Chapter 263: Return? Mission Complete? (I)
“Mh.” Agares naturally didn’t answer immediately, only making an ambiguous sound.
As promised, Fengxiu changed the subject, “This time, there’s another reason why I had to look for you. Do you know what the Fiends discovered in the Desolate Hissing Cavern?”
Agares looked up, “I heard a bit about this affair, but the cavern is in the Fiend Territory, which is why I couldn’t investigate it thoroughly.”
Fengxiu disdainfully declared, “Sami Keane is really an idiot. He lost manpower numbering over a hundred, but still wanted to keep all the information to himself, trying to stay low-key on the matter. Does he really think he will be able to conceal everything from me this way? ”
Agares muttered, asking irresolutely, “Boss, do you think I should get involved in this?”
Fengxiu shook his head and replied, “There’s no need. After hearing about it, I used my mental energy to examine the area around the Desolate Hissing Cavern and didn’t discover anything, so there should be nothing valuable. Sami Keane is just looking for his own disgrace. As for his subordinates, they weren’t necessarily lost in the cavern. Maybe they ran into a human Demon Hunt Squad.”
Hearing those three words, Agares’ complexion immediately became unsightly. All the Demon Gods loathed Demon Hunt Squads, these unpredictable human powerhouses were a great enemy that could attack at any time. Agares alone had already been targeted by Demon Hunt Squads over ten times, and had once even been heavily injured.
Fengxiu wrinkled his brows, “This matter isn’t up to much, but recently, I felt that guy’s presence.”
Agares was shaken by these words, “That guy? The one you mentioned last time..?”
Fengxiu nodded, “The heavenly calamity… When the fifty second ranked Allocer previously reported it to me, I personally went to the Exorcist Mountain Pass to verify his presence, but could not find him. However, I felt his presence for real this time. Although it was in a weak state, that aura’s purity couldn’t be faked. The heavenly calamity very possibly really arrived in this world. It’s just that we can’t tell where he is right now..”
Agares took a deep breath, “Boss, you cannot let the heavenly calamity regain his strength no matter what, otherwise, this will be a disaster for us! In those years, our ancestors united with each other to seal him with difficulty, but it seemed that he still overcame the seal, forcing us to open a space rift to flee in this world. After such an all-out battle, shouldn’t the heavenly calamity be already dead? How can he…”
Fengxiu shook his head, “You don’t know the complete truth on this matter. In those years, the situation was truly complicated, but we weren’t the ones that had opened a space rift. Back then, our elders’ cultivation level was far from being high enough. Only the heavenly calamity could have created the space rift. As for the detailed course of events, it’s better that you don’t learn about it.”
Agares gazed up, “Boss, speak up. If there’s anything you want me to do, I will comply without hesitation.”
Fengxiu replied, “Dispatch all the powerhouses of your clan: we will launch an operation that will seemingly aim at the annihilating the human Demon Hunt Squads, but in truth, we’ll be looking for the heavenly calamity. He’s still in a weak state, but nevertheless, it won’t be easy to handle him. In case you discover something, don’t act blindly without thinking: I’ll have to be the one to intervene personally, if we want a chance to destroy him completely. You’ll have to keep these matters secret; aside from us three brothers, you can’t tell anyone, not even Sami Keane. This will avoid the rise of a panic among our underlings.”
“Yes.”
Fengxiu stood up, “But later is soon enough. Let’s have a drink first. You’ll have to relax before you act.”
Agares smiled bitterly, “Let’s forget about it for the time being. Hearing about the heavenly calamity, I feel uneasy and nervous. I should arrange this matter to be handled first. Boss, tell me all you know about his possible whereabouts.”
Fengxiu nodded, “At the time I felt his aura, he was close to the Desolate Hissing Cavern, but right afterwards he completely disappeared once again. It’s as if he had never appeared there. We only have this much information right now. Command our intelligence to look through it; I leave these matters to you. Within three month’s time, I want a report from you.”
“I will do my best.”
Fengxiu gave him a cold glance, “You cannot only do your best, but you have to succeed no matter what. This is a question of life and death. Although we have yet to meet the real heavenly calamity, he will possibly be able to put us in the same desperate situation as back in the past. That is how terrible this enemy is.”
The waiting time truly felt exhausting for Long Haochen. Lowering his head, he felt extremely uncomfortable.
When the Demon God Emperor finally left, he luckily didn’t feel his terrible glance on him again. The powerhouses of the Moon Clan standing in the front were called by Agares from the main hall, and he finally followed Yue Ye back to her palace quietly.
The two of them entered her palace, and Yue Ye had the maids retire, feeling just like Long Haochen, close to the verge of collapsing. The mental pressure on her was just too great.
“You know, right now, I really want to kill you.” Yue Ye resentfully declared.
Long Haochen smiled bitterly, “I’m in the wrong, I shouldn’t have raised my head. I didn’t expect the Demon God Emperor’s mental energy to be so sharp.”
“You didn’t expect?” Yue Ye suddenly raised her voice, “Do you know that these few words narrowly costed me my life. Okay, hurry up and leave now, head to the address I indicated to you previously. I’ll prepare everything for you to leave as soon as possible.”
“Mh, then I’m leaving.” Long Haochen changed clothes from his maid attire, rapidly recovering his original appearance. After apologizing to Yue Ye once again, he made haste to leave.
Watching his leaving figure, Yue Ye finally loosened her breath, but her expression was still the same, as she was in a state of deep pondering. “His Majesty should have discovered him. But, why didn’t he intervene? Don’t tell me he wanted to give Father some face? But that was completely unnecessary!”
Maybe it was because of the danger the presence of Long Haochen’s group posed for Yue Ye’s safety, but it only took two days before Yue Ye’s message arrived. The caravan had been summoned, and would set off to the Alliance two days later. She had Long Haochen make his preparations.
After having experienced many unpredictable dangers, the goddess of luck was finally on the side of Long Haochen’s group. The Demon God Emperor had given the order to search the whole demon territory to the Moon Demon God Agares, and not someone like the Demon God of Death Saminaga. Under such circumstances, who would dare inspect the caravan belonging to Agares’ dearly beloved daughter?
Moreover, the Yue Ye merchant caravan had just experienced a tragedy a short time ago in the Nareiks Province, causing the Demon God Emperor’s wrath. After having punished the Nareiks Province for this long ago, he even had them make amends for the damage sustained by the Yue Ye Merchant Group.
Due to all those lucky circumstances, Long Haochen managed to return to the Temple Alliance without a hitch despite the demons inspecting the whole territory in search for the heavenly calamity.
Yue Ye didn’t accompany the caravan. She only arranged for a time and place with Long Haochen, where they could conveniently meet, for Cai’er to suppress the restriction on her. After following the Yue Ye Merchant Group to the southeast fort, the two Demon Hunt Squads didn’t dawdle along, but directly passed the fort under Long Haochen’s lead. Having arrived in the nearby Starseeker City, they settled into the rented inn rooms and were finally able to relax for the time being.
Since they safely entered the human territory, they decided that they might as well stay at Starseeker City for the time being, enjoying three days of lethargic sleep.
They were not only physically tired, but also felt emotionally and mentally exhausted. Ever since they left the Temple Alliance to begin this mission, their mind had always been under great stress. Enduring experiences of life and death one time after another, even though they couldn’t ascertain that they had managed to complete the mission, had been a big burden on them.
Only after returning to the Temple Alliance, could they for the first time enjoy a feeling of being at home. This was the first joint operation for both of the two Demon Hunt Squads, and they were far from being used to such a life of danger. Thus, this current period of relaxation was something they really needed.
After enjoying three days of rest, everyone recovered from their mental stress, and they set out once again, heading directly to Holy City. The two teams needed rest and reorganization. Though they didn’t completely accomplish the mission, their gains were plentiful. Be it regarding their own cultivation, the increase of their strength or the gain of experience, they had benefitted like never before.
On the return trip, they made use of a rental cart. It moved very slowly, and it took them no less than fifteen days to return to Holy City. These fifteen days were the ideal time to recap the experiences and harvests they gained from the mission.
After adding up all of his comrades’ contribution points, Long Haochen discovered with shock that the total amount of contribution points they had gained from the mission reached up to 20,000. This was a number they had never expected. Admittedly, the fact that they reaped this amount, relying solely on massacring demons, was actually more accidental than anything else.
But still, it was mainly because of the 21st general grade Demon Hunt Squad’s lead that they gathered such an amount. Actually, seeing the number of powerhouses of the sixth and the seventh step that died at their hands, a low final amount of contribution points would be the really odd outcome.
The 4th soldier grade Demon Hunt Squads’ contribution points were far from this amount, but by counting in the contribution points they had gathered from the period of testing, their current amount of contribution points reached 10,000. Long Haochen didn’t conceal the benefits of raising their grade to the general grade. After having gone through this experience, the 4th soldier grade Demon Hunt Squad’s strength progressed as a whole in the midst of deadly experiences. They already decided that the first thing they would do upon returning was to raise the grade of their own squad.
After discussing it, the seven members of the 21st Demon Hunt Squad decided to stop their system of equal dividing. Going through this much experience, the trust existing between them had progressed to a great level.
An equal splitting led to fairness, but restricted the team’s growth at the same time. Thus, everyone decided to gather their contribution points at one tile, allocating them at the times and fields of need. This was clearly the most fitting decision for the team’s development.
At the time the two Demon Hunt Squads arrived at Holy City fifteen days later, they had truly spent a long time away, and everyone was already on the verge of tears.
As Long Haochen suggested, the two Demon Hunt Squads didn’t return to their respective villas, but first headed for the Demon Hunt Mission Tower to give their report on the mission.