The Devil’s Cage

A few hours earlier…

After Aqua Ape passed out from the poison, Riverdale’s guards found him.

Shortly after, Kieran arrived at the scene as well.

Then, he “saw” those traces.

Unlike the battlefield that was destroyed by craters, all the traces around the area where Aqua Ape passed out were intact.

That wasn’t to say that the eight-headed, seven-tailed viper tattoo man left behind so many obvious trails.

In fact, the man did make his concealments very well, even Kieran didn’t think he could outmatch the man in this, but the concealments were nothing before Transcendence [Tracking]. It was as obvious as an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

Kieran didn’t even need to spend time searching for clues, as sizing up the area provided him with the traces he was looking for, and as long as he followed the clues to the culprit, he would eventually get something.

However, the closer he got to reaping his rewards, the more vigilant he became.

Kieran frowned slightly.

Everything before him seemed a little too deliberate.

Not in terms of leaving behind traces but that battle from before!

That kind of loud explosion, Kieran believed that Viper Sect must have anticipated it.

So if Viper Sect anticipated the attack, then they would have surely included Kieran in their calculations.

In simpler words, this was a set up specifically against Ape Sect and also Kieran himself.

As for the dead eight-headed, seven-tailed viper tattoo man?

He might have just been careless.

But there was a higher chance that this was also part of their plan.

Using the death of one of their own to set things up, it might seem crazy, but most of the time, it was a very effective method.

“If this is the case…”

Squinting his eyes, Kieran’s heart spun. After waving at Mary, he vanished from the sight of the crowd.

Then, a giant white wolf scuttled across the dense woods like a ghost.

…

Deeper inside the woods, a man with ragged clothes was wiping away the puss on his face.

He didn’t mind wiping it on his clothes.

Of course, this kind of foul cleaning wouldn’t be cleaning his hands at all.

The ragged clothes were much dirtier than could be imagined but no one around him dared to voice it out.

In fact, everyone kept quiet like a cicada in winter when they saw the man, except for the eight-headed, eight-tailed viper tattoo man.

The man was coldly staring at a big iron pot that had bubbles popping out and which reeked of a vile stench; he was waiting patiently.

“Don’t worry, there won’t be a problem. My potions are much more useful than you think.”

The ragged clothes man grinned, baring his rotten, yellowish teeth, some maggot-like worms even crawling around the gaps.

When the ragged clothes man closed his mouth, these worms were crushed.

As he chewed, green juices spilled out from his mouth corner.

The man touched the juices around his mouth again but this time, he didn’t wipe them on his clothes. Instead, he dipped them into the iron pot.

That scrawny hand of his didn’t seem to feel the heat at all; it acted as a spoon and stirred the pot.

“It better be. We only have one chance,” the man with the eight-headed viper tattoo said coldly.

His cold voice was extremely sharp and irritating, as if an iron blade was slicing over a piece of bone, causing goosebumps to whoever heard it.

“The bastards from Ape Sect are already busy with their own affairs. The only one left… I am looking forward to his appearance! Otherwise, how can I get my revenge? No one gets to walk away alive after stepping on Ghastly Woods’ tail, not even the White Wolf!”

The ragged clothes man showed a malicious grin. The puss on his face was squeezed by the motion, oozing out yellowish liquid that reeked. It fell off along his cheeks.

“So, we work together,” the man with the eight-headed viper tattoo said.

Then, without giving anymore concern to his collaborator, he quickly walked deeper into the woods.

There was a felt tent ahead.

The man with the eight-headed viper tattoo knelt down on one knee when he was less than three steps away from the tent and said, “My lord, everything is progressing as expected.”

“Mm.”

A nasal voice came from inside the tent, like it didn’t care for anything.

However, as the subordinate of the man inside the tent for many years, the man with the eight-headed viper tattoo knew his master’s temper very well. Therefore, he didn’t stand up but continued to kneel down.

And just as expected, at the next moment, the voice from inside the tent spoke again.

“Pheter, are the materials for the blood sacrifice ready?”

“Ready, my lord. With those men providing, everything progressed smoothly.”

Pheter, the man with the eight-headed, eight-tailed viper tattoo, replied and showed a cold expression with a sneering grin.

Those ignorant fools, they didn’t even know what a blood sacrifice was!

And they dared to dream of returning to Riverdale?

In their next life!

Pheter had no guilt in lying to his collaborator.

For him, who came out of Viper Sect and possessed a high ranking position, such deceit was a daily routine, like drinking water or eating a meal.

He was eagerly looking forward to the expressions on the other bastards’ faces when they learned that they were the materials being used in the blood sacrifice.

It was bound to be interesting, right?

With those malicious thoughts in his mind, Pheter slowly stood up.

The voice from the tent continued speaking.

“Watch that guy. And be cautious of the other one. He should be coming soon!”

“Understood, Master Prime Viper. I’ve prepared an escape-proof trap just waiting for his arrival!” Pheter then bowed and stepped back after replying.

Just as Pheter said, the dense woods might seem peaceful, but actually, they were filled with adept members of Viper Sect plus many more traps.

If the White Wolf dared to show up, he would die a graveless death.

Pheter had absolute confidence!

Because it wasn’t the first time he fought the White Wolf from Wolf Sect.

Pheter had fought the last White Wolf before.

The sheer power from the last White Wolf still left his heart in a disarray, especially the claw marks on his chest, which would sting from time to time.

But what was all that compared to?

He was one of the victors in the final outcome.

The powerful White Wolf died in a very bad way, he could be considered dying of a grievance.

Remembering that restless death, Pheter couldn’t help but curl his lips into a grin.

“You and your disciple are the same, both of you crossed foes that you shouldn’t have. Hope your disciple will be as thoughtful as you, leaving a seed for Wolf Sect, otherwise its name will be removed.” Pheter laughed ferociously, muttering to himself.

Then…

He turned around suddenly and launched his left punch behind like a comet.

Puk!

The figure behind Pheter had his chest perforated just like that.

“You really think that you are that silent? Showing up undercover in front of an assassin? In front of an assassin’s base? Naive!”

Pheter was delighted from the single kill but when he saw the mocking in the dying man’s eyes, his face changed.

But, too late.

Puk!

A giant, sharp wolf claw grazed over Pheter’s body, splitting the branch leader in half.