The Devil’s Cage

Blazing flames rumbled, heat waves rolling like the rising tide.

The insects that could cover the sky and earth were swiftly burnt to ashes, being carried away by the wind.

And the Devil Flame went straight for Changrott without slowing down.

Boom!

At the next moment, the “Dorl” rank of Ghastly Woods Sect was engulfed in flames. The flames burned fiercely as his figure screamed in agony.

However, further away in a shadowy spot, another Changrott appeared, and similar to the one engulfed in flames, he shared the same ragged clothes and face full of puss.

He looked at the blazing flames and his mouth curled into a mocking grin. Even when his chest was perforated, the mocking didn’t go away.

“Fully utilizing your fangs and claws. You are really as is stated in the records!”

Looking down at his chest where Kieran’s hand had punctured his heart, Changrott sighed softly. He then purposely lowered his voice and said, “I suppose you don’t have an understanding about Ghastly Woods Sect, right? If you do not, I suggest you get some study going. Of course, I’m afraid you won’t have that chance anymore!”

As he spoke, Changrott’s body slowly disintegrated like moving sand.

Kieran’s hand that went through Changrott’s heart also disintegrated and the vanishing spread rapidly from his hand to the rest of his body as if his hand had been placed into a lake full of piranhas. But unlike man-eating piranhas, the formless energy before him didn’t even leave his bones intact.

The energy was on a rampage. It was frantic, hysteric.

At the side of the woods, Changrott, who was watching the scene through the eyes of the insects, smiled.

Changrott was satisfied.

When he first reared these “Curse Bugs”, this kind of frantic effect was exactly what he was going for.

The bugs fed on curses during normal times.

The Curse Bugs enjoyed the fullness of the power of the curses and how it tortured its prey. Once they came across some “fresh” food, the result was self-explanatory.

They would devour their prey in the most frantic way possible. They didn’t even mind dying from overeating; it was better than starving to death, let alone being tortured to death by curses.

“Ghastly Woods was never one to face enemies face to face. But no sect is willing to fight a fully prepared Ghastly Sect because… they will die a graveless death,” Changrott said slowly.

Then, he turned around and prepared to leave, but the moment he did, his body shook fiercely.

He saw a man.

A man dressed in a faint blue robe, his feet bare, yet also blue. His eyes were clear like water without the slightest color.

Whenever people saw the man, a phrase would come to their mind: soft like water.

The man stood there like a slow flowing stream, flowing from high to low with a murmuring sound.

It was just that while a real stream would have small ripples and splashes when it crossed a stony path, this person was forever calm and flowing, similar to his eyes that could not see.

“Why are you here?!”

A cry of shock later, Changrott’s face full of puss kept twitching.

Horror and panic filled Changrott’s heart the moment he saw the blind man before him. He had zero preparation to face the man before him.

Just like what Changrott said before, Ghastly Woods Sect was never good at dealing with enemies face to face; they needed time and geographical advantages to prepare their offence.

There were some other sects that, unlike Ghastly Woods Sect, were very skilled in a frontal assault with their enemies.

For example: Dragon Sect and Tiger Sect, which both vanished over history.

As for current sects?

Wolf Sect was half of it.

Why half?

Because the last White Wolf lost in a face to face battle with… White Ape!

The White Ape of Ape Sect!

Of course, the person before Changrott wasn’t White Ape of Ape Sect, whose whereabouts were constantly uncertain.

If it were really White Ape, Changrott would not have the slightest intention of resisting, but still, the person before him was not any easier to deal with.

No one in the world would think Aqua Ape was easy to deal with.

Even the highest of ranks in Ghastly Woods Sect, Ghastly and Woods, would feel like they were greeted with their biggest enemy in front of Aqua Ape, let alone Changrott, who had exhausted his biggest ace card on Kieran.

He was just a “Dorl” of Ghastly Woods, still a rank of “Yuarl” away from Ghastly and Woods.

Changrott swiftly adjusted his breathing and emotions, his yellowish, turbid eyeballs turning rapidly before words escaped his mouth.

“Lord Aqua Ape, are you here for the White Wolf? He was in the woods. He and I had some misunderstanding, so I had to be prepared. You and I are not on bad terms, so I would be very glad to assist you. Do you need me to lead the way?”

With obvious reverence, Changrott slowly backed away and tried his best to draw a distance from Aqua Ape. By the time his words stopped, he was almost a dozen meters away. As he looked at the ever silent Aqua Ape, Changrott’s heart turned aghast.

Despite both of them being a dozen meters apart, he knew it wouldn’t be any easier for him to take out Aqua Ape.

“Damn it! Bastards! Why is he here? Is the Ape Sect involved as well? Who the hell is responsible for intel gathering? I’m going to skin him alive! Damn it!”

Cursing loudly in his heart, Changrott’s expression was looking more reverent; he even bent down slightly.

“Lord Aqua Ape, I…”

“Enough.”

The calm word was filled with icy coldness.

It was hard to imagine that a man soft like water could utter things like the freezing wind of the arctic, sending chills down one’s spine.

Aqua Ape’s tone signified his disgust and the disgust displayed in the words made Changrott shut up right away.

In fact, Changrott was forced to shut up.

A ball of fire came suddenly and engulfed him whole. The “Dorl” of Ghastly Woods Sect didn’t even get to utter a word before he was burned to ashes along with the insects hiding in his robes.

Until his death, Changrott never got to react to what happened.

Kieran, who should have been consumed by the Curse Bugs, slowly walked out from the shadows and sized up Aqua Ape as Aqua Ape, in turn, did the same to him.

After a while, Aqua Ape spoke. “Since when did the mighty and prideful White Wolf side with some loudmouth birds?”

Just like before, his words brought chills to the ear.

Aqua Ape obviously misunderstood something due to the appearance of Devil Flame but Kieran wasn’t about to explain the situation to his enemy.

He looked at Aqua Ape and answered with an even colder tone, “Since when do I have to explain myself to Ape Sect?”

“As expected of the White Wolf. I was only suspecting a moment ago, but now, I am certain you are the White Wolf. After all… you sound just like your failure of a teacher!”

Aqua Ape laughed lightly, his water-like eyes looking at the black figure in front of him before he continued with his ever chilling tone. “Then you should know the consequences of engaging Ape Sect in battle, right?”

Faint blue water bubbles the size of watermelons rapidly took form around Aqua Ape. There were 10 of them!

These bubbles, which obviously weren’t of the common kind, circulated around Aqua Ape like the planets to the sun.

However, Kieran didn’t lay eyes on him. Instead, he looked at… the direction of Riverdale!

There, through the sight of the cardinal sins, he saw something that he cared more about.

TL Note:

Ranks in Ghastly Woods Sect: Dorl < Yuarl < Ghastly = Woods