bookcurios Chapter 137 Guardian of the Forest
Chapter 137 Guardian of the Forest
Zhang Chulan and his companions carefully navigated the dense forest, each step weighing heavily. Suddenly, a deep roar shattered the silence, and a massive figure leaped from the trees, charging towards them. Zhang Chulan and his companions immediately dispersed, each seeking cover, fearfully facing this sudden attack.
"Grandma, what is this?" Zhang Chulan asked Grandma Jinfeng beside him while dodging the attack.
Granny Jinfeng's eyes were solemn, but her tone was unusually calm. "These are the guardians of the forest. They guard the secrets of this forest. But don't worry, anyone who has been here before will not be attacked when they come again."
Zhang Chulan felt relieved after hearing this, but then she remembered something: "Mother-in-law, why were we attacked before?"
Granny Golden Wind smiled slightly and explained, "That's because you haven't truly entered the core area of this forest before, but have only been wandering around the periphery. This time, you've gone deep into it, so the guardians will naturally be hostile to you. But since you've already been here once, they won't attack you again."
As they spoke, the huge guardian seemed to recognize them. Its roar gradually weakened and it finally retreated slowly into the bushes.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and continued on their way. Soon, they came to a stream. Several off-road vehicles were parked by the stream, but their tires had all burst and their bodies were riddled with bullet holes.
"It seems that a fierce battle took place here." Zhang Lingyu said as he carefully observed the vehicle.
When they got closer, they found several bodies inside the car. Their faces were ashen, but there was not a single scratch on their bodies.
"These people were also killed by insects." Li Qiankun squatted down, carefully examined the bodies, and came to this conclusion.
He looked up at Granny Goldwind and asked, "Granny, what secrets does this forest hide? Why are these insects so deadly?"
Granny Golden Wind sighed and didn't answer his question directly. Instead, she said, "The guardian of this forest is actually protecting something. Those who attempt to infringe upon this forest will be punished. As for what that something is, or why the insects are so deadly, I don't know. But one thing is certain: this place hides great secrets and dangers."
Upon hearing this, everyone was filled with curiosity and awe. They knew they had to be more careful to survive in this mysterious forest.
On the other side, Lu Liang and his sister were standing in front of a simple wooden house, discussing Ma Xianhong's progress.
"He has endured enough pain. How strong will he be after he is reborn?" Lu Liang asked with a sneer.
His sister glanced at Ma Xianhong lying on the ground with a cold smile on her face. "Whether he succeeds or not depends entirely on him. As long as he can follow our plan and take revenge on Li Qiankun, he will be a useful chess piece."
Lu Liang nodded, a fierce look flashing in his eyes: "That old fox Li Qiankun always thinks he can control everything. Humph, this time, we will make him suffer!"
As he spoke, he looked at Ma Xianhong and continued, "Remember, your mission is to get close to Li Qiankun, find his weakness, and then kill him with one strike. Only in this way can you prove your worth and gain our trust."
Ma Xianhong lowered his head, hatred flashing in his eyes. He nodded to show that he understood.
Lu Liang and his sister looked at each other and saw the expectation and determination in each other's eyes. They knew that if this plan succeeded, it would have a huge impact on their future plans.
Zhang Chulan and the others continued forward when suddenly a disgusting corpse appeared before them. The corpse was already highly decomposed and emitted a foul odor. Zhang Chulan could not help but feel nauseous and quickly covered his mouth and nose.
"Mother-in-law, what is this?" he asked in a trembling voice.
Granny Jinfeng frowned, but her tone was very calm: "Don't make a fuss, this is just a small scene. We might be targeted, be careful."
Zhang Chulan's heart tightened, and he quickly gripped his weapon, looking around warily. At this moment, Li Qiankun and the others also sensed the strange presence ahead. They quickened their pace, determined to investigate.
Soon, they reunited with Zhang Chulan and Grandma Jinfeng.
"There's a situation ahead." Li Qiankun said in a deep voice.
Everyone nodded and walked forward together. Suddenly, a burst of gunfire rang out, and several fully armed special forces soldiers and mercenaries rushed out from the woods and surrounded them.
The leader, a burly man known as the Bull, strode over and said in a booming voice, "Hey, isn't that Li Qiankun? Why are you here too?"
Li Qiankun frowned but didn't answer. Manniu didn't care and continued, "This isn't a good place. You should leave now."
Li Qiankun snorted coldly: "Since we are here, we will not leave easily. Who are you? Why are you here?"
Seeing that Li Qiankun and the others had no intention of leaving, Manniu removed his mask, revealing a resolute face. He sighed and said, "Brother Xiyue, we came here on a mission. I didn't expect to meet you here."
Li Qiankun looked at Manniu in surprise. He hadn't expected to see an old friend here. Manniu continued, "We didn't encounter any trouble along the way. We thought this area was safe. Now it seems we were too naive."
Granny Jin Feng listened impatiently. She snorted coldly and said, "You mercenaries, all you care about is money! This is not a place for you!"
Manniu frowned but didn't get angry: "Mother-in-law, we are also trying to make a living. Besides, we are not without strength."
Granny Jin Feng curled her lips in disdain. "Strength? Your mediocre skills are simply not enough here. The creatures here are more than you can handle."
Just then, a middle-aged man in a Taoist robe emerged from the woods. It was Xia Liuqing. He looked at the crowd with a smile and said, "Everyone, please don't be so hostile. Let's talk it out nicely."
He walked up to Manniu and patted him on the shoulder: "Brother Manniu, it's not that we look down on you, but this place is really not suitable for you. Your weapons are of no use here."
Manniu's face turned grim, but he remained calm. He said, "Brother, since we're here, we won't give up easily. If you don't want to cooperate, forget it."
Xia Liuqing smiled and said, "Of course we can cooperate, but the prerequisite is that you have to tell us your purpose."
Manniu was silent for a moment, but ultimately didn't reveal the specifics of the mission. He said, "We can't tell you our mission, but we can guarantee we won't conflict with you."
Xia Liuqing nodded: "That's good. You guys can go now. Things here are not for you to interfere."
Manniu led the team away. Zhang Chulan watched them from behind, filled with shock and curiosity. He couldn't help but ask, "Who are Qiankun and the others? Why are they here?"
Li Qiankun shook his head: "I don't know either. But I am sure they are not ordinary people. As for their mission, that is even more unknown."
Zhang Chulan frowned as he looked at the people around him who were pointing fingers at him and Li Qiankun, and he was confused. He felt very strange that these people seemed to know Li Qiankun.
"Who are these people from Qiankun? Why do I feel that they have bad intentions towards us?" Zhang Chulan asked in a low voice.
Li Qiankun smiled slightly and shook his head: "Don't worry about Chu Lan. They are just mercenaries and have nothing to do with us."
Zhang Chulan was worried. He felt the hostility in these people's eyes was not groundless. He took Li Qiankun's hand and whispered, "We'd better be careful. These people look difficult to deal with."