70: Chapter 70 Capturing the Thousand-Faced Thief

"Giddyap! Giddyap! Move! Move out of the way! The horse is startled!!"

A panicked scream came from a nearby street!

A massive carriage fully loaded with cloth, like a beast out of control, charged toward the crowd of onlookers, the horse pulling it with blood-red eyes, acting as if it had gone mad!

The crowd fell into instant chaos!

Screams and cries rang out everywhere!

Now! This was the signal!

Brilliant light erupted in Wulu's eyes!

He no longer hesitated, unleashing all the strength he had accumulated in the dungeon over the past two days!

"Roar--!!" He let out a heaven-shaking roar that sounded nothing like a human!

His stone-block-like body struggled violently! The muscles all over his body bulged like knotted dragons!

"Snap!! Bang!!" The heavy shackles, forged from refined steel and strong enough to bind a fierce tiger, were snapped apart by him right at the joint that Gao Feng had tampered with!

The restraints were removed! The wild power of freedom returned to his body once again!

He shoved aside the two guards beside him, who were already stunned, and charged toward the execution platform like lightning, snatching a cold, gleaming ghost-head broadsword from the hand of the equally stunned executioner!

The entire process happened in the blink of an eye! By the time everyone reacted, the fierce tiger that had been imprisoned had already broken free from its cage!

However, just as Wulu was preparing to break out toward the south of the city according to Gao Feng's instructions, a ghost-like figure landed lightly in front of him with a playful sneer. It was none other than Yan Beigui!

He had been watching the show leisurely from the side. Seeing this scene, he was not panicked at all; instead, a look of intrigued mockery appeared on his face.

He felt that a lowly prisoner daring to escape under his very nose was the greatest provocation against him, a proud son of heaven from the Wind and Thunder Sword Sect!

He would personally trample this foolish ox, who didn't know the meaning of death, under his feet!

"Foolish ox, you still want to run in front of this Young Master?" Yan Beigui closed his folding fan and revealed a cruel smile. "Get down on your knees!"

Before the words faded, his figure split into three, attacking Wulu simultaneously from three different angles! The folding fan in his hand had now turned into the most lethal weapon! The fan ribs were like swords, stabbing directly at all of Wulu's vital points!

Wulu roared and swung the heavy ghost-head broadsword, slashing wildly, but he couldn't touch even a corner of Yan Beigui's clothing.

Yan Beigui's Moves were too exquisite, and his movement technique was too elusive! Wulu had earth-shattering brute strength, but in front of his opponent, he appeared as clumsy and ridiculous as a child waving a wooden stick!

"Puchi!" In less than three Moves, Yan Beigui seized a flaw and kicked Wulu hard in the chest!

Wulu stumbled backward, his chest feeling sweet, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. Before he could steady himself, Yan Beigui's folding fan followed like a shadow, slicing several wounds into his body that were deep enough to see the bone!

It looked as if Wulu was about to be captured and killed again! At this critical moment!

"Protect the Guild Leader! This villain is fierce! I will assist Young Master Yan!!" A thunderous roar, filled with "anxiety" and "loyalty," exploded from the crowd!

Gao Feng had somehow broken through the guards' defense line and crashed into the battle like a meteorite! The three-pointed, double-edged blade in his hand, carrying incomparable power, aimed straight for Wulu's heart! It looked as if every Move was lethal, intending to join forces with Yan Beigui to kill Wulu on the spot!

Seeing this, Yan Beigui curled his lips in a disdainful sneer; in his eyes, Gao Feng's action was undoubtedly an attempt to steal the credit. He was just about to point his fan at Wulu's crown to end this farce once and for all.

But he discovered that Gao Feng's three-pointed, double-edged blade had arrived first despite being launched later, sweeping over at an extremely "coincidental" angle! This strike appeared to be aimed at Wulu, but its fierce blade wind perfectly enveloped his own killing Move!

Yan Beigui was startled and had to abandon his attack, changing Moves to block! "Clang!" With a crisp sound, his arm was jarred numb. And Wulu, taking this opportunity, escaped disaster!

Yan Beigui immediately realized something was wrong. His eyes turned cold, and he attacked Wulu again. But every time his attack was about to succeed, Gao Feng would appear like a maggot on a rotting bone, "happily" obstructing his attack path in an even more "ferocious" and "impatient" manner!

On the surface, the two were besieging Wulu. But in reality, every one of Gao Feng's "attacks" precisely disrupted Yan Beigui's fatal Moves! Every "positioning" inadvertently forced Yan Beigui to change his stance, instead giving Wulu a precious chance to catch his breath!

After a few times, even if Yan Beigui were stupid, he would have understood! This Gao Feng was intentionally going easy! He was saving this barbarian!

"Gao Feng!!" Yan Beigui was so angry that smoke was coming out of his seven orifices. He stepped back suddenly, stopped attacking, and pointed at Gao Feng, shouting angrily: "You dare to bite the hand that feeds you?! Intentionally obstructing me to let the criminal go?!"

Gao Feng also stopped, looking "stunned" and "innocent." "Young Master Yan, why do you say that?" He glanced at Wulu, who was rolling on the ground to dodge, and then at the exasperated Yan Beigui, a faint trace of mockery curling at the corner of his mouth. "Could it be that Young Master Yan's sword is not as fast as my blade?"

Gao Feng's voice was calm, but it was like a red-hot branding iron, searing fiercely into Yan Beigui's arrogant self-esteem. This sentence was full of naked provocation, instantly detonating the string of reason in his heart!

"Bastard! You are courting death!!" Yan Beigui completely went berserk. He let out an uncontrollable roar, completely abandoning the fugitive Wulu who was right in front of him, and turned his direction, pouring all his anger and killing intent onto Gao Feng!

As his folding fan opened and closed, cold light was exposed, as if it had turned into a real sharp sword, whipping up a sky full of afterimages, stabbing straight at Gao Feng's throat!

This was the opportunity Gao Feng had been waiting for! Facing this angry blow, he did not retreat but advanced, the three-pointed, double-edged blade in his hand like a dragon emerging from the sea, meeting the attack head-on without dodging, choosing the most ferocious block!

"Clang!!" A loud noise, louder and more piercing than any collision before, exploded in the center of the execution ground! Light from blades and swords intertwined instantly, stirring up violent waves of Qi that blew the surrounding crowd off balance.

No one could have expected that in broad daylight, under the gaze of the entire city's people and everyone from the Four Seas Merchant Guild, the Guild's Guest Elder and the Wind and Thunder Sword Sect Disciple would actually engage in a life-and-death struggle through infighting!

This sudden scene left everyone dumbfounded. And Wulu, who had been suppressed and beaten all along, finally obtained this once-in-a-lifetime chance for survival!

Although his mind was simple, his combat instinct was terrifyingly strong. He climbed up from the ground and took a deep look at Gao Feng, who had created the opportunity for him and was now engaged in a fierce battle with Yan Beigui. That look was filled with complexity, gratitude, and a trace of awe originating from the depths of his Soul that he himself could not explain.

He no longer hesitated; this sixteen-year-old Barbarian youth displayed decisiveness beyond his years! He let out a heaven-shaking roar and, using all his strength, violently threw the ghost-head broadsword he had snatched toward the densest crowd in the distance like a cannonball!

"Ah!!" The crowd erupted into even greater chaos than before. To avoid the lethal weapon, they instantly opened up a huge gap.

Taking this opportunity, Wulu kicked the ground hard, his sturdy body like a rampaging siege tank, rushing along the bloody path that no one dared to block, and soon disappeared into the intricate alleys of the south of the city.

Watching Wulu successfully escape, Yan Beigui was so angry he nearly vomited blood. He barely forced Gao Feng back and stopped, his handsome face distorted by anger. He pointed at Gao Feng and roared furiously: "It's all you! You traitor! You intentionally obstructed me and let the criminal escape!!"

After saying this, he immediately turned to Su Meiniang on the execution platform and complained loudly: "Guild Leader Su, this person must be in collusion with that barbarian; he must be taken down immediately and interrogated strictly!"

Gao Feng also sheathed his blade and stood still. Facing this bucket of dirty water, he did not give an inch, a cold mockery hanging on his face as he retorted: "What a joke! All the brothers present saw it clearly. It was clearly Young Master Yan who lacked the ability and couldn't even take down a heavily injured barbarian. In your shame and anger, you turn around and slander me instead? If not for you suddenly attacking me with lethal intent, how could that barbarian have escaped?!"

"You!!" Yan Beigui was rendered speechless, able only to glare at him with murderous eyes. The two stood in front of everyone, exchanging verbal barbs and accusing each other.

Su Meiniang on the execution platform watched this scene, feeling a massive headache. One was a proud son of heaven from the Wind and Thunder Sword Sect whom she could not afford to offend, and the other was a powerful Guest Elder whom she relied on and had an ambiguous relationship with. Both were precious to her, and favoring either side would bring huge trouble.

In the end, she could only come out to smooth things over vaguely. She slammed the armrest, glared with her phoenix eyes, and shouted sternly: "Enough! Stop arguing! What kind of behavior is this!"

Her authority made the scene quiet down temporarily, and she immediately ordered: "The most pressing matter is to pursue the fugitive! This matter... this matter must be a misunderstanding. We will decide after we capture the fugitive!"

She immediately dispatched a large number of men, beating gongs and drums, to conduct a full-scale search for Wulu throughout the city. But everyone knew clearly that Hanyang City was so large, and for a barbarian determined to head into the deep mountains, finding him would be no different from looking for a needle in a haystack.

In the end, this jailbreak incident that alarmed the entire city could only end in an inconclusive manner.

As for Gao Feng, although he was superficially "reprimanded" by Su Meiniang with a few painless words, he knew that he had won.

That simple and powerful barbarian, as long as he was still alive, would definitely remember this life-saving grace today. He had already planted a seed named "Gratitude" in that barbarian's heart, waiting only for the days to come to take root and sprout.

In the days following the execution ground incident, Hanyang City superficially returned to calm, but in secret, the atmosphere inside the Four Seas Merchant Guild became somewhat subtle.

The conflict between Yan Beigui and Gao Feng had moved from secret rivalry to being completely out in the open, becoming an open secret.

Su Meiniang's attitude toward Gao Feng also became increasingly complex; there was reliance and appreciation, but also a hint of indescribable wariness.

Gao Feng did not care about any of this.

This incident made him realize more clearly that wanting to obtain a complete fourth-tier Cultivation Technique through the Four Seas Merchant Guild was likely not an easy task.

What Su Meiniang promised was only the first half of the 'Wind Thunder Guide,' and he did not know what price he would have to pay for the second half.

Entrusting his future entirely to a merchant guild and a woman was, in the end, not a long-term solution.

He needed a more righteous, stable, and reliable path to the heavens.

That day, in order to gather more information, Gao Feng went alone to the most renowned 'Listening to the Wind Tea House' in Hanyang City.

People from all walks of life gathered here; it was the place with the most reliable information in the entire city.

He found a quiet seat by the window, ordered a pot of fine Junshan Silver Needle tea, and while sipping it, he quietly listened to the conversations around him.

Soon, the conversation of a few young Martial Artists at a neighboring table, who were carrying sabers and swords, caught his attention.

'Have you heard? The imperial government's gazette has been released. Next year's 'Martial Examination' will hold its provincial trial in our Hanyang Prefecture in early spring!'

A young man with a dark complexion lowered his voice, but his tone could not hide his excitement.

'I heard about it long ago! It happens once every three years! This is the only opportunity for those of us from humble backgrounds without a School background to ascend to the heavens in one step and make a name for ourselves!'

Another person interjected, his eyes filled with longing.

'That's right! As long as one can pass the provincial trial and go to the capital to participate in the palace examination, even if one only gets a bottom-tier ranking, it would still bring honor to one's ancestors! If one is lucky enough to enter the top three... Hiss! That would mean being granted an official position and being able to enter the legendary Imperial Dynasty 'Martial Armory' to choose any divine Cultivation Technique!'

The four words 'Imperial Dynasty Martial Armory' made the hand holding Gao Feng's teacup pause slightly.

He continued to listen calmly, and from their conversation, he gradually pieced together complete information about the 'Great Qian Dynasty Martial Examination.'

This was a grand event established by the Great Qian Dynasty to select talent from all over the world and prevent heroes from being buried among the commoners.

Any Martial Artist under the age of thirty with a clean background could participate.

Those who could stand out in the final palace examination would not only become famous throughout the world and be granted official titles, but the very few top individuals would also gain the supreme honor of entering the Imperial Dynasty's highest martial arts Holy Land, the 'Martial Armory,' to choose a complete Cultivation Technique!

Gao Feng secretly noted down the matter of the Martial Examination as an important backup plan for his future.

During the days when Hanyang City seemed calm but was actually surging with undercurrents due to the incident at the execution ground, the mysterious thief who had caused the Four Seas Merchant Guild headaches for nearly a month—the 'Thousand-Faced Thief'—finally revealed his tracks again.

This time, he seemed to have become even more unscrupulous, and one could even say he was arrogant to the extreme.

The spy the merchant guild had planted in the black market risked his life to send a piece of intelligence: The Thousand-Faced Thief would sneak into the most heavily guarded central treasury again at midnight tonight!

This was no longer simple theft, but a naked provocation and humiliation!

Upon receiving this news, the anger that Su Meiniang had suppressed for many days was completely ignited.

She immediately made a decision to set up a true net of heaven and earth, mobilizing all the forces the branch could muster, aiming to achieve victory in a single battle, and at any cost, she was determined to capture and kill this thief!

The entire Hanyang City branch was mobilized, with all experts alerted, and overt and covert guards were spread throughout every corner around the treasury.

They set up the tightest encirclement in history. On the path from the treasury to the outside world, in a huge, usually abandoned mansion, they set up poisoned iron caltrops, deep pits with sharpened bamboo spikes, and an archery position composed of dozens of master archers.

As a Guest Elder of the merchant guild, Gao Feng was naturally invited by Su Meiniang personally to participate in this operation.

In the pre-battle meeting hall, he saw Yan Beigui, whose face was as gloomy as water.

Ever since he lost face at the execution ground last time, this proud son of the Wind and Thunder Sword Sect had become a laughingstock to many.

At this moment, his eyes burned with the flames of revenge and the desire to prove himself, and the look he cast toward Gao Feng was full of undisguised resentment and hatred.

The night, like splashed ink, shrouded the earth.

At midnight, everything was silent.

That abandoned mansion, under the pale moonlight, was like a giant beast waiting to devour people, quietly awaiting the arrival of its prey.

A fierce battle broke out as scheduled.

There was no probing, no warning.

A black phantom seemed to separate from the moonlight out of thin air, landing silently on the highest ridge of the mansion.

His figure was slender, and his movements were as light as a weightless feather; it was none other than the Thousand-Faced Thief!

'Fire!'

Following the order, dozens of master archers who had been lying in ambush released their bowstrings simultaneously!

The dense rain of arrows, like a swarm of black locusts, whistled and tore through the night sky, sealing off all of the Thousand-Faced Thief's evasion space from all directions!

However, a shocking scene occurred.

The Thousand-Faced Thief's lightness skill was indeed worthy of its reputation; it had reached an unbelievable level!

Facing this net of arrows, he actually advanced instead of retreating, twisting and shifting between the narrow rafters and eaves, his figure flickering unpredictably.

His body twisted and folded at counter-intuitive angles, passing deadly arrows by a hair's breadth every time, like a swift flying through a storm, agile and impossible to capture.

The flying daggers in his hands never missed, their angles tricky, and every strike was fatal!

Those archers hiding in the dark hadn't even had time to fire a second round of arrows before they let out muffled groans, one after another, hit by knives between their eyebrows, and fell from their hiding spots.

Not only did he dodge the attacks, but in an instant, he completed a desperate counter-kill!

Those traps set in advance could not cause him the slightest hindrance.

His eyes seemed to be able to see in the dark; he could always discover hidden mechanisms before stepping on them and nimbly bypass them.

In front of him, the merchant guild's guards were like lambs waiting to be slaughtered, falling one by one after being struck by knives, their screams rising one after another, soon resounding throughout the entire mansion.

Even Yan Beigui, who thought highly of himself and was the first to rush up, was spun around by the opponent's elusive movement technique and endless hidden weapons.

He roared angrily, his sword light weaving into a large net, but he couldn't even touch the corner of the opponent's clothes. Instead, he was forced into dangerous situations several times by tricky flying daggers. If it weren't for the precious armor bestowed by his sect, he would have likely died on the spot long ago.

The scene was chaotic, and on the merchant guild's side, morale was on the verge of collapse.

From the beginning, Gao Feng did not foolishly rush to the front like Yan Beigui and expose himself to the opponent's attack range.

He just mingled with the crowd in the back, using his perception and reaction, which were far superior to ordinary people, to dodge the occasional stray arrows unhurriedly.

At the same time, his eyes, like the calmest hunting hawk, were locked firmly on the center of the battle.

He soon discovered that although the Thousand-Faced Thief's lightness skill style was more exquisite and elegant than 'Ghost Thirteen's,' its core power-generating technique—that kind of using the waist and abdomen to explode instantly, driving the whole body to achieve unbelievable changes of direction within a short distance—actually had some similarities to the movement technique he learned from the 'Shadow Assassination Art'!

This discovery made his heart stir.

A bold, perhaps even crazy, plan began to quietly take shape in his mind.

Just at this moment, Yan Beigui, who had been attacking for a long time without success, seemed to be completely enraged!

He let out a roar, suddenly pulling away from the Thousand-Faced Thief, a flash of resolute ferocity in his eyes.

He actually took out a jade talisman from his bosom, which was completely crimson and engraved with runes!

'Wind and Thunder Sect secret treasure—'Thunderbolt Talisman'!'

Su Meiniang, watching from afar, let out a cry of surprise.

Yan Beigui grinned grimly, madly injecting his Internal Energy into the jade talisman, chanting: 'With my blood, I summon the Nine Heavens divine thunder! Slay the evil!'

He spat a mouthful of essence blood onto the jade talisman, and the talisman instantly shone brightly, a heart-palpitating, violent aura bursting forth!

The Thousand-Faced Thief's expression changed for the first time!

He felt the terrifying power contained in that force, enough to threaten his life!

'Die!'

Yan Beigui roared, throwing the jade talisman out violently!

A blinding crimson lightning appeared out of thin air, carrying a destructive force, and instantly struck at the Thousand-Faced Thief with a speed that the naked eye could not capture!

This was a fatal blow!

Facing this attack containing the power of thunder, the Thousand-Faced Thief could no longer maintain his previous dashing and elegant demeanor.

At the critical moment of life and death, he also unleashed his true trump card!

He let out a sharp whistle, and a faint, water-like layer of black Qi emerged on the surface of his body.

His movement technique, at this moment, was fast to the extreme, even leaving a lingering afterimage in place!

'Phantom Steps Without a Trace—Shift Form and Change Shadow!'

Boom!!

The violent thunder light, in the end, still grazed his body and exploded with a roar!

Although he used a secret technique at the last moment at the cost of consuming a huge amount of Origin True Qi to avoid the vital points.

But his entire left arm was still swept by the thunder light, instantly becoming charred and bloody!

He groaned, stumbling and falling from mid-air, smashing heavily onto the ground.

'Success!'

Yan Beigui, seeing this, let out a burst of wild, joyful laughter, and, holding his sword, was about to step forward to finish him off.

However, everyone underestimated the ruthlessness of the Thousand-Faced Thief!

Although he was seriously injured, the moment he landed, he endured the sharp pain and backhanded a handful of black powder soaked in deadly poison, throwing it violently at the crowd rushing toward him!

'Careful! Poison powder!'

The merchant guild's guards were in chaos, covering their noses and retreating one after another.

Yan Beigui also disgustedly used his sleeve to cover his mouth and nose, his figure pausing for a moment.

It was this moment of delay that won the most precious breathing room for the Thousand-Faced Thief!

He did not run away, but instead made a Move that everyone unexpected!