancement in martial arts, which in turn will affect his eligibility to compete for the position of family head.
As the cat cries drew nearer, accompanied by the heavy panting of the beast, the terrified and desperate screams of the two bait farmers soon followed.
Seeing the hunter slightly raise his head, Chen He followed suit, peering in the direction of the commotion through the gaps in the grass.
In the distance to the left of the basin, two black-skinned ferocious beasts, each the size of a large dog, were playing with the two farmers.
The beasts resembled a mix between a cat and a leopard, sleek and agile, with shiny fur.
The two beasts played with their prey as if toying with mice, completely engrossed in the moment.
At that moment, the hunter whispered, "The timing is right. You two, go down quickly!"
Without a word, the guard Huang Wenqi bowed and grabbed the hemp rope tied to the tree trunk, then descended the slope.
With no other choice, Chen He had to follow suit and brave the descent.
The slope wasn't steep, only about thirty feet high. Huang Wenqi had already landed in the basin ahead.
Chen He quickly followed, sliding down the rope and reaching the ground in seven or eight steps.
Immediately, the two of them crouched and ran towards their target, the dark mouth of the cave at the foot of the small mountain peak.
As they ran with all their might, Chen He glanced to his left.
He saw one of the farmers being tossed into the air by the shadow beasts, only for the creature to leap up gracefully and catch the farmer mid-air.
Once on the ground, the beast effortlessly laid the farmer down, lifting him with its front paws while kicking him with its hind legs rhythmically.
Was it learning this move from cats?
Chen He felt his scalp go numb as he witnessed the farmer's legs being reduced to a mess of flesh, yet he was still breathing, barely clinging to life.
Unable to dwell on it further, he focused on picking up his pace, with Huang Wenqi leading the way like the wind.
With about a hundred yards to go, they sprinted at full speed, sweat pouring down their faces, their vision blurred by the relentless drops of sweat.
At that moment, Chen He truly understood the essence of "time is life"!
The cave entrance was right in front of him, and he hesitated for a moment. After all, who knew if there was any danger inside.
"Let's go!" Huang Wenqi exclaimed, without any hesitation, he dashed into the cave.
Chen He had no choice but to grit his teeth and follow suit.
"Ahhh~!"
"Ah, who the hell pushed me?"
Just as he stepped into the cave entrance, there was a sudden cry from behind.
Quickly following the sound, he saw two guards tumbling uncontrollably down the slope.
Then, two shadow beasts abandoned their now uninteresting "toys" and pounced on the two guards.
There was no doubt about it, they had added two more bait, giving the shadow beasts more playtime and extending the time to steal the cub!