Chapter 439 - 204: Go On, Run

Bai Xichao immediately mustered his energy and leaped into the air.

He barely managed to cover twenty or thirty feet before his strength gave out, and he plummeted from mid-air.

’A wave of misery washed over him.’

’Such a short distance... in the past, he never would have given it a second thought. He could cross over a hundred feet in the span of a single breath.’

’When had he fallen so low?’

Just as he was lamenting how things were no longer as they used to be, a voice reached him:

"Well, well, I’ve caught up to you again."

He turned his head to see Jiang Ran, carrying the girl, standing right behind him.

Bai Xichao couldn’t help but retort:

"So what if you caught me... If you have the guts... AHHHHH!!!!"

Once again, he failed to finish his sentence as one of his arms went flying.

"I didn’t get to finish explaining earlier. The rules of our game are simple: you run, and I chase. If I catch you, I get to chop something off you."

Jiang Ran smiled. "Yes, the game can start now. Consider that last arm payment for cursing me. I told you I’d remember it."

"You!!"

Bai Xichao glared at Jiang Ran. "If you have any guts, give me a quick death! Stop toying with me like this!"

"Done playing already?"

Jiang Ran raised an eyebrow.

"I’m done!!"

Bai Xichao ground his teeth.

Jiang Ran nodded with a look of feigned regret. "Very well."

The moment he spoke, a golden light flashed.

Jiang Ran sheathed his saber and casually placed a hand on Bai Xichao’s head. Bai Xichao’s eyes could still move, and he was wondering why he couldn’t turn his head when Jiang Ran lifted it clean off his shoulders.

Only then did his world plunge into complete darkness.

Jiang Ran brought the head closer for a better look. He felt around the cheek, then suddenly peeled off a human-skin mask.

The face beneath the mask was still remarkably handsome.

And it had a completely different style from the first face.

"He really is quite good-looking..."

Jiang Ran shook his head gently, tossed the head aside, and set the girl down before searching the corpse.

He found a few medicine vials and some silver taels.

There was also a crumpled letter.

He inspected the letter carefully to make sure it was safe before pulling out the paper within.

He spread it open and scanned it with a single glance.

His brow furrowed slightly.

The letter was short, containing only a few lines.

[I am deeply indebted for your stalwart assistance in the prior matter. Knowing your tastes, I have specially prepared the daughter of the Hua family, Hua Yuerong, as a gift. I hope you will accept her.]

[The date for the grand event has been set. If you are interested, you may present this letter to attend the gathering at Liu Courtyard in Jinyang Prefecture on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month!]

The signature at the bottom read: [A Friend of the Setting Sun].

Jiang Ran stroked his chin. He wasn’t particularly concerned with the other contents of the letter.

However, the mention of Jinyang Prefecture left him a bit stunned.

And then there were the words ’grand event’.

’A grand event... I imagine it won’t be just one or two people attending.’

’Could it be a gathering of villains, plotting something nefarious?’

A glint appeared in Jiang Ran’s eyes. ’If I could infiltrate their ranks, the rewards would be immense!’

At this thought, he suddenly circulated his internal energy. The skin and muscles of his face began to tremble violently, like ripples spreading from a pebble dropped into water, his features shifting and changing in an instant.

Finally, with a focused thought, his face settled into the likeness of Bai Xichao.

He ran a hand over his new face. It was a shame he didn’t have a mirror to see how accurate the resemblance was.

This was not Tang Huayi’s Heavenly Mechanism Star Shifting Great Transformation Skill.

It was Wuliang Sheng’s [Autumn Water Ice Condensation Skill].

Wuliang Sheng, the man himself, had relied on this very technique to make his way in the martial world.

He eventually stirred up a world of trouble, which forced him to join the Heartless Ghost Mansion.

He was ultimately killed by Jiang Ran during the battle at the Ghost King Palace.

From this man’s corpse, Jiang Ran had obtained the Autumn Water Ice Condensation Skill.

He had simply never had an opportunity to use it before. Now, with this gathering of villains, he might finally get to test his abilities.

With that thought, his face rippled like autumn water before settling back into his original appearance.

As was his custom, he sourced his materials locally, stripping off Bai Xichao’s outer robes and using them to wrap the severed head.

His movements were swift and practiced.

After picking up the head, however, he glanced over at Hua Yuerong, whom he had tossed to the side.

"Since you’re awake, Miss, you can get up... I can’t exactly carry you all the way back."

Lying to the side, Hua Yuerong’s body trembled slightly. After a moment of hesitation, she opened her eyes.

She first looked at Jiang Ran, then at the headless, armless corpse on the ground, which had been stripped of its outer clothes.

A flash of hatred flickered in her eyes before she turned her gaze back to Jiang Ran and cupped her fists:

"Thank you for saving my life, Hero Jiang."

"If you’re so thankful, why didn’t you get up as soon as you woke up?"

Jiang Ran said with a smile, "Did you have some concerns, Miss?"

"I..."

Hua Yuerong opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed her words.

"It’s... it’s my fault... I just didn’t know what was happening around me, so I didn’t dare to move."

"That’s understandable."

Jiang Ran wasn’t bothered.

He knew that Hua Yuerong had woken up while he was wrapping Bai Xichao’s head.

’She probably saw me wrapping up the head and was too scared to let on that she was awake.’

He simply gave a slight cup of his fist.

"Since you’re awake, Miss, we’ll part ways here. Farewell."

After speaking, he turned and left.

But Hua Yuerong quickly called out:

"Hero Jiang, please wait!"

"Hm?"

Jiang Ran glanced back at her.

"Is there something else?"

"..."

Hua Yuerong bit her lip and said:

"I was careless and fell for a villain’s scheme. Now my limbs are weak, and I have no way to protect myself."

"I know that you, Hero Jiang, are known as the Shocking God Saber, that your fame spread far and wide after the battle at Sunset Plateau, and that your martial arts are unparalleled."

"I implore you, Hero Jiang, for the sake of our shared connection to the martial world, to protect me for a time... and, and escort me home."

Jiang Ran hesitated slightly.

Just then, a prompt popped up before his eyes.

[Hired Blade Mission: Escort Hua Yuerong home.]

[Accept?]