Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 171
The mist was blue-black in color. Mo Fan even hid some distance away to observe it, but to his surprise, the mist quickly spread to his area. Within seconds, his vision was shrouded, preventing him from seeing clearly.
In the darkness, Mo Fan could sense something slithering in front of him.
He felt a cold sensation. It appeared that something was pushing at him, forcing him back further.
Mo Fan touched it with his hand and found it to be some cold snake scales. He immediately realized that the big guy was extending his body. Mo Fan quickly ran to a higher rock nearby.
He stood on top of the rock and glanced down. The entire place was shrouded in a blue-black mist, taking up half of the mountain.
In the mist, a giant figure would show himself at times, presenting his firm, sturdy scales. The patterns on the snake's skin looked like a wall painting to Mo Fan at his distance.
Before, he was observing the big guy through a window on a building. This time, there was nothing between them. A great chill rose from deep down in his soul. Mo Fan did not even dare to look at him any further.
---
A moment later, the blue-black mist finally cleared. An enormous snake lay right on the mountain.
Its body was coiled around the rocks, hung on the walls and spread across the ground. It felt like the mountain was on the verge of collapsing due to its weight.
Mo Fan had jumped onto the rock to make space for the Skyscraping Snake. However, when he glanced down, his entire field vision was occupied by it. It was a stunning view!
"Mo Fan, jump over here. The big guy is bringing us to the cave," Tangyue boldly stood on the Skyscraping Snake's head and waved her hand at him.
"Err, I think I'll escort him from here," said Mo Fan.
There was a kind of despairing fear one would experience when they stood on a lonely rock, surrounded by snakes underneath!
He was standing on a rock, with a single snake right under him. However, the snake was even more terrifying than thousands of ordinary snakes together. The fear due to the sheer difference in size fully occupied his mind.
"Come over quick. Otherwise, I'll let the big guy invite you personally," said Tangyue.
As soon as Tangyue finished her sentence, Mo Fan instantly jumped down from the rock and landed on the snake's head with a pale face.
The Skyscraping Snake's head was spacious enough to build a basketball court on. His remarkably large eyes were staring at Mo Fan. He did not even dare to take a deep breath.
"Don't worry, he knows that you've helped him in his most crucial time. He won't blame you for stepping on his head." Tangyue let out a charming smile when she saw Mo Fan's terrified expression.
She initially thought nothing in the world could intimidate Mo Fan. If he were being naughty again, she would just let the big guy teach him how to behave.
The Skyscraping Snake hissed. Mo Fan immediately saw a giant red rug swaying wildly in front of him. He almost fell to the ground… to the snake's head!
"He's saying thank you," said Tangyue with a giggle.
"You're...you're welcome..." responded Mo Fan with a forced smile.
"Let's go, big guy. You're safe now," Tangyue liked to sit between the Skyscraping Snake's eyes, waving her fair legs on the beast's forehead.
Mo Fan simply closed his eyes, feeling rather uncomfortable.
The Skyscraping Snake slithered across the hills. The backbone of the hills, which seemed quite massive to human eyes was only a little fold on flat ground for the beast. His body remained stable as he moved past it.
Sitting on the Skyscraping Snake's head, they crossed several hilltops in the blink of an eye, but the truth was, he was moving at a fairly slow pace.
After crossing several hills, a relatively huge mountain finally appeared in front of them.
The huge mountain was their destination. The hills were only like pieces of rocks in the Skyscraping Snake's eyes, whereas the mountain was huge enough to be called a hill.
It was easy to spot the cave. It was located right at the waist of the white mountain. The Skyscraping Snake climbed along the mountain walls and soon arrived at the entrance of the cave.
It was not necessary to describe the size of the cave, since it was able to contain the Skyscraping Snake within it. As a matter of fact, Mo Fan was not too inclined to follow the snake into it. The cave was fully covered in darkness, so it was impossible to tell if there were any beast living inside it. It was said that the cave extended in all directions like a maze. Not only did it connect several mountains together, one could also access the underground realm from the cave. It was not exaggerating to say there was a pack of demon beasts living inside it.
"Big guy, rest up now. We're heading back," Tangyue stood on the wall so her line of sight was parallel to the Skyscraping Snake's head.
The Skyscraping Snake hissed, as if he understood what Tangyue was trying to say.
"Oh, you better give me some of your blood," said Tangyue.
The Skyscraping Snake bent backward slightly and bit his body with his fangs, leaving two huge holes.
He took a sip and s.u.c.k.e.d quite an amount of blood from them.
"That's too much!" Tangyue waved her hand.
Mo Fan was left speechless. The Totem Beast was rather straightforward. The blood he had s.u.c.k.e.d up alone could give Tangyue a blood bath!
"What are you planning to do with his blood?" Mo Fan was confused.
"The plague is getting serious. We might be able to find the source of the plague from his blood, and use it to produce the serum," said Tangyue.
The plague had been bothering Tangyue throughout the journey. Now that the Skyscraping Snake was safe, her priority now was to deal with the plague. The Skyscraping Snake's poison was mainly from his blood, so if she could bring his blood back, assuming that he was truly responsible for the plague, the blood would be useful in finding the cure.
"You've got to be kidding. We tried so hard to escape, and now we have to find a way to go back?" Mo Fan was not sure if he should be laughing or crying.
"What else should we do? We can't just ignore the plague. We don't have to do anything. The Royal Guards will be here soon. They will bring us back," said Tangyue.
"...is there a better way? I'm afraid that they will try to get even with us along the way," said Mo Fan.
"We're running out of time. A minute wasted might mean another person catching the plague. Let's hope the blood will work, "said Tangyue.
"If it worked, it would prove that the beast is responsible for the plague. That way, Councilman Zhu Meng will be even more determined to eliminate him."
Chapter 373 - Misfortune Does Not Come Singly
In the quarantine zone set up for the plague, rows of beds were arranged under white tents. The beds were filled with patients covered with blisters on their arms and faces. Dark specks were visible on their extremely dry skin, but regardless of how much water they drank, it did not provide relief to the pain they were experiencing. Instead, more unknown liquid burst out from the blisters.
The cries of agony rose one after another in the area. They consisted of the elderly, a.d.u.l.ts, and kids. The a.d.u.l.ts were immersed in fear of the unknown plague. They glanced at the Healers walking past them, hoping they would be treated. Unfortunately, even the experts were totally clueless about how they could help them. Meanwhile, the innocent kids were enjoying themselves playing chase between the beds. They clearly had no idea what was awaiting them.
Outside of the quarantine zone, several respectful people in the medical field were seated in a temporary meeting room made from tents. Instead of discussing how they could help the patients, they were actually counting down the time left for the infected people. They had never felt so helpless before.
"Mr. Lu, we only have three days left. The first batch of patients will end up just like the corpses we saw before. The total number is..." said a middle-aged man wearing a white coat.
Mr. Lu raised his hand, signaling him not to say any more. He knew better than anyone else the total of people who were infected the earliest. That alone was not the reason why he was feeling extremely uneasy. The main reason why it all felt like the apocalypse to him was that the number of patients in the second batch and third batch was still multiplying exponentially. The total had gone over the limit they could estimate, as the people were scattered across all corners of Hangzhou City.
"Mr. Lu, if we could find the source of the plague, we would be able to develop the serum to cure it. Everyone knows the gigantic snake is responsible for it, why aren't we hunting it down yet?" asked the man in the white coat.
As soon as he finished the sentence, the Head of the Magic Court, Tang Zhong entered the tent. Mr. Lu cast a glance at him without saying anything. Mr. Lu was well aware that the snake was not a demon beast. It was the guardian of their city!
Tang Zhong was followed by Councilman Zhu Meng. His expression was a lot more dignified than before, but his gaze was filled with a hint of fury, a clear indication that he had just argued with the Head of the Magic Court.
"Tang Zhong, are you seriously going to wait until the whole of Hangzhou is piled up with corpses!? If you continue to do nothing, your wish will be fulfilled very soon! When that happens, you will be condemned by every person in Hangzhou. I don't care about my Threat-Eliminating Strategy, I'm not ordering you as a Councilman, I'm just trying to save the people affected by the plague!" Zhu Meng slightly lowered his stance.
Tang Zhong did not seem relaxed at all. He desperately wanted to resolve the matter. His determination was swaying too.
Zhu Meng was about to say something when a Royal Guard quickly approached him and whispered in his ear.
His expression immediately changed as he blurted out in excitement, "Did you bring back the Totem Orb?"
The Royal Guard responded in a soft tone, "We've let you down. Please punish us!"
Councilman Zhu Meng almost lost his temper. They had sent out many interns, and yet they still failed to catch the two Magicians. A bunch of idiots!
The Royal Guard, Li Jin lowered his head further and added when Zhu Meng slightly calmed his anger, "We've brought Tangyue and Mo Fan back, awaiting your order."
"Bring them here, now!"
------
A moment later, Tangyue and Mo Fan, who had surrendered themselves, were brought to the quarantine zone. They were both dumbfounded, as they never thought the plague would become so serious in just the past few days.
As they were brought to Zhu Meng, the Councilman glared at the two with a shuddering jaw. He said with a grim laugh, "How nice of you two! If it were possible, I would execute you right on the spot! Should I bring you two on a tour around the area, so you can understand how much of a mistake you've made after witnessing how this whole place has turned into hell!"
Mo Fan remained silent.
Tangyue bit her lips. Everything had happened too quickly, and the plague had worsened faster than she could imagine. The whole city had fallen to the plague after they left with the Skyscraping Snake, with everyone's life at stake. No one had seen a plague that could spread so rapidly, turning a peaceful, modernized city into a terrifying place full of sickness.
She reached out her hand and handed a huge jar of the Skyscraping Snake's blood to Councilman Zhu Meng, "This is the god's blood. If he's the origin of the plague, the blood should be useful to us."
Zhu Meng signaled at Mr. Lu, who quickly received the blood and went to the lab with his team. They only had three days left to develop a serum.
"Guards, lock them up," ordered Zhu Meng.
Li Jin immediately took them away.
As soon as they left, a man wearing the outfit of a Commander quickly came into the room. He saluted at Councilman Zhu Meng before whispering a piece of news into his ear.
"What did you just say!?" Councilman Zhu Meng stared at him.
The crowd immediately shifted their attention toward Zhu Meng when they saw his abnormal reaction. They could not imagine what news it would be to bring such a great shock to him.
"We've just received the news from the fortress. The situation is extremely critical. Councilman, please hold a meeting to assist us with the ambush," said the Commander.
"Alright," Zhu Meng nodded in disbelief, "I'll send the order at once."
When Wu Pingjing, the Head of the Royal Guards, saw Zhu Meng's reaction, he asked, "Councilman, what's going on?"
"Misfortune does not come singly, for f***s sake!" Councilman Zhu Meng let out a sigh. He did not even have time to tidy his beard, disheveled from the wind.
The Commander realized that everyone in the room was considered authority figures, so he quickly announced the shocking news.
"The fortress close to West Ridge, to the west of Hangzhou City, has just told us that a huge group of White Magic Falcons has appeared. They were hungry, berserk, and fearless. No matter how we've attacked them with magic, they show no intention of retreating, and were flying straight toward the city..."
Tang Zhong's face filled with astonishment!
From what he knew, a huge pack of White Magic Falcons was residing in West Ridge. However, they had always stayed within their territory, compared to the other demon beasts.
Tang Zhong could not understand why the pack of White Magic Falcons would ambush Hangzhou all of a sudden. It was fairly rare for the demon beasts to launch an attack at a city, especially when Hangzhou City was heavily guarded.
"We've got a big problem..." said Councilman Zhu Meng.
Tang Zhong nodded with a frown. The entire city was immersed in terror from the plague. The ambush from the demon beasts would only make the situation worse!
Chapter 374 - The Betrayal of the Heavenly Eagles
To the west of White Mountain lay the West Ridge. The place fully retained its original appearance, with towering mountains and old trees.
For a very long time, the West Ridge was strictly a no-fly zone. Even airlines were told to avoid flying over the region, as it was inhabited by lots of White Magic Falcons.
The White Magic Falcons were extremely violent, with a strong sense of territory, to an extent that they would attack any Commander-level or even Ruler-level demon beast flying over their territory relentlessly. Even a harmless sparrow that lost its way would be considered hostile.
They were fierce, but had great unity. They were the biggest threat to the west of Hangzhou City.
However, despite being fairly close to human's territory, they had never shown any intentions of infiltrating the safe zone, as if they were content with the current situation as long as their territory remained unharmed.
As the years passed, the West Fortress slowly let their guard down toward the White Magic Falcons. They almost assumed they were behaving themselves. To their surprise, the White Magic Falcons launched an attack while the city was suffering from an outbreak.
The Battlemages grouped up in their platoons at the fortress. They were standing on top of temporary platforms while staring at the demon beasts flying in their direction with numbers as dense as the clouds...
As a matter of fact, it had been many years since they last saw such an incredible number of demon beasts attacking human territory.
"Come, time to clear some pests," a Commander who looked fairly young waved his hand, signaling his men to mount their Heavenly Eagles.
The White Magic Falcons were not very powerful, but the biggest problem was their flying ability. The Magicians on the ground could not reach them with their attacks.
Flying demon beasts were usually the most difficult to deal with. Luckily, West Fortress was usually stationed with elite Battlemages, with a bunch of Heavenly Eagles on standby. The Battlemages were able to ride the Heavenly Eagles to stop the invasion of the White Magic Falcons.
"It's been a while since we last enjoyed ourselves a great battle," the Vice Commander licked his lips, as if he had a great l.u.s.t for blood.
"Soldiers, move out!" The Commander gave the order.
The Battlemages quickly mounted the Heavenly Eagles and gave the beasts the order to move out.
However, an unexpected event took place.
The Heavenly Eagles remained stationary. None of them were flapping their wings.
Normally, once the order was given, the Heavenly Eagles would soar into the sky straight away. They had been tamed by the Beastmasters for a very long time. Apart from head-on battles, they had always obeyed the orders from the Beastmasters.
"Summon the Beastmasters at once. I want to know what's wrong with these Heavenly Eagles!" snapped the Commander.
The soldiers were ready to charge into the battlefield and eliminate the demon beasts that dared to infiltrate Hangzhou, yet the Heavenly Eagles stood firmly in their spots, as if they had all reached an agreement.
"Commander, you're looking for me?" a Beastmaster in uniform appeared.
"Take a look at these Heavenly Eagles, why aren't they obeying our orders?" said the Commander.
The Beastmaster went up to one of the Heavenly Eagles and placed his hand on its body. He closed his eyes as he tried to sense the feeling that the beast was experiencing.
A moment later, the Beastmaster's eyes sprang open and glanced toward the flying figures in the distance. He blurted out, "They are afraid!"
"Afraid of what?" scolded the Commander.
"The Heavenly Eagles and the White Magic Falcons belong to the same race. Even though they are tamed by us, they still have the blood of demon beasts flowing inside their bodies. They are unwilling to oppose the White Magic Falcons..." said the Beastmaster.
"Damn it, useless idiots!" scolded the Commander.
"No matter how long we've tamed them, they can't disobey the law of nature. Besides..." The Beastmaster went up to a Heavenly Eagle which seemed to be struggling and placed his hand on its neck.
The Beastmaster's face turned pale. His eyes were staring at the army of the White Magic Falcons in disbelief, as if he had sensed the great terror in the Heavenly Eagle's heart.
"Besides what, say it now!" said the Commander impatiently.
In the darkness, Mo Fan could sense something slithering in front of him.
He felt a cold sensation. It appeared that something was pushing at him, forcing him back further.
Mo Fan touched it with his hand and found it to be some cold snake scales. He immediately realized that the big guy was extending his body. Mo Fan quickly ran to a higher rock nearby.
He stood on top of the rock and glanced down. The entire place was shrouded in a blue-black mist, taking up half of the mountain.
In the mist, a giant figure would show himself at times, presenting his firm, sturdy scales. The patterns on the snake's skin looked like a wall painting to Mo Fan at his distance.
Before, he was observing the big guy through a window on a building. This time, there was nothing between them. A great chill rose from deep down in his soul. Mo Fan did not even dare to look at him any further.
---
A moment later, the blue-black mist finally cleared. An enormous snake lay right on the mountain.
Its body was coiled around the rocks, hung on the walls and spread across the ground. It felt like the mountain was on the verge of collapsing due to its weight.
Mo Fan had jumped onto the rock to make space for the Skyscraping Snake. However, when he glanced down, his entire field vision was occupied by it. It was a stunning view!
"Mo Fan, jump over here. The big guy is bringing us to the cave," Tangyue boldly stood on the Skyscraping Snake's head and waved her hand at him.
"Err, I think I'll escort him from here," said Mo Fan.
There was a kind of despairing fear one would experience when they stood on a lonely rock, surrounded by snakes underneath!
He was standing on a rock, with a single snake right under him. However, the snake was even more terrifying than thousands of ordinary snakes together. The fear due to the sheer difference in size fully occupied his mind.
"Come over quick. Otherwise, I'll let the big guy invite you personally," said Tangyue.
As soon as Tangyue finished her sentence, Mo Fan instantly jumped down from the rock and landed on the snake's head with a pale face.
The Skyscraping Snake's head was spacious enough to build a basketball court on. His remarkably large eyes were staring at Mo Fan. He did not even dare to take a deep breath.
"Don't worry, he knows that you've helped him in his most crucial time. He won't blame you for stepping on his head." Tangyue let out a charming smile when she saw Mo Fan's terrified expression.
She initially thought nothing in the world could intimidate Mo Fan. If he were being naughty again, she would just let the big guy teach him how to behave.
The Skyscraping Snake hissed. Mo Fan immediately saw a giant red rug swaying wildly in front of him. He almost fell to the ground… to the snake's head!
"He's saying thank you," said Tangyue with a giggle.
"You're...you're welcome..." responded Mo Fan with a forced smile.
"Let's go, big guy. You're safe now," Tangyue liked to sit between the Skyscraping Snake's eyes, waving her fair legs on the beast's forehead.
Mo Fan simply closed his eyes, feeling rather uncomfortable.
The Skyscraping Snake slithered across the hills. The backbone of the hills, which seemed quite massive to human eyes was only a little fold on flat ground for the beast. His body remained stable as he moved past it.
Sitting on the Skyscraping Snake's head, they crossed several hilltops in the blink of an eye, but the truth was, he was moving at a fairly slow pace.
After crossing several hills, a relatively huge mountain finally appeared in front of them.
The huge mountain was their destination. The hills were only like pieces of rocks in the Skyscraping Snake's eyes, whereas the mountain was huge enough to be called a hill.
It was easy to spot the cave. It was located right at the waist of the white mountain. The Skyscraping Snake climbed along the mountain walls and soon arrived at the entrance of the cave.
It was not necessary to describe the size of the cave, since it was able to contain the Skyscraping Snake within it. As a matter of fact, Mo Fan was not too inclined to follow the snake into it. The cave was fully covered in darkness, so it was impossible to tell if there were any beast living inside it. It was said that the cave extended in all directions like a maze. Not only did it connect several mountains together, one could also access the underground realm from the cave. It was not exaggerating to say there was a pack of demon beasts living inside it.
"Big guy, rest up now. We're heading back," Tangyue stood on the wall so her line of sight was parallel to the Skyscraping Snake's head.
The Skyscraping Snake hissed, as if he understood what Tangyue was trying to say.
"Oh, you better give me some of your blood," said Tangyue.
The Skyscraping Snake bent backward slightly and bit his body with his fangs, leaving two huge holes.
He took a sip and s.u.c.k.e.d quite an amount of blood from them.
"That's too much!" Tangyue waved her hand.
Mo Fan was left speechless. The Totem Beast was rather straightforward. The blood he had s.u.c.k.e.d up alone could give Tangyue a blood bath!
"What are you planning to do with his blood?" Mo Fan was confused.
"The plague is getting serious. We might be able to find the source of the plague from his blood, and use it to produce the serum," said Tangyue.
The plague had been bothering Tangyue throughout the journey. Now that the Skyscraping Snake was safe, her priority now was to deal with the plague. The Skyscraping Snake's poison was mainly from his blood, so if she could bring his blood back, assuming that he was truly responsible for the plague, the blood would be useful in finding the cure.
"You've got to be kidding. We tried so hard to escape, and now we have to find a way to go back?" Mo Fan was not sure if he should be laughing or crying.
"What else should we do? We can't just ignore the plague. We don't have to do anything. The Royal Guards will be here soon. They will bring us back," said Tangyue.
"...is there a better way? I'm afraid that they will try to get even with us along the way," said Mo Fan.
"We're running out of time. A minute wasted might mean another person catching the plague. Let's hope the blood will work, "said Tangyue.
"If it worked, it would prove that the beast is responsible for the plague. That way, Councilman Zhu Meng will be even more determined to eliminate him."
Chapter 373 - Misfortune Does Not Come Singly
In the quarantine zone set up for the plague, rows of beds were arranged under white tents. The beds were filled with patients covered with blisters on their arms and faces. Dark specks were visible on their extremely dry skin, but regardless of how much water they drank, it did not provide relief to the pain they were experiencing. Instead, more unknown liquid burst out from the blisters.
The cries of agony rose one after another in the area. They consisted of the elderly, a.d.u.l.ts, and kids. The a.d.u.l.ts were immersed in fear of the unknown plague. They glanced at the Healers walking past them, hoping they would be treated. Unfortunately, even the experts were totally clueless about how they could help them. Meanwhile, the innocent kids were enjoying themselves playing chase between the beds. They clearly had no idea what was awaiting them.
Outside of the quarantine zone, several respectful people in the medical field were seated in a temporary meeting room made from tents. Instead of discussing how they could help the patients, they were actually counting down the time left for the infected people. They had never felt so helpless before.
"Mr. Lu, we only have three days left. The first batch of patients will end up just like the corpses we saw before. The total number is..." said a middle-aged man wearing a white coat.
Mr. Lu raised his hand, signaling him not to say any more. He knew better than anyone else the total of people who were infected the earliest. That alone was not the reason why he was feeling extremely uneasy. The main reason why it all felt like the apocalypse to him was that the number of patients in the second batch and third batch was still multiplying exponentially. The total had gone over the limit they could estimate, as the people were scattered across all corners of Hangzhou City.
"Mr. Lu, if we could find the source of the plague, we would be able to develop the serum to cure it. Everyone knows the gigantic snake is responsible for it, why aren't we hunting it down yet?" asked the man in the white coat.
As soon as he finished the sentence, the Head of the Magic Court, Tang Zhong entered the tent. Mr. Lu cast a glance at him without saying anything. Mr. Lu was well aware that the snake was not a demon beast. It was the guardian of their city!
Tang Zhong was followed by Councilman Zhu Meng. His expression was a lot more dignified than before, but his gaze was filled with a hint of fury, a clear indication that he had just argued with the Head of the Magic Court.
"Tang Zhong, are you seriously going to wait until the whole of Hangzhou is piled up with corpses!? If you continue to do nothing, your wish will be fulfilled very soon! When that happens, you will be condemned by every person in Hangzhou. I don't care about my Threat-Eliminating Strategy, I'm not ordering you as a Councilman, I'm just trying to save the people affected by the plague!" Zhu Meng slightly lowered his stance.
Tang Zhong did not seem relaxed at all. He desperately wanted to resolve the matter. His determination was swaying too.
Zhu Meng was about to say something when a Royal Guard quickly approached him and whispered in his ear.
His expression immediately changed as he blurted out in excitement, "Did you bring back the Totem Orb?"
The Royal Guard responded in a soft tone, "We've let you down. Please punish us!"
Councilman Zhu Meng almost lost his temper. They had sent out many interns, and yet they still failed to catch the two Magicians. A bunch of idiots!
The Royal Guard, Li Jin lowered his head further and added when Zhu Meng slightly calmed his anger, "We've brought Tangyue and Mo Fan back, awaiting your order."
"Bring them here, now!"
------
A moment later, Tangyue and Mo Fan, who had surrendered themselves, were brought to the quarantine zone. They were both dumbfounded, as they never thought the plague would become so serious in just the past few days.
As they were brought to Zhu Meng, the Councilman glared at the two with a shuddering jaw. He said with a grim laugh, "How nice of you two! If it were possible, I would execute you right on the spot! Should I bring you two on a tour around the area, so you can understand how much of a mistake you've made after witnessing how this whole place has turned into hell!"
Mo Fan remained silent.
Tangyue bit her lips. Everything had happened too quickly, and the plague had worsened faster than she could imagine. The whole city had fallen to the plague after they left with the Skyscraping Snake, with everyone's life at stake. No one had seen a plague that could spread so rapidly, turning a peaceful, modernized city into a terrifying place full of sickness.
She reached out her hand and handed a huge jar of the Skyscraping Snake's blood to Councilman Zhu Meng, "This is the god's blood. If he's the origin of the plague, the blood should be useful to us."
Zhu Meng signaled at Mr. Lu, who quickly received the blood and went to the lab with his team. They only had three days left to develop a serum.
"Guards, lock them up," ordered Zhu Meng.
Li Jin immediately took them away.
As soon as they left, a man wearing the outfit of a Commander quickly came into the room. He saluted at Councilman Zhu Meng before whispering a piece of news into his ear.
"What did you just say!?" Councilman Zhu Meng stared at him.
The crowd immediately shifted their attention toward Zhu Meng when they saw his abnormal reaction. They could not imagine what news it would be to bring such a great shock to him.
"We've just received the news from the fortress. The situation is extremely critical. Councilman, please hold a meeting to assist us with the ambush," said the Commander.
"Alright," Zhu Meng nodded in disbelief, "I'll send the order at once."
When Wu Pingjing, the Head of the Royal Guards, saw Zhu Meng's reaction, he asked, "Councilman, what's going on?"
"Misfortune does not come singly, for f***s sake!" Councilman Zhu Meng let out a sigh. He did not even have time to tidy his beard, disheveled from the wind.
The Commander realized that everyone in the room was considered authority figures, so he quickly announced the shocking news.
"The fortress close to West Ridge, to the west of Hangzhou City, has just told us that a huge group of White Magic Falcons has appeared. They were hungry, berserk, and fearless. No matter how we've attacked them with magic, they show no intention of retreating, and were flying straight toward the city..."
Tang Zhong's face filled with astonishment!
From what he knew, a huge pack of White Magic Falcons was residing in West Ridge. However, they had always stayed within their territory, compared to the other demon beasts.
Tang Zhong could not understand why the pack of White Magic Falcons would ambush Hangzhou all of a sudden. It was fairly rare for the demon beasts to launch an attack at a city, especially when Hangzhou City was heavily guarded.
"We've got a big problem..." said Councilman Zhu Meng.
Tang Zhong nodded with a frown. The entire city was immersed in terror from the plague. The ambush from the demon beasts would only make the situation worse!
Chapter 374 - The Betrayal of the Heavenly Eagles
To the west of White Mountain lay the West Ridge. The place fully retained its original appearance, with towering mountains and old trees.
For a very long time, the West Ridge was strictly a no-fly zone. Even airlines were told to avoid flying over the region, as it was inhabited by lots of White Magic Falcons.
The White Magic Falcons were extremely violent, with a strong sense of territory, to an extent that they would attack any Commander-level or even Ruler-level demon beast flying over their territory relentlessly. Even a harmless sparrow that lost its way would be considered hostile.
They were fierce, but had great unity. They were the biggest threat to the west of Hangzhou City.
However, despite being fairly close to human's territory, they had never shown any intentions of infiltrating the safe zone, as if they were content with the current situation as long as their territory remained unharmed.
As the years passed, the West Fortress slowly let their guard down toward the White Magic Falcons. They almost assumed they were behaving themselves. To their surprise, the White Magic Falcons launched an attack while the city was suffering from an outbreak.
The Battlemages grouped up in their platoons at the fortress. They were standing on top of temporary platforms while staring at the demon beasts flying in their direction with numbers as dense as the clouds...
As a matter of fact, it had been many years since they last saw such an incredible number of demon beasts attacking human territory.
"Come, time to clear some pests," a Commander who looked fairly young waved his hand, signaling his men to mount their Heavenly Eagles.
The White Magic Falcons were not very powerful, but the biggest problem was their flying ability. The Magicians on the ground could not reach them with their attacks.
Flying demon beasts were usually the most difficult to deal with. Luckily, West Fortress was usually stationed with elite Battlemages, with a bunch of Heavenly Eagles on standby. The Battlemages were able to ride the Heavenly Eagles to stop the invasion of the White Magic Falcons.
"It's been a while since we last enjoyed ourselves a great battle," the Vice Commander licked his lips, as if he had a great l.u.s.t for blood.
"Soldiers, move out!" The Commander gave the order.
The Battlemages quickly mounted the Heavenly Eagles and gave the beasts the order to move out.
However, an unexpected event took place.
The Heavenly Eagles remained stationary. None of them were flapping their wings.
Normally, once the order was given, the Heavenly Eagles would soar into the sky straight away. They had been tamed by the Beastmasters for a very long time. Apart from head-on battles, they had always obeyed the orders from the Beastmasters.
"Summon the Beastmasters at once. I want to know what's wrong with these Heavenly Eagles!" snapped the Commander.
The soldiers were ready to charge into the battlefield and eliminate the demon beasts that dared to infiltrate Hangzhou, yet the Heavenly Eagles stood firmly in their spots, as if they had all reached an agreement.
"Commander, you're looking for me?" a Beastmaster in uniform appeared.
"Take a look at these Heavenly Eagles, why aren't they obeying our orders?" said the Commander.
The Beastmaster went up to one of the Heavenly Eagles and placed his hand on its body. He closed his eyes as he tried to sense the feeling that the beast was experiencing.
A moment later, the Beastmaster's eyes sprang open and glanced toward the flying figures in the distance. He blurted out, "They are afraid!"
"Afraid of what?" scolded the Commander.
"The Heavenly Eagles and the White Magic Falcons belong to the same race. Even though they are tamed by us, they still have the blood of demon beasts flowing inside their bodies. They are unwilling to oppose the White Magic Falcons..." said the Beastmaster.
"Damn it, useless idiots!" scolded the Commander.
"No matter how long we've tamed them, they can't disobey the law of nature. Besides..." The Beastmaster went up to a Heavenly Eagle which seemed to be struggling and placed his hand on its neck.
The Beastmaster's face turned pale. His eyes were staring at the army of the White Magic Falcons in disbelief, as if he had sensed the great terror in the Heavenly Eagle's heart.
"Besides what, say it now!" said the Commander impatiently.
