novelraw Chapter 84
Chapter 84
“Room Master, incredible!”
“They are dead! All three are dead!”
Chen Ergou’s fear had come swiftly—and vanished just as quickly. Seeing the last black-clad man float lifelessly to the surface, his eyes filled with unprecedented admiration and fervor.
“This is wonderful, Room Master! Let us go to the dock, find Old Qian, and notify the gang.”
“There is no need.”
Su Wangchuan lowered the Poplar Wood Bow, his tone subdued.
“Old Qian and the people at the dock are most likely already dead.”
Chen Ergou stared in horror, taking a long moment to process the words.
“What? Room Master… then how do we get back?”
“Keep your voice down. Stay here and do not move. There may be more attackers than just those three.”Su Wangchuan had already attempted to log out.
The system response was immediate:
“Currently within a temporary emergency event. You cannot leave the game…”
That meant the crisis at the Nu Tao Gang water stronghold was not over.
He did not want Chen Ergou shouting and drawing more enemies over.
Hearing that there were additional foes, Chen Ergou immediately shrank his neck and tightened his grip on his weapon, eyes darting around in vigilance.
Lowering his voice, Su Wangchuan analyzed quietly:
“This group of Nu Tao Gang remnants is extremely familiar with the stronghold. Since they struck the dock, they will not spare the Mine Tunnel…”
“There must be another group of black-clad men at the mine.”
At the thought of the thirty or forty players over there, Su Wangchuan felt a chill run down his spine. He grabbed his Poplar Wood Bow.
“Come.”
“To the mine.”
He moved swiftly through the forest, using the trees for concealment.
Chen Ergou followed closely behind, carrying the arrows.
Su Wangchuan did not dare imagine what would happen outside the game if over thirty players were killed here.
If possible, he wanted them to survive.
Only if they survived would he have a chance to survive as well.
Before long, he reached the area near the Mine Tunnel.
From a distance, he heard the clash of weapons echoing from inside.
Good.
At least they were not all dead.
That was something.
He quickened his pace and approached the edge of the forest. At the tunnel entrance lay two bodies clad in the attire of Yulong Gang Inner Disciples. They were already cold.
From inside came curses thick with killing intent.
“Damn it!”
“These laborers are vicious. They will use any trick!”
Three black-clad men retreated awkwardly from the tunnel, brushing off ore fragments and dust from their bodies.
One had been blinded by debris and turned toward the river to wash his eyes.
The other two guarded the entrance.
“Second Brother, what now? There are too many inside, and they fight dirty! They are throwing ore and rubble in our faces—we cannot see a thing. We cannot break in!” Fifth tore off his mask and gasped for breath. He had been struck dozens of times inside the tunnel and grimaced in pain.
Second ground his teeth.
“We cannot delay. Big Brother and Third and Fourth have not come to support us. They may have run into trouble. We must eliminate the survivors in the tunnel quickly and regroup.”
“Then we use fire! Smoke them out! I remember there is tung oil at the dock,” Sixth said, vicious light flashing in his eyes.
Second nodded without hesitation.
“Good. You fetch the oil. I will guard here.”
Sixth immediately headed toward the dock.
After splashing water on his face, Fifth leaned over and said through clenched teeth,
“I did not expect the people inside to be so alert. Especially those at the entrance. The moment they heard something, they retreated inside and rallied all the miners to counterattack… After all this time, we have only killed two miners.”
“It does not matter. Once Sixth brings the oil, we will set the tunnel ablaze. If the fire does not burn them, the smoke will suffocate them!”
……
Hearing this, Su Wangchuan crouched down and said quietly to Chen Ergou,
“You stay here. I will see if I can take out that Sixth while he is alone.”
“Please be careful, Room Master,” Chen Ergou whispered.
Su Wangchuan moved silently toward the dock.
He dared not face two black-clad men at once. He decisively targeted the isolated Sixth.
Sixth arrived at the dock and found the tung oil near the fallen constables. Sheathing his Hundredfold Steel Blade, he picked up a jar of oil in each hand.
“The three Quasi-Martial Artists at the dock are dead. That means the operation went smoothly. Where did Big Brother and the others go?”
He muttered to himself, glancing around.
At that moment—
A faint whistle cut through the air.
Sixth stiffened.
His eyes froze.
He slowly lowered his gaze and stared in disbelief at the arrowhead protruding through his chest.
In agony, he turned his head toward the forest behind him.
Thud.
He dropped to his knees. The jars shattered with a crash, tung oil spilling across the ground.
Su Wangchuan acted without hesitation.
WHOOSH!
Another arrow flew.
Before Sixth could breathe his last, the arrow pierced through his forehead, finishing him.
Su Wangchuan summoned his Status Panel.
Archery: Practice Makes Perfect; Next Realm “Entry-Level Mastery,” 21/500;
Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplar: Practice Makes Perfect; Next Realm “Entry-Level Mastery,” 13/500;
Both martial arts had progressed.
He was not sure whether Sixth had been a Martial Artist or a Quasi-Martial Artist.
At the very least, he had yielded 2 Experience Value.
Su Wangchuan also realized something else.
As long as a target was still alive when struck, it provided Experience Value. The system rated human enemies more highly than wolves.
In the future, if the opportunity arose, he could land a few extra arrows before delivering the killing blow.
With that hard-earned lesson in mind, he returned to Chen Ergou.
“Room Master?”
Chen Ergou’s face brimmed with anticipation.
Su Wangchuan nodded quietly.
“Only two remain.”
Chen Ergou’s eyes shone with even greater fervor.
Su Wangchuan calmly observed the two black-clad men outside the Mine Tunnel.
Second and Fifth waited for a while before gradually sensing something was wrong.
“Sixth should have returned by now.”
“Damn it.”
“Something happened.”
“Go! Leave immediately!”
Second and Fifth were veterans of the Nu Tao Gang. They knew the terrain well. Calculating the time, they instantly realized Sixth must have met with trouble. Without hesitation, they abandoned the tunnel and headed toward the river.
Su Wangchuan was momentarily stunned.
So decisive?
But he had no intention of letting them go.
He drew his bow and aimed at Fifth, who lagged behind.
TWANG!
Fifth heard the sound of air splitting but had no time to dodge.
The arrow struck him squarely in the back.
Second turned at the noise.
TWANG!
Su Wangchuan released another arrow.
Second evaded it with ease.
“I have found you!”
His footwork quickened abruptly. His Lightfoot technique surged as he charged toward the forest from which the arrows had flown.
“Sneaking rat hiding in the shadows!”
“You must die today!”
Second was clearly a Martial Artist. His eyes burned with ferocity as he bounded across stones and uneven ground as though on level terrain, closing the distance rapidly.
Su Wangchuan felt a surge of tension.
He loosed arrow after arrow—
But Second was experienced. Every shot missed.
Chen Ergou reacted quickly as well. Seeing Second closing in, he broke into a cold sweat. Gripping a short blade, he shouted toward the tunnel:
“Come out! All of you, come out!”
“There is only one black-clad man left!”
“If we fall, you will all die!”
Unexpectedly, Chen Ergou’s shouting caught the miners’ attention. Several men gathered their courage and peered out.
Arrows continued to fly.
Second dodged left and right, drawing ever closer to the forest.
At that critical instant, one miner suddenly hurled a handful of gray slag toward Second with all his strength.
Black dust burst into the air.
As Second instinctively retreated to avoid it—
Su Wangchuan seized the opportunity.
WHOOSH!
Predicting his movement, the arrow struck precisely into Second’s left arm.
“Ah!”
Second grunted in pain.
But he did not turn toward the miners.
Instead, he gritted his teeth and lunged forward toward the forest.
He understood one thing clearly.
If he did not kill the archer, he would die.
Once he entered the forest—
The archer must die.
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