Chapter 605: Dare to Touch My Disciple!
「Southern Sky」
Deep within a mountain range not far from Thunder Mountain, a figure was sprinting desperately. Though it was called sprinting, her pace was just a little quicker than walking. Her clothes had long been torn to shreds, and her exposed skin was smeared with dirt. She looked exactly like a refugee.
Faster, I have to go faster!
Despite her exhaustion, she dared not stop. The people chasing her were not only fast, but they were also Martial Artists far beyond her ability to handle.
Li Linglong didn’t know what a "Martial Artist" was, but she had seen enough novels and movies to know that many things in the world couldn’t be explained by science—terrifying existences like her Master, who was capable of Sword Flight and killing from a distance. The people behind her might not be on par with her Master, but they were more than enough to kill her.
She didn’t know when they had found her, but they had been tracking her ever since. Initially, Li Linglong hadn’t noticed. However, having grown up in the mountains, she was extremely sensitive to her surroundings and always felt as if someone was secretly watching her.
And indeed, that morning, just as she entered the territory of Thunder Mountain, they stopped hiding and came straight for her. If it weren’t for Li Linglong’s cleverness and the survival skills she had learned in the mountains, which she used to thoroughly confuse her pursuers, she would have been caught long ago.
But Li Linglong felt she couldn’t hold out much longer.
RUSTLE!
Just as Li Linglong intended to speed up, a person suddenly emerged ahead, blocking her path. The person was cloaked in black, their face completely obscured. Judging from the exposed chin, they weren’t old, yet the aura they emanated was terrifying. Most importantly, one of his hands was actually a sharp, curved hook, stained with a dark brown substance that resembled dried blood.
"Li Qiran?" a hoarse, grating voice echoed from beneath the cloak, making one’s eardrums ache.
Startled at hearing her name, Li Qiran still took a deep breath and feigned a look of fear. "You... you’ve got the wrong person. My name is Lin Xiao Mei, not Li Qiran."
I’ll try to stall for time and think of a way to escape.
But her pursuer didn’t give her the chance. He pulled out a phone displaying numerous photos of Li Linglong.
"Li Qiran, Huaxia’s famous food broadcaster, hailed as a prodigy for the ages and even honored as the cultural ambassador for Huaxia’s traditional arts," the cloaked man said, using the hook to lift Li Linglong’s chin. He revealed a chilling smile. "Someone as famous as you wasn’t hard to find."
"You... I have no grudge against you. Why are you looking for me?"
I know I can’t escape, but I’m still full of questions. What do they want with me? And how did they find me?
"No grudges?" The cloaked person laughed. "Don’t tell me you don’t even know your true identity."
My true identity? Li Linglong grew even more puzzled. I’m just an ordinary person, though I’ve earned various titles through my own efforts. It’s not like I’m some abandoned heiress of a wealthy family or a princess in distress.
"To be held in such high regard by our Heavenly Network, to have us travel thousands of miles just for you, sacrificing dozens of experts and even a Grandmaster in the process, and you still say you’re an ordinary person?" The cloaked figure’s voice held a hint of excitement. "Regardless, by capturing you, I, Mei Li, will definitely be valued by the higher-ups in the organization. Becoming a Gold Guard is just around the corner!"
Mei Li trembled with excitement, his desire to become a Gold Guard igniting into a fervent obsession.
"Mei Li, we found her together. Are you planning to take all the credit for yourself?"
At that moment, several individuals in black cloaks emerged from the woods, their faces etched with anger. The leader was a Caucasian man, yet he spoke fluent Chinese.
"Mei Li, we are all Silver Guards. If you want to take her alone, you’ll have to answer to me first!"
With a wave of the Caucasian man’s hand, the men behind him immediately surrounded Mei Li.
"You want to fight me?" A cold, murderous glint flashed in Mei Li’s eyes. "Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for this day? As long as I get her, I can be promoted to Gold Guard and receive a much more powerful serum. Then, I’ll become even stronger!"
"Fuck! Since this Huaxia woman was found by all of us, the credit should be shared equally!" the Caucasian man sneered. "Unless you kill every last one of us!"
"Do you really think I wouldn’t dare?" An eerie smile spread across Mei Li’s lips as several dark shadows shot out from his sleeve.
"Ahhh!"
With several agonizing screams, a few of the black-robed men clutched their necks and collapsed to the ground.
"Gu poison!" The Caucasian man’s expression changed drastically. "You dare use Gu poison on us? If the organization finds out, you’ll die a miserable death!"
Mei Li scoffed coldly, "As long as you’re all dead, the organization will never know I was the one who killed you."
"You want to kill me?" the Caucasian man laughed, suddenly raising his hand.
SHLICK!
A blade burst from the Caucasian’s chest. He turned around in shock, staring at the young Huaxia man behind him, not even having had time to pull the trigger of his gun.
THUD!
Seeing the Caucasian man fall, Mei Li was overjoyed. "Huang Sheng, well done! Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get everything I promised!"
The young man nodded slowly and threw back his hood, revealing a terrifying face. His features were crisscrossed by several ferocious scars that seemed to split his face into sections. The scars even writhed with the movement of his facial muscles, making for an even more frightening sight.
The young man nodded again. "I’m only cooperating with you to take back what’s mine."
"Rest assured," Mei Li said. "I, Mei Li, am the fairest in my dealings. You were abandoned by your family, just like me. We’re in the same boat. Once I take this woman back to the organization and become a Gold Guard, I’ll accompany you to Harbor Island and help you take back what is rightfully yours!"
Huang Sheng shook his head. "Before, I could have waited. But now, I can’t wait any longer."
"Why?" Mei Li asked, puzzled.
"Because someone intends to annihilate the Huang Family," Huang Sheng said, taking a deep breath.
"Isn’t that perfect? It saves us the trouble," Mei Li replied, overjoyed.
"The Huang Family can only be destroyed by my own hands!" A venomous hatred shone in Huang Sheng’s eyes. "Back then, he killed my mother, stripped me of everything that was mine, and expelled me from the family. He left this humiliating memory on my face, turning me into something neither human nor ghost. I will make him taste this same agony!"
"If you don’t agree to my terms right now, I’ll kill this woman!" Huang Sheng pressed the knife against Li Linglong’s neck, hissing viciously, "I’ve waited many years for this day, and I refuse to wait a moment longer!"
"NO!" Mei Li yelled. "Huang Sheng, don’t be impulsive! We can talk about this."
"No!" Huang Sheng suddenly became frantic, roaring, "You’re lying to me! You’ve been lying to me all along! You’re no better than them!"
His eyes turned blood-red as his arm tensed, ready to kill Li Linglong with a single stroke.
A clear dragon’s cry echoed, followed by a streak of light that gently grazed the arm Huang Sheng used to hold the knife.
The arm dropped to the ground.
Then, a serene voice drifted through the air, "You dare lay a hand on my disciple?!"