Chapter 43: Brothers in the Slaughter Space
The sky was high and clear, the clouds light, and the wind gentle.
In the blink of an eye, two days had passed, and Zhu Zhuqing was getting closer and closer to Heaven Dou City.
"Wasn't Tang Hao the one who killed the former Pope of Spirit Hall?"
As she ran, a mischievous idea suddenly surfaced in the girl's mind—a mind blessed with astonishing intelligence.
"What if we report Tang Hao to Spirit Hall? Say he was spotted near Suo Tuo City?"
It sounded like a decent plan. Borrow a knife to kill; let Spirit Hall deal with Tang Hao.
"…"
Inside the spiritual sea, Bai Lu fell silent for two seconds before asking in return,
"Good idea. And then?"
"Then Spirit Hall would send people to investigate and arrest Tang Hao, wouldn't they?"
The girl revealed a clear and somewhat foolish smile, speaking with straightforward sincerity.
"And what practical effect would reporting Tang Hao have?"
Bai Lu tossed out one question, then followed with two more.
"Do you think Spirit Hall would dispatch a large group of Titled Douluo to besiege Tang Hao just because of an anonymous report from a stranger?"
"Or do you think Tang Hao could be easily killed by Spirit Hall?"
"…Probably not."
Zhu Zhuqing honestly shook her head.
If Spirit Hall truly had the ability or determination to kill Tang Hao, how could everything have remained calm and uneventful for more than a decade?
In her understanding, Tang Hao had killed the Pope. That kind of blood feud should have driven Spirit Hall to mobilize all its strength and eliminate such an unstable threat as quickly as possible.
Even if they could not find him, there should at least have been public bounty notices spread far and wide.
Yet the reality was that while legends of the invincible Clear Sky Douluo circulated throughout the continent, Spirit Hall seemed completely indifferent.
"In that case, what benefit would reporting Tang Hao bring us?"
Bai Lu continued pressing.
"Uh…"
The girl pondered for a long time before finally blurting out two words.
"Emotional relief."
"…"
Bai Lu laughed helplessly. "Other than that?"
"…"
Zhu Zhuqing fell silent.
"Maybe… it would interfere with his and Tang San's cultivation. That's all."
"If Spirit Hall doesn't believe it, the report is useless.
Even if they do believe it and send people to investigate, aside from alerting the enemy and increasing the chance of Xiao Wu's identity being exposed, it brings us nothing but harm."
Bai Lu analyzed calmly and methodically.
"It could even disrupt our steady growth and completely cut off our opportunity to obtain Xiao Wu's soul ring and soul bone."
"So that's how it is."
Zhu Zhuqing had to admit she had been thinking a little too naively.
"And more importantly," Bai Lu's tone turned serious, "whether it's obtaining opportunities, increasing soul power, or developing various abilities, all of it requires time and a stable environment."
"Remember this: thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Never bully the poor youth."
"I understand."
Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath and nodded solemnly.
Once she grew strong enough, there would be plenty of chances to take Tang Hao's life.
"No rush. Slowly but surely."
Bai Lu's voice softened.
"He will enter the Slaughter Space sooner or later. I guarantee it."
"Mm."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded firmly, temporarily casting Tang Hao out of her mind.
At that moment, her cat ears twitched. She suddenly caught a sound in the distance.
"Ah!"
"Yaa!"
Not far away, shrill human screams mixed with beast-like roars echoed continuously.
"Something's happening."
Zhu Zhuqing halted, her brows knitting slightly.
"It sounds like fighting, but more like a one-sided slaughter by wild beasts," Bai Lu confirmed.
"Logically speaking, this isn't too far from the Heaven Dou Empire. There shouldn't be soul beasts attacking here."
"I'll go take a look."
The kind-hearted little kitty did not hesitate. She turned and sprinted toward the source of the noise.
Soon, she reached the top of a small hill and looked down at a nearby village.
"This…"
Even Zhu Zhuqing, who had grown accustomed to killing, could not help but shrink her pupils at the sight.
Half the village had already been destroyed. Thatched cottages burned fiercely, thick smoke billowing into the sky.
Dozens of corpses lay scattered across the ground—elderly people, men, and children.
Blood dyed the soil red, and the air was heavy with the stench of iron.
At the center of the village, a group of bandits nearly two meters tall was wreaking havoc.
They had muscular bodies covered in thick gray fur, protruding lips, faces painted with crude markings, and enormous canine teeth bared in savage grins.
These bandits were slaughtering villagers and violating women. The scene was brutally bloody.
"Wolf Bandits."
Zhu Zhuqing's face turned icy.
These evil creatures were born from the union of Stormwind Demon Wolf and a human woman. Cruel and bloodthirsty, they delighted in plunder and massacre.
They usually operated in tribes, launching sneak attacks on villages to seize food and women while killing and devouring everything else.
"Wolf Bandits are physically strong and can wield wind-element power. Their strength is roughly equivalent to that of soul masters around ranks twenty to thirty. Their intelligence also surpasses that of ordinary soul beasts."
Within the spiritual sea, Bai Lu explained calmly.
A cold glint flashed through Zhu Zhuqing's eyes.
"My fate with wolves really runs deep."
At present, the Slaughter Space contained more wolves than any other type of soul beast.
Bai Lu suggested, "Since fate has brought you together, why not let them enter the Slaughter Space and become brothers?"
"Good idea."
Without hesitation, Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward. A red glow lit up around her body.
The Slaughter Skull Bone activated.
"White Tiger Slaughter Formation."
She murmured inwardly. Faint blood-colored ripples spread outward from her as the center, instantly covering the entire village.
In the next moment, the army of undead within the Slaughter Space awakened and crossed through the formation into the outside world.
Led by the Stormwind Demon Wolf King, the Vigorous Vajra Bear, and the Vajra Tiger, three powerful undead commanders surrounded the wolf bandits.
A dangerous crimson light shone in their eyes.
"Rrgh?"
Suddenly encircled by beings that seemed even more sinister than themselves, the wolf bandits showed signs of panic.
But Zhu Zhuqing had no intention of giving them time to adjust.
Her gaze turned icy. A red glow flickered in her eyes as she issued the command in her heart.
"Kill."
"Roar!"
Wolf, tiger, and bear took the lead, charging forward with fangs and claws bared.
The Stormwind Demon Wolf King transformed into a green whirlwind. Wherever it passed, a wolf bandit was torn cleanly in half.
The Vigorous Vajra Bear crashed forward like a war chariot, its palms glowing. Each strike sent a wolf bandit flying.
The Vajra Tiger was the most savage of all. Like a berserker, it plunged into the enemy ranks, its claws, tail, and fangs all becoming weapons of slaughter, biting and tearing wolf bandits apart.
The rest of the undead army did not rush in mindlessly. Under Zhu Zhuqing's remote command, they formed groups of three to five and executed coordinated encirclements.
Several undead would attack from different directions, knocking a wolf bandit off balance before pouncing together and tearing it to pieces.
The wolf bandits tried to resist, but before the absolute gap in strength and numbers, they had no power to fight back.
It was a one-sided massacre.
In less than three minutes, the wolf bandit tribe was nearly annihilated. Blood stained every inch of the village.
One by one, their souls emerged, glowing faintly yellow, only to be mercilessly devoured and transformed by the Slaughter Formation.
Seconds later, the fallen wolf bandits joined the undead army, casting fervent gazes toward their new "family."
Zhu Zhuqing watched calmly, without the slightest trace of sympathy.
These evil creatures deserved death.
Just as the last wolf bandit was torn apart and victory was secured—
A sudden change occurred.
A semi-transparent figure quietly appeared behind the girl and launched a lightning-fast ambush.
End of Chapter