Chapter 4 A Price On His Head (2/2)

Refinement with no spiritual meridian! ?” Avery asked, left hand covering his nearly broken right arm.

So a young man with no spiritual meridian had bested someone of Avery's considerable skill.

Though Avery was technically more powerful, he knew the score. He had improved himself with pills and elixirs, rather than actual skill. There was no way he'd beat a fighter at the same level.

Of course he fell to Ricky's fist.

Bang! Avery had scarcely finished his sentence before a foot caught him in the face and knocked him to the ground. Then Ricky stomped on his head harshly. His once handsome face was now covered with dust and blood.

”You said I was a waste of blood. How about you? See what a waste of blood can do!” Ricky said to him coldly, foot resting on Avery's head. Then Ricky kicked him again, catching Avery full in the chest. Avery flew into a tree near him and passed out.

Of course, Ricky wasn't going to kill Avery—at least, not yet. For one thing, his father was still held captive by the Nan Clan. Another reason was that he did not have the time. If some more powerful members of the Clan heard about this and showed up, he wouldn't stand a chance.

In a moment, Ricky turned and walked over to Inge. His black eyes glared at her with a sharp murderous intent, just like that of a hunting hawk.

”What... what do you want?” Inge asked, terrified. She wanted to back up, but she was too frightened. All she could do was standing there, paralyzed. She could sense he was intent on mayhem. Inge slumped to the ground with a glassy-eyed look.

”You cheesy slut! I wouldn't dirty my hands killing you!” Ricky said with an icy look, ”I just wanted to tell you all that I'm back!” While he said this, his eyes swept the other members of the Nan Clan, who wore the same expression as Inge.

”You can tell Nate and Gilbert I'm taking everything! Whether it belongs to me or not!”

After finishing his speech, Ricky ran off. He returned to his own small hut quickly, and gathered up some clothing and a few copper coins. Then, he climbed over the wall, leaving the Nan Clan behind.

Ricky did not head to the gates of Stone City, as that would have been quite a distance to cover. After the powerful cultivators of the Nan Clan found out what had happened in the Miraculous Medicine Pavilion, the city gates wouldn't be safe. They'd be waiting for him there.

As he expected, in less than an hour there was a warrant out for his arrest in Stone City.

One of the three largest martial arts clans in the city, the Nan Clan, of course, had massive power and influence. Once the arrest warrant was announced, all the warriors, except the ones of the other two clans, started to chase down Ricky. It was license to kill him.

After all, Ricky was only a waste of blood without any spiritual meridian. They could easily catch up to him. The fact that these hunters had the backing of the Nan Clan didn't hurt either. Anybody who joined in the chase would score brownie points with the clan.

Two days went by, and they still had not captured him. And they had no idea where Ricky even was.

This enraged the Nan Clan and a reward was added to the arrest warrant. Anyone who ratted him out would be rewarded two hundred silver coins. Ricky had a price on his head.

All the warriors were excited to hear it. Even many members of other powerful clans joined the chase.

Because two hundred silver coins was a large fortune, equivalent to twenty thousand copper coins. A warrior at medium-level of the Skin Refinement, hunting wild beasts for two years, could only bring in two hundred silver at the most. They figured this was easy money.

...

Unbeknownst to anyone, Ricky hid in an abandoned well in the western part of Stone City.

This land belonged to the Wang Clan. And they guarded it jealously from the other clans. He wouldn't run into any bounty hunters here.

He was safe for a full five days and nights.

But danger finally found him on the sixth day. He was secretly followed by two furtive figures and they did not show themselves until he came to the well. He'd been found out!