’I’m pretty lucky. Fei Ming didn’t even summon his Flaming Sun Flying Armor for protection.’ Han Ning let out a long sigh of relief.
He had just been worried that the "Fei Liu" created by the All-Encompassing Spiritual Silkworm, based only on Fei Lie’s physical description, would arouse Fei Ming’s suspicion.
Luckily, everything went smoothly. He had successfully assassinated Fei Ming before he could notice anything amiss.
As for the swarm of insects hidden in the shadows, even the most powerful Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede was no match for Yin Yi and Egg Pancake, let alone these weaker creatures. They had likely all been caught in the aftershocks of the battle and perished long ago.
He had to admit, the All-Encompassing Spiritual Silkworm’s ability was simply too bizarre, completely beyond the imagination of any Insect-man.
He felt no particular emotion for these dead Insect-men. From the moment Fei Lie invaded the academy, this had been a life-and-death war.
Han Ning directed his Soul Beasts to gather all the dead insect corpses nearby and dig out the Crystal Stones inside. Then, he picked up the waist pouches dropped by Fei Ming and the female Insect-man and walked out of the tall stone house, which had long since been blasted into a pile of rubble.
Roaring waves of fire engulfed an area over a kilometer in radius, with the half-charred corpses of a few Soul Beasts scattered about.
As for the bodies of the ordinary Insect-men, they had long been reduced to Nothingness.
At that moment, Fei Lie was standing at the edge of the ring of fire, speaking with several burly Insect-men, his expression grim.
He recalled Fei Ming’s appearance, and the muscles in his face twitched. His features gradually shifted from those of Fei Liu to match Fei Ming’s.
Egg Pancake maintained the form of the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede, while Yin Yi had been transformed by the All-Encompassing Spiritual Silkworm into the likeness of a Flaming Sun Flying Armor. The man and his two beasts slowly walked toward Fei Lie.
"High Priest, Lord Fei Ming is under attack by an unknown enemy! Why won’t you let us go in and ensure his safety?"
An Insect-man standing over 2.5 meters tall, his arms corded with bulging muscle, shouted in a booming voice. His gaze toward Fei Lie was already tinged with distrust.
"The Lord Chieftain ordered me to stop you here and not allow you inside. As for why, I don’t know either."
Fei Lie had a headache dealing with this simple-minded brute.
The other Insect-men fell silent after his explanation and stood quietly by the entrance.
But this one, singularly focused on Fei Ming’s safety, insisted on going inside to check.
"I’m fine."
Suddenly, a hoarse voice called out from within the sea of fire.
A towering figure slowly emerged before the crowd of Insect-men.
The Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede, over sixty meters long, loomed like a skyscraper, its eyes burning with fire as it stared down coldly at them.
"Lord Chieftain."
Seeing Han Ning’s figure, the Insect-men outside, including Fei Lie, all prostrated themselves, performing a grand Insect-man salute.
"Just now, someone disguised as Liu’Er infiltrated our tribe and attempted to assassinate me, but I successfully killed them."
Han Ning, mimicking Fei Ming’s hoarse voice, lifted the "fake Fei Liu" created by the All-Encompassing Spiritual Silkworm and tossed it to the ground.
"The rest of you, go and tally the casualties. High Priest, you come with me."
Han Ning’s gaze swept over the crowd, landing on Fei Lie. After giving the order, he turned and left, presenting an aloof and solitary figure to them all.
Fei Lie nodded, turned his head to give some instructions to the others, and then hurried to follow Han Ning. The two of them gradually disappeared from sight.
"What’s the situation over here? Does anyone suspect my identity?"
"The Grand Commander is somewhat suspicious, but the others’ attitudes are relatively normal," Fei Lie answered honestly.
"The Grand Commander? The Insect Master who was arguing with you just now?"
"Yes... His Power is second only to Fei Ming and this old servant in my youth. This old servant’s Power has declined slightly after losing two of my Main Combat Soul Beasts in a battle with an outside tribe a few years ago. He is currently the second strongest in the tribe and also Fei Ming’s most loyal subordinate. He usually only takes orders from Fei Ming," Fei Lie explained.
"Then his existence is a great threat to us."
Han Ning had originally planned to withdraw immediately, letting the Red Centipede Tribe fall into internal strife while he secretly manipulated Fei Lie’s rise to power.
But on second thought, the plan was too risky. The Red Centipede Tribe’s relationships with the many surrounding Insect Master factions were not exactly amicable, and they had enemies of comparable strength.
If their enemies learned of internal turmoil within the Red Centipede Tribe, it would likely lead to many uncontrollable events. Another Insect Master might swoop in and reap the rewards, which would be a huge loss.
Fei Ming, as the most powerful leader of the Red Centipede Tribe, had to "survive"—not only to intimidate the many Insect Masters within the tribe but also to deter the Insect Masters of other factions.
"Take me to the Red Centipede Tribe’s treasury now, or anywhere Fei Ming might have stored his treasures."
Having dealt with the most dangerous threat, Han Ning hadn’t forgotten his reason for coming here despite the immense risk: to gather abundant materials for everyone at the academy.
"Yes."
Fei Lie bowed slightly and led Han Ning toward the northeast.
「...」
Fei Ming’s residence was actually located in the very center of the Red Centipede Tribe’s territory.
The treasury wasn’t far from the battle site, so it had also been affected by the fighting.
However, it was protected by a squad of guards secretly dispatched by Fei Ming. Even though the surrounding buildings had been reduced to ruins, this very unremarkable stone house remained completely unscathed.
Their arrival caught the attention of the Insect-men garrisoned nearby. Despite the huge commotion outside, the Guardians here had not left their posts.
"Chieftain, High Priest."
A male Insect-man hurried out and quickly prostrated himself.