Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 467 Attacked
The blazing sun beat down on the earth, making it scorching hot.

A group of more than thirty people walked along a desolate mountain road. Everyone looked exhausted, and sweat dripped down their cheeks, falling onto the parched earth and evaporating instantly.

"Commander, did you offend Hall Master Li? Why are you being asked to say these things again?"

A burly young man scurried to the back of the line with a sly grin.

Li Jihu was furious and slapped the other man on the head: "Iron Head, you think you're so tough? I'll smash it to pieces."

"No, Commander! I was just kidding!"

"Play? I'll play with you!"

Li Jihu was ruthless, and Tie Tou dared not resist.

In no time at all, the tall young man was being beaten until he was crying for his parents.

Those around burst into laughter upon seeing this.

"Ironhead, serves you right! You had to bring up the very thing you didn't want to talk about!"

"Our commander is just being a capable person who does more work!"

"The front lines have suffered heavy losses, so it's better for us to stay in the rear."

"."

After the commotion subsided, the group's fatigue was largely dispelled.

Li Jihu stopped what he was doing, raised his hand, and called out, "There's still half the journey left. We should be able to reach Monkey Valley before evening. Let's all take a rest."

"Yes."

"Thank you, leader!"

Everyone responded in unison, but instead of immediately finding a place to rest, they arranged the six carriages in the procession from a straight line to a square formation, and then stood or stood around the carriages.

Li Jihu took in this scene and nodded in agreement.

Although he did not issue any orders, the Crimson Flame Demon Hunters, having been tempered by the battlefield, were able to fully understand his intentions and carried them out without fail.

Without a doubt, the Crimson Flame Demon Hunting Group is no longer the rabble it once was!

"Commander, I want to go to the front lines to fight monsters."

Tie Tou came over again, grinning, and muttered, "Escorting supplies is so boring. We've been doing this for half a month. When will it ever end?"

"how could I know?"

Li Jihu asked a question in return.

He didn't really want to do this job. From Jinlinpo to Monkey Valley, from Monkey Valley to Danggui Mountain, from Danggui Mountain back to Monkey Valley, and now he's been assigned to Qingyang Temple.

For the past two weeks, he has been running around so much that he has lost all his energy and spirit.

The thought of the other demon hunters, especially the other half of the Crimson Flame Demon Hunter Group who were still on the front lines, caused him immense anguish.

However, when Lee Sang-yu personally appointed him to be in charge of logistics, how could he refuse?

Speaking of which, after sending Uncle Nineteen home, he was highly valued when he returned to Golden Scale Slope. The Crimson Flame Demon Hunting Team was the main force in several encirclements and suppressions of the remaining demon beasts in the surrounding area.

But a few days later, he was transferred to be in charge of logistics.

No matter how Li Jihu thought about it, he felt that this was the work of his nineteenth uncle.

Last time, he only took a small group of people out to scout the movements of the monsters, but they were chased by a large horde of beasts and almost ended up in dire straits.

Although Uncle Nineteen didn't say anything on the surface, he was definitely angry inside.

Punishing him in this way is also very much in line with Uncle Nineteen's personality.

Speaking of which, Uncle Nineteen is far away in Danggui Mountain, yet he still has the mind to care about him. I suppose his health has improved by now.
Li Jihu gave a wry smile. He knew his nineteenth uncle had high hopes for him, wanting to mold him into an all-around leader, but he always disappointed his nineteenth uncle.
Forget it, I don't want to.

Li Jihu shook his head, while the iron-headed man in front of him continued to complain.

In front of so many brothers, Li Jihu naturally couldn't reveal the reason for the "punishment".

Not only could he not say it, but he also had to suppress his inner frustration and put on a serious and earnest expression: "An army marches on its stomach; this is common sense in warfare. Although we are not on a military campaign, it's pretty much the same. Tie Tou, the supplies you have are related to the lives of the brothers on the front lines. If any of these things are missing, many more people will die on the front lines. Are you still bored?"

Tie Tou was taken aback by what he was told. He scratched his head and said awkwardly, "Commander, I... I was just saying it offhand."

Li Jihu patted him on the shoulder, his tone softening: "I know everyone wants to fight on the front lines, but logistics are equally important. Our mission is to ensure that our brothers on the front lines have no worries about their families. Once the beast tide recedes, I'll treat everyone to drinks at Qingyun Residence!"

"it is good!"

The people around immediately started to jeer.

As the main building of Taibai Restaurant, Qingyunju has a higher consumption level than the other two buildings. On weekdays, only the cadres of the Demon Hunting Group are willing to go in and sit for a while.

Of course, what everyone values ​​is not just appearance, but also substance—Qingyunju's fine wines and delicacies are mostly spiritual wines and dishes that can aid in cultivation.

This is a golden opportunity that you absolutely must not miss!
A smile appeared on Tie Tou's face: "Commander, you said it yourself!"

Li Jihu snorted: "Your regimental commander's word is his bond!"

Just then, Song Ye hurriedly returned from the front with the two of them.

"what happened?"

Li Jihu frowned. Song Ye was a sentry he had arranged to scout ahead. Now that the sentry had abandoned his mission and returned on his own, it was clear that he had discovered something was wrong.

Song Ye did not speak immediately. Only after getting close to Li Jihu did he use his divine sense to transmit his voice, saying, "It's eerily quiet ahead. There isn't even the sound of insects chirping or birds singing. Something's not right."

Li Jihu's expression instantly turned serious.

Wilderness and desolation should be the domain of insects and birds.

Now that they have disappeared, it's hard to say that this is normal.

He subconsciously turned around, wanting to ask Zhang Guangqing's opinion.

However, all that could be seen was an empty space.

Seeing this, Song Ye sighed slightly.

After Zhang Guangqing self-destructed his natal magic weapon, he damaged his foundation. Although his life was not in danger, he was essentially powerless until his injuries healed. In addition, as he was getting older, Zhang Guangqing applied to leave the Crimson Flame Demon Hunting Group and went to Pushui Market to recuperate and retire.

This decision undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the Crimson Flame Demon Hunting Team.

In the end, however, Li Jihu respected Zhang Guangqing's choice.

Even now, Li Jihu has not fully adapted to life without Uncle Zhang.

Just as Song Ye was about to offer a reminder, Li Jihu had already composed himself and asked in a low voice, "Is there a chance to take a detour?"

"Detour?"

Song Ye was stunned. His usually brave and upright commander would actually consider taking a detour?

However, he quickly reacted.

The main reason is that this batch of supplies is too important. It includes not only healing pills that Qingyang Temple has painstakingly refined, but also strategic reserve materials that the Li family has stockpiled at Qingyang Temple. There is no room for the slightest mistake.

He nodded: "Of course, but if we take a detour, it will take a little longer to get to Monkey Valley."

"For safety's sake, let's take a detour. Let everyone set off immediately."

"Yes!"

Song Ye responded and quickly relayed the order.

The procession quickly sprang into action, escorting the carriage and slowly making its way down another path.

However, after taking only a few steps, a sharp, piercing sound, like a thunderclap, rang out.

"Captain!"

Iron Head, with his sharp eyes, spotted the attack and immediately determined its direction: Li Jihu's location.

How could Li Jihu not have noticed this scene?
His cheeks turned bright red with anger, and flames instantly erupted from his body.

However, Li Jihu did not choose to take this unknown attack head-on. Instead, he nimbly leaped to dodge, and a cold light fell to the ground, revealing a pitch-black arrow with a slightly vibrating tail.

"what!"

A scream rang out, and Li Jihu quickly turned around to check.

He was not the only one who had been attacked; there were more than a dozen others.

Although most people were able to dodge the attacks, a few with low cultivation levels or poor concentration suffered heavy losses.

"Enemy attack! Everyone on high alert!"

Li Jihu's eyes were filled with rage.

However, the enemy is in the dark, while we are in the light.

At this moment, he dared not make a move rashly, and could only shout loudly to stabilize the morale of the troops.

Fortunately, he had served as a regimental commander for many years and had accumulated considerable prestige.

In just a few words, the panic subsided, and everyone summoned their magical artifacts and talismans, entering battle mode. Only Tie Tou scrambled over, crying to Li Jihu, "Commander, the arrow is poisoned! Mo Laowu is dying!"

"Is the fifth brother failing?"

Li Jihu's mind went blank.

Mo Laowu was no lowly nobody; he was a cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining and a key member of the Crimson Flame Demon Hunting Team. Iron Head was someone he had personally trained.

Thinking of Zhang Guangqing and Mo Laowu leaving him one after another, Li Jihu was furious.

He could no longer suppress his anger. With a sudden wave of his hands, flames condensed into a whirlwind half a person's height in front of him and slammed into a bush not far away.

"boom!"

The bushes were completely burned down, and several black shadows darted out from the flames and scattered and fled.

Seeing this, Li Jihu's hatred deepened, and he roared, "Die!"

The fiery whirlwind immediately split in two, each chasing after the two men in black.

These men in black were agile and efficient, but their cultivation levels were generally low. In just two or three breaths, one of them, unable to dodge in time, fell into the sea of ​​fire and died on the spot.

Suddenly, a new round of whooshing sounds rang out.

"Get down! Everyone get down!"

Song Ye hurriedly reminded him loudly.

Those present were all seasoned veterans of the Battle of Jinlinpo, and they reacted quickly to danger. Before Song Ye could finish speaking, they had already backed onto the carriages, using them as cover.

Even Tie Tou, who had just been crying his heart out, buried his face under Mo Laowu's corpse without hesitation.

However, the new attack was not with poisoned arrows, but with crossbows.

Crossbow bolts with custom-made hooks pierced through the carriage partitions, their trailing ropes extending in all directions.

Soon, the rope was stretched to its limit.

“Bang, bang!”

With a series of explosions, the six carriages fell apart instantly, splintering wood everywhere.

As for the horses that were pulling them, they had all been killed in the first volley of poisoned arrows.

"The enemy's target is the supplies we are escorting!"

Song Ye immediately realized what was happening and shouted at the top of his lungs, "These things are for the demon-hunting cultivators on the front lines, they can't be lost! Stop them, we absolutely can't let them get any closer!"

Before the words were finished, a muffled thud of flesh being pierced rang out.

Song Ye was struck dumb, and he looked down in shock. He saw a young man about the same age as Tie Tou squatting down in front of him, holding a dagger tightly in his hands, and stabbing it into his abdomen.

"No free time?"

Song Ye's eyes were filled with disbelief.

This kid is one of their own from the Crimson Flame Demon Hunting Team. Although he is usually quiet and reserved, he is always diligent and hardworking, and he has made great contributions even on the battlefield of Golden Scale Slope.

However, at this moment, the other person's eyes were so unfamiliar, so cold that it chilled one to the bone.

"Wu Xian, I have treated you well."

Song Ye's face was full of resentment: "Commander...the commander has treated you quite well!"

Wu Xian, expressionless, slowly drew his dagger: "Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together."

"I see."

Song Ye gave a bitter laugh and collapsed to the ground.

At the same time, more shadowy figures appeared from all directions.

These people approached swiftly like ghosts without uttering a word. The members of the Crimson Flame Demon Hunting Team, who were guarding the carriage, were forced to fight back and found themselves at a disadvantage on all fronts.

Especially after they could no longer hear Song Ye's voice as the temporary commander, many people lost their courage and retreated repeatedly, and the original square formation almost collapsed.

"Captain!"

Iron Head's shrill scream rang out.

Li Jihu, who was chasing the man in black, suddenly stopped and looked back.

This sight made his eyes widen in horror.

"Song Ye!"

Ignoring the remaining men in black, Li Jihu immediately turned and charged towards the center of the battlefield, carrying a whirlwind of flames.

However, how could the man in black behind him do as he wished?
They were just running away, but now they surrounded us as if they didn't care about their lives.

Even with Li Jihu's profound cultivation, it would be difficult for him to break through their defenses in a short time.

"Wu Xian, you bastard, I'm going to kill you!"

Tie Tou was still shouting, his voice filled with anger and grief.

Others may not have noticed how Song Ye fell, but he witnessed it all firsthand.

Because they were the same age, he had a very good relationship with Wu Xian. He would even entrust the monster-hunting materials he had obtained to Wu Xian, simply because Wu Xian was better at arithmetic than him.

However, Wu Xian killed Song Ye, who had also taken care of him.

In addition, Mo Laowu, who was in charge of leading him, also died in the attack.

In an instant, Tie Tou went completely mad: "Why, why did you betray us?"

"Because of loyalty."

Wu Xian wiped the blood off the dagger with his sleeve, looked at Tie Tou, and said indifferently, "Join us, and I'll guarantee to spare your life."

"I'm not going to play with a son of a bitch!"

Tie Tou flew into a rage, like a mad bull, and charged fiercely at Wu Xian.

"madness."

A mocking smile appeared on Wu Xian's lips, and his aura suddenly erupted, his powerful magic granting him astonishing speed. In almost an instant, he flashed behind Tie Tou.

A Qi Refining Level 6 cultivator?

Iron Head missed his target, and his bloodshot eyes cleared up a bit.

"too slow!"

Wu Xian shook his head and kicked Tie Tou in the shin.

With only the fourth level of Qi Refining cultivation, Tie Tou had almost no power to resist and was kicked to his knees.

Wu Xian continued to reach out his left hand, forcibly turning Tie Tou's head back, a look of satisfaction in his eyes: "To deceive you, I ate the Broken Yuan Grass every day, and today I'm finally free. Tie Tou, you're a good seedling too. Considering our past friendship, I'll give you one more chance to surrender. Hmm, as long as you beg me!"

"Pooh!"

Tie Tou spat and cursed, "The commander will avenge me! You traitor, you'll die a horrible death!"

"Captain?"

Wu Xian sneered repeatedly: "We came here today precisely because of him. He's so young and already has the eighth level of Qi Refining cultivation. If he continues to grow stronger, what will become of him?"

Tie Tou was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously asked, "Who exactly are you people? The regimental commander's surname is Li, and he is a member of the Li Hall Master's clan. Don't tell me you didn't know that! Aren't you afraid of being retaliated against by the Li Hall Master?"

"Master Li?"

Wu Xian snorted lightly, his tone full of disdain: "Right now, he's probably still at home playing with his kids. How could he possibly care about you? Once we've dealt with you, we'll stage this place as if it were the scene of a monster attack."

"Don't forget, the beast tide is attacking Monkey Valley. If Monkey Valley falls, it's quite reasonable for them to sweep into this area, isn't it?"

Iron Head's face turned pale: "Are you still going to cause trouble in Monkey Valley?"

Wu Xian laughed heartily: "You're not as foolish as I thought. 'When we act, we don't move; when we do, we act swiftly and decisively.' That's our principle. Monkey Valley is just one of our targets."

After a pause, Wu Xian raised his dagger, the cold light reflecting Tie Tou's terrified face: "Alright, I've said enough. If you're unwilling to surrender, you might as well die."

In an instant, the dagger pierced through, and a bloody hole was instantly pierced through Tie Tou's temple. Blood gushed out like a spring, instantly staining Wu Xian's palm red.

"That's disgusting."

Wu Xian frowned, about to pull the dagger back.

But suddenly, a look of astonishment appeared on his face.

"Why, my hand?"

No matter how hard he tried, the dagger in his right hand remained firmly embedded in Tie Tou's temple, unmoving.

No! Not just the right hand!

He held down Ironhead's head with his left hand, but Ironhead was also unable to move.

(End of this chapter)