Chapter 24: Clearing One’s Throat for No Reason
In a circular hall somewhere in the Fengsha Basin, several bandit leaders had gathered once again. However, unlike before, this time, the Scorpion Lady was absent.
It isn’t an illusion. The plants in this circular hall seem even more lush than before.
But compared to these vines, news of the Scorpion Lady’s demise was evidently more surprising.
“What’s going on? How did the Scorpion Lady bite the dust?” Asked the masked man.
Not long ago, they discussed dividing the Phylin tribe’s belongings with the Scorpion Lady. And they were being told that the Scorpion Lady was gone? And that over half of her bandit group was gone, too?
How were they supposed to believe this? They’d suspect the Scorpion Lady faked her demise if the intelligence weren’t so accurate.
“Hahaha, of course, that woman wanted to take possession of all the Phylin tribe’s treasures secretly and then stumbled,” chuckled a frivolous man, the youngest bandit leader present.
“Being so greedy, her death couldn’t have been more fitting,” he remarked about the Scorpion Lady’s fate, considering it well-deserved.
“Alright, let’s stop revelling in others’ misfortune,” said the middle-aged man, clasping his hands together expressionlessly. We need to consider the issue of that witch seriously.
They all believed that the Scorpion Lady must have been dealt with by the witch, especially considering the strength of the Scorpion Lady’s own bandit group. The Scorpion Lady often collected peculiar items, including magical artefacts. So, one had to consider these magical tools in conflict with her. Moreover, she was a formidable thief herself, skilled in combat. If she wanted to, the Scorpion Lady could easily have orchestrated the slow demise of the Phylin tribe.
Hence, the only plausible explanation was that the witch had killed the Scorpion Lady. The Phylin tribe wouldn’t have had the capability to do so. So, with the witch’s assistance, the Phylin tribe managed to eliminate both bandit groups in the Fengsha Basin.
If this continued, the next one to be killed might be someone among them. Despite their confidence in their own bandit group’s strength, it would be wise to strike first, just in case.
“Surely none of us here would be thinking of hogging everything like the Scorpion Lady, right?” The middle-aged man spoke up.
“Of course not, right?” The frivolous man looked towards the masked individual. “We’re all so honest.”
However, right after speaking, he couldn’t help but cough heavily. He looked at his hand in confusion, noticing there was a bit of blood on it. Given his overall good health, there was absolutely no reason for him to cough up blood suddenly. Moreover, he couldn’t shake off an indescribable sense of itchiness. However, in this setting, he concealed all his expressions very well.
“What’s going on? Another cough?” The masked person suddenly asked.
His tone sounded very caring, but the frivolous man knew what he was thinking.
“The air here isn’t great,” the frivolous man said in a carefree tone, “I don’t have a mask like yours. How about lending me one?”
“The Phylin tribe must have injured many to deal with us,” the middle-aged man interrupted their conversation, “If we keep dragging on, we’ll miss a good opportunity.”
“But there’s still the previous question: how do we divide the final things?” The frivolous man cut to the chase, “This is the treasure of the Bearded Man and the Scorpion Woman.”
“Whoever gets the witch’s head takes 60%,” said the masked man. “The rest, 20% each.”
“Good idea,” the middle-aged man seemed quite in favour.
“Hahaha, not bad, I guess,” chuckled the frivolous man, scanning the room. “Even though I think it’s unfair, it’s entertaining.”
“Now that it’s settled, let’s set a time to deal with the Phylin tribe,” the middle-aged man said. “I, for one, hope to go tomorrow.”
“You’re quite eager,” the others seemed less inclined to rush.
After all, they had their ideas and weren’t willing to follow the arrangements of the middle-aged man. Once they left the circular hall, the frivolous man turned to inspect the building behind them. If the building weren’t old, it would stand out as out of place in the Fengsha Basin. Even though weathered by wind and rain, one could still faintly discern that the building’s reliefs were once intricate.
Especially with the well-thought-out layout of the building, it exuded a fortress-like feel, leaving one curious about its original purpose. In fact, the frivolous man had long wanted to use this circular hall as his headquarters. Unfortunately, others had the same idea, so ultimately, the circular hall served only as a meeting place. Beyond this circular hall, one could see a towering tree. The towering tree was adorned with lush green leaves, resembling numerous pieces of emerald.
“Could you see the Mother Tree from here before?” The frivolous man asked one of his subordinates.
“No, it wasn’t visible before,” his subordinate truthfully replied.
“Well, that’s strange,” the frivolous man mumbled indifferently, but it seemed he didn’t dwell on the matter.
Because wherever you saw the Mother Tree, you could only see it, unable to touch it. The Mother Tree was a deity worshipped by many in the Bi-colored Realm. Prayers to it often involved healing diseases and wounds, and it didn’t have the ominous appearance associated with evil gods.
As long as it was on the vast ground, its figure always appeared within the believers’ sight, and its distance remains eternal—always so distant, sacred, and untouchable. Occasionally, it would be glimpsed by non-believers, just like now.
But it had to be said, this scene did evoke heartfelt emotions. Even someone like the frivolous man, gazing at the towering canopy of the Mother Tree that seemed to block out the sky, couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.
“Cough, cough, cough…” Suddenly, a few coughs from his subordinate caught his attention.
“Why are you coughing, too? Has the weather in Fengsha Basin turned bad?” He frowned.
“It’s nothing, just a scratchy throat,” his subordinate shrugged, not considering it a big deal.
