Chapter 1774: Chapter 1774: Closing In on the Trail
Li Feng looked at Ran Yue: "You should know that this journey will not be peaceful. If you regret now, it’s still not too late."
Ran Yue seemed to have anticipated Li Feng’s question and replied, "This is my choice. If I die, it’s destiny."
"I’m not as important to you as Zi Yan and Xiao Luobing, so you don’t need to worry about me. Besides, I’ve chosen to follow you because this journey might be an opportunity for me. You don’t need to overthink it."
Ran Yue said with a cold expression.
Li Feng looked at Ran Yue, knowing she had endured many hardships, her family annihilated, trapped in dire straits, struggling to survive at the bottom. It was only through her family’s beast control ability that she gradually rose; she carried a heavy burden.
But Li Feng was neither a savior nor a martyr.
Li Feng didn’t paint a rosy picture for Ran Yue, but if the journey home was successful, he wouldn’t let it go without acknowledgment.
"Then mount up and follow."
Li Feng said to Ran Yue, then rode off, and Ran Yue mounted her horse and chased after him. Two riders and a tiger passed through the town and continued south.
Less than half a day’s journey after Li Feng and Ran Yue, a cloud of dust rose from the north of the town, and dozens of riders appeared. They entered the town.
"Has anyone seen this person?"
The newcomers took out a portrait and asked the tea stall owner at the town entrance.
"If you’ve seen him, speak up. This spirit stone is yours."
Seeing the spirit stone, the tea stall owner was immediately tempted. After all, his stall couldn’t earn a spirit stone in a year.
"Master, I’ve indeed seen the person in the picture. He passed through the town entrance before noon."
"Are you sure? If you deceive my young master, do you know the consequences?"
A burly man came forward, intimidating the stall owner.
"Absolutely. It’s not out of greed for the spirit stone; I’ve truly seen him. But he wasn’t alone; there was a woman and a tiger behind him. I noticed the tiger pet, so I looked a few more times. The man on the horse is this person."
The stall owner hurriedly said.
"Second Young Master, the stall owner should be telling the truth. It’s likely Li Feng. That tiger is probably a young Thunder Tiger from Thunder Valley, which Li Feng obtained at Heaven Tower. The track also matches."
A broad-shouldered man on horseback spoke up. He had appeared at Dragon Gate Bathhouse with Han Sanqian and was one of the Nine Dragons’ Nine Tigers of the Dragon Tiger Sect, Chen Jia.
One of the backing forces behind the Dragon Tiger Sect is the Chen Family, and Chen Jia, a house-born son of this second-rate family, was sent as an informer and to wield influence within the sect.
The "Second Young Master" was none other than Chen Ziming, previously nicknamed King Sword. However, outside Heaven Tower, to support Tong Ling’er, Chen Ziming’s King Sword was taken by Li Feng. Being one of the outer sect’s top ten experts, losing a sword was a shameful event.
Especially since he lost a spiritual weapon created at great expense by the Chen Family.
Since losing his sword, Chen Ziming had been searching for Li Feng’s whereabouts, but Li Feng fled to the Sixth Ring, and the Dragon Tiger Sect’s influence was limited to the Ninth Ring, losing the trail.
However, Li Feng’s recent stay at Tongfu Inn, spending 100,000 Gold Vouchers, brought him fame overnight, making it hard to remain unnoticed.
The Dragon Tiger Sect once again targeted Li Feng and, after notifying Chen Ziming, dispatched hundreds of elite troops to leave Ancestor Dragon City with him.
"Looks like he’s heading south."
Chen Ziming said and threw the spirit stone to the stall owner: "Continue the pursuit."
Hundreds of riders traversed the town, tracking Li Feng’s location along the way. Only half a day separated them, so catching up was not difficult.
One day later.
"Second Young Master, we’ve caught up with Li Feng. After our inquiry, he left the town just a cup of tea’s time ago."
Quickly, the scout’s horse met Chen Ziming’s entourage at another town’s entrance.
"Caught up? Good, let’s go after him at full speed. I want Li Feng’s body shattered and to retrieve my King Sword," Chen Ziming said with malice, having endured much humiliation over the past two months, struggling to hold his head high even within his family.
All because of Li Feng.
Just as Chen Ziming raised his whip to pursue, Chen Jia blocked him: "Second Young Master."
"What, do you have a problem?"
Chen Ziming glared at Chen Jia, a mere house-born servant daring to obstruct him – he was unlikely to react kindly.
"No, just that this is not the right place to act."
Chen Jia said.
Chen Ziming looked at Chen Jia: "Oh, what’s your meaning?"
"Second Young Master, this Li Feng is just lowly scum, not worth mentioning. But he is now a disciple at Nine Layers Mountain, not only a disciple but a Flag Master there. We might disregard Li Feng, but killing someone from Nine Layers Mountain requires careful thought."
"Do you mean I can’t kill him?"
Chen Ziming, hearing Chen Jia’s reasoning, grew furious. He whipped Chen Jia. Someone once trash now flipping to become a Flag Master – what logic!
It’s said Nine Layers Mountain accepts all kinds of riffraff.
Despite the slap, Chen Jia accepted calmly: "Second Young Master, of course killing is necessary, but not in broad daylight."
"We’ve caught up with Li Feng, so you decide when and where he dies."
Chen Ziming, hearing Chen Jia’s words, felt better: "Hmm, you know how to talk."
"Where do you think it’s best to kill him?"
Chen Ziming was wise enough. If Li Feng had no background, killing him anywhere would be fine. But Nine Layers Mountain was backed by Ancestor Dragon military, notorious for protecting its own, and its head was the military god, a peak Golden Core.
The Chen Family couldn’t provoke.
Chen Jia immediately produced a map: "Second Young Master, we’re here now, but a thousand miles forward is Bamboo Mountain territory. With its immense bamboo sea and sparse population further south, it’s the perfect place to act."
"It’s afternoon now. If Li Feng is traveling, he’ll likely stop at Beizhu Town a hundred miles north for rest. We can hurry to set an ambush in the bamboo grove overnight."
"Ah, it’s a good location. Do as you suggested." Chen Ziming nodded.
"Yes, Second Young Master. Let’s let the brothers rest, switch horses, and after eating, we’ll set off overnight."
