Chapter 104: Collecting Protection Fees! Hand It All Over!
After playing a round of cards, Mu Qingtong lost interest, leaving the remaining three to continue their game of Landlord around the silver tree stump.
Cha Naxue stood in the shadows, silently observing Xia Feng for a while. This childhood friend of hers hadn't changed—still laid-back, fond of games, and seemingly lacking ambition.
"Hehe~ Everyone, are we all here?"
Gongsun Ze and You Lina emerged slowly from the dense forest.
Taoist Chen glanced up, his gloomy eyes narrowing at the man.
Gongsun Ze shook the golden key in his hand and chuckled. "What? Captain Chen thinking of robbing me? I'd be happy to oblige."
Chen Xingdao brushed his sleeves and made to stand, but Xia Feng's voice echoed in his mind: "Master Chen, ignore him. Trust me on this."
Chen Xingdao shot Xia Feng a look, frowned, and sat back down, replying via mental transmission: "Are you sure?"
Beside him, Cai Kuihua fidgeted nervously. "Brother Xia, do you really have a way to steal Wen Zaiye's body?"
"Relax. I got lucky today and found something good."
Xia Feng gathered the playing cards from the silver tree stump, stacking them neatly over a small, finger-sized hole in the center.
Earlier, on his way back, he had sensed something from the silver key.
The closer he got to the starting point, the stronger the sensation grew.
From the information he gleaned, this silver key didn't grant access to the treehouse—instead, it had the power to forcibly seal off the disaster zone!
With that in mind, he had devised a solid plan. There was no need to fight Gongsun Ze for the golden key at all.
Seeing the Holy Department agents show no intention of snatching it, Gongsun Ze smirked. He wasn't surprised. These agents, content to sit around idly, wouldn't risk their lives for a mission.
Whoosh—
Just then, Cha Naxue and Yin suddenly lunged toward him!
"Heh~ You can't stop me." Gongsun Ze's form dissolved into red mist, only to reform in front of the treehouse.
He glanced back at the group with a mocking grin. "Sister Naxue, lovely Mu, wait for me~"
With that, he pressed the golden key against the barrier, sinking into the seal and vanishing.
Cha Naxue halted, her frown deepening. Once again, Gongsun Ze's slimy smile had left her thoroughly disgusted.
"Is the Spade Man still not showing up?" She scanned the area, a slight unease settling in her chest. Perhaps the future she'd foreseen wasn't guaranteed after all.
It had only ever been one possible outcome, slightly more probable than others.
Sighing, she shook her head.
"Three of a kind."
"Double Kings!"
"Brother Xia, are you serious? Leading with Double Kings?!"
"Take it or leave it. No? Hmph—four twos!!"
Xia Feng's triumphant voice carried over, and Cha Naxue rolled her eyes. This guy actually had the nerve to keep playing cards. She had to admit, his audacity was something else.
Before the game could finish, Gongsun Ze emerged from the treehouse seal, carrying a man's corpse. He smirked at the group.
"Disaster zone cleared. Later, everyone!"
Wen Zaiye's body held not only the Moon God's Tears but also a divine artifact unknown to the others—the Ring of Anubis.
The ring appeared ordinary, devoid of any spiritual aura, yet it was a crucial relic meant to herald the arrival of the evil god Anubis.
Now, all he needed was to wait for the soul-summoning wood deep in the forest to mature into a full soul-summoning tree. Then, he could activate the Ring of Anubis and beckon the evil god forth.
However, opening the ring required roughly three minutes—and any interruption during that time risked backlash and failure.
Therefore, the Holy Department agents—along with Cha Naxue and her group—needed to exit the disaster realm first.
According to Gongsun Ze's plan, his men were already waiting outside to intercept them. There would be no escape for either the Holy Department or Cha Naxue.
As for unexpected complications? Impossible! This plan was flawless. It wasn't like some other god would suddenly show up, right? The thought almost amused him.
But now, there was still one problem.
As he bid his theatrical farewell, the people in front of him showed no signs of leaving. They just stood there, blinking at him.
"I said, the disaster realm is cleared." Gongsun Ze's eye twitched. "Aren't you leaving?"
Silence.
In truth, the moment Gongsun Ze announced his departure, Cha Naxue and Yin had tried to exit—but strangely, the disaster realm's seal remained intact. They were still trapped.
Suddenly—
The silver tree stump beside the Holy Department's four agents lit up, forming a circular barrier two meters in radius, enveloping them.
Gongsun Ze's gaze snapped to the stump's center, where a silver rod had been inserted into the hole. On closer inspection, it resembled a key.
Clap, clap—
Xia Feng dusted off his hands. "Alright, let's make this clear. This lovely little evil-infested realm? I've resealed it! Give it about an hour, and the corruption will start gnawing at your souls. First, madness. Then, death!"
His lips curled into a devilish grin.
"So! If you wanna live? Hand over every valuable thing you've got."
The four outsiders: "..."
Cha Naxue felt her mind go blank. So this was why Xia Feng had been so relaxed earlier—he'd already won?!
The situation had spiraled completely beyond her predictions. She'd assumed a first-tier like Xia Feng stood no chance against the second and third-tier fighters vying for the golden key.
Yin tilted her head, her usually blank face now puzzled. "Master, you seem—"
"Hm?" Cha Naxue turned to her, expressionless. "Yin, what is it?"
Yin blinked, then abruptly looked up at the darkened sky. "So dark. Must be dinnertime."
"Come on, hurry up! Who's going first?" Xia Feng called out.
Cha Naxue pressed her lips together. "...Xiaofeng, do I really have to pay too?"
"Nonsense."
"Nonsense means I don't—"
"It means pay up." Xia Feng rolled his eyes.
Cha Naxue: "..."
As the two bickered, Gongsun Ze's cheek twitched violently in the distance. Suppressing the urge to swear, he growled, "The Wisdom Fruit I brought can last another two hours."
"Oh? And?" Xia Feng blinked.
"..."
And? Gongsun Ze glared at the silver barrier beneath the Holy Department's feet.
He could sense it clearly—this formation shielded its occupants from the surrounding corruption.
His face darkened further.
If he and Cha Naxue teamed up to break the barrier, it might be possible. But the spiritual energy cost would leave them vulnerable. Chen Xingdao could finish them off easily—forget about summoning an evil god afterward.
"Damn it—" Gongsun Ze's nerves frayed. He couldn't leave the disaster realm now.
But if he stayed, Xia Feng's group would too—making it impossible to safely summon the evil god.
(End of Chapter)