Chapter 39: You Are Still Too Young

They say villains die from talking too much.

But Old Man Bai only needed four short sentences to identify his target, judge his opponent, express his emotions, and state his purpose—then, without a moment’s hesitation, he struck to kill!

Ruthless!

Yet, it made sense. In Old Man Bai’s mind, Xiao Yao was Liao Xiaoqin, and her pursuit nearby had created a formidable psychological pressure on the old man. Otherwise, he wouldn't have fled the moment he realized he’d been tricked. Now, by finishing me off, he was effectively delivering a heavy counter-strike to Liao Xiaoqin before making his escape.

"Wait!"

"Oh? Giving your final words?"

"No. Before I die, I just want to understand one thing: how did you see through it?"

"You talk too much!"

The shotgun suddenly roared.

"Bang!"

The iron shot blasted into the lintel of the ancestral hall, leaving a charred black mark, while the air filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder.

The reason he missed was that Xiao Yao had leaped down from the perimeter wall and landed squarely on Old Man Bai’s shoulders. With a flash of cold light, her blade slashed across the back of the old man’s hand.

When the opponent had pinned the shotgun to my forehead, I had already spotted Xiao Yao crouching on the wall like a civet cat. She was a bit far away at the time, and in her anxiety, she had quietly signaled for me to stall for time.

That was why I had tried to chat with Old Man Bai. But this son-of-a-bitch was truly uncivilized; he barely gave me a chance before pulling the trigger. Even though Xiao Yao hadn't reached the optimal position to strike, she gritted her teeth and lunged forward anyway, and the effect was unexpected.

Blood sprayed from the back of Old Man Bai’s hand; the shotgun slipped and fell into the stinking ditch nearby. As Xiao Yao pinned him down with a sudden knee-strike, he let out a loud cry and staggered, but his reflexes were lightning-fast—he swung his arm backward, attempting to smash it fiercely into Xiao Yao.

Before he could land the blow, I slammed my palm into his chest. Old Man Bai let out a muffled groan and collapsed to the ground. I was overjoyed and immediately hoisted him onto my back.

"Let’s go!"

We had only sprinted a few dozen meters when we heard the chaotic sound of footsteps and shouting coming from the alley ahead. Xiao Yao and I exchanged a look and had no choice but to retreat. But after turning through another alley, the voices of Nine Heavens Hall subordinates drifted from the corner.

We were caught in a pincer movement!

Judging by the noise, at least two-thirds of the Nine Heavens Hall subordinates had escaped the trap we had set. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with the trap, but because of Old Man Bai’s sudden departure, we had all been in such a rush to pursue him that I had ordered Wu Ping, Xu Qingguo, and Mantis Luo to evacuate for safety once the plan failed, leaving no one to handle those who had escaped the trap.

I whispered to Xiao Yao, "Xiao Yao, you go first!"

Xiao Yao knit her delicate brows and shook her head at me.

"Brother, follow me!"

She led me into a dead-end alley between two residential houses. After running in only a few meters, she hastily pushed open a back door, and we both scrambled inside.

It was a small Guan Gong temple!

As soon as we entered, we heard voices outside.

"Where are they?!"

"I just saw their shadows!"

"Keep searching ahead!"

The subordinates continued their hunt. I let out a small breath, just about to ask Xiao Yao how she knew about this back door, when a "creak" sounded. I whirled around and saw a figure suddenly emerge from behind the statue of Guan Gong, swinging a large incense burner, ready to smash it down on our heads!

"You fat bastard!" I yelled.

Fatty Dong froze in mid-air, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his face pale as wax.

"Holy shit, it’s you guys... You scared the life out of me."

My soul, which had flown several meters away, finally returned to my body. "Why the hell did you run here?!"

Fatty Dong clutched his chest. "Need you ask? I was being chased by those bastards..."

Later, I learned that Fatty Dong had hidden in a scrap yard and had been fine, but he couldn't stop worrying about us. He had dragged his injured body through the dark to find us, only to run into a group of Nine Heavens Hall men, leading him to stumble into the Guan Gong temple.

The reason Xiao Yao and I had been caught in a pincer was not because the Nine Heavens Hall had planned it, but because when we retreated after seeing the blockade ahead, we had coincidentally run into the group chasing Fatty Dong. As for how Xiao Yao knew about the back door, she had caught a glimpse of it while running along the wall earlier in her search for Old Man Bai.

"This is no place to talk," I told them. "We have to leave now!"

We crept cautiously toward the exit, but just then, the voices of those bastards returned.

"The fat guy is heavily injured, he can't have gone far unless he can fly!"

"He disappeared right here!"

"Could they be in the Guan Gong temple?!"

"You lot, block the back door! The rest of you, in through the front!"

The three of us exchanged glances. We had already picked up an incense burner, a wooden stick, and a blade. Every eye reflected the same intent: Fight to the death!

"Wait! There they are!!!" someone shouted loudly.

Then, the sound of thundering footsteps and shouting faded away into the distance. I was utterly astonished. Who had they found?!

This was no time to ponder; I immediately said, "Go!"

I hoisted Old Man Bai, and the three of us darted out, fleeing desperately into the night. After running for our lives for over ten minutes, we finally left the fishermen's residential area and reached the main road.

It was too late. The area was remote, and we couldn't hail a taxi. Just as we prepared to take a side path into the city, a Santana sped toward us. The window rolled down, and a head poked out.

"Get in!"

Mantis Luo!

We were overjoyed and piled into the car. The vehicle raced toward the city. I saw Mantis Luo drenched in sweat and panting, so I asked, "Brother Luo, was that you who lured them away at the Guan Gong temple?"

Mantis Luo was concise. "Yes."

I asked again, "What about Qingguo and Wu Ping?"

He replied, "They're fine. The girl wanted to help you, but Wu carried her away."

Fatty Dong bared his teeth. "Old Luo, you're a good man... This Taoist can't take it anymore, I need... to sleep."

Finally able to relax, Fatty Dong leaned against the seat and fell asleep. The car, however, did not enter the city but instead sped toward the suburbs.

"Brother Luo, where are we going?" I asked.

Mantis Luo replied, "The Second Master ordered me to take you to a safe place."

About an hour later, the Santana stopped in front of a three-story building. It looked like an old, dilapidated clinic, but the lights inside were on. We got out and entered the living room on the ground floor.

The Second Master was sitting in a rosewood armchair, leisurely blowing the foam off his tea. He didn't look up, speaking in a calm, indifferent tone.

"Xiao Meng, did you succeed?"

I set down Old Man Bai and cupped my hands in a salute. "Second Master..."

Suddenly, two muffled thuds came from behind me. Fatty Dong and Xiao Yao had both collapsed to the floor.

Mantis Luo had struck!

Before I could react, a sharp pain hit my neck, and everything went black. I was completely unconscious.

I don't know how much time passed. When I woke up, I found myself locked in a room alone, the air thick with a damp, musty smell. The first thing I saw was the Second Master.

He stood with his hands behind his back, twirling a pair of iron walnuts, which made a faint clicking sound. His old face looked strangely eerie in the dim light, his expression filled with deep, melancholy reflection.

"The horse-riding Yin-Yang female consort, the ghost-eyed zither that identifies rare treasures, and the Iron Fan Princess—a genius of the Five Elements and Eight Trades. Only she could have trained such a stunningly talented apprentice."

I: "..."

The Second Master smiled at me.

"However, the Heavenly Coffin holds great treasures, and the Jianghu is a pile of blood-stained bones. Xiao Meng, you are still too young."