Chapter 316 - 207: Enemies on a Narrow Path (Part 2)

Chapter 316: Chapter 207: Enemies on a Narrow Path (Part 2)

Realistically, given their status, they could have ignored the conscription order even if it had come from the Mansion Master of Guangfeng Prefecture.

But as fate would have it, this particular order came from none other than Prince Yu—the current Grand Marshal of the Anti-Bandit Army and the Holy Emperor’s own brother.

How could they possibly refuse?

So, they had no choice but to accept the military order. They were assigned the task of hunting down traitors from the Blood Dragon Platform and began tracking a group of rebels lurking near the Great River Camp.

They had been searching for three or four days but had found nothing.

Today, they had received a tip, but by the time they arrived, the mountain stronghold had already been razed by fire.

It was a complete dead end—a wasted trip that left them thoroughly frustrated.

Hearing Luo Wei’s words, the Scholar’s Attendant looked toward the ruined temple ahead and, just as expected, saw two figures inside.

And upon a closer look, one of them was indeed Fang Yue—the very person they had been hunting so desperately.

"Heh heh heh..."

The Scholar’s Attendant’s eyes fixed on Fang Yue, a cold sneer spreading across his face.

’To wear out iron shoes in a fruitless search, only to find him when I least expected it.’

The memory of their conscription—the days spent risking life and limb fighting the masters of the Blood Dragon Platform—made both Luo Wei and the Scholar’s Attendant fume. The resentment in their hearts surged into a towering inferno of rage.

Their fists clenched and their eyes flashed with a dangerous light, as if they might rush over at any second to kill Fang Yue and vent their frustration.

Meanwhile, Fang Yue and Zhang Hu had also noticed Luo Wei and his companion.

As he met their stares from across the clearing, Fang Yue’s expression instantly turned ice-cold.

It grew even more chillingly grim when his eyes landed on the Scholar’s Attendant.

’Heh, so it’s these two. Enemies really do travel on a narrow road.’

At the sight of them, killing intent seethed within Fang Yue, and his pupils constricted.

He never would have imagined he’d run into these two enemies in such a godforsaken place.

"Heh heh, talk about a small world. We meet again, Fang Yue!"

Luo Wei let out a booming laugh, a cruel smile spreading across his face. He didn’t attack immediately, instead choosing to stare at Fang Yue with rapt interest.

’In his eyes, Fang Yue might be skilled, but he was still just a boy.’

’All it would take was a single slap to kill him and solve the problem.’

’Fang Yue had made him suffer so much; killing him instantly would be letting him off too easy. He would torture him slowly, until Fang Yue was begging for a death that would not come, until he was on his knees, weeping in agony.’

For his part, Fang Yue looked at the two and smiled just as coldly. "Heh, what a coincidence. I never thought I’d run into you two here either."

"It seems the heavens are looking out for me after all."

"You!" Hearing the sheer mockery in Fang Yue’s tone, Luo Wei almost exploded with rage.

’A dignified late-stage Qi Sensing Martial Master like himself was being mocked by a piece of trash who was merely in the early stage of Qi Sensing!’

’It made him want to fly into a murderous rage right then and there.’

But he quickly reined in his emotions. His expression turned savage as he snarled, "Hmph, Fang Yue, do you really think I’ll let you go this time?"

"I’ll have you know, we’re acting on official orders to apprehend you, you traitor. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll come with us quietly!"

’Fang Yue was a member of the Observatory, after all. If they just killed him outright, they’d have to be careful to cover their tracks.’

’But now that they were officially hunting Blood Dragon Platform traitors, it was the perfect opportunity to lump Fang Yue in with them. Then, even if someone investigated later, they’d have nothing to fear.’

"Traitor?" Upon hearing this, Fang Yue couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

’Since when was I a traitor?’

’These two were actually trying to frame him. How absurd.’

"Since you’re unwilling to cooperate, heh heh, I’ll just have to beat you until you do!" Luo Wei laughed, then immediately threw a punch at Fang Yue.

He was a late-stage Qi Sensing Martial Artist with astonishing strength. A single punch from him could shatter a tree!

"Scram!"

Before Fang Yue could even move to counter Luo Wei’s attack, Zhang Hu, who stood beside him, sprang into action.

With a thunderous roar, Zhang Hu stomped hard on the ground and launched himself at Luo Wei like a ferocious tiger.

"Hm?"

Luo Wei was taken aback by Zhang Hu’s sudden appearance.

Zhang Hu’s cultivation was only at the early stage of Qi Sensing, and from the looks of it, he had only just broken through.

Seeing this, Luo Wei laughed in fury. ’Is every Tom, Dick, and Harry looking down on me now? Does he think he’s some kind of genius who can fight above his level?’

’How utterly ridiculous!’

"Since you’re so eager to die, I’ll be happy to oblige you!" Luo Wei’s face contorted savagely as he once again swung his right fist, aiming for Zhang Hu’s head.

BAM!

A dull thud echoed through the temple.

Their fists crashed together, unleashing a terrifying shockwave of force.

CRACK!

The sickening sound of bone cracking came from Luo Wei’s right arm.

It felt as if he had just punched a steel plate. He grimaced in pain but forced himself to endure it, raising his left fist to continue his assault on Zhang Hu.

’He refused to believe this kid’s physical strength was greater than his own.’

BAM! Another sharp crack echoed out.

CRACK!

This time, the sound of splintering bone was even louder.

This time, Luo Wei heard the distinct sound of bone splintering. His right arm had completely snapped.

’How is this possible? He’s clearly only at the early stage of Qi Sensing, so how is his physical strength this immense? He’s so much stronger than me!’ Luo Wei was horrified.

At the same time, a fierce killing intent rose within him. ’I have to kill this man. If I let him live, he’ll become a disaster sooner or later.’

The Scholar’s Attendant, watching from the side, felt his heart skip a beat.

’What kind of luck does this kid have? He found another genius Martial Master? Since when did geniuses who could fight above their level become so common?’

At this thought, a venomous look filled the Scholar’s Attendant’s eyes, and he instantly made his move.

’He was an Innate Grandmaster. Even if both Fang Yue and his companion were geniuses capable of fighting above their station, it was impossible for them to cross an entire major realm to fight him.’

’Therefore, the Scholar’s Attendant was completely confident he could subdue them both!’

He attacked at once. The moment an Innate Grandmaster made a move, the effect was extraordinary. A dense fluctuation of Primordial Qi emanated from him, kicking up a violent gale!

RUMBLE!

At the same time, a vast and immeasurable power gathered in the Scholar’s Attendant’s palm as he reached out to grab Zhang Hu.

Zhang Hu instinctively sensed the danger and hastily retreated.

But he was too slow. His speed was no match for the Scholar’s Attendant’s.

"Hmph. Kneel!"

The next moment, the Scholar’s Attendant’s fingers clenched, and an immense force bore down.

Caught off guard, Zhang Hu slammed down onto one knee with a heavy thud.

"Hahaha! Good, kid, not bad at all! To take one of my attacks and only suffer a light injury... you’ve earned the right to be arrogant. A true genius. But do you know what I like to do most? I love crushing geniuses!!!" The Scholar’s Attendant roared with laughter at the sight.

As he spoke, his fingers relaxed for a moment before clawing down again, clearly intending to finish Zhang Hu off in one fell swoop.

"Sigh. If you’re in such a hurry, I suppose I’ll have to send you on your way."

Fang Yue would never allow such a thing to happen.

And so, just as the Scholar’s Attendant’s palm descended, Fang Yue’s figure flickered. In the blink of an eye, he appeared a short distance from the Scholar’s Attendant and unleashed a punch without the slightest hesitation.

"Heh heh, you actually dare to take the initiative? You’ve got guts!" Seeing this, the Scholar’s Attendant showed no signs of worry. Instead, his face was filled with a look of appreciation.

’In his eyes, Fang Yue’s courage was commendable, but it was also suicidal.’

’He had already gathered an immense amount of Primordial Qi in his right fist. A single punch was enough to obliterate any Qi Sensing Martial Master.’

’Even if Fang Yue could fight above his level, there was absolutely no way he could block this punch!’

"Die," the Scholar’s Attendant roared, throwing a vicious punch at Fang Yue.

They were practically on top of each other. The Scholar’s Attendant’s punch was as fast as a thunderclap, instantly arriving before Fang Yue’s face, trailing a howling wind.

Yet Fang Yue acted as if he hadn’t seen it. He neither dodged nor evaded, but met the attack head-on.

BOOM!

Their fists finally collided, letting out a staggering roar.

Then, to Luo Wei’s absolute horror, the Scholar’s Attendant—an Innate Grandmaster—was sent flying backward. He crashed heavily to the ground several meters away, coughing up blood unceasingly.

Fang Yue, in contrast, remained standing firm, not having moved an inch.

"What? H-How is this possible?" Luo Wei’s eyes bulged in utter disbelief.

He knew better than anyone just how powerful an Innate Grandmaster was.

He remembered how the two of them had nearly surrounded and killed Fang Yue before. How long had it been since then? Fang Yue’s cultivation level clearly hadn’t changed, so how could his combat power have increased by so much?!