“The Tianxia Association?” Wu Changfeng let out a cold laugh. To think a newly risen power dared to challenge them.
“I want them wiped out within three days, leaving none alive,” Wu Changfeng said in a deep voice.
“This...”
“What?” Wu Changfeng's gaze grew cold. “Can you not even manage a simple matter like this!”
Sighing softly, the elderly man slowly explained.
“Please calm your anger, Alliance Leader. It is not that we are unwilling. Just this afternoon, the people of the Martial Armor Hall already paid a visit to the Tianxia Association.”
“However... over thirty of them went, but only a handful returned.”
What?! Everyone present was shocked to hear this. The Martial Armor Hall was the combat backbone of the Alliance; for over thirty of them to go only to suffer such a crushing defeat was unbelievable.
Wu Changfeng's face also changed. Losing over thirty members of the Martial Armor Hall was a heavy blow that cut deep even for the Martial Alliance.
“Just what on earth is this Tianxia Association?”
“According to the scouts, the core pillars within the Tianxia Association are terrifyingly strong. Those thirty-odd brothers from the Martial Armor Hall were basically easily dealt with by a single old man.”
These words were like a bomb being dropped, immediately throwing the crowd into an uproar.
Defeating the brothers of the Martial Armor Hall single-handedly with just one old man—what kind of concept was that? It was practically equivalent to sleeping at home and suddenly having an eight-year-old child break in and beat you to a pulp.
No matter who it was, one's vital energy was at its peak during youth and middle age, only to decline as one aged.
Unless, of course, the person possessed profound inner strength. But such experts were not as common as cabbages; how could they have run into one so coincidentally?
Facing the noisy hall, Wu Changfeng frowned deeply, his mind in disarray for a moment.
Bang!
He slammed his hand on the table, instantly silencing the clamor in the hall. Rubbing his temples, a trace of exhaustion flashed through his eyes.
“Set this matter aside for now. Has the thief who stole the blade been captured?”
...
...
In the wild forests outside Jinling City.
Fengqingzi sat on a man who was about to draw his last breath, helplessly resting one hand on his blade.
Squelch.
As the sound of a blade slicing into flesh rang out, a head slowly rolled to his feet.
Zhang Wuji flicked his hand, tossing his blood-stained longsword aside, clapped his hands, and walked over.
“You sure are cautious,” Fengqingzi said, looking at him.
“It's a miracle you've survived this long,” Zhang Wuji retorted without hesitation. Next, he stepped on the neck of the man Fengqingzi was sitting on. With a crisp crack, the man completely stopped breathing.
Qiu Zhiya frowned as she looked at the five corpses on the ground. This was already the third or fourth wave.
“A Jianghu Pursuit Warrant has been issued against us,” she sighed.
A Jianghu Pursuit Warrant? Ning Qingzhu was slightly puzzled. Was there any difference between this and a bounty warrant? Weren't they both just about killing someone to collect a reward?
Old Chen chuckled, seeing through her confusion.
“A Jianghu Pursuit Warrant is naturally a bit special. For instance, an arrest warrant issued by the imperial family allows one to openly escort a criminal to the government office in exchange for silver.”
“And standard bounty warrants are accepted by individuals. A bounty for someone like a flower thief, for instance, only requires the corpse. Even if you're a beggar, as long as you take Zhao Wen's corpse to the family, you can claim the reward.”
Ning Qingzhu nodded, only half-understanding, and continued to ask, “Then what about the Jianghu Pursuit Warrant?”
Old Chen casually picked up a small stone, placed it in his palm, and held it before her.
“A Jianghu Pursuit Warrant is like this stone. In the eyes of others, it is a piece of juicy meat. But compared to bounties and arrest warrants, it is much more alluring, much more fragrant.”
“Its fragrance crosses cities and national borders, targeting everyone in the entire martial world. And where there are people, there is a jianghu.”
Old Chen did not continue, but she understood the underlying meaning.
Where there were people, there was a jianghu. And where there was a jianghu, there would be people fighting for the heads listed on the Jianghu Pursuit Warrant. They would have to spend the rest of their lives on the run.
“Is this what a Jianghu Pursuit Warrant is like...”
Ning Qingzhu murmured. At this moment, she was actually so scared she felt like crying. She still wanted to travel the world with her Young Master.
“There is only one way to lift a Jianghu Pursuit Warrant,” Qiu Zhiya said as she walked over. “And that is to kill the person who issued it.”
Having said that, a bitter smile involuntarily appeared on her face.
“Except, we've just learned that the one who issued this Jianghu Pursuit Warrant is... the Martial Alliance.”
As her voice fell, everyone except for two specific individuals sucked in a breath of cold air.
The Martial Alliance was currently the largest faction in the jianghu of the Tianwu Kingdom. Although they had experienced a bit of friction in Jinling City, surely it shouldn't have warranted an outright Jianghu Pursuit Warrant!
“However, there is also some good news.”
Hearing this, Zhang Wuji's interest was piqued. In a situation like this, there was actually good news?
“The good news is, the Jianghu Pursuit Warrant specifies that I am to be captured alive,” Qiu Zhiya said with a smile, a trace of smugness appearing on her beautiful face.
What kind of good news was that...
Zhang Wuji's face was covered in black lines. Speechless, he asked, “Then what about us?”
“Dead on sight.”
“?” Zhang Wuji's face instantly darkened. How could someone say something so blunt?
“Zhiya, why do they want to capture you alive?” Xu Qing leaned in close and whispered.
Qiu Zhiya turned to look at his worried expression and inexplicably found him a bit cute. She couldn't help but tease him, “I don't know either. Maybe they think I'm pretty and want to drag me back to tease me~”
She finished speaking, expecting to see a panicked look on his face, but Xu Qing suddenly squeezed her hand firmly, staring into her eyes with a serious gaze.
“I won't let that happen,” he told her. It wasn't a formal vow, yet it carried more weight than any promise.
Looking at him, Qiu Zhiya did not see the panic she expected. Instead, a light flush rose to the tips of her ears.
“Y-You... you'd better be able to do it!” She flung his hand away, speaking somewhat incoherently.
At the side, Old Chen had noticed their situation long ago and had already found a good spot to sit. Even Fengqingzi dragged over a stone to sit nearby.
As for the others, Ning Qingzhu was still feeling frightened after hearing about the Jianghu Pursuit Warrant, while Zhang Wuji had a heavy expression as he pondered how to handle the impending situation.
Only Old Chen and Fengqingzi had the leisure to enjoy the show.
One of them knew Jiang Moran's true identity, and the other knew that the senior was absolute peak. As for what to do since that person wasn't here right now...
Sigh, how narrow-minded. Ning Qingzhu was still right here; was there any way Jiang Moran would just leave her to fend for herself?
However, before his return, they indeed needed to find a place to lay low and avoid the brunt of the storm.
After resting on the spot for a moment, the group continued to make their way toward the Northern Desert through the mountain forests. The official roads were no longer viable, and hiding in the woods would instead allow them to avoid the wolves and tigers that had caught the scent of meat.
While climbing a hill, Old Chen massaged his lower back and turned to gaze into the distance. There were only dense forests there; nothing else could be seen.
With a quiet sigh, he murmured:
“Young Master... you must return quickly.”
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