Chapter 414

No, no, no!

Wei Yuan's face changed drastically; he was about to say something, but seeing Yu Die's mocking gaze, the words on his lips were swallowed back. He knew his plan had probably been seen through by Yu Die, and he gave an embarrassed smile, saying:

Captain Yu, I think we shouldn't separate; otherwise we'll easily be picked off one by one by the mysterious person. I don't know, Captain Yu, do you have any rescue treasure on hand?

If possible, he hopes that Yu Die will take him away together, not him alone going to ask for reinforcements, nor Yu Die going to ask for reinforcements. Now Tang Anzhi looks like he's about to lose his life to the mysterious person's hands; once the only battle, Yu Die leaves.

Although he is a Confucian disciple with a righteous aura, after so many years of living in comfort, he has rarely fought others; though he hasn't forgotten the Confucian texts he studied, he lacks confidence that his Confucian learning alone can save his life from the mysterious person.

Even if there are a bunch of constables around, these constables are nothing but low‑rank riffraff; just now, when the mysterious person seized him, he didn't see any of these constables come out to save his life. Once the mysterious person goes on a killing spree, these constables can't even be expected to guard him; it would be good enough if they merely kept him here to delay the mysterious person.

How could he dare hope that these constables would save his life?

Just.

Since Yu Die has seen through his scheme and is unwilling to take him along to escape, he cannot let Yu Die flee on her own no matter what—not because he wants to die together, but because he hopes to keep Yu Die here, so that when the mysterious person goes on a killing spree, he can verbally urge Yu Die to step forward and block him.

He doesn't care whether Yu Die is a match for the mysterious person; what matters to him is that Yu Die can, at the cost of her life, delay the mysterious person and buy him time to escape.

As for what happens after…

Even if the backer behind Yu Die learns of what he has done, and whether that backer will avenge Yu Die and take out its anger on him, he doesn't care; if he had to choose again, he would do the same.

Retaliation from Yu Die's backer might be serious, but at least it wouldn't endanger his life.

How to choose? Not just him—even a three‑year‑old would know.

How could he possibly give Yu Die a chance to leave?

Dai Zishang suddenly spoke up: 'Magistrate Wei, you needn't fear; this mysterious person won't take my life, will he?'

'Young Master Dai, what joke are you making?'

Wei Yuan couldn't help it; he almost cursed out loud, but thinking of Dai Zishang's status, he swallowed the words on his lips and said angrily:

'Look, what state is Attendant Tang in now? Attendant Tang is almost…'

'Ah! You beast, even if I become a ghost I will never let you go!'

Before Wei Yuan could finish speaking, a furious tirade rang out, drawing everyone's attention.

A five‑colored coiling dragon, teeth bared and claws brandished, lunged at Tang Anzhi. Even though Tang Anzhi still had a great cauldron surrounding him—this cauldron, likely only formed after he exerted all his strength, just barely managing to condense another cauldron—this cauldron utterly failed to meet Tang Anzhi's expectations.

'Bang!'

A deafening explosion rang out; the cauldron was instantly torn to shreds by the rampaging dragon. Before Tang Anzhi could react, it burst through his body, leaving a horrifying blood‑filled hole.

'Boom!'

The next second, a low‑pitched explosion sounded from Tang Anzhi's body, blowing him to pieces, leaving no remains.

Wei Yuan's face turned deathly pale and his whole body trembled; yet if one looked closely, a glint of delight could be seen deep in his panicked eyes. He stammered nervously: 'Young Master Dai, did you see that clearly? Attendant Tang just died so pointlessly— they even wanted to kill Attendant Tang, so do you think the other side won't kill us?'

'Magistrate Wei, why don't you look over there!'

Dai Zishang raised his hand and pointed; in the distance, at the center of the battlefield, lay two men— the Du family father and son, their life or death unknown. He said:

'They're not dead, I think. The mysterious person doesn't slaughter innocents indiscriminately; perhaps Attendant Tang offended him somewhere, which is why he struck so ruthlessly!'

'How could that be?'

Wei Yuan instinctively looked up following Dai Zishang's finger, and immediately noticed the Du family father and son lying on the ground. Suppressing his inner doubts, he turned to Yu Die beside him and asked:

'Captain Yu, your eyesight is sharp— can you tell whether those two are dead?'

Logically, if not for Yu Die's Silkworm Sword Formation protecting them, the onlookers watching the spectacle would likely be turned into mincemeat by the battle's aftershocks; the Du family father and son are right in the battle's center, without the Silkworm Sword Formation's protection, subjected to wave after wave of the battle's aftermath.

How could they merely be lying there, alive or dead uncertain? They must have long been reduced to bones.

'They're not dead!'

Yu Die had actually noticed the Du family father and son long before; when the mysterious person attacked Attendant Tang, she realized the mysterious person seemed to be deliberately avoiding harming the Du family father and son.

Don't be fooled by their lying there, life or death uncertain, covered in wounds as if they'd lost their lives; but upon close inspection she could still see that they were breathing.

This novel you have arrived at

They aren't dead; they were just knocked unconscious by the shock.

'Not dead?'

Wei Yuan exclaimed, his eyes darting, his expression strange, and said: 'Captain Yu, you mean these two wouldn't know that mysterious person, would you? Otherwise, in the center of the battle's aftershocks, let alone these two ordinary people, even cultivators would likely be ground to mincemeat by the fierce aftershocks just now!'

'I don't know whether they know the mysterious person, but I do know that the mysterious person definitely has deep ties with the Zhang family!'

Yu Die said thoughtfully.

'The mysterious person has ties with the Zhang family?'

Wei Yuan was startled; the words Yu Die had said immediately sprang to mind, and he also thought of the Du family father and son stealing the Mountain God Token, being trapped in the rear gate, and he said ruefully: 'Captain Yu, you're right— this mysterious person very likely has deep ties with the Zhang family, which is why he attacked Attendant Tang yet still spared some strength to protect the Du family father and son!'

This time he came to the Zhang family not to congratulate them on producing a Mountain God, but because he knew Luo Liang's scheme had failed; he could only go himself, hoping to gain some advantage from Zhang Deben, the new Lion Ridge Mountain God.

If.

If Zhang Deben shares deep ties with that mysterious person, then not only would he be unable to seek benefits from Zhang Deben, he'd likely have to give up some benefits just to leave the Zhang family.

'Deep ties with the Zhang family?'

Dai Zishang glanced at the Du family father and son lying there, life or death uncertain, then at the Zhang family members in the distance, and finally his gaze settled on the Wang family members, thinking to himself: 'No, the mysterious person isn't tied to the Zhang family— it's tied to the Wang family!'

(End of chapter)