Chapter 8
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Chapter 8: No Surrender Allowed!
The beautiful woman broke free from the encirclement and fled. Pedestrians scattered from her path.
“Wan’er…” The green-clothed swordsman blurted out involuntarily, shocked to see his wife breaking through the ranks.
“Jiang Lang, we’re husband and wife. How could I abandon you?” the beautiful woman called back as she ran. “I only lost my virtue, but if I’m caught, I’ll be attacked by three vicious dogs…”
“Ahhh!” The green-clothed swordsman could only roar in fury, wildly swinging his sword.
“What nonsense are you spouting? How vulgar,” Childe Guo interrupted from atop his horse, his face twisted in disgust. “I merely need a servant to tend to the fierce dogs at my manor. What were you imagining? Even I, a known scoundrel, think you’re perverse.”
The beautiful woman fell silent, her fleeing figure coming to a halt. She hesitated, unsure whether to continue running or stay and fight.
“Though you’ve given me an interesting idea,” the young lord mused, stroking his chin with a smile. “Surrender now, and I’ll experiment when we return.”
“Beast! I see through your game – you’re merely toying with us!” the green-clothed swordsman cried out, his voice thick with sorrow and rage.
Throughout the confrontation, the City Lord’s son had remained perfectly poised on his horse, using words alone to mock and confuse them until they lost their bearings.
“Husband and wife should soar together like birds of a forest, yet when calamity strikes, each flies their separate way,” Qiao Canxue murmured, her eyes closed. Coming from a fallen noble house, she had witnessed too many rises and falls to be surprised by the scene before her. She had seen countless couples turn on each other when faced with life and death.
“My dear, don’t be angry. I’m merely helping you see the true nature of the one beside you,” Childe Guo continued, his smile unwavering as he sat composed upon his mount.
“Chase her! Don’t let that woman escape!”
At his command, guards rushed after her, creating a sudden gap in their previously flawless formation.
In that instant, Qiao Canxue felt a breeze brush past her. She reached out instinctively, but grasped only air – Qiao Mu’s spot stood empty.
“Why is he intervening? That couple are skilled martial artists, yet they were easily manipulated. He’s barely begun his martial training!” Qiao Canxue’s heart skipped a beat.
Then came a muffled thud.
In the split second the formation broke, he crashed through two guards, leaped up, and knocked Childe Guo from his horse. Before the stunned guards could react, Qiao Mu had the young lord’s throat in an iron grip.
“Young master!”
The guards blanched but dared not approach, seeing how firmly Qiao Mu controlled their master.
Catastrophe had struck! Childe Guo, Yan City’s premier playboy, had never faced such opposition.
“The City Lord’s son has been taken hostage!”
The street’s onlookers watched in shock, feeling a mix of secret satisfaction and unease.
“Another outsider? How dare they assault the City Lord’s son! This is madness!”
“This young man is too reckless. He can flee if things worsen, but we might bear the consequences!”
“Brother, brother, let’s discuss this,” Childe Guo managed, his face reddening in Qiao Mu’s chokehold. Still trying to maintain composure, he added, “Brother, perhaps you’re unaware – I am the Yan City Lord’s son. This entire city belongs to the Guo family.”
“So what?” Qiao Mu lifted him by the neck like a chicken.
“The lord’s mansion is nearby. Harm me, and my father will arrive instantly!”
Qiao Mu’s spirits lifted at these words. The Ouroboros Long Life Lock in his mind emitted a faint glow, signaling that his actions could improve the Death Assessment.
He had considered boldly killing the Lord’s son, knowing the guards would likely slay him in return. But if the Lord himself arrived, wouldn’t that escalate matters perfectly? Dying at the Lord’s hands would surely raise his Death Assessment higher.
With this thought, Qiao Mu delivered two devastating slaps to Childe Guo’s face. Since killing Butcher Zheng, Qiao Mu’s strength had reached its peak – his arms could exert 500 kilograms of force. Such slaps could easily cause concussion or death if unleashed fully.
SMACK! SMACK!
The sharp sounds echoed through the silent street. Blood flowed from Childe Guo’s nose and mouth; his head spun, and his eyes could barely open.
“Young master!”
“How dare you!”
Qiao Mu held him up by the collar, facing the guards expressionlessly.
“Big… big brother, I surrender,” Childe Guo mumbled through bloody teeth.
His words only angered Qiao Mu further. “No surrender allowed! Call your father here!” Another slap sent Childe Guo’s head sideways with an ominous crack.
“What… what are you waiting for? Find my father!” Childe Guo slurred, trembling in Qiao Mu’s grasp, his former arrogance completely shattered.
Meanwhile, the green-robed swordsman leaned heavily on his sword, bleeding from multiple wounds. Looking back, he smiled bitterly – his wife had vanished completely. During Qiao Mu’s disruption, she’d fled without a backward glance.
He gazed at Qiao Mu in disbelief. While he and his wife, both ninth-rank martial artists, had struggled against the guards, this seemingly untrained young man had launched a successful surprise attack.
As these thoughts swirled, he suddenly tensed, looking up sharply.
Thump, thump, thump…
Thundering hoofbeats approached. A hundred-strong cavalry charged toward them, their horses’ steps shaking the earth. Their leader, an imposing figure with a stern countenance, radiated extraordinary presence.
This was Guo Yan, ruler of Yan City.
