After dealing with the Sharp Claw Wolves, Lin Yun and the others continued deeper into the mountain range. During this month, the Yunlu Mountain Range was at its busiest, and also at its most dangerous. One had to face attacks not only from Demon Beasts, but also from other humans.
As the three of them walked through the woods, none of them noticed a pair of hateful eyes staring intently at Lin Yun from the shadows.
'Damn it, he's actually with Lu Bingning.' Guan Renjie had been following them for a long time. He hadn't made a move, all because of Lu Bingning.
Seeing Guan Renjie's dark expression, one of the Guan Family guards beside him said with a smile, "Young Master, separating them would be easy."
The man then whispered something into Guan Renjie's ear. When he was done, a thrilled smile appeared on Guan Renjie's face, and he happily clapped the man on the shoulder.
"Excellent, excellent! A brilliant plan!" Guan Renjie said with a laugh. "Don't worry. Once this is done, I'll report it to my father and have him make you a squad leader."
Hearing this, the man nodded excitedly. While a squad leader wasn't a high-ranking officer, it was still better than being a common guard.
With a plan in place, Guan Renjie immediately gave orders to the dozen or so men he had brought with him. These were guards he had brought from home without his father's knowledge, men who usually hung out with him.
After receiving their orders, the men scattered. According to Guan Renjie's plan, the first step was to separate the trio. Without Lu Bingning around, Guan Renjie could act without restraint.
Unaware of the danger lurking in the shadows, Lin Yun and the others continued walking, talking and laughing.
'That damn Lin Yun, how dare he tease me! If my sister wasn't here, I'd…' Walking alone up ahead, Lu Tao was fuming, so angry he could spit fire.
Lin Yun had actually teased him, telling him to call him "brother-in-law," and Lu Tao couldn't even argue back. It was all his own fault for running his mouth.
"Damn it, damn it! Lin Yun, one of these days, I, Lu Tao, will beat you to a pulp!" Lu Tao muttered furiously. Not watching where he was going, he failed to notice a masked man lying in ambush behind a tree less than three meters ahead.
"Damn, I have such a big mouth, such a big mouth... I, Lu Tao..." Still cursing, Lu Tao had just reached the tree when the masked man knocked him out with a single blow.
Without pausing, the man immediately hoisted the unconscious Lu Tao onto his shoulder and sprinted off into the distance.
Seeing this, Lu Bingning immediately gave chase. Her brother had been kidnapped, and she was frantic. Three figures raced in hot pursuit: the masked man in the lead, with Lu Bingning and Lin Yun close behind.
"Now! Make your move." Unsuspecting, Lin Yun walked right into Guan Renjie's encirclement. A sudden chill gripped him, and without a moment's hesitation, his body instinctively dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding an arrow that shot past.
'An ambush?' Lin Yun thought. Sure enough, a dozen or so masked men quickly surrounded him.
Running ahead, Lu Bingning saw what was happening and stopped. She was torn. Lu Tao had been kidnapped, and now Lin Yun was surrounded. She truly didn't know who to save first.
"Don't worry about me!" Lin Yun shouted. "Go save Lu Tao! I can handle these guys."
Hearing this, Lu Bingning hesitated, but ultimately chose to trust Lin Yun. After all, his strength was plain to see. Even if he couldn't win, he wouldn't be killed instantly. Her brother, on the other hand, was a different story.
"Lin Yun, be careful! I'll be back as soon as I can."
As soon as Lu Bingning left, Guan Renjie stepped out from his hiding place in the shadows. To him, Lin Yun was now a fish on the chopping block, ready to be slaughtered at will.
Lin Yun's eyes narrowed as he looked at the masked figure. Although the man's face was covered, there was something very familiar about him.
"Kid, today is the day you die," Guan Renjie said, deliberately altering his voice.
Hearing the voice, Lin Yun's brow furrowed even deeper. Although the man had deliberately disguised it, the voice still felt incredibly familiar.
"Who are you? Who are you people?" Lin Yun remained calm. Having lived two lives, he knew very well that panicking now would be useless.
"Haha! We're the ones who are sending you to your grave," Guan Renjie replied with a loud laugh.
At this point, Lin Yun had already guessed the man's identity. 'It must be Guan Renjie.' He hadn't really offended anyone, aside from the Lu Family. But the Lu siblings had no opportunity to arrange something like this, which only left Guan Renjie.
"Guan Renjie!" Lin Yun suddenly roared. "Honorable men don't hide in the shadows! You want to kill me, yet you don't even dare to show your face? You truly are a despicable coward."
Startled by the sudden roar, Guan Renjie froze for a moment. That brief hesitation was all the confirmation Lin Yun needed. 'It's definitely him.'
While Lin Yun was being surrounded, Lu Bingning was still in pursuit. The masked man carrying Lu Tao was extremely fast. Although he was only at the Third Layer of Opening, Lu Bingning simply couldn't catch up.
'Damn it,' Lu Bingning thought, growing anxious as she failed to close the distance. 'Has he cultivated a Body Technique Martial Skill?'
"Lin Yun, since you've figured it out, I'll let you die knowing why," Guan Renjie said, pulling off his mask to reveal his face. "Lu Bingning is not for you to touch."
Looking at Guan Renjie, Lin Yun actually smiled. He looked nothing like a man cornered and ready for slaughter; on the contrary, he looked like he was the one about to annihilate all of them.
"Guan Renjie, you've opposed me at every turn since we were children. I used to hold back, since our fathers are sworn brothers. But today, you've delivered yourself to my doorstep, so don't blame me for what happens next. As the saying goes, you've dug your own grave."
Lin Yun spoke with supreme confidence, as if the dozen or so men before him were already dead.
Guan Renjie, however, just burst out laughing. "Haha! Lin Yun, have you been scared stupid? Do you really think you can take on all of us by yourself?"
Setting aside his own strength, the dozen or so guards Guan Renjie had brought with him were all hand-picked. Each one was bold yet meticulous. Not only were they powerful, but they were also utterly ruthless.
Buoyed by Guan Renjie's promises, and given that they were deep within the Yunlu Mountain Range, the men were not intimidated by the fact that Lin Yun was Lin Xiaotian's son. After all, once a man is dead, how would Lin Xiaotian ever find out who killed him?
"Lin Yun, die!" As his laughter faded, Guan Renjie's expression turned savage. 'Lu Bingning is mine. No one else can have her.'
In an instant, the dozen or so Guan Family guards surrounding Lin Yun began to circulate their Elemental Power. Auras of the Second and Third Layers of the Opening Realm flared out from all sides.