Yang Jing was moved that Hall Master Liu and his son were still thinking of not implicating him at a time like this.

He composed himself and continued, "Hall Master, I can follow you in secret, without revealing myself."

"When the time comes, you can go pay the ransom as the Flying Horse Thieves demanded. If everything goes smoothly and they really release Fourth Senior Brother, I’ll quietly withdraw and never show myself."

Yang Jing paused, his tone steady. "But if they don’t keep their word, or if they have some other scheme in mind, I can take the opportunity to act. It might just turn things around."

Hall Master Liu’s brow was tightly furrowed, and he still hesitated.

He couldn’t bear the thought of letting Yang Jing walk into danger.

Seeing this, Yang Jing added, "Rest assured, Hall Master. With my skills, if I deliberately hide my tracks, the Flying Horse Thieves won’t necessarily be able to find me. I’ll just watch from the shadows and won’t expose myself easily."

He was telling the truth. With his Raging Waves Kicks breaking through to Dark Energy, his Body Technique and speed had improved dramatically. As long as he suppressed his aura and hid in the mountain forests, ordinary bandits would never notice him.

Hall Master Liu fell silent.

He recalled Yang Jing’s performance in the training grounds’ test. He had ranked fourth, and even ordinary Peak of Dark Energy martial artists were no match for him.

If Yang Jing could really follow them in secret without being discovered, he might truly be able to save Maolin at the critical moment.

Besides, he would only be following in secret and acting cautiously. It probably wouldn’t be too dangerous.

After a moment of contemplation, Hall Master Liu finally nodded, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Then... thank you, Young Hero Yang. It is Maolin’s good fortune to have a close friend like you."

"Hall Master, you’re too kind. Fourth Senior Brother and I are from the same hall; it is only right that I help," Yang Jing said with a cupped fist salute. "Please prepare the ransom as quickly as possible over the next few days, Hall Master. I will also prepare well to ensure Fourth Senior Brother returns safely."

Hall Master Liu nodded repeatedly and struggled to get up to thank him, but Yang Jing pressed him back down.

The steward, standing to the side, also breathed a sigh of relief. His gaze toward Yang Jing now held a new level of respect and gratitude.

Yang Jing looked at Hall Master Liu and said solemnly, "Three days from now, when you set out for Black Wind Valley, please send someone to my residence to let me know, so I can depart in advance and follow in secret."

"Yes, of course," Hall Master Liu quickly agreed.

Yang Jing said no more. He offered another cupped fist salute and said, "Then I will take my leave. Please focus on your recovery, Hall Master."

"Have the steward see you out," Hall Master Liu said, waving a hand at the steward.

The steward stepped forward at once. "Young Hero Yang, this way, please."

As the three of them crossed the inner courtyard, they happened upon several apprentices hurrying by with freshly decocted medicinal soup. Upon seeing Yang Jing, they all instinctively slowed their pace.

The guards in the front courtyard all stopped what they were doing, their eyes landing on Yang Jing in unison.

The steward escorted them all the way to the main gate of the medical hall and gave another cupped fist salute. "Young Hero Yang, the Liu Family Medical Hall will never forget this great kindness. If you need anything at all, be it medicinal herbs or manpower, you have only to ask."

"You’re too kind." Yang Jing nodded in acknowledgment, then turned and started walking back with Jiang Haoyang.

They had only taken a few steps when Jiang Haoyang couldn’t help but grab Yang Jing’s arm. His face was fraught with anxiety, and his lips trembled for a long moment before he finally asked in a small voice, "Senior Brother, are... are you really going to Black Wind Valley?"

His brow was knitted tightly, and there was a sob in his voice. "The Flying Horse Thieves are terrifying! A while ago, I heard they even dared to rob the county’s grain convoy and killed dozens of people! It’s too dangerous to confront people like that!"

Although Jiang Haoyang knew Liu Maolin well, Yang Jing was the senior brother who personally guided his training every day and treated him with great kindness. In his heart, he was naturally more afraid of something happening to Yang Jing.

Yang Jing stopped and looked at the boy’s reddened eyes. A flicker of warmth went through his heart, and he patted his shoulder. "Yes, I have to go."

"Fourth Senior Brother has treated me well. When I first joined the Martial Arts Hall, he took good care of me. Now that he’s in trouble, I can’t just stand by and do nothing."

Yang Jing’s voice was calm, yet it carried an unshakable resolve. "Besides, while the Flying Horse Thieves are vicious, they’re not impossible to deal with."

He had confidence in his abilities.

Over the past two-plus months, his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds. His Mountain-Shattering Fist was approaching the Peak of Dark Energy, and his Raging Waves Kicks had also broken through to Dark Energy. His overall power had soared, and the depth of his Inner Strength was a whole level above that of a Peak of Dark Energy Martial Artist.

Truth be told, he figured that below the Huajin realm, if he wasn’t completely unrivaled, he was close to it. Within the borders of Yuhe County, he was definitely a top-tier expert.

"Don’t worry, I won’t follow them openly. I’ll just trail them from a distance, in the shadows."

A torrent of thoughts rushed through Yang Jing’s mind.

’If everything goes smoothly and they really release Fourth Senior Brother, I’ll just slip away.’

’But if they try any tricks, as long as there’s no Huajin Powerhouse present, I might just be able to put up a fight with my strength.’

He had already calculated everything clearly. The premise of this trip was self-preservation. He would make the rescue if he could, but if the enemy had a Huajin expert holding the line or had set an inescapable trap, he would absolutely not try to be a hero and would withdraw immediately.

’After all, only by staying alive is there a future.’

Hearing him speak this way, it didn’t seem like an impulsive decision, so Jiang Haoyang felt a little more at ease. Still, he clenched his fists tightly. "Then... then, Senior Brother, you must be extremely careful! If things go south, just run! Don’t force a fight!"

"Don’t worry," Yang Jing said with a smile.

Jiang Haoyang looked at Yang Jing, and his eyes suddenly lit up. He leaned in closer and asked in a hushed voice, "Senior Brother, then... then do you think we should tell the Hall Master about this? The Hall Master is a Huajin Powerhouse! If he were willing to act, wouldn’t the chances of rescuing Senior Brother Liu be much greater?"

At these words, Yang Jing’s steps faltered. He frowned slightly, lost in thought.

Sun Yong was a Huajin Powerhouse, a top-tier combat force in Yuhe County. If he got involved, the chances of rescuing Liu Maolin would indeed be much greater.