Volume 1 Chapter 63: Just Want to Protect You

"Young Master Su is truly brave as well. Facing a powerful enemy without the slightest retreat, it is utterly admirable!"

"And that Miss Nie, truly heroic and beautiful, simply a fairy descended to the mortal realm!"

Praises echoed endlessly around them, bringing a deep sense of gratification to Su Haoming and his two companions. At that moment, the innkeeper brought over a jug of fine wine, presenting it respectfully to Su Haoming: "Three heroes, this is the finest wine our humble establishment has to offer. Please accept it as a humble token of our gratitude."

Su Haoming smiled faintly, taking the wine jug: "Many thanks, we appreciate the gesture."

After a few cups of wine, the spirits of everyone present rose higher and higher, and the topics of conversation gradually expanded to other matters. Suddenly, a commotion broke out at the entrance of the tavern as a group of people escorted a middle-aged cultivator inside.

This middle-aged cultivator possessed an imposing and extraordinary bearing, followed by several attendants, clearly indicating a person of no small status. He glanced around, his gaze falling upon Su Haoming and the others, and paused slightly.

"Isn't this Su Haoming of the Su family? Why are you here?" The middle-aged cultivator's tone carried a hint of surprise.

Su Haoming stood up and smiled faintly: "So it is Senior Li. This junior is merely passing by by chance."

The cultivator surnamed Li nodded and stepped closer: "I have caught wind of the affairs concerning the Su family, and I never expected you all to escape safely. However..."

He paused abruptly, his gaze turning profound: "Are you aware that Su Yuntian has not given up and is already secretly plotting an even greater conspiracy?"

Upon hearing these words, the surrounding travelers and patrons all wore expressions of shock.

"What? The Su family is still going to pursue this?"

"Isn't that terribly dangerous?"

"You must be careful! Don't let yourselves be plotted against by them!"

Su Haoming furrowed his brows deeply: "Senior Li speaks the truth; we truly need to be even more cautious."

The cultivator surnamed Li nodded: "My purpose in coming here is precisely to deliver this news. The strength of the Su family should not be underestimated, and they may resort to even more aggressive measures. It would be best for you to find a reliable place to hide as soon as possible and seek further assistance."

"Thank you for the warning, Senior Li. We will be doubly careful," Su Haoming said gratefully.

The cultivator surnamed Li patted Su Haoming on the shoulder: "The three of you are endowed with extraordinary talents and have the backing of the Rare Treasure Pavilion; you will surely weather this storm. However, this tempest has only just begun, and the road ahead is still long..."

Having said that, he turned and left, leaving the entire room in silence. Su Haoming gazed at his retreating figure, a nameless sense of pressure rising in his heart.

"Brother Su, what should we do?" Chu Han asked.

Su Haoming said in a deep voice: "We continue forward. No matter how many difficulties lie ahead, we cannot give up."

Nie Xueyi said with determination: "We will face it together, and no matter what, we will not back down."

The three exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with resolve and determination. In the distant darkness, several pairs of eyes were still lingering and spying upon them, as if foreshadowing that an even greater storm was about to arrive...

Right at that moment, rapid footsteps sounded from outside the tavern, and a young cultivator hurried inside, panting heavily as he shouted: "This is bad! The Su family's forces have discovered your whereabouts, and a large group of them are rushing over!"

Instantly, an uproar broke out within the tavern, and everyone anxiously looked toward the three of Su Haoming. A flash of resolve crossed Su Haoming's eyes as he said in a low voice: "It seems we must move into action once more..."

Chu Han furrowed his brows deeply, turning his gaze to Nie Xueyi: "Xueyi, do you have a plan?"

Nie Xueyi pondered for a moment and softly said: "We must leave this place as quickly as possible; we cannot let them surround us."

At that very moment, the other guests in the tavern rose to their feet one after another. An elderly man stepped forward, his tone urgent: "Three heroes, you must leave quickly! We can help buy you some time."

"Many thanks, old elder," Su Haoming bowed slightly, saying with gratitude.

The tavern's innkeeper also hurriedly stepped forward, handing over a package: "Here are some dry rations and silver taels for the road; you will find them useful. I wish you a safe journey."

The surrounding guests vied to offer words of blessing and support:

"The three of you must be very careful!"

"Young Master Su, you are our hope; you must return alive!"

"Miss Nie, you are so brave, you will surely turn danger into safety!"

The three took the package and quickly headed toward the back door of the tavern. The alley outside was dead silent. Su Haoming vigilantly surveyed his surroundings, and after confirming there was no danger, he said to Chu Han and Nie Xueyi: "We will take a detour from here and try to avoid the main roads as much as possible."

The three cautiously proceeded along the alley. At every corner, Su Haoming would stop to observe his surroundings. Suddenly, a little girl ran over, panting as she shouted: "Big brother, big sister, hurry! There are people from the Su family up ahead!"

Su Haoming was slightly startled and reacted swiftly: "Thank you, little girl. We will be careful."

The little girl nodded and hurriedly left. The three quickened their pace and finally arrived at a secluded path. At that moment, a chaotic sound of footsteps echoed from behind; clearly, the Su family's men had caught up.

"Brother Su, what do we do now?" Chu Han asked.

Su Haoming replied calmly: "We will split into three directions to lure them away respectively, and then rendezvous outside the city."

Nie Xueyi nodded in agreement: "Good, we shall act according to this plan."

Thus, the three went their separate ways. Su Haoming ran toward the east of the city, Chu Han headed south, and Nie Xueyi chose to proceed west.

On the street, a passerby looked at their retreating figures in astonishment, exclaiming: "These people are truly audacious, daring to oppose the Su family!"

Another young man crowded over, saying excitedly: "Indeed, I heard they even drove away the Black Fiend Elder at the Taoist temple; they are too formidable! If only I could learn their skills!"

In a small alley on the east side of the city, Su Haoming dodged the line of sight of his pursuers while secretly pondering his next plan of action. Suddenly, he heard rapid footsteps echoing behind him. Turning back to look, he saw several of the Su family's subordinates catching up.

"There he is! Don't let him get away!" one of them shouted loudly.

Su Haoming abruptly turned around, gripping his sword hilt tightly, ready for battle. Right at that moment, a patrolling city guard squad appeared. The leading captain saw the situation and immediately stepped forward, shouting sternly: "Stop right there! This is inside the city, private fighting is prohibited!"

Seeing this, the Su family's subordinates had no choice but to halt, though the hostility in their eyes did not diminish in the slightest. Seizing the opportunity, Su Haoming flashed into a nearby alley and swiftly vanished into the night.

Meanwhile, in the alley on the south side of the city, Chu Han was also being pursued by several individuals with nowhere to run. A flash of inspiration hit him, and he leaped onto a nearby rooftop, nimbly traversing across the tiles to quickly shake off his pursuers.

As for the west side of the city, Nie Xueyi was currently exchanging blows with several opponents, wielding her longsword with fierce and lethal precision. Although the enemy outnumbered her, she showed no fear. Relying on her exquisite swordsmanship, she gradually gained the upper hand.

Just as she was about to repel her opponents, an elderly man emerged from the shadows and slowly said: "Young lady, show some mercy. We bear no ill intentions; we merely wish to protect you."