Gu Shengâs gaze turned cold. Although he had always been someone who acted low-key and with caution, it didnât mean he wouldnât fight back when bullied.
If the enemy was too powerful, then naturally, revenge could wait ten years.
But if he had the confidence to retaliate and still chose to swallow his anger, how would that be any different from being a turtle?
This was not how Gu Sheng conducted himself.
The woman in the white dress could have fled separately, relying on her own skills, yet she deliberately used petty tricks to disgust Gu Sheng. Naturally, he wouldnât tolerate such behavior.
"If you were at your peak, I might have hesitated, but now..."
Gu Sheng let out a cold snort in his heart. With his current strength, dealing with someone at the early stage of the Blood Refining Realm was not a problem, let alone the fact that this woman in white was injured and far from being in peak condition.
He lightly touched the large bow slung across his back as well as two special arrows crafted for specific purposes. These were his trump cards, ensuring he could remain undefeated from a distance.
Various thoughts churned in Gu Shengâs mind as he moved at full speed, wasting no time. Earlier, when the white-dressed woman had fled, he had closely observed her escape route. Now, in just about ten breaths of time, Gu Sheng was confident he could catch up.
The air carried faint traces of blood, which suggested her injuries might be worse than Gu Sheng had initially imagined.
"Makes sense. After all, this woman was a fat sheep specifically targeted by Liu Yuanhuâs subordinates. Even if Liu Yuanhu did not personally intervene, her escape must have come at a steep price."
He even suspected that this woman made a desperate decision, sacrificing other escorts to draw away the pursuersâ attention, allowing herself a chance to flee.
Otherwise, under such ruthless encirclement, Gu Sheng didnât believe someone at the Blood Refining Realmâs early stage could escape.
Following faint clues, Gu Sheng continued his pursuit, activating the Snake Breath Skill to suppress his aura and blood fluctuations to their lowest levels, concealing himself as much as possible.
He intended to trail her gradually, waiting for her condition to worsen over time.
Such injuries were not something that could heal in a short period; she would need to rest and recuperate to recover.
Gu Sheng planned to strike like a venomous serpent from the jungle, delivering a fatal blow when she let her guard down the most.
This was the safest and most foolproof approach.
...
Under the night sky.
Lu Yue ran swiftly, her white dress fluttering like a celestial maiden moving beneath the moonlight. Coupled with the bloodstains on her left shoulder, her figure carried a hint of fragile, melancholy beauty.
However, the expression on the Moonlight Maidenâs face greatly diminished her charm; mockery and schadenfreude gleamed in Lu Yueâs eyes.
Thinking of the killing intent and fury in the gazes of the horse-faced masked man earlier, a sense of satisfaction bubbled in her heart.
"This is the price for refusing me!"
As the talented and pampered legitimate daughter of the Lu family, a prominent clan in Canghe County, she had been exceptional in martial arts from a young age. At just over twenty, she had already reached the early stages of the Blood Refining Realm, an achievement accompanied by her graceful and dignified appearance. In her life, she had always been the center of attention, rarely experiencing indifference or rejection.
The events of today had already kindled an evil fire in her heart, and Gu Shengâs treatment of her further fueled her wicked intent. Thatâs why she had deliberately used her words to redirect disaster toward him earlier.
She knew that those useless henchmen wouldnât pose much of a threat to Gu Sheng, but as long as they could cause him some trouble and buy her some extra time, it was worth it.
"It would be perfect if they held him back until Liu Yuanhuâs men caught upâlet them fight like dogs!"
Lu Yue felt no remorse.
The people traversing the black market were, for the most part, disreputable. Causing Gu Sheng harm was, in her view, a trivial matter.
The thing that made her heart ache the most today was losing several loyal attendants and ten thousand silver notes.
Whenever she thought of this, her delicate face would contort slightly with anguish.
The dayâs events had made everything clear to herâthis was an elaborate trap devised by Liu Yuanhu!
The bait of the Demon Foxâs Heart had lured in a prominent figure from the Black Sand Gang to preside over the auction, which in turn attracted numerous wealthy participants. Then, Liu Yuanhu pulled the net, reaping massive profit.
All of them had suffered senseless misfortune. Even if they voiced their grievances, it would come to nothing. After all, in the shady dealings of the black market, identities were deliberately concealed. Liu Yuanhu could always claim ignorance of who they were; killing them would be inconsequential, leaving the victims to swallow their losses.
"Liu Yuanhu is truly ruthless, acting completely out of bounds..."
"To act like this, does he intend to declare war on the Black Sand Gang? No, he didnât openly reveal the gangâs identity at any point, which means this was only a test!"
"I must return quickly and inform the Family Head of this news. The Lu family must urgently devise countermeasures, though itâs such a shame about Chen Bo and the others..."
Grinding her teeth in frustration, Lu Yue reflected on her failed plan to claim the Demon Foxâs Heart for her family. With it, they had hoped to foster a powerhouse who had achieved perfection in the Blood Refining Realm, increasing the Lu familyâs leverage amidst the swirling storm of rivalries.
But how could she have imagined that they would become trapped like prey in a jar, suffering such devastating losses?
Just moments ago, Lu Yue and her team had been under fierce attack. Each member had been individually targeted, making escape seemingly impossible. Capitalizing on the chaos of Liu Yuanhu pursuing the ghost-masked man, she had managed to break through the besieged ranks, only to run into yet another ambush lying in wait.
In an instant, she found herself in a dire situation.
In the heat of desperation, Lu Yue had no choice but to toss her ten thousand silver notes to several attendants, drawing fire away from herself. This maneuver earned her the chance to escape, though the injuries she sustained during the process were far from light.
As for the fate of her attendants, it needed no elaboration; the likelihood of their demise was overwhelming.
However, when she thought of the even more tragic fates that awaited the other "fat sheep" being pursued, Lu Yueâs mood lightened just a bit. For instance, the bull-faced masked strongman she had competed against before, who had been too reluctant to abandon his wealth, must have faced a cruel fate.