Wanyan Jun had planned well, but things didn’t unfold as he had hoped.
Since Valley Master Zhan had set a trap to lure them here, how could he not have a thorough plan?
If the trap was merely to confine them, wouldn’t it be a bit too simplistic?
“Pfft!”
Wanyan Jun, preparing to fight with all his might, suddenly spat out a mouthful of green blood.
“Oh no! We’ve been infected by the plague!”
Only now did Wanyan Jun realise the source of Valley Master Zhan’s confidence.
The plague was most intense in this manor within the entire Plague Valley, and the fog had turned a blood-red hue.
Unfortunately, the three of them, seeing that Ling Xiao was unaffected, assumed the dense fog was merely intimidating but harmless, so they entered carelessly.
Only now did they realise the severity of the situation.
“That damned Ling Xiao, infected by the plague himself and dragging us down with him. That kid is too cunning,” Wanyan Jun roared.
“Senior Brother, what’s the point of saying that now? Think of a solution quickly, or we’re both done for,” Chen Zui shouted anxiously.
“Take some plague-suppressing pills first. They may not help much, but they’ll buy us some time. Zhan must have an antidote on him. Kill him, and we’ll get it,” Wanyan Jun said, sweat dripping from his forehead, though he grew calmer. He took two pills from his storage ring and swallowed them.
They had come to the Plague Valley prepared with some medicine.
How effective it would be, however, was uncertain.
“The changes in my body have slowed, and my true essence is draining more slowly. It’s working!” Chen Zui exclaimed with joy.
“Good, but I don’t know how long it’ll last. I’ll handle Zhan, you take on the plague beast. Try to eliminate them as quickly as possible!” Wanyan Jun said before lunging forward.
“Hahaha, Junior Brother Wanyan, just surrender. It’s useless. The pills only delay your death. If you cooperate with me, you might have a chance to live. Otherwise, this place will be your grave!” Valley Master Zhan didn’t engage Wanyan Jun head-on, instead using his movement technique to evade.
The skull behind him continuously spewed thick green plague gas, making the air increasingly foul.
“You won’t escape, you fiend!” Wanyan Jun employed his movement technique, chasing desperately, but Valley Master Zhan was as slippery as an eel, impossible to catch.
On the other side, Chen Zui faced the plague beast.
Though the beast didn’t dodge, its body was incredibly tough. Chen Zui’s attacks landed on it with no effect.
The more they fought, the more plague gas they inhaled, and their bodies grew heavier.
Dizziness set in, and their true essence drained rapidly.
“Senior Brother Zhan, you said you wanted us to cooperate. How exactly do we do that?” Wanyan Jun, after chasing for a while, finally gave up in despair.
His desire to survive made him abandon the dignity of a Moonlight Sect inner disciple as he looked at Valley Master Zhan eagerly.
“Heh heh heh, have you come to your senses?” Valley Master Zhan was extremely cautious, always keeping a safe distance from Wanyan Jun, giving him no chance to ambush.
Meanwhile, Chen Zui also stopped attacking.
His prolonged attacks had been ineffective, only worsening his condition. He and Wanyan Jun were on the same page.
“We’ve come to our senses. We don’t want to die! As inner disciples of the Moonlight Sect, we have bright futures ahead. We absolutely can’t die here!” Wanyan Jun replied.
Chen Zui nodded in agreement.
“Heh heh, those who know the times are wise. You two are smart! But to show your sincerity, kill that guy over there first!” He was, of course, referring to Shangguan Lei.
Ling Xiao was already presumed dead.
Though Shangguan Lei was gravely injured, he was still a third-level Mortal Realm martial artist with robust true essence, and he hadn’t died yet.
Wanyan Jun and Chen Zui looked troubled.
Killing other Moonlight Sect disciples wouldn’t faze them.
But Shangguan Lei had entered the Moonlight Sect with them and had always been a close friend. Though they had considered abandoning him earlier, actually killing him made them hesitate.
“It seems you’re not very sincere,” Valley Master Zhan said with a cold smile.
“Senior Brother Zhan, we’ll do as you say, but how do I know you won’t kill us after we kill Shangguan Lei?” Wanyan Jun retained a shred of rationality.
“Hee hee hee, hahaha! Fools, you think you still have the leverage to negotiate with me? Believe it or not, I can kill you all at any moment,” Valley Master Zhan’s words were cold and cruel.
But that was the truth.
Whether Wanyan Jun and Chen Zui believed him didn’t matter.
“You can’t kill me! We’re good friends, brothers!” Shangguan Lei cowered in the corner, trembling, overwhelmed with fear.
He now deeply regretted coming to this cursed place for a mission on Hei Suo and Meng Yuan’s advice.
Even if they hadn’t come, Ling Xiao would have died from the plague anyway.
They thought they had everything under control, but in the end, they were about to be killed by their own brothers. What an ironic way to die.
“Sorry, Shangguan. If we make it out alive, we’ll take care of your family. Go in peace,” Wanyan Jun said, stepping closer to Shangguan Lei.
Suddenly, a palm strike came from behind.
It was Chen Zui.
“Chen Zui, what are you doing?” Wanyan Jun roared.
“You’re clever. If you kill Shangguan Lei, you get to live. What about me? I’ll kill Shangguan Lei!” Chen Zui turned against Wanyan Jun.
Human nature.
In this environment, three once-close friends, brothers, had completely turned on each other.
“Heh heh heh,” Valley Master Zhan just sneered, making no move to stop them.
It was as if this chaos was pure entertainment for him.
“Sigh, what a pair of fools. Falling for such an obvious scheme to pit you against each other,” a voice suddenly rang out from the corner of the lair.
Ling Xiao had returned to normal, sat up, and brushed the dust off himself. “If I’m not mistaken, the real Valley Master Zhan died long ago. What stands before you is just an evil spirit that has taken over his body.”
“Do you really think these evil spirits will spare you, rather than possess your bodies and infiltrate the Moonlight Sect?”
“Heh heh heh heh, not bad, kid. You even saw through that. Impressive,” Valley Master Zhan said, unfazed by Ling Xiao exposing his identity. After all, everything was still under his control.
