Chapter 89: Chapter 87: The Ins and Outs
The flash of the blade hissed through the air and fell in an instant.
A violent wave of blade energy erupted, blasting out in all directions!
Tong Wanli and the little old man didn’t dare to meet it head-on. They dodged, waiting for the blade energy to dissipate and the storm of dust and rock to settle.
But where was the slightest trace of Gui Shisan?
Tong Wanli’s brow was tightly furrowed when a voice called out from the mouth of the cave.
"Uncle Tong, are you all right?"
He turned to look and saw Ye Jingshuang standing with a person in black. He was momentarily stunned. Before he could speak, he heard the sound of rushing air and whipped his head back around. The little old man had already leaped thirty feet away; with another tap of his toes, he was gone.
"Where do you think you’re going?!"
Tong Wanli roared and was about to give chase.
But Ye Jingshuang called out to him.
"Uncle Tong, don’t pursue a cornered foe!"
Tong Wanli paused to consider. He knew Ye Jingshuang was right.
The night was dark. Their initial attack had relied on the element of surprise.
If he gave chase now, the outcome was uncertain.
He immediately turned back.
"Did you rescue them?"
Ye Jingshuang nodded.
"Yes, we did. It’s all thanks to your help, Uncle Tong."
"No need to be so polite with your Uncle Tong."
Tong Wanli took a couple of steps forward, his gaze landing on Jiang Ran, his brow furrowing slightly.
"And who might this be?"
At his question, Ye Jingshuang glanced at Jiang Ran.
Jiang Ran smiled and casually untied the cloth covering his face.
Only then did Ye Jingshuang speak.
"I haven’t made the introductions yet, Uncle Tong. This is Young Master Jiang, Jiang Ran. He’s my..."
At this, she glanced at Jiang Ran before continuing.
"Savior."
"You flatter me, Lady Ye."
Jiang Ran gave a small laugh and cupped his fist in salute to Tong Wanli.
"I am Jiang Ran. It’s an honor to meet you, Senior Tong."
Tong Wanli considered for a moment before replying.
"I heard Jingshuang mention that after the Ye family’s tragedy, she was relentlessly pursued. She was then saved by a great master... could that have been you?"
He looked at Jiang Ran, who couldn’t be more than twenty, and spoke with some hesitation.
After all, a young man of twenty hardly fit the image of a "great master."
"I am but a humble student of the arts; how could I dare call myself a master? Lady Ye is far too generous with her praise."
Hearing this, Tong Wanli burst out laughing.
"In the pursuit of skill, age is irrelevant; mastery is what matters. My dear niece has always had impossibly high standards. It’s a rare thing indeed for her to praise someone so highly."
"Is that so?"
Jiang Ran smiled and glanced at Ye Jingshuang.
Ye Jingshuang met his gaze, the corners of her lips lifting into a poised and graceful smile.
With Ye Jingshuang acting as a bridge between them, the atmosphere warmed considerably after just a few words.
Only then did Tong Wanli ask about his son.
Just then, the young man in red and the young man in black emerged, supporting one another.
Tong Wanli’s expression changed, and he hurried forward to ask what had happened.
Ye Jingshuang quickly explained the whole situation, including how Tong Wanli’s son had been prejudiced against Jiang Ran.
After listening, Tong Wanli shot his son a fierce glare. He took his wrist to examine it, then finally nodded.
"It’s nothing serious, but he won’t be able to channel his Inner Strength for a while. Zhou Wang, you carry him."
"Alright."
The young man in black agreed.
Tong Wanli then turned to Ye Jingshuang.
"Jingshuang, we should head to Benma County for now."
"Young Master Jiang said the same. For one, my cousin is still there. For another, my uncle’s injuries are severe, and he needs to get to a city to rest and recuperate."
"Mm."
Tong Wanli nodded.
"In that case, we shouldn’t delay. Let’s..."
"Wait."
Jiang Ran spoke up, interrupting Tong Wanli.
"Senior Tong, there is one more thing this junior would like to inquire about."
"Please, speak freely, Young Hero Jiang."
Tong Wanli’s attitude was quite amiable.
Jiang Ran pointed to the corpse on the ground, whose hands were bound in chains.
"Senior, do you recognize this man?"
"This..."
Tong Wanli’s brow furrowed as he knelt to take a closer look.
After a moment, he spoke, a thoughtful look on his face.
"I didn’t pay much mind before when you were describing what happened in the cave."
"Looking at him now, he does seem rather familiar..."
"I believe this is ’Half-Sky Red Glow,’ Xu Hongyi?"
As he said this, his expression suddenly turned grave.
"Who tied him up like this?"
"’Half-Sky Red Glow?’"
Jiang Ran listened. ’The name doesn’t sound particularly impressive,’ he thought.
He couldn’t help but look toward Ye Jingshuang.
Ye Jingshuang understood Jiang Ran far better than anyone else and, seeing his look, began to explain.
"So it’s Xu Hongyi..."
"The name ’Half-Sky Red Glow’ comes from his martial arts."
"His signature technique is called the Spirit Snake Dance. It actually has nothing to do with snakes; it’s a type of Flowing Cloud Sleeve art."
"He was a master of long-sleeve combat. Once he began, his sleeves would dance like spiritual snakes, infused with Inner Strength and impervious to blades. Often, his opponents were struck down by his Flowing Cloud Sleeves from a distance, before they could even get close."
"There are many types of Flowing Cloud Sleeve arts in the martial world, but his Spirit Snake Dance was one of a kind."
"Combine that with his fondness for wearing red robes, and when his red sleeves unfurled, they looked like the crimson glow of sunset filling the sky. That’s how he earned the name ’Half-Sky Red Glow’."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"Also... Young Master, this man was also wanted by the Court."
"However, the bounty was only for five hundred taels of silver, I believe."
"Five hundred taels?"
Jiang Ran was taken aback. "But his martial arts are quite good."
From their brief exchange earlier, Jiang Ran felt the man’s skills were at least on par with Dao Zhen’s.
"The Court’s bounties on wanted criminals aren’t based on their level of martial arts."
Ye Jingshuang said with a smile.
"The man was morally ambiguous, but he always disdained to involve himself with common folk. In terms of murder and other evil deeds, he was nothing compared to the likes of Dao Zhen."
Comments