Absolute Gate

Chapter 104 Fountain of Youth

“True Ancestor, they are indeed outwardly friendly but inwardly hostile.”

Perrin could not hide his delight upon learning that Hans and others were plotting against Abba.

If the enemies are all harboring their own agendas, then things will be much easier for them.

Wu remained calm; all of this was within his expectations. It wasn't just the difference in their reported identities, but also the flimsy reasons given by Hans and his associates.

Sticking together for warmth? Strength in numbers?

At first glance, it made sense, but Wu thought about it all night and felt something was wrong.

No matter how many people there are, can they outnumber the mercenary groups that accept missions?

Sometimes, more people mean a bigger target and higher risks. If even one person in a group is somehow tracked down by the mercenary group, it means everyone is exposed.

The more people gather, the greater the risk of exposure, and it may even attract multiple teams to attack.

In comparison, one person is more flexible.

Of course, it's not that we can't stick together and help each other, but the prerequisite is that we are true brothers and extremely united.

If that's the case, then Aba should be happy to have "brothers come to his aid" and "his own people reunite"!
It should be expressed as, 'Great, you're here! With us brothers together, we're not afraid of anyone.'

But the reality was quite the opposite; Aba did not welcome them.

The resistance and unease this person displayed speak volumes.

Therefore, Wu suspected that Aba was not one of them, and the information he obtained after accepting the mission corroborated this.

"They're after something belonging to the rebel leader. Hmm, could there be some kind of supernatural artifact involved?"

When Wu heard the last part, his heart skipped a beat.

He dared to take them all at once because there were no strange or unlucky objects; he didn't want some kind of ghost to suddenly appear.

Yang Chunsha said, "Not necessarily, it could be valuables or something. If they really know about any strange or calamistic objects, then all the major powers will know about them too."

"After all, that small country's war of anomalous events was being watched openly and secretly by many forces."

Wu nodded: "We'll know once they start fighting."

"There's iron wire connecting the wooden house? I didn't even know that until he told me."

"We can't let them reunite so easily. You wait underground, I'll go and cut them off."

He and his teammates quickly retreated into the tunnel, and then sped back down to the bottom of the cabin.

Since everyone went underground, they naturally wouldn't get lost, as there was only one tunnel... and it wasn't affected by the blizzard, so they arrived at the cabin ahead of everyone else.

Wu Zhong emerged silently from the snowdrift like a snow demon. Although the wooden staff in his hand was still in the shape of a long stick, it had become as sharp as a spear after two days of training.

With a whoosh, a flash of cold light appeared, and the tough metal wire snapped in two.

It was instantly swallowed up and buried by the blizzard, leaving no trace.

Before long, the door of the wooden house was pushed open, and a bald, burly man wrapped in a thick coat came out, radiating heat, his body shivering, with a frozen pear tucked into his sleeve.

He looked around, seemingly trying to communicate with people through plant communication.

He quickly stuffed the frozen pear back in and searched the ground for traces of the metal wire.

"Only one came out?" Wu Zhong, on the rooftop, knew perfectly well: "Hans discovered the thread was broken and became suspicious, so he only contacted his most trusted accomplice to investigate..."

"We didn't contact Aba, so only one... opportunity came up!"

Clearly, Hans was following the metal wire to find the cabin when it suddenly broke. He must have suspected Abba and thought something might have happened at the cabin.

Therefore, they only contacted another person who was closer to them and asked him to come out and check.

While Aba was still warming himself by the fire inside, Wu was left alone, and Wu felt as if a golden opportunity had been presented to him.

After a moment's thought, he made up his mind, gripped his spear, and leaped off the wooden house.

Opportunities are fleeting!
Wu Zhong made a decisive move, his figure as light as a snowflake, drifting down from the rooftop and using the wind to approach the bald mercenary almost silently.

It wasn't until the cold, sharp edge of Yu Mu's spear was about to touch the back of his neck that the bald mercenary sensed the deadly danger with his instincts honed through countless life-or-death experiences, and turned around in horror!
"Quick reaction..." Wu Zhong thought to himself, these veteran mercenaries were indeed not easy to deal with.

But, that's all.

His strength was already far superior to his opponent's, and now, with the perfect timing and the harsh environment combined, the difference in that split second became an insurmountable chasm between life and death.

The other party realized what was happening, but it was too late!

"Pfft!"

The sharp spear tip sliced ​​through the snow like a hot knife through butter, and a head flew off with a look of astonishment on its face, its hot blood instantly staining the pristine snow.

Just in case, Wu flicked his wrist, and the gun slammed down, completely shattering the man's head.

A top-tier silver mercenary, without uttering a sound, silently turned into a gradually cooling corpse in the blizzard of the far north.

Wu did not touch the corpse, but instead wiped the blood off the Yumu spear.

Yu Mu is absolutely indestructible, and it can kill without shedding blood; a forceful flick can remove all the blood.

After finishing this task, he moved his feet and landed back on the roof, where he was buried again by the heavy snow.

"Ouch!"

Before long, Sedo arrived at the scene at lightning speed.

This time, he didn't need any metal wires to guide him; someone was already dead here, and he easily found his way back using bloodstain detection.

"Maurice!"

Sedo stared in shock at the corpse on the ground; it was dead, and the body was already cold.

Hans's face was so dark it could be wrung out: "They actually attacked first? This blizzard isn't forcing us to leave, it's trying to defeat us one by one."

“You’re saying it was Abba… who killed him? How could he dare?” Sedo immediately disbelieved that Abba was responsible.

Because his strength was similar to Aba's, while Hans was far superior to them.

Now that the three of them are in cahoots, how dare Aba lay a hand on one of them?

Unless, Aba already knows that their target is the Fountain of Youth, and has seen through their pretense, and therefore has no choice but to strike first.

"No rush, let me smell it!"

Sedo sniffed hard, the werewolf's keen sense of smell frantically gathering information in the air.

"You can smell it?" Hans raised an eyebrow.

He knew that Sedo was only good at sensing bloodstains, and not very sensitive to other scents. Now, with the blizzard so intense, the interference was severe.

“You can’t kill someone without using multi-dimensional power, can you?” Sedo said, lying on the ground and sniffing frantically.

However, he was stunned.

No! There is no trace of any unfamiliar multiverse power!

Only ice, snow, wood, and the smell of blood!

Just then, Aba heard the commotion outside and pushed open the door to go out.

"What!" Abba's face was filled with astonishment and disbelief: "What happened to Morris?"

He was more shocked than anyone else when he saw Maurice's body, because the man had just been inside with him, warming himself by the fire and eating.

He suddenly said he was going out for some fresh air, and less than a minute later, he died?

“Dead. Maurice was murdered,” Hans said quietly, his eyes narrowing to slits as he stared at Abba.

Aba cautiously looked around, but all he could see was a vast expanse of white, nothing but wind and snow, and he couldn't make out anything at all.

"How is this possible? An enemy has actually infiltrated our ranks? What happened to your sentries? Where are the animal sentries?"

Sedo said coldly, "Even if it wasn't triggered, I would know if someone approached this area within a radius of tens of kilometers."

Aba gasped, "With this much snow, your animal sentinels might not be effective, and the enemy might have special methods to infiltrate." "The enemy is powerful, and they're in the shadows while we're in the open. We can't stay here any longer; let's get out of here!"

He was ready to leave without hesitation, braving the wind and snow.

But Hans suddenly stepped forward, his powerful physique bringing a tremendous sense of oppression. He blocked Aba's path, his eyes sharp as knives.

"Leave? Where to go? Aren't you the closest person to him?"

Abba was struck dumb, frozen on the spot: "Hans! What do you mean?"

"The meaning is very clear!" Sedo growled, his claws involuntarily extending from his fingertips, scraping against the tree trunk with a teeth-grinding sound.

“There was no fluctuation of multi-elemental power at the scene! Morris was killed instantly by pure brute force; he didn’t even have time to put up a decent fight!”

"What does this mean? It means the murderer was someone close to him whom he was completely unsuspecting of!"

Abba's pupils trembled, and Sedo's meaning couldn't be clearer.

"You think I did it? Am I crazy? We're comrades!"

Sedo's eyes were brimming with suspicion and anger: "Really? But in this godforsaken place, besides the three of us, who else could get close to him without arousing suspicion?"

"Who else could have killed him instantly at close range without him even noticing? Aba, were you afraid of leaving a trace, so you used brute force to instantly sever your companion's neck?"

Abba's face turned ashen, and he cried out in protest, "It wasn't me! I was inside the whole time! I had no idea what happened!"

"There must be enemies! Other mercenaries have found this place and infiltrated using methods we don't know about!"

"Infiltrate?" Hans scoffed, his voice icy. "The animal sentinels in Sedor didn't react, and my guide wire was cut outside the cabin door. There's no trace of any stranger's energy at the scene!"

"What kind of enemy could go to such lengths?"

"He silently traversed dozens of kilometers, avoiding the sight and hearing of all animals, and arrived at the door of the cabin without attacking me. Instead, he cut the metal wire, causing me to get lost in the blizzard."

"After Maurice came out, he no longer hid it, killed him with swift and decisive action, and then went into hiding?"

These words left Aba speechless.

How strong must the enemy be? And how cunning must they be to do this?

Clearly, in their eyes, Aba had already decided that he had struck first.

After all, he himself came with malicious intent, and when faced with the massive blizzard, he immediately suspected that Aba had exacerbated the blizzard.

Now that one person is dead and no energy aura has been detected from the others, it would be strange not to suspect Aba.

The two men, one on each side, approached: "Stop acting, Aba! You never wanted us to stay from the beginning! You don't welcome us! Because you have something to hide!"

Aba's face was gloomy, and a chilling aura emanated from his body. Ice and snow gathered around him, forming a thick, blue, solid ice shield that was larger than him.

"What do you mean? What's wrong with me?"

Hans chuckled, his eyes sharp: "I remember... the leader used to love drinking that spring of youth from deep in the rainforest. A single drop during battle would energize you and prolong your life."

"He always carried a small crystal bottle with him, treasuring it like it was something precious... I think he entrusted it to you for safekeeping during the last period of his life?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Zhong, who was hiding in the shadows, clearly felt Aba's breathing pause for a moment.

Abba calmly replied, "Nonsense, why would I keep the chief's things?"

"He always carried valuable supplies like the Fountain of Youth with him, but they were all lost in the chaos of the final battle."

"I escaped all the way here, and I'm just lucky to be alive."

Hans's voice carried an undeniable air of authority: "Lost? The chief is dead, and his treasured pound of 'Fountain of Youth' has vanished without a trace?"

"President Gangu didn't get it, and everyone around the leader is dead, except for you."

"Aba, we're all in the same boat, just tell us the truth."

Aba coldly said, "Hans! What do you mean? You brought them to me, saying you wanted to stick together for warmth, but actually you suspect me of embezzling the chief's treasure?"

Hans's voice suddenly rose, booming like thunder: "Enough with the nonsense."

"Where exactly is the chief's fountain of youth? You've taken it for yourself, otherwise why would you strike first and try to kill us to silence us!"

"I didn't!" Aba was so angry at this unfounded accusation that he trembled all over and his eyes turned red.

It's unclear whether this is a denial of not misappropriating the Fountain of Youth, or a denial of killing Maurice.

His reason finally snapped under the weight of the repeated slanders and the shock of his companion's tragic death.

Even a pig could see that there was no point in saying more; Hans and his gang had no good intentions when they came to him!

He was overwhelmed by extreme grievance and anger. A chill emanated from his body uncontrollably, causing the surrounding temperature to plummet and a layer of frost to instantly form on his skin.

"Want to make a move?" A fierce glint flashed in Hans's eyes. He reached behind him, and the magic spear instantly appeared in his hand, its tip gleaming with a dangerous light.

"You're such a piece of trash."

Sedo let out a low howl, his body began to swell, and his gray-black fur pierced through his clothes. The werewolf transformation was completed in an instant, and a terrifying wild aura swept out.

"You forced me to do this!" Aba roared, shoving his hands forward with all his might.

The solid ice on the ground burst and splintered as if it were alive, turning into countless sharp ice shards that rained down on Hans and Sedo.

"You're asking for death!" Hans swept his spear horizontally, the violent force shattering all the incoming ice shards.

He hurled the spear, aiming straight for the opponent's chest.

Sedo, like a ghost, used the werewolf's agility to leap and dodge the ice shards, while his claws, accompanied by a shrill whistling sound as they tore through the air, reached for Aba's side.

Abba withstood the spear, crashed into the wooden house from behind, and bounced back to dodge Sedo's claw attack.

His defense was extremely high; when the giant shield collided with the long-haired man, only a few ice crystals were scattered.

"Bang! Crack! Boom!"

They fought fiercely outside the door. The wooden cabin could no longer withstand the energy impact of the three top fighters' battle. The walls cracked, the snow on the roof fell in a rustling sound, and the entire structure groaned under the strain.

The fire was scattered by the overflowing energy, igniting the furs and wood. Thick smoke and cold air mingled, and the wooden house caught fire.

Amidst the thick smoke, Wu remained motionless on the roof, letting the three of them fight fiercely.

The fountain of youth!
Upon hearing this, Wu Zhong's heart skipped a beat. If it weren't for his tortoise breathing technique, he would have worried that his heavy breathing would alert his opponent.

He hurriedly relayed the situation to the people underground, and the others were all in an uproar upon hearing it.

"Wow, what did he just say? A pound? The rebel leader actually has a pound?"

"This stuff costs a hundred million per gram!"

"One jin is worth 50 billion..." Yang Chunsha's voice trembled, revealing his greedy nature.

"Compared to that, the bounty of over 700 million is practically pocket change!"

Perrin and Onion were also breathing heavily, feeling somewhat dizzy from the astronomical figure.

Wu Zhong stood on the rooftop, holding his breath and forcing himself to calm down.

He understood everything!
All that talk of brotherhood and sticking together for warmth is fake.

Of course, it wasn't some unknown, dangerous, or strange object; rather, it was something that Yang Chunsha had correctly predicted: it was wealth.

Hans, along with Sedo and Maurice, came with the real purpose of forcing Aba to hand over the Fountain of Youth, which was worth 50 billion.

This thing is a derivative product, and it's available for sale in the store, but it's very popular and almost always sold out as soon as it's released.

One gram of it can extend one's lifespan by one year; one pound of it can extend one's lifespan by five hundred years!
The reason why the spots for the Mad Blood Clan were not desperately sought after by countless wealthy or powerful individuals, and were only sold for 200 million, is because there is a substitute.

Of course, many people choose to store it rather than drink it all at once because if they are seriously injured, this lifespan can be converted into a powerful healing effect.

Therefore, it is also the best treatment.

Wu Zhong's heart burned with excitement. If Aba really had this thing, he wouldn't mind giving up the mission for him.

……

(End of this chapter)