HIDDEN EVIL [XIAO SHUXIANG THE SERIES]
149 - Cultivator of the Sacred Cloud Sect

"Haaahs.... I'm really tired," a male cultivator was lashing out softly on his knees. He also moved his neck and arms until a sound came from his bone joint.

"me too. Demonic Beasts in this place were actually not very strong, but because they were numerous and attacked even in groups - so draining a lot of energy,"

"You're right. Hiya... The world seems so vast. I am now truly ashamed to boast of myself as the best cultivator again,"

"I think after this conference is over, I'll be more active in training. Haaa.... I thought that since I came from the Upper Cultivation Realm, then a person like Young Master Lan was absolutely nothing. But look now, I'm protected by him."

"I also had time to underestimate those who inhabit the Lower Cultivation Realm. It's really embarrassing,"

Those resting cultivators besides complaining, they also started learning something. One of them is not looking at others with one eye.

"..............."

Lan Guan Zhi himself slowly opened his eyes, he had finished resting and his energy had recovered. Before this, he had indeed not experienced much of a fight with Demonic Beasts. Unlike the cultivators who were currently with him.

Lan Guan Zhi saw that the disciples were still resting and seemed as if they had not yet wanted to continue on their way. He could only breathe slowly while waiting for a few more minutes. Fortunately, the moon hanging in the sky is not covered with clouds until this place is not too dark.

It took at least 30 minutes until the cultivators who were with Lan Guan Zhi were willing to continue on their way back. This time, some of them were already able to swing swords to fight the Demonic Beasts they encountered.

Lan Guan Zhi no longer fought alone, he and a dozen other disciples were now walking towards the forest. It was just that one of them seemed to be exclaiming and asking everything to stop.

"Wait..! I saw something," the disciple raised his right hand and the other disciples stopped walking with a serious facial expression.

"What's wrong?" a female disciple looked towards the gaze of the young man beside her. The girl's forehead shriveled, "They're like cultivators..."

"..............." Lan Guan Zhi also saw him. There were two young men, one of whom was dressed in white with his eyes covered in red cloth and the other in red. He recognized the red-clothed young man who was none other than Mo Huai.

"It seems like the two of them are being injured," a female cultivator noticed a strange thing. He saw the red-clothed young man looking very painstakingly holding the hand of the white-clothed disciple next to him despite the look of blood on his cheek.

"..............."

It was true what Lan Guan Zhi meant. That cultivator was Mo Huai and the man who was with him back then was a disciple of the Sacred Cloud Sect.

Mo Huai himself still continued to lead the way of the man who actually had the name Taiyang Hao. Up until now, she had never spoken a word despite Taiyang Hao frequently asking her.

"Miss, where are you taking me?" Taiyang Hao actually did not feel any objection or suspicion when pulled like this with his eyes closed. All because the person with him is a person who has been instrumental in helping him.

"Miss, are you worried about your face?" Taiyang Hao asked again. He felt that his savior was ashamed to show his face, so he had to end up with his eyes covered in cloth.

"Miss, I know men always look at a girl's beauty from her face. But really, I'm not that kind of person. You saved me, I'm really grateful."

"Please, can't you stop talking? I'm not a girl know! I'm a pure man," Mo Huai seemed to want to shout at the man beside him and it was clearly visible on his facial expression.

Since they had walked, this man had never stopped to talk. And somehow, Mo Huai was instead considered a female.

"Miss, you're ashamed to show your face and you haven't spoken since. What .... You're the kind of girl who's very shy?"

"Oh, my goodness. I was really upset," Mo Huai took a deep breath and exhaled, "Really. Now I want to hit him on the head until he dies. If only I hadn't been a coward, I would have thrown him into the herd of Demonic Beasts and left him to be torn to shreds."

Mo Huai gulped and shook his head slowly, "That's .... I would if I could really. But I am not this young master Xiao who is capable of cruel things without hesitation,"

Thinking about Xiao Shuxiang made Mo Huai miss him. He had always relied on Xiao Shuxiang or his stronger companions. This conference frightened him, he alone still did not believe that he could live until now.

"..............." Mo Huai continued to pull the man beside him and lead him on his way. He also rounded a few eyes when he saw some disciples walking not far in front of him. One of the students also had a young man who had an authoritative character with a calm nature.

Signs of life began to be seen on the look on Mo Huai's face that had previously been so pale. He knew very well the figure of the young man who was full of prestige. That's right is Lan Guan Zhi.

"Young Master Lan..." Mo Huai could already breathe a sigh of relief at this moment. His heart grew warm just from seeing Lan Guan Zhi. The young man was just like Xiao Shuxiang in his eyes.

A cultivator who was with Lan Guan Zhi walked up to Mo Huai and asked, "Are you two alright?"

Taiyang Hao was surprised to hear the voice and spontaneously embraced Mo Huai's waist to be carried jumping backwards. He carried the young man and made many people including Mo Huai himself shocked instead of playing.

Taiyang Hao seriously said, "Miss. Don't worry, I'll protect you."

?!

Many people were shocked, even Lan Guan Zhi felt a similar feeling as well. They were shocked by the actions and speech pitched full of heroism from the figure of the white-clothed man whose eyes were covered in this red cloth.

"W-what happened?!"

Taiyang Hao heard the voice again. He lowered Mo Huai and said seriously, "Miss. Stay here, I'll face it."

Mo Huai was startled and moved quickly to prevent Taiyang Hao from wanting to untie the cloth that covered his eyes.

"Miss, what are you doing?" Taiyang Hao gasped as it was suddenly prevented.

"Seriously, I'm not a girl!" Mo Huai wanted to shout, but he refrained from doing so.

"Hey..! What exactly is going on? What's wrong with you two?!" the cultivator asked again and made Taiyang Hao even more wary.

Not only was that cultivator wondering, but also the others including Lan Guan Zhi. Mo Huai then began to raise a finger and gestured for the dozen cultivators to stop talking.

Mo Huai gave another gesture. This time he asked Lan Guan Zhi to come closer. Everyone set their sights, too. Lan Guan Zhi himself calmly walked over.

"..............."

Mo Huai whispered and told Lan Guan Zhi what he knew, including the condition of this man with him. He explained that due to the influence of the illusion, Taiyang Hao saw and heard human voices just as he saw and heard the sounds of Demonic Beasts.

Lan Guan Zhi nodded in understanding. He remained calm and his expression did not change at all. He walked to the back of Taiyang Hao's body and touched the man's back.

Mo Huai slightly frowned, he had no idea what Lan Guan Zhi was doing. It was only after the forehead-banded young man untied the blindfold of Taiyang Hao-himself started to be shocked.

"Young Master Lan, what are you-" Mo Huai belatedly stopped Lan Guan Zhi's actions. Now Taiyang Hao's blindfold came off and the man began to see.

!!!

"Demonics!"

The cry from Taiyang Hao shocked everyone. The cultivator from the Sacred Cloud Sect was about to attack when his hands were held from behind.

"Damn it!" Taiyang Hao rebelled, he gave a kick that was spontaneously avoided by Lan Guan Zhi. Mo Huai himself fell down with a cringe of horror and disillusionment. This was because even though he had already told Lan Guan Zhi everything-the forehead-clad young man was still recklessly opening Taiyang Hao's blindfold.

"What's wrong with her?! Why is he attacking so suddenly?!" a disciple still did not understand the present situation, nor did his comrades.

Taiyang Hao circulated a look and had a bad face. From his vision, he was now in a place filled with Demonic Beasts. He did not even know anymore of the existence of his 'Savior Lady'.

!!?

Not quite the shock that Taiyang Hao felt, he was now back in shock when he could not sense Qi at all. Even the flow of Qi in his body was not felt.

"W-what happened to me?!" taiyang Hao's heart raced. He's never felt like this before. His entire meridian seemed to be closed somehow.

"A-what happened---!!" Taiyang Hao was startled and could not dodge as a rope darted and wrapped around his body.

The one who attacked Taiyang Hao just now was certainly none other than Lan Guan Zhi. This way, that cultivator could do nothing more. The flow of Qi that Taiyang Hao could not feel was also due to Lan Guan Zhi who had put a seal on him.

"Damn it! Unhand me!"

Taiyang Hao attempted to rebel. His voice was so noisy that Lan Guan Zhi was forced to poke a vein on the man's neck and make him faint.

"Young Master Lan..." Mo Huai could now take a sigh of relief back. He also looked at the cultivators from the various sects who were starting to approach him.

"Can you explain what's really going on here?" a female disciple was so serious when asking. He looked at Mo Huai.

"Illusion," Lan Guan Zhi replied briefly and this made everyone flinch.

"Illusions? I mean Young Master Lan--"

"That's right," Mo Huai interrupted and with a slightly irregular breath he explained.

"I don't know anything about this 'Young Master'," Mo Huai pointed at Taiyang Hao with the look in his eyes, "What I know. He fought fiercely with the other disciples and even without hesitation killed each other,"

!!!

Mo Huai knew these cultivators were surprised, yet he still had to talk a lot. "I know this guy's been exposed to illusions. He has completely white eyes. Later then... I felt that this person saw the other cultivator as a Demonic Beast, even the cultivator's voice he heard would be similar to the Demonic Beast's voice in his ear. Because that's ...."

Mo Huai set his breath for a moment before returning to say, "That's why I closed his eyes and didn't say anything to him. He would have thought that I was a Demonic Beast if he heard my voice."

Some cultivators held their breaths upon hearing Mo Huai's explanation. They now understood why this young man had acted so unnaturally and had even attacked Lan Guan Zhi. All because of the influence of illusion.

One of the disciples murmured softly, "Hear and sight do not correspond to reality which is indeed a characteristic of illusion. But how could he be exposed to this kind of thing?"

Mo Huai shook his head, "I don't know either. I hid in a tree because I was attacked by a Demonic Beast. When I survived, I heard the sound of a fight and decided to hide in the bushes. Really, I can't deal with a lot of terrible things in a day..."

!!!

Some cultivators swiftly restrained Mo Huai's body. Lan Guan Zhi was jolted because his friend was suddenly limp. It seemed, Mo Huai was desperately trying hard to refrain from fainting.

"Preferably... Y'all don't... Do not enter the forest first. I'm..." Mo Huai could no longer speak. He is unconscious now.

"He-hey?"

"It looks like he fainted. Um... Young Master Lan? What do you think?"

"Wait for him to regain consciousness."

"Mn, I think so. He told me not to enter the forest. It is possible, the cause of the illusion .... This is the forest."

"That could be! We'd better get them both and find someplace safe,"

Lan Guan Zhi and the other cultivators nodded in agreement. They started to bring Mo Huai and Taiyang Hao along. None of those cultivators had any intention of entering the forest in front of them right now. It was important to know more and that would only happen when Mo Huai regained consciousness later on.

******