Chapter 200: Chapter 104: Hall Master Liu’s Backup Plan (Part 3)

When the old steward heard this, the light in his eyes dimmed. He sighed helplessly and said no more.

A heavy silence fell over the room again, broken only by the mournful whimpering of the wind outside.

Hall Master Liu leaned back in his chair. The wound on his chest throbbed with a dull ache, but the pain in his heart was far worse.

He closed his eyes, his mind filled with images of his son. ’If Maolin really isn’t coming back...’ He suddenly clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. A vicious glint flashed in his eyes. ’Then for the rest of my life, I’ll do nothing but hunt down and slaughter every last one of the Flying Horse Thieves, even if it costs me this old body of mine. I will avenge my son!’

But the thought had barely formed before it was drowned by a wave of crushing despair.

’If my son is gone, what’s the point of killing all the Flying Horse Thieves?’

Just then, a sudden clamor erupted from downstairs. Faintly, they could hear someone shouting.

"They’re here."

"They’re back."

The old steward shot to his feet, his spirits suddenly lifted. "Master, there’s a commotion outside!"

Hall Master Liu also shot up, ignoring the pain from his injuries. "Is Maolin back?" he said urgently. "Quick, let’s go down and see!"

The two of them hurried downstairs. As soon as they reached the entrance of the posthouse, a cold wind blasted them in the face, stinging their cheeks.

Hall Master Liu squinted into the distance. On the dirt road, a group of figures was running toward them in a panic. It was the guards who had gone to Black Wind Valley to pay the ransom!

Their clothes were in tatters, and many were stained with blood. They stumbled as they ran, their faces etched with terror and exhaustion.

Hall Master Liu’s heart sank like a stone. Seeing their condition, he knew something had gone horribly wrong.

The Guard Captain was running at the head of the group. When he saw Hall Master Liu and the old steward at the entrance, he stopped dead in his tracks, the color draining from his face.

He looked at Hall Master Liu, his eyes filled with guilt and despair, and walked forward one step at a time.

THUD!

He dropped heavily to his knees, his voice choked with sobs. "Hall Master... I have failed you..."

Hall Master Liu’s voice trembled uncontrollably. He practically spat the words through gritted teeth, "What happened? Where is Maolin? Where is the Young Hall Master?"

The old steward rushed forward as well, his voice trembling as he asked, "What’s wrong? Where is the Young Hall Master? We gave them the ransom, didn’t we?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The Guard Captain remained kneeling, his head bowed low, his voice thick with shame and anguish. "Hall Master, those depraved Flying Horse Thieves have no honor! They used a decoy to pose as the Young Hall Master and tricked us out of the silver! By the time we realized, they were already attacking. They killed several of our brothers... We were no match for them and could only flee... The Young Hall Master... I’m afraid... he’s in grave danger..."

As he spoke, he began kowtowing forcefully, his forehead striking the cold ground with a dull thud.

Hall Master Liu listened in silence as the color drained from his face, until it was as white as paper.

The other guards all hung their heads, not daring to breathe. A dead silence fell over the entrance to the posthouse, leaving only the sound of the howling wind.

The rescue, his greatest hope, had ultimately failed.

A bone-deep chill rose from the soles of his feet and instantly spread through his entire body, making it hard to even breathe.

"Master, try not to worry. We... we still have other options..." the old steward said, quickly supporting Hall Master Liu’s swaying body. His own words lacked conviction.

...

「Elsewhere.」

「West of Black Wind Valley.」

Yang Jing flitted past like a wisp of smoke. Dark Energy circulated through his Rushing Wave Legs technique, and with each step, he landed precisely in the shadow of a tree trunk or a rock. His movements were so light he seemed weightless.

His gaze remained locked on the convoy on the mountain path below.

Seven carriages, escorted by the Flying Horse Thieves, moved slowly forward. The creak of their wheels over the gravel was especially clear in the silent mountain forest.

He suppressed his aura completely and slowed his breathing until he was one with the surrounding vegetation.

Though the Flying Horse Thieves were on guard, they never detected the pair of eyes watching them intently from the dense forest above. They continued to chat and laugh, occasionally slapping the chests of silver on the carriages with satisfied sighs.

As Yang Jing trailed them, he quickly calculated his options.

’How is Senior Brother Liu doing right now? Is he even still alive?’

’Logically, the Flying Horse Thieves wouldn’t kill their hostage before they get the ransom.’

’A hostage is still useful for leverage, after all.’

’But the words of that whiskered man from earlier were a thorn in his side. He said Senior Brother Liu had cut off his nephew’s arm. That kind of hatred clearly runs deep.’

Yang Jing frowned slightly. He had known Liu Maolin for a long time but had never heard him mention this. The last time he’d specifically asked Liu Maolin about his clash with the Flying Horse Thieves, Maolin hadn’t mentioned anything of the sort.

’Could he have made that enemy without realizing it? To think it would become the reason the Flying Horse Thieves are so determined to kill him.’

’Looks like this rescue is going to be even trickier than I thought.’

Just then, Yang Jing came to a sudden halt. His sharp gaze swept toward the dense forest to his front left.

There, he detected a few faint movements. If not for his heightened senses, he would have missed them completely.

A chill went down his spine. He immediately slowed, pressing himself behind a tree like a block of stone, and used the cover of the foliage to carefully observe the movement.

About thirty zhang ahead and to his left, he could see four or five figures hidden in a patch of shrubs.

They were crouched extremely low, their auras exceptionally well-concealed. If one of them hadn’t made that slight noise just now, even Yang Jing would have struggled to spot them.

Yang Jing’s gaze fell on the man in the lead. The man wore simple, short-fitting clothes that revealed his knotted muscles. His palms were coarse and thick, with a faint, dark-red hue—a clear sign he had trained his external martial arts to a very high level. His aura was as deep and heavy as an abyss. He was a master at the Peak of Dark Energy!