52 Hostage Situation (2/2)

Still trying to find a way out of this mess, the petite girl and Heimart decided not to kill the men. They instead injured them lightly and sent them back to their group. Then aided their companion.

Slight surprise could be seen in the well dressed man's eyes, when he saw his three subordinates being so easily defeated. He looked at six people amongst his remaining group, and with a nod of his head, he sent them to join the fray.

Now facing two people at once, Heimart's team was facing a more difficult situation. The petite girl was still holding a slight advantage against her two enemies, while Heimart's was only able to fight them to a stalemate.

The weak link of the chain, was once again, the young martial cultivator within their group.

After no longer than half a minute, the martial cultivator was on his knees, with the cutting edge of one of the two cultivator's blades, gently pressed against his neck.

Until then, on the other two fronts, the battle was going well. The petite girl had managed to injure one of her adversaries, and Heimart had managed to throw a few good punches as well. But alas, the moment they noticed the capture of their companion, they were forced to stop.

”Woah, easy there” Said Heimart, as a blade pressed too hard against his neck, and cut his skin lightly.

”See? There is no point in going with them.. They are not capable of reaching the inheritance” Said the well dressed man to the spiritual cultivator.

The leader of the second group, which until now had been observing the fight, interjected by saying ”The offer still stands.. Say it and we'll help you out”

The spiritual cultivator was now anxious. No matter what words they used to try to convince him.. both of them were threatening him. Either by threatening people he had become friends with, or making leverage on his attachment to his own life.

”Well.. this is about enough time, isn't it?” Said Heimart suddenly.

The well dressed man looked at him and said with an aloof voice ”What for?..”

Heimart slowly raised his hand, and pointed right next to where the well dressed man was standing and said ”For him to arrive, of course.”

The well dressed man couldn't help but instinctively turn to his left, and there, he saw a young man in simple clothes standing quietly. His face contorted in contempt.. he turned back to look at Heimart, and with derision in his voice, he said ”Is he supposed to take you out of your predicament?”

On Heimart's lips a faint smile appeared, as he said ”It's not my predicament anymore.. It's yours..”

The young man who Heimart was point at, was of course, Daniel.

Now irritated, the well dressed man unsheathed his blade, and walked straight towards Daniel.

He then made an horizontal slashing motion, trying to directly separate Daniel's head from his body.

Unfortunately, only the deaf noise of the blade swinging through air could be heard.

Daniel had lowered his body at the very last moment, and slid right on the man's blind side. In the man's ears, the sound of a calm voice could be heard. It was ”Would you mind telling your goons to let them go?..”

Embarrassed, the well dressed man barked furiously ”Or what?!” he then twisted his body, swinging his blade in a circular motion in an attempt to cut Daniel's body in half.

Once again, the only thing he managed to cut through, was thin air.

Daniel was using 'Shadow Approach' and 'True Motion' at the same time. His naturally agile body, along with the partial absence of mistakes in his movement and the quiet and stealthy nature of 'Shadow Approach', made him completely unpredictable.

”Or I will freeze all the liquids within your body, and turn you into an ice sculpture.” Said Daniel with a matter-of-fact tone.

”BULLSHIT!” Shouted the well dressed man, but before he could turn around and attack once more, he felt the surrounding temperature drop of several degrees.

He looked at his companions in panic, and noticed that none of them was in the same state of discomfort he was. He started to shiver, and his warm moist breath became visible whenever he exhaled.

Unable to speak, the well dressed man started to become paler and paler, as the blood within his body retracted from his arms and legs, and focused on his thorax.

Daniel looked at the three martial cultivators which were holding his friends hostage, and said ”Now, you could kill my friends.. but that would mean the death of.. this guy who I assume is your young master.. So, if you don't want to take him back inside a set of water vases, I suggest you release them, and be on your way.”

His tone still matter-of-fact, as if nothing could change anything he had said.

*Clank*

The providential sound of the well dressed man, now unable to squeeze his fingers around the blade's handle anymore, dropping his weapon on a nearby rock, reached everyone's ears.

The three martial cultivators removed their blades from the necks of Heimart's team, and stepped back. Their face filled with worry, and a tiny bit of anger.

Daniel stepped away from the well dressed man, and increased the temperature of the air around him once again. A few of the man's subordinates approached him and kept him from falling. They then walked away from the area while dragging their young master.

The leader of the second group noticed Daniel's superb comprehension of water essence, but as he was about to open his mouth and talk, Daniel looked back at him and said ”Can I help you with something?” His tone cold and menacing.

The group leader froze in place. Swearing to have felt the surrounding temperature drop by a few degrees, he closed his mouth, shook his head, and walked away with the rest of his group.

”Busy couple of hours?” Asked Daniel to Heimart while smiling.

”Hehe.. you can say that” Heimart responded.