Chapter 68: The Eerie Voice

The mutton had a strong gamey smell, but Su Tang did not know what seasonings Fang Yizhe had used to cover it up. Su Tang used a small knife to cut off a small piece of mutton and tasted it. The taste was very good. He smiled at Fang Yizhe to show his praise, then cut off an entire hind leg and moved closer to Xi Xiaoru, handing the mutton over as if presenting a treasure. “Chief, it tastes great. You should try some.”

Su Tang tried to ease the awkwardness that had just happened. If he really made this girl angry, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Xi Xiaoru took the mutton and said bluntly with a straight face, “Why are you sitting so close?”

Fine… Su Tang straightened his back, returned to the bonfire, cut another piece of mutton, and walked far away in shame to sit on a rock.

“Why are you sitting so far away?!” Xi Xiaoru frowned again. Just now, she had pushed Su Tang away subconsciously because he was so close to her that it made her heart beat wildly, which felt uncomfortable. However, now that Su Tang sat in a far corner, it felt as if there was a distance between them, which made her feel even more uncomfortable.

Su Tang had just taken a bite of the mutton and was chewing when he heard Xi Xiaoru’s words. He did not know whether to stand up or keep sitting; he felt both amused and frustrated.

Fang Yizhe was still seriously adding wood to the bonfire, but his eyes were full of smiles, clearly struggling to hold back his laughter.

“Chief, how did Little San offend you?” Zhou Qian asked in a curious low voice. She could tell that Xi Xiaoru was doing it on purpose.

“It is none of your business, go away,” Xi Xiaoru said impatiently.

Zhou Qian stuck out her tongue and glanced at Su Tang with a sympathetic look.

“Chief, why did you all come to Yunshui Marsh as well?” Fang Yizhe asked slowly, intentionally changing the subject.

“We are tracking some Martial Artists,” Zhou Qian said.

“What kind of Martial Artists?”

“Ask Little San, he knows,” Zhou Qian pointed at Su Tang.

“ They are a bit special, they do not seem to be from Red Leaf City,” Su Tang said. This was because the Wandering Martial Artists from Red Leaf City would show some fear or respect when they saw Xi Xiaoru, but those people looked very calm and were willing to pay the bridge fee readily just to avoid trouble; they wanted to enter Yunshui Marsh as quickly as possible.

“What kind of clothes were they wearing? What weapons were they carrying? What did they look like?” Fang Yizhe asked several questions in a row.

Anyone else would have only been able to give a general description, but Su Tang’s memory was amazing. Even after several days, he still remembered the physical characteristics of every person. He could even describe clearly who had a scar where, or who had a mole where.

Fang Yizhe frowned and thought for a long time, then nodded. “They are not from Red Leaf City. I have never seen them. Brother Su, are you sure you are not chasing in the wrong direction?”

“I am sure,” Su Tang said.

“If the direction is correct… then they could only be going to those two places…” Fang Yizhe murmured while thinking.

“How do you know?” Lu Feixia asked. Rather than being curious, she was looking for a chance to talk with Fang Yizhe.

“Since this is your first time entering Yunshui Marsh, you might not know that all the beasts here have their own territories,” Fang Yizhe explained patiently. “For example, Two-headed Crocodiles are mostly concentrated in the muddy swamp areas. For example, Man-eating Vines are only found on the high mountains and steep ridges deep within Yunshui Marsh. Or, if you want to catch Evil Water Wolves, you can only go to the Evil Water River. There are no roads in Yunshui Marsh; it is open in all directions. Since they have a goal, they will certainly walk in a straight line, so it is easy to guess.”

“Evil Water Wolf? That name sounds familiar…” Lu Feixia tilted her head and recalled.

“Evil Water Wolves are a pack of wolves unique to Yunshui Marsh. They are different from ordinary wolves; they are used to living in the water. Their bodies are smaller than ordinary wolves, but their tails are several times longer,” Fang Yizhe said. “Relying on those long tails, Evil Water Wolves swim extremely fast in the water.”

“Right, the leather armor of the Black Wolf Guard in the Chief’s family, is it…”

“That is correct. The leather armor of the Black Wolf Guard is made from the skins of Evil Water Wolves,” Fang Yizhe said. “The skin of an Evil Water Wolf is extremely tough and hard for blades or swords to damage. Although Brother Su’s archery is sharp, it would not be very useful if he encountered the Black Wolf Guard, haha…”

“Little San, come here,” Zhou Qian beckoned with her finger.

“What for?” Su Tang walked over suspiciously.

Zhou Qian grabbed Su Tang’s arm and groped randomly over his body with her other hand. After a while, she asked in surprise, “Eh? Where on earth did you hide your bow?”

In fact, everyone was curious about this question, especially Fang Yizhe, but he had never asked. This was a personal secret. Not to mention they had just met, even long-time best friends could not ask randomly, as it might affect Su Tang’s personal safety. Zhou Qian did not think that much; she truly treated Su Tang as a brother and felt there should be no reservations or secrets between brothers.

“I do not have a bow,” Su Tang said. “I practice a family Martial Formula.”

“No bow?” Zhou Qian was shocked, and Xi Xiaoru, who had been listening carefully, also widened her eyes. She had never heard of such a Martial Formula.

“Little San is from Mount Peng, what is so surprising about it?” Lu Feixia said.

“I am not from Mount Peng,” Su Tang said with a bitter smile. “My home is just close to Mount Peng.”

“Little Fang, are Evil Water Wolves very rare?” Xi Xiaoru changed the subject.

“Not rare, there should be a few thousand of them,” Fang Yizhe said. “They occupy the entire Evil Water River.”

“Since there are many, why is the Black Wolf Armor still so expensive?” Xi Xiaoru asked.

“Chief, hunting Evil Water Wolves is not an easy task,” Fang Yizhe said. “The combat power of Evil Water Wolves is very fierce. If too few people go, they just become food. If too many people go, the wolves feel threatened and will immediately hide at the bottom of the Evil Water River. Large sections of the Evil Water River are over a hundred meters deep, which is not suitable for us to fight. Going into the river to catch them… that would be madness.”

Xi Xiaoru understood. They chatted for a while longer, and Xi Xiaoru invited Fang Yizhe to join them. At the very least, he could lead the way, or at worst, find some suitable campsites. Looking at the surrounding scenery and thinking about the experiences of the past few days, Xi Xiaoru could not continue to trust Su Tang…

Fang Yizhe readily agreed. During the day, Xi Xiaoru and the others had acted righteously to help him once, so he naturally wanted to repay them. Moreover, he had a very good impression of Su Tang and felt he should make friends with him.

The next day, everyone ate quickly and continued forward under the guidance of Fang Yizhe. Fang Yizhe had entered Yunshui Marsh at the age of fifteen and had wandered alone for five or six years, so he was very familiar with the environment. With him leading the way, everyone clearly felt much more relaxed because they could always avoid dangerous environments and walk on relatively comfortable paths.

On the third day, they had searched both places Fang Yizhe guessed, but there was no sign of anyone. Then Su Tang discovered tracks; those Martial Artists were actually continuing deeper into Yunshui Marsh.

“If we go further, we will enter the Inner Marsh,” Fang Yizhe seemed somewhat hesitant.

“What is wrong with the Inner Marsh?” Xi Xiaoru asked confusedly.

“Chief, you should be able to sense that the Spiritual Qi here is already very thick.”

“That is true,” Xi Xiaoru said. “If one could practice Cultivation here in peace, the progress would definitely be much faster than in Red Leaf City.”

Although she said this, Cultivation was not only related to the Spiritual Qi of the external environment but was also affected by many other factors. In Red Leaf City, Xi Xiaoru could mobilize countless resources, and if she encountered a bottleneck, she could get guidance from her elders. More importantly, Red Leaf City was very safe. If she entered a meditative state here, who would protect her?

“The Spiritual Qi in the Inner Marsh is much thicker than here,” Fang Yizhe said with a bitter smile. “I heard there are many, many terrifying things inside. Not to mention us, even a Grandmaster might not be able to ensure their own safety.”

“How do those people dare to go in?” Zhou Qian asked.

“I do not know…” Fang Yizhe shook his head.

Everyone looked at each other. Although they had not had enough of these adventurous days, they still had basic reason. If even a Grandmaster did not dare to wander blindly, why would those people?

Su Tang began to hesitate in his heart. Just then, a faint and sorrowful voice appeared in his mind: “Mommy… save me…”

Su Tang was stunned and looked around. Xi Xiaoru and the others looked normal with no change. Could he be having a hallucination?

Su Tang waited for a moment, and the voice did not appear again. He breathed a sigh of relief, and just as he was about to speak, his brain region vibrated again: “Mommy… save me… I am so scared…”

Su Tang froze for a moment and looked around again, but still found nothing. He frowned, coughed, and said, “Cough… did you guys hear any sound?”

“No.”

“What did you hear?” Xi Xiaoru asked back.

Su Tang took a sharp breath. He suddenly felt his scalp tingling and said urgently, “This place is a bit strange, let us leave quickly!” After speaking, without waiting for Xi Xiaoru and the others to respond, he turned and walked back quickly.

“Mommy… do you not want me anymore… do you not want me anymore… save me…” The voice affected Su Tang’s brain region again.

Su Tang’s footsteps suddenly froze. Xi Xiaoru asked, “What exactly did you hear?”

“The voice said…” Su Tang said with difficulty, “Mommy, save me…”

Xi Xiaoru and the others immediately burst into laughter. If it had been one of them saying it, it would be nothing, but Su Tang was clearly a man, making these words sound exceptionally ridiculous. Zhou Qian patted Su Tang’s shoulder with a smile. “Wow… Little San has a baby, hee hee… let me touch…”

Su Tang suddenly roughly knocked Zhou Qian’s hand aside. The voice affecting his brain region had become trembling: “It hurts… it hurts so much… Mommy, come save me quickly…”

A towering rage that could not be described in words surged in his heart, completely controlling Su Tang’s mind. He had to get there; he had to tear something into pieces!

“Little San?!” Xi Xiaoru called out urgently.

But Su Tang did not look back and charged straight toward the Inner Marsh.