Zombie Bodyguard-Chapter 1648 - 1645: Dispute Before the Formation

The mysterious bird with black feathers stood a hundred meters away on a large tree, about the size of an owl. At first glance, it somewhat resembled an owl, but while owls are cute and naive, this black bird revealed a fierce demeanor, with an eerie appearance.

Its completely black protruding eyes were larger than those of normal birds, and when it screeched, its mouth would split to the sides of its head, just like if a human’s mouth were to split to the sides of their ears.

Upon seeing the bird clearly, Lin Tian felt Xiao Manxuan’s hand tremble slightly. The little girl was scared by the bizarre appearance of the black bird. She had seen all sorts of magical phenomena, but such a strange bird was a first for her.

"It looks so fierce." Xiao Manxuan held tightly onto Lin Tian’s hand, her voice soft, fearing to alert the black bird. But soon she changed her mind because she realized the black bird’s all-black eyes were fixed on her and Lin Tian.

"It... it seems to be watching us." Xiao Manxuan was a bit frightened. In the outdoor woods at night, encountering such a weird bird would scare even a man, let alone a little girl, of course, except for Zhang Lingyu.

Lin Tian gently squeezed her palm, softly comforting, "Don’t be afraid, let’s go drive it away."

Saying this, he pulled Xiao Manxuan along to the big tree. Just as Lin Tian was about to make a move, the strange bird suddenly flew away, soaring more than a hundred meters before stopping again, still perching on a branch, still staring at Lin Tian and Xiao Manxuan, the scene giving chills.

"Oh, keep watching, and I’ll catch and roast you to eat." Lin Tian said a famous line from an advertisement, making Xiao Manxuan giggle out loud.

Xiao Manxuan lightly rolled her eyes, quite amused, "Even though it’s such an ugly bird, you still have the stomach for it."

"Pluck its feathers, and it’ll be the same." Lin Tian said indifferently. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

With this little diversion, Xiao Manxuan’s mood eased a lot, and she wasn’t as scared anymore, even chatting and joking with Lin Tian.

Lin Tian continued walking towards the black bird. What Xiao Manxuan didn’t know was that although his attention seemed on the black bird, he was actually keeping an eye on the ancient zither with his super vision.

The black bird indeed flew away again. In this manner, Lin Tian and Xiao Manxuan had already moved several hundred meters from the pond. Xiao Manxuan, seeing they were quite far, worriedly said, "Forget it, let’s go back."

As she spoke, she glanced back at the pond. That one glance gave her a fright. The water’s shimmering surface suddenly bubbled, and as the bubbles burst, dark mist emerged, gathering into a large cloud in the moonlight, swirling like it held life, drifting towards the zither platform.

"Lin Tian, look quickly..." Xiao Manxuan tugged Lin Tian’s arm sharply, pointing at the pond, her eyes wide open.

Unhurriedly turning his body, Lin Tian calmly looked at the dark mist. Seeing his composed demeanor gave Xiao Manxuan a sudden insight: "Is the Secret Master here?"

She asked quietly, afraid the Secret Master might hear. Lin Tian nodded lightly, as if to answer her question.

By now, all the dark mist had gathered in front of the zither platform. Under the moonlight, the mist churned, as if something was about to emerge from within. Xiao Manxuan watched, eyes wide, her breathing becoming quiet and soft.

With a swift collapse inward, the dark mist formed a black hole-like void in the center, and with a blink, it was entirely absorbed by the invisible black hole, leaving an empty ground with a robed figure clad in black.

The person was fully shrouded in a black robe, its hood covering the head and face. Without hesitation, the Black Robed Man reached out to grab the zither, on the verge of touching it, when suddenly, a translucent light screen appeared, crackling with tiny sparks.

Sparks exploded with a flash, and caught off guard, the Black Robed Man was blasted away by a powerful shockwave, landing a dozen meters away from a semi-transparent light dome that covered the entire zither platform.

Miraculously unscathed, the Black Robed Man flipped upright with a sinister laugh, seemingly mocking as the robe fluttered around, preparing to charge towards the zither once more.

A larger light screen erupted, forming a hemisphere behind the Black Robed Man, enclosing both the zither platform and the cloaked figure within it.

Meanwhile, the forest echoed with sounds of rushing wind and snapping branches. A tall and slender figure rushed in from afar, slicing through like a humanoid bulldozer, undeterred by obstructing branches or shrubs.

These obstacles shattered into pieces in its path, flying around as the figure swiftly reached the light screen within mere breaths, and Lin Tian had already recognized who it was.

With such a fine figure, so tall and yet so fierce, it could only be Ning Luoxi!

"Sister Luoxi is here," Xiao Manxuan exclaimed joyfully. Just as she finished speaking, another figure appeared, much more refined than Ning Luoxi, leaping and gliding dexterously without touching any branches.

Once the figure stood firm, one could see that it was a young man, stylishly dressed, yet oddly out of place with a sword strapped across his back.

"Who’s this?" Xiao Manxuan curiously asked.

Lin Tian’s lips twitched, replying faintly, "Zhang Lingyu’s senior, Zhang Zhicheng, also a Demon Exorcist, but with quite a short temper."

"You can tell, coming to fight dressed like that," Xiao Manxuan laughed.

"Let’s go over," Lin Tian said, leading Xiao Manxuan back towards the pond.

"What about that black bird...?" Xiao Manxuan began to ask about the bird, but as she turned to look, there was no sign of it on the tree.

Lin Tian didn’t explain further, guiding her back to the light barrier. He glanced at Ning Luoxi, saying, "You arrived quickly."

Before Ning Luoxi could speak, Zhang Zhicheng sneered, "Had we not come quickly, he would have been let go by you lot."

"Damn you, with your yin-yang insults. Are you an Onmyoji or a Demon Exorcist? If you have something to say, speak up," Lin Tian was visibly displeased, finding Zhang Zhicheng’s superior attitude irritating.

Zhang Zhicheng remained unswayed, "Did I say anything wrong? Let her lure the Secret Master here, and there you go, taking her away. If he didn’t fall for it, wouldn’t the plan have failed?"

"Open your damned eyes and see, the ancient zither is still there. Who knows if your formation can withstand an attack? The Second Miss’s life is more important than anything. I won’t leave her behind to die," Lin Tian’s face turned icy. Were it not for the pressing threat, he would’ve long knocked this arrogant senior brother out.

"What’s a sacrifice of one life? If sacrificing her means eliminating the Secret Master, the cost is worth it. Destroying the Secret Master can save many lives; one life versus many—don’t I need to teach you the obvious?" Zhang Zhicheng persisted, suggesting sacrificing Xiao Manxuan at any time.

"To hell with your ’weighing the greater against the lesser.’ Even if it was a thousand, ten thousand lives, none are as important as Xiao Manxuan’s. Sacrificing another’s life, what does that mean? Have the guts to offer yourself up, and perish with the Secret Master," Lin Tian burst out with a curse, yet Xiao Manxuan felt warmth rather than harshness.

Zhang Zhicheng haughtily replied, "And the life of an ordinary person is not to be compared with mine?"