Chapter 385 - Stalking the Mantis (Part-2)

Frozen Ocean when she was younger like many others of her age was a bit mischievous being the only child of an extremely rich merchant she was a bit spoiled but it all changed when her father's mistress bore him a son then the position of the household changed the mistress became the madam of the house and she and her mother were slowly began to be driven away she remembered how her kind and loving father became uncaring and treated them like dirt he was forced to endure and then all of a sudden her perfectly healthy mother passed away from a sudden bout of illness even if she was only 12 she understood there was something amiss specially when his father remarried again even before his previous wife was laid to rest and then his father decided to marry her off, it was more like selling her for some coins, she decided to run away from home, no not a home but prison ever since her mother died she was all alone and she stumbled upon her teacher who took her in, she never went back to the mortal village and find her family and by now even their distant descendants bones would have turned to dust.

When she entered the sect many were envious at being chosen by the esteemed elder of their sect who was rumored to be one day to become the leader, yet she found many friends who washed away her loneliness, her sadness she wanted to one day return and lay waste to her former family but alas years had passed by her master took her and by the time she remembered about her so called family a century had already passed, her teacher by then had two new students and she was elated she got two younger sisters to spoil. To her, her teacher was like her own mother who always encouraged her to act like child but as she grew she understood the disapproving looks her elders used to send to her for not acting as someone of her station did her teacher no she did not but over the years as she grew she reigned in her emotions and adopted a cold persona and now she was one of those candidates for becoming the next leader something she did not wish for.

Even after all those years living under a cold aloof persona the mischievous nature never disappeared and now it was going full throttle courtesy of Ryuu, her eyes shown with mirth as she hid behind an array, "I feel sorry for SU-Min and others they missed a great show."

Ryuu shrugged at that as he spoke, "Well it cannot be help now sush they are here I wish to know who are working against us."

Frozen Ocean nodded as she watched eagerly at the scene in front of her, one by one seven people entered the cave five men and two women but seeing the identity of the person leading them was a bit shocking for them.

Frozen Ocean spoke with disbelief at what she saw, "Chasing Winds!!! She is leading them and ordering them and here I thought she was a nice honorable person and simply wanted to be our friend.", as she spoke anger started to bleed in her voice.

Ryuu added his two cents in this matter, "Aiyee I now understand why my older sisters warned me against fraternizing with unknown people too much while staying inside Eden and she was right I never saw it coming."

Frozen Ocean growled at that as her temper was slowly rising only for Ryuu to stop her, "What are doing sister?"

Ryuu hissed at her in an urgent manner, "Sister what are you doing? You will give up our location."

Frozen Ocean took gulps of air as she calmed herself while mumbling out, "Sorry!"

Ryuu waved her off as he spoke, "Sister I know you are angry terribly so but please I request of you to maintain a façade until we get out of Eden, do not let her understand that you are already aware of her treachery and I promise you we will get even with them. We might not kill them or cripple them because we are in dire need of cultivators but there is nothing to stopping us from humiliate them through pranks like we are doing today, so will you please cooperate with me?"

Frozen Ocean let out a sigh as she spoke, "You are correct about the fact that us cultivators love our honor, reputation and pride the most as such humiliating them through pranks like this would be extremely suitable punishment as such I will not only cooperate but help you as well.", as she spoke her face morphed into a grin which was hidden well behind her veil.

A grin that was mirrored by Ryuu as he spoke, "Well then it is start of a beautiful partnership, I hope they provide good entertainment for us."

Frozen Ocean looked at the group as she spoke, "Well they would if they do not wish to be humiliated even further."

Chasing Winds entered the damp dark cave as her nose wrinkled in disgust, "Are you sure that this is the cave."

"Of course boss they are exactly ahead of us,"

Chasing winds face darken at that as she spoke, "Good they are unaware that we are following them so we will ambush them try to be as stealth as possible."

"But that Ryuu is formidable if he survives we won't, not to mention his allies they are many who are grateful to him for helping us in the previous level if we are found out."

Chasing winds growled at her underlings as she spoke, "That was simply a parlor trick which we would get to learn from his corpse and his allies will only know if you all decide to blab about him, and as for dealing with that showoff I have an array that would deal with him you could call it a ironic justice an array master died by an array."

Ryuu's eyes harden slightly upon hearing that his sisters as well as his teachers had always taught him, 'A good enemy is a dead enemy', a lesson he took to heart but now was not the time to act frivolously he had yet to determine if they were simply a malicious group who made him a target because of his rotten luck or they were in any way related to that group that tried to assassinate him, and as for their death well that can be arranged easily but he would use them as a sacrifice to evade much bigger dangers after all baits and coal mine canaries exist for a reason.

The group entered noiselessly through the narrow tunnel which led to a larger cavern as the last one entered he unknowingly triggered the trap which made him sneeze loud startling everyone as they turned towards him with the harshest glare possible the tunnel they came in collapsed as they detected something moving Chasing winds did not waste her time as she used the special array on it.

A loud screeching noise was heart then it hit them a tidal wave of an extremely noxious gas it burned their eyes their mouth their lungs not to mention the terrifying smell that accompanied it that made them want to commit suicide.

Frozen Ocean and Ryuu decided to not try their luck and take any chance as they had fled as soon as they tunnel collapsed they were not keen in to be present when the creature inside the acted, the creature was none other than the Imperial Skunk, like its normal counterpart releases such disgustingly hideous odor but it differed in two points firstly the chemicals that caused the odor was so much potent that it was like comparing a skunks smell with the most costliest perfume and secondly as soon as it died the Imperial Skunk would explode spreading a much concentrated dosage of its chemical in an extremely large radius spanning a few kilometers it was said that the smell was so horrendous that every creature whether they be plant or animal prefers to die than live specially when it takes three whole months to disappear with no cure for it ever made, as a result in many places the people in power had ruled that killing one carries an automatic death penalty for the killer, the Imperial Skunk that died was only an initial level Mystic Sword Immortal level creature, a creature that has no combat power and could be killed easily by anyone but because of the fear of its odor everyone gave it a wide berth until Chasing Winds had killed it, the normal blast radius was at least near about a dozen kilometers was confined inside a cave of only a hundred meters at its widest part.

Ryuu and Frozen Ocean never ran as fast they did in their entire life as they neared the base Frozen Ocean scowled at him as she spoke, "Was it us you were playing pranks or them you made me run so fast my body is aching."

As they descended to the ground Ryuu gave her a smirk as he spoke, "Well considering the alternative was to be drenched by that amorous smell."

Frozen Ocean visibly gagged at that as they entered their base, and soon found the rest of the group, Su-Min narrowed her eyes as she looked at the duo chatting amicably as if they were hiding some secret that they found amusing, as such she made her way towards them as she spoke, "Care to share with us what you found so hilarious."

Frozen Ocean looked at her with mirth in her eyes something that made Su-Min feel suddenly concerned after all she was her cold, collected and no nonsense friend as Frozen Ocean continued, "We had a rather amusing adventure sister something you missed and I will not tell you because you will their effects soon very soon.", the grinning made Su-Min gulp in fear as a shiver ran down her spine, 'What have they done now?'