Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 241

The flags were covered with patterns and symbols, and they emitted a faint light.

‘Huh?’

Han Li, who had some knowledge of formations, gasped as soon as he saw the small flags.

“Did you recognize these flags?”

Han Li didn’t answer immediately, staring intently at the flags before finally raising his head.

“Could these be formation artifacts of the Four Symbols Black Tortoise Formation? If they aren’t an ancient formation that uses four flags to create a powerful earth-attribute barrier, I can’t think of anything else.”

“I didn’t know you were so knowledgeable about formations. It seems I’ve really found a suitable helper. Yes, these are the formation flags of the Four Symbols Black Tortoise Formation that I refined in my spare time. With these, I can firmly solidify the soil of the rocky mountain for dozens of miles and trap the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng. Since you’re skilled in formations, I’ll leave the installation to you. I need to find the whereabouts of the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng first.”

Then, Hyun-gul gave the four yellow flags to Han Li and transformed into a black cloud, flying towards the small rocky mountain.

Han Li looked back and forth between the formation flags and the old demon’s back, a strange expression on his face. But after licking his dry lips, he descended in a different direction from the other party.

At that moment, a deep male voice echoed in Hyun-gul’s head as he flew away.

“Hyun-gul, what’s your intention in giving the formation flags to that guy? The two of you don’t have such a deep relationship of trust, do you have other plans?”

“What intention? I have to give him the flags and let him install them himself so I can enter and search for the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng with peace of mind. I’ll use that opportunity to eliminate him.”

“Eliminate him now? Did I hear wrong? I thought you would at least get rid of the Extreme Yin before taking action…”

“That won’t do. That guy is too cunning, and if we drag it out, who knows what he might do. Besides, he’ll definitely act according to his own will, so we won’t be able to control him. What if he suddenly sells me out to that Extreme Yin bastard! Even if the possibility is low, I, Hyun-gul, have decided not to take such risks anymore. I’ve already been severely betrayed, so I can’t easily trust anyone again. Besides…”

The man continued.

“Besides, you never intended to hand over the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng from the start.”

“That’s right! How can I give the spirit herb I worked so hard to find to that guy? Even if it’s not effective for us, we can exchange it for something we need if we keep it. Moreover, he carries a magic treasure made of Gold Thunder Bamboo, so he’ll soon become a powerful enemy of our demon race. We must nip it in the bud.”

Hyun-gul, revealing his true intentions, suddenly changed the subject.

“What do you think of that guy’s body?”

“Are you trying to help me take over his body! I’d be more than happy. But what about the Extreme Yin? Are you still not ready to deal with him?”

Hyun-gul replied with a confident voice.

“I personally taught Extreme Yin the Profound Yin Great Method, and I’ve already planted a weakness that can kill him. Once he’s alone, you and I, with our physical bodies, can join forces to deal with him.”

“You should have said so sooner! But were you planning to kill that Han guy from the beginning? If you deliberately suggested an alliance, you’re incredibly meticulous.”

The deep male voice seemed genuinely impressed with Hyun-gul.

“You think too highly of me. Before I met you, I sincerely intended to cooperate with him to deal with Extreme Yin. Even if I knew the weakness of the heretic, the probability of success would be higher with someone helping me. But since I’ve met an old friend, I don’t need that guy anymore. Now that it’s come to this, it’s best to deal with him early to eliminate future troubles.”

The man sighed, speaking with a slightly complicated heart.

“You’re really amazing. Seeing you so anxious in the flower garden, I thought you really needed him. I never imagined you already had murderous intent.”

“Hmph! I was really anxious at that time. It wasn’t just because of that guy, but because I was worried that the Gold Thunder Bamboo flying sword he possessed might fall into the hands of another immortal. If that happened, it would be disadvantageous for us.”

The man was silent for a moment before asking. Now, his own interests were also at stake.

“Knowing that the opponent possesses a Gold Thunder Bamboo magic treasure, are you acting so rashly because you’re confident in suppressing him?”

At this time, Hyun-gul had already descended near the rocky mountain and was circling. He muttered meaningfully with a strange smile.

“Originally, I was going to reveal the location of the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng and use the Four Symbols Black Tortoise Formation to capture both him and the spirit herb at the same time. But since the opponent is proficient in formations, I’ll just give him the formation artifact and create an even more perfect plan.”

“Could it be that you’ve set up some device in the formation artifact?”

“Hehe! You’ll find out soon enough. First, I need to find the trail of the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng. Otherwise, he’ll never be fooled.”

The man snorted, showing his displeasure. A cold glint flashed in Hyun-gul’s eyes as he muttered.

“You were the one who taught me the technique to transform into a demon. I originally learned it to track the whereabouts of spirit herbs, but who knew it would become my lifeline after being defeated by the heretic.”

“There’s nothing to teach. We just learned what we needed from each other.”

The man seemed a little touched.

“Enough with the useless old stories. If you help me find the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng, you’ll get a physical body after we eliminate that guy.”

“Of course! It’s a simple matter for the two of us to track a spirit herb with our Spirit Gathering Great Method.”

“Then let’s move!”

After speaking, Hyun-gul tilted his sleeve with a serious expression. Two black auras flowed out of his sleeve, touched the ground, and then disappeared.

Then, a faint green glow flickered from Hyun-gul’s toes and disappeared. Hyun-gul closed his eyes and remained still, floating low.

At that time, Han Li, who was on the rocky mountain, was lost in thought while holding the yellow flags. Suddenly, he stretched out his hand, and the flags, turning into yellow light, were planted in various places.

Han Li muttered, sneering.

“I couldn’t find anything special, but did you think I wouldn’t take any precautions?”

Then, rummaging through his storage pouch, he took out a dozen or so yellow flags that were very similar to the ones he had just thrown. Looking at the flags full of earth attributes, Han Li revealed a strange expression.

Not long after, Hyun-gul twitched and opened his eyes wide. The black aura and green light had returned to his body at the same time.

The man’s slightly triumphant voice echoed in his head.

“I found it. The Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng is good at hiding, and I almost missed it hiding in the rocks.”

“It’s good that you found it. Now, we need to check if that guy has installed the formation well and fallen into the trap. Don’t come out carelessly and hide.”

“The transformation technique I use won’t be detected unless it’s by a Nascent Soul stage immortal’s consciousness, so don’t worry. If you can’t suppress that guy and ask for my help, don’t. The Gold Thunder Bamboo is the nemesis of a ghost soul like me, and I don’t want to be hit by the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning and disappear without a trace.”

Hyun-gul replied calmly.

“Hmph! Do you think I need your help to deal with a mere Core Formation initial stage guy? I have my own plans, so I’m moving. And there’s no need to be so afraid of the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning. The Gold Thunder Bamboo unleashed lightning not long ago when it fought me, so the remaining Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning has likely been exhausted while passing through the ghost fog.

His magic treasure is no longer something to fear. However, I need to be careful of the beetles I saw back then. Even I, who have lived for so long, have never seen such things. I don’t know what kind of spirit insects they are, but they were very powerful.”

The man breathed a sigh of relief.

“If there’s no Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll see if I need to step in depending on the situation.”

Hyun-gul slightly raised the corner of his mouth at those words but didn’t say anything. Although he possessed the other’s soul, he knew he couldn’t completely control him.

Moreover, the other had walked the ghost path for longer, so he was better at controlling and handling souls than he was. Perhaps if he suffered a major injury and his nascent soul was severely damaged, he wouldn’t even be able to maintain minimal control.

Therefore, he couldn’t oppress the other too much. Hyun-gul turned back into a black cloud and flew towards Han Li.

He found Han Li and landed on the ground. Although it was a flat area, it was a small jungle with weeds and dozens of trees. Hyun-gul appeared in front of Han Li and asked.

“Is the installation complete?”

Han Li leaned against a large tree and leisurely pointed behind him.

“Of course. It’s over there.”

Hyun-gul looked closely, and among the trees lined up behind Han Li, a large amount of earth-attribute spiritual energy fluctuations appeared. Hyun-gul smiled inwardly. He took out a jade box from his storage pouch and opened the lid in front of Han Li.

‘What is this?’

As soon as the jade box opened, a fishy smell assaulted his nose, and Han Li immediately held his breath and stepped back. Hyun-gul glanced at him and calmly explained.

“Don’t worry. The musk deer’s excrement smells bad, but it’s perfect for luring the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng. If we place this in the middle of the formation, the incarnation of the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng will surely appear. Then, if we suppress it, we can find the main body of the spirit ginseng.”

‘Musk deer’s excrement?’

At those words, Han Li’s gaze turned to the jade box. Inside was something yellow, and the pungent smell was coming from it.

He had heard of musk deer. It was a type of spirit beast raised by cultivators, with a red horn on its head that emitted a fragrance that calmed the mind, making it a favorite of many immortals. But it was unexpected that its excrement would have such a terrible smell and that a spirit herb would like that fragrance.

Han Li was speechless for a moment. But seeing Hyun-gul’s expressionless face, he smiled and said.

“Then, Senior, please go into the barrier and leave it there. I need to check again if the formation is installed correctly. I’ll trust you to capture the spirit herb’s incarnation and excavate the main body later.”

After speaking, Han Li cupped his fist and immediately disappeared into the bushes behind him. Hyun-gul was stunned by the unexpected situation.

He narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the bushes, which were full of earth-attribute energy.

He twisted the corner of his mouth and waved his hand. Then, a monster snake transformed from black energy grabbed the jade box, entered the barrier, placed it on the ground, and returned.

Even after that, Han Li didn’t reappear, and his face became fierce. He silently flew into the sky. At that moment, the man’s laughing voice echoed.

“Why did you give the formation artifact yourself, only to become afraid of the barrier?”

“There’s no harm in being careful. I need to check if he used the formation artifact I gave him. There’s also a possibility that he coincidentally possesses an earth-attribute formation artifact. It’s best to avoid all risks.”

“If you had been like this before, you wouldn’t have ended up like this now. It seems you didn’t suffer in vain after all, Hyun-gul.”

Hyun-gul snorted as the other party praised him while twisting his insides, and he didn’t respond any further. Then, he spread his five fingers, and a yellow flag appeared in his palm.

The flag’s shape was the same as the four he had given to Han Li, but it was larger and more elaborate.

Hyun-gul looked down at it and shook it lightly. Then, a yellow light came out of the flag, circled around Hyun-gul’s hand, and flew towards the bushes.

Seeing that, Hyun-gul took a long breath and smiled ominously. He retrieved the flag again and flew in a certain direction of the rocky mountain.

At that time, Han Li came out of the bushes again. He looked at Hyun-gul’s back with cold eyes and then disappeared into the air.

As time passed, the foul smell of the jade box became even more intense. Han Li, who was hiding in a nearby tree, had been holding his breath for a long time. There was a time limit to how long he could stay here, so if the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng wasn’t fooled, he would have no choice but to give up.

At that moment, he sensed something small entering the forest. Han Li was overjoyed and completely concealed his energy, watching the jade box in the bushes.

A yellow light flashed, and a wild rabbit began to peek at the meadow outside the formation. The rabbit, with its white body and red eyes, looked around cautiously.

However, it soon sniffed repeatedly towards the jade box with its pink nose, showing signs of being intoxicated by the smell. The smell that was so terrible to Han Li seemed fragrant to the rabbit.

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