Chapter 56: Lure Li Luo (1/2)
After Yu Lang and Lian Zhong made their pact, Yu Lang pulled out a bamboo whistle and blew a reedy and shrill sound out into the mist.
Zhao Kuo immediately redoubled his struggles upon hearing the sound. The four Eastpool students struggled grimly to pin him down.
Zhao Kuo's face was red from exertion, his tears streaming from frustration. He stared dementedly at Yu Lang as if he wished he could swallow him whole.
Seeing such a reaction from Zhao Kuo assuaged the last vestiges of Lian Zhong's suspicions. Relaxing, he was sold by Yu Lang's despicability.
That guy didn't have the slightest bit of backbone in him.
Still, that suited him just fine.
”Walk. Slowly.”
Lian Zhong ordered. Yu Lang began to shuffle forward obediently.
......
Within the gradually dissipating mist, Li Luo's eyes flew open.
He heard some whistles.
He frowned slightly to himself, his fingers tapping against the trunk of a tree as he listened to the whistles.
”Five? Probably Lian Zhong? Unlucky for those two,” he murmured to himself. Before their fishing commenced, Li Luo had established some simple protocols with the others. One of them was a rudimentary signal system.
If such a situation arose, those still free would embark on a rescue operation as soon as possible. If the enemy was too strong, they would enlist the help of other Southwind Academy students.
”Lian Zhong...”
Li Luo's mouth hardened, his fists curling around the hilts of his swords. A cold look crept into his eyes.
”I let you go the other time. Did you think I couldn't deal with you?”
Li Luo turned, heading towards the direction of the whistle without hesitation. He vanished into the fog.
......
Within the fog, a few figures were slowly moving forward.
In front, Lian Zhong was pressed up against Yu Lang. Behind, the four Eastpool students with Zhao Kuo wedged between them.
The whistle continued to ring out.
Lian Zhong scowled. ”Where the hell is he?”
”The fog's so damn big,” Yu Lang grumbled back irritably. ”Maybe he ran really far away?”
”Hurry up, then,” Lian Zhong snapped. ”You're wasting our time.”
Yu Lang hurriedly complied, blowing the whistle as hard as he could.
Unnoticed behind them, something stirred in the mist. A faint blur of watery light. While all eyes were forward, a palm stretched out from the mist and clamped down over the mouth of the person furthest back. A fist crashed into his temple and then unconsciousness followed.
The other three Eastpool students reacted immediately. ”AMBUSH!”
Ahead, Lian Zhong whirled about, angry and fearful. He turned straight into a blue ball of light sailing into his face.
Peng!
It exploded in a blinding light.
Those caught by it cried out and shut their eyes, feeling as though their eyeballs had been stabbed.
Zhao Kuo, who had shut his eyes in time, barged his way past three others and disappeared into the fog.
”Fuck, we've been had!”
Lian Zhong swore. In his rage, he swung his cleaver down at Yu Lang.
But a slight push off the balls of his feet, helped along by his wind resonant power, and Yu Lang was clear of the swing.