Chapter 89: What If I’m Lucky

Lu Ming was in no hurry. That ferocious beast—until now, no one even knew what it was. Besides, every matter must follow certain rules; those who arrive first naturally have the right to act first. He decided to observe the situation before making any move.

No matter what, Lu Ming was determined to obtain this beast. If things did not go his way, he would propose terms for an exchange. With the Dragon God Altar in his possession, he feared no conditions they might set.

Wang Shixin, seeing Lu Ming’s understanding of etiquette, said no more, but instead addressed the elder standing opposite them.

“Grandmaster Lin, as we were the first to arrive, might you allow the younger generation a chance?”

The elder did not reply, standing with hands clasped behind his back, an air of solitary pride about him. The middle-aged man behind him, however, stepped forward and said, “With the Grandmaster present, there is no reason to give way to you.”

Wang Shixin felt a headache coming on. As soon as he received the news, he had made elaborate preparations and rushed over. Stuck at the peak of the Innate Realm, unable to break through to the Grandmaster stage, the news of the beast had filled him with hope. If he could slay the creature, perhaps he could use its power to shatter the bottleneck in one fell swoop and become a Grandmaster himself.

He had also heard that many martial artists had already arrived and suffered heavy casualties. Thus, he gathered the best fighters of his clan and secretly purchased a batch of modern weapons, determined to succeed. Yet he had barely arrived when the Lin family—the foremost martial arts household in the Northwest—appeared, led in person by Grandmaster Lin Xiao.

Confronted with the leading martial family of the region and a Grandmaster, even though he had arrived first, Wang Shixin did not dare insist on his rights and had no choice but to ask for their opinion. The Lin family, however, refused to yield, leaving him in a difficult position.

By custom, the first to arrive should act first, and only after he failed would it be another’s turn. But the Lin family’s status and power as the top martial clan, with a Grandmaster in their midst, weighed heavily on him. He dared not be as forceful as he had been with Lu Ming. If they refused, he truly had no recourse.

Yet this matter touched on his chance to ascend to Grandmaster; to give up now was more than he could accept. While he hesitated, Lin Xiao finally spoke.

“Do not be rude. Since he was here first, it is only proper to let him act first. We martial people must abide by the code.”

“Yes,” the middle-aged man replied, immediately stepping back.

Wang Shixin was overjoyed. He cupped his fists toward Lin Xiao. “Thank you, Grandmaster Lin, for your generosity.”

Lin Xiao nodded slightly, his demeanor dignified.

Only then did Wang Shixin turn to his own men. “Open the crates. Prepare for action.”

Lu Ming watched the scene, shaking his head. Wang Shixin had been utterly unreserved with him, boldly claiming priority, but in front of the Grandmaster he was cautious and deferential, waiting for permission before daring to act. It was clear—this world was still ruled by the strong.

The Wang family opened several wooden crates, revealing boxes of hand grenades. Though somewhat crude and not standard-issue, it was no small feat to amass so many. Wang Shixin and his clan members packed the grenades into pre-prepared backpacks, slinging them over their shoulders as they approached the yawning, black cave entrance.

Just as they were about to enter, Wang Shixin turned back, cupping his fists toward Lin Xiao. “Grandmaster Lin, should anything unfortunate befall us, I hope that for the sake of our shared path, you might lend us your aid.”

Despite his thorough preparations, the beast had already injured many martial artists, some of them Innate-level experts. Wang Shixin could not guarantee he would emerge unscathed from this hunt. With Lin Xiao—a Grandmaster—present, he thought it best to ask in advance; should things take a turn for the worse, it might secure him a lifeline.

As for Lu Ming’s group of three, he had completely dismissed them. In his eyes, apart from the woman, whose cultivation matched his own, the remaining two were not worth mentioning.

Lin Xiao, hearing Wang Shixin’s words, nodded slightly. “We walk the same path. If anything happens, I will naturally assist.”

“Thank you, Grandmaster Lin.” With Lin Xiao’s assurance, Wang Shixin relaxed somewhat. After offering his thanks, he led his men into the cave.

At this moment, Lin Xiao’s gaze fell upon Lu Ming. In his eyes flashed a hint of lightning, sharp and penetrating as he looked at the trio. He spoke slowly, “Young man, this beast is not something the likes of you, at the Innate stage, should covet. Best leave now, lest you lose your life in vain.”

Lu Ming smiled. “But what if fortune favors me? Nothing in this world is absolute. I’m not busy, so I’ll simply watch the fun.”

Hearing Lu Ming speak so, Lin Xiao’s expression darkened slightly. He had just examined the three and discovered that only the woman was at the Innate stage, the other man was merely at the Internal Strength level, and this Lu fellow, though physically robust and full of energy, was at best an ordinary martial artist. This combination, setting out to slay the beast, was tantamount to courting death.

Little did he know that Lu Ming’s body possessed several types of power, his constitution utterly transformed—no longer measurable by martial artist ranks, nor within Lin Xiao’s ability to fathom.

At that moment, the middle-aged man behind Lin Xiao, angered by Lu Ming’s words, pointed at him and shouted, “How dare you speak so brazenly before a Grandmaster! Are you seeking death?”

“And what do you mean by that?” Lu Ming asked, his voice deep.

The man snorted. “A Grandmaster is not to be insulted; that is the iron law of the martial world. You, an impudent brat, show no respect—such insolence deserves punishment!”

Lu Ming’s expression darkened. “And how do you intend to punish me?”

He did not feel he was in the wrong. In his eyes, a Grandmaster was nothing special. If the other party wished to punish him over a single remark, Lu Ming did not mind teaching him a lesson in return.

Hearing Lu Ming’s words, the man stepped forward, ready to act, but Lin Xiao spoke up. “Enough. Since he knows no better, let him be. If he loses his life, he has only himself to blame.”

The man, hearing this, retreated sullenly.

At the same time, Yeqi Meiyu, who had been poised to strike, quietly loosened the hand seal she had formed. She had just learned a new illusion technique from the Great Five Elements Escape Art. If the man dared attack her master, she would not hesitate to send that arrogant man to his death.

Combining her illusions with her ninja arts, Yeqi Meiyu was confident she could kill an opponent of equal rank in a single blow.

At that moment, violent explosions and the beast’s roars echoed from the cave. Evidently, the Wang clan had encountered the monster. After a barrage of detonations came the shouts and sounds of battle—the Wangs had come face to face with the beast. In the next instant, its roars and their cries rose to a feverish pitch; the fight had reached its most intense moment.

Suddenly, a high-pitched beastly roar shook the entire mountain, and the next thing they heard was the hurried pounding of footsteps fleeing outward, accompanied by Wang Shixin’s desperate shouts for help.

“Grandmaster Lin, please lend us your aid!”

Wang Shixin’s voice was panicked and urgent, clearly the situation had gone badly.

Lu Ming frowned at the cave entrance, but Lin Xiao stood motionless, showing no intention of intervening.

Soon enough, the Wang clan members burst out of the cave, battered and bloodied, with two fewer in number.

At the same time, the beast pursued them to the entrance, then stopped, as if sensing something. It lingered in the darkness for a moment before turning away, leaving only two glimmers of red light and a vague, massive silhouette for all to see.

Wang Shixin gazed at his wounded kinsmen, grief overwhelming him. He had spent a fortune and made careful preparations, yet he had underestimated the beast’s savagery. Over a hundred grenades had done it no harm—instead, they had only provoked its fury.

In the ensuing melee, all his family members, himself included, had been wounded in an instant. Seeing the danger, he immediately led them in retreat. But the beast had chased them relentlessly; just as they neared the exit, it caught up, forcing him to call for Lin Xiao’s aid.

He had hoped that with Lin Xiao’s Grandmaster strength, the beast could at least be held at bay, giving them time to escape. But Lin Xiao did not come. In desperation, his younger brother and a nephew charged at the beast, sacrificing themselves to buy a few precious moments for the others to flee.

Now, looking at Lin Xiao, Wang Shixin seethed with resentment, but dared not voice it. At this moment, Lin Xiao began to walk toward him.