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Chapter 34: Chapter 34: The Scene of a Large-Scale Murder and Robbery
Figures flitted among the jungle, swiftly converging towards the location of the golden radiance.
Watching the fleeting shadows around him, Li Xiaobai felt a wave of envy. This ability to fly and burrow on a whim was incredibly practical.
How unlike himself, who still had to run on two legs, and even then, not as fast as the average person.
Fortunately, the treasure site was not far from him, and the demonic beasts along the way had been cleared out by others early on.
Lumbering to the edge of the jungle, he faced a stream. The golden light was bursting forth from the bottom of the murky water, which obscured visibility below.
Countless cultivators were already there waiting.
On the bank of the river, a plump figure was sitting on the ground wailing loudly, with a few corpses laid out in front of him, looking quite pitiful.
Seeing this, the crowd hesitated to vie for the treasures in the river.
Li Xiaobai recognized the weeping fat man at a glance—it was his sixth senior brother, Liu Jinshui.
The plump man was acting again, having procured the corpses of some cultivators to set the scene for his wailing, his tears flowing copiously, making the act seem quite genuine.
"Fellow Daoist, please restrain your grief. May I ask what transpired here with you?" inquired a cultivator.
"There was a treasure emerging from the river. We ventured in to explore it but encountered a demonic beast. In a flurry of urgency, my older brothers got me to shore, but they themselves could never wake up again!"
Liu Jinshui seemed genuinely earnest, and as he spoke, he began to shed tears once more.
The female cultivators around cast sympathetic glances, their hearts softened. Living in a sect where deceit and manipulation were commonplace, such brotherly affection was something they had not encountered in a long time.
"Fellow Daoist, please accept our condolences. We are willing to retrieve the treasure for you, but please enlighten us about the details of that demonic beast."
The cultivator who struck up the conversation was crafty, clearly wanting to snatch the treasure but feigning nobility.
This indeed was a concern shared by many cultivators.
The realm of the demonic beast residing underwater—if it was at the Golden Core stage, it might be worth a try to engage it in a direct confrontation.
"Below us lies a thousand-year-old Dragon Turtle. Its strength isn't great, being only at the Golden Core stage and moves sluggishly. Still, it can spit out toxic liquid. It was because my brothers were caught off guard that they were poisoned," Liu Jinshui explained.
"I see. Don't worry, junior brother. With so many of us here, we will definitely retrieve the treasure and slay the demonic beast to avenge the fallen heroes!"
The cultivator who responded took charge assertively, seemingly full of vigor.
The other cultivators now had a sense of what to expect: a Golden Core stage Dragon Turtle, possessing strong defensive power, sluggish movements, and the ability to release toxic liquid.
Even though it had a certain level of offensiveness, it was not overly challenging. They believed that as long as they were cautious underwater, they could still obtain the treasure.
"Hmm, thank you, fellow Daoists. Please be sure to bring up the treasure for me; it was exchanged for my elder brother's life, after all!" Liu Jinshui said, sobbing mournfully.
"Understood."
A flicker of impatience crossed the eyes of the cultivator who had spoken. Having gotten the precise information they needed about the underwater situation, Liu Jinshui was of no use to him anymore.
The others, looking at Liu Jinshui's foolishly naïve demeanor, flashed looks of scorn. This chubby fellow actually still naively believed that everyone was genuinely helping him.
It seemed he was still rather inexperienced!
Li Xiaobai, hiding in the distance, quietly observed everything before him. He had figured out that the distress signal had been sent by his sixth senior brother, Liu Jinshui.
He had intentionally gathered the crowd here and played the part of a grief-stricken man, clearly scheming something.
Hehe, if senior brother is stirring things up, junior brother must certainly get a share of the action.
The surrounding cultivators grouped together in threes and fives, discussing strategies to contend for the treasure.
These cultivators, with many at the Golden Core stage, all had their small cliques. To them, the most dangerous aspect of contending for the treasure was not the underwater demonic beast but the other cultivators around them.
Murder and looting were common occurrences in the Cultivation World.
Obtaining the treasure was one thing; bringing it out safely was another. To prevent being caught in a situation akin to 'the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind,' they needed a foolproof plan.
For the time being, the cultivators watched each other, with none daring to be the first to enter the river to fetch the treasures.
Liu Jinshui had quietly left the riverbank and hidden in the jungle.
Li Xiaobai quickly followed, hanging far behind Liu Jinshui, observing his every move.
Intuition told him that this fat man was definitely up to something big.
On the riverbank,
the cultivators were at a stalemate.
"Everyone, guarding against each other here is no solution. Why don't we all dive into the water together? Whoever gets the treasure can rely on their own skills, how about it?"
The cultivator who had previously spoken to Liu Jinshui said.
"I agree, let's see what the treasure is first."
"I have no objections..."
"..."
"Good, since nobody has any objections, I will count to three and we'll all dive in together," the talkative cultivator continued.
"One"
"Two"
"Three"
Not a sound was made, and none of the people present moved. Everyone smiled knowingly.
"Hahaha, it seems that we cultivators have a great understanding of each other. However, just waiting like this isn't a solution. So, to ease everyone's concerns, I will set an example by diving in first."
The talkative cultivator laughed heartily and leaped into the water.
The other cultivators, as if realizing something, their expressions changed.
"Not good, this guy is purposely leading us, keeping us steady on the shore to gain an advantage in the underwater treasure hunt!"
"Quick, follow him. The river stretches long and thin. If he gets the treasure and escapes from the riverbed, the duck that's already in our hands will fly away!"
"Dammit, I thought I was cunning enough, but I didn't expect this Yu fellow to be even more deceitful than I am!"
"This is deep scheming!"
"Really knows how to play..."
Right then, the remaining cultivators no longer hesitated and plunged into the river one after another.
Underwater, there was only a Dragon Turtle. As long as one was careful, it was not a problem at all.
But nobody noticed that the instigator of this incident had silently disappeared without a trace, nor did anyone consider that the fat man might not have been telling the truth.
Money had blinded the cultivators' eyes, and in this tense situation, everyone was too preoccupied to consider much else.
There was only one thought in their minds: find the treasure, grab it, take it away!
On the shore.
A fat man walked out of the jungle with a beaming smile, watching the waves churn on the water's surface, and laughed heartily.
"Hehe, what a bunch of idiots, give them a trap and they'll bury themselves in it, really saves me the trouble."
"Your Spiritual Artifacts and elixirs, I'll kindly accept them!"
"The belongings of over a dozen Golden Core Stage masters, just thinking about it excites me!"
A windfall was within reach, and Liu Jinshui's face flushed with excitement.
However, his expression suddenly stiffened, as a familiar voice came from behind.
"Senior brother, you really know how to play!"
"What deep tricks..."