Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

Chapter 175: Chapter 167: We Will Guard Your Backs

The others finally managed to dig Dong Changsheng out.

He had been lucky enough to avoid capture during the attack.

"I... I once again... am ahead of you all!"

"I would rather... be injured... myself, just to make you... see clearly... what becomes... of the cowardly..."

"You... didn’t harm me, yet I was harmed... because... of you..."

"Today... I have used... my own blood... to teach you all the most important... lesson..."

With that, Dong Changsheng’s head lolled to the side, and he gloriously fainted.

"Mr. Dong!!!"

"Mr. Dong, you...!!!"

’Yes... we’re too weak... We’re the ones who brought this upon Mr. Dong...’

’Mr. Dong endured all this... just to wake us up!’

Several of the undercover disciples scrambled forward, carefully helping up their beloved Mr. Dong.

"Quick! An elixir! I have a top-grade Healing Elixir right here!"

Meanwhile, Su Ling’er, after confirming there was no immediate danger, quietly crouched down.

She began to pick up the scattered Spell-Breaking Spirit Arrows one by one, placing them into her storage pouch.

’These... are all Magical Artifacts.’

’I’m so practiced at collecting these evil things. Eldest Brother... he would do the same, wouldn’t he?’

She didn’t dare to let her thoughts wander any further.

Under the effects of the elixir, Dong Changsheng slowly stirred and woke up.

Su Ling’er subconsciously did a headcount, and her face instantly turned ashen.

"...Are we... missing people?"

"What?!"

"One, two, three... Oh no! Senior Brother Jia is gone!"

"He... Wasn’t he right next to me just now? Didn’t he keep up with us?"

"It’s not just Junior Brother Jia... That group of mortals, there are only four of them left now..."

Li Chunfeng’s face remained taut, his hands moving faster than ever. The sounds of metal scraping—SHIING, CLACK, CLANG, SCRAPE—were exceptionally jarring in the deathly silent passage.

It even drew the uneasy gazes of a few of the ordinary people.

He didn’t know what to say. It was as if only by repeating this familiar motion over and over could he dispel some of the chill in his heart.

This bone-deep chill crept up everyone’s spines.

They had only ducked to dodge the arrows, and in that blink of an eye, several people had vanished from the group without a sound?!

SHIING!

This time, after drawing his sword, Li Chunfeng didn’t immediately sheathe it.

He stared wide-eyed at the empty space where Senior Brother Jia had been standing moments before.

"How... how could this be...?"

The previous losses hadn’t been as obvious, but now, after the chaos of the sudden arrow storm, the curse’s rampant hunt finally made them realize the gravity of the situation.

The few surviving ordinary people were on the verge of a breakdown.

"Sirs... oh, sirs... what in the world just happened?

How... how did so many people suddenly disappear?!

Did you see where they went?!"

Su Ling’er’s heart sank. She had been so focused on blocking the Spell-Breaking Spirit Arrows that she’d had no attention to spare for anything else.

Only now did she realize that Senior Brother Jia and several of the ordinary people had vanished.

Panic also began to spread among the four remaining ordinary people.

And fear is the root of foolishness.

When people are ruled by panic, they do things they would never normally condone, for their reason has been held hostage by their emotions.

"It’s over... We’re all going to die here..."

"This is all your fault! All that nice talk, and in the end, you can’t even protect us!"

"For all we know, you’re behind all of this!"

"Please, I’m begging you... just let us out of here..."

In their despair, a chorus of complaints rose up.

Su Ling’er felt a pang of indignation. If she hadn’t acted, they all might have died in that storm of arrows. She was the only one at the Foundation Establishment level of Cultivation; she couldn’t be everywhere at once.

But she still did her best to sound calm as she said, "As long as I’m alive, I will do everything I can to protect you."

Just then, Dong Changsheng stepped forward.

"Since you are all so worried,"

"Then I, Mr. Li, and a few of our other junior brothers will personally guard you!"

Then, he turned to the other three undercover disciples and gave his order.

"Disciple B! Disciple C! Disciple D!"

"You three will scout ahead!"

At his words, panic appeared on the faces of the three disciples.

"Mr.... Mr. Dong..."

"Scout... scout ahead? But... but Senior Brother Jia..."

"Yes, Mr. Dong! It’s too dangerous up there. Our... our Cultivation is low. We’d just be throwing our lives away!"

Seeing the fear on their faces, Dong Changsheng’s expression filled with disappointment.

"Throwing your lives away?"

"You... you actually think I’m sending you to die?"

"That’s no way for a man to behave!"

"I’m handing you the greatest opportunity in the world, a chance to prove yourselves, on a silver platter!"

"And you turn around and doubt me? Slander me? Is this how you repay me?!"

He pointed to himself, then to the group of ordinary people behind him, his expression a mask of pure, sorrowful indignation.

"Do you think staying here, by my side, is the safest option? Do you think the danger up ahead is the greatest danger you face?!"

"Wrong! The point of this isn’t how dangerous it is for you to scout ahead!"

"The point is that I’m giving you the simplest task, while I shoulder the most painful, agonizing burden myself!"

"Up ahead, you only have to face dangers you can see—swords and spears!

But me?!

I have to stay here and face the fear, the cowardice, the suspicion radiating from the hearts of these ordinary people!

Those are invisible blades, carving up my heart piece by piece!

What I’m enduring is death by a thousand cuts to my spirit! Do you understand?!

Rest assured. Men may prey on the good, but Heaven does not. Men may fear the wicked, but Heaven does not!

If you’ve spent your lives doing good and accumulating virtue, do you really think Heaven would be blind enough to let you actually die?

You’ll just wake up to find it was all a bad dream!"

"We will guard your backs!

Honestly, if it weren’t for the need to hold the rear, to bear this heavy spiritual burden for you, I would go to the front myself!

That feeling of a heroic charge—that’s what I call success! That’s what I call exhilarating!

I am giving this precious opportunity to you. So go! Go and seize the success that is rightfully yours!

We’ve got your backs!"

Under the dual influence of his rhetoric and the [True Words of Universal Salvation Heart Sutra], the fear in the eyes of the three disciples, who had been scared witless, slowly began to subside.

"Yes! Mr. Dong!"

"We understand! We will not fail to live up to your expectations!"

"We’ll leave our backs to you!"

Finally, he looked toward Su Ling’er and Wang Xiedi. "Miss Su, Mr. Wang, you two will bring up the rear. That way, we can fully protect these last few ordinary people."

The four ordinary people instantly breathed a sigh of relief, moved to tears with gratitude.

"Thank you for your immense kindness, sir! Once we get out of here, we will surely find a way to repay you!"