Chapter 228: Chapter 227: Fanciful Thinking

’Actually, when I think about it, the way I handled Zhao Deyi’s death was a bit sloppy...’

On his way back, carrying the corpse of the Hidden Wind Valley Elder, Wu Chen reflected on his recent actions and realized he hadn’t handled things perfectly.

’After all, the Hidden Wind Valley Elder killed Zhao Deyi, and I killed the Elder right after. The timing was just too tight.’

’Perhaps to the guards who were with Zhao Deyi, it looked like I saved their lives.’

’But to the powers behind Zhao Deyi, they would just think, "Why didn’t you get here sooner?"’

’You’re just asking to die!’

’The normal thing to do would have been to let the Hidden Wind Valley Elder keep running or keep killing, and then I would show up late.’

’That way, saving the day would have looked smoother, and I could have let the survivors weep with gratitude.’

’Afterward, they definitely wouldn’t have complained about me being late. Instead, they’d just be glad I showed up at all!’

’Otherwise, they’d all be dead.’

But Wu Chen couldn’t afford to wait that long.

The round trip would take at least a quarter of an hour, and he couldn’t guarantee that the five Silver Wolf Captains and Sun Yuting’s group could hold out against the Ape Demon for that long.

Hurrying back to the mountainside, Wu Chen looked up and saw just what he expected: the five Silver Wolf Captains were being dragged all over the place by the chained Ape Demon, their footing unsteady.

The explosive Qi Power of this Demon Race member was something even five Silver Wolf Captains couldn’t handle!

Although the Ape Demon still appeared to be bound by the iron chains, in reality, it would break free in less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea and slaughter every one of the Silver Wolf Captains.

Wu Chen then looked over at Sun Yuting.

This Golden Eagle Captain was doing fairly well, still trading blows with the Ape Demon. It seemed she had some real skill.

She wasn’t just for show.

"Everyone, hold on a little longer! Once Captain Sun is free, we’ll be able to take down this Ape Demon!"

One of the Silver Wolf Captains, sensing their faltering morale, let out a shout and bit the tip of his tongue. The qi within him immediately surged to its peak.

His muscles bulged, and the strain of circulating such intense qi distorted his face.

The other Silver Wolf Captains did the same. After that shout, their Qi Power erupted once more. The chains wrapped around their arms cut deep into their flesh, but despite the agony, they didn’t dare loosen their grip in this life-or-death struggle.

For the moment, they had stabilized the situation.

Their eyes were fixed on the chained Ape Demon, and they occasionally slashed out with their sabers to fend it off. At the same time, their ears were pricked, listening carefully for any movement around them.

Besides Captain Sun, they were paying special attention to the young man’s every move.

But then they remembered that he hadn’t made a move to help them so far.

The men knew this Ape Demon was likely not that easy to deal with.

’The five of us can barely hold this Ape Demon back; we can’t subdue it. Even if he’s shockingly powerful, how could one person possibly take down an Ape Demon so easily?’

Thinking this, a new thought popped into their heads:

’Doesn’t that mean that the five of us, working together, could match that young man?’

"..."

Seeing that the men had exhausted themselves and were at their breaking point, Wu Chen stopped watching. With a single leap, he appeared in an instant before the Ape Demon bound by the five iron chains.

Before the five Silver Wolf Captains—or even the Ape Demon itself—could react, Wu Chen rapidly struck with his sheathed saber, hitting various points on the Ape Demon’s body.

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!—

The ferocious force penetrated the Ape Demon’s physique, shattering the bones in its limbs.

From start to finish, all the Ape Demon saw was a flash of darkness. It didn’t see what happened at all before a bone-shattering pain shot through its limbs.

It tried to howl, but in the next moment, its throat was crushed, and it couldn’t make a sound.

The long saber fell from its grasp, landing with a CLANG. Its body crumpled limply to the ground.

"It’s Lord Wu!"

The five Silver Wolf Captains felt the taut force on the iron chains suddenly vanish. Looking up, they saw a tall figure who had appeared at some point in front of the Ape Demon. Only then did they realize what had happened:

Wu Chen had subdued the Ape Demon and was now free!

"Thank you for your help, Lord Wu!"

The Captain known as Fang wiped the sweat from his brow, walked forward, and gave Wu Chen a respectful fist-and-palm salute.

His short frame was clad in brocade robes that were now soaked with sweat, sticking to his body and making him look utterly wretched.

Looking at the dead Ape Demon, he first breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to the young man with a sheepish grin and said:

"I didn’t expect this Ape Demon to be so..."

He had originally thought that Wu Chen was only able to kill the Ape Demon so easily because the five of them had it tied down.

But then his gaze fell on the corpse in Wu Chen’s hand. His expression grew solemn, and his words trailed off.

At first, he thought Wu Chen was holding the corpse of an Ape Demon.

Only now did he see clearly that it was the Hidden Wind Valley Elder who had fled!

The five Silver Wolf Captains who had gathered around looked at each other, utterly bewildered.

’So, not only did he kill a demon, but he also had time to chase down the fleeing Hidden Wind Valley Elder and kill him—an Elder who was by no means weak?’

’And then he still had time to come back and help us?!’

The entire group suddenly felt their faces burn with shame.

’Just moments ago, they had thought he was struggling with a single demon, unable to handle it, and that the five of them together could match his strength!’

’Now they saw that it wasn’t just wishful thinking—it was pure fantasy...’

"Ahem, Lord Wu... so, should we go help Captain Sun now?"

Fang quickly changed the subject. As for the Ape Demon on the ground, he was truly too embarrassed to claim any credit for it.

In fact, just looking at it made him feel ashamed.

"Hmm..."

Wu Chen went along with the Silver Wolf Captain’s suggestion, his gaze turning toward Sun Yuting. His tone became thoughtful.

He saw the graceful figure fighting the Ape Demon to a standstill. Barring any surprises, and assuming she still had a trump card to play, it was only a matter of time before the Golden Eagle Captain took down this Ape Demon.

Wu Chen asked, somewhat conflicted:

"Helping is no problem, of course, but it doesn’t look like Captain Sun will have much trouble taking this Ape Demon down on her own."

"The problem is, we say we’re ’helping,’ but if we jump in, we’re actually stealing the Captain’s merit. That wouldn’t be right, would it?"

"..."

Hearing this, the group of Silver Wolf Captains stared at each other blankly. On second thought, they realized he had a point.

They couldn’t win, so they needed help, and they were willing to give up the shamefully earned credit.

But Sun Yuting was a Golden Eagle Captain. For her, killing the Ape Demon was only a matter of time. If they went to "help" now, it would just seem like they were being meddlesome.

Given the social politics at play, they had no choice but to seriously consider Wu Chen’s words.

In the end, they decided to just cheer her on with their eyes.

"..."

At that moment, however, Sun Yuting only appeared expressionless. In reality, she was burning with anxiety. She brandished her standard-issue long saber with furious speed, slashing with all her might, but she was still only fighting the Ape Demon to a draw.

The massive Ape Demon, on the other hand, had a leisurely and content expression as it swung its saber.

"Little girl, this Ape Lord has taken a liking to that head of yours. Don’t you worry, once I pluck it from your shoulders, I’ll find a fine jug of wine to preserve it in. I’ll savor it every single day..."

The Ape Demon bared its inch-long fangs. With every word, a putrid, nauseating stench wafted from its mouth.

"Such big talk..."

Sun Yuting wasn’t so easily provoked as to lose her composure over a single taunt, but the Ape Demon’s breath did make her wrinkle her brow in disgust.

’Looks like I can’t drag this out any longer...’

She had thought she could take down the Ape Demon easily, but she had underestimated the power of the Demon Race. Worried for the safety of the five Silver Wolf Captains under her command, Sun Yuting decided to stop holding back.

She gently exhaled. A golden glint flashed silently in the depths of her eyes, and her aura surged.

CLANG!

She swung her saber again, a single blow sending the Ape Demon flying back forty or fifty feet. Seizing the opportunity, she quickly turned her head and shouted:

"Give me fifteen breaths! Hold on for just fifteen more breaths, and I can kill—"

She shouted to steady her troops’ morale, but she couldn’t finish her sentence. The rest of the words caught in her throat, unable to escape.

She saw them about a hundred feet away—the five Silver Wolf Captains and the young man, a group of six in total, all squatting in a neat row, watching her with leisurely gazes.

And in front of them were laid out the corpses of two Ape Demons, as well as the body of the Hidden Wind Valley Elder who had fled.

Sun Yuting stared in utter confusion:

"Huh?"

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