radicalducati Chapter 36 The Cockroach Dance
Chapter 36 The Cockroach Dance
The story begins a hundred years ago in Xujia Village.
In the later stages of the Seven Demons' Rebellion, Aolai was filled with refugees. At that time, Xu Family Village adhered to the principle of neutrality and was not affected by the war. Seeing the suffering of the people, they took in a large number of refugees. To reassure the newcomers, they changed the name of the village to "Wujia Village", which means "where the heart is at peace is home".
Within a decade or so, the population of Wujiazhai surged to hundreds of thousands, making it the number one village in Aolai at the time.
Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long. Instigated by the Star Moon Sect, the thirteen major clans in the village launched an internal strife. The Xu clan was almost wiped out, with only a dozen cultivators leading a few thousand ordinary people to escape. They were hunted down by the thirteen clans for more than a decade, and in the end, only a few dozen people from Xu Ping'an's lineage remained.
Fifty years ago, Xu Ping'an fled to the vicinity of Sushanfang, where Kong Fande took them in and allowed them to settle down, which became known as Wujialing.
This Zhou woman was a member of our village back then. When our village was in turmoil, everyone turned against us, but this Zhou woman stood with Xu woman from beginning to end.
After their demise, the Zhou family found a mountain in central Aolai to establish their own independent household. Over the years, they have multiplied and thrived, now numbering in the thousands and including more than a dozen cultivators, which can be considered quite successful.
Every year, the Zhou family cultivators would visit Xu Ping'an at Wujialing, bringing some spirit stones and local products. Over the decades, they had not grown distant and had even exchanged marriage agreements. Xu Ping'an's eldest son married a woman from the Zhou family. It can be said that this was the clan that Xu Ping'an trusted the most.
Then there was the traveling merchant Xu.
Wujiazhai once adopted countless orphans, many of whom changed their surname to Xu. After Wujiazhai was destroyed, the Xu family suffered all kinds of bullying, and most of those who changed their surnames reverted to their original surnames. Only one branch has remained unchanged to this day, and they occasionally come to visit Xu Ping'an to remember their ancestors.
This branch of the Xu family has six cultivators and a population of over a thousand. Currently, they are active in northern Aolai through trade. Although they are not powerful, they are trustworthy.
After discussing it with Xu Ping'an, Cai Fei felt that since this branch of the Xu family had not changed their surname, they could still be considered people of Wujialing, and they should be included in the migration to the Great Wilderness no matter what.
Therefore, Xu Ping'an made a special trip to invite the head of the Xu family.
At noon, Xu Ping'an, who had been guarding the spirit field, stood up and directed the mortals to remove the black gauze covering the spirit field, revealing its true form—a vast expanse of fiery grass.
This Flame Grass looks similar to thatch grass, except that its leaves are blood red and its spikes are orange-yellow when it matures. There is an acre of it planted near the orphanage, and it looks like a blazing fire. In fact, it is just a single plant that is good at differentiating itself.
About fifteen minutes later, Cai Fei landed in his paper kite. An old man and a young man quickly inspected the magic array that had been set up a few days earlier. The ordinary warriors with higher combat power entered the field and hid among the flame grass.
Looking up, the illusion array was located in a pile of rocks fifty meters above. Several guests would be observing it invisibly in a moment.
At this moment, the illusion array had not yet been activated, and everyone was either sitting or standing, looking rather lazy. When they saw Xu Ping'an looking over, they all raised their hands to greet him, and then their gazes focused on Cai Fei.
Zhou was the first to lose her temper: "People born on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, you dare to go to the Great Wilderness?"
"Old Xu means a temporary cooperation," Chu Huihui explained. "If we can really get into the Great Wilderness, then everyone will go their own way. No matter how strange Cai Fei's fate is, it has nothing to do with us, unless you want to join Wujialing and rebuild a Wujiazhai?"
"No, I don't want to..."
Both Zhou and Xu shook their heads repeatedly. These two heads of the household were only in their fifties or sixties and had not experienced the chaos in Wujia Village. They had only heard stories of the village's disintegration from their elders since childhood.
They are grateful for the kindness of Wujiazhai to their ancestors and respect Xu Ping'an, but they do not yearn for Wujiazhai.
"Immigrating to the Great Wilderness is a rare opportunity. If we can get in, my family is willing to pay some money. But this Cai Fei only seems to have a fourth-level cultivation? How dare he ask for money?" Madam Xu kept staring at Cai Fei below, somewhat puzzled by Cai Fei's strength.
"Old Master Xu isn't a rash person." Chu Huihui was also a little puzzled. She didn't know Cai Fei's actual cultivation level, so she could only speak up for Xu Ping'an. "As far as I remember, this is the first time Old Master Xu has asked someone for a favor. We should at least do something in return for decades of goodwill."
"Hehehehe."
Upon hearing Chu Huihui's words, Zhou and Xu could only chuckle, inwardly thinking, "Cai Fei is, after all, a member of your Chu family, so naturally your Chu family is willing to help him!"
It's okay to say "just a little something," but at most it means a few thousand or ten thousand. What's in front of everyone is a million, or even several million!
As the three discussed, the two inside the spirit field finished their inspection and raised their hands to give a signal.
The three people on the mountain activated an illusion array and silently disappeared.
Xu Pingan took out a ring-shaped weapon, holding half a ring in each hand. With a surge of spiritual energy, he brought his hands together to form a red ring, then tossed it into his Qiankun bag at his waist, and the Flame Grass disappeared without a trace.
As soon as the stem and leaves were cut open, the scent of the Flame Grass immediately and quickly spread out.
Seeing Xu Ping'an casually scoop up a small piece of Flame Grass and disappear, and then magically move forward, cutting out a two-meter-wide path in five or six minutes.
Just as everyone was engrossed in watching, Cai Fei, who was standing to the side with his sword, suddenly whistled. Xu Ping'an immediately stopped what he was doing and quickly submerged himself in the flame grass.
As everyone looked, eight or nine grayish-brown insects of varying sizes flew low towards them, their forelimbs sharp as knives, reflecting a metallic luster in the sunlight—they were cockroaches!
These insect monsters were so fond of the Flame Grass that they didn't even look at people. After flying to the spirit field, they pounced straight on the Flame Grass.
Hearing a series of "whooshing" sounds, it was Xu Ping'an activating the Tanaka Formation. Suddenly, many strangling vines sprouted from the meter-high fire grass and tightly entangled the cockroaches.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the civilian warriors who were lying in ambush all around jumped out, forming groups of three to fight against the cockroaches, holding shields and short swords.
Cai Fei guarded one side alone. He leaped up and slashed straight down with his sword, killing the smallest cockroach first. Then, with another leap, he jumped over to attack the other cockroach.
Three or five strangler vines would entangle a cockroach, which would then bite or cut with its forelegs. The vines, as thick as a child's arm, were practically nothing to them, and the cockroach could break free in just a second or two.
However, if any warriors wielded shields and engaged in combat, Xu Ping'an could immediately command the vines to entangle them, and then rely on Cai Fei to kill them.
Occasionally, one or two would break free and engage Cai Fei in combat. Their leaping speed was extremely fast, and their attack angles were very unpredictable, often aiming straight for Cai Fei's groin, throat, eyes, and other vital areas.
However, Cai Fei's agility was in no way inferior. He moved left and right with great speed, and his sword was as graceful as a swimming dragon, leaving afterimages. Amidst a series of "clanging" sounds, he blocked all the cockroach's attacks. Then, taking advantage of the opportunity when the cockroach was entangled by the vines, he killed it again.
Seeing the cockroaches helpless and being killed one by one, Zhou suddenly let out a soft cry from within the illusion array.
"Look, it's huge!"
As the other two looked in the direction he was pointing, a crimson cockroach, about ten feet tall, glided silently towards them.
"retreat!"
Xu Ping'an shouted the word "retreat," and most of the ordinary soldiers rolled away. Only Xu's eldest and second eldest sons knelt on one knee on each side, holding two iron shields, guarding Xu Ping'an's sides.
In the blink of an eye, the large cockroach had slid down to within a dozen meters of Cai Fei's flank. A flash of cold light revealed that it had raised its forelimbs like scythes, and in the next instant, it suddenly appeared above Cai Fei's head.
"Clang!" A loud sound rang out.
Cai Fei managed to parry with a single sword strike, but he fell to the ground and rolled five or six zhang away through the blazing grass.
The cockroach had barely landed when it leaped up again, moving with lightning speed. Chu Huihui and the others could no longer see it with their naked eyes; they only saw a flash of crimson light, and the cockroach's massive body was already above Cai Fei's head. With a flash of light, another blade stabbed straight at Cai Fei.
Cai Fei was already exhausted and had no room to escape, while Xu Ping'an was entangled by a small cockroach and couldn't come to his rescue in time...
Chu Huihui couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. She stepped out of the illusion array and was about to jump in to save him, but the distance was too far and it was obviously too late.
At the critical moment, Cai Fei made a strange flash, moving six feet horizontally across the ground and landing just outside the body of the giant cockroach.
With a loud "bang," the cockroach's forelegs sank deep into the ground. Almost simultaneously, Cai Fei leaped up, and with a wave of his hands, a long-handled iron hammer suddenly appeared in his palms. At the same time, his aura changed, and his spiritual power increased significantly.
"Hey!" Cai Fei exhaled with force, slamming the cockroach's head with a "thud."
Even with its bronze head and iron body, the giant cockroach was stunned by the impact. With a screech, it swung out its two scythes one after the other.
Cai Fei leaped upwards, trying to avoid the attack.
But cockroaches are incredibly fast. With a leap, they soar into the air, and in a flash of cold light, their scythes appeared, slashing at Cai Fei's groin with both blades!
With nowhere to gain leverage in mid-air, and seeing that Cai Fei had nowhere to dodge, the three people inside the illusion array cried out in alarm.
But then Cai Fei's body bent and twisted in mid-air, moving diagonally upwards a few feet to dodge the double swords again. Then, he slammed down with a thousand-pound drop, and with a swing of his giant hammer, he smashed the cockroach to the ground with another "bang".
It actually moved diagonally upwards in mid-air!
What the hell is that move?
The three people inside the illusion array were dumbfounded.
The cockroach was struck twice on the same spot on its head. Knowing it was no match for the cockroach, it landed and hurriedly leaped up, skimming six zhang away to escape!
But Cai Fei did a somersault in the air and then swooped down, swinging his hammer and smashing it onto its head with a loud "bang".
This world!
The three people inside the illusion were completely baffled—anyone can do a somersault in the air, but that has to be vertical! It requires the force of pushing off the ground!
Cai Fei's movements were all horizontal, or even diagonal, as if there was something in the air that he could use for leverage. What kind of move was this?
After being struck three times, the giant cockroach let out a wild screech and unleashed all its potential, leaping more than ten feet away.
But Cai Fei was ever-present, and as the giant hammer swung down, it still met with a resounding "bang"...
The cockroach was struck four times in its vital areas and collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.
Cai Fei didn't hold back. He leaped onto the cockroach's back, swung his sledgehammer, and smashed its head into the mud with a "bang! bang! bang!" until it was completely crushed and smashed to pieces, its entire body crashing to the ground, killing it instantly...
This giant cockroach was strong enough to rival a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, but from its appearance to its death, it was only a breath away. People hadn't even exhaled the breath they had inhaled before the battle was over.
The series of unexpected events left everyone stunned and breathless.
Only when Cai Fei had a free moment to kill the remaining cockroaches with Xu Ping'an's help did the three onlookers realize what was happening. They walked out of the illusion array together and applauded Cai Fei.