Chapter 557: A Strange Heart

Chapter 557: A Strange Heart

“We may begin, Sakyamuni.”

A few breaths later, the person in black broke the silence. It sounded like he was speaking to someone, but there wasn’t anyone else in the cave, was there?

It was at this moment Ye Qing’s eyes widened. The person in black’s shadow suddenly started growing darker and darker, writhing as if it was alive. Then, it slowly stood up like a living, breathing person.

“Sakyamuni...”

The person in black bowed his head respectfully.

“This isn’t the time. Guard me,” the shadow ordered.

“As you command,” the person in black saluted him and retreated to the cave entrance.

The shadow stretched its arms wide for a moment before plunging them into its chest. Then, it pulled at its rib cages until a bright red heart was exposed.

The heart was covered in tentacles, and Ye Qing could see that they were connected to every part of the shadow’s body. It was almost as if they were the shadow’s blood vessels, though of course blood vessels weren’t nearly this big or disturbing-looking. The heart itself was beating rhythmically almost as if it was alive.

The next moment, the shadow reached into its chest and grabbed the heart tightly. Then, it started pulling with all its might.

The shadow began shaking violently. It looked like it was enduring some sort of terrible, body-racking pain. The heart’s tentacles were flailing about as if it was extremely unwilling to leave its host.

It took over a dozen breaths before the shadow finally ripped the heart out of its chest completely. The moment it succeeded, the tentacles shrank back into the heart, and the heart stopped beating almost as if it was dead.

The shadow turned toward the Blissful Spring and tossed the heart into its waters. The heart looked like it was flesh and blood, but the moment it entered the Blissful Spring, it slowly melted like it was snow. It did not dye the waters in gory red either. When all was said and done, not a trace of the heart could be seen everywhere.

“It is done.”

The shadow said a little tiredly after it was finished with the bizarre ritual.

“Good work, Sakyamuni.” The person in black stepped back into the cave and flattered the shadow, “With this, our plan is guaranteed to succeed.”

“Just because we successfully poisoned the spring with the Burning Heart doesn’t mean that the plan is guaranteed to succeed. Remember what happened last time? You thought that your plan cannot fail, and yet it did,” the shadow chided the person in black.

The person in black promised, “Don’t worry, Sakyamuni. I’m willing to swear on my life that everything will go perfectly this time.”

The shadow nodded. “Good. If this plan succeeds, then you will be rewarded handsomely.”

“Thank you, Sakyamuni! I promise I won’t disappoint you!” the person in black sounded visibly excited at the shadow’s promise.

Ye Qing had to admit that both Xiong Kuohai and the Sakyamuni were extremely cautious and cunning.

If Ye Qing was the careless, honest type, he would have thought that Xiong Kuohai and the Sakyamuni had left. He would have revealed himself and tried to investigate the strange heart they had dropped into the Blissful Spring. After that...

Well, there wouldn’t be an after that.

He didn’t know that the Sakyamuni was hiding inside the patch of shadow, of course. He was just putting himself in Xiong Kuohai and the Sakyamuni’s shoes and predicting their behavior.

If he were them, would he be so careless as to enact a scheme without securing the area at least?

If he were them, what would he do to make sure that someone wasn’t spying on them in secret? That his feeling earlier wasn’t just a feeling?

He suddenly recalled the Life Leech that Yi Pin had tricked using a faux suicide pill. If even a Stranger with the mind of a five year old knew how to play pretend and double check if Yi Pin was really dead, could a schemer like Xiong Kuohai and the mysterious Sakyamuni really be stupider than them?

Finally, he had felt that their brief conversation earlier was completely unnecessary. Which was safer, leaving right after they poisoned the Blissful Spring or lingering in the area and spouting bullshit, achieving nothing except increasing the chances that they might be exposed?

Their behavior was obviously abnormal, and such abnormal behavior could only mean that they were plotting something. If he was someone else, he might have been shaken by the tidbits of information they revealed. He would have been driven by an urgency to check the Blissful Spring as quickly as possible after they left the place.

Of course, his guesses were ultimately just guesses. Maybe Xiong Kuohai and the mysterious Sakyamuni just had the bad habit of acting like cheap, pretentious villains.

That said, it was better to be safe than sorry, wasn’t it? His life was on the line after all. That was why Ye Qing ultimately chose to remain hidden inside the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma and not move a muscle.

Admittedly, there were multiple times where he thought that he was being overly paranoid and was tempted to take his leave, but in the end, his caution won out against his impatience. If he was wrong, then all he lost was a bit of time. But if he was right, then his life could very well be on the line.

It was obvious what was the right decision to make. So, he chose to tough it out and play the game of patience.

He was right. The mysterious Sakyamuni really was hiding in the shadows. It really had been laying a trap for any would-be spies to step on. He was right.

Of course, Ye Qing still didn’t take action immediately. He waited a while longer until he was sure that the cunning bastard wouldn’t pull a double back like the Life Leech before he piloted the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma out of the valley.

Ye Qing did not return to Flying Snow Park after leaving the valley. Instead, he sought out a stream, washed his body until he was completely clean, and sat down at the rivershore. Then, he looked up at the bright moon in the sky and pondered about Xiong Kuohai and the mysterious Sakyamuni’s plans.

What on earth were they plotting?

What was their aim?

He could not come up with a good plan unless he figured out his enemies’ plans first.

Should he leave, or should he stay?

Should he stay out of the conflict, or should he help out the needy?