52: Citywide manhunt
The cold alley wall pressed against his back, the rough texture bringing Ye Chen's awareness, blurred by intense pain, back into focus. He half-knelt in the shadows, gasping for breath. Every inhale aggravated the injuries in his ribs and internal organs, causing fine cold sweat to bead on his forehead.
"I must... leave here quickly..." Gritting his teeth, he took a Jade Bottle from his Storage Ring, shook out two Medicinal Pills for healing, and put them into his mouth. The Medicinal Pills transformed into a warm medicinal power that flowed through his limbs, slightly suppressing the rampant Yin Sha Power, but his severe internal injuries would not heal in a short time.
Lin Batian's furious roar seemed to still echo in his ears. Already, dense sounds of rushing wind and shouts were coming from the distant rooftops. The Lin Family guards, along with the even more dangerous Blood Blade Assassins, had begun a city-wide search, like hounds that had smelled blood!
He lowered his head and glanced at his blood-stained clothes; they were undoubtedly the most obvious target. Without hesitation, Ye Chen forcefully raised his True Qi, and Sword Qi flickered at his fingertips, cutting away the most bloodied part of his outer robe, which he discarded. He then quickly took out a spare set of dark clothes from his Storage Ring and put them on, slightly smearing dust on his cheeks to make himself look less conspicuous.
Having done all this, he dared not linger in one spot. His figure merged into the darkness again, moving like a phantom through the complex network of alleys. His goal was clear—to return to Tianfeng Academy as soon as possible! Only by returning to the Academy and handing the evidence to a trustworthy senior figure (such as Elder Liu) could he expose the conspiracy and gain protection.
However, the Lin Family had clearly anticipated this.
When Ye Chen cautiously peered out from an alley entrance toward the main road leading to Tianfeng Academy, his heart sank abruptly. The entrance to the street was already guarded by over a dozen guards wearing Lin Family uniforms, illuminated by bright lights, conducting strict checks on passing pedestrians. Furthermore, two Cultivators with steady aura and sharp gazes were stationed nearby, clearly Lin Family Guest Elders or Elders, whose cultivation was at least at the Kaiyuan Realm Third Level or above!
"They reacted so fast!" Ye Chen retreated into the shadows, his brow furrowed. Forcing his way through was absolutely impossible. In his current state, dealing with one Kaiyuan Realm Third Level Cultivator was already difficult, let alone two, plus numerous guards.
He tried bypassing them via other routes, only to find the situation largely the same. The Lin Family had practically sealed off all major routes leading toward Tianfeng Academy in the East City, conducting highly intensive searches, even at the cost of causing panic and resentment among the common populace.
"It seems Lin Batian is determined to intercept and kill me within Liuyun City at all costs." Ye Chen leaned against the corner of a wall in an abandoned courtyard, feeling the waves of weakness washing over him and the bone-marrow-deep erosion of the Yin Sha Power. His expression grew increasingly solemn.
Not only that, but he also keenly sensed that several agile figures with cold auras were conducting grid searches in small teams across the nearby streets and rooftops. These people moved systematically and coordinated well, far superior to the Lin Family's ordinary guards.
"Blood Blade members..." Ye Chen held his breath, concealing his aura until it was almost nonexistent. These professional assassins were far more perceptive than the guards. If he were caught by them, the consequences would be unimaginable.
He was like a wounded beast trapped in a cage, surrounded by layers of hunters and hounds constantly tightening the encirclement.
"I cannot sit here and wait for death. I must find a way to break through the blockade, or... find an absolutely safe hiding place to heal first." Ye Chen's mind raced, and the map of Liuyun City appeared in his head. Given the Lin Family's vast influence, public places like inns and taverns were definitely unsafe. And he had no reliable relatives or friends in the city to turn to.
Just as he was racking his brain for a solution, an extremely faint sound, like a cat stepping on tiles, came from the rooftop of the adjacent alley. Although the sound was light, it was clearly discernible under Ye Chen's highly concentrated Divine Sense.
"Two people, steady footsteps, restrained aura... it's a Blood Blade search team!" Ye Chen instantly identified the newcomers. They were gradually closing in on this area!
He looked around. This abandoned small courtyard was no place to stay. Once the opponents entered the courtyard to search, he would have nowhere to hide.
In this critical moment, Ye Chen's gaze fell upon a dry well half-covered by debris in the corner of the courtyard. His heart stirred. Without time to think, he silently pushed aside the debris and jumped into the well.
The well was not deep, about three or four zhang, with soft silt and dead leaves at the bottom. The well walls were slippery and covered in moss. Ye Chen landed at the bottom and immediately suppressed his aura again, becoming like a piece of dead rock at the bottom of the well, his breathing barely audible.
Almost the moment he hid, two dark figures appeared on the wall of the abandoned courtyard.
"Found anything?" a hoarse voice asked.
"No. This whole area has been searched. Only this abandoned courtyard is left," the other voice replied.
"Go down and check. Don't miss any corner," the hoarse voice commanded.
"Yes."
The two dark figures lightly dropped into the courtyard and began searching meticulously. Their movements were professional and efficient, missing no potential hiding spot. The sound of their footsteps gradually approached the dry well.
Ye Chen at the bottom of the well, his palms were slightly sweaty. If the opponents leaned over to check the bottom of the well, in such a confined space, he would have no means of evasion and could only fight to the death! He secretly circulated the remaining Spiritual Power in his body. Although the Nirvana Sword Intent could no longer be used on a large scale, concentrating it at his fingertips to deliver a thunderous strike was still possible.
The footsteps stopped by the well.
"There's a dry well here," one assassin said.
"Take a look," the hoarse voice also walked over.
Ye Chen's heart was in his throat, and a faint, imperceptible dark gold Sword Radiance was already condensed on his fingertip.
However, the assassin merely casually kicked away the remaining debris by the well, leaned in, and glanced inside. The well was dark and seemingly bottomless, offering only the smell of mildew and dampness.
"It's pitch black and bottomless, full of silt. No one can hide there," the assassin concluded after a quick look. He did not detect Ye Chen, who had deliberately suppressed all signs of life and had almost merged with the environment at the bottom of the well.
"Alright, let's go to the next area. He's severely injured and can't run far. Focus on searching the medical halls and pharmacies that can conceal people!" The hoarse voice seemed to agree with the assessment and did not investigate further.
The two dark figures leaped onto the wall again and quickly departed, their footsteps fading into the distance.
At the bottom of the well, Ye Chen's strained nerves finally relaxed slightly, but the Sword Radiance on his fingertip did not immediately dissipate. He maintained absolute silence, carefully listening to the movements above to confirm that the opponents had truly left.
"That was close..." he thought, feeling lucky. If it hadn't been for this dry well, and if the search hadn't been so cursory, he would have been exposed just now.
But this was not a place to stay long either. The Blood Blade and Lin Family searches would be repeated until he was rooted out.
He must find a way out before they complete a tighter encirclement!
Suddenly, Ye Chen remembered something he carried. He carefully took out a warm jade pendant from his inner clothes. This was the token Elder Liu Qingfeng had given him along with the life-saving Jade Talisman, stating that if he encountered an unsolvable emergency in Liuyun City, he could use this jade pendant to seek help at the "Hundred Herbs Hall" in the West City.
"West City... Hundred Herbs Hall..." A glimmer of hope reignited in Ye Chen's eyes. The West City area was not within the Lin Family's sphere of influence, and being a mixed-use area, it would be easier to conceal his whereabouts. If the Hundred Herbs Hall truly was a secret contact point arranged by Elder Liu, perhaps it could provide him with a temporary safe house, or even a channel to communicate with the Academy.
This seemed to be the only viable path to survival right now!
He no longer hesitated. After carefully sensing no further movement above the well, he used his hands and feet to climb the slippery well wall with difficulty. Back in the courtyard, the night deepened, but the distant clamor and the firelight of the search had not ceased.
After confirming his direction, Ye Chen suppressed his injuries and utilized the Flowing Wind Fleeting Shadow Movement Technique to its maximum, avoiding main roads and sticking to the darkest, most complex alleys and rooftops. Like a true shadow, he stealthily moved toward the West City.
Behind him, the net cast by the Lin Family and the Blood Blade was steadily tightening. A chase concerning life, death, and conspiracy had entered its most intense phase under the night sky of Liuyun City.