“Move away!”
This road had been closed for construction for a few weeks; therefore, the sight of a dark shadow standing in the middle of the road scared Zhang Ben.
He didn’t slow down; instead, he closed in as he shouted at the stranger.
As a master in using Internal Force, Zhang Ben was able to run with incredible speed while carrying a girl under his arm. When he saw the stranger in front of him, he thought it was someone sent my the Bai Family.
However, once he got closer, he realized that it was Chen Fan.
“Interesting, why is he here?”
Zhang Ben was not alone in his confusion; the sight of Chen Fan also caught Yu Wenjin by surprise.
Chen Fan furrowed his brows and stared into the distance.
Once he had obtained the Li Fire Golden Eyes, his vision was improved tenfold. He was able to discern even the smallest movement ten kilometers away like a falcon.
He looked over Zhang Ben’s shoulder and registered a jeep coming this way fast and furious.
It was not long before Zhang Ben also sensed the rumbling of the jeep’s engine. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to outrun the vehicle, Zhang Ben stopped and let go of Yu Wenjin. He breathed heavily and said: “Go now! Go as far as possible. They are coming, and I will slow them down!”
And then he turned to look at Chen Fan and then said: “Aren’t you Yu Wenjin’s classmate? Someone wants to harm her, take her away from here. NOW!”
Yu Wenjin glanced at Zhang Ben; her eyes were filled with strong yet complicated emotions.
She hated the Young Master and his lackey for ruining her life. However, during this time of life and death, Zhang Ben turned out to be the one who saved her.
“Let’s move, Chen Fan.”
Yu Wenjin gritted teeth and darted toward Chen Fan. She got hold of Chen Fan’s arm and was about to run off the road into the field.
“Run? Why?”
Chen Fan stood still and didn’t move.
“It’s not the time for questions.” Despite Yu Wenjin’s reticent and calm demeanor, she couldn’t help but yell at the top of her lungs, and she stomped the ground in frustration. “Those people behind us are after me. Uncle Zhang is saving us time. Let’s go. We don’t’ have much time.”
“Don’t worry, I am here, and I will protect you.” Chen Fan cracked a smile.
He had already gotten a number on the situation. The scrawny man was here to keep a close watch on Yu Wenjin. However, the group of pursuers also wanted Yu Wenjin.
Since he had shown up, he would not allow their pursuit to continue.
“You!” Yu Wenjin shouted anxiously.
Zhang Ben was also taken aback by the boy’s words.
Anyone with a brain could tell that the situation was going downhill and running away should be the top priority. However, this foolish boy seemed to have gotten carried away with playing a hero.
“Are you stupid? Do you know who is after her?” Zhang Ben refuted. “They are not ordinary rascals; they are cut-throat assassins.”
“Just forget it. Yu Wenjin, your friend, is as dumb as an ass, just let him be. He is courting death.”
“But…” Yu Wenjin was so frustrated that words evaporated from her mouth.
Her bond with Chen Fan was much more personal and stronger than that with Zhang Ben. They had been classmates and friends for years, and she couldn’t just send him to his death.
“Don’t worry about me, Xiao Jin. I told you that I would protect you. I won’t let them harm even a hair on your head.” Chen Fan said calmly with a placid expression. He looked into the distance and then said: “Plus, I think it’s already too late or us to run away.”
The girl and the middle-aged man looked back, and they saw a black jeep, the size of a small dot appeared at the end of the road.
“Fuck it! Bring it on! Death means nothing to me.” The sight of her pursuer robbed Yu Wenjin of her last sliver of hope. She remarked with a wry smile.
Zhang Ben’s mind was about to snap. In his mind’s eyes, he saw himself breaking the boy’s neck for wasting precious time.
Whatever small chances they had in escaping, Chen Fan had ruined it. Right now, the best Zhang Ben could do was to recuperate as much as he could and prepare for the battle.
“Kacha!”
The jeep turned and broke abruptly, letting the rear end drift forward until the vehicle came to a full stop across the road.
“Why don’t you keep running? Go on. I want to see if you are faster then my car.”
Bai Wuji emerged out from the car and looked at the three people in the middle of the empty road with an eerie smile.
In his wake, a few other Internal Force users appeared from the car. One of them held a white-haired old woman with an iron grip.
“Granny!”
Yu Wenjin shouted.
Although her grandma had hidden the truth from her all the while, she had looked after Yu Wenjin ever since she was a child.
“She had fooled us. I thought it was poison smoke, but it was just a common smokescreen.” Bai Wuji smirked. “What’s the use in fighting back anyway? You have just reached mid-stage of the Dao-Reaching Level, haven’t you? Even your Young Master wouldn’t be able to handle three Internal Force users at once, much less you.”
“Humph! Don’t compare yourself with Young Master.” Zhang Ben snorted.
“Yea, yea. Young Master is a genius. He had reached the peak of the Dao-Reaching Level and is only half step away from the Dharma Cultivation level. I agree that I am not his worthy opponent.” Bai Wuji nodded and said with a rare approving tone.
“But don’t you see that is why we have to stop him? He is already powerful, with the girl, he would break the balance of power.”
“Young Master? Who are these guys?” Chen Fan asked abruptly.
“You are…” Bai Wuji finally noticed the sixteen years old boy holding hands with Yu Wenjin. Suddenly, Bai Wuji burst out laughing: “Are you Yu Wenjin’s boyfriend?”
“What a shame. Young Master’s talents and power won’t stop him being cheated on. Haha! That is… rich!”
Bai Wuji and the three fighters behind him sneered at the girl.
“Shut up!”
Anger contorted Zhang Ben’s face. The Young Master was a god-like existence in his mind; he could not let anyone taint the Young Master’s name.
He snarled at them and opened up both arms like an angry bear. He then threw himself at Bai Wuji, stirring up a strong gust in his wake. Zhang Ben had achieved phenomenal success in his Internal Force cultivation. With the power he harnessed over the decades, his charge would be able to break a tree with a girth that was wide enough to wrap one’s arms around.
“Courting death!”
Bai Wuji seemingly ignored the attack. He curled his lips as he produced a paper talisman.
As Bai Wuji waved the piece of paper in the air, it caught fire by itself and quickly grew in size until it was as big as a basketball. Bai Wuji held the flaming ball and hurled it at Zhang Ben.
“What?”
Zhang Ben was caught off guard, but he dodged quickly. The fireball missed him by a hair.
The fireball passed Zhang Ben and smashed into a large tree.
“Kaboom!”
The ten-meter tall tree suddenly caught fire, and in a blink, it turned into a giant torch.
“Shit!” Zhang Ben felt a chill running down his spine. He could no longer muster enough courage to attack again.
The power in the fireball attack was overwhelming. If it had landed on Zhang Ben, he would have been reduced to ashes.
“Such power! The Bai Family are worth their salt.”
Granny Snake whimpered.
“Hehe, this is nothing compare to your Young Master’s ability to rein ghost and spirits.” Despite Bai Wuji’s humble words, his expression had betrayed his true feeling.
“Of course! Young Master could rein a hundred ghosts at one time and turn a large swath of area into the ghost realm. The Bai family and their little tricks couldn’t-compare.”Granny Snake remarked.
“Humph! Old Crone just won’t shut up! Well, where is your Young Master now?” Bai Wuji pulled a taut face and flung back at the old woman.
He turned toward Yu Wenjin and gave her a greedy glare. “Little bird, your grandmother is in my hands. Come to me if you don’t want to see your granny die.”
Although the alliance of the six families lacked the select art to draw out the girl’s power, they had other plans for her. Yu Wenjin had Arcane Yin Energy inside of her; it would be a shame to waste the energy on the Young Master.
If the six families could guide her and teach her cultivation, she would become one of the most powerful cultivators in southwest China in less than twenty years. Her power would be even superior to that of the Young Master since she had earned every bit of it through hard work and raw talent.
With that plan in mind, Bai Wuji didn’t harm Granny Snake. He designed to use the life of the girl’s granny to coax her into submission.
“Fine… Just don’t hurt granny. I will go with you.”
Yu Wenjin took a deep breath, trying to stop her body from shaking. He eyes gleamed with determination to save her grandmother.
Seeing Zhang Ben had lost the will to fight, Granny Snake lowered her head and sighed.
Even as Bai Wuji thought it was over, he heard a voice come up behind the girl.
“Have you ask me what I think about you taking her away?”
Everyone looked to the speaker: it was Yu Wenjin’s boyfriend, an average country boy.