Chapter 132 — Monopoly

The lava lake churned, its white magma rolling and bubbling with a blinding glare.

Teng Xuanji emerged from one of the dark tunnels beside it, and Du Hong hurried over. "Commander. Did you catch the boy?"

"The tunnels in there fork in far too many directions—it's a maze, and pitch black besides." Teng Xuanji shook his head, then ordered, "All right. Forget the man for now. We've found the Black Fire Spirit Fruit, but it's clearly still some days from ripening. We'll head back first."

"Mm. This must be reported to the commander." Du Hong nodded as well.

"Once we get our hands on that Black Fire Spirit Fruit, who do you think the sect will give it to?" Teng Xuanzheng asked.

Du Hong said, "It was you, Commander, who realized there was something strange about this gorge and came to investigate—the credit is all yours. And your strength makes you the foremost of the Cang Sect's younger generation. Whether you weigh potential or merit, it should go to you."

"Right. Well said." Teng Xuanzheng nodded again and again.

"The Black Fire Spirit Fruit isn't even in hand yet, and you two are already stewing over this." Teng Xuanji laughed and started back along the way they had come. "Let's go."

"Just standing in this place a moment and my mouth goes dry." Teng Xuanzheng wiped his forehead, drenched in sweat.

Even some distance away, this subterranean region held steady at around sixty degrees. In such heat one sweated quickly; thankfully they were all martial artists of Li Shuohang. An ordinary person would quite normally have passed out from the heat.

Along the dark, deep crevice, Teng Xuanji and the others seized the vines and climbed swiftly upward, scaling a hundred zhang in one breath, then vaulted onto the stone ledge of the cave passage.

The three leaped out of the crevice in succession and walked toward the cave mouth.

"Hold on a moment—don't rush out. First peek through the gap and look outside. If there's no one, then we go out." Teng Xuanji said, and both Du Hong and Teng Xuanzheng nodded. They all understood that this cave passage was a great secret.

The three reached the cave mouth. Teng Xuanji looked out through the gaps in the vines and leaves.

In the gorge, besides the men of the Black Armor Army, there were unexpectedly two ordinary martial artists.

"Wait a bit," Teng Xuanji said.

Teng Xuanzheng and Du Hong also waited quietly. Teng Xuanji watched as the two ordinary martial artists, evidently somewhat wary of the Guicang Sect's people, soon left the gorge area.

"Go. Down." Teng Xuanji went first, swept the vines aside, and leaped straight down.

A height of some ten zhang—a first-rate martial artist of Li Shuohang would dare to jump it, and it would not reveal Teng Xuanji's true strength. It would only make those Black Armor Army soldiers admire him all the more.

Whoosh.

Ten zhang, straight to the ground.

Teng Xuanji dissolved the impact force with ease.

Teng Xuanzheng was seen gripping the vines and leaping down. He slid several zhang down before he clenched the vines with force. Once he stopped, he leaped off, kicked the cliff face once, and landed lightly.

"Hah!" Du Hong actually copied Teng Xuanji, leaping straight down from the cave mouth as well.

"Old Du!" Teng Xuanji was startled.

But on landing, Du Hong dropped low and rolled flat along the ground, finally shedding the impact force.

"The commander truly is Li Shuohang! From such a height, even I, Old Du, couldn't fully shed the force—I still had to roll." Du Hong laughed heartily. Teng Xuanzheng walked over and teased deliberately, "Old Du, I used the vines. You jumped straight down—that's a slap in my face. Tell me, how are you going to make up for it?"

"Tonight's wine—I'll give you an extra jug. Satisfied?" Du Hong said with a laugh.

"One jug?" Teng Xuanzheng shook his head. "No. You don't drink tonight—your wine's mine."

Ji Hong strictly limited how much they drank. Since the afternoon required searching, they drank little at noon; at night there was rather more, but still with limits. A centurion got at most three jugs.

"All of it to you. Three jugs."

"What, think it's too little? How about tomorrow night's wine too—give that to me as well."

Teng Xuanji ignored the two of them and directly ordered the other Black Armor Army soldiers, "First Squad, stay in this gorge for now. Best to hide in the thickets and such. Keep your eyes on that cave mouth—if that lean, wiry man I brought in earlier comes out, seize him."

"Yes, sir!" the First Squad soldiers answered.

"Commander, what if the man tries to flee?" the First Squad asked.

Teng Xuanji said coldly, "Then break his legs. If he fights you for his life, you needn't hold back."

"Yes." The soldiers breathed a sigh of relief. With that word from Teng Xuanji, they no longer had to be timid.

At midday, Guan Lü led her people back to camp first; Ji Hong returned after. As soon as both groups arrived, Teng Xuanji, who had hurried back early, immediately invited Guan Lü and Ji Hong into the main tent. The three conferred in secret.

"What did you say?" Astonishment showed on Ji Hong's face.

Guan Lü also looked at Teng Xuanji in surprise. In all these days, no one had reported finding the location of the Black Fire Spirit Fruit.

Teng Xuanji nodded. "Yes. Just this morning. I've only just discovered where the Black Fire Spirit Fruit grows. That place is indeed blisteringly hot." Where the lava flows were, of course it was murderously hot.

"Quick, tell us in detail." Ji Hong was overjoyed.

Teng Xuanji immediately described it in detail, and Ji Hong and Guan Lü beside him grew visibly delighted as they listened. Hearing that the Black Fire Spirit Fruit was actually at the site of the fiery lava, they were somewhat startled as well.

"But that boy who led the way—he fled into the tunnels and I couldn't find him. It's pitch black in there, a regular maze," Teng Xuanji said. "I've already ordered a squad to lie low in the gorge and wait quietly. The moment that man comes out of the cave, he won't escape."

Ji Hong nodded repeatedly as he listened.

"Haha. Qingshan, you've done well this time!" Ji Hong clapped Teng Xuanji's shoulder in delight. "Once we deal with that escaped man, this news will be known only to our Cang Sect. By then, the Black Fire Spirit Fruit and the Black Fire Spirit Root will be in the palms of our hands!"

Guan Lü also glanced at Teng Xuanji.

She did not understand. Why was it that Teng Xuanji could always earn merit?

"We must keep this secret now," Ji Hong said hurriedly. "No one else can know. So—this lunch, we'll go on as usual. Everything as usual. When we go out searching this afternoon, Qingshan, Guan Lü, just the two of you come with me quietly into that cave to have a good look."

Ji Hong and Guan Lü had not seen the Black Fire Spirit Fruit themselves. They would not feel at ease without seeing such a thing.

That afternoon, Teng Xuanji, Ji Hong, and Guan Lü led their men into Flame Mountain. Soon the three quietly arrived at the gorge.

"Commander! Commander Teng!" That squad of men immediately came out of the thicket.

"Did the boy show himself?" Teng Xuanji asked.

"No." The squad leader shook his head.

Teng Xuanji did not know that the lean, wiry man would never come out again.

"Mm, most likely he's lost in the maze and can't find his way out," Teng Xuanji then ordered. "All right, you rest a while. Second Squad, bring out the food and let them eat first." The Second Squad members took the still-warm meals from their bundles and handed them to the First Squad soldiers.

But Teng Xuanji, Ji Hong, and Guan Lü walked toward the low cliff wall.

Teng Xuanji looked around—no one. Only then did he point at the cave. "There."