Chapter Thirty: Pursuit and Sudden Change

At this moment, Li Xingyu was quietly observing everything from a short distance away. When he saw that they hadn't killed Qin Xiaotian but had only tied him up as well, he finally relaxed his grip on the stone in his hand. Although he was curious about their plot and the mastermind behind it, Li Xingyu was not yet the kind of person who would, for the sake of an unimportant objective, stand by and watch someone he could have saved die before his eyes due to his own inaction. Of course, if rescuing them had been beyond his ability or would have required taking a significant risk, he would not have acted rashly. Above all, he understood that this world, like any other, was a place where the strong preyed on the weak—the law of the survival of the fittest applied everywhere. Furthermore, he knew that protecting oneself was the precondition and key to saving others; if one could not ensure his own safety, how could he hope to save anyone else?

After the black-clad men quickly cleaned up the scene, each slung one captive over his shoulder and hurriedly left, heading towards a nearby mountain range. Li Xingyu continued to follow them at a measured pace, neither hurried nor slow. When the two men entered the mountains, they pressed on, but their speed dropped considerably as they walked, occasionally stopping to survey their surroundings as though they were searching for a specific spot. Li Xingyu realized that they were probably waiting for accomplices and were now looking for a rendezvous point. After traveling another five miles or so, they stopped behind a massive boulder. One of the men glanced around and said, “Brother, this should be the place. Last time we met the master's envoy, it was here. Let's wait a while; we've already sent the signal after succeeding. The envoy should arrive soon.” The other nodded, set Chen Jingrou down, and sat on the ground. The first man likewise put Qin Xiaotian down and settled beside him.

Seeing them seated and chatting idly as they waited, Li Xingyu, aware that another person was about to arrive, was wary. He did not know the cultivation of the newcomer and feared that if he hid too close, he might be discovered. After surveying the area, he vanished from where he stood with barely a trace and reappeared high in the crown of a giant tree, concealing himself there to wait quietly for the arrival of the so-called envoy.

Qin Xiaotian and Chen Jingrou had been left beside a large tree. After checking that the ropes binding them and their sealed meridians were secure, the two black-clad men sat down in meditation at two positions where they could guard any approach. Their actions betrayed their vast experience in the martial world. By contrast, Qin Xiaotian and Chen Jingrou were novices, both having grown up under the protection of their respective sects. Even if their martial skills were slightly superior to their captors, they were no match for such seasoned opponents.

Qin Xiaotian, seeing the black-clad men meditating, made no rash moves. As a practitioner with deep inner strength, he knew that their meditation was not cultivation, but a way to regulate and keep their internal energy at its optimal state. In this condition, experts were at their most alert, their senses so keen that even with eyes closed, they could perceive the slightest disturbance in their vicinity. Qin Xiaotian was certain that after he sent out a distress signal, his sect would send someone to search for him. He had hoped to leave clues for his fellow disciples after being captured, but the two men were too experienced, leaving him no opportunity to do so.

After thinking for a while and finding no good solution, he turned to look at Chen Jingrou. She was leaning helplessly against the tree, fear evident in her eyes. She had been unconscious when first captured and had only just awoken when Qin Xiaotian arrived to rescue her, so she had not been too frightened at first. But after Qin Xiaotian was also taken, her hope waned and she began to wonder how she could possibly escape. With her limited experience, she could think of no solution and was terrified of what the two men might intend. Anxiety over her uncertain fate gnawed at her, and she even feared that her beauty might attract their lust. The mere thought deepened her terror. In fact, if the two men truly meant to assault her, she would not still be sitting here; but she had no understanding of such matters, nor any experience.

Qin Xiaotian, sensing her fear, wanted to offer words of comfort. Yet, after their captors stuffed his mouth with leaves plucked from the forest, he was unable to speak. All he could do was edge closer and lean against her, hoping to provide some sense of security. At first, Chen Jingrou flinched instinctively and shrank away, but soon understood his intention and, of her own accord, leaned back against him. Pressed close, his presence and heartbeat brought her an inexplicable sense of safety. Their movement attracted the attention of their guards, but seeing that the two captives only leaned against each other, the men soon lost interest, inwardly scoffing at the uselessness of these so-called disciples raised in the sheltered embrace of their sects.

Suddenly, another black-clad man appeared silently at the site. The two guards had no idea how he had found them, and even Li Xingyu only sensed his approach an instant before he materialized. Judging by this, Li Xingyu surmised that the newcomer’s cultivation, though not yet at the innate level, had nearly reached its peak—perhaps even surpassing Mubatu by a margin.

The two original guards were startled, but upon recognizing the new arrival, immediately stood and saluted respectfully. “Greetings, Envoy. We have completed the master’s instructions.” The envoy turned to look at Chen Jingrou and Qin Xiaotian. “What is his story?” he asked. “Envoy, he is a disciple of the Law Gate, always following Chen Jingrou—probably a suitor. After capturing him, we thought he might be of some use, so we brought him along.”

“Very good. Although the master has already succeeded and these two are now useless, you have carried out your mission well. According to the master’s orders, if there was any risk of our identities being exposed, you were to kill them immediately.” As these words fell, both Qin Xiaotian and Chen Jingrou tensed with alarm, but the envoy continued, deepening Chen Jingrou’s fear and filling Qin Xiaotian with a surge of pain and fury. “However, it would be a shame for such a pretty girl to die so quickly, wouldn’t it? I might as well enjoy myself first. If you two are interested, after I’m done, you can also have a taste of the sole daughter of the Free Spirit Sect's head.” His leering smile grew as he walked toward Chen Jingrou. Seeing this, she struggled fiercely, but her bound limbs and sealed meridians rendered her efforts futile. Her terror only made the envoy’s smile more depraved.

Li Xingyu might have been able to watch an unrelated person die before him without a ripple of emotion. But to witness a woman violated—especially when he had the power to prevent it—was something he could not abide.

Just as the envoy was about to touch Chen Jingrou, and she ceased struggling, shutting her eyes in despair—so hopeless that she could not even bite her tongue or explode her own meridians—Qin Xiaotian, seeing the woman he loved about to be defiled before his eyes, was driven to the brink of madness by pain, helplessness, and humiliation, struggling so violently that his hands were torn and bleeding without him even noticing.

Suddenly, the envoy recoiled in alarm, leaping back to join the other two black-clad men, all three assuming guarded stances with expressions of disbelief.

Second chapter tonight—hoping to update again later; please support.

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