I Am Your Natural Enemy

The Night Vigil Deity twisted its waist, its enormous palm reaching out to grab Cai Qidong, who swiftly drew near amid his evasive maneuvers.

Opening its mouth, the deity once again expelled a smaller orb of light.

Cai Qidong extended an arm to embrace the orb. Seemingly retreating yet not, he turned his body and pulled the small orb into his arms. With a roar, the Power that had just been neutralized burst forth in an instant, pouring into the small orb.

In a flash, Cai Qidong leaped up, his arms cradling an orb of light over three meters wide, and thrust it straight into the Night Vigil Deity’s mouth.

A fierce explosion sounded, accompanied by beams of light scattering in every direction.

Amidst the halo of light, Cai Qidong’s body was flung backward. He landed and slightly crouched, skidding back for more than ten meters before coming to a halt.

As the light faded, the Night Vigil Deity lay on the ground, its head gone.

Cai Qidong stood motionless. Wen Yan immediately had a bad feeling and rushed forward.

At that moment, a figure approached rapidly from afar. Soon, Qin Kun and Luo Liang also appeared.

Seeing the battlefield-like environment, they were all somewhat shocked. They were even more shocked at the sight of the young man: fiercely muscular, with thick eyebrows and large eyes. Who was he?

”Minister? Are you okay?” Wen Yan asked.

Cai Qidong then spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

His aura began to plummet at a visible rate, and his youthful face rapidly aged.

He staggered and fell backward.

Wen Yan caught him and propped him up.

Cai Qidong reverted to his original appearance, his face as pale as paper and his lips colorless.

”It seems I was a bit too ambitious,” he said. ”I haven’t exerted myself like this in a long time and overestimated my capabilities. I almost didn’t manage to borrow the Power.”

”You call *that* borrowing Power?”

Qin Kun glanced at the headless giant, his face even paler than Cai Qidong’s.

”Tai Chi? Isn’t it said that Tai Chi practitioners don’t train Power, only sinews and bones?”

”Whoever believes such nonsense is a fool. If you don’t train Power, what will you do if your opponent doesn’t lend you any?”

”Just shut up, will you? Say less. How do you feel?” Wen Yan hurriedly silenced them both.

”To have such an experience once in a lifetime... I suppose it’s worth it.” As Cai Qidong spoke, his face grew whiter, and his condition visibly worsened.

Looking at the people slowly gathering around, Cai Qidong murmured to himself, ”You’re all still young; you can’t die here. The future belongs to the young. I’m just an old fellow; perhaps this is my only moment of glory in this lifetime. It’s fine. Be careful, everyone. Someone deliberately let these creatures in. The most talented young people of Nanwu County are all here, as well as the most gifted descendants of Mount Mao and the most talented successors of Fuyu Mountain. This is an attempt to sever our roots. Qin Kun, you must lead them out of here alive... Wen Yan, from now on, it’s up to you.”

As he spoke, Cai Qidong’s eyes widened, his voice growing weaker.

”Minister? Minister?”

Wen Yan’s heart skipped a beat. Without a second thought, he immediately pinched a small pastry from his bag, shoved it into Cai Qidong’s mouth, lifted his chin, and stroked his throat, making him swallow it.

But at that very moment, Cai Qidong fell silent, his body going limp.

He remembered what Cai Qidong had told him privately before: that no one was indispensable. So why had it now become ’you young people cannot die here’? He felt Cai Qidong was putting on an act.

But as he supported Cai Qidong, he watched with wide eyes as Cai Qidong took his last breath, watched as his pupils began to dilate.

He could feel Cai Qidong’s heartbeat stop.

Was the pastry fed too late? Or was feeding it this way simply ineffective?

Considering how incredibly fierce Cai Qidong had been just moments before, an absurd sense of unreality kept surfacing in Wen Yan’s mind.

”Damn it, Minister? Cai Heizi? Don’t kid me, wake up!”

Wen Yan wanted to say more, but Qin Kun stepped forward and grabbed Cai Qidong’s wrist. After a brief check, he confirmed: heartbeat stopped, breathing ceased, and even his Yang Energy was beginning to dissipate...

He patted Wen Yan’s shoulder and gently shook his head.

Wen Yan remained silent. He carefully laid Cai Qidong’s body down, looking at Cai Qidong’s wide-open eyes.

Even though Qin Kun had confirmed it, it still felt unreal to him.

The Minister of Nanwu County, during the final stages of the martial assessment, had personally fought the enemy to protect the young talents of Nanwu County, and had died on the spot. This was an earth-shattering event. If it wasn’t pursued to the bitter end, until every single person responsible had paid the ultimate price, this matter wouldn’t truly be over.

But thinking about Cai Qidong’s earlier words and his usual way of doing things, he felt that this was indeed something Cai Qidong was capable of. Using his own death, he had forcefully transformed an investigation that required evidence, a matter that would have involved extended compromises and wrangling, into a clear-cut case of quelling a rebellion—one that needed no evidence or lists of names.

Wen Yan felt somewhat dazed; he couldn’t tell what was real anymore.

Had Cai Heizi truly died? Or was he still acting?

He tried to infuse Cai Qidong with some Yang Energy, but there was no obvious effect; Cai Qidong’s Yang Energy continued to leak away slowly.

The people standing around fell silent one by one.

Huang Zhiji took the Nine Yang Scarf from his head, knelt, and kowtowed respectfully.

Qin Kun said with a complex expression, ”Minister Cai, in one breath, ignited all his potential, restoring his body to a state far exceeding its prime. This was an ultimate burst achieved by burning his life force, and its effects were very short-lived.”

Qin Kun patted Wen Yan’s shoulder.

”Minister Cai’s realm was indeed much higher than mine.”

Qin Kun took off his long robe and put it on Cai Qidong. Looking at the somewhat dazed Wen Yan, he wanted to say something but didn’t know how.

Wen Yan had been in Nanwu County for a long time. Although he verbally teased Cai Heizi daily, in his heart, he still deeply respected Cai Qidong.

”Junior Brother, my condolences,” Qin Kun said. ”Don’t worry about this; I’ll take charge. Once we leave, I’ll go to headquarters. This matter cannot be let go so easily. If those bastards have the guts, let them try to kill me too!”

”I’m fine...”

Wen Yan carried Cai Qidong’s body back to the camp and placed him on a bed. He then sat beside Cai Qidong, watching as the others slowly returned, everyone very quiet.

Wen Yan was in no mood to deal with the others.

He waited until dawn. By then, the Night Vigil Deity’s corpse had vanished. Wen Yan brought Cai Qidong’s body back into the room and tried to infuse it with Yang Energy again, watching as the Yang Energy gradually dissipated.

He extended his left hand and dripped some Corpse Poison into one of Cai Qidong’s wounds.

He silently observed the Corpse Poison spreading. Just like when he had tested it before, it moved slowly and met no resistance.

Wen Yan’s heart sank.

Cai Heizi, did you really have to be so extreme in everything?