Enduring intense pain, Simon Stone pressed down on his bleeding wound, realizing that one of his hands was no longer usable.
After an afternoon spent fleeing, he had narrowly escaped being surrounded several times and had even fought the Skyward Legionnaires at close range.
The fifty deaths those two Skyward Legionnaires mentioned were all Anna Yang's doing, but of the two hundred wounded, at least thirty percent were Simon's contribution. In those critical moments, he didn’t have time to deliver a fatal blow, which is why those who fought him managed to survive.
Panting heavily, he broke off a short branch and bit down on it, then cautiously followed the two, gripping his Cloudwalker Staff tightly.
Though he practiced the Way of the Wanderer, Simon’s cultivation was not the innate kind that ordinary demons grasped, but rather a thorough immortal Daoist technique. Because of this, he carried no 'demonic aura.' Combined with the stealth techniques learned from Jade Cauldron, his spiritual fluctuations were nearly imperceptible to most cultivators.
He quietly followed for a short distance until they reached a small stream.
One of the Skyward Legionnaires crouched by the stream, scooped up some water, and began vigorously scrubbing his armor.
The other Legionnaire walked over to a large tree nearby, lifted the front of his tunic, and relieved himself.
Behind the tree, Simon gritted his teeth and climbed with one hand.
"How long do you think it'll take to find him? That Monkey King's stealth technique is no joke. If only we had a signal flare to say we've found him, we could go back and rest." The Legionnaire scrubbing his armor looked up at the pitch-black night sky in the distance.
In the night sky, a brightly lit warship was slowly cruising, with Skyward Legionnaires constantly moving back and forth across its deck.
"Stop dreaming. Even if we spot him today, we won't catch up. Searching like this, we'll never find him. Once the captain gives up, we'll probably be ordered to withdraw."
As he pulled up his pants, that Legionnaire suddenly heard the rustling of leaves overhead.
He looked up, but before he could see what was hidden in the darkness, the Monkey King, riding his staff, plunged down from the tree, piercing through his visor and striking him squarely on the nose.
With a dull thud, the Legionnaire's helmet and head were both punctured, and he collapsed to the ground, dead.
"Who's there!" The Legionnaire still at the stream, scrubbing his armor, sprang up in alarm and drew the long blade from his waist.
Before he could steady his grip, the staff was pulled free and swept toward him.
With a single blow to the face, the remaining Legionnaire was left dazed, fumbling at his waist for a signal flare to call for help.
But he never got the chance. Enduring the pain in his shoulder, the Monkey King gripped the staff with both hands and swung it wildly, shattering every joint in the Legionnaire's body with a series of crisp cracks.
In the next instant, the tip of the Cloudwalker Staff pressed against the Legionnaire's throat.
The discarded torch crackled as it burned, its light illuminating Simon's face twisted in pain.
His mouth parted, revealing sharp fangs, as his breath formed a thin mist before his eyes.
The hand holding the Cloudwalker Staff trembled slightly.
The sole surviving Legionnaire lay on the ground, watching in terror, trembling. Pain wracked his body, his mouth opening in a silent scream, too afraid to call for help.
He knew that if he made a sound, this monster could send him to the King of Hell in an instant.
The Cloudwalker Staff pressed against his throat was warning enough.
Simon stared quietly at the Legionnaire, breathing heavily. The afternoon's escape had left him tense and exhausted, and the wound on his shoulder only made things worse.
This state seemed to push the Legionnaire's mind to the brink, for he knew he faced a cornered beast—one beyond reason.
"I... ask one question, you... answer one..."
The Legionnaire nodded silently.
"That bastard, where is Louis Wang now?"
"He was poisoned and sent back to Rainflower Monastery."
Simon struck, knocking the Legionnaire unconscious.
He pried open the Legionnaire's mouth and tore out his tongue.
He searched them for rope, binding the unconscious Legionnaire tightly to a tree, but left the corpses untouched.
Before dawn, when the Legionnaires counted their numbers, they'd find one missing. A soul-summoning would expose everything.
He was running out of time—he had to finish quickly and leave.
Looking up, he saw a streak of crimson fire sweep across the sky toward the military camp.
Gritting his teeth, he headed in the direction of Rainflower Monastery.
At that moment, Simon failed to notice a faint glow slowly emerging from the dead Legionnaire's brow, drifting toward his back.
......
Under the moonlight, the Heavenly Fleet's camp blazed with fire.
The selection of Skyward Legionnaires had nearly concluded, but today's events forced a pause. Outside the camp, countless cultivators still lingered.
After all the commotion, some rejoiced while others despaired.
On the only warship not sent to search for the Monkey King, countless vigilant Legionnaires paced with long spears, their white cloaks billowing.
A Legionnaire atop the lookout pole rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
In the distance, a streak of crimson fire raced through the night sky toward them.
His mouth agape, he shouted, "Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The horn sounded instantly, and chaos erupted in both the camp and the warship.
Before the Legionnaires could grasp what was happening, the crimson fire smashed a mast and struck the hull with a heavy blow.
The entire warship shook violently.
Below deck, in the spacious cabin, countless Legionnaires stared wide-eyed in shock.
As the crimson fire faded, a child, not yet ten, stood up on the charred floor. With twin topknots and armor adorned with lotus patterns, his delicate face left all stunned.
World Ring, Celestial Sash, Flame Spear, a red mark at the brow.
Even the most inexperienced Legionnaire could guess who had arrived.
The hand holding the Flame Spear paused, and dozens of Legionnaires in the cabin knelt in unison.
"I thought you'd stand and speak to me," Nathan Young said coldly, glancing at the Legionnaires then at the scorched hull behind him. "That pig-headed Peng is always boasting about shipbuilding, but this ship is no sturdier than tofu. Next time, I'll report him!"
He glanced at the Legionnaires groveling on the floor: "Where are the captives taken today?"
None dared lift their heads; one quietly pointed a trembling finger toward the nearby stairs.
Lead the way!
The Legionnaire who was told to lead the way quickly kowtowed, got up, and ran toward the stairs, hunched over.
......
"What just happened?" In the cabin below deck, the grizzled old Legionnaire who led today's hunt for the Monkey King clutched his helmet, looking at the others in panic.
The others stared back at him, equally bewildered and frightened.
"Enemy attack? How could there be an enemy attack here?"
By the wall of the cabin, Anna Yang, chained to a wooden stake, slowly revealed a faint smile.
Her once-white robe was now stained crimson.
"What are you smiling at?" the old Legionnaire barked.
"I'm smiling at how cowardly you all are!"
"You!" The old Legionnaire shot Anna Yang a look of disgust, then signaled to the deputy standing nearby: "Go out and take a look."
The deputy, receiving the order, turned and opened the wooden door—and was instantly stunned.