I recounted to Fu Kui what I had told REXI about the deathworms. After listening, he frowned, "Could that white tower be the nest of those worms?"
"Highly possible," I said.
He sighed, and slowly said, "What a pity, Old Qu died just like that..."
There was no trace of sadness on his face as he said this. Clearly, Qu Chuan was merely a tool to him.
In contrast, I felt a peculiar sentiment. Although Old Qu was driven by profit and was particularly snobbish, after spending time with him, I didn't find him entirely disagreeable. In fact, he had a certain aura of the Jianghu about him. He was the leader of the Armor Piercing Gate. Now that he was dead, I wondered what would become of that lineage.
Fu Honglang seemed a little somber. I walked over and asked him, "Brother Fu, are you alright?"
He shook his head, "I'm fine. Just a bit of a shock, the leader of the Armor Piercing Gate being killed by a worm..."
"Life is unpredictable, who can say for sure," I replied. "But Head Qu probably didn't suffer when he passed."
The corrosive nature of that liquid was so potent that Qu Chuan didn't even have time to scream before he melted away. The sight was so impactful, even I found it hard to stomach. A living, breathing person melting away in an instant... Thinking about it now, I still felt a lingering fear.
As we were contemplating, Jin Qiaoyue exclaimed, "Look quickly!"
Following the direction she pointed, we saw numerous deathworms emerging from a nearby sand ditch, mere inches away from us! The sight of these worms gave me a headache. Before we could react, one of the worms slithered towards Jin Qiaoyue. Less than a meter away, the worm extended a tube from its mouth and sprayed a stream of liquid at Jin Qiaoyue. The liquid instantly hit her calf, and the fabric of her pants began to smoke from the corrosion.
"Ah!" Jin Qiaoyue screamed and fell to the ground.
Seeing this, the others were at a loss. Fu Kui hesitated, then surprisingly, turned and started running without looking back. A Yuan, without even glancing at Jin Qiaoyue, followed Fu Kui immediately.
I hesitated, preparing to go and save her, when Fatty grabbed my arm, "Brother Xiang, what are you doing?"
I shook off his hand and rushed forward, pulling out my entrenching tool to smash at the worms. More and more worms surged forward like a tide. Seeing Jin Qiaoyue about to be swarmed, I grabbed her hand and helped her up. Her face was pale, and her eyes seemed unfocused;