Jungle camp.
Looking down at the nine bodies lying at his feet, Xiu Nuo took a deep breath.
Fortunately, I've reached the first level of Body Refining, otherwise they might have really gotten away.
"Quite smart of them to scatter, cost me quite a bit of effort," Xiu Nuo said, looking towards Wang Fugui, "Go tell everyone to get ready to leave."
Wang Fugui glanced at the bodies on the ground, his face turning somewhat pale, "Are you sure... just leaving them here?"
"What else?"
"Bury them," Wang Fugui suggested, "That way, if they can't find the people, they might just think they've gone missing."
Xiu Nuo shrugged, "So you think, as their targets who survived, what will the group looking for them think?"
"What do you plan to do then?"
"Leave it to me," Xiu Nuo said without a hint of negotiation in his tone, "We leave in ten minutes. During that time, no matter what happens or what you hear, act as if you heard nothing. Tell the others to keep it down and not to draw any other attention, got it?"
Looking into Xiu Nuo's eyes, Wang Fugui felt as if he'd been targeted by a demon.
He misjudged the situation, initially considering him just trash that couldn't make it in his own country, or a fool conned by someone like him. But in reality, this guy was most likely a criminal on the run for committing murder back home.
Just by the way he killed, to say it was an accident would be an insult to his skill.
"I know what to do," the guide said, leaving with the two girls.
Xiu Nuo looked down at the bodies and a smile spread across his face, "At least, the first level of Body Refining is stable enough."
That's the advantage of the Demon Path. With upright Immortal Sects, transitioning from Mortal Martial Artists to the first level of Body Refining requires long periods of physical training, absorbing Spiritual Energy, aided by herbal baths, or perhaps spiritual elixirs.
But Demon Cultivators are different, they are notoriously fast at early-stage cultivation. Others spend time and elixirs, while Demon Cultivators spend lives.
Just not their own.
Ghostly Vicious Energy emerged in Xiu Nuo's palm and then whooshed out, burrowing into the brows of the corpses before him.
One by one, under Xiu Nuo's control, the Ghostly Vicious Energy rapidly harvested those Divine Souls, although there was no time to refine them just yet.
Meanwhile, Xiu Nuo used the time to slash open his palm, dripping blood onto the forehead of each corpse. Then he activated Blood Magic, and the next moment, blood began to seep out from various parts of the nine bodies, flowing into Xiu Nuo's body like fountains.
Xiu Nuo seemed to expand threefold in an instant, and he would need a week to refine these powers. But now, he was using them to pay back debts.
Indeed, in just five minutes, Xiu Nuo's body returned to normal, while the bodies became mummified.
Next, Xiu Nuo picked up the firearms. After examining them, he began to fire around the area, including at the corpses.
The burst of gunshots terrified the distant refugee group, causing them to cover their mouths tightly, not daring to make any sound.
Wang Fugui was calming them down, urging them to stay composed.
After emptying all the ammunition, Xiu Nuo packed the weapons into a bag and found a place to hide the firearms.
As for the money these people had collected, Xiu Nuo pocketed about five thousand US dollars and burnt the rest.
Carrying more would just be a burden.
When he returned, the refugee group was already preparing to continue their journey.
"What happened?" Zhang Wenxuan saw Xiu Nuo return and asked concernedly, "What were those gunshots just now, and where did you go?"
"How would I know." Xiu Nuo replied, his face showing a mixture of weariness and fear, speaking loud enough for those around to hear, "All I know is that there was a fight over there, but as long as it doesn't concern us, it seems they weren't from the same group. Your intel didn't mention how many organizations are around here, did it?"
Zhang Wenxuan's mouth twitched, "Big brother, even the United Nations doesn't know how many drug traffickers and anti-government armed groups are holed up here, how could you think I'd have access to that information for just a few thousand dollars?"
"That's true."
"What about them?" Zhang Wenxuan didn't specify, but Xiu Nuo knew he meant those two women.
After returning, they stuck close to the guide.
That was what Xiu Nuo had instructed.
However, Xiu Nuo's answer was simple, "We don't need them anymore, do we?"
Lin Zi was still somewhat confused at the side, "What's no use anymore?"
Zhang Wenxuan, however, understood, "They can't protect them anymore, it doesn't matter. After all, they were brought to face calamities for us. At least they were useful, it's just..."
Zhang Wenxuan looked towards Xiu Nuo, but Xiu Nuo merely shrugged his shoulders.
By the time night fell, everyone had already reached the temporary camp, where it was evident that people had been waiting for a while.
Quite a few boats were already waiting there. Lin Zi looked towards the nearby crowd and asked curiously, "What are those people doing?"
"Paying money," Zhang Wenxuan said bluntly, "Those who pay can leave first."
Lin Zi was baffled, "Paying money? Haven't we already paid?"
"You've paid the travel agency, does that mean the guide won't take you shopping?" Zhang Wenxuan gestured towards the crowd with his chin, "Maybe some conscientious guides won't take you, but believe me, not a single one of these intermediaries has a conscience. Those who pay leave first; there will be fewer people on the boat, and it will be safer on the road... to some extent."
"So what about us..." Lin Zi was about to say something when he saw their guide approaching them.
Zhang Wenxuan immediately greeted him with a smiling face, "Tony, can I..."
Before he could finish, Wang Fugui pushed past him and went straight to Xiu Nuo, "It's all arranged. We're leaving in the first group, come with me."
Hearing this, Zhang Wenxuan stared at Xiu Nuo in astonishment, "How did you manage that?"
Xiu Nuo shrugged, "Just by paying money, like you said."
As Xiu Nuo was about to leave,
Zhang Wenxuan hastily called out, "Wait, I'll pay too!"
Wang Fugui paused in his steps, then looked towards Xiu Nuo.
"Aren't you the guide?"
Wang Fugui glanced at the three with Zhang Wenxuan, thought about it, and then blurted out directly, "Five thousand US dollars per person."
Zhang Wenxuan's eyes widened, "We haven't even reached the United States yet."
Wang Fugui paid no heed to him and turned to leave.
But the next moment, he was stopped by Zhang Wenxuan.
"I only have three thousand," Zhang Wenxuan fixed his gaze on Wang Fugui, his teeth clenched, "Only three thousand left."
Wang Fugui looked at Zhang Wenxuan calmly, "No bargaining."
Zhang Wenxuan fell silent instantly, but when he saw Wang Fugui was about to walk away again, he quickly said, "Alright, I'll go with your price, but I need to be safe, remember, a safe arrival in the United States. Once we're there, I'm willing to pay you double."
"Deal. Wait here for me a moment; I've got to go finish a procedure," he said, then looked at Xiu Nuo, "You come with me first."
The two left the group first. Wang Fugui looked at the unflappable Xiu Nuo and said helplessly, "I thought you'd refuse. Don't tell me, just half a day's company, and you've become friends with them, Mr. Chu, I need to remind you, that Zhang guy is no good person."
"But he sensed the danger, didn't he? Realizing something was amiss, just by your gesture to take me away ahead of time, he made the decision to spend more money to leave."
"So what?"
Xiu Nuo started laughing, "He seems to be quite rich."
"Stop kidding, if you cared about money, you wouldn't have brought back so little!"
"That's because carrying too much is meaningless, it only brings trouble. There are no banks for me to deposit money in these primitive jungles, Fugui."
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"A person who spots danger is willing to pay anything to escape it. I've recently found out that there seems to be something called capitalism in the States, and that requires some money." Saying this, Xiu Nuo leaned in closer and whispered something to Wang Fugui.
After listening, Wang Fugui's eyes widened as he looked at Xiu Nuo, "Are you sure you're not a devil?"
"Of course," Xiu Nuo spread his hands, "And why use the word devil? Why not Demon Path? It's got a bit of patriotic sentiment."
"Huh? I'm even scamming my own countrymen here, do I have..." Wang Fugui's eyes widened, "Someone like you, why would you choose to be a refugee?"
"It's too dangerous for someone like me back home, isn't it? Every murder must be solved. To me, that's just too scary."