Chapter 1779: Pursuit
Chapter 1779: Pursuit
The one on the wanted poster had a handsome and grand appearance, but there was always a faint smile hanging from the corners of his lips, making those who saw it feel annoyed but also inexplicably amiable. Who else could it be but Zu An?
Chu Chuyan had never expected to find information on Zu An in the secret dungeon. At first, she thought it was just a coincidence and that there could be someone who looked just like Ah Zu, but she quickly discarded that suspicion. The picture was extremely vivid, and how could she not recognize her own man?
It was probably because their group hadn’t left the dungeon according to the designated time. Thus, the seniors had likely suspected that something happened, so they organized a group to investigate. Ah Zu was a member of the judges, and together with the fact that she and Manman were both in this dungeon, it was very likely that he had been too worried not to enter.
However, she didn’t know how they had entered this dungeon. Besides that, why was Ah Zu wanted? She had spent some time in this secret dungeon already and recognized that this was the highest-level tier of bounty, the sort that the Adventurer’s Guild hadn’t issued for many years. Each time such an order was given out, whether it was for kings, dukes, generals, ministers, expert from the world of warriors, or even the rulers of entire countries, they had never failed. When she saw the bounty, even she felt a bit stirred, let alone the bloodthirsty cultivators of this world.
She looked in the direction those horsemen had gone in, then at the great tomb in the other direction. She didn’t hesitate and changed directions to chase after them. Compared to the great tomb, Ah Zu was still more important.
However, she didn’t act rashly and followed them secretly instead. Those horsemen had many cultivators whose ranks weren’t lower than her own. If they really started fighting, they would have an advantage in numbers. Forget about her, even Ah Zu could end up in danger if he was caught off guard and ambushed.
Fortunately, she had picked up from their conversation that they had already located Ah Zu’s whereabouts. As long as she followed them, she would be able to reunite with him. At that time, if they worked together, they would be able to defeat these people.
Just then, some distance away, the Rising Sun Prince was shocked when he saw that. “Why did she change her direction?”
His servant Little Sha said, “She was probably upset at the rudeness of that group and wanted to teach them a lesson.”
The Rising Sun Prince looked around them and asked, “Do any of you know what their background is?”
The servant Little Zhu replied, “Judging from their attire and appearances, they seem to be local ruffians of the Zhi River, the Gray Wolf Mercenary Group.”
“Gray Wolf? With how generic their name sounds, they don’t seem to be that strong,” the Rising Sun Prince said, sighing in relief.
Just then, another middle-aged cultivator reminded him, “Prince, please do not be misled by the name. They are actually very strong and terrorize the entire Zhi River for thousands of miles. They kill and plunder as they wish, not shirking from any crime imaginable. Some people wanted to get rid of them too, with several small countries and forces joining forces to deal with them, and yet each time, those groups were completely wiped out. Later, the mercenaries even infiltrated the various powers and killed their leaders. From then on, no one dared to rashly offend them anymore.”
He was the Rising Sun Prince’s protector. Previously, he had been drawn away from the prince’s side because of a trap, and that was why the prince had ended up in danger. Fortunately, Chu Chuyan had saved them from that assassination.
The Rising Sun Prince’s expression changed. He asked, “They’re that strong?”
Even though they weren’t a small country, they wouldn’t necessarily be stronger than that alliance of small countries. At that moment, he had a fearful expression. But when he thought about how beautiful Chu Chuyan was, he wasn’t willing to leave either.
Little Zhu was the best at reading emotions. When he saw that, he immediately understood and hurriedly said, “Prince, weren’t you worried all this time that Miss Chu would be too strong, that you wouldn’t have the chance to save a beauty like a hero?”
Along the way, Chu Chuyan’s beauty had spurred quite a bit of conflict. But she was too strong herself, and she had a lot of experience in the world of warriors, so she had been able to deal with those problems without much issue at all. The Rising Sun Prince hadn’t even had the chance to interfere, leaving him really annoyed.
“If this Gray Wolf Mercenary Group is that formidable, those earlier rascals cannot compare to them at all. Even though Miss Chu is formidable, she is probably no match for them either. If she falls into a dangerous situation and the prince descends like a great hero, won’t you completely capture her heart?”
The Rising Sun Prince’s eyes lit up. Right! I was waiting for an opportunity all this time, and one finally came. How can I just leave now?
When he thought about how Chu Chuyan wouldn’t be strong enough, and she would end up on the verge of being ravaged by those evildoers, he knew that she would definitely be in absolute despair. If he then arrived like a splendid knight to rescue her, he could even carry her in his arms and spin a few times. They’d look into each other's eyes deeply… wouldn’t she be completely in love then?
That goddess-like beauty’s soft body would lean into his embrace while she said bashfully, “Thank you for saving my life, prince. This humble one has no other way to repay you but to give you my entire self…”
All sorts of scenes appeared. It was as if a volcano had erupted in the Rising Sun Prince’s mind.
The middle-aged protector said with a frown, “Those Gray Wolf Mercenaries are too formidable,;we might not be able to save Miss Chu and might lose our own lives too. In my opinion, we should immediately warn Miss Chu to not offend the other side. She might not know about their background.”
The Rising Sun Prince hurriedly waved his hand and said, “No way, no way. If we warn her now, there’s no use at all.”
If we warned her now, she would only politely thank me at most and wouldn’t pay much attention to me at all. On the contrary, if I wait until she’s in despair, and then appear when she’s terrified both mentally and physically… Anyone would know what sort of choice to make.
“But…”
The middle-aged protector still wanted to persuade him, but Little Zhu interrupted him. “Mister Sun, you are worrying too much. The prince came with a group of experts this time, and the prince’s Rising Sun Technique has been cultivated to the eighth level as well. We have no need to fear anyone. Furthermore, Miss Chu’s cultivation is very high as well and she will definitely show even greater strength in a decisive battle. Even if the Gray Wolf Mercenary Group can win against her, they will suffer serious casualties. Would they really have much strength left then?
“We have so many experts on our side, and if we wait to deliver the finishing blow until they are exhausted, these mercenaries will all cherish their lives a lot. If their losses reach a certain extent, they will naturally choose to flee.
“Even if we take a thousand steps back, even if they really are formidable, we have so many experts on our side. It should be quite easy to escort the prince in leaving safely as well.”
The Rising Sun Prince laughed heartily and said, “What Little Zhu says is right; that’s exactly what we’ll do. Everyone, follow her. Make sure not to alert her at all.”
When the middle-aged protector saw that the prince had already made his decision, he couldn't say much else. He could only signal his subordinates to be on high alert and follow from a distance.
…
Meanwhile, up ahead, the Gray Wolf Mercenary Group’s leader asked the man next to him, “Did you really find our target?” There was a scar across his eye, and his words carried an air of ferocity.
“Boss, are you really doubting my skills? It would be one thing if he hasn’t come to the Zhi River, but if he is here, he’ll never escape my eye,” the other man, who had an eye that bulged out of its socket, looked at the distant great mountain and said with a laugh. “This person is pretty careful, not taking any major routes and instead choosing a handful of remote roads off the beaten track. I reckon that it’s precisely because he was worried about being chased.”
The leader immediately felt at ease. This subordinate had a special ability, which was that his eye could see everything that was happening along the Zhi River. Of course, that was on the premise that he had the target’s exact appearance and information. This assassination request had already provided him with the prerequisites, however, It was because the group had that ability that they were successful in every operation.
The leader roared with laughter and said, “Once this mission succeeds, you will definitely have your share of rewards.”
After all, such an assassination order hasn’t appeared in the Adventurer’s Guild for several decades. The abundant reward for the mission had already driven the entire world mad. As long as one could complete the mission, they wouldn’t be able to use up all of the money even if they had three lifetimes. That was why the various forces were all looking for him. However, this person was extremely crafty and had never been found by anyone.
Fortunately, the assassination order had been issued in none other than the Zhi River. That was why their Gray Wolf Mercenary Group had found him. The pavilion closest to the water really enjoyed moonlight first! If it were any other place, they wouldn’t have the confidence to win against the other forces, but the Zhi River was their territory! Together with the Thousand Mile Eye skill, they had an advantage over the other parties. That was why they had decided to give the great tomb a try as well, after completing the assassination first.
The entire mercenary group was in high spirits. They were already starting to fantasize about just how they would celebrate once the mission was completed.
The bulge-eyed man looked behind him and said in a hushed voice, “Boss, that woman followed us.”
The leader looked behind him but didn’t see Chu Chuyan. However, he knew the bulge-eyed man wouldn’t make a mistake. The woman had clearly followed from a distance to make sure she wasn’t noticed.
“We already let her go, and yet she followed us?” the leader asked in confusion.
Just then, a yellow-faced, tough-looking man said with a chuckle, “Who knows, maybe that girl saw how valiant we looked and felt a little something inside.”
The others roared with laughter when they heard that. They all blew catcalls while saying, “Since she’s coming to us, let’s capture her first.”