“What? You’re going in? Or… let me take a few men with you.” Fu Chengmao hesitated. He wasn’t afraid to die; he just didn’t know who to pick.
This venture was nine deaths to one life. He was ready, but his men… the youngest was twenty-two, the most senior had just married. He couldn’t bear to send any to die with him.
But it was their mission; Chu Yi was just support. Sending him alone into danger wouldn’t sit right…
Chu Yi saw his dilemma. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t confident. Just cover us well.”
“Us?”
“Zhang Jue and me.” Chu Yi glanced at Zhang Jue. “Ready? If so, let’s move.”
Zhang Jue’s face was ashen. He nodded miserably, regretting more than ever his laziness on the mountain, skimping on training. His half-baked skills—would they even dodge Man-Eating Flower attacks?
But the boasts were out; Chu Yi wouldn’t let him back down.
As a Maoshan disciple, though, Zhang Jue felt a surge of bravado after agreeing—die then die. If he pulled this off, his master would see him in a new light, maybe even regret sending him down the mountain!
He’d joined the show for just that recognition, hadn’t he?
Plus, Chu Yi picking him alone—didn’t that mean he had real skill in Chu Yi’s eyes?
Zhang Jue puffed out his chest, suddenly feeling tall and heroic. He told Fu Chengmao, “Captain Fu, leave the rest to us!”
Fu Chengmao: “…”
He suspected Chu Yi brought Zhang Jue to exploit his jinxed nature, shoving him out as bait!
Think about it: all the spikes aimed at Zhang Jue, and Chu Yi could slip in safely?
Fu Chengmao wavered. As a soldier, he should stop this. But then he remembered the swamp held not just medicine to save Cousin Huaiyan, but also the Program Group and his missing comrades… Since Cousin Huaiyan’s incident, he’d been consoling their families. A year later, they deserved closure, dead or alive.
“Captain Fu, what’s wrong?” Ouyang Yuyuan noticed his furrowed brow and asked.
Fu Chengmao glanced at Cousin Huaiyan beside him and voiced his concerns.
“Oh, that? Yi Ge already lifted Zhang Jue’s Misfortune Curse. Didn’t your men tell you?”
“…” Fu Chengmao: No one had. He’d been too busy with the rescue upon seeing Chu Yi.
Well, lifted was good. He’d been overthinking—Chu Yi wouldn’t abandon Zhang Jue to die…
At that moment, Fu Chengmao had no inkling how Chu Yi had treated Zhang Jue before… Neither did Zhang Jue. If Chu Yi had helped him right away back then, he might not be so grateful now.
Yu Qingxian, attached to the sword and having overheard everything: “…” Words failed him!
Chu Yi remained nonchalant, adopting a detached air. “That’s why people are all cheap bones. They can’t reflect on themselves until they’ve lost everything.”
Yu Qingxian shot him a look. “And you? Are you one too?”
Cheap bones?
Chu Yi didn’t think so, but soon enough, reality would slap him…
Fu Chengmao took off his body armor first, then borrowed one from the deputy captain. After Chu Yi and Zhang Jue donned them, they set off.
They circled to the rear of the flower cluster. Zhang Jue stared at the razor-sharp spikes mere steps away, scalp prickling—how were there so many?
Chu Yi: “Scared already? The Man-Eating Flowers have digestive juices too.”
“What do you mean?” Zhang Jue paled.
He learned soon enough. Chu Yi unleashed several Thunder Talismans in one go right in front of him. Lightning snakes slithered through the cluster amid flashes and booms.
But there were too many Man-Eating Flowers, their hides too thick. Aside from charring some leaves, most of the electricity drained into the ground via the stems.
And after this barrage, half the flowers—beyond those drawn by Fu Chengmao’s group—swung toward them. The now-exposed flowerheads even gaped wide, spraying digestive juices in attack.
“I’m going in. Keep firing Thunder Talismans.” Chu Yi gave quick instructions and darted into the cluster while some leaves were still numb.
He dodged left and right inside, in constant peril. Zhang Jue had it no easier outside—spikes and highly corrosive digestive juices rained down, yet Chu Yi demanded he keep using Thunder Talismans?
Fortunately, Fu Chengmao’s side advanced with heavy firepower, easing the pressure. Each time Zhang Jue activated a Thunder Talisman, he hurled it blindly into the cluster without looking back. As for any live people inside… sorry, he could barely save himself!
Compared to Zhang Jue, Fu Chengmao’s team was far more cautious—avoiding friendly fire on Chu Yi or the Film Crew while fending off spikes. As they pushed forward, injuries from spikes began appearing in his ranks.
“Catch!” Chu Yi suddenly popped his head out from the flowers and tossed Zhang Jue a live person, covered in burns from digestive juices.
Zhang Jue nearly cried. Big Brother, I’m barely hanging on myself—now you want me to save people?
But Chu Yi’s orders couldn’t be ignored… Zhang Jue bitterly gathered Internal Force at his feet and hauled the man outward.
He barely reached safety with the first when the second came flying: “Hurry, don’t stop—there’s one more inside!”
Zhang Jue slipped, nearly taking a spike to the face!
Luckily, Chu Yi hadn’t gone far. He kicked something out to knock the spike aside while flinging a Thunder Talisman from his hand.
With a crackle of lightning, the leaf that launched the spike was charred inside and out.
Zhang Jue survived by the skin of his teeth and saw what Chu Yi had kicked—a human thigh bone. His scalp went numb!
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