Chapter 41: Reverse Scale
“What’s going on?!” Lu Yun’s expression changed drastically. Ignoring his shoes, his figure flickered, and he was already inside the courtyard.
“Young Master, bad news! Miss has been kidnapped!” The guard who had been secretly following Lu Ying reported anxiously with a face full of panic. “After Miss and the others finished shopping at East Market, they parted ways at the market entrance. In the alley on the way back, a carriage suddenly blocked the path. A group of people got off the carriage, took down the two guards by Miss’s side at the first encounter, and dragged Miss onto the carriage! We two in hiding knew we were no match, so we didn’t dare expose ourselves. Little Seven followed behind the carriage, and I hurried back to report to Young Master!”
“Bastards!” Hearing the guard’s report, Lu Yun was instantly furious beyond measure! How could he not know that someone from North of the Luo River was taking revenge on him! Otherwise, how could ordinary kidnappers defeat two Yellow Rank guards?!
“Unforgivable! They actually dared to touch my Elder Sister!” If there was anything in this world that Lu Yun cherished, Lu Ying was definitely number one! Now these people had actually laid hands on Lu Ying—how could he not burn with rage and surge with killing intent?!
But the angrier he was, the calmer Lu Yun became. He instructed the guard in a deep voice: “Prepare horses!” After saying that, he went back inside to stow the account book, changed into an outfit robe, slipped the short knife into his sleeve, and put on quick boots at the doorway. At this time, the guard led over the manor’s only two horses.
Lu Yun mounted his horse, his face frosty as he said: “Lead the way!”
The guard also quickly mounted and led Lu Yun ahead to the alley where Lu Ying had been abducted, pointing ahead and saying: “They went in that direction!”
After proceeding a distance, Lu Yun saw an arrow drawn in white ash at the corner ahead—that was a mark left by Little Seven during the stakeout.
Seeing that mark, Lu Yun no longer needed anyone to lead the way. He instructed the guard in a deep voice: “Go immediately find my father!”
The guard acknowledged the order and left. Lu Yun followed the marks all the way, soon exiting the city.
Outside the city, the markets were still bustling. Following Little Seven’s marks, Lu Yun began to gallop frenziedly on horseback. Every certain distance, he would see a clear white footprint on the ground. Lu Yun hurriedly chased along these footprints, and in the blink of an eye, he had gone five li. Then he saw the tracks leave the Great Road and head up a small mountain by the roadside!
Not long after Lu Yun went up the mountain, he saw Little Seven’s figure. His two legs had been chasing the carriage, and now he was drenched in sweat, panting as he pointed up the mountain: “Young Master, you finally came—they went up the mountain!”
Lu Yun nodded expressionlessly, dismounted, unfolded his figure, and turned into a phantom. In the blink of an eye, he reached the halfway point up the mountain!
.
There was a thatched hut on the mountain top, built who knows how many years ago, already dilapidated. Several men with weapons at their waists anxiously peered out from the doorway.
At this time, a sealed carriage slowly drove up along the winding mountain path and stopped beside the thatched hut.
“They’re here!” Seeing the carriage, the men cried out lowly and quickly went to greet it. The leader, a tall and burly middle-aged man with a leopard head and ringed eyes, looking fierce, asked in a deep voice: “How did it go? Did you get the person?!”
Though the mountain wasn’t high, driving the carriage up had left the men drenched in stinking sweat. “Of course it was a success!”
With that, they pulled open the carriage curtain.
Inside the carriage, Lu Ying had her hands bound behind her, a handkerchief stuffed in her mouth, and she glared furiously at these thugs with eyes shooting fire!
“Good, this is the person Young Master wants.” Big Guy nodded and said: “Well done, worthy of being Luodu’s most skilled human traffickers!”
“Heh heh…” Shorty, a pockmarked man with triangular eyes, grinned and said: “Lucky you had your people there, or it really would’ve been tricky.” Then, with a face full of surprise: “This little lady actually had two Yellow Rank guards—what’s her background?”
“Don’t worry about her background—our people didn’t participate either.” Big Guy said coldly: “Know too much and you won’t live long!”
“Fine, fine,” Shorty felt a chill in his heart and quickly changed his tune, smiling obsequiously: “We won’t ask.”
“Not asking won’t let you live long either!” At that moment, a ghostly voice rang out from nowhere.
“Who?!” Everyone in the field bristled like exploded fur, drawing their weapons one after another and vigilantly looking toward the voice.
They saw a white-robed young master of unparalleled handsomeness walking up the mountain path to stand before them. The mountain wind blew his robes, making him look like an immortal descending to earth!
However, his beautiful eyes brimmed with soaring killing intent. Just meeting his gaze made everyone feel as if their bodies were freezing stiff!
“Lu Yun? You arrived quite fast!” Big Guy actually recognized him. Though somewhat surprised at why this youth had such terrifying momentum, with his Black Rank cultivation, how could he take Lu Yun seriously? “Good, saves us another trip—tie him up too and demand money from that Lu Xin!”
Lu Yun ignored him completely, heading straight for the carriage. Only after seeing Lu Ying safe and sound inside did he stop.
With two Black Rank experts present, what was there to worry about? The crowd grinning ferociously responded and pounced at Lu Yun from all directions.
Seeing Lu Yun surrounded, Shorty sidled up to Big Guy and flattered: “This kid really doesn’t know the height of heaven or the depth of earth, daring to come alone—tsk tsk, he’s really handsome…”
Before the words finished, dazzling white light erupted around the youth! Those surrounding him flew back screaming as if electrocuted!
Flying out about a zhang, they crashed heavily to the ground. Amid the rising dust, their bodies twitched a few times, then they all died…
“Ah, my eyes!” Shorty was farther away and escaped with his life, but the strong light stabbed his eyes like needles. Clutching them, he wailed in pain: “What sorcery is this?!”
“Light Shines in All Directions, constrained above and below?!” Big Guy’s eyes also teared from the sting, but he still glared wide-eyed, staring deadly at Lu Yun!
“Yes!” The other silent Black Rank expert shrieked in shock at this moment: “It’s Light Shines in All Directions from our clan’s Heaven and Earth Righteous Law! But that’s something only Earth Rank can use!”
They wouldn’t believe to their deaths that mere sixteen-year-old Lu Yun had Earth Rank cultivation! But seeing this move, both were scared out of their wits and immediately turned to flee!
But the next moment, both stopped abruptly, because Lu Yun was already blocking their path.
“You dared to lay hands on my Elder Sister—do you think you’ll leave alive?!” Lu Yun gazed icily at the two. Fortunately, he’d confirmed Lu Ying was safe and sound; otherwise, he couldn’t have controlled the impulse to tear them to shreds!
Seeing Lu Yun clearly far away yet blocking their path in a blink, how could they not know this youth’s martial arts far exceeded theirs, even if not Earth Rank!
“Fight!” Minds in sync, they raised their weapons and attacked Lu Yun’s glabella and chest! Their combined attack technique had been trained for countless years—even ordinary Earth Rank had to temporarily dodge its edge!
“Overreaching!” But Lu Yun neither dodged nor evaded, arms circling into a round embrace, hands casually flipping outward. The two slammed into an iron plate, their weapons instantly knocked flying!
The two screamed and flew back two zhang, backs crashing heavily to the ground, immediately spurting blood from their mouths!
“Transforming Circle into Square…” Big Guy’s face was ashen as death, spitting another mouthful of blood, rasping: “It’s really Earth Rank…”
The only one left in the field was Shorty wailing to heaven and earth. Lu Yun slowly walked over and lightly patted the top of his head, as if just stroking him. Shorty instantly quieted, stiffly toppling dead to the ground. That face, always lecherously evil, for the first time showed an utterly solemn expression…
“Righteous Qi…” The other Black Rank expert saw this and completely gave up struggling. “Indeed Earth Rank…”
The Great Xuan Dynasty had never produced an Earth Rank under twenty—how could they not be shocked…
Lu Yun walked before the two, looking down disdainfully at them sprawled like dead dogs: “Manager He sent you?”
“What qualification does he have to command us…” Big Guy showed a pleading expression, trembling: “I can tell you who’s behind it, but you have to let me go.”
“I swore long ago—whoever dares touch a finger of my sister, I’ll make them shatter to pieces.” Lu Yun shook his head.
“Then don’t expect a word from me!” Big Guy roared fiercely.
“That remains to be seen.” Lu Yun’s eyes flashed with eerie light, as if piercing straight into Big Guy’s heart. His right hand formed a strange seal, then pointed at Big Guy’s glabella.
