Can a Scholar Be Called a Villain

Book 2: Chapter 22: Bai Xiao Mo’s wariness

In the great temple on the main peak, the vanguard of the crowd rushed in, unwittingly triggering traps that had lain dormant for years. Arrows shot out from concealed corners, poison gas permeated the air, and spiritual arrays glowed ominously. In mere moments, thousands of individuals who had entered first met their demise.

Following closely behind, the rest of the crowd cautiously entered, surveying the great temple on the main peak. Towering over five floors, the great hall before them contained numerous passages leading to unknown areas.

As most found nothing of value within the great hall, individuals employed their own methods to explore the paths they deemed promising. Even Yue Long Teng was visibly excited as he ventured down the passageway of his choosing.

Xiao Dong’s expression shifted subtly as he activated his Devourment power to assess the situation inside. Failing to discover anything, he had no choice but to select a path for himself.

Suddenly, he noticed Zhou Xuan Zi with his back turned. Realizing that Zhou Xuan Zi had chosen a different route from his elder brother, Zhou Xuan Tong, a sly grin briefly crossed Xiao Dong’s face. With determination, he decided to trail behind Zhou Xuan Zi.

Meanwhile, Bai Xiao Mo and Wang Chuang ventured down the same path, a route taken by 25 others—the most frequented one.

A faint gleam appeared in Wang Chuang’s eyes, as if he had employed some technique, before returning to normal.

Bai Xiao Mo, walking alongside him, inquired, “Did you spot anything?”

Wang Chuang turned to him with a grin, “If my instincts are right, there might be some treasures along this path!”

Bai Xiao Mo shook his head cautiously, “The odds are slim, and the crowd is dense. Getting our hands on anything won’t be easy.”

Having spent the past few days together, Wang Chuang understood Bai Xiao Mo’s character. He patted Bai Xiao Mo’s shoulder and said, “Look at the number of people here; we can just follow their lead. If there are traps, they’ll be the first to encounter them.”

Bai Xiao Mo nodded in agreement, acknowledging Wang Chuang’s reasoning.

The duo continued down the passageway.

Wang Chuang utilized his vision technique to scrutinize their surroundings, while Bai Xiao Mo opted to close his eyes, attuning himself to the auras lingering in the air.

Even with his eyes shut, Bai Xiao Mo maintained a remarkably steady pace. It appeared as if he could tap into his divine senses, a feat seemingly impossible in this place that blocked such abilities.

Wang Chuang, walking beside him, couldn’t help but feel a flicker of greed.

As they pressed on, the duo stumbled upon several corpses strewn across the ground, each impaled with visible darts. These unfortunate souls evidently fell victim to the traps scattered throughout this perilous path.

Traps became a recurring sight, and the number of lifeless bodies on the ground continued to rise.

Finally reaching a gruesome scene where corpses formed a mountain, Bai Xiao Mo and Wang Chuang noticed several rooms in the vicinity, seemingly brimming with serendipitous encounters and spiritual treasures.

Those ahead of them were engrossed in searching the rooms and engaging in battles, with the fallen corpses beneath serving as testaments to their struggles.

Maintaining his composure, Wang Chuang turned to Bai Xiao Mo, who was fixated on a particular room. Bai Xiao Mo pointed towards it and remarked, “That room seems to be a treasure trove!”

With a swift movement of their silhouettes, they burst into the room.

The interior, neglected and overlooked, had not attracted any intruders yet. It didn’t take long for Wang Chuang and Bai Xiao Mo to stumble upon their first stroke of luck.

In a corner, scrolls were piled haphazardly in a book basket. Though they appeared to be illustrative books, the contents were filled with depictions of spiritual techniques and cultivation methods.

Excitement filled them as they swiftly collected these items, sensing the energy of the lower Barren grade emanating from the scrolls.

Just as the joy settled in, five more individuals entered the room. Upon seeing the scroll in Wang Chuang’s hands and witnessing his act of storing it in his ring of holding, a palpable greed seized them.

Their expressions revealed the evident delight as they hastily gathered these books. It was clear these were valuable treasures.

Locking eyes with each other, the five of them rushed into the room, surrounding Bai Xiao Mo and Wang Chuang, arrogantly demanding, “Hey, you two! Hand over those treasures!”

Wang Chuang’s expression shifted, and Bai Xiao Mo felt a sinking sensation in his chest.

The intruders, all belonging to the first layer of the Cognizance realm, matched Wang Chuang’s cultivation. In contrast, Bai Xiao Mo stood in the ninth layer of the Sky Reaching realm.

Wang Chuang turned to Bai Xiao Mo, quickly realizing that he was silently mouthing something. It took just a moment for Wang Chuang to grasp the message.

Stepping forward, he cupped his hands and said, “Gentlemen, this humble one is merely fascinated by these illustrative books. Do all of you happen to share the same interest?”

The five hesitated for a moment, taking only a second before diverting their attention to attack Bai Xiao Mo.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Bai Xiao Mo retrieved a spiritual talisman from his ring and crushed it, instantly filling the room with a cloud of dense black-coloured smoke. The smoke not only obscured their vision but also blocked their divine senses.

Realizing they had fallen into a trap, the five began charging toward the exit, but it was too late.

Wang Chuang, with a flash of sword light and a white glow in his eyes, swung his sword, swiftly ending one of the intruders. Bai Xiao Mo, equally alert, manipulated a spiritual weapon to tear off one assailant’s face, followed by hurling a spiritual talisman into another’s heart. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind another, his arm ablaze with purple light as it plunged into their chest.

“No!” The desperate cries from the five echoed, but in mere moments, they were all dispatched by the duo. Only one remained.

Hearing the agonizing wails of his companions, the lone survivor sensed something amiss. They had unwittingly provoked someone they shouldn’t have.

Immediately realizing his predicament, he started retreating, desperately hoping to escape from this room.

However, his attempt to escape was in vain. Just as he approached the exit, he found himself ensnared by an array.

It was the very array Bai Xiao Mo had cunningly set up.

With a casual flick of his wrist and a subtle pinch of his fingers, Bai Xiao Mo sealed the fate of the final survivor trapped within the array. Not a single drop of blood was shed before the intruder met his demise.

Bai Xiao Mo, slightly panting, gazed at the lifeless bodies on the ground, taking a moment to recuperate.

Meanwhile, Wang Chuang, who had only claimed one life, wore a trace of surprise on his face as he recalled Bai Xiao Mo’s swift actions. Watching Bai Xiao Mo sit on the ground with his back turned, appearing fatigued, a hint of restlessness stirred in Wang Chuang’s heart.

Swiftly suppressing those feelings, he chose not to dwell on them consciously, telling himself silently, “I still need him. I can’t afford to kill him now. Even if the thought crosses my mind, it’ll have to wait until he helps me disarm that array.”

On the flip side, Bai Xiao Mo was quietly contemplating, “Is he really not making a move? It seems like he’s biding his time until he secures that fortuitous encounter. Well, I can use that to my advantage for a little longer.”

Being naturally cautious, Bai Xiao Mo had already sensed the peculiar glances Wang Chuang cast his way. However, he chose to feign ignorance, intending to exploit the situation to his benefit.

“Alright, let’s go.” In reality, Bai Xiao Mo wasn’t fatigued; he had merely pretended to collapse onto the ground earlier.

He smoothly rose to his feet, discreetly tucking the lethal spiritual talismans back into his ring as he addressed Wang Chuang.

With a nod, Wang Chuang walked alongside Bai Xiao Mo as they continued their journey.

Most of the structures were dilapidated, and even the surviving items were insufficient for the crowd.

They pressed on, navigating through another series of traps until they reached a vast temple.

Bai Xiao Mo surveyed the surroundings. Apart from the fact that they were in a cavern, numerous caves branched out, leading to this grand temple. It appeared that, regardless of the chosen path, this immense temple was the ultimate destination.

Those who had entered the hall earlier had now congregated here, though their numbers had dwindled to less than ten thousand. Over ninety percent of the original crowd had perished in the secret passages.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in their ears, “Xiao Dong! Where is my younger brother!”

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Translator’s note

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