Chapter 83: Caught and Run

Excellent!

The big boss's promises always sounded enticing. Wu Jinliang's face already showed a grim smile tinged with a bit of revery, but it quickly froze as if he remembered something. "That's not right," he said. "When did the guy surnamed Sun ever scold me? It was the guy surnamed Bai who did. The guy surnamed Sun only warned the two of us."

It wasn't Shi Chun who had been scolded, so how could he remember so clearly? He just made up an excuse; since they weren't outsiders, he simply said whatever came to mind. He immediately changed his tune: "They provoked both of us at the same time and offended both the big boss and the second boss of Dongjiuyuan. In that case, we definitely can't let them off!"

This sounded sinister. Wu Jinliang wasn't stupid; in fact, he was quite shrewd. He quickly grabbed Shi Chun's arm and refused to move. "Spring," he said, "tell me honestly, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Shi Chun replied, "Isn't it obvious? We're going after Sun Shigang."

Wu Jinliang said, "We've always been flexible, able to yield and adapt as circumstances demand. Don't tell me we're turning back now just because they warned us a couple of times. I won't believe that."

Shi Chun looked around, then put his arm around Wu Jinliang's neck, pulling his head closer. He whispered in his ear, "The guy surnamed Sun is with Xiang Lan'er. That fellow is also from the demonic path, and he and Xiang Lan'er were putting on an act for us."

Wu Jinliang, puzzled, asked, "How do you know?"

Shi Chun explained, "I saw it when I activated my Eye of Divine Perception earlier. Both he and Xiang Lan'er have a ball of demonic flame inside them. It's somewhat understandable for a normal person to make a move on Xiang Lan'er out of lust, but for someone from the demonic path to be so unrestrained on a strictly controlled immortal mountain—is that normal? Looking back, don't you feel like they were coming for us?"

What he didn't know was that the other party had also tried to restrain themselves. It was because these two didn't act according to common sense, forcing the others to resort to physical action and increase their efforts out of desperation.

Hearing him say this, Wu Jinliang recalled the situation at the time. The person had already been very discreet, yet they were still targeted, which was indeed abnormal. He had felt it was abnormal before. He couldn't help but murmur, "An act? Why would they be coming for us?"

Shi Chun said, "Judging by their attitude, it certainly doesn't seem like anything good. We noticed they were following us earlier, and now they've vanished. Xiang Lan'er mentioned someone from the demonic path was escorting her, so there must be someone nearby to maintain contact. If it was that guy surnamed Sun, he wouldn't have disappeared; he'd definitely be following us. Whatever they intend to do to us, you wouldn't expect them to be so aggressive just to give us benefits, would you?"

Wu Jinliang understood his meaning and said mockingly, "First, we eliminate the source of danger, take them down, then we can get them to talk. The problem now is how to find them. It's late at night, and visibility is poor. Can that right eye of yours still get stimulated?"

"Sigh." Speaking of which, Shi Chun couldn't help but sigh. Some emotional matters were beyond his control; they really needed external stimulation.

Stimulation was one aspect, but the timing was also hard to control. Another issue was his poor combat ability when it activated, and he was dealing with people whose cultivation was far higher than his, so he dared not be careless.

Seeing his difficulty, Wu Jinliang pondered, "We need to find them, but also ensure that their malice won't threaten us. If they really are following us, it would be best to use the old method to lure them out."

Shi Chun chuckled, "Great minds think alike."

Having agreed, the two quickly circled behind their original group, then walked back the way they came.

As Shi Chun expected, they hadn't gone too far before they alerted the people from Luoyue Valley.

It would be hard not to alert them; it was a quiet late night, and the two walked along, swearing loudly and oblivious to others.

Sun Shigang's group wasn't hiding too far away; they were following from a distance to avoid being discovered. When they saw Bai Zhuchuan's group resting on the spot, they also paused, leaving only two people to observe Bai Zhuchuan's group and watch if their own people there had sent any night signals.

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang's sudden appearance startled Sun Shigang's group, who all ducked into a gully.

"It's all Xiang Lan'er's fault for being too pretty and easy to bully.""We knew Bai Zhuchuan had ill intentions towards Xiang Lan'er, but we didn't expect him to be so impatient, and so soon after entering!""Sigh, dragged away and assaulted in public!""Several sects together, so brazen! It must be because of Xiang Lan'er's brothel background.""Bian Weiying and the others didn't stop them. The three of us were just there to make up the numbers; they didn't even give us a single talisman. They couldn't care less if we live or die. Who knows what they'll do to us later?""It's disheartening. Let's run, hide near the exit. We'll be fine if we just get through these three months..."The two incessantly muttered similar nonsense, changing their tactics as they walked in circles.

Sun Shigang, hiding beneath the slope, was stunned when he heard this torrent of curses. "Did I hear that right?" he wondered. "Xiang Lan'er was assaulted by that group?"

In addition, close-range scouting confirmed the identities of the two approaching figures. Seeing no one following behind them, he immediately lost control of his emotions. With a wave of his hand, several figures immediately darted out.

Several figures burst forth, quickly moving into position. They leaped into the air and descended, instantly surrounding Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang.

Sun Shigang, with a grim face, landed directly in front of the two.

"Well, well," Wu Jinliang thought, surprised they came out so quickly.

Shi Chun quickly scanned their surroundings, noticing all five members of Luoyue Valley were present. He immediately lost all worry, then tilted his head and whispered, "You take three, I'll take two."

In the past, he would have handled three, leaving two for Wu Jinliang. But now, wasn't Wu Jinliang's cultivation higher?

"Hmph, so we meet again, Xiang Lan'er..." Sun Shigang began, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he froze, then was greatly alarmed and tried to flash away.

However, the Binding Talisman truly had its unique qualities; it was quite different from ordinary talismans. Once you saw this thing, it was a bit too late to react. Even before the talisman arrived, a delaying force had already appeared around them. It was the kind that immobilized you first, and then the talisman paper followed.

Before he could even finish speaking, the two figures, who had been secretly holding talismans all along, suddenly launched a surprise attack while they were unprepared.

Soon, all five members of Luoyue Valley, whether trying to dodge or attempting to attack, froze in place.

Five Binding Talismans used in one go! "This is what they meant by 'not even giving us a single talisman'?" Sun Shigang, his eyes wide with shock, realized they had fallen into a trap.

What he didn't understand was, did people really play like this? The moment they appeared, without distinguishing right from wrong or listening to reason, they just unleashed five Grade 3 Binding Talismans. Wasn't this a bit too extravagant for disciples of Wukang Mountain?

He had never expected two people brought by Wukang Mountain just to make up numbers to act with such extravagance.

He had actually believed their nonsense about not even being given a single Binding Talisman. Or was it because these two were disliked in Wukang Mountain?

The key was that he didn't understand why the two opponents attacked so intensely the moment they met.

Furious, he channeled all his cultivation to resist.

Shi Chun's gaze quickly locked onto him, and he was startled. He found that the fellow's body was actually trembling slightly. Could this be the power a cultivator at the High Martial-Achieved realm should possess? This was a Grade 3 Binding Talisman!

Hmph, he directly drew a short knife. He went up and first made a cut on a non-vital spot, breaking the normal circulation of his cultivation technique. Then he quickly tapped him multiple times, placing restrictions on his body, but still wasn't completely reassured. He swiftly moved the knife to sever the tendons and bones in his limbs, acting viciously and decisively, leaving no dangerous hidden risks.

Wu Jinliang quickly subdued the other four.

Fearing they might leave a trail of blood, Shi Chun also treated Sun Shigang's wounds. Then he tore off the long outer robes of all five, twisted them into ropes, and tied them up.

A benefit of breaking through to High Martial cultivation was that carrying weight became less of an issue. Wu Jinliang alone carried all five of them, and ran even more easily than before.

There was no running towards the exit; the two, holding their captives, simply slipped away to one side. They hurried quickly, aiming to get as far as possible in a short amount of time. Otherwise, if Bai Zhuchuan's group noticed their disappearance, they might launch a widespread search in the area.

As they ran, Shi Chun still held a talisman in his hand, maintaining vigilance. The two ran and ran, carrying a pile of people.

The five captives were also a bit confused about what these two guys were doing. It was obvious they were getting further and further away from Bai Zhuchuan's group. Were they so stupid they got the direction wrong?

Sun Shigang was in great pain, having his limbs crippled after just one encounter. Why was this happening?

Although it was still broad daylight at the drill ground, and not yet noon, many people had already started to leave. The Western Zenith venue was already pitch black, and nothing could be seen in the Sky-Gazing Mirror's reflection; there was nothing left to see.

Besides, everyone knew it had just begun, and the participants from Western Zenith hadn't gained much. With no conflicts of interest, there was no danger either.

The noble spectators in the pavilions and towers on the hilltops had almost all left, including Miao Dingyi and his family of three.

Feng Chi, cloaked, had not left. She knew the subsequent plans from above, and she knew that Wu Jinliang was to be targeted. She wondered how it was progressing.

The person from the empty seat beside her returned, sitting down and whispering, "We found out. It was Young Master Nan, who manages the betting stalls, who ordered it."

Feng Chi immediately grew curious. "Why did he target Shi Chun of all people? How could he be interested in such a minor figure?"

The person beside her said, "We don't know yet. You know Young Master Nan is not easy for us to approach."

Feng Chi said, "Report it to the higher-ups. Let them figure out a way to get more information."

The stars in the Western Zenith night sky were remarkably clear and beautiful. Occasionally, a streak of blue light, like a meteor, would flash across the sky, immediately stirring up a buzz among the crowd. It was an Insect Extreme Crystal, and no one knew where it would land.

Xiang Lan'er listened and watched, but was actually distracted, pondering how to properly lure Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang away. Footsteps approached, and she turned to see Bai Zhuchuan walking towards her with a few people, one of whom was holding a sandalwood-gold lamp for illumination.