Exhausted and cornered, Leroy looked at the Tang guard that followed him and the Old Tiger. If not for this idiot chasing them before and stalling them briefly they might have gotten away. Now they were both tied up and stuck with little to no way out.
The Old Tiger had managed to escape by slipping into the shadows or something. Literally looked to have melded with the mountainside itself. The sight of the forest and the Hamlet off in the distance only made the situation more dire. Much to Leroy's dismay as he at least the Demon Beast was willing to take him away if things got hairy.
The only thing that was for sure was that it was gone before they were captured.
Above his head, Leroy surmised they were in some kind of man-made cave. A few lanterns every few feet to illuminate everything. The problem was that the walls were adorned in several disturbing for lack of a better term, Pod people.
"This sucks ass." Leroy thought about the only getaway method he had available. When it got close for them to getting captured he swallowed a pouch of the pesticides and had a little wrapping of it in his gums. Soon as he was able, the chance to fly would be used. 'Really wish I had time to test how long it takes before I start to get sick.'
Regular exposure would take years in small doses but the concentrated amount and large volume he ingested combined with the increased physiology of a cultivator.. he might have days or possibly hours if it ruptures.
His calculations were cut short by the entry of a problem.
"Well, they did good not bringing any more trouble my way but the man who developed that method for extraction is better... you are a prize!" Tang Huo trotted in front sometime after they were captured with a smug look on his face. "Don't worry, you may have saved Tang Suo briefly but my brother will get what's coming to him later on. Family members taste the best mind you."
His eyes closed briefly as he yawned. When they were fully revealed his eyes started darting around wildly. Mumbling a few things that made no sense to Leroy or by the looks of it, the various Sucking Plants that followed behind.
Tang Huo reached into a person on the wall ripping out the heart and a cluster of eggs. His mouth opened wide, he swallowed the whole thing. Eggs and all with a sickening lick of the lips and an increase in eye movement.
Leroy stared at him unflinching. The nut job looked aroused, sweat on his body burned away in moments, he was twitching in places such as the arms-legs- and face, and haggard breathing.
He could only guess besides a number of various diseases that cause this issue but this guy was showing signs of being in REM sleep while awake.
"Tast just how mommi makes." The wide eye look went away as the Qi inside the eggs traveled through his body. Waking Tang Huo from whatever state he was in currently. "I doubt torture works on getting information from you, so I will have to go another way!"
"Gross... man.. just gross.." Leroy stretched his head away from the outstretched hands to no effect. "..don't touch me..."
"Everything is fair game amongst us nobility." Tang Huo covered his mouth and with his other hand placed it next to Leroy's forehead. "I am glad you are so weak actually, makes it easier to read your mind!"
He cut a small formation in Leroy's forehead and licked the blood that dripped away. Pulling away, Tang Huo looked bewildered briefly. It lasted a moment before he activated the Mind Reading Formation.
"Glad I am not a noble. How about you let me go and we just call it a good day?" Leroy knew it was a long shot but the guy seemed to be a little deranged, he might just do it.
Of course, the other captives gave him a pitying look.
"Ughhh!" Try as he might, the Mind Reading Formation was coming up with nothing. "I can't penetrate your mind! This is ridiculous!"
The information he was getting so far was nonsense as the one under the technique had a stronger mind than him and was thinking of his surroundings only. Things like how sturdy the rocks are, how much air is getting inside, how many different openings led to outside, and how many captives could actually put up a fight if they were free.
"Tsk!" Pushing and tugging against the walls Leroy was starting to panic. Whatever was just done gave him a serious headache and he felt the blood on his scalp burn. "What is ridiculous is that you think you are getting away with this!"
The Pesticide in his mouth was unraveled far enough and it couldn't be left his mouth any longer. Leroy sought to agitate the other and make his move now.
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"Who is going to stop me?" With a satisfied look despite the fact the formation didn't work, arrogance showed as he made a boisterous claim. "The Clear Tang Family is nothing compared..."
*Ptui!* Clump of wet powder and saliva shot out towards the bastard.
Spitting the Pesticide in Tang Huo's opened mouth, Leroy was happy to see a reaction but not about what happened next. A blow to the gut that felt as if it was a through-and-through immediately after clouded his vision with pain.
"Ughh!" Leroy felt as if his inside were ripped out and his spine dug into the wall just a bit. If not for the bindings keeping him against the wall he would have been curled on the floor like a fish. "...!"
"You filthy wretch!" With blood foam coming out of his mouth, Tang Huo sneered in pain. "You disgusting commoner!" He was about to throttle Leroy but seeing how he survived a punch to the gut by a person in the Qi Condensation Realm Peak Stage, restraint was needed. "You will make good children and delicious resources!"
*Tink!* A small pendant fell from the pocket of Tang Huo. It slid under Leroy who was stuck to the wall. Out of sight but would be very much needed by him.
Signaling a plant, Leroy's last sight was that of a horrifying demon plant as big as the cavern itself. Its large head was different in that it looked to shrink. Roots of leafy green shrunk while pulling itself apart.
It condensed itself and took on a smaller appearance before Qi fluctuated on the outside and it grew back to the dimensions it was before. But something quite disgusting happened next.
"Hello, my precious.." Tang Huo smiled as he was about to lick the plant's stem but stopped. Instead, he caressed it like a lost lover. Making the mistake of wiping the pesticides on it. "..I have found a perfect specimen for the next mutation!"
The large Sucking Plant sent a vine directly into Leroy's mouth and pumped a few eggs inside. Two other vines wrapped around a leg as barbs started to plant there as wel l.The outer exterior around of the vines unknown to them started to breakdown.
Before another vine could do the same to another area, the large Sucking Plant reeled in pain.
"Crreeeekkk!" The wail of distress caused a few of the Demon Plants to go into a frenzy. The cry echoed through each corridor of the man-made cave causing it to shake violently. Small sections started to rain down from above. "Creee!" It intensified due to two reasons.
The vine that vent down the throat of Leroy touched in his stomach where the bag of pesticides ripped open. The various eggs that were planted exploded and were smashed when the vine whipped around inside like a blender almost.
The second reason was that even the blood carried traces due to Leroy's actions before. The vines around the leg tightened enough to break the bones in a few places but also exposed itself to more of the pesticides.
"You sick bastard!" Tang Huo yelled furiously and was about to kill Leroy now but stopped when he was made to dodge. it was not an enemy but someone worse. "Calm yourself my sweet!"
*Bang!* The cave walls rattled as the Demon Plant entered a frenzy attacking wildly as it rampaged from the pain. So beautifully cultivated all these years, this was the first pain it felt.
A few of the pod people were smacked off the walls and some were ripped apart as the vines carried force much stronger than what kept them on the walls and wrapped up tightly.
Appeasing the situation did not work at all. What was worse is that Tang Huo had to get hold of the others before it was too late. Rounding up the other Demon Plants to force the largest one out of the area was the new priority.
A few cultivators that were now free immediately started running away in every direction. Crazed and out of their minds from panic and fear, they caused the death of themselves and a few cave-ins to take place.
*Rumble!* A few more blows by the frenzied Demon Plants and from a few cultivators who fought back caused the cave to become unstable. Passageways closed and deposits of ore were uncovered from shifting rock.
Outside the various teams that were making headway on taking down the nest noticed the disappearance of opposition in a few areas.
Immediately heading that way they were unable to enter due to the various cave-ins. Some observed a few man-made items and carts taken in the foliage. A few of the smarter guards even checked it out and couldn't help but find it odd that they found Storage Pouches with the Clear Tang symbol on them.
"I wonder what's inside?" As the head guard let out the contents after breaking the protection seal, the others did the same in a hurry. Rocks and sand in large quantities poured out. "All of them can't be like this, right?"
That was the case, however. Enough rock, sand, and even trees were poured out. A few bodies of people long since forgotten were also found. Only identified by pieces of personal clothing worn underneath.
"Come quick Tang Bo!" A guard shouted out.
"He went missing.. what four years ago?" Tang Bo looked at the body closely and frowned. A journal was taken out with several names written down. "This one was marked as a deserter after missing so long. Identify as many as you can!"
The guards were already doing that with only a few checking the material itself over. One or two found some rare gems in the rock. Of course, after the last few days, they tucked it away for themselves. A lot of them started to resent the Clear Tang Family after the rumor that a traitor existed surfaced.
The current situation of bodies also didn't help. However, a few of them spotted openings up above along the uncovered cave and immediately sent up signal flares. They were not too far from the "Main Nest" as they were told.
Not knowing the side they were located at had tunnels that led all the way in every direction.
Just because they found a bigger nest but because of the shining metals that reflected to their sight right now, the guards forgot about the Sucking Plants they needed to go after. Several more of the Demon Plants entered the cave as if called over from every part of the continent.
Whic was the case as several regions would report the foul things started going wild.
As Tang Bo and company uncovered what was going on, the traitor had gotten far away from Leroy but was not able to calm the large Sucking Plant down yet. While running after the Demon Plant, the shadows in the Caves acted oddly.
As if this was the moment they waited for, several figures started to appear.