Chapter 43: Taking Action to Break the Encirclement

Ye Liuyun didn't continue the chase, but mounted his horse and kept pressing on.

Lu Wei, who had been following him, couldn't help but marvel at Ye Liuyun's archery. "Didn't expect this kid's arrow skill to be so superb!"

Seeing that Ye Liuyun had already put some distance between them, he gathered his breath and gave chase.

That evening, Ye Liuyun led his horse into a small town. Riding hard is the only downside; the rider isn't very tired, but the horse needs rest!

So he found an inn and let the horse rest for the night. He ordered some food, ate his fill and drank his fill, and only after night fell completely did he return to his room to rest.

He knew the City Lord's guards wouldn't let him go easily, so he hadn't even intended to rest. After entering the room, he left the shrunken Black Python in a corner, then leapt out the window and hid in the shadows.

Before midnight, more than twenty Black-clothed Guards appeared around the inn.

However, these guards' cultivation levels were the same as during the day, no longer the high-level warriors they once were.

Among them, the leader was a True Origin Triple cultivator, there were two True Origin Double, four True Essence First Level, and the rest were Body Refining Ninth Layer.

"It seems the City Lord's forces have indeed been weakened a lot lately, even sending out Body Refining Ninth Layer."

Ye Liuyun found it somewhat amusing. These people actually want to kill me?

But he wasn't foolish enough to charge out outright. He isn't afraid of a one‑on‑one duel, yet against a siege of this many, he'd surely be at a disadvantage.

Then he watched a True Origin Double cultivator coordinate with three True Essence First Level cultivators.

The True Origin Double burst through the window; one True Essence First Level stood beneath the window, another on the roof, and a third at the doorway.

But after waiting a long while, there was still no movement inside the room. The True Origin Double didn't emerge again.

The leading chief realized the situation was unfavorable, yet was unwilling to withdraw; with a wave of his hand, the three guards outside rushed into the room together.

But once inside, they fell silent and never emerged.

The chief's heart grew cold, and he immediately ordered the rest to retreat.

No one noticed that, under the cover of night, black vapors drifted out from the broken spot in the room. After they withdrew, the vapors were sucked back in, and a black little snake sprang out, coiling around Ye Liuyun's arm.

Ye Liuyun didn't return to the room; instead he chased straight after that group of Black-clothed Persons.

He activated Illusion Eye Technique, seeing the night as bright as day, and from afar spotted a flock of Black-clothed Persons sprinting ahead. He wasn't in a hurry, merely trailing behind to see what they intended.

The Black-clothed Persons ran until they stopped before a True Origin Quadruple Black-clothed individual, bowing and saying something, as if reporting to the chief.

Ye Liuyun cautiously moved within the reach of his Divine Sense, then halted to listen to what they were saying.

After this period of cultivation, his Divine Sense can now detect over seven hundred meters. With night as cover, as long as he's careful he won't be spotted by them.

At this moment, the Black-clothed chief said to the two True Origin Triple Black-clothed men: "Since these methods aren't working, we'll disguise ourselves and carry out a close‑quarters assassination. Calculate his next lodging location; I'll strike personally. You two cooperate with me."

"Yes." The group answered, and then they all dispersed!

Ye Liuyun memorized their appearances, then quietly followed a few lower‑level Black-clothed persons.

After they got farther away, Ye Liuyun struck, eliminating those Black-clothed persons. Now hidden, he can take out one after another.

Then he rushed after the other Black-clothed persons. Within one night he silently eliminated over ten of them, all at the Body Refining Ninth Layer.

Before dawn he returned to the inn, left the innkeeper some compensation to repair the room, ordered a few more dishes, and then got back on his horse to continue traveling.

Even though he knew the guards' plan, he never let his guard down on the road. Who knows if those guys might change their minds at the last minute.

A few times he felt a tail nipping at his heels. He gave chase a few times but never caught up, so he simply let it follow, curious what tricks those people might try.

Lu Wei, who was trailing behind, was also secretly startled. The kid was overly vigilant, being spotted by Ye Liuyun several times. Fortunately Ye Liuyun's cultivation isn't high; otherwise he might have been caught.

However, after Ye Liuyun chased back a few times, he turned slightly, his chronic sense‑of‑direction problem resurfaced, and he took the wrong path again.

Lu Wei, following him, assumed he was evading the earlier pursuers and, without suspicion, kept up.

As they walked, Ye Liuyun also sensed something was off.

The road grew narrower, unlike a path leading to a town.

Realizing it was his mistake, he immediately turned the horse around.

Lu Wei, trailing behind, couldn't help shouting, "Got tricked! This guy is such a direction‑lost fool!"

But Ye Liuyun's back‑and‑forth delays meant he would have to spend the night exposed in the wilderness. So he found a grassy foothill, let the horse graze on the meadow, and let it rest for the night.

He himself relaxed, grilling meat and drinking wine, driving Lu Wei absolutely mad!

After eating his fill and drinking, Ye Liuyun tethered the horse, leapt onto a large tree, and rested.

Shortly after night fell, Ye Liuyun's Divine Sense detected a group of cultivators bearing torches passing not far from him.

Those people's cultivation levels were low, evidently unaware of his presence.

Leading them was a hulking man of True Origin Double, with a booming voice.

He shouted to the crowd, "Brothers, tonight we're going to feast on meat! Apart from the one Zhu Wushuang saved for the boss, any other woman goes to whoever grabs her first!"

Then the crowd erupted in cheers.

"With Second Deputy leading, Zhu Village is doomed to fall into our hands!"

"Indeed, tonight we'll blood‑wash Zhu Village to avenge Third Deputy!"

The shouting group's voices faded and receded.

"So they're a band of robbers heading to loot a village! Since I've run into them, I can't just ignore it!"

With that thought, Ye Liuyun spurred his horse and chased after the bandits.

After about an hour's ride, Ye Liuyun saw a modest village ahead, its few lights flickering.

He immediately tethered his horse, activated Lingkong Art, and surged toward the village.

The bandits, without any strategy, shouted and charged straight at the village.

Inside the village, some villagers rushed out, but most were ordinary folk; even the few cultivators among them were only at Body Refining Fifth or Sixth Level.

Leading the villagers' resistance was a woman in tight attire, wielding twin swords, but she was only at Body Refining Eighth Level, certainly no match for the bandits.

Ye Liuyun sprinted while drawing his bow, shooting down the foremost bandits and rescuing several villagers.

The bandits, noticing cold arrows being fired, halted.

And the desperate villagers seemed to glimpse hope.

"Who dares to meddle in the affairs of our Black Cloud Village?" the burly man who was the Second Deputy shouted.

Ye Liuyun's figure had already flashed in front of the villagers.

"The one who will kill you!" Having nothing more to say to these bandits, he drew his sword and rushed at the robbers.

Two True Essence First Level bandits combined their attack on Ye Liuyun, but they were cut down by his Yi Dao.

When the Second Deputy saw Ye Liuyun strike, he realized he was no match and immediately ordered everyone to retreat.

But Ye Liuyun didn't want to let them go. If he left, these guys would return, and the village would be in trouble.

So he immediately gave chase, and the bandits were all cut down cleanly, as if slicing melons and vegetables.

The people of the village were all stunned!

Then the villagers recovered and began to cheer.