Asura in Arknights

"Is he still alive?" Jingzhe frowned.

Snakes are known for their strong vengefulness, so if that snake is still alive, she has to consider the possibility that it might jump out and cause trouble next.

Just its enormous size is enough to make Jingzhe wonder how to deal with it. If they were caught off guard and hit by it, their small bodies would almost certainly be on their knees.

Listening to their conversation, Yi's eyes flickered, and he seemed to be deep in thought.

"Moreover, that snake's ability is terrifying. It's not the soul-devouring ability we guessed, but something more fundamental... the ability to erase a person from the level of existence."

"I have personally experienced that feeling. If you are targeted by its eyes and cannot escape its gaze in time, you may really be wiped out of this world."

As they spoke, both of them looked somewhat troubled. A serpent god with intelligence was far more troublesome than any other random thing.

The only good news is that the snake is very large, and its movements are so powerful that they shake the earth, making it difficult for them to launch a sneak attack.

At this moment, Yi suddenly interjected, "I think that snake god should already be dead, so you don't need to worry about this matter."

"...What's the reason?" Jingzhe glanced at Yi and asked, "What do you know?"

"The reason... I really want to tell you, but unfortunately I can't," Yi said with a smile. "Just know that I won't joke around with my own life. This is my last clone."

The last clone?

Neither Li Ang nor Jingzhe believed his explanation at all.

However, what Yi said does seem to be true. He doesn't seem to need to joke about this kind of thing. Even if he wanted to use fake news to trick them, this news is a bit too clumsy.

If the giant snake is truly dead, there's really no need for them to delve into how its body disappeared.

However, Li Ang was thinking about a different problem at this moment.

'Can't' tell them?

Li Ang always felt that Yi was hinting at something, that there were secrets they shouldn't know, so they shouldn't bother trying to find out.

Could it be some kind of crisis that will be triggered as soon as the truth is touched?

So why was Yi, who knew the truth, unharmed?

Chapter Ninety-Three: Persuasion

Rubbing his temples, Li Ang figured that even if he asked Yi himself, he would just make up some excuse to brush it off.

However, Yi had concealed too many things, and even if he answered honestly, it was still a question whether Li Ang would believe him.

“If you can’t give a specific reason, I’m sorry I can’t believe you,” Jingzhe shook his head and said very seriously. “I also won’t joke about everyone’s safety.”

"That's a real shame... It seems we haven't built enough trust between us yet."

Although he said that, Yi's face showed no sign of it, as if he had just said it casually and it didn't matter whether Li Ang and the others believed it or not.

Is this an attempt to get noticed?

If it turns out that what Yi said is true in the future, then their doubts about Yi today will be transformed into an invisible 'guilt'. Even if they themselves do not actually have such thoughts, their vigilance towards Yi will be reduced to some extent.

Every word this guy utters is indeed driven by some purpose, making it impossible to guard against.

After discussing it with Jingzhe, they found that their previous plan didn't need much change. They just needed to change their route and try to go deeper into the mountains and forests.

They were so small compared to the snake, practically no different from a few ants on the ground. The forest could serve as excellent cover for their actions. As long as they weren't seen by the snake, its ability to act through sight would be useless. The only problem was that they had to endure the harassment of poisonous insects in the forest.

While Li Ang and Jingzhe were talking, they suddenly heard someone walking in their direction.

Turning around, I saw Zhao Youcai leading his son towards us. However, he looked dejected, as if his father had given him a severe beating.

He also secretly accepted this commission behind his father's back. If he hadn't been discovered, it would have been fine, but now his father caught him red-handed. He was already very lucky that he wasn't beaten black and blue on the spot.

"...Let's arrange it like this for now."

After ending her conversation with Li Ang, Jingzhe turned around and looked at the two people approaching, asking, "Is there something you need?"

"Sir, this is my son, Zhao Ping'an..."

Zhao Youcai seemed a little flustered, unconsciously rubbing his calloused hands. "I... I can take you to Lin Haifeng, so my son doesn't need to go, right... Sir, can he go back?"

“This…” Jingzhe seemed a little hesitant.

She remembered that Yi's only request just now was to take Yi and this young man named Zhao Ping'an to Tianyue Mountain? But now this young man's father has come to ask him to leave?

In fact, Jingzhe herself didn't care much. One guide was enough; having more wouldn't make a difference. Compared to the young man, Jingzhe preferred to trust the more experienced Zhao Youcai.

However... Yi insisted that the young man must be brought along.

Jingzhe glanced at Yi, and the other party quickly understood her meaning, stepping forward to volunteer.

"Lord Jingzhe, let me explain this."

"Then I'll leave it to you."

Jingzhe also readily handed the task over to Yi.

“This… old man,”

Nodding, Yi walked over to Zhao Youcai and began to talk to him, "I need to talk to you about this matter."

“Strictly speaking, I am his employer and have nothing to do with these people here. It’s just that our team encountered a flash flood and lost contact with the others, so we had no choice but to join forces with your team.”

"Yes, yes, Mr. Wu helped me a lot."

I don't know what Zhao Anping was thinking. Maybe he felt that if things continued like this, he might not get the final payment, so he chimed in from the side.

However, after his father slapped him, he could only remain silent.

"Leaving now would be a breach of our contract, and you would have to pay a large penalty."

"Of course, the money is a small matter. I can completely forgo the penalty for breach of contract. But have you considered this, sir? Even if we agree to let Zhao Ping'an leave... can he really return to the mobile city safely on his own?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Youcai was speechless.

Zhao Youcai was also self-aware; the team wouldn't turn back just because of his son.

In normal times, they wouldn't be too far in the Tianyue Mountains, and returning alone wouldn't pose too much of a danger. But by sheer coincidence, a flash flood broke out, and Zhao Youcai could easily guess what would happen here after the rain stopped.

With poisonous insects scurrying everywhere and various ferocious beasts starving after being trapped by the flood for several days, the danger in the mountains was several times greater than usual. Even he dared not go into the mountains at this time, let alone his foolish son.

"If he acts with us, at least he won't encounter any danger."

Zhao Youcai hesitated. These people had not only angered the Serpent God, but had also successfully escaped from the Serpent God's grasp. Perhaps this group could really reach Tianyue Mountain.

His knowledge was limited, and he didn't know exactly how dangerous the Tianyue Mountains were, but the fact that they had escaped from the snake god he worshipped undoubtedly proved their strength.

Zhao Anping noticed his father's hesitation, so he stepped in and said, "Mr. Wu, let me talk to my father. I'm sure I can persuade him."

“Then it’s up to you,” Yi Wen smiled gently. “Whatever the outcome of your discussion, I will support your decision.”

After obtaining Yi's approval, Zhao Anping pulled his father aside and earnestly persuaded him.

After glancing at the two of them, Yi said confidently, "That should solve the problem."

“He’s already wavering; that kid will convince his father.”

What exactly are you after about that young man?

It's true that Yi wasn't lying, but his words were basically meant to mislead Zhao Youcai, making him give up the idea of ​​letting his son leave alone.

"Didn't I tell you? He's the guide, and we can't reach Tianyue Mountain without his help."

Hearing Yi's answer, Jingzhe couldn't help but frown.

However, if he continues to refuse to give a direct answer, there's really nothing Jingzhe can do.

"Alright, that's all I can tell you. How about we talk about something else, like... this rainstorm."

“We don’t know how long this downpour will last. Now that we’ve reached an agreement, I feel it’s necessary to remind everyone that we can’t be stuck here for too long.”

Chapter Ninety-Four Underground River

Isn't that obvious...? Who wants to be trapped here?

So many monsters and demons have appeared on the very first day of the flash flood. If it had stayed a few more days, who knows what other monsters and demons might have appeared?

They had already decided that if the weather didn't clear up by the next day, they would probably have to continue in the rain.

Although there may be many difficulties, it is still better than staying in one place.

But now, Tingyi's meaning... seems to be that he has another way?

"What, do you have another way?"

“Of course,” Yi said persuasively. “The ground passages are basically blocked by the flood, and even if you have the ability to fly, you can’t move forward in this storm, so… we can go underground.”

"Underground? Don't tell me there's a tunnel underground that leads straight to Tianyue Mountain."

Li Ang scoffed at this argument. If such a tunnel really existed, who dug it? Besides, why didn't Yi himself go through that tunnel? There must have been a trap set up inside, waiting for them to jump in.

“Of course it’s not a tunnel,” Yi shook his head. “Nobody comes here much, so how could anyone dig a tunnel? I’m referring to an underground river.”

“I know there is an entrance to an underground river nearby. By crossing that river, we can cross Linghai Peak in a very short time and reach the basin in the Tianyue Mountains.”

"..."

Li Ang's lips twitched involuntarily. "Going to the underground river in this weather? Are you sure?"

It's more like a tunnel; at least that would be a joke.

But Yi is now saying it's an underground river? Is he tired of living? In this kind of weather, entering an underground river means there's no other possibility than drowning.

"I think you've misunderstood. I was referring to an underground river that has completely dried up,"

Yi explained, “There will only be some river water there during the flood season; at other times, there is only a dry riverbed. Traveling along a good riverbed may not be faster than on land, and it is also more difficult to find your way, so the chances of getting lost are high.”

"But now it's different. The floodwaters have filled the riverbed, and we can travel by boat along the river."

If what Yi said is true, this plan does have a certain possibility, but the problem is...

"Where's the boat? We don't have a boat. Are we supposed to swim across the river?"

Making rafts by cutting down trees is unreliable now. None of them are good at swimming, let alone making rafts. It's not something you can just do by tying together a few pieces of wood. By the time they manage to make a raft that can carry people, the rain might have already stopped.

"There's no need to worry about that. The magic of this clone of mine is for controlling ice,"

As he spoke, Yi opened his palm, and Li Ang and Jingzhe could see several tiny blue ice crystals floating in his hand. "I can make a small boat out of ice. If only two or three people are on board, it can last until we reach the basin. The others can hide in Xi's painting."

Li Ang and Jingzhe exchanged a glance. Even the last problem had been solved by Yi. They both had a feeling that this was something Yi had arranged long ago.

Their chance encounter was something Yi could control, but surely the torrential rain in the sky wasn't something he orchestrated? Besides, his clones also suffered heavy casualties in the rainstorm, with only two surviving by sheer luck.

"Then, Ning..."

Seeing that neither of them immediately agreed, Yi turned his attention to Xuan Cheng, who had been standing there like a wooden stake ever since they came out.

Before the name could be uttered, Yi saw the somewhat unfriendly look in Xuan Cheng's eyes, so he readily changed his mind and said, "Xuan Cheng, what do you think of this method?"

After glaring at Yi, Xuancheng spoke to Jingzhe.

“Your Excellency, I know this fellow is not trustworthy, but we don’t have much time to waste, and the risks of advancing in the rain and going through the underground river are basically the same.”

Although it has been confirmed that the traces discovered earlier were left by Yi, this does not mean that they can wait here for the rain to stop.

You might capsize in an underground river, but you could also be swallowed by a flash flood if you venture out in the rain. There's essentially no difference, and the strategy might even be faster.

“…I need to think about it,” Jingzhe said.

“How about this,” Yi proposed another solution, “Since you can’t make a decision, why not ask other people for their opinions? Anyway, I’ve already given you the information, so the choice of what to do is in your hands.”

Jingzhe glanced at Yi with some suspicion, wondering what he was up to.

However, this method did her no harm at all. In fact, Jingzhe had already planned this, but Yi just brought it up first.

"Alright, let's ask what others think."

"Xuancheng, you and Yi wait here. I'll go and call the others."

Yi did not object, but stood there with a smile, watching Jingzhe and Li Ang walk towards the houses.

After walking a little further away, Li Ang used magic to cut off his conversation with Jingzhe and said, "Jingzhe, don't you think he's being a bit too eager?"

"...It is a bit strange, but everything he did was indeed helpful to us."

This is also something that puzzles Li Ang.

His intuition told him that Yi was definitely hiding something among these seemingly normal things, but he couldn't think of any clues and could only scratch his head and give up.

"Alright, let's talk about other things first. Regarding that underground river... he probably wasn't lying. He said before that he had infiltrated groups heading to the Tianyue Mountains more than once, and he actually reached the Tianyue Mountains. He might indeed know other routes. If we're going to take the waterway... I have no objection."

"That Zhao family father and son..."

If we're going to travel by water, wouldn't the two guides, Zhao and his son, be useless?