Full-Level Fierce Person
Chapter 269 - 171 Kidnapping

Chapter 269: 171 Kidnapping

"Ouch, it hurts too much!"

He had never suffered like this in his life before!

"Is this what getting beaten feels like?"

Miao Qiutao clutched his stomach, knelt on the ground, and nearly passed out.

Despite his cultivation of "Flowing Cloud Iron Sleeve Skill," which included both defense and resilience, Fang Zhixing’s fists were just too heavy.

The damage could only have been inflicted by fist power exceeding a hundred thousand jin.

However, such a strong and young master was unheard of by him.

"There are always higher skies and people beyond us."

Miao Qiutao was forced to lift his head.

Fang Zhixing pressed his hand on Miao Qiutao’s head, grabbed his scalp, and lifted him up.

"Still want to fight?" he asked.

Miao Qiutao, coughing blood, asked, "Who... who exactly are you?"

"Wrong answer!"

Fang Zhixing punched Miao Qiutao in the stomach, sending his body flying and nearly ripping off his scalp.

"Wow~"

Miao Qiutao vomited a mouthful of blood, swung mid-air like a pendulum, and then his face violently crashed into the ground.

Bang!

Miao Qiutao’s face smashed into the ground, sending a ring of dust swirling outward.

Fang Zhixing once again lifted Miao Qiutao and said indifferently, "Still want to fight?"

"Cough, Spit~"

Miao Qiutao spit out the mud in his mouth, his handsome face bloody and beaten beyond recognition.

"I, I give up..."

Miao Qiutao strained to speak, his voice trembling with fear.

"Correct answer."

Fang Zhixing chuckled, threw Miao Qiutao aside like throwing away a dead dog.

He turned toward the top of the slope and shouted, "Stop!"

The Wei Brothers, upon hearing this, immediately backed off.

The man in gray had several bloodstains on him, but his injuries were not severe; he immediately ran to Miao Qiutao’s side, checked his wounds, and a look of pain emerged on his face.

He looked up at Fang Zhixing, then bowed his head and said, "Thank you, hero, for sparing his life."

With that, he picked up Miao Qiutao, sprinted to the carriage, and jumped on.

"Giddy-up~"

The coachman hurriedly turned the carriage around and sped back the way they had come, raising dust as they left.

Soon after, Fang Zhixing and his companions also headed back home.

About two and a half hours later, five men and one dog returned to the Yixiang House without any commotion.

The Wei Brothers went straight to rest.

Xigou also climbed into bed, settled down, and fell asleep headfirst.

Even though he had done nothing, he hadn’t slept all night and was dog tired.

Fang Zhixing entered the study, summoned his energy, and wrote a "mission accomplished" scroll before sending it back with a carrier pigeon.

At that moment, Hongye brought him a bowl of green tea and handed it to Fang Zhixing.

Fang Zhixing took a sip of the tea and asked, "Hongye, have you heard anything particular about this Qinghe Martial Arts Tournament?"

"Yes, this Martial Arts Tournament is very lively. The rumors outside are almost deafening."

Hongye nodded slightly, a hint of excitement in her voice, "In previous Martial Arts Tournaments, the protagonists were the Luo Family and the scions of eight minor clans. The winner was undoubtedly someone from the Luo Family, and everyone else merely attended.

But this time it’s different. The son of the Prefectural Governor, Tian Taixing, has entered the tournament with a vow to take first place, and he’s in open conflict with the Luo Family’s scions, tension boiling over.

Additionally, the Martial Alliance has sent participants as well, vowing to defeat people like Luo, Tian, and other young nobles, stirring the waters even more."

Fang Zhixing nodded, as he also had this information, but furrowed his brows and asked, "What are the rules of the competition?"

Hongye replied, "As usual, the Qinghe Martial Arts Tournament is divided into two rounds. The first round is the ’pearl fetching’ game, which selects ten contestants; the second round involves drawing lots to fight, determining the ranks of those ten people."

Fang Zhixing curiously asked, "The pearl fetching game, what exactly is it like?"

Hongye replied, "Before the competition, the Prefectural Governor will release a school of ’shallow swordfish’ into Qingshui River.

This type of ’shallow swordfish’ only swims within a depth of two meters and moves incredibly fast.

A tri-colored pearl, the size of a peanut, grows on the fish’s head. This pearl can glow under the water, and once the pearl is removed, the fish will die.

The contestants must catch the ’shallow swordfish’ and retrieve the pearls from their heads without the aid of any boats or rafts, relying solely on their qinggong and water skills.

When the time is up, the number of pearls each participant holds will be counted; the top ten individuals will advance to the second round."

Fang Zhixing listened attentively, his face showing changing expressions.

"So that’s the pearl fetching game... no wonder... "

Fang Zhixing suddenly realized. He finally understood why Luo Keji and Dong Minzhu kept instructing him to target Miao Qiutao, Hu Yizhi, and others.

Although Miao Qiutao was also a participant, he wasn’t competing for himself.

During the competition, he would hand over any pearls he obtained to Tian Taixing, ensuring Tian Taixing would definitely make it into the top ten.

Hu Yizhi and others were likely doing the same.

Therefore, by eliminating them early from the competition, Tian Taixing’s chances of breaking through would be significantly weakened.

"After all this fuss, this is what I am doing."

Fang Zhixing’s mind cleared, and he couldn’t help but laugh ruefully.

Such was the Qinghe Martial Arts Tournament; everyone thought it was a showcase of divine skills, but in reality, it was all about having connections and backing.

Fang Zhixing shook his head silently and sighed, "Whichever family has the greater power and backing, automatically becomes the predetermined winner."

He didn’t dwell on it any further and lay down to catch up on sleep.

"Master, wake up."

After some time, Fang Zhixing suddenly heard Hongye’s call, waking him from his slumber.

"Master, a new mission has come." Hongye’s soft voice reached his ears.

Fang Zhixing yawned as he got up and first checked the weather outside.

It was a bit cloudy, likely some time in the afternoon.

Hongye handed him a scroll.

"Before the hour of Hai tonight, rush to the Yan Family Winery 170 li south of the city, capture Miss Yan Hongtao alive, and deliver her to the dock ten li away."