Chapter 340 - 337: Escaping the City
Chapter 340: Chapter 337: Escaping the City
"Ghost Nose" Liu the Seventh, leading his "Tracking Dog"—a hound with a supernatural sense of smell that had undergone special training—hurried to the blood-drenched battlefield on the west side of the city with two other experts skilled in Tracking.
"Keep up!"
Crouching down, Liu the Seventh’s wrinkled old face was almost pressed to the ground. His nose twitched violently like a hound’s, a sharp glint flashing in his murky old eyes from time to time.
He carefully distinguished the target’s lingering scent in the air, following the smell forward.
But after tracking for several miles, his brow suddenly furrowed. He spoke to the leaders sent by Xiyu Building, the Tiger Evil Gang, and the other factions beside him.
"The kid’s scent vanishes here. I can’t track him any further."
The Tracking Dog at his feet whined anxiously, having clearly lost the target as well.
Another Martial Artist, an expert in tracking physical traces, carefully examined the nearby walls and ground, his expression equally grave.
"His Qinggong is extremely high. He leaves almost no trace when he lands. The occasional half-footprint he does leave is so shallow that a gust of wind would nearly erase it. We can’t determine his definite direction. This person is highly skilled at counter-tracking—a seasoned professional."
Hearing this, the faces of the leaders from the major factions grew even uglier. This meant their most direct and effective tracking methods had all but failed.
"Find where he’s staying! The man is from out of town; he’s likely staying at an inn in the city!"
A Hall Master from the Tiger Evil Gang ordered fiercely.
This method was quite viable. Combining it with descriptions from eyewitnesses when Fang Han entered the merchant association, the major factions mobilized their informants in the city’s inns and carriage houses, and they soon had a lead.
About an hour later, the inn where Fang Han had stayed was surrounded.
However, when the men from the Tiger Evil Gang and Xiyu Building broke down the door, the room was already empty. All that remained was a simple travel bag he hadn’t taken and the room fee, which was paid through tomorrow.
The inn’s Shopkeeper and attendant were scared out of their wits. When asked about Fang Han’s whereabouts, they only knew he had gone out in the evening to attend an auction and hadn’t returned.
"He got away! That brat is as cunning as I thought. He never planned on coming back!" Liu Sanniang gritted her teeth when she received the report.
"Send men to all four city gates! Strictly investigate everyone leaving the city tomorrow, especially any suspicious-looking young men. If you find anyone suspicious, detain them immediately!" Han Tieshan roared out his orders.
...
SHHH!
Fang Han moved silently through the streets like a civet cat in the dead of night. Having confirmed his direction, he crept toward a section of the city wall that he had noticed earlier in the day—one where the wall was lower and the nearby houses were dense, making it easier to approach covertly.
Along the way, he pushed his perception with the Spirit Smelling Technique to its absolute limit. He was not only wary of trackers but also carefully discerning the scents carried on the wind from the direction of the city wall.
The sweat of soldiers, the scent of weapons—a mix of rust and oil—the smoke from bonfires... All this information flooded his mind, helping him avoid several patrols of city guards whose patrol frequency had clearly been increased.
About fifteen minutes later, Fang Han crept to the edge of a low-lying, chaotic shantytown that reeked of filth.
A few dozen yards ahead stood the dark, towering city wall.
This section of the wall looked slightly older than the rest. The bricks were mottled, and the crenellations on top seemed sparser.
More importantly, according to his perception from the Spirit Smelling Technique, the presence of guards on this section of the wall was noticeably weaker than elsewhere, and their patrol intervals were longer.
’This is a chance I can’t miss.’
Fang Han took a deep breath. The Inner Qi that had calmed within him began to slowly circulate again as he silently activated the Heart Method of the Wind and Cloud Escape.
He fixed his gaze on a shadowy spot between two crenels on the wall, and his toes dug hard into the slick mud!
SWOOSH!
With no running start, no building up of Momentum, his entire body shot forward as if fired from a powerful crossbow. He transformed into a barely perceptible green shadow, sticking to the shadows of the low, messy houses of the shantytown as he sped toward the base of the city wall.
His movements were as fast as a phantom, yet incredibly light. When he landed, he left only a footprint in the damp mud so shallow it was almost invisible.
Reaching the base of the wall, he didn’t pause for a moment. He crouched slightly, then shot up again.
This time, straight up!
The Wind and Cloud Escape wasn’t just skilled in straight-line sprints and sharp turns; it also included a Magic Gate for ascending and climbing.
Fang Han focused his Inner Qi into his feet. Each time he tapped off the mottled bricks for leverage, his body shot up several yards.
He was like a spirit ape climbing a tree, or a bird taking flight—extremely fast, yet strangely making almost no sound.
For a wall that was a hundred feet tall, it only took three or four pushes before he was near the top.
Just as he made his final push, his body about to cross the crenel—a faint yellow flicker of firelight was slowly moving along the top of the wall, over seventy yards away.
Accompanied by the sound of somewhat shuffling footsteps and a low yawn, a two-man patrol carrying torches was approaching.
The flow of Inner Qi in Fang Han’s body changed abruptly. His upward momentum forcibly shifted into a horizontal drift. At the same time, he activated the Returning Ruins Hidden Essence Skill to its fullest, concealing his presence until he was like a piece of weathered, flaking stone on the wall.
Just like that, he clung tightly to the outer face of the wall, suspended a mere foot below the crenel, completely motionless.
The firelight drew closer, and their conversation became faintly audible.
"...Damn it all, what rotten luck. The moment our shift starts, we hear there’s big trouble in the city. A ton of people died over in the west district. Blood’s stained half the street red..." a raspy voice complained.
"Keep your voice down and patrol carefully! The chief said we all need to be on high alert tonight. We can’t let anyone climb the wall and escape the city..." the other, slightly calmer voice warned.
"We only get paid two silver a month, and they expect us to risk our lives? Besides, if some badass really had the skill to cause that much of a stir, the two of us would just be cannon fodder if we ran into him..." the raspy voice said dismissively.
The footsteps and firelight paused for a moment directly above Fang Han’s head. It seemed the two soldiers were leaning on the parapet to gaze into the distance, or perhaps just slacking off for a rest.
Fang Han could even smell the mix of cheap wine and sweat on them.
He held his breath, the Returning Ruins Hidden Essence Skill maintaining his near-"nonexistent" state.
The pause didn’t last long. The firelight began to move again, the footsteps dragging away with a tired rhythm.
Only after the speck of firelight had vanished around a corner in the other direction and the footsteps were inaudible did Fang Han move again.
He circulated his Inner Qi once more. Like a wisp of smoke, his body silently flipped over the crenel, his sharp gaze sweeping the area outside the wall.
Outside the wall was a relatively open slope. Farther on lay a forest of shadowy trees, which, under the bleak moonlight, resembled giant beasts crouching on the ground.
The main road looked like a grayish-white ribbon, winding its way into the depths of the darkness.
He found no ambush, nor did he sense any abnormal auras.
SHHH!
Fang Han hesitated no longer. His body drifted down from the crenel. He didn’t fall straight down, but rather like a falling leaf, using the force-dissipating techniques of the Wind and Cloud Escape. A few light taps on the vertical wall face were enough to cancel his downward momentum.
He landed lightly on the grass outside the city, making only an extremely faint "THUD" sound.
SWOOSH!
The instant his feet touched solid ground, he didn’t linger for a second. He didn’t even look back at the towering city wall.
With a flicker of his body, he unleashed the Wind and Cloud Escape at full power, transforming into a green shadow even fainter than the night itself.
He darted toward the dense forest in the opposite direction of the main road and plunged into it.
He ran nonstop for over fifty miles, only coming to a halt before a hidden cave with a stream running through it when the sky was about to brighten and the eastern horizon showed the first fish-belly white of dawn.
"Spirit Smelling Technique."
Fang Han once again activated this Secret Technique at full power. The scents within a radius of several miles unfolded in his perception like a painted scroll.
The gaminess of beasts, the freshness of plants, the dampness of the stream, the decay of the soil... There were no unfamiliar human scents.
The mountain wind blew through the treetops, carrying the faint roars of beasts and calls of birds from afar. Everything seemed primitive and serene.
’I’m safe for now!’
Only then did the tension that had gripped Fang Han’s mind for half the night finally ease slightly.
He slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air that had been stagnant in his chest, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over his entire body.
It wasn’t physical exhaustion, but the natural reaction after a period of intense mental strain and continuous explosive bursts of power.
The series of battles against dozens of Martial Artists, especially the final siege led by five Fourth-Grade Martial Artists, had been fraught with peril, even though he had appeared to be displaying incredible might.
A large enough swarm of ants could kill an elephant, to say nothing of five Martial Artists who were also at the Fourth Grade.
’But I still can’t let my guard down!’
This place was still within the borders of Donglu County; he hadn’t escaped the danger zone yet. Those local factions had suffered heavy losses and would certainly not let the matter rest. He feared that bounties and search parties related to him would soon appear throughout Donglu County.
He had to recover his strength as quickly as possible.
He walked into the cave. It wasn’t deep, but it was quite dry and suitable for a temporary shelter.
He moved a few rocks to partially block the entrance, then carefully checked the inside for any poisonous insects or snakes before sitting down cross-legged.
He didn’t immediately begin to regulate his breathing. Instead, he unwrapped the Cold Jade Box from his back, which was bundled in thick cloth.
He opened the Jade Box. The section of the Howling Moon Spirit Deer Antlers, shimmering with silver light and a faint lunar halo, lay quietly on the deep blue velvet. Its cool, strange fragrance wafted out, slightly invigorating his spirit.
This item was related to the improvement of his Body Technique Talent. It was the key to compensating for his deficiency in cultivating the Wind and Cloud Escape.
He had been too busy fleeing to consume it earlier. Now that he was temporarily safe, it was time.
’I spent a full 8,000,000 silver on this. I hope it doesn’t disappoint me!’
Without hesitation, Fang Han reached out and picked up the rare treasure worth eight million silver.
It was warm and smooth to the touch, with a hint of coolness. Its texture wasn’t hard; instead, it had a peculiar resilience.
He examined it briefly, then brought it to his mouth and, as if biting into a radish, took a bite.
CRUNCH.
A soft sound. It didn’t take much effort.
The part in his mouth didn’t have the hard or strange texture he had imagined. Instead, it was crisp and tender like a fresh yam, with a faint, grassy fragrance and an indescribably cool essence.
Almost without chewing, the piece of antler dissolved in his mouth into a cool, sweet liquid that slid down his throat and into his stomach.
The moment the liquid entered his stomach, a sudden change occurred!
There was no violent surge of Medicinal Power like he’d imagined, nor was there any searing heat that would make his blood and qi churn.
That cool essence, like the finest drizzle of a spring day, silently seeped into his limbs and bones.
Finally, as if it possessed Spiritual Energy, it gathered, strand by strand, toward his legs, his ankles, and even the meridians and acupoints related to his Body Technique and balance.
An unprecedented feeling of "clarity" and "lightness" began to grow from these parts.
It was as if shackles that had long bound him were unlocked, or as if dust that had clouded his spiritual altar had been swept away.