191: Chase

The night was as dark as ink, and the mist was thick.

Qin Feng's group of four rushed out of the inn, following the faint aura and the almost imperceptible sweet aftertaste left by the two Protectors in the night, chasing them through the complex alleys and rooftops of Yunmeng City. They maintained a precise distance—neither letting the targets slip from their perception nor closing in too much, like the most experienced hunters waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Two black shadows leaped across the rooftops ahead; the one with the severed arm was noticeably slower, leaving trails of blood that shimmered with a dark red luster under the moonlight.

"Quick! We're almost at the lake!" The one-armed Protector growled through gritted teeth, his voice raspy from blood loss. "Once we're on the Pleasure Boat..."

"They're still chasing us!" The other Protector glanced back, his eyes grim beneath his mask. The four auras behind them were like maggots on a bone, consistently maintaining a distance of about thirty zhang—neither closing in nor falling behind. This precise control filled his heart with intense unease.

Among the four, although Xia Ya had taken a Medicinal Pill, the residual poison from the miasma hadn't been fully cleared, so she could only barely keep up. Xiaochun supported her, her yan luo umbrella closed and held in her hand, its tip trembling slightly, ready for any sudden situation. Qin Feng and Ji Ruxue were at the front and back, moving like two ghosts in the night with light, silent steps.

Passing through the last dense residential area, the view ahead suddenly opened up. Damp moisture brushed against their faces, and a vast, dark expanse of reed beds swayed in the night wind, making a rustling sound. Deep within the reed beds, a few flickers of lamplight were faintly visible, reflected on the pitch-black water.

They were almost at Yunmeng Lake!

Just then, the two black shadows ahead suddenly stopped and turned, standing on the eaves of a pavilion overlooking the water. The one-armed Protector pressed his hand against his wound, while the other stepped forward, his voice coming through the mask with a forced, suppressed calm:

"Your Excellency, do you truly intend to drive us to a dead end?"

Qin Feng's group stopped ten zhang away, fanning out. Ji Ruxue quietly slipped into the shadows beneath the eaves, her aura almost vanishing. Xia Ya leaned against a pillar, panting, while Xiaochun opened the yan luo umbrella to shield her.

"We were in the wrong this time; we apologize to Your Excellency." The Protector cupped his hands, his tone softening. "But if Your Excellency refuses to let this go..."

He pointed toward the flickering lights drawing closer in the reed beds, his voice turning cold. "Ahead is our territory. The Red Lantern Workshop has operated at Yunmeng Lake for over a decade. If Your Excellency insists on intruding—even two Martial Kings will have to stay behind tonight!"

The threat was palpable.

Qin Feng listened quietly, slowly raising the ink plum sword, its tip glinting with a cold, eerie blue light under the moon. He suddenly chuckled, the sound exceptionally clear in the silent night air:

"Too much nonsense."

"I've let you live long enough."

Before his voice had even faded, the sword was already in motion!

"Finger Sword Among Flowers—Momentary Splendor!"

There was no complex opening stance, no surging True Qi. This strike was simple, direct, and unimaginably fast! The ink plum sword seemed to transform into a faint blue meteor streaking across the night sky. The Sword Qi was condensed like silk, making a faint tearing sound as it passed through the air, even splitting the mist in two!

The Protector's pupils constricted! He had been on guard, but he never expected this strike to be so fast! In his haste, he thrust out both palms, his dark red Protective Aura condensing into a distorted wall of Qi in front of him as he retreated violently!

"Pfft!"

In a soft sound, the wall of Qi was pierced like paper. The Protector grunted as a tragic and beautiful flower of blood bloomed on his chest. He looked down, his eyes full of disbelief—the tip of the sword had already emerged from his back, warm blood dripping onto the blue roof tiles.

"You..." He opened his mouth, his body swaying before he tumbled from the eaves, falling into the cold lake water below with a splash.

Almost at the same instant!

From the shadows beneath the eaves, a faint purple flash of cold light appeared silently, like a lethal epiphyllum blooming in the night. The one-armed Protector only felt a chill at his neck before his vision began to spin—the last thing he saw was Ji Ruxue's eyes, cold and devoid of warmth, and the sight of his own headless body collapsing.

"Thud." The head rolled across the tiles and fell into the reeds, startling a few nesting waterbirds.

Two bodies: one in the water, one on the roof.

From the start of the threat to their deaths, barely three breaths had passed.

Qin Feng sheathed his sword; the blade was unstained by blood. He looked toward the depths of the reed beds—the lights were now clearly visible. They were three Pleasure Boats, entirely dark red and decorated with suggestive lanterns, quietly moored on the water about twenty zhang from the shore. The largest one was about fifteen zhang long, with three levels and ornate carvings. The faint sound of string and wind instruments could be heard, mixed with women's giggles and men's flirtatious laughter.

However, listening closely, those giggles clearly carried a faint, imperceptible tremor and reluctance.

"Ji Ruxue's figure emerged from the shadows, her voice cold enough to freeze the lake water.

Xia Ya gritted her teeth and stood tall, her giant tooth sword already in hand: "These beasts..."

Xiaochun gripped the yan luo umbrella tightly, the faint green light flowing on its surface reflecting her tense little face.

"Board the ships. Save them." Qin Feng said only four words.

The four no longer hid their presence and stepped onto the water! Under the circulation of Martial King-level True Qi, ripples spread across the lake surface as they walked as if on solid ground. Qin Feng took the lead, followed closely by Ji Ruxue, with Xia Ya and Xiaochun on his left and right, charging toward the largest Pleasure Boat in the center in an arrow formation!