Chapter 612 - 264: I Overestimated You
Chapter 612: Chapter 264: I Overestimated You
"Also, if you’ve finished your business after leaving the island but run into something unexpected, you’re allowed to remain outside.
"You just have to write a report on what happened when you get back to the sect."
Fang Shuwen sighed at this.
Apparently, Celestial Prison Island was only strict with its prisoners. The disciples weren’t subject to such harsh restrictions.
’In that case, even if I went to Celestial Prison Island, it would probably be difficult to find any useful clues.’
His original theory was that if Gongyang Shang’s story was true, and the person using the *Clouded Leopard Book* was in fact the Chenlong Guard of the Twelve Hour Guards, then he was very likely hiding on Celestial Prison Island, using its Martial Arts Manuals to expand his own Martial Arts.
If that were true, he would inevitably be subject to Celestial Prison Island’s restrictions.
Perhaps he could find some trace of him from within Celestial Prison Island.
But now, it seemed that plan wouldn’t work.
At this thought, his gaze fell upon Luo Shuqing.
Luo Shuqing was slightly taken aback.
"What are you staring at me for?"
Fang Shuwen broke into a smile.
"How about we go take a look?"
"Where to?"
"To check things out up ahead."
As he spoke, he grabbed Luo Shuqing by the wrist. But then he turned and snatched Xia Weiyuan as well.
Xia Weiyuan’s heart leaped into her throat, and Li Cheng’s eyes went wide.
"You..."
Before he could get out more than the word "you," Fang Shuwen had already leaped into the air and was flying over the sea.
Lightning seemed to crackle under his feet as his figure sliced through the wind, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
"Senior Sister!"
Li Cheng snapped out of his daze and rushed to the bow. He watched the three figures shrink into the distance, his face turning deathly pale.
"Wait... where, where are they going?"
He turned to look at Zuo Xuan, who was steering the ship.
"Where... where did they go?"
Zuo Xuan shook his head.
"I don’t know either."
"Are they coming back?"
"They’ll most likely be back, I suppose?"
"..."
...
...
’Regardless of who that person is, based on the current situation, he must be somewhere up ahead.’
’It’s hard to say how far ahead he is, but if I pick up the pace, I might find something soon.’
The reason he’d brought Luo Shuqing was simple: he was worried their opponent might try to lure the tiger from the mountain. If he went off to confront the target alone, the enemy could use that chance to sneak aboard the ship and abduct Luo Shuqing, which would jeopardize the entire mission.
Although, given Luo Shuqing’s Martial Arts prowess, such a scenario was unlikely, it was better to be safe than sorry.
His reason for bringing Xia Weiyuan was also simple.
If their target was truly from Celestial Prison Island, Xia Weiyuan might be able to identify them.
Whether he accidentally killed the man or the target used some clever means to escape his grasp, as long as Xia Weiyuan could identify him, they would still have a lead to follow.
Of course, neither Luo Shuqing nor Xia Weiyuan knew what was going through his mind.
All they knew was the feeling of the scenery blurring past them. Below was the vast sea, an endless ocean stretching in every direction. Their very lives were in Fang Shuwen’s hands.
Luo Shuqing was handling it relatively well, but Xia Weiyuan couldn’t help but cling to Fang Shuwen’s arm, not daring to relax for a second.
She was terrified that one careless slip from Fang Shuwen would send her plunging into the endless ocean below.
The pursuit lasted for a full half-hour. By the time Xia Weiyuan had finally calmed down, she couldn’t help but ask:
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
But the moment the words left her mouth, Fang Shuwen’s eyes narrowed, and a smile played on his lips.
"I really found him!"
Sprinting across the open sea presented two major challenges: the first was sustaining the Lightweight Technique, and the second was maintaining a sense of direction.
Fortunately, Fang Shuwen’s Lightweight Technique was superb. As for the problem of direction, he had consulted Zuo Xuan about it recently.
Therefore, all he had to do was fix a direction and keep using his Lightweight Technique to press forward.
’As long as I don’t stray off course, it shouldn’t be hard to find him...’
This was precisely why Fang Shuwen hadn’t immediately committed to this plan.
The open sea was vast and endless. How could it possibly be easy to travel in a perfectly straight line?
The slightest deviation could lead you a thousand miles astray; sometimes, you just had to get lucky.
’But it looks like my luck is pretty good today.’
Sure enough, there on the surface of the sea was a solitary bamboo raft, cutting through the wind and waves.
On the raft stood a man in black, hands clasped behind his back, wearing a conical bamboo hat.
His build was a perfect match for Gongyang Shang’s description.
Fang Shuwen’s vision was exceptional; he spotted the man while still a great distance away.
By the time he had closed half the distance, the man on the raft seemed to sense something. His eyes darted around, filled with alarm and uncertainty. Then he abruptly turned his head and instantly spotted the trio flying toward him.
For a moment, his body trembled, as if he’d received a terrible shock.
In fairness, being startled was a perfectly normal reaction.
Any sane person would jump out of their skin if they turned around to see three people flying toward them over the open sea.
But the man in black reacted in a flash. He stomped his foot, and with a WHOOSH, the raft shot forward.
He was trying to flee without even a single confrontation with Fang Shuwen.
"Trying to run?"
Fang Shuwen laughed heartily.
"Let’s see how far you can get."
As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his arm and threw Xia Weiyuan.
Caught completely off guard, Xia Weiyuan let out an earth-shattering scream... but just then, Fang Shuwen drew back his right fist like a taut bowstring and unleashed a sudden punch.
It was as if all the wind between heaven and earth converged on that one punch.