The Nine-section Whip in Map Master’s hand had already broken in two, but he didn’t throw it away. Instead, he manipulated both pieces with astonishing agility.

Gu Chengyu had long seen that the opponent was a spent arrow, and it wouldn’t take long for the three of them to capture the two.

Heba initially planned to make Map Master hold the line, but he just discovered that Map Master had also been struck by Gu Chengyu’s sword, which threw him into a panic.

Map Master’s martial arts were not weak; even against him, Heba could only concede defeat.

It wasn’t that the opponent’s Inner Strength was profoundly deep, but because the Nine-section Whip techniques were remarkably skillful and masterful.

"What are you standing still for? Hurry and help!" Map Master saw that Heba was somewhat absent-minded and became anxious.

This was a critical moment between life and death, and this idiot still had time to be distracted, wasn’t he courting death?

At this pivotal moment, Ming Mo and Ming Yan took the opportunity to make two cuts on Heba. Heba’s wrist was injured, affecting his ability to wield the knife, thus making it easier for Ming Mo and the others to handle him.

Meanwhile, the four who had been eating and drinking their fill in the tea shop were preparing to depart, and the leader led the way outside.

"Master! Should we catch up and take a look? We might gain some benefits." One of them said, eyes gleaming and calculating.

The old man and the strong man seemed to have strong hostility towards that youth, and as martial artists, their senses were naturally keen.

Even though the strong man tried hard to hide it, from his frequent glances at the master-servant trio, seasoned travelers like them could tell the strong man bore no goodwill towards the three.

It’s possible those two might try to do something against the three youths, and following them might yield some advantages.

"Yeah! Master, they could have started fighting already, let’s go be the sparrow picking the spoils."

Hearing this, the leader immediately rebuked them: "If that youth were so easy to deal with, others would have made a move long ago. Besides, that youth’s scheming is deep! Don’t underestimate him; we can’t afford to provoke him. Since the youth dared to follow without a care, it means they have nothing to fear. The two followers at his sides are not to be underestimated, so let’s not lose out for the small gains."

The leader had been repeatedly told by his master of the importance of his mission, and everything else had to be secondary.

"Let’s go!" With the order given, the four of them mounted their horses and galloped forward.

The waiter quickly stepped forward to clear the dishes from the table, casting a telling glance around the place before taking the dishes to the kitchen in the rear.

"Are they all gone?" The shopkeeper put the cleaver onto the chopping board and looked at the approaching waiter.

"We can pack up now!" The waiter tossed the dishes into the grass beside him and pulled off the white cloth from his shoulder.

"Did you find out their backgrounds?" The shopkeeper asked in a low voice.

"Don’t worry! They had no guard against me, and I was able to gather information from their conversations. However, the first two didn’t speak, so I didn’t get much useful information from them, but I remember a characteristic about him and that old man. I’ll report back to the master, and he will be able to discern a lot." The waiter took off the coarse cloth garments and urged the shopkeeper to pack up and retreat.

The shopkeeper didn’t pay him any mind but pulled a piece of paper from his bosom.

He opened the paper, glanced at it, and asked, "Are you sure it’s him? Make no mistake, otherwise, we’ll be in big trouble if we’re wrong." The waiter was a bit impatient, "Absolutely no mistake, such a handsome person, how could I be mistaken?"

The shopkeeper finally relaxed, "The master’s foresight is truly remarkable, everything was exactly as he predicted." He thought of the four from before, feeling immense admiration for the master’s cunning!

...

After taking two more hits, Map Master felt his Inner Strength deplete even faster.

He had long harbored thoughts of retreat, but because of Heba’s foolishness, he was dragged into this mess.

For Gu Chengyu, Map Master was the one who had lasted the longest under his sword so far. As for that strong man, he was already on his last breaths.

"Spare him his life!" Gu Chengyu immediately instructed Ming Mo and the others.

Keeping the strong man alive was necessary for interrogation. He wanted to confirm his suspicions, as these two were very important.

If possible, he wanted to bring the two back to the Capital; it could be another great merit.

Heba couldn’t hold on any longer; a large gash was on his forehead, and blood was streaming down, quickly covering his eyes.

Map Master glanced at Heba, knowing he was at his limit, and he was also utterly exhausted.

He had always known Gu Chengyu wouldn’t be easy to deal with, but he hadn’t expected him to be this tough. Every attempt to escape was thwarted, Gu Chengyu relentlessly pursuing him, leaving him with no way to cope.

Glancing at Gu Chengyu, who still seemed full of energy, he inwardly cursed, wondering if this person’s Inner Strength was endless, and why his moves were still so sharp and fast?

Map Master struggled to fend off attacks while desperately devising a way to escape.

In fact, Gu Chengyu wasn’t faring well either; his Inner Strength was draining fast. The reason his moves remained so fierce was to avoid Map Master noticing his fatigue.

Map Master was gradually losing strength, and finally, after coming up with an idea, he turned his body around.

Seeing Map Master not avoiding his sword moves and even suddenly charging forward, Gu Chengyu found it odd.

Map Master’s shoulder was sliced by Gu Chengyu’s Soft Sword, tearing off a large chunk of flesh, yet it didn’t stop Map Master from moving towards Gu Chengyu.

Gu Chengyu immediately sensed something was wrong, shouting, "Be careful, retreat!"

He then covered his mouth and nose and quickly retreated.

Panicking, Map Master knew this was his final gambit. He had wanted to catch Gu Chengyu off guard, assuming after such a long fight, Gu Chengyu would think he was a spent force, but he hadn’t expected Gu Chengyu to be so shrewd.

At this point, Map Master had no choice. He took out a porcelain bottle from his bosom, uncorked it, and sprinkled its contents towards Gu Chengyu and the other three. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Gu Chengyu’s pupils contracted, and he used all his strength to fly backward.

"Ah!" A scream caused Gu Chengyu’s whole body to tremble.

He hurriedly looked to the side, seeing Ming Mo and Ming Yan covering their mouths and noses, running towards him, which made Gu Chengyu breathe a sigh of relief.

Then he suddenly remembered something, took out a porcelain bottle from his bosom, and poured its contents into his mouth.

After consuming the antidote elixir, he threw the medicine bottle towards Ming Mo and the others.

Afraid that Map Master would escape, he took a cloth from his body, covered his face, and quickly returned to where they were before.

Upon reaching the spot, he saw two figures frantically fleeing ahead. One was dressed in dark black clothes, and the other was certainly Map Master.

In just a breath, the two’s clothes were glimpsed disappearing into the deep forest.