Chapter 216 - 108: Legendary Quality, Indestructible True Skill

A short while later, the bandits inside the stronghold had been more or less dealt with.

Yang Jing’s gaze fell upon the three wooden huts where the hostages were being held.

The doorways of the huts were now empty; the guards had long since vanished without a trace.

He remembered the hostages he had seen huddled in the corners through a crack in the wall, and his heart stirred. He quickened his pace and rushed toward the huts.

BANG!

Yang Jing kicked open the door to the first wooden hut.

The dozen or so hostages inside screamed and scrambled into the corners, staring at him in terror, their eyes filled with fear.

After days of torment by the Flying Horse Thieves, many of them were already on the verge of collapse.

"Don’t be afraid. I’m here to rescue you."

Yang Jing softened his tone, trying to make his voice sound as gentle as possible.

The hostages stared, stunned. They looked at Yang Jing, who, despite being stained with blood, had no trace of malice about him. Then they glanced at the open door and the commotion outside, and a flicker of hope gradually ignited in their eyes.

Without another word, Yang Jing took out his short blade, walked over to the group, and cut the hemp ropes binding their hands and feet one by one.

The hostages, who had been tied up for a long time, flexed their numb limbs, their eyes filled with gratitude as they looked at Yang Jing.

Next, Yang Jing went to another wooden hut, kicked open the door, and rescued the seven or eight people inside in the same manner.

Among them were old and young, as well as two women. At first, they too were trembling with fear, but when they saw Yang Jing actually untying them and realized they were saved, they were so moved that their eyes filled with tears.

Yang Jing looked at the group of hostages who had survived the ordeal and said, "Gather here and wait for a moment. Don’t wander off. There might still be some Flying Horse Thieves who escaped around Yunshan. It’s too dangerous to go out alone. I’ll lead you all away from here in a bit."

Hearing this, the crowd quickly nodded in agreement, their gazes toward Yang Jing growing even more grateful.

A middle-aged man who looked like a merchant, dressed in a long silk robe, stepped forward, cupped his fists, and said, "Thank you, benefactor, for saving our lives! May I ask for your esteemed name? We will surely repay this debt in the future."

Several others chimed in, also wanting to know the name of their life-saving benefactor.

Yang Jing waved his hand dismissively. "It was nothing. There’s no need to repay me."

With that, he said no more and turned to walk toward Li Tieyun.

He had only taken a few steps when he heard a suppressed, wretched scream from not far away.

Yang Jing looked over and saw Li Tieyun and his two men surrounding a bandit pinned to the ground. This bandit wore finer leather armor than the common thieves, and his clothes were bulging, marking him as a core member of the Flying Horse Thieves. At that moment, the slender man had the bandit’s arms twisted behind his back, and the man was convulsing in pain.

Yang Jing strode over. He saw that the slender man was gripping the bandit’s wrist, twisting his fingers at a bizarre angle. It vaguely resembled the methods of the Tendon-Stripping Bone-Breaking Hand.

This technique specialized in attacking the tendons and meridians, inflicting a heart-piercing, bone-gnawing pain that no ordinary person could withstand.

"AHH—I’ll talk! I’ll talk!"

The veins on the forehead of the Mingjin Realm Flying Horse Thieves’ core member bulged, and cold sweat poured down his face. Unable to endure for even a moment longer, he cried out and begged for mercy. "Whatever you want to know, I’ll tell you! Just stop twisting!"

Li Tieyun glanced at Yang Jing, and seeing him nod, he asked in a deep voice, "Where is your Second Chieftain?"

Grimacing in pain, the bandit quickly said, "The Second Chieftain... The Second Chieftain took a few of his trusted men and fled from the back of the mountain when the First Chieftain was fighting that young... that hero! He said things looked bad, so he was going to hide somewhere else and come back after things cooled down..."

Li Tieyun’s brow furrowed. He then asked, "Where do the Flying Horse Thieves hide their treasure?"

A look of helplessness crossed the bandit’s face, but it was distorted by pain. He said wretchedly, "I don’t know... The First Chieftain always managed the treasure personally. Small fry like us never get near it..."

The slender man didn’t believe him and applied more force. The bandit immediately let out a squeal like a stuck pig and writhed like an eel. "I really don’t know! If I knew, I would’ve told you already! Spare me..."

He was in so much pain he was about to pass out, his face a mess of tears and snot, yet he still couldn’t reveal the treasure’s location. It seemed he really didn’t know.

Seeing this, Li Tieyun waved his hand, signaling the slender man to stop. He then changed the question, "Where does your First Chieftain live?"

As if granted a pardon, the bandit hastily pointed toward the center of the stronghold. "It’s... over there! The biggest wooden hut in the camp..."

The slender man grabbed him by the back of his collar and hauled him up like a dead dog. "Lead the way!"

The bandit didn’t dare to disobey and could only stumble along, leading them forward.

Yang Jing, Li Tieyun, and the burly man followed close behind, heading toward the center of the stronghold.

Before long, a building that was clearly more spacious and imposing than the surrounding wooden huts came into view.

This wooden house was as large as two ordinary huts combined. Its roof was tiled with thick, green slate, and two carved wooden pillars stood at the entrance. Though crudely styled, it exuded an air of authority, clearly the residence of Li Qianxiong.

The four of them stood before the wooden house, their eyes fixed on the closed door, a flicker of anticipation in their gazes.

The slender man glanced at the core member of the Flying Horse Thieves, who had slumped to the ground. Annoyed by the sight of him, he chopped the back of the bandit’s neck with the side of his hand. The man passed out without so much as a grunt and was tossed carelessly onto a woodpile next to the hut.

The four men walked to the door. Li Tieyun stepped forward, applied a bit of force with the iron ruler in his hand, and with a sharp CRACK, the brass lock was smashed to pieces.

He pushed the door, and it swung open with a CREAK.

The furnishings inside were rather simple.

Just inside the door was a living area. In the center stood an ebony, eight-person table, upon which sat a coarse porcelain teapot and teacups. The bottom of the pot still bore some residual tea stains.