Love & Redemption
Chapter 58 - 18 Qu Ru’s Truth (5)

Chapter 58: Chapter 18 Qu Ru’s Truth (5)

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Zhong Minyan would not let him escape. With a flick of his sword, a flash of light shot out, nailing into the rock before the dark figure—the person stopped dead in his tracks, without a moment’s hesitation, and leaped towards the mountain behind.

In that instant, the two of them roughly made out his outline. He was short and hunched, almost inhuman in shape, more monkey than man. Using his hands and feet together, even monkeys weren’t as agile as he was. He leaped swiftly through the spreading blue smoke, and in a snap had flipped over the rocks.

"Ruo Yu!" Zhong Minyan shouted loudly as he and Linglong hurriedly gave chase, hoping the two people waiting behind could stop the figure.

Ruo Yu and Lu Yanran were already prepared. The moment they saw the dark shadow fleeing towards them, Ruo Yu immediately grabbed a handful of Iron Marbles and, filling them with True Qi, shot them all out. Hearing the whistling wind in front, the man knew it was dangerous and dared not charge forward, so he had no choice but to abandon the cave below him and turned to escape to the left. As soon as he moved his feet, there were several muted thuds, and those Iron Marbles, incredibly, without a single miss, all embedded into the hard rock.

The man knew he had encountered formidable opponents today and feared he wouldn’t be able to escape in time. He stopped abruptly, turned his head, and looked toward them with a piercing gaze.

Zhong Minyan and Linglong arrived just in time. Joining forces, they saw the man clinging to the rocks without moving, and Zhong Minyan said, puzzled, "What’s the matter? Have you captured him?"

Ruo Yu shook her head. "Be careful! It might be a ruse!"

As the blue smoke dissipated, the man’s features became clear in the moonlight. He had bulging forehead and a sunken mouth, with eyes as large as copper bells, dark with little white, and his face seemed to be covered with scars. At first glance, he looked no different from a demon or ghost, especially now that it was deep into the night. His face was enough to scare Linglong and Miss Lu out of their wits.

Zhong Minyan also shuddered, but he formed a Sword technique with his hand and pointed at him, demanding sternly, "Who are you? Why do you control demons to cause chaos, endangering nearby residents?!"

The man did not answer, only letting out a couple of shrill, dry chuckles, sounding like a screech owl.

The two girls shuddered at the sound of his laughter, when unexpectedly, he suddenly leaped high, heading straight for Lu Yanran! Upon seeing the strange man suddenly close, with his twisted scars stark in the moonlight, she was so frightened that her body went rigid and her sword wouldn’t swing no matter what.

The man stretched out his hands, his nails black as ink, each about two to three inches long. It was uncertain whether they were poisoned, but he swiped at her face with a claw. If that had made contact, it wouldn’t have been death, but it would have been disfigurement.

Lu Yanran was petrified with fear. Zhong Minyan and Ruo Yu were too far to come to the rescue in time. All that could be heard was the crisp sound of a "clang" as a splendid flash of golden light suddenly burst forth before her eyes. It was Linglong who had stepped in on a slant with her sword, blocking those fearsome nails for her.

"What are you dazing out for! Do you want to die?!"

She roared and with a backhanded sword stroke, she forced the man back. Just then, Zhong Minyan and Ruo Yu arrived in a hurry, and they engaged the man in a fight. His movements were strange, and no one could tell what techniques he was using. His actions resembled those of a wild animal more than anything, completely erratic, but each move was simple and lethal. Locked in battle, the three of them couldn’t break free for a moment. Linglong wanted to help, but turning her head, she saw that Lu Yanran still looked pale from the shock. She pulled her further away to avoid unnecessary injury.

"... You..." Lu Yanran, still rattled, looked at Linglong with a complex expression, and after a long while, she said in a low voice, "Thank... Thank you."

Linglong waved her hand dismissively. "Just don’t hold us back, that’s all. There’s no need for thanks!"

After speaking, she leaped into the fray with her sword, joining Zhong Minyan and the others in enveloping the strange man in a net of sword light, denying him any chance of escape.

Lu Yanran pursed her lips, wanting to retort irritably, as she had done before, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak. She knew she had been in the wrong, having been grudgingly favored by the woman she disliked the most. So she, too, flew forth with her sword, putting aside her former contentious and spiteful thoughts, and causing no more trouble.

Seeing the four of them coming at him together, the strange man knew he was in trouble and feared that after a few more exchanges, they might resort to using Immortal Law, and he wouldn’t be able to escape even if he flew to the heavens or burrowed into the earth. Just then, Linglong’s sword of broken gold swung out, the splendid golden light even brighter than the moon, a deadly light that killed without shedding blood.

When he saw Linglong’s sword come sweeping in, there was an opening under his ribs. Biting his teeth, he didn’t retreat but rushed forward, bringing his grotesque face crashing towards her, startling Linglong so much she almost dropped her sword.

Yet even so, the golden light cleanly severed the man’s right arm, the muffled sound of bone and flesh parting making everyone’s teeth ache. Blood spurted out like a fountain, but the man, tough as nails, didn’t utter a sound. He ducked down suddenly and, taking advantage of Linglong’s moment of shock, found an opening and actually managed to escape.

"Not good!" Ruo Yu exclaimed, throwing out a dozen Iron Marbles, attempting to block his path. However, the injured man moved even faster. He tumbled across the rocks, swift as a goshawk pouncing on a rabbit. The Iron Marbles only hit the rocks behind him, and as they shattered, he vanished into the cave, leaving no trace.

"Should we pursue?" Ruo Yu turned to ask Zhong Minyan.

He frowned as he glanced at the numerous caves of various sizes nearby, fearing they were all interconnected. The man they were after was surely more familiar with the terrain than they were; with the enemy hidden and themselves exposed, it would be difficult to confront him. Yet, to give up now was simply not an option, as it would mean all their efforts had been in vain. Gritting his teeth, he said firmly, "Pursue! We must catch him today!"

Lu Yanran, who had been silent since being rescued by Linglong, suddenly spoke softly, "I have a way to keep him from running amok."

Without waiting for anyone to ask, she raised her sword, closed her eyes, and began to recite the incantation. The incantation went on for the time it takes half an incense stick to burn. Finally, when she finished, the blade shimmered, emitting a captivating cyan glow. With a twist of her wrist, she touched the tip of her sword to the entrances of around a dozen nearby caves. Each entrance she touched was covered in a faint luminescence, thin and ethereal, the nature of which was indiscernible.

Ruo Yu was somewhat surprised, "So Miss Lu can set up a sword net! The skills from Fuyu Island really are formidable!"

Lu Yanran had exerted herself to the utmost, sweat covering her forehead. Hearing his words, pride swelled in her heart, and she laughed, "It’s no big feat; I only know a bit. But it should be enough to make it quite difficult for him to break through and escape. Let us now pursue him into the cave, and we’ll have him trapped like a turtle in a jar."

Linglong had been somewhat disdainful of her, thinking her only capable of talking big and hiding behind men. Seeing her demonstrate such skill, she gained a measure of respect. Linglong was always outspoken and immediately praised her, "What a powerful skill! Teach me next time, will you?"

Only then did Lu Yanran truly smile warmly, snorting, "That depends on your aptitude, you savage woman."

"Tch! You’re the monkey woman!"

Linglong rolled her eyes at her, but then they both laughed together, feeling somewhat embarrassed. The series of events had unexpectedly dissolved the animosity between them, and suddenly they found the other much more agreeable.

The two men, seeing that the women had finally ceased their quarreling, revealing a clear sky, also breathed a sigh of relief internally.

Zhong Minyan said, "Let’s go, don’t let him get away again!"

Immediately, everyone headed for the cave into which the man had dashed, with Lu Yanran setting up a sword net at the entrance of this cave as well before confidently heading into the depths.

The cave was damp and gloomy; within a few steps they were plunged into pitch darkness. Zhong Minyan lit a small torch with pine resin, holding his sword firmly in his other hand, his body tensed and cautious as he slowly moved forward.

After a short distance, Lu Yanran suddenly whispered, "Wait... listen! There’s a noise over there!"

The four of them held their breath and listened intently in the direction she pointed. It seemed from afar that someone was hitting a wall with force, producing a continuous pounding sound, but the noise was so faint that it would have been inaudible if not for the cave’s acoustics.

"What’s going on?" Linglong was a little slow to catch on.

Lu Yanran laughed, "The old turtle has taken the bait! He must be trying to get out but has run into the sword net. Let’s hurry!"

Linglong was still somewhat skeptical, unsure of the sword net’s true effectiveness. It appeared so thin—should it be breached, it would spell disaster.

The four of them ran through the cave, twisting and turning. The deeper they went, the more spacious it became, with countless side passages. Thankfully, with Lu Yanran present—her sword net having its own sensing capability—they ran for the time it takes two incense sticks to burn and began to see light, suggesting they were nearing another exit.

Zhong Minyan covered the torch with his hand to extinguish the flame. The only sound was the collision growing louder, mixed with curses, suggesting the man was frantic with anger at being unable to find a way out.

He shouted, "Still trying to run?!" and lunged forward. Sure enough, he saw the man in a panic, bumping against the cave entrance. The invisible sword net, while seemingly fragile, was incredibly tough. No matter how hard he tried, he could not break through.

The man, realizing they had caught up and there was no escape in the narrow cave, leaned against the rock wall and remained still.