"Brat, get moving! If you delay our business, we'll flay you alive!"
Hearing the voices draw closer, Chen An's mind spun quickly as a faint smirk tugged at his lips. With a wave of his sleeve, he swept the remains of the dead venomous bees and shattered hive into his storage pouch. He then settled by a fallen, withered tree, carefully crafting his act. A few beads of cold sweat appeared on his brow, and he assumed the guise of someone gravely injured.
Moments later, the sound of footsteps grew louder, and three figures emerged from the toxic mist.
"Big brother, there's someone here!"
The first to notice Chen An was a short, middle-aged man. At the sight of him, the man instinctively tensed, his hand resting firmly on the storage pouch at his side.
The one referred to as "big brother" was a burly man with a thick beard, towering over Chen An by at least two heads. His frame resembled an iron tower, exuding an imposing presence.
The third figure, however, was a scrawny youth who looked out of place compared to the other two. He seemed no older than thirteen or fourteen, dressed in tattered rags with a face smudged in grime and hair a tangled mess. Yet his eyes, sharp and observant, never left Chen An, scrutinizing him quietly.
"You! Who are you, and what are you doing in this poisonous swamp?" the burly man demanded, his gaze drilling into Chen An.
At his words, Chen An put on an expression of relief, as if spotting saviors. "Fellow Daoists, please help me! I was chased by a swarm of venomous bees and twisted my ankle in the chaos. Could you take me out of this swamp?"
"Hmph! A cultivator, scared out of his wits by mere bees? How disgraceful," the bearded man sneered, clearly unimpressed by Chen An and showing no intention of assisting him.
However, the short man's face lit up with a cunning glint. He pulled the burly man aside, whispering hurriedly.
Shortly after, the two returned. The burly man's attitude shifted noticeably. He scrutinized Chen An once more before saying, "We're here on urgent business, but you can tag along for now. Once we're done, we'll take you out of here."
"Or…"
Before he could finish, Chen An hastily interrupted, his tone laced with desperation. "Thank you, Daoists! I promise not to be a burden!" To prove his point, he clumsily stood up, leaning on a piece of deadwood and hobbling a few steps.
"Fine," the burly man relented, perhaps reassured by Chen An's apparent helplessness. "I'm Guo Feng. This is my brother Wu Qing. You can follow us, but don't drag us down."
He then gestured to the skinny boy. The youth obediently took the lead without a word, guiding the group deeper into the swamp.
Guo Feng did not bother introducing the boy, signaling his low status within the group. It was evident the boy's sole role was to serve as a guide.
As the group advanced, Chen An's curiosity grew. What were Guo Feng and Wu Qing truly after in such a perilous place?
"Brother Guo, it's said this swamp is extremely dangerous. What brings you two here?" he asked cautiously.
Guo Feng offered no reply. Wu Qing, however, smirked slyly. "What about you? Why risk venturing into this swamp with your meager cultivation?"
Feigning embarrassment, Chen An stammered, "I… I was fleeing an enemy who sought my life. I had no choice but to hide here."
Pressed further, Chen An deflected the questions, his vagueness only fueling their assumptions. Guo Feng and Wu Qing likely concluded he was a disgraced disciple from the Lingfu Sect, a common enough tale. His meek demeanor disarmed their suspicions.
"We're here to hunt a Hundred-Eyed Toad," Wu Qing revealed with a self-assured grin. "If we succeed, there might even be some spoils to share with you."
"A Hundred-Eyed Toad?" Chen An feigned ignorance, asking naively about the creature.
"Don't worry," Wu Qing assured him with a smile. "It sounds intimidating, but it's not that strong. Once we find it, the four of us can take it down. Do well, and perhaps my brother and I will keep you around for future ventures."
Wu Qing's words brimmed with false kindness, but Chen An responded with an act of over-the-top gratitude, even declaring his loyalty to the brothers.
Yet inwardly, Chen An sneered. *This Wu Qing wants to use me as cannon fodder. Little does he know, I'm thinking the same about him. In the end, who will outwit whom?*
As they ventured further, about a stick of incense later, the boy leading the way suddenly stopped. His frail body trembled as he turned, his voice raspy and strained. "Ahead… something's there."
It was the first time Chen An heard the boy speak. The sound grated like metal scraping stone, jarring to the ears. But Chen An had little time to dwell on it.
The Red Coil around his arm tightened, its warning clear—the danger was imminent.
"Boom… boom…"
The ground began to shake. Within seconds, the tremors grew stronger. In the distance, the earth split apart as countless green-skinned rats swarmed forth, their crimson eyes gleaming with madness.
Each rodent was the size of a forearm, and they surged forward like a tide.
The boy reacted first, leaping onto the trunk of a withered tree with surprising agility. Using his arms and legs, he climbed swiftly to safety.
Chen An followed suit, scaling another tree while still feigning his injury, carefully ensuring he didn't betray his act.
Guo Feng and Wu Qing, however, were left standing on the ground. Wu Qing made a move toward a tree, only to stop when the boy's panicked voice rang out.
"They're… they're chewing through the tree trunks!"
Hearing this, Wu Qing abandoned his climb. Instead, he steeled himself, realizing that the only way out was to confront the rodent horde head-on.