Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

Chapter 178: Chapter 152: The Chase

Zhao Xingyang led the Escort Team out of the north gate of Yunzhao County.

Gazing at the seemingly endless official road ahead, he was wondering whether he should take out the porcelain bottle and wave it around or just proceed normally, when his eyes suddenly froze.

’Looks like I don’t have to worry about it anymore.’

At the pavilion up ahead, an exceptionally burly, vicious-looking giant of a man—a full head taller than most—was sitting brazenly, a massive horse-chopping saber resting beside him.

He made no effort to conceal his presence or his aura. His overwhelming presence was so intense that even ordinary people could feel it, forcing them to give him a wide, trembling berth. And his eyes were locked firmly in their direction.

Zhao Xingyang had never encountered an aura like this before. Not even the Escort Agency Head could hold a candle to him. The giant’s power was self-evident.

’A Grandmaster.’

’To run into one right after leaving the city... I guess my luck isn’t half bad.’

Zhao Xingyang took a deep breath and raised a hand, halting the Escort Team behind him. He then spurred his horse forward, riding up to the edge of the pavilion.

Lu the Third was somewhat surprised that this young Darts Master was approaching him voluntarily. A smirk played on his lips.

"You knew I was coming for you?"

Zhao Xingyang’s sharp brows rose, and he chuckled.

"A Grandmaster blocking the road isn’t here to eat dirt, is he?"

Lu the Third’s mouth twisted. "Heh," he grunted.

"Not much skill, but you’ve got guts. Interesting."

"But pissing me off is just courting death."

A sinister glint flashed in his eyes. He unleashed a visible shimmer of light, glancing over the Escort Team behind Zhao Xingyang before scanning Zhao Xingyang himself up and down.

As expected, yet with a hint of disappointment, he found nothing. He shook his head and pointed at Zhao Xingyang’s chest.

"Hand over that thing of yours, and I’ll leave you a whole corpse."

Zhao Xingyang touched his chest and smiled.

"What kind of Darts Master hands over his cargo willingly? The Longteng Escort Agency has never had a coward since the day it was founded. If you want it, state your name. Let me see what kind of hero dares to block our path..."

A vein pulsed on Lu the Third’s forehead as he roared:

"Enough of your damn nonsense! Die!"

He reached out a hand and somehow rose from his seat in the pavilion, appearing before Zhao Xingyang in the blink of an eye.

Alarm bells screamed in Zhao Xingyang’s mind, and his back went rigid. The man wasn’t falling for his stalling tactics. A massive hand was already descending upon him, giving him no time to react.

’The power of a Grandmaster... the gap is too wide...’

Zhao Xingyang gritted his teeth and bellowed:

"Li Tai is on his way!"

Craning his neck, he glared at the approaching hand. He didn’t forget to thrust his spear, refusing to give up even though their speeds were in completely different leagues.

Just as Lu the Third’s hand was about to seize him, it froze in front of his chest as if he’d been hit by a Body Fixation Skill.

Zhao Xingyang froze for a second. ’Did that name actually work?’ Elated, he saw his opponent pause. He accelerated the spear he had already set in motion, driving it straight toward the man’s chest!

CLANG! Zhao Xingyang’s spear was sent flying.

He grunted, clamping his left hand over the web of his right thumb, but blood still streamed out.

’I didn’t even see when he drew his saber...’

Zhao Xingyang pressed his lips together tightly. He finally understood that the gap between him and a Grandmaster couldn’t be bridged by a few clever tricks.

Lu the Third’s expression flickered. He sized up Zhao Xingyang, then spoke with a look of annoyance as if remembering something.

"...You’re from the same Escort Agency? No wonder. No wonder she’d hide with you lot. Hiss."

"Let me ask you, what is Li Tai’s relationship with your Escort Agency?"

Seeing Lu the Third’s serious demeanor, Zhao Xingyang sensed an opportunity. His eyes darted, a flash of inspiration struck, and he grinned.

"He’s our backer!"

Lu the Third stared at him, his face grim, then suddenly grinned.

"Don’t try to fool me. He’d never open an Escort Agency. You almost had me there. I bet you don’t even know which Li Tai I’m talking about."

Despite his words, he still looked hesitant, and the force in his hands lessened slightly.

"Give me the item, and I’ll let you all go today!"

Naturally, Zhao Xingyang refused. He dodged left and right, throwing counter-punches, refusing to submit.

Lu the Third was reluctant to harm him. After a brief exchange of blows, Zhao Xingyang actually managed to stall him for a couple of moves.

A look of impatience crossed his face. With a cold snort, he slammed a palm onto Zhao Xingyang’s shoulder.

A powerful shock ran through Zhao Xingyang’s body, instantly paralyzing him. Lu the Third’s long arm reached out and snatched the porcelain bottle from inside his robes.

His eyes wide, Zhao Xingyang found a sudden burst of strength from nowhere. He grabbed Lu the Third’s hand and roared through gritted teeth:

"Give it back to me!"

Lu the Third flew into a rage. He swung his palm toward Zhao Xingyang’s chest, but just before it landed, he paused slightly and pulled back some of his strength.

However, a strike from a Grandmaster was not so easily taken. Zhao Xingyang was blasted off his horse, spitting blood in mid-air before crashing heavily to the ground.

"Boss Zhao!"

The Darts Masters were aghast and rushed forward. They saw Zhao Xingyang struggling to push himself up, but when he looked around, Lu the Third was already gone. He slammed a fist into the ground in frustration and passed out.

「East of Yunzhao County, outside the Ten-Mile Pavilion.」

Shen Longteng had led his Escort Team some distance out of the city, but seeing no one, he frowned with worry.

’He’s not here, so he must still be at the North Gate? I wonder how Xingyang is doing...’

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he saw a figure with a sky-piercing aura racing toward them from the north, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.

Shen Longteng’s gaze hardened. He slowly drew his long saber and quietly awaited the Grandmaster’s arrival.

Lu the Third frowned as he looked at the vigorous old man.

’This feeling... another one of those stubborn old bones, just like the last guy...’

He bellowed, his voice booming like spring thunder, making the Escort Team’s ears ring.

"Hand over the item! Don’t waste my time, and I’ll let you go!"

Shen Longteng shook his head.

"No matter who you are, you can’t rob the Longteng Escort Agency with mere words."

"So much damn nonsense!"

Lu the Third spat on the ground and lunged for Shen Longteng.

However, Shen Longteng brandished his long saber and fought back desperately, the blade kicking up a formidable wind.

He was, after all, in the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm, and the power of his techniques far surpassed Zhao Xingyang’s. It wouldn’t be easy for Lu the Third to snatch the porcelain bottle hidden on his person quickly without injuring him.

Lu the Third’s patience wore completely thin. From Deng Wan to Zhao Xingyang, and now Shen Longteng, everyone was giving him trouble!

A tyrannical glint rose in his eyes. He barked coldly:

"You think you can mess with me just because of some connection to Li Tai? He’s not here, so what can he do to me! Dammit, if you want to die, I’ll grant your wish!"

Lu the Third’s hands became a blur of afterimages. He suddenly struck, his palm slamming directly into Shen Longteng’s chest and sending him flying. He then pursued Shen Longteng through the air, snatched away the distracting porcelain bottle, and vanished like the wind, cutting down two Darts Masters who tried to block his path on the way out.

"Escort Agency Head!"

"Escort Agency Head!"

The Darts Masters crowded around Shen Longteng, who had crashed heavily to the ground. His eyes were wide and furious, his hair standing on end, and his hand was still instinctively guarding his chest. But blood was streaming from his seven orifices. He was already dead.

"Escort Agency Head!!"

...

「At the South Gate.」

Deng Wan flicked the blood from his long saber, but a crimson sheen clung to the blade, refusing to come clean.

He glanced at the bodies strewn across the ground and shook his head.

"How did you recognize me? See? Being too well-informed isn’t always a good thing."

He seemed to be muttering to himself, or perhaps speaking to the corpses, a cruel smile on his lips.

"Sigh. It’s been a long time since I had a good slaughter, what with wearing these clothes."

Deng Wan glanced toward the West Gate, then back into the city, musing aloud.

"Knowing Lu the Third’s personality, he’ll definitely circle the outskirts before entering the city to search, afraid he might miss something. His Tracking Technique is good for long distances but lacks precision; he’s confident in his methods. But if I head to the West Gate and Mu Chaoyun slips away somewhere else, I might lose her trail."

"But what if—just what if—she really did leave through the West Gate... Unlikely! I’ll take the gamble. If I don’t seize the initiative, I won’t be able to outrun Lu the Third even after I get the Black Celestial Book. No risk, no reward! How else can you strike it rich?"

A hint of madness appeared in his eyes. He strode through the city gate while pulling a box from his sleeve and opening it.

He placed the porcelain bottle he had just acquired inside, uncorked it, and looked at the strange Blind Worm in the box, chuckling softly.

"There’s a good boy. Show me the way, and I’ll feed you some meat when we get back!"

The Blind Worm spun in a circle, its antennae pointing forward, indicating a direction.

Deng Wan’s eyes lit up. He followed the Blind Worm’s lead, only to be led in a wide circle around Yunzhao County.

He was growing impatient, suspecting the worm was malfunctioning, when it led him to the riverbank. There, the worm began spinning in place, indicating this was the spot.

Deng Wan hissed.

’Traveling by water... A boat is so slow, yet she dares to take the waterway? Hmm, she must be playing with the timing... As expected of someone from the Mu family. So calculating and cunning. What a pain.’

He looked around. Two rivers converged here, creating three possible routes. He hesitated, unsure which way to go.

Spotting a two-story tavern nearby, Deng Wan leaped onto its roof to get a better view. He alternated between staring at the box with the little worm and gazing at the river, trying to deduce the direction.

"Sir, what... what are you doing on my roof?"

Suddenly, a confused voice called out from below.

Deng Wan paused, looking down at the plump owner below. He broke into a wide grin.

"Just admiring the view. No cause for alarm."

"Whoa there, sir! It’s steep up there! Please don’t slip and fall; this humble one couldn’t bear the responsibility. Why don’t you come down quickly? We have hot soup and food in the shop, our chef’s skills are..."

The owner rattled on.

Deng Wan smiled pleasantly, his tone extremely amicable.

"Alright, alright. I’m coming down now."

He circulated his qi slightly, then stomped down hard. He shot into the sky and leaped away.

BOOM! The support beams of the Chunjiang Building were shattered by the force of his jump. The exquisite little building by the river tilted and collapsed, sending up a plume of dust dozens of feet high that completely smothered the owner’s short-lived cry of alarm.

Deng Wan landed on the riverbank. Watching the surging river flow east, he began running forward at a great pace.

’I’ll just follow the river. If she’s really bold enough to travel slowly upstream, then I’ll just count it as bad luck and snatch it from Lu the Third later...’

He followed the river out of the city and ran into the open countryside. Suddenly, the Blind Worm in the box in his hand started moving again.

Deng Wan chuckled, revealing a row of stark white teeth.

"Looks like my luck is holding strong!"

He identified the new direction and, following the worm’s guidance, veered toward the south bank.

After running for a short while, he felt a stir in his mind and looked up, just in time to see two figures on a distant mountain peak.

A wide grin spread across Deng Wan’s face. He excitedly raised his saber and waved it at the peak.

Seeing the two figures turn and flee, his eyes shone with an ecstatic light.

"Run. Let’s see how you run from me!"

Deng Wan picked up his pace again, kicking up a long dragon of dust behind him as he charged into the mountains.

Guided by the strange little worm, he ignored the mountainous obstacles, rapidly closing the distance with the two figures ahead.

As he watched the worm’s antennae move faster and faster, Deng Wan’s expression grew more and more excited.

’Find the Black Celestial Book before Lu the Third, grab it, and make a clean getaway. Once I’m back in Yiizhou, he won’t be able to do a thing even if he chases me there!’

Deng Wan’s eyes gleamed as he ran faster and faster up the mountain.

Although he encountered a few illusionary formations along the way, he was well-prepared. His pace barely slowed as he broke through them, continuing his near-straight-line approach up the mountain.

He ran faster and faster, and the worm in the small box grew more and more agitated.

Finally, rounding a massive boulder, Deng Wan spotted two frantic figures ahead, scrambling desperately up a cliff face.

"Hahaha! I’ve caught you now!"

The two turned their heads, and Deng Wan could already see the terrified expressions on their faces.

He cackled, raised his long saber, and swung it fiercely toward the pair!

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