Chapter 80: Giving In

"Trying to run!" After more than a dozen exchanges, Bao Baiyou could only use his agile movement technique to dodge Ren Tong's spearwork. There was no help for it; his strength was on par with Ren Tong's, yet he held no advantage whatsoever in terms of raw power.

Since Ren Tong had seized the initiative, he could only dodge passively. After a dozen or so moves, his heart grew increasingly terrified.

The people around him were becoming fewer and fewer.

"This won't do, I must escape!"

Bao Baiyou had already given up hope; in any case, a gentleman's revenge is never too late, even after ten years.

He activated his Lightness Skill and retreated, using the stone lion statue at the entrance to leap two steps onto the gate wall, then vaulted backward.

Ren Tong did not pursue, but instead gave a cold smile.

This left Bao Baiyou, who was looking back, somewhat puzzled. Even if this man were a military general unskilled in Lightness Skill, just watching him escape like this seemed far too easy.

However, before Bao Baiyou could congratulate himself on his good Lightness Skill, the next second he felt a sharp edge behind him. Several sounds of something piercing the air made his expression change.

He looked back, and his soul was instantly terrified.

He saw several heavy arrows, trailing like ribbons of silk, shooting toward his back.

It was difficult to dodge in mid-air; he could only twist his body as much as possible while striking at the heavy arrows with the Iron Fan in his hand.

Clang!

In the end, he could only deflect the first arrow. To his horror, the following two arrows struck his shoulder and the left side of his abdomen.

"Ah!"

With a miserable cry, he was knocked to the ground by the force of those two arrows.

When he stood up again, he saw a cold glint pressed against his throat.

"Tell me where my two brothers are being held, or I will make you wish you were dead," Ren Tong asked coldly.

"They are locked in the woodshed in the middle courtyard."

Having been captured, Bao Baiyou no longer resisted. Besides, even if he didn't speak, it was impossible for every one of the many captured underlings to have backbone, so to avoid torture, he confessed quite readily.

"Two of you, go and bring Tie Niu and Da Hu out."

Ren Tong shouted immediately.

Before long, Tie Niu and Da Hu, covered in wounds, were brought out, supported by others. Seeing their injuries, the many soldiers present felt a scorching rage ignite in their eyes.

They had been together for two or three years, and the camaraderie between them was no less than familial affection. Seeing their comrade tortured like this, they wished they could beat these people to death immediately.

However, the Prefect's intent was for them to take these people back and then behead them at the Noon Gate.

"It's letting them off too easily, letting them live a few more days."

"Take them away!"

The group quickly hauled the twenty-some disciples of the Zhuhua Gang away. As for the other small gangs within the county, seeing this, they acted like turtles pulling in their heads, watching only from afar.

As for the County Magistrate's office, after Ling Zhan produced the Prefect's secret order, they said nothing more; they were merely tools.

They dared not disobey the words of the Prefect, Yuwen Chengji, in the slightest; otherwise, they would end up just like the other few 'predecessors.'

It was impossible for Su Fan's arrival in Wu Jun to be smooth sailing. After killing the chicken to scare the monkey by taking down two County Magistrates, there were no other dissenting voices in all of Wu Jun.

Jiangdu, the station of the Domain Lord Hall of the Zhuhua Gang.

A few underlings ran into the main courtyard in a panic, shouting, "Hall Master, it's bad!"

"What is it, acting so flustered?"

The Hall Master of Domain Lord Hall, Luo Xian, was a dignified middle-aged man with broad brows and a prominent nose bridge; he did not look like a native of Zhongyuan.

He pulled a stern face, and the few underlings trembled all over; clearly, this Hall Master of Domain Lord Hall was usually very imposing.

"Hall... Hall Master, the Vice Hall Master has been captured by someone."

The underling stammered.

"What? Old Bao was captured? Who captured him?"

He glared with tiger-like eyes, scaring the underlings so much they nearly wet their pants. Each of them said with a mournful face, "It seems to be the army of Wu Jun. We heard it was that Prefect of Wu Jun who gave the order."

"The Prefect of Wu Jun? How could Old Bao provoke the Prefect?"

Hearing this, Luo Xian's brows furrowed. They were not afraid of a Prefect of a commandery, but it was always some trouble.

"What exactly happened? Tell me in detail."

Soon, the few underlings recounted the whole affair in fragments.

Yet, he did not quite understand the whole matter either. It seemed Bao Baiyou hadn't really provoked that Prefect of Wu Jun, and as for injuring a few people, in his view, that was hardly a matter at all.

But regardless, hearing that the Prefecture Office had ordered that Bao Baiyou and those people from Domain Lord Hall were to be beheaded in public in half a month,

he had to go and rescue them.

These people were all his Domain Lord Hall's men; as the Hall Master of Domain Lord Hall, how could he just watch?

But a commandery Prefect, and his subordinates also included experts. Even if Bao Baiyou's strength was weaker than his, it wasn't by much, and yet he had been taken down.

Relying on himself alone, he feared it wouldn't work.

It seemed he could only go and find the Gang Leader, Yin Kaishan.

After all, the Gang Leader of the Zhuhua Gang should be able to make that Prefect give some face and release the people.

Thus, he quickly headed toward Yin Kaishan's residence.

"You say your Vice Hall Master was captured by the Prefect of Wu Jun?"

Hearing this, Yin Kaishan's brows also furrowed, while the strategist Shao Lingzhou, who was to the side, had his expression change.

"Hall Master Luo, are you certain it was the Prefect of Wu Jun who ordered the capture of Vice Hall Master Bao?"

Shao Lingzhou spoke up suddenly, which surprised Yin Kaishan somewhat.

"Eh! Old Shao, listening to your tone, it seems you know this Prefect of Wu Jun?"

"Alas! Old Gang Leader, this Prefect of Wu Jun is not to be trifled with." As soon as he looked at Yin Kaishan, he knew the other was thinking of going to rescue Bao Baiyou.

If it were a different Prefect, Shao Lingzhou wouldn't care; their Zhuhua Gang's influence was spread throughout the Yangzhou region, and they even had some connections within the Imperial Court.

After all, having earned a lot of money over these many years and having made offerings to those above, they were not afraid of a mere Prefect.

But this was the Prefect of Wu Jun.

"Although I have never met this Prefect of Wu Jun, I do know his identity; his name is Yuwen Chengji."

"Yuwen Chengji."

Yin Kaishan and Luo Xian were both instantly moved upon hearing this.

"Is it that Yuwen Family?"

Yin Kaishan asked in a low, uncertain voice; the surname Yuwen is rare, and the most famous one is naturally the Yuwen Clan, one of the Four Great Clans.

"Correct, this person is indeed a direct descendant of the Yuwen Clan and the biological son of Yuwen Huaji."

Once Shao Lingzhou finished speaking, Yin Kaishan's expression changed, and the look he cast toward Luo Xian was no longer as friendly.

The Yuwen Clan, one of the Four Great Clans, is a top-tier power in the Sui Dynasty, possessing immense influence in both the government and the Military.

Furthermore, the old Clan Head of the Yuwen Clan, Yuwen Shang, is an expert comparable to a Master, and the four great experts under his command are each first-class in the martial world, or even stronger.

Although his Zhuhua Gang is ranked among the Eight Gangs and Ten Associations, it can only be considered mid-tier; facing a top-tier clan, his Zhuhua Gang has absolutely no chance of winning.

To go up against the Yuwen Clan for the sake of a Deputy Hall Master of the Domain Lord Hall—there is no need to even think about whether it is worth it; it is not worth it at all.

"Hall Master Luo, what do you think?"

Although dissatisfied in his heart, Yin Kaishan was no fool; he could not simply refuse, for would that not imply that he, the Gang Leader, was too cowardly?

Retreating when encountering trouble would have a significant impact.

"Gang Leader, I understand; it was Old Bao who brought this upon himself."

Upon hearing this, Luo Xian also understood the Gang Leader's intention: he did not plan to rescue him and did not want to clash with that Prefect Yuwen.

Even though he was dissatisfied and unwilling in his heart, he dared not show any of it.

"Hmm! Old Luo, do not worry; I will send someone to the Prefecture Office of Wu Jun with a thousand taels of gold to see if we can save Deputy Hall Master Bao."

"Many thanks, Gang Leader."

Hearing this, Luo Xian also looked full of gratitude.