Chapter 822 - He’s Gone! (1/2)

Chapter 822

He’s Gone!

From the initial six, Si had only three functional subordinates left. With half of their team incapacitated, the remaining few did not dare to initiate attacks. They were rather injured but still on guard intensely. Their gazes on Gan Qie were filled with unabashed horror. If there weren’t any other orders, they would’ve retreated right away.

Gan Qie wasn’t unscathed either. Some of the sharp weapons were stabbed into his body. Yet, the man wasn’t bleeding and didn’t seem to have noticed it at all. Gan Qie was unfazed.

This fact alone was stressful to the Bi people. People like Gan Qie were probably the last thing they wish to encounter. If they had known sooner, they would’ve stopped Si from attacking this bunch.

Nothing was more devastating than having your enemy neutralise your proudest combat tactic using brute force. Worse, their opponents did not require any other tricks, merely facing them head-on. They were overwhelmed by shock.

Si, on the other end, seemed to share the sentiment.

The muscles on his arms were still twitching and his fingers around the long handle were trembling slightly. The black robe cladding his body was badly deformed, he looked like a beggar in ragged clothes. Ever since Si took over the organization, this was probably his first time feeling so flustered. Despite that, his physical injuries were definitely far less severe than the psychological shock he received.

At where his fingers were wrapped around the handle was a flattened protrusion that used to house a horizontal bar.

The construct of the cross-shaped long-handled Xi blade was based on the ‘民 (mín)’ character. The cross on the handle signified the frames that slaves would be tied to if deemed guilty. In their organisation, any slave that had committed a crime would be subjected to punishments like getting tied to a cross frame/crucified, burned and so on.

And now, the long handle in Si’s grip was only left with its base. The two protruding edges had been cut off by Shao Xuan moments ago.

With the large Xi blade still attached to the long straight handle, it looked more like a sickle now.

Si was regretting everything now. Why didn’t he adhere to Ji Fang’s words? He should not have initiated attacks before realizing who his enemy was.

What was the most important thing when initiating battle?

Information!

Si only had a limited understanding of Shao Xuan. The Yi family who had suffered a great loss would never disclose their ordeal with Shao Xuan to the public. After all, it was regarded as an embarrassment of the family. If only a handful of clan members were aware of it, the knowledge would not reach anyone outside their circle.

This was why the Bi organisation, characteristically an arrogant group, would dare set their eyes on the other continent as their ambitions swelled. After encountering obstacles, they still pushed on anyway because they did not know what awaited them.

When the organisation started to make moves on the other continent years ago, Si had thought- Ha! I’m going to capture some of you and sell you off as slaves! What are you going to do about it? Cross the ocean and retaliate?

But Flaming Horns had actually did retaliate! Not only had they crossed the ocean but they had also brought along an impressive army of tribesmen.

Before commencing operation, Si too had thought- If you don’t surrender Robber Seven over, then you’ve truly brought this upon yourselves! I’m going to capture and enslave everyone here. Those who struggle shall be killed right away. You won’t even get the chance to regret anything!

However, reality had once again proved that Si was wrong. He was out here personally with a handful of his most trusted and greatly experienced subordinates. They even had the advantage of an additional member. Alas, they failed miserably. His cross-shaped long-handled weapon was even slashed into a stick!

Their failure was not only attributed to Shao Xuan’s overwhelmingly powerful capabilities but also the sword in his grip. In the exchange, Si noticed cloud patterns engraved on the blade. But they were moving too fast and Shao Xuan’s attacks were exceptionally aggressive. Added with the dim lighting, Si had no chance to inspect it better. However, that glimpse alone was sufficient for Si to conclude that Shao Xuan’s sword was birthed by one of the Gongjia member’s hands!

Which Gongjia member was behind this creation? He needed to demand answers from the Gongjia family!

Si’s heart was gloomy, a vast array of thoughts clouding his mind in the process. His facial muscles were stiff, causing his expressions to look distorted. But in the end, his rationality had won over. Si decided to withdraw from battle. If this went on, even Si himself would fall into greater danger, let alone his other three subordinates.

It was a rare occurrence that the leader of the largest slave-trading organisation had to call for a retreat. And it was a very helpless retreat at that.

“Retreat!” Si shouted with great reluctance.

Si’s retreating order had finally arrived. The three injured dark-clothed figures could finally heave a breath of relief. Without delaying further, they kept their chains and fled! They were finally free from the monster!

Si and his party had left as abruptly as they had appeared.

“Should I go after them?” asked Gan Qie.

“No need.” Shao Xuan returned his sword to its sheath. He looked at the boulder where Robber Seven was left, only to find an empty rope cocoon.

“He escaped.” Gan Qie felt guilty. He was too focused on beating their enemies to a pulp and had allowed an opening for the thief’s escape! It was his arrogance that led him to believe that nothing would go unnoticed to his nose upon physical transformation. He could even detect the faintest scent of blood and track his target down, escape wouldn’t be an option.

And yet, Robber Seven had managed to deceive him and escaped right under his lids!

Robber Seven was capable of changing the scent of his perspiration, which was the main reason behind his successful escape from the tracking insects. He had even changed the scent of his blood to avoid Gan Qie’s detection. The robber had even made sure to make the switch gradually whilst Gan Qie fought the dark-clothed figures in the background. He finally fled when everyone was immersed and distracted by the ongoing battle.

It was moist inside the rope cocoon. Robber Seven’s sweat and blood were soaked into the material, leaving behind only familiar scents to Gan Qie to deceive his senses. Robber Seven was probably long gone at this point.

“What do we do now?” Mu Fa asked Shao Xuan.

“Mu Fa, Ci Du, Qu Li and Lu Zhai, go ahead and catch up with the rest of our team. Head into King City with the bunch,” instructed Shao Xuan.

“Are you and Gan Qie not going to come along? Are you planning to go after the robber?” asked Ci Du.

“No.” Shao Xuan denied. “We’re not going after Robber Seven. We’re going to chase after Si.”