"Young Master Qin, they must have used the Disguise Talisman."
Young Master Qin laughed in anger.
"Alright, very well."
He turned to the guards.
"Which direction did those four go?"
"To the south... along the main road..."
Before the guard finished speaking, Young Master Qin had already flung his sleeve and left.
Tie San was about to follow when his Jade Pendant at the waist shook slightly.
He looked down and his face changed slightly.
"Wang Liu and his men have arrived at the North Gate, asking if we need reinforcement."
"Tell them to get back to the City Lord Mansion and report!"
Without turning his head, Young Master Qin leaped onto the Flying Sword.
"Today, I will personally flay Gu Sheng!"
Tie San swiftly sent a voice transmission and followed Young Master Qin. The Flying Sword soared into the air again, this time flying so low that it nearly skimmed the treetops along the main road.
"The Sound Transmission Jade Pendant shows their speed has slowed."
Tie San narrowed his eyes.
"Just behind that hillside ahead!"
Behind the hillside, Gu Sheng and his group had just landed.
Ling Xiao put away the Flying Talisman, letting out a long sigh of relief.
"We should have shaken them off."
Mu Xi weakly leaned on her brotherâs shoulder, her face pale.
"Brother... I canât walk anymore..."
"Hold on a little longer."
Mu Feng, heart aching, wiped the cold sweat from his sisterâs forehead.
"Once we find a safe place, Iâll heal you."
Gu Sheng scanned the surroundings and suddenly frowned.
"Somethingâs wrong, too quiet..."
Ling Xiao vigilantly drew his Longsword.
"What?"
"Tie San is not easy to deal with."
Gu Sheng took out a Copper Coin from his chest and tossed it into the air. The coin spun a few times before stopping mid-air, pointing in the direction they had come from.
"Indeed, theyâve caught up."
Mu Fengâs face changed drastically upon hearing this.
"How is that possible? We clearly..."
"Sound Transmission Jade Pendant."
Gu Sheng retrieved the Copper Coin and let out a cold laugh.
"Zhao Pengzu and Dong Wei must have a Positioning Talisman on them. I should have thought of it sooner."
Ling Xiao tightened his grip on his sword.
"What do we do now?"
Gu Shengâs gaze swept over the group, finally resting on Mu Xi.
"Separate and go. Iâll take Miss Mu Xi first, and you guys..."
"No way!"
Mu Feng held his sister tightly.
"I will never be separated from Xiâer again!"
Gu Sheng was about to speak when a furious shout came from afar.
"Gu Sheng! Come out to face me!"
The voice was like thunder, startling the birds in the forest.
Mu Xi shivered all over, her small hand clutching her brotherâs sleeve tightly.
"Itâs... itâs that demon..."
Ling Xiaoâs face was somber.
"Itâs Young Master Qin himself. Tie San should be with him too."
Gu Sheng, however, suddenly smiled.
"Only two of them?"
"Theyâre catching up!"
Mu Feng turned to look, his face turning a ghastly white instantly. In the distance, two figures were approaching at an incredible speed, one of them dressed in magnificent robes was none other than Young Master Qin whom they thought they had outrun.
Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao appeared unusually calm, even stopping in their tracks.
"Gu, we should run!"
Mu Feng was so anxious he stomped his feet.
"Young Master Qin is surely here for revenge!"
Ling Xiao gently pressed Mu Fengâs shoulder.
"Stay calm, Little Feng. Since they can catch up, running is useless."
Gu Sheng squinted, watching as the two approached closer.
"Too close to Luoyun City. Once the experts from the City Lord Mansion arrive, weâll have no escape."
"Then what do we do?"
Mu Xi clung to her brotherâs arm tightly, her voice trembling.
Gu Sheng did not answer and instead focused his gaze on the tall, sturdy man next to Young Master Qin.
The man was clad in black, with a stern face and an overwhelming oppressive aura surrounding him.
"Tie San..."
Gu Sheng muttered the name under his breath.
"Hahaha! Why arenât you running?"
Young Master Qinâs arrogant laughter echoed as they drew near.
"I told you, you wouldnât escape from my grasp!"
In a flash, the two were in front of them. Tie Sanâs eagle-like eyes fixed intently on Gu Sheng, as if piercing through all disguises despite the changes in Gu Shengâs appearance and aura.
"Itâs really you."
Tie Sanâs voice was hoarse.
"The wanted criminal from the City Lord Mansion, Gu Sheng."
Young Master Qin proudly raised his chin.
"Uncle Tie San, capture him! Father will definitely reward you heavily!"
Tie San didnât reply, just slowly raised his right hand. In an instant, a terrifying pressure swept across the surroundings, and the rubble on the ground began floating in midair.
"Mid...Mid Taichu Realm!"
Mu Fengâs legs went weak, nearly causing him to kneel.
This level of strength he had only heard of in the stories of the tribeâs elders.
Ling Xiaoâs expression also became extremely grave.
"Not only is he in the Taichu Realm, heâs likely a core figure of the City Lord Mansion..."
Gu Sheng, however, remained surprisingly calm.
He gently patted Ling Xiaoâs shoulder.
"Take Little Feng and Little Xiâer back."
"Gu, heâs a whole minor realm higher than Long Teng from Qinghe Holy Land!"
Ling Xiao said in a low voice.
Gu Sheng slightly raised the corner of his mouth.
"Realm doesnât equate to combat power. When Long Teng died by my hand, he thought the same."
Ling Xiao wanted to say more, but seeing the look in Gu Shengâs eyes, he eventually pulled Mu Feng and Mu Xi back behind a massive rock a hundred feet away.
"Big Brother Gu, heâs..."
Tears welled up in Mu Xiâs eyes.
Ling Xiao comforted her.
"Believe in him."
In the field, Gu Sheng and Tie San stood in confrontation.
Young Master Qin stood aside with a cat-and-mouse smile on his face.
"Young Master Qin."
Gu Sheng suddenly spoke up.
"Iâm curious, how did you escape from my restriction?"
Young Master Qin snorted.
"That little trick of yours? I had already escaped long ago, just didnât want you to find out!"
Gu Shengâs eyes flashed.
"Seems like Young Master Qin has quite a few treasures on him."
"Enough nonsense!"
Young Master Qin shouted sharply.
"Uncle Tie San, capture him! Remember, I want him alive!"
Tie San finally spoke.
"You canât escape because of the Sound Transmission Jade Pendants on Zhao Pengzu and Dong Wei."
Gu Shengâs pupils contracted slightly, then he understood.
"So thatâs it..."
He had indeed locked Zhao Pengzu and Dong Wei inside the Void Ring, but hadnât expected the pendants on them to become tracking beacons.
"Prepare to die."
Tie San spoke no more, launching his right fist with a sudden punch.
No fancy moves, just a plain and simple punch, making the air explode with a visible shockwave straight towards Gu Shengâs face.
"Boom!"
Gu Shengâs figure flickered, leaving an afterimage in place.
Where he had just stood, the ground erupted with a hole three zhang in diameter, sending rocks flying.
Behind the massive rock a hundred feet away, even with Ling Xiaoâs protection, Mu Feng and Mu Xi still felt a stifling pressure in their chests from the shockwave.
Blood trickled from the corner of Mu Xiâs mouth, while Mu Feng stared intently at the battlefield, his nails digging deep into his palms.
"So this is...the power of the strong?"
Mu Fengâs heart was in turmoil.
He wished so much that he too had such power, to protect his sister, to protect the tribe, and never be bullied again.
Ling Xiao lazily leaned against the bluestone, a stalk of grass in his mouth, with a playful glint in his eyes.
He glanced at the sweaty and tense Mu Feng beside him and chuckled.
"Brother Mu Feng, if someone didnât know, theyâd think you were the one fighting that iron lump."
Mu Feng wiped the sweat from his brow, his brows furrowed.
"Ling, how can you be so relaxed? Tie San is a Taichu Realm expert, can Gu really handle him?"
"Ha!"
Ling Xiao spat out the stalk of grass, resting his hands behind his head.
"Just watch."
Not far away, Young Master Qin stood with arms crossed, a sure-win cold smile on his lips.
His followers couldnât wait to start mocking.
"This lad probably doesnât know how to spell âdeathâ, Ironineâs fists can shatter Xuan Iron for sure!"
"Daring to challenge Taichu Realm with a Heavenly Palace Realm? Tired of living!"
Young Master Qin gestured for silence, squinting his eyes.
"All shut up and watch how Tie San breaks this ignorant kidâs bones one by one."
In the center, Tie Sanâs imposing figure exuded an overwhelming pressure.
He looked down on Gu Sheng, who was half a head shorter, and boomed in a coarse voice.
"Kid, if you kneel and beg now, I might leave you a whole corpse."
Gu Sheng, in his fluttering blue robe, appeared unnervingly calm in the face of life and death.
He slightly raised his head.
"Less talk, make your move."
"Courting death!"
Tie San roared, launching a fierce punch with his right fist, the force tearing through the air with a piercing explosive sound.