Chapter 55: Chapter 26: The Hunt 3
Most, however, were just gawking passersby.
"Fuck, someone beat us to it! The fat sheep we had our eyes on just slipped away!"
"Who were those guys just now?"
"Who were they?! The one with the eagle-like gaze is Zhou Changlin, an Elite Gang Member of the Wild Wolf Gang. The other one, that towering brute, is named Gao Tong. He uses the Iron Hand Skill and is said to be able to hold his own against an Eighth Grade Martial Artist..."
"Hiss! That medicine seller might be an Entry Grade Martial Artist, but... I’m afraid he’s in real danger!"
"A shame. It’s going to be hard to buy Scar Remover from now on."
"Says who? Once they capture the medicine seller and Zhou Changlin’s crew forces the formula out of him, you think they won’t sell it? It’ll just be at a different stall, that’s all."
"True."
...
The crowd buzzed with discussion.
At the exit, the ’Fast Swordman’ Yuan Da squinted, wiping his Horizontal Saber without the slightest pause in his movements, as if he couldn’t care less about any of it.
...
’So they really came, huh?’
After leaving the Black Market, Fang Rui noticed someone was following him.
He wasn’t in a hurry. He let them tail him, maintaining a certain distance, until he reached a fork in the road and suddenly picked up his pace.
"We’re far enough from the Black Market now, Second Uncle! We can make our move!"
Just as Zhou Chu was speaking, he cried out anxiously, "Not good, he spotted us! Let’s hurry and catch up!"
Zhou Changlin and Gao Tong didn’t answer, but they had already quickened their steps.
THUMP THUMP THUMP!
Zhou Changlin was the fastest, taking the lead. Gao Tong, due to his size, was slightly slower, but only trailed by two or three meters.
Zhou Chu was an ordinary person with average stamina and was left in the rear. Within a few breaths, a gap of more than ten meters had opened up.
"Where’d he go?"
After chasing for over a hundred meters, Zhou Changlin rounded a corner and was stunned to find that Fang Rui was nowhere in sight.
His brow twitched, and his hand tightened on his cleaver. ’This guy... it’s like he’s leading us on a merry chase. He’s extremely familiar with the terrain... and his speed isn’t normal, either...’
For no apparent reason, a sense of unease washed over Zhou Changlin. He was just about to warn Gao Tong, who was behind him.
Just then.
FWOOSH!
A cloud of lime powder rained down from above, obscuring their vision and enveloping both Zhou Changlin and the approaching Gao Tong.
Immediately after.
SWOOSH!
The sound of something tearing through the air rang out as an object came crashing down.
’Is it coming for me?’
Gao Tong’s ears twitched, a cold smile forming on his lips. ’The burlap sack in that guy’s hand?’
He knew Fang Rui had a small burlap sack filled with grain, weighing no more than thirty to fifty pounds. Even if a Ninth Grade Martial Artist threw it in a sneak attack, how much force could it possibly have?
"Ha!"
Gao Tong roared, thrusting his hands up to catch it.
In the very next instant—
BANG!
The burlap sack came crashing down.
’Something’s wrong!’
Gao Tong’s heart skipped a beat.
The sack was unnaturally heavy and carried immense force. It shattered the bones in one of his hands before slamming violently into his shoulder, sending him tumbling to the ground.
—That’s right. The sack wasn’t filled with grain chaff or anything of the sort; it was filled with rocks. Combined with Fang Rui’s Seventh Grade Great Strength, the blow had nearly cost the man his life.
"Cough, cough!"
Gao Tong coughed violently, feeling as if his internal organs had all been displaced. The pain was excruciating.
THUMP THUMP THUMP!
The sound of hurried footsteps drew near.
A Martial Artist’s ability to pinpoint locations by sound was superb. He identified the direction and snatched out with a large, dark hand that seemed to be forged from fine iron.
’Got him!’
Joy surged in Gao Tong’s heart.
The Cultivation Technique he practiced was the Iron Hand Skill, and most of his power was concentrated in his hands. Though he was only a Ninth Grade, his grip was stronger than that of an ordinary Eighth Grade Martial Artist.
"Die!"
A savage grin spread across Gao Tong’s lips as he suddenly put forth his strength.
But in the next instant, his expression changed. An immense strength, far surpassing his own, radiated from the other’s hand, rendering him completely immobile. It wasn’t that he had caught his opponent; it was... his opponent had caught him!
CRACK!
Gao Tong’s only remaining good arm was snapped.
With a sudden bellow of "Up!", Fang Rui grabbed Gao Tong’s shoulder with one hand and supported his waist with the other. He arched his back like a bow, his great tendons tensing as his Bone Forged skeleton bore the load.
With a sudden heave—
BOOM!
He threw Gao Tong’s entire body, sending him flying like a cannonball!
At that moment, the lime dust was just beginning to settle, and visibility had not yet returned to normal—
Zhou Changlin saw a figure hurtling toward him. Gripping his cleaver with both hands, he thrust it forward with all his might. "Die!"
PFFT!
The tip of the blade pierced through the chest.
...
