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墨書 Inktalez
A thin mist enveloped the market of Spirit Martial Town. Although it was early spring, the morning still carried a hint of chill.
At this moment, there were not many people on the streets; only a few vendors from the Steamed Bun Shop were quietly busy, occasionally exchanging a few words with sparse customers, but there wasn't much conversation.
"Xiao Zhuang, do we really need to come out this early? Don't those attackers ever sleep, watching for any of us from the Cold Family to go out?" Leng Ping asked with some frustration.
Wu Xiaozhuang chuckled and replied, "It is a bit early, but if we wait any longer, we might not be able to get out at all. Didn't Second Uncle already order that the younger members of the Cold Family are not allowed to go out without reason?"
"Right! You really thought this through," Leng Ping nodded, seemingly enlightened.
It turned out that the two had sneaked out of the Cold Family while it was still dim and the guards were dozing off. They were currently at a Steamed Bun Shop enjoying breakfast, replenishing their energy in preparation for the plan they had discussed yesterday.
"Freshly steamed buns! Thin skin, generous filling, and juicy meat! Don't miss out, everyone!" The vendor shouted as he lifted a tray of buns that had just reached perfection. Steam billowed from the steamer, and the aroma of meat buns spread through the air.
"Give me two more," Leng Ping said as he pulled out some coins to hand to the vendor.
"Sure thing!" The vendor happily accepted and picked out two white-skinned meat buns from the tray.
"I didn't realize you could eat so much," Wu Xiaozhuang joked.
Leng Ping's face flushed slightly as he awkwardly replied, "You need to eat well to work well!"
"True, what you said is absolutely right," Wu Xiaozhuang said with a teasing tone.
Leng Ping also chuckled foolishly and quickly swallowed the two buns like a whirlwind before taking a sip of hot soup.
"Alright, I'm full now. Let's take action." Leng Ping stood up and adjusted his throat, which had been choked.
"Good, since you're full, let's move." Wu Xiaozhuang pointed to a small alley beside the street and said, "You go that way, and I'll protect you from the shadows."
Leng Ping nodded without any doubt and headed towards the small alley indicated by Wu Xiaozhuang.
As Leng Ping left, several diners at another table in the Steamed Bun Shop hurriedly settled their bills and quietly followed the direction Leng Ping had taken.
Seeing this, a faint, barely noticeable smirk appeared on Wu Xiaozhuang's lips.
...
Leng Ping quickly entered the small alley. However, for some reason, after walking for a while, an inexplicable sense of unease began to rise within him.
This was an abandoned alley, overgrown with weeds and dilapidated, devoid of any sound. The alley was narrow and deep, with no end in sight, shrouded in thick morning fog that added an air of mystery.
Leng Ping shook his head and recalled the plan he had discussed with Wu Xiaozhuang yesterday: According to the accounts of the previous victims who had been ambushed, there were three assailants involved, each with strength around the Second-Stage Warrior level. Because of this, Wu Xiaozhuang and Leng Ping had agreed on a plan where the weaker Leng Ping would act as bait while Wu Xiaozhuang would protect him from the shadows. If they attempted to harm Leng Ping, Wu Xiaozhuang would strike immediately. Given his strength as a Seven-Section Warrior, dealing with three Second-Stage Warriors should be manageable. Once they subdued one of them, finding the mastermind behind it would be straightforward.
With this thought in mind, Leng Ping's racing heart finally calmed down: "Wu Xiaozhuang is known as the best protector among disciples; he should have no problem keeping me safe!"
Suddenly, a figure darted through the thick fog. Although its speed was not fast, due to the dense mist, by the time Leng Ping noticed it, the figure had already vanished again.
"Who!" Leng Ping exclaimed sharply.
Although he trusted Wu Xiaozhuang's abilities, his palms still broke out in a cold sweat at that moment.
He cautiously surveyed his surroundings, his expression filled with vigilance.
The area was silent, not a sound to be heard.
"I am Leng Ping of the Cold Family, daring to show myself!" Although Leng Ping felt some fear, he still introduced himself in hopes of drawing them out.
Whoosh!
Before Leng Ping could finish speaking, a sharp sound suddenly erupted as a silver needle shimmering with black light shot towards him at high speed, even trailing a misty shadow behind it.
"Ugh!"
Leng Ping was caught off guard and let out a muffled groan as he collapsed to the ground; the silver needle was clearly coated with a tranquilizer.
The scene fell into silence once more.
After about half a tea's time, three figures quietly appeared several feet away from Leng Ping.
"Is this really worth all the trouble?" The speaker was a large man with his face covered, dressed in tight black clothing that accentuated his exceptionally strong physique.
"I don't know, but the employer instructed us to treat this person as more important than the previous ones, which is why such careful arrangements were made," said another black-clad man respectfully, clearly deferring to the masked man.
"Big Brother, Third Brother, why bother with so much? The simpler we keep it, the easier our money will come. Right now, if we just disable his arm, three hundred taels of silver will be ours!" The second-ranked black-clad man said greedily.
"True, Third Brother is right; we get paid for our work and don’t need to concern ourselves with these matters." With that, the masked man waved his hand, and the other two black-clad men began walking towards Leng Ping.
The footsteps grew closer, but they did not notice that the eyes of the fallen Leng Ping had quietly opened a slit.
"Three hundred taels! Haha!"
The Black-Clad Second eagerly reached out his large hand towards Leng Ping, intending to disable the latter's arm in one swift motion.
"Get lost!"
However, just as he touched Leng Ping, an unexpected turn of events occurred. Leng Ping shouted sharply and seized the man's arm, delivering a powerful kick right to his center.
The man let out a miserable scream and was instantly sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground.
This situation shocked the other two black-clad figures; they hadn't anticipated that Leng Ping had been prepared all along and had merely feigned unconsciousness earlier.
"Trying to ambush me? You should take a look at yourselves!" With Wu Xiaozhuang's covert protection, Leng Ping boldly taunted them.
The leader among the three, the Black-Clad Man, was the first to react. Although his strength was not high, he had developed a certain adaptability from years of experience in the assassin trade. He nodded towards the Black-Clad Third and coldly commanded, "Take care of him."
Upon hearing this, the Black-Clad Third leaped forward, revealing a gleaming sharp knife that had appeared in his hand without anyone noticing.
These desperate individuals were not comparable to the contestants in the Martial Arts Selection Tournament. The Black-Clad Third wielded his knife with exceptional ferocity, each strike aimed directly at Leng Ping's vital points.
"Who are you? Why do you want to harm a member of the Cold Family?" Leng Ping questioned while dodging.
"Third Brother, your swordsmanship is too poor; this kid even has time to talk back!" the Black-Clad Man coldly remarked.
At these words, a glint of ruthlessness flashed in the Black-Clad Third's eyes, and his knife attacks became even more vicious.
Leng Ping, already at a disadvantage in strength, found himself forced to dodge left and right under this sudden intensified assault, leaving him unable to spare even a moment to speak.
"This won't do, I must quickly inform Wu Xiaozhuang!" Leng Ping thought to himself. He seized an opportunity when the Black-Clad Third made a radical move, using Jujutsu to twist his body and evade the attack while delivering a punch.
The punch caught the Black-Clad Third off guard, knocking his dagger to the ground.
The dagger clattered as it hit the floor. Both the Black-Clad Third and the Black-Clad Man were momentarily stunned, not expecting this kid, who hadn't even reached Warrior Definition, to have such a trick up his sleeve.
"Dare to kick your grandfather? I'll break your legs!" At that moment, the Black-Clad Second, who had been kicked away by Leng Ping earlier, got back up and lunged forward again.
"Third Brother, you go too. Quickly deal with him to avoid any long-lasting troubles," the Black-Clad Man's expression began to show a hint of seriousness.
"Xiao Zhuang! Show yourself!" Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Leng Ping immediately called for Wu Xiaozhuang, who should have been lying in ambush nearby.
"What! There’s still help?" The Black-Clad Boss was taken aback and immediately became alert, scanning the surroundings.
In the depths of the mist, on a branch of a large tree stood a Short and Stout Figure. At that moment, a hint of mockery flickered in his seemingly honest yet dangerously shrewd little eyes.
Leng Ping shouted for a long time, but Wu Xiaozhuang's figure did not appear. Faced with such circumstances, Leng Ping's heart sank to the bottom.
"Xiao Zhuang, if you don't come soon, I won't be able to hold on!" After fending off an attack from one of the black-clad men with a knife hand strike, Leng Ping shouted again.
"Haha, you little brat are quite crafty!" The Black-Clad Boss also realized what was happening. Leng Ping had called for help multiple times, yet no one appeared; the reason for this situation was all too clear.
"Get down!"
The Black-Clad Man shouted loudly as he suddenly appeared in front of Leng Ping. He then thrust his palm forward, aiming for Leng Ping's chest.
At that moment, Leng Ping was struggling to fend off the attacks from the other two black-clad men and had no time to spare. If this palm struck true, it was likely that Leng Ping would lose his fighting capability immediately.
Shadow of the Palm rapidly expanded in the pupil, seemingly about to strike. Faced with this unavoidable palm strike, Leng Ping instinctively closed her eyes.
Bang!
A muffled sound echoed, and suddenly a figure was sent flying, but it was not Leng Ping; it was the Black-Clad Man!
The force of that blow was so strong that it dispersed the mist within ten feet, revealing the appearance of the newcomer.
"You... you... where did you come from?" Black-Clad Third exclaimed in shock, staring dumbfounded at the young man standing protectively in front of Leng Ping.
Black-Clad Second was at a loss for words, his face filled with astonishment.
"Cough, cough!" The Black-Clad Man coughed violently but still forced himself to stand up. However, his eyes revealed immense shock as he looked at the young man.
The scene fell silent again. As the young man stepped closer, the three black-clad figures quickly formed a triangle, their expressions grave and vigilant.
It should be noted that the Black-Clad Man was the strongest among the three, having reached the late stage of a Fourth-Stage Warrior. Yet he had just been easily knocked away by someone, and judging by the young man's demeanor, he seemed to have plenty of strength left. The terrifying nature of such an opponent meant that even combined, the three of them might not escape unscathed.
"Could you be..." The Black-Clad Man suddenly recalled a name—one he would mention every time he incapacitated a junior from the Cold Family as instructed by his employer...
At this moment, hidden among the trees in the distance, Wu Xiaozhuang turned pale and exclaimed in astonishment, "It's Ye Tian..."
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