Chapter 194: Ambush

Someone was activating land again within Qiu Luoye's domain, less than half a kilometer away from the plots that belonged to Li Banfeng and Ma Wu.

Ma Wu looked utterly helpless. Li Banfeng, on the other hand, was genuinely confused. He still could not make sense of Qiu Luoye's and Shui Yongquan's attitudes.

Previously, the two land deities had gone to war outright over a single land activator. That alone had left him baffled. Now Qiu Luoye was on the verge of flying into another rage for the exact same reason.

Are land activators really that important?

Li Banfeng thought.

"Old Wu, why do land deities care so much about land activators?"

Ma Wu rubbed his chin. "I once saw something about it in a book. It said that only where there are people on the land will there be a god. As for the exact reason, it didn't explain."

Only where there are people on the land. It was the first time Li Banfeng had heard such a saying.

Ma Wu could not come up with a countermeasure. "Right now, Lu Xiaolan is activating land within Qiu Luoye's territory. If Qiu Luoye chooses to protect her, things will get troublesome."

Li Banfeng also felt it was tricky. "For Lu Xiaolan to think this far ahead, someone is likely guiding her from behind the scenes."

Ma Wu pushed himself to his feet. "Whoever is helping her secretly, we can't let her drive a nail into our own chest. I will start keeping watch today. The moment Lu Xiaolan shows her face, we'll kill her."

That very night, Ma Wu brought Little Chuan and Qin with him. They headed to the ambush spot they had chosen earlier and concealed themselves near the plot where Lu Xiaolan was activating the land.

According to Ma Wu's plan, it did not matter whether Lu Xiaolan personally took part in the activation or intended to claim the plot as its landholder. The moment she set foot on the land, they would kill her.

The first day passed without so much as a glimpse of Lu Xiaolan. Instead, they saw several land activators enter the plot.

Lu Xiaolan had not come in person. She had hired others to carry out the activation for her.

Ma Wu really wanted to kill those land activators as well, but Qin stopped him. "Wu, if you kill every land activator you see, aren't you just provoking Qiu Luoye again?"

Ma Wu knew Qin was right. If they were going to kill Lu Xiaolan within Qiu Luoye's territory, their strike had to be clean and precise.

Little Chuan whispered, "Then why don't we wait until the land activation is over before we make a move?"

Ma Wu frowned. "If we wait until it's finished, the moment she spots us, she will retreat into the plot she activated and it will be even harder to deal with her then.

"When someone hires others to activate land, the employer usually comes to inspect the site. Sometimes they even have to throw in water, rice, or medicinal herbs. I reckon Lu Xiaolan will show up within these two days."

The activation would go on for three days. Ma Wu kept watch in the wilderness the entire time, yet Lu Xiaolan never showed herself.

Little Chuan stood guard as well. The task was not especially exhausting, but it wore on him in its own way. Each day, Ma Wu still had to cultivate, and while he did, Little Chuan had to stay by his side, watching, listening, and remaining on full alert. That part was the hardest to endure.

Over the course of those three days, three roaming aberrations came to test the worthiness of the land activators. All three were fairly strong. It was clear that Qiu Luoye was not going easy on them. Yet each one was defeated.

The first aberration was a scorpion. With a single snap of its pincers, it could shear through a tree as thick as a bowl.

The scorpion entered the plot and never came out again. It had most likely died inside. As for what had happened during the fight, Ma Wu had no way of knowing.

The second aberration was a stalk of bamboo. It lasted the longest, holding out for an entire day. When its time was finally up, it had been worn down and defeated.

The third to enter the plot was a deer.

It remained inside for a full day as well, but it came out in far worse shape than the bamboo. One of its antlers had been snapped clean off, and it staggered out of the plot, dazed and unsteady on its feet.

Ma Wu sensed that something was off. He had seen this method of land activation before. The moment he recognized the pattern, he knew who was carrying it out inside the plot of land.

"Private investigator Daboinsky," Ma Wu muttered. "This is his usual tactic. He spreads spiderwebs across the plot first, then hides himself. Once the prey gets tangled in the webs, he strikes with venom and finishes it in one decisive blow."

That was Daboinsky's signature move and the foundation of his reputation as a land activation expert. His venom was especially effective against animal-type aberrations, particularly insects. The scorpion had almost certainly died tangled in his web.

However, his methods were far less effective against plant types. That was why the bamboo had managed to hold out until the very end. Plant-type aberrations were the kind Daboinsky least wanted to face.

Even so, despite the bamboo's resistance, he had still succeeded in activating the land. That was the true measure of his strength.

Three days passed, and the sky began to pale. The land activation had succeeded.

If Lu Xiaolan really intended to claim the plot, she should appear now. She would need to inspect it herself.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, a chill crept up Ma Wu's spine. He glanced at Qin beside him. Qin was the strongest fighter at his side, but her true form was a katydid. Although her cultivation stood one level above Daboinsky's, she would likely be restrained by him.

Little Chuan was only a level-one Artificer Cultivator. He had set the traps around their ambush site, but in a direct confrontation, he would offer little support.

The activation had already ended. Daboinsky could step out of the plot at any moment. If they truly ran into Lu Xiaolan now, it was no longer certain who would kill whom.

"Let's go. We are heading back first." Ma Wu reacted quickly and immediately left their hiding spot.

They had barely taken a few steps when a strand of spider silk caught Ma Wu's ankle, making him stumble.

Had Daboinsky already laid an ambush?

"Don't move." Qin steadied him and dropped into a crouch. Her gaze swept the area as she tried to pinpoint Daboinsky's hiding place.

Then a woman's voice drifted into their ears.

"Brother Wu, were you looking for me?"

Lu Xiaolan!

Ma Wu nearly felt his hair stand on end. They had waited three full days for her. Yet the moment she appeared, she frightened him to this extent.

Beside him, Little Chuan pulled out five signal flares and snapped them one after another. The first three failed. Only when he broke the fourth did one finally ignite. A streak of flame shot into the sky, but was it already too late?

Ma Wu shouted, "Qin, go!"

"Wu, don't rush!" Qin yanked Ma Wu aside and sprang to one side at the same time. A mass of spider silk shot toward them.

Ma Wu managed to dodge it. Little Chuan did not. In an instant, Daboinsky's silk bound him tight, wrapping him up like a dumpling.

"Chuan!"

Ma Wu tried to rush back and save him, but Qin grabbed him again. "Don't act recklessly. The area is covered in webs!"

The land activation just ended. Daboinsky should have only just stepped out

, Ma Wu thought inwardly.

How did he get here so fast? Doesn't he need time to find me? How did he know I was hiding here?

Qin crouched low, the two antennae atop her head swaying back and forth as if she still had not located the enemy. The truth was that Qin had already spotted Daboinsky. She was only pretending to search around for him.

Daboinsky was right above them. A strand of silk was slowly descending.

Qin could leap into the tree at once and fight Daboinsky directly. However, since he had been up there for some time, the branches had to be covered in webs. If she wanted to kill Daboinsky, the best method was to draw him away from the webs.

Qin kept her expression calm. Her front hands pressed against the ground. The middle pair slipped quietly to her waist and drew out two shuttle darts. Her rear legs tightened, ready to jump at any second.

The plan was straightforward. She would throw the darts first, force Daboinsky to dodge, and the moment he left the treetop, she would leap up and kill him midair.

It was a clean plan. However, the moment she pulled the darts free, a faint sound slipped out. It was the sound of a metal scraping against the pouch softly.

The sound was extremely faint, but it did not escape Xiaolan Lu's ears.

"She's seen you!" Lu Xiaolan shouted at Daboskiny

This was the most disgusting part about fighting a Spycraft Cultivator. Even the slightest movement could not escape their observation. And yet, even now, Ma Wu still had no idea where Lu Xiaolan was hiding.

Daboinsky made the first move. Suspended from a strand of silk, he swung away from the treetop. Qin had no choice but to change tactics. She launched herself upward, intercepting him in midair.

When Daboinsky was up in midair, he was clearly slower than Qin. As they closed in, Qin drew her short saber and was about to strike him down. Suddenly, she was hit from behind. Her body dropped straight down and slammed hard against the ground.

Who just ambushed Qin?

Ma Wu thought. Suddenly, he heard these sounds.

Grrk-rrk-rrk!

It was not a hand that struck. It was a tongue. Zhuo Yuling was beneath the tree!

Zhuo Yuling snapped her tongue out and hit Qin square in the back, dragging her down from midair as though she had been snagged and reeled in.

The instant Qin hit the ground, Zhuo Yuling twisted at the waist and swung her hips. Her long tail shot forward, stabbing straight toward Qin. This was her killing move. It could pierce clean through Qin's body.

At the last instant, Qin stamped down on Zhuo Yuling's tongue and used it as leverage, springing upward again and narrowly dodging the fatal strike.

Zhuo Yuling snapped her tail back around and lunged after Qin, continuing the attack without pause.

Qin moved first. One of her shuttle darts flew out and struck Zhuo Yuling in the hip. The timing was perfect. Just as Zhuo Yuling lifted her hip to drive the attack, the dart hit squarely.

Zhuo Yuling shrieked, a sharp, furious sound, and her magnificent tail, which had been so certain of its kill a moment ago, swung wildly off course.

Qin narrowly avoided the strike. Before she could regain her footing, Daboinsky lunged from behind and bit her.

With that bite, Qin's entire body went numb. Her limbs lost all strength, and she collapsed to the ground.

"Wu, run!" she shouted.

However, could Ma Wu really escape?

With Qin protecting him, Ma Wu might have stood a chance. Now he could only stall for time and hope someone had seen the signal flare and was on their way.

Zhuo Yuling reached down and tore the shuttle dart from her hip. The barbs ripped out a chunk of flesh along with it, and blood followed. Such a minor wound meant little to her.

Ma Wu's gaze flicked to Zhuo Yuling's eyes. He activated his charm ability, forcing her blood to rush downward.

Splash!

Blood burst from her hip.

Zhuo Yuling grabbed at the wound and gasped. She had not expected Ma Wu to use such a ruthless trick. The more agitated she became, the more violently the blood poured out. For a moment, she could barely keep her footing.

Daboinsky shot out a stream of silk and bound Ma Wu first.

Ma Wu failed to dodge. In the blink of an eye, he was wrapped up tight like a dumpling.

Daboinsky then turned toward Qin, clearly intending to take his time.

Qin had been poisoned. Like an insect caught in a web, she had almost no chance of escape. Every movement she made was under Lu Xiaolan's watch.

No one should assume Lu Xiaolan could not fight. Her martial skills were excellent, and she possessed spirit-bound items and enchanted artifacts.

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

In this situation, the outcome seemed decided.

Daboinsky only needed to wait. Once the venom spread deeper, he could kill Qin without taking any risk.

Dizzy and reeling, Qin still tried to think of a way to save Ma Wu, but her mind felt sluggish and empty. Then, in her despair, she heard Lu Xiaolan shout, "Finish it quickly. Someone's coming!"

Daboinsky was about to step forward and end Qin when he felt the ground tremble faintly.

"Who's coming?" He was extremely sensitive to vibrations.

Lu Xiaolan observed for a moment and said, "A bagworm moth. Hurry."

Bagworm moth...

All eight of Daboinsky's eyes flickered at once. His eight legs began to tremble. His body began to convulse uncontrollably.

Clutching her hip, Zhuo Yuling shouted, "Da Binzi, what are you waiting for? Hurry up..."

Ma Wu fixed his gaze on Zhuo Yuling. Blood spurted from her hip again.

At the same time, Daboinsky leapt away. Without sparing anyone another glance, he vanished into the night fog.

"Da Binzi! Spider Bin!" Zhuo Yuling called several times, but there was no reply.

The bagworm moth was getting closer. And someone else was coming too, running even faster than the moth.

"Mother, what do we do?"

"Go!" Zhuo Yuling grabbed Lu Xiaolan, and the two disappeared into the darkness.

Li Banfeng arrived soon after and tore the spider silk off Ma Wu and Little Chuan.

Swallowie rushed over as well. She glanced at Qin and let out a mocking snort. "Useless woman. What good was it for the handsome little fella to bring you along?"

Qin had no strength left to argue. She lay on the ground, unable to get up.

Ma Wu lowered his voice and said to Li Banfeng, "Someone sold me out. We have a traitor among us!"

Author's Note:

PS: Who is the traitor?