Supreme Sword Exalt

Jiang Feng led Ah Sha in a frantic escape in the Wild Forest. He didn’t dare to slow down in the slightest, much less look back. He painfully understood that this time was bought by Chief Steward Li with his life. How could he dare to waste a single second?

He didn’t know how much time had passed. Only when the two were completely exhausted, unable to squeeze out the slightest bit of spirit qi, did they slowly come to a stop.

Ah Sha stared blankly at Jiang Feng. “Is Chief Steward Li dead?”

Sorrow welled up within Jiang Feng. He could no longer hold it back, and his shoulders trembled uncontrollably.

Ah Sha didn’t speak again. For some reason. She felt she should be very sad, but she just couldn’t cry at all.

Jiang Feng forced down the grief in his heart. “Miss Ah Sha, we should still hurry—”

Before he could finish, Commander Zhou slowly descended from the sky. He was bloody, exuding chaotic aura. Obviously, even someone as strong as him had suffered considerably from Chief Steward Li’s final outburst.

“Your Highness, you can’t run anymore,” he said expressionlessly.

Jiang Feng smiled miserably, desperately squeezed out the scant spirit qi left within him. A layer of ice crystals forming around him. “Is that so? Then I won’t run.”

Right at that moment, the sound of footsteps approached. Jiang Ping and the young man had also caught up.

“Run! Let’s see you run—hm?” The young man’s face was dripping with venom. Before he finished, he suddenly noticed the anomaly around Jiang Feng. “This technique of yours is really interesting. I never expected you to be hiding such a fortuitous encounter!”

Jiang Ping frowned slightly but didn’t say anything.

A trace of greed flashed in the young man’s eyes. “I’ve changed my mind. I’ll make you taste the most painful tortures in the world, but I won’t kill you. At least not before you hand over this opportunity. As for you, girl... once you fall into my hands, death will be a luxury!”

Commander Zhou slowly approached. “Your Highness, if you surrender now, you’ll suffer less.”

Suddenly, someone said wearily not far away, “Is that so?”

Commander Zhou’s face changed slightly. Damn it!

From the forest, Murong Chuan slowly emerged. He was tired and covered in the dust of travel.

Jiang Ping was also stunned for a moment. “Manager Murong?”

Upon seeing Ah Sha’s condition, Murong Chuan sighed softly. He knew that Ah Sha’s problem had recurred. “Little girl, what happened?”

Ah Sha said in a daze, “Chief Steward Li died.”

Murong Chuan was silent for a moment. “Okay, I understand. Come back with me.”

The young man frowned deeply. “Oh wait. The Murong family?”

Murong Chuan glanced at him. “That’s right. Is there a problem?”

Upon seeing Murong Chuan look down on him, the young man felt somewhat displeased. “I am Ding Quan. My master is Zheng Ning, one of the five seat elders of the Yuqing Sect. This little girl is related to my junior brother’s death. If you just take her away like this, I’m afraid I won’t be able to explain it properly if my master blames me.”

Murong Chuan remained stoic. “Explain? What if I insist on taking her away?”

Ding Quan’s words got caught in his throat. Although he was furious, he knew full well that it was best not to offend the Murong family if he could help it.

“Forget it! You can take the little girl, but Jiang Feng is one of the main culprits who harmed my junior brother. He must stay.”

Murong Chuan agreed without even thinking. “Fine.”

Ah Sha instinctively felt something was wrong. “No. He saved me.”

Murong Chuan sighed. “Little girl, I cannot intervene with his matter.”

He understood he could only take Ah Sha away because of the token and the rules of the Murong family. Not even the seat elder Zheng could say anything. If he took Jiang Feng away as well, it would be a slap to the seat elder.

Jiang Feng suddenly said, “Manager Murong, there’s one more thing.”

Murong Chuan frowned slightly. He felt displeased, thinking that Jiang Feng was going to ask for protection. “What? Like I said, I can’t intervene in your matter!”

Jiang Feng shook his head and took out that token. “I originally thought to wait for Brother Gu to return and give this item back to him. I’ll ask you to pass it on to him instead.”

As Murong Chuan held the token, he sighed. “He told you, right? With this item, you can make one request of me. Any request.”

“He did.”

“Then you—”

“Brother Gu needs it more than I do.”

Murong Chuan was silent for a moment, the weariness on his face deepening. He stowed away the token. “Fine. Let’s go.”

Without waiting for Ah Sha to say anything more, he enveloped her, taking to the air and left.

Upon seeing Ah Sha leave safely, Jiang Feng let out a long sigh of relief. Brother Gu, I have accomplished the task you entrusted to me!

Beside him, Ding Quan also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had once heard things about this token from Zheng Ning. If Jiang Feng had used the token today, no matter how unwilling he was, he could only return empty-handed.

Commander Zhou slowly advanced toward Jiang Feng, declaring coldly, “Seize him!”

***

Jiang Ping’s capture of Jiang Feng didn’t escape public notice, and naturally spread like wildfire in the capital.

In the martial academy, Elder Feng sighed at Elder Wu, who was staring blankly at the sky. “Let’s go. The time for the great competition is almost here.”

Elder Wu shook his head. “What a pity. If the seventh prince could have grown up, he would have been extremely outstanding even if he couldn’t compare to those two lads.”

Elder Feng smiled wryly. “Let it be. Not like the two of us can do anything.”

They could offend Du Teng for Gu Han’s sake because of Qingyun Pavilion’s backing. As for Jiang Feng, they were merely imperial servants. No matter what they wanted to do, they were powerless.

Elder Wu felt disheartened. “Enough. We watched the martial academy grow stronger day by day back then, but now... After the great competition, I will resign from my position regardless of the outcome.”

“I thought so as well.”

“Oh? You too, huh...”

“Having been in the martial academy for decades, I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like outside. This time is a good chance to go out and see.”

“Then, let’s go together?”

“Hehe, let’s go together!”

Outside, like Elders Wu and Feng, the students were discussing animatedly, their eyes filled with vindication.

“Who would have thought the seventh prince would collude with Gu Han to murder his own elder brother?”

“I just saw it with my own eyes, the seventh prince was personally captured by Commander Zhou and brought back.”

“Haha, in my opinion, His Highness was also foolish. Out of all things, why did he have to mix with Gu Han? Tsk tsk, isn’t that just asking for trouble!”

“Exactly! Gu Han caused us so much suffering. This time he’s trapped in the Wild Forest and can’t return, it’s his karma!”

Amid the discussion, one person saw He Zhong standing not far away, expressionless. The student tried to flatter him, “In my opinion, as the strongest person in the Great Qi Martial Academy, you are definitely—”

He Zhong gave him a cold glance, scaring him into swallowing the rest of his words.

Just at that moment, Elders Wu and Feng came out with several instructors. “Let’s go!”

They had heard the students’ words and were greatly disappointed, they couldn’t even be bothered to give a pre-competition pep talk. It only strengthened their resolve to leave this place even more.

***

In the Wild Forest.

Gu Han and the fatty traveled without rest, hurrying on their way for several full days. Even though their foundations and strength far surpassed ordinary people, they couldn’t help but show signs of fatigue.

Watching Gu Han, who seemed increasingly restless ahead, Fatty opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing. During these days together, they had gotten to know each other better, and he understood that Gu Han was simply not someone who listened to persuasion. The only thing he couldn’t fathom was where Gu Han’s inexplicable sense of crisis came from.

Gu Han suddenly stopped as his gaze swept around. He said slowly and somewhat hoarsely, “Fatty, have we been to this place before?”

Grateful for the stop, Fatty gasped for breath. “Hmm... Let me see. It does look a bit familiar—huh?”

Suddenly, he pointed at a half-collapsed cave with excitement. “There, over there! That’s where we met the demoness—ahem, Liu Ying.”

After the demonic beast riot, the place was a complete mess, making it difficult for the two to recognize it immediately.

Gu Han’s face lit up with joy. “Indeed! Fatty, put in more effort, we’re almost there!”

Watching Gu Han dash off into the distance again, Fatty felt like crying but had no tears. He really wanted to stop and rest. However, when he thought of that demoness—with her unpredictable, strange, and bizarre temperament—a shiver ran down his spine.

Gritting his teeth, golden light blazed around him, and he chased after Gu Han once more. “Wait for me!”

***

Long after the two had left, several beast roars suddenly rang out.

Immediately after, two figures appeared on the scene, one chasing the other.

The one in front was Han Fu, gasping for breath. “Mei Yun, I told you long ago not to follow me! Can’t... can’t you understand human language?!”

The one behind was Mei Yun. “I... I have no choice! I can’t defeat them...”

Han Fu was fuming with hatred. “You can’t defeat them, so you think I can?!”

He could handle one Tier 6 demonic beast, but three?!

Upon seeing the demonic beasts closing in from behind, Mei Yun increased his speed again. “Stop talking. Just... just run!”

***

Gu Han and Fatty didn’t know that Mei Yun and Han Fu were being chased all over the place by demonic beasts. With Gu Han going all out, it only took them two short hours to return to the capital.

On the main street, some people recognized Gu Han and Fatty. A flash of apprehension passed through their eyes, and they all kept their distance.

Noticing their expressions, Gu Han’s heart sank. Damn it! Could something really have happened?

Fatty’s expression also turned grave. “Why does something feel off?”

Gu Han instantly quickened his pace. “Let’s go back and see!”

***

Inside the inn, Murong Chuan looked at Ah Sha, who was sleeping. He frowned deeply.

He instructed in a low voice, “Go find Chen Ping and bring back all the spirit herbs he has collected these past days.”

“Understood,” responded someone from the shadows.

Murong Chuan sighed again. “Kid, you really know how to give me a headache—hm? You’re back?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the restrictions outside fluctuated, and Gu Han and Fatty walked in.

Upon seeing Ah Sha lying there, Gu Han’s heart instantly sank. “Ah Sha!”

Something did happen!

Gu Han took out the Fallen Nether Fruit from his storage ring and slowly brought it to Ah Sha’s mouth. His voice already carried a trace of killing intent. “Manager Murong, what exactly happened?!”

“Yeah! Where’s Brother Jiang? Hasn’t he returned yet? He should have! By the way...” Fatty chimed in noisily, his eyes swept around the room in great dissatisfaction. “Where’s Chief Steward Li?! Where did he go? Tsk tsk, he clearly promised to take good care of this girl. Why isn’t he—”

Murong Chuan sighed. “Chief Steward Li is dead...”

Gu Han froze instantly.