Volume One: The Soul-Enticing Gourd and the Flame of the Spirit Chapter 104: Brothers Are Made for Scheming Against Each Other!

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Thud, thud, thud—

Inside the cavern, the sound of heavy impacts rang out repeatedly. Each strike caused the entire cave to tremble.

Yet the children gathered around Xiao Yulou were long accustomed to this.

The reason was simple: this was the training regimen Xiao Yulou had assigned to Gu Mo.

Digging out the entire bunker!

Of course, the design blueprint for the bunker was hand-drawn by Li Hetang.

The scene shifts to the deep pit below.

Gu Mo, enveloped in a green ghostly flame, was wielding a ghost-flamed measuring rod as he tirelessly dug.

As he dug deeper, Gu Mo looked up at the pit towering over ten meters high, feeling more and more like he was being tricked.

Ha ha ha—

Indeed!

Feeling trapped in this pit was a curious sensation.

Growing increasingly suspicious, Gu Mo shouted out at the top of his lungs.

“Hairy!”

At his call, the ethereal and otherworldly Xiao Yulou leisurely appeared at the edge of the pit.

“What’s wrong, Brother Gu?”

Gu Mo furrowed his brows and glared angrily at Xiao Yulou. “Hairy, aren’t you going a bit too far?”

At these words, Xiao Yulou was utterly confused, completely disoriented and unable to make sense of the situation.

“Have I done something wrong?” he asked.

Immediately after, he paused, his face darkening as he whispered, “Brother Gu, you’re too heartless! When you need something, you call me Brother Xiao; when you don’t, you call me Hairy. I haven’t provoked you.”

Clenching the measuring rod tightly, Gu Mo fixed Xiao Yulou with a piercing gaze and demanded,

“Hairy! What’s the point of digging this pit?”

Xiao Yulou, calm and collected, flicked the sleeve of his robe and naturally placed his hands behind his back.

“Brother Gu, don’t be impatient. Let me explain…”

From the depths of the pit, Gu Mo curled his lips into a sly, wicked smile—he was genuinely curious to hear what nonsense Xiao Yulou would come up with.

With a measured breath, Xiao Yulou spoke with righteous solemnity:

“First, Brother Gu can cultivate the ghost energy and better grasp his own strength.

Second, with a great battle approaching, we, as guests, must contribute something to Brother Wenhua.

Third, within the ‘Well of Gods and Demons,’ a fierce battle is certain within three days!”

Hearing this, Gu Mo was stunned, his twisted features contorted into a scowl as he cursed bitterly.

“What nonsense? A fierce battle within three days? If we don’t prepare now and just have me dig a pit, isn’t that just trapping me?”

Xiao Yulou remained unflustered, calm as an old hound.

“Brother Gu, why the surprise? What must come will come, sooner or later!”

Having said his piece, Gu Mo could no longer contain his frustration. He took a deep breath, focusing all his energy into his legs.

With heavy footsteps thudding, the ghost flames raging around him, Gu Mo climbed the edge of the pit and emerged onto the surface. His expression, however, was grim, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.

“Soup’s on!”

Back on the surface, Gu Mo furrowed his brows and shouted sharply.

Li Hetang, who had been dazed in a corner, quickly hurried over upon hearing this.

“What’s the matter?”

Gu Mo glared fiercely at Xiao Yulou and asked,

“Hairy! Who are we dealing with? How many of them? What’s their firepower like?”

Xiao Yulou, serene and unbothered, flicked the sleeve of his robe and said calmly,

“Unknown.”

At this, both Gu Mo and Li Hetang broke out in a cold sweat.

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“What? The enemy is about to attack, and you’re playing dumb here, not even knowing who they are!”

Li Hetang was completely bewildered, having no idea what was going on.

“What are you two talking about? What enemy? Are people really going to attack inside the ‘Well of Gods and Demons’?”

Gu Mo, anger bubbling over, pointed at Xiao Yulou and cursed.

“This idiot clearly sensed the enemy coming, yet had me dig a pit!”

Hearing this, Li Hetang trembled all over. If someone was going to attack, perhaps that group had intelligence codenamed ‘O.’ Thinking this, Li Hetang grew anxious.

In a flash, he reached out and grabbed Xiao Yulou’s arms, asking excitedly,

“Daoist Xiao, what exactly is going on? Who are these people... the White Lotus Sect?”

Xiao Yulou sighed lightly, still calm.

“My Daoist powers haven’t fully recovered, and there are indeed experts among them! Perhaps because of the ‘Well of Gods and Demons,’ I can’t sense any clues!”

A sudden silence blanketed Gu Mo and Li Hetang’s minds.

Li Hetang frowned and turned to Min Wenhua nearby, beckoning him over.

“Brother Cat, come here for a moment.”

Soon, Min Wenhua approached with a smile.

The four men gathered and began to discuss their strategy.

Li Hetang glanced at the children playing nearby before looking into Min Wenhua’s eyes and asking,

“Brother Cat, when was the last time they appeared?”

Min Wenhua furrowed his brows, thinking carefully before replying slowly,

“About half a year ago. They all wore white clothes and pants—definitely White Lotus Sect members. Also…”

He paused deliberately, prompting Li Hetang to widen his eyes and press,

“Brother Cat, come on, spit it out! Why are you hesitating?”

Min Wenhua sighed deeply, locking eyes with Li Hetang.

“These White Lotus Sect members operate in groups of five, all gifted individuals. The entire ‘Well of Gods and Demons’ is like a bloody hunting ground!”

Hearing this, Gu Mo and Li Hetang suddenly saw the light.

“So, the White Lotus Sect created this ‘Well of Gods and Demons’ to practice their supernatural abilities? That’s quite the scheme!”

While the three men pondered, Xiao Yulou quietly formed a Daoist seal and intoned,

“Limitless Heavenly Venerable!”

Instantly, Gu Mo and Li Hetang shot him disdainful glances, mocking him in unison.

“Hairy, your ‘Limitless’ is worthless!”

Despite their scorn, Xiao Yulou remained unfazed, a sly grin spreading across his face as he slowly replied,

“Don’t panic, both of you. Isn’t the current situation clear?”

Upon hearing this, Gu Mo and Li Hetang gradually calmed their agitated hearts and began considering their options.

Since they didn’t know how many enemies there were, prudence was essential. This cavern was not only the refuge for the three of them but also a shelter for Min Wenhua and thirty others. If this cave were discovered, the consequences would be irreversible!

Thinking this, Gu Mo looked at Xiao Yulou and softly asked,

“Brother Xiao, if the enemy is coming, why make me dig a pit? Are you afraid others will discover we’re hiding here?”

Xiao Yulou, clad in black Daoist robes, smiled meaningfully.

“Brother Gu, don’t worry. We agreed on three days, and that’s exactly how long it will be. No one will find us now!”

Gu Mo frowned, half convinced, and asked,

“What’s the plan then?”

Xiao Yulou flicked his sleeve again, hands behind his back.

“Brother Gu must strengthen his power! Once you break through your current bottleneck, even if two enemy groups come, we can handle them easily!”

One must admit, Xiao Yulou’s views were always peculiar. Though not untrue, breaking through one’s limits in three days was almost impossible!

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For a moment, Gu Mo and Li Hetang were at a loss.

Xiao Yulou, noticing their gloomy expressions, spoke solemnly,

“Why so downhearted, gentlemen?”

Gu Mo looked up and gave Xiao Yulou a sharp glare but refrained from further ridicule.

At this moment, no amount of cursing or trembling would change anything.

(Mature men don’t waste time on meaningless quarrels. Except for the sly, wily Xiao Yulou.)

Before they could respond, Xiao Yulou continued,

“Right now, the scorching rainforest is an excellent training ground. Brother Gu should go there first to test his cultivation. The rainforest holds many fat worms ready for the taking, perfect for gaining combat experience.”

He then glanced at Min Wenhua and Li Hetang.

“As for you two, start gathering supplies—ideally, get your hands on neurotoxic arrowwood, honey, and wild fruits to prepare thoroughly!”

These words awakened the men from their stupor.

The ethereal Xiao Yulou had clearly planned this far ahead, commanding the situation from a distance. Hence, he remained composed and clear-headed.

With that, Gu Mo, Li Hetang, and Min Wenhua all nodded.

Yet the more Gu Mo thought about it, the more he suspected the matter was complicated.

Afterward, Gu Mo looked into Xiao Yulou’s eyes and asked,

“Brother Xiao, what will you do?”

Xiao Yulou laughed heartily.

“I’ll naturally conserve my energy! Haven’t had a proper lazy morning in days. Leave the watch to me!”

No sooner had he spoken than his smile froze. Three pairs of eyes looked at him with utter disdain, making even sly Xiao Yulou feel a bit embarrassed.

Then Gu Mo gripped his measuring rod tightly and strode off with his fuzzy companion, the Hungry Ghost.

Li Hetang and Min Wenhua packed their bags and headed toward the cave’s sole exit.

As the three left one by one, Xiao Yulou shrugged contentedly, casting a sidelong glance at the cave’s only female occupant.

“Heh heh heh~ All the beauty in this cave is mine! Wonderful, wonderful!”

…

The scene shifted. Gu Mo, Li Hetang, and Min Wenhua patched the cracks in the mountainside with stones.

Seeing the outside world for the first time, Gu Mo felt as if he had returned to reality. Within moments, the trio set off toward the scorching rainforest.

After half an hour on foot, a vastly different landscape appeared before Gu Mo.

Since Gu Mo had been unconscious until now, he naturally had no idea what this eerie scene meant.

Looking up, the scorching rainforest thrived—lush and verdant, with towering shrubs and trees growing wildly as if possessed. A hot, humid, sticky breeze blew incessantly, filling the air with indescribable scents.

Min Wenhua eyed the rainforest, then secretly checked the wind before pulling out a small bamboo boat hidden behind a tree. This boat was brand new; their previous one had started leaking and was unusable.

Taking this chance, Li Hetang, clad in polar combat gear, looked at Gu Mo with a bitter smile.

“Brother Gu, don’t blame me for not warning you. Those ‘worms’ Xiao said are actually gigantic anacondas…”

Before Li Hetang finished, Gu Mo tensed sharply, his whole body trembling.

“What? Anacondas? Hairy said worms, didn’t he?”

Li Hetang was near tears. In just a few words, he recounted the recent events.

Hearing the terrifying details, Gu Mo was dumbfounded, eyes wide in disbelief.

“Emmm... my goodness—over twenty meters long!”

Li Hetang shrugged helplessly, offering a profound truth.

“Brother Gu, sometimes brothers are just here to trap you!”

Then Gu Mo and Li Hetang stared at the rainforest before them.

Deep within, danger lurked everywhere, countless eyes watching the trio at the forest’s edge.

Deadly peril was right at their doorstep…

(End of chapter)