Chapter 229: Chapter 229. Splitting into Teams

“I sent a couple of my men to mark the caves’ position,” Captain Lian Wui informed. “I want to believe they had marked every cave entrance in the area, but they probably missed one of two. I don’t think that’s a big deal. That’s the most I can do to gather intel before you arrive.”

“This is already a big help, captain,” Yong Ling said. “It saves us the time from looking around the woods. We can immediately enter the caves to investigate. Have your scouts ever entered one of the caves?”

“No. I told them not to. I can’t risk them. I only have nine of them, after all. Plus, they are needed in the village. I can’t let them spend their time searching inside the caves.”

“That’s okay. That is why we are here,” Yong Ling said.

“All right, I will start dividing the teams,” Gao Xi said. “We will split into seven teams. Gao Xiong, you will pair with Gao Sou. Xian Mei, you are with Lin Mo. Zhong Xia is with Zhuan San. Lin Fung with Xa Jien. Wu Chun with Wu Di. Wei Cao with Tuang Yin, and Yan Woo with Liang Tao.”

“I want to be with Lin Mo!” Tuang Yin exclaimed.

“Did you not hear what I said before? A freshman student must pair with a senior student!” Gao Xi exclaimed with irritation.

“Why are you pairing me with this person?” Wu Di pointed at Wu Chun.

“Aren’t you from the same clan? I thought you would be happy with this arrangement,” Gao Xi asked back.

“I would rather be with a dog,” Wu Di answered.

“What did you say, you bastard?!” Wu Chun looked like she was about to lunge.

Amon also asked, “If that is your logic, why didn’t you pair me with Lin Fung?”

Gao Xi lost his patience upon the question. “Damn it, you all! What did I say before? I’m in charge of this mission! Stop questioning my instructions! Otherwise, I will penalize your academic points! My arrangement is final! You will stick with the partner I’ve appointed!”

Captain Lian Wui turned to Yong Ling and asked, “Are you sure these students will be fine?”

Yong Ling could only answer with a wry smile.

“The seven teams will split up and enter from different directions,” Gao Xi resumed his instructions. He pointed at the seven red marks for the teams to conduct their first investigation. All seven that he pointed were away from each other. “Unless the cave is short, a team should only spend a maximum of one day to check out one cave. After that, the team moves to the next cave. We work our way clockwise and toward the center until we cover every cave. Everyone clear?”

The minute Gao Xi showed which cave each team was assigned to, Amon picked up on the ploy. All the teams that had other freshman students were situated away from him. The two teams closest to his left and right consisted of Gao Xiong, Gao Sou, Yan Woo, and Liang Tao.

They were alienating him.

Amon didn’t say anything, though. He didn’t have a strong argument to persuade the others to force Gao Xi to change the position or team arrangement. He decided to play along for now.

“If everyone is clear, we will move out immediately,” Gao Xi said. “But before that, here. Everyone takes one.”

He took out fourteen bottles and handed them to every student.

“This is the veiling oil,” Gao Xi explained. “Most spirit beasts have a strong sense of smell. Jue Ape was among these spirit beasts. They don’t need to spot you to know you are in their lair. Rub the liquid inside this bottle all over your body and clothes. They should mask your scent and not let the Jue Apes smell you.”

“Do we have to…?” Tuang Yin opened the cap and smelled the liquid inside the bottle. It didn’t smell nice.

“Unless you want to find yourself suddenly surrounded by the Jue Apes, I suggest you do as you are told,” Gao Xi said.

“But… We don’t even know if there are Jue Apes, aren’t we? That’s the reason why we are here?” Tuang Yin truly didn’t wish to smear the liquid in the bottle all over her.

“The probability of the Jue Apes existing has increased,” Yong Ling said. “When we were talking inside, Captain Lian Wui informed us that some villagers had gone missing recently. Some of the missing ones are women.”

“If you don’t want those Jue Apes to have their way with you, you have better smear that oil,” Gao Xi said.

“Do they… Do they truly rape women…?” Tuang Yin asked. She knew some spirit beasts were intelligent beings who could disguise themselves as humans and had intercourse with humans, but those spirit beasts were high-level spirit beasts. Inferior and Superior spirit beasts had no such capabilities.

“Jue Apes evolved from Jue Monkeys,” Yong Ling explained. “However, only the male did. There was never a female Jue Ape. That’s why they like to kidnap human females. They use these women to breed their kind.”

“Ugh… Disgusting,” Tuang Yin said. Suddenly, the liquid in the bottle didn’t feel so repugnant anymore.

“That one bottle should last the entire mission,” Gao Xi said. “Don’t lose them. I have spare but not many. I will deduct your academic points if you need an extra bottle.”

Amon didn’t worry. He also had a Veiling Oil in his space ring. He had bought this oil after learning about the mission. From the smell, he estimated the veiling oil Gao Xi gave them was a low-tier product. The one he bought was mid-tier.

“One application can last a day,” Yong Ling added. “So long as you don’t take a bath or dive into water, you don’t need to reapply the oil.”

“Apply the oil after we get near the cave entrances. Let’s go!” Gao Xi exclaimed.

They bid farewell to Captain Lian Wui before exiting the village. They ran on foot to the area shown on the map. It took them almost an hour to arrive at the first cave. Gao Xi arranged for Lin Fung and Xa Jien to enter this cave.

The two used the veiling oil and rubbed the liquid all over their bodies. Gao Xi also gave them each a bottle filled with Cat-eye pills. These pills would help them see through the darkness of the cave. When they were about to enter, Yong Ling called and gave Xa Jien a small rock.

“This is a Siren Stone,” Yong Ling said. “Use this in an emergency. If you inject your aether into it, it will explode and produce a loud and high-pitched sound. The sound can paralyze most inferior and superior spirit beasts, but they won’t be paralyzed for long. Use the time it buys you to run. At the same time, I will come when I hear the sound.”

Yong Ling proceeded to give the Siren Stone to the other four freshman students, including Amon. Amon caught Gao Xi and Gao Xiong furrowing their brows when he received the stone.

“What about me?” Gao Sou asked.

“You are not a senior student, but you are not a freshman either,” Yong Ling answered. “You should have enough expertise to flee from the Jue Apes if you encounter them.”

Gao Sou pouted for being left out but didn’t dare protest.

After Lin Fung and Xa Jien entered, the group split into two. Each consisted of three teams. One was led by Gao Xi and the other by Yong Ling. The two went in opposite directions. The teachers accompanied the students until they entered the caves.

Amon and the other two teams fully composed of senior students were supervised by Gao Xi. If they wanted to eliminate him, this would be the perfect opportunity. However, he didn’t believe they would. At least not so soon. It would be too obvious. They would have a lot of explanations to do if Amon was killed the moment he separated from Yong Ling and the rest of the freshman students.

Whatever ploy these senior students had, Amon believed they would wait at least a few days first. So, he should be safe for now. Even so, he was ready. He feigned to be oblivious, but he was on full alert. If he caught any sudden move from them, he was ready to use the flashbang grenade inside his space ring.

“Don’t slow me down, freshman,” Xian Mei told Amon when they were about to go in. They had just finished rubbing the veiling oil on their bodies.

“If there is any problem, just run outside. I will be on the lookout out here,” Gao Xi said. The two tutors agreed to be on standby at the opposite ends of the area. That way, they could better give aid if the students needed help.

Amon didn’t respond to the two. He walked into the cave, ignoring them.

“Hey, freshman! You are my responsibility! You may not go far from me!” Xian Mei chased after Amon into the cave.

“Tsk! Insolent kid,” Gao Xi gritted his teeth.

“Let him enjoy it. He only has a few days left,” Gao Xiong said.

“Hehe. You all better make him suffer,” Gao Xi said.

“It will be our pleasure,” Gao Sou said with a wicked expression.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep