Chapter 86: You Wanted to Kill Me, Chu Tian. Now I Have Come.

The others exchanged glances, none of them knowing what urgent matter could have driven Chu Tian away so abruptly that he did not even stay for dinner.

“Xiaotian is always so impulsive. I wonder what could be so pressing?” Lin Yue-ru sighed. On the surface, she sounded as if she were scolding her son, but in truth she was easing the mood.

After that, they sat down to eat.

Yue Xin and Wei Qingqiu happened to be seated across from each other.

Wei Qingqiu remained composed, while Yue Xin could not help sizing her up, as though comparing herself with her in some unspoken contest.

Only after dinner ended and Yue Zhongzheng had taken on a slight drunkenness did he, with Yue Xin’s support, rise to his feet and take his leave.

“Qingqiu, it’s already so late. I doubt Xiaotian will be coming back tonight. Why don’t you sleep in his room?” Lin Yue-ru glanced at the clock on the wall, worried that a young woman traveling home alone in the middle of the night might run into danger, and simply asked Wei Qingqiu to stay.

“All right, Auntie.”

Wei Qingqiu agreed. Soon she went into the room and called her grandfather. She knew Chu Tian had left in such a hurry because something must have happened, and that filled her with unease.

On the outskirts of Tianmen City.

Han Bao clutched his chest and ran frantically along a forest path.

He had originally led his men personally to investigate the situation at Tai Chi Mountain, never expecting that before he even reached it, he would be ambushed on the way.

Most of the Han family’s experts stayed behind to hold off the enemy and buy Han Bao a chance to escape.

In his panic, Han Bao had even managed to place a call to Chu Tian for help.

But the enemy’s experts quickly caught up and knocked the phone from Han Bao’s hand.

Had it not been for the few remaining Han family members who protected him with their lives, Han Bao would likely have already died under the siege.

Now all the Han family experts by his side had been killed. He alone remained alive.

He had lost his phone and all means of communication, and he had not even managed to tell Chu Tian his exact location.

At this moment, the enemy experts were searching this stretch of mountain forest. Once they found him, death would be his only fate.

Thinking of this, Han Bao’s expression darkened.

Dragging his wounded body, he struggled to his feet once more, preparing to leave the woods.

If he kept hiding in place, they would find him sooner or later. He would only be waiting to die.

Just then, a mocking voice suddenly rang out behind him.

“Master Han, how much longer do you plan to run?”

Han Bao was startled by the words and turned toward the source of the sound.

Seven figures had appeared in the dense forest and were gradually closing in on him.

Even at the peak of his strength, Han Bao would never have been able to defeat so many experts. Let alone now, when he was already injured, escape was impossible.

“Who are you people? Why are you hunting me down?” Han Bao’s face darkened. In his heart, he had already resolved to die; he only wanted to learn these people’s identities before the end.

At that moment, the young man in the lead stepped forward.

One of his arms had been severed, and on the stump he wore a hook forged from fine steel. It was highly distinctive.

“You are Tang Rixin, the Cold-Faced Butcher?”

Han Bao’s pupils contracted. Though the other man had not revealed his identity, the sight of that hook instantly told him everything.

“Humph. At least you have some discernment.”

Tang Rixin gave a cold smile, because Han Bao had indeed guessed his identity correctly.

He was a cold-blooded killer. He had no old grudge against the Han family; this time, accepting the mission to intercept Han Bao was nothing more than a way to earn a reward.

“Tang Rixin, we have no enmity between us. Who sent you to kill me?”

“You should know I am a man of the Dark God Temple. If you kill me, the Dark God Temple will never let you go.”

Driven by necessity, Han Bao could only reveal his identity, hoping to frighten the other side.

“The Dark God Temple?”

“I kill you here, and who will know who did it? Not even the Dark God Temple will be able to trace it back to me.”

“Besides, do you really think the Dark God Temple would spend its strength to avenge just one man?”

Tang Rixin sneered, paying no heed to Han Bao’s threat.

At that, Han Bao fell silent.

He knew Tang Rixin was right. If he were killed in this barren wilderness, who would know who the murderer was?

“Master Han, I can give you a chance to live. Whether you can seize it is up to you.”

Tang Rixin’s eyes in the darkness were like those of a hawk, fixed tightly on Han Bao.

“What... what chance?”

Han Bao looked stunned. He did not believe the man would truly be so merciful.

“Our target is Chu Tian. As long as you call him out and help us kill him, perhaps I can spare your life.”

Tang Rixin gave a cold laugh and finally revealed their true purpose.

“Dream on!”

Han Bao snapped coldly. No one understood Chu Tian’s terror better than he did. If he were to betray Chu Tian in exchange for survival, he would rather die here outright.

“Since you refuse, there is no need for us to keep you alive. Kill him.”

Tang Rixin shook his head. With a wave of his hand, one of the internal energy experts behind him stepped out and charged straight at Han Bao.

The man raised his heavy broadsword and brought it down toward Han Bao’s head.

In the moonlight, the blade flashed like a streak of icy light.

Han Bao lifted his face and instinctively shut his eyes.

He already knew that he would surely die today, and only prayed that Chu Tian would avenge him.

But several seconds passed, and the blade still had not fallen. Han Bao felt no pain at all.

He opened his eyes and was astonished to see the blade suspended in midair, easily trapped between two fingers, unable to move.

And the owner of those two fingers was the very figure Han Bao had just imagined in his mind: Chu Tian.

“Palace Master?”

Han Bao was slightly shocked. He had not expected Chu Tian to appear so suddenly, and even less expected him to save him at the critical moment.

At that moment, Chu Tian applied a touch of force with his two fingers and effortlessly snapped the steel blade. Then, with a backhanded palm strike, he slammed it heavily into the internal energy expert.

Bang!

The man flew back like a broken kite, coughing up a mouthful of blood in midair. He fell at Tang Rixin’s feet and died without even managing to cry out.

Seeing this, Tang Rixin’s expression changed.

“You are Chu Tian?”

Tang Rixin had intended to use Han Bao to lure Chu Tian into a trap.

But he had not expected Chu Tian to arrive so quickly. The trap had not even been laid, and Chu Tian was already here. This was truly troublesome.

“You wanted Han Bao to draw me out, didn’t you? There’s no need for such trouble now. I’m already here.”

Chu Tian’s voice was cold. He wanted to find out who these people were, and why they had set their sights on him.

“Attack together!”

Tang Rixin waved his hand again, and the five internal energy experts behind him surged forward at once, converging on Chu Tian.