Chapter 312 - 205: Escape (Part 2)

Chapter 312: Chapter 205: Escape (Part 2)

The next moment, he was standing before Li Lan.

"Y-You... what are you doing?"

A tremor ran through Li Lan’s heart as she sensed his killing intent, and she couldn’t help but cry out.

"Heh heh, Lady Li, truly a woman who puts men to shame. To be so calm and composed even now... truly admirable!" the man in black said with a grin, revealing a set of pearly white teeth.

"What... what do you want?"

Li Lan’s heart hammered in her chest. She wasn’t a fool; she knew exactly what this man in black was implying.

"Are you still not going to admit it? The spy in our midst is you!"

The man in black shook his head, his gaze turning sharp. "I advise you to cooperate. Confess your crimes, and maybe you’ll suffer a little less."

As he spoke, he reached for Li Lan.

"Pah! Who do you think you are, daring to frame me!"

Li Lan’s pretty face was contorted with anger as she spoke through gritted teeth.

"Hahaha! Since you refuse to appreciate my kindness, you can’t blame me for what happens next." The man in black let out a sinister laugh and, in the next instant, struck out—

—his hand clamping viciously around Li Lan’s delicate, pale neck.

Li Lan felt as if her throat was being crushed. She couldn’t breathe.

"Let go of Lady Li!"

"How could Lady Li be the spy? She didn’t even know about this operation; she was just called here at the last minute!"

~~~~~~

At this, the nearby bandits erupted in fury. They drew their weapons in unison and charged the man in black, attempting to rescue Li Lan.

Li Lan’s husband had been the third-in-command of the stronghold, and he had died defending it during an ambush by the imperial court.

Anyone else could be a spy, but how could it be Li Lan!

Besides, Li Lan was stunningly beautiful. Countless bandits in the stronghold secretly fancied her and would never allow an outsider to bully her.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

However, facing their assault, the man in black merely smiled coolly. He raised his right hand, splayed his fingers, and casually swatted forward, instantly shattering their attack.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The bandits were sent flying backward like scarecrows, and they crashed to the ground, spitting up mouthfuls of blood.

"I wouldn’t have acted if I didn’t have conclusive proof!" the man in black snorted.

At his words, the color drained from Li Lan’s face.

’Has he really found something on me?’

"Impossible! I’ve never betrayed the stronghold!"

But in the next instant, the man in black sneered. Staring at Li Lan, he said, "If you’re not the spy, then explain this!"

As he spoke, he thrust out a palm. A burst of Primordial Qi shredded the sleeve of Li Lan’s robe, revealing her slender, pale wrist. And on that wrist was a plum blossom symbol.

"This..."

Li Lan’s face went deathly pale.

It was her mark of identity.

The plum blossom symbol signified that she was a Meihua Hidden Guard of the imperial court. The mark was normally invisible, but it could be revealed with a special technique to prove one’s identity.

’I can’t believe this man in black actually knows the activation technique.’

’Could he be a Meihua Hidden Guard too?’

Countless theories flashed through Li Lan’s mind, and her heart sank like a stone.

The Meihua Hidden Guard were a clandestine unit trained by the Great Wei Dynasty’s imperial court to gather intelligence throughout the realm. Its members were masters of the Disguise Technique and skilled in various assassination methods, but their strength in direct combat was not their forte.

’Now that my identity has been exposed, falling into the hands of these bandits... I’ll face a fate worse than death.’

With this thought, she prepared to bite down on the poison capsule hidden in her mouth and grant herself a quick end.

"Heh."

But just as she was about to bite down, the man in black let out a cold laugh. A flash of silver light appeared, and something pried her mouth open.

"Ugh..."

Li Lan let out a muffled grunt of agony.

"Heh, thinking of killing yourself with poison?" the man in black sneered as his palm shot out again.

SLAP—

A single slap to her face knocked her unconscious.

"Chieftain, the woman is yours," the man in black said impassively. "Interrogate her thoroughly. You must get something out of her. If we fail this time, the Blood Dragon Platform will not spare any of us!"

"Mm."

The Chieftain nodded. As for how to interrogate her... by torture, of course. ’A man with a woman—a beautiful, alluring woman, no less—has all sorts of methods to make her talk. She’ll break, he was sure of it.’

"All of you, go keep watch! Don’t let anyone disturb me!" the Chieftain ordered in a low voice. Then, he impatiently dragged the unconscious Li Lan into a nearby cave.

"Sigh..."

The remaining minions sighed with envy before shuffling off to stand guard outside.

"Heh heh, this broad... she’s really something else!"

The Chieftain stared unblinkingly at Li Lan’s body, lying there on the ground. He licked his lips, wishing he could pounce on her and indulge himself right then and there.

But he was, after all, a formidable figure who had once roamed the Jianghu. Though consumed by lust, he maintained a sliver of clarity and didn’t let himself be so blinded by it that he’d make a foolish mistake.

He first tied her up, then stuffed a cloth in her mouth to prevent her from biting her tongue or swallowing poison. Only then did he turn and leave the immediate area.

Soon, inside a crude cave, Li Lan was bound and gagged. Her cultivation had also been sealed.

"Hmph, you damned woman. You like trying to kill yourself, huh? Today, I’m going to show you what a living hell feels like!" the Chieftain sneered.

He then pulled an Elixir from his robes and forced it into Li Lan’s mouth. It was an Elixir designed to break virtuous and unyielding women, known as Hundred Fragrances Powder.

Just half a dose was enough to induce hallucinations, leaving the victim disoriented and completely at the mercy of others.

"Hmph, don’t you worry. Soon, I’ll have you screaming with pleasure," the Chieftain said with a lecherous cackle as he reached for her clothes.

But just then, a sudden commotion erupted outside the cave.

A moment later, several men covered in blood stumbled inside.

"Chieftain, we’re in trouble!" they cried out, their faces etched with panic.

"What is it?" the Chieftain demanded, frowning.

These were the men he had sent to stand guard. For them to rush back in, covered in wounds, meant something had gone terribly wrong.

And sure enough, their next words confirmed his suspicion.

"Chieftain, a master has broken through! We can’t stop them! You have to escape now!" the man in the lead yelled.

Hearing this, the Chieftain’s face turned grim. "What did you say!"

He had managed to escape pursuit from the elite troops of the Great Wei Dynasty. The men who remained with him were the best of his stronghold, each one skilled in Martial Arts. To be cut down so easily... the intruder had to be incredibly powerful!

"Is it the imperial court? Have they caught up to us?" The Chieftain’s expression was grave.

"No, it’s just one person!"

"Just one person?" The Chieftain was stunned for a second, then burst out laughing. "Are you an idiot? Since when does the imperial court send a single person to hunt us down?"

But his laughter quickly died.

’If it’s just one person, then they have to be a master!’

"Dammit!"

The Chieftain gritted his teeth. He couldn’t believe he’d run into a master at a time like this.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the panic and fear in his heart. Forcing himself to calm down, he said in a low voice, "Let’s go! Get out of here now! We run first, and worry about the rest later!"

"Right!"

He was a cunning man and would never let himself be trapped like a rat in a cage. He had chosen this cave specifically because it had another exit.

The men immediately turned to head back the way they came, but just then, an ice-cold voice rang out, freezing them in their tracks.

"Thinking of leaving now? It’s too late."

A lone figure emerged from the shadows, slowly and unhurriedly approaching them.

"Who are you?" the Chieftain spun around, his gaze electric as he stared fixedly at the silhouette, his eyes filled with wariness.

The man’s appearance was too strange. He hadn’t sensed the slightest trace of an aura, nor had he heard any footsteps.

A person like that had either cultivated some form of Ghostly Martial Arts or was simply too powerful to be detected.

Either way, the Chieftain knew the man before him was no ordinary person. He was someone the Chieftain had no hope of defeating.

His mind raced, desperately searching for a way to escape.