Chapter 175 - 140: Departure and Fate
In a flash, they had exchanged thirty to fifty blows, completely evenly matched.
After watching for a moment, Fang Yue shook his head.
Although the fight was intense and a victor was difficult to determine, the black market merchant looked relaxed and nonchalant. It was clear he still had an ace up his sleeve.
As for the blue-robed youth and the wealthy young master, one was injured and the other wasn’t strong enough. They clearly wouldn’t be of much help.
Sure enough, a few moments later.
Another man from the black market merchant’s side joined the fray.
Outnumbered two to one, the charioteer was at a disadvantage within just a few moves.
Seeing this, the wealthy young master’s brow furrowed. The previously relaxed expression on his face instantly turned ugly.
’I can’t believe there’s such an expert among this group of men in black.’
’Since when were Martial Artists at Great Success in Marrow Transformation a dime a dozen? You can just run into two or three of them on any random road.’
In that moment of distraction, the charioteer took a punch and was knocked to the ground. He struggled a few times but couldn’t get back up, clearly having lost his ability to fight.
The next moment, the other men in black swarmed forward and quickly tied them all up.
"Watch them. After you’ve interrogated them for information, kill them."
Yang Yan immediately ordered. Then, he turned to several other men in black and said, "You lot, search all the surrounding courtyards. See if any fish slipped through the net."
At his command, five or six men in black began searching the area.
Perhaps feeling it was now safe, the men in black in the adjacent courtyard opened a carriage. From inside, they pulled out a string of children—boys and girls, all around seven or eight years old.
Their hands were bound by rope, linking them together in a chain.
As soon as the children were pulled out, Fang Yue heard a burst of crying.
’Sigh... looks like I can’t leave today after all. I have to make a move.’
Seeing this, Fang Yue sighed softly.
He had originally planned to ride away. Even if he were discovered, not many people would be able to catch up to him.
Most likely, he could have made a clean getaway.
But now, seeing the obviously kidnapped children and hearing their innocent cries...
Fang Yue knew he couldn’t just leave.
He was cautious and preferred not to stir up trouble, but that didn’t mean he was afraid of it.
He immediately altered his facial features slightly. A moment later, he had transformed into a fierce-looking man.
"Huh? There’s a horse here, and signs of activity inside!"
In that short delay, a man in black had already snuck into Fang Yue’s courtyard. He spotted the horse the moment he entered.
He then saw the open door and the traces of activity inside. It was obvious someone was there.
He was about to call for the others, but before he could open his mouth, his vision blurred. In the next instant, a pair of large hands seized his neck.
Crushing his windpipe, the hands easily snapped his neck. There was no way he could make a sound.
’Sigh... why did you have to force my hand? If you hadn’t come in, you could have lived to see another sunrise. Was it really necessary?’
Fang Yue sighed softly. Now that he had acted, he couldn’t hold back.
He immediately tied the dead man to his horse, opened the courtyard gate, and slapped the horse on its rump.
"Someone’s getting away! Over there, after them!"
A series of shouts immediately rang out.
Startled by the alarm, Yang Yan and his men fell for the ruse. In the darkness, the distant scene was just a blurry shape.
They could only vaguely make out a person on horseback riding away, unable to see clearly who it was.
Seeing this, Yang Yan sent his men to give chase.
Instantly, a dozen or so of his men took off in pursuit.
Meanwhile, Fang Yue silently approached from the darkness, quickly arriving at the brick-walled courtyard.
"Hey, you. If you need to relieve yourself, go outside. Not here."
Just as he walked in, one of the men in black called out to Fang Yue.
The night was dim, and the torchlight was faint. Coupled with the fact that Fang Yue was also dressed in black, the men in the courtyard mistook him for one of their own.
"Huh? Who are you? I’ve never seen you before!"
Slowly, Fang Yue walked out of the shadows, his fierce face gradually coming into view.
The man who had just shouted at him froze. ’I’ve never seen this guy before... Is he new?’
While the man was still lost in confusion, Fang Yue had already walked up to him and unleashed a punch.
Instantly, the man in black felt a sharp pain. The world spun, and his entire body was sent flying like a cannonball.
BANG!
A loud crash.
The loud noise instantly alerted the surrounding men in black, who immediately closed in.
"Heh heh... To think there was another one here. You didn’t run for your life, but dared to show yourself instead. It seems you were the one who sent that horse off just now. A fine ’luring the tiger away from the mountain’ ploy!"
Yang Yan walked out, looking at Fang Yue with a sinister laugh.
But in the next moment, his brow furrowed slightly. The more he looked at Fang Yue, the more familiar he seemed.
"It’s you! I didn’t expect to run into you here. I let you go that time, but to think we’d meet again... It seems even the heavens want you to die by my hand."
Yang Yan had, of course, recognized him. This was the man who had bought a Qi Cultivator’s Basic Cultivation Method from him in the Xiahe County black market some time ago.
He hadn’t followed him that time because he didn’t want to expose his own activities.
He never expected to run into him here today.
’It truly is fate!’