In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed since the Zhongzhou Tournament.
At this time, Yuan Hong sat inside the City Lord's mansion, glaring angrily at several of his subordinates standing before him. None of them dared raise their heads. With a loud bang, he slapped the table, making their bodies tremble.
Yuan Hong roared, "It's already been half a month, and you still haven't found a single trace?"
Just then, Zhang Shun and Zhang Jie entered the room and saw the scene.
Zhang Shun hurriedly spoke, "Master, don't get too angry, be careful not to harm your health. You lot, why aren't you leaving quickly?"
The subordinates knew Zhang Shun was helping them out of trouble. Knowing the affection between master and disciples, they were certain Yuan Hong would not pursue the matter further, so they quickly withdrew.
Sure enough, Yuan Hong did not press the issue. He simply closed his eyes, pressed his hand to his forehead, and let out a sigh.
Seeing this, Zhang Jie immediately poured a cup of tea, handed it to Yuan Hong, and said, "Master, please have some tea."
After Yuan Hong drank a sip, his expression seemed less tense than before. Zhang Jie then asked, "Master, are you still troubled by that bastard Lie Feng?"
Yuan Hong nodded. "As long as he lives, I cannot be at peace."
Zhang Jie said, "We have already scattered several hundred men to search for him, yet there has been no news. He's probably hiding in some remote mountain, too afraid to show himself."
Zhang Shun added, "If that's the case, who knows how long it will take to find him? We can't just ignore everything else simply to chase after him."
Yuan Hong said gravely, "To tell you the truth, although my cultivation is higher than his, if we were to fight one on one, I would only have sixty percent confidence of defeating him at full strength. Otherwise, why would I be so eager to eliminate him?"
Zhang Jie said, "Disciple believes he must be doing everything he can to improve his cultivation, so he can come back for revenge later.
Now we are in the light while he hides in the shadows. Master, perhaps it would be wiser to remain unmoved, and focus on your own cultivation instead."
Yuan Hong sighed. "That may be the only choice. I am already close to the late stage of the Sixth Realm.
I had planned to break through and then use the Xuantian Pill to push directly to completion in the Sixth Realm. But now, this plan may fall through."
Zhang Jie suddenly said, "Master, disciple has something to report."
"What is it?"
"According to our men, they discovered the rebels' base sixty miles outside the city, in a mountain forest. Master, how shall we proceed?"
"The same group you repelled earlier?"
"Yes."
"In this time, your realms have improved. Though now it is only the two of you, dealing with them should still be more than enough. Take some men and go. I must devote myself to cultivation."
At the same time, deep in a mountain forest, Ji Wushi and Zheng Jian sat cross-legged on the ground, with a dozen others gathered around them.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on a hand-drawn map spread across the ground.
It was a map of a city, sketched from a bird's-eye view.
Ji Wushi said, "Zheng Jian and I have spent these days lurking inside Zhongzhou City. At last, we've finished mapping out its layout."
He then pointed with his folding fan at a spot. "Our captured brothers are imprisoned here. Around the prison there are about a hundred guards."
He moved his fan slightly. "And here is the City Lord's mansion. It's heavily guarded, about four kilometers from the prison. If we are to rescue our people, we must not alert the City Lord's mansion. That means we can only eliminate the guards through stealth and assassination."
One man frowned. "That's far too difficult. Not to mention how to rescue them without being detected—even if we succeed, once we're discovered, they'll activate the city's protective formation. Then we'll be trapped inside, walking into our own doom."
His reasoning was sound, but quickly drew rebuttal.
"So what? Are we just going to watch them die? Don't forget, the only reason we're free now is because they stayed behind to cover our retreat. If we abandon them, the morale of the righteous army will collapse. Who will still be willing to fight in the future?"
"I'm not saying we shouldn't save them, but the risk is too great. We can't sacrifice the rest of the brothers as well."
"That's still just letting them die. Are you truly thinking of the bigger picture, or are you simply a coward afraid of death?"
"What did you say!?"
The two men nearly came to blows over whether to attempt a rescue.
Fortunately, another voice cut in: "Enough! Stop quarreling. Let's hear Ji Wushi's opinion first."
Ji Wushi thought for a moment, then said, "We must save them. But it requires a meticulous plan. We can seek help from the other rebel forces—"
"Bad news!"
A voice suddenly interrupted him. Everyone turned their gaze toward the source.
A man rushed up, his face grave. "A large force of cultivators is approaching this way!"
Shock flashed across their faces. Ji Wushi quickly asked, "How many? Who is leading them?"
"About a thousand. Leading them are Zhang Shun and Zhang Jie."
Ji Wushi let out a breath. "Fortunately Yuan Hong did not come. Otherwise, it would truly be impossible. Everyone, follow the plan as arranged."
Zhang Shun and Zhang Jie led a thousand men toward their destination. Just before arrival, they deliberately switched to marching on foot, so as not to alert the enemy.
They knew the rebels were hiding in this forest, but did not know their exact location. Thus, they advanced cautiously, on guard.
Among the group, Qin Fen wore a reluctant expression.
Someone beside him barked, "What are you doing? Stay alert!"
The shout drew the attention of nearby cultivators. Qin Fen felt humiliated but could only endure it, for he knew everyone here was hostile toward him.
Ever since he signed the slave contract, no one in Zhongzhou had treated him kindly. He knew they despised him for surrendering to save his life.
At first, Qin Fen did not resist much, but over time the humiliation grew heavier.
He thought, If they had been in my position, they would have done the same. They act arrogant only because they stand on the so-called higher ground of morality, thinking they have the right to condemn me.
Just as he was about to respond perfunctorily, something flashed across his eyes.
Following its path, he saw a throwing knife already embedded in the throat of the man who had shouted at him. The man fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
Qin Fen froze for a moment, then quickly shouted, "Enemy attack!"
The entire force immediately prepared for battle. But it was already too late.
Arrows and other hidden weapons poured from both flanks like rain. Dozens were killed outright, and many more wounded.
Although ambushed, these men were veterans. They quickly reacted. Some raised spiritual shields to block the barrage, while others shielded the fallen. Healers rushed to treat the injured, stabilizing them into fighting condition.
Zhang Shun saw this and shouted, "The enemy is on both flanks! Hold them off as best you can! Junior Brother, let us split our forces and counterattack!"
"Yes!"
The two each led half their troops, advancing into the sides despite enemy fire. But whenever they drew closer, the rebels quickly retreated, maintaining distance and continuing to pelt them with hidden weapons.
Seeing the enemy refuse to engage directly, Zhang Jie grew frustrated.
Just then, screams erupted from behind. He turned and saw a group charging out from another direction—led by Zheng Jian himself.