Chapter 84: Cornered into Desperate Circumstances?
“Jiang Chen, I’ll admit that you’re a genius!”
In the darkness, the raspy, bloodcurdling voice of the boss sounded once again. His tone was remote, without any emotions, as if the death of his three companions were like three ants being stepped on, and didn’t serve to elicit any ripples of emotion in his heart at all.
“Killing three true qi masters, although you used a bit of trickery, I have to admit that I’ve underestimated you.”
“However, you’ve been injured twice and you are now an arrow at the end of its flight. These catacombs are destined to become your burial place. I swear in the name of the Hidden Hand that I will kill you and torture you slowly, letting you taste true despair before you die!”
“Kill me?” Jiang Chen’s voice also sounded out coldly in the dark. “There were four of you just now and you still haven’t succeeded, what makes you think you can kill me with just one?”
“Four? One?” The boss sneered. “Do you think it’s a numbers game when killers kill people? Sometimes too many are a burden.”
“Being a slick talker? Forgive me for not being in the mood!”
Jiang Chen had once again raised his foot as he talked, using the strong intuition of “Boulder’s Heart”, he could already perceive that the other’s bow had likely once again locked on the area that he was in.
It was a good thing that there were countless grotesque rocks, intersecting stone walls, and row and rows of protruding stones that impacted the other’s movement.
However, Jiang Chen’s heartstrings dared not slacken.
The pressure from an eleven meridians true qi master was like a sharp blade that hung over his head, able to fall down at any time and kill him!
He couldn’t let down his guard, especially since his injuries were not yet fully healed.
The bow twanged again.
Jiang Chen subconsciously moved his foot, but then halted his movement afterwards.
The instinct of the Boulder’s Heart didn’t capture the traces of a great strength coming to attack in that delicate moment.
“No arrow? He only pulled the bowstring?” The notion flashed through Jiang Chen’s mind.
The bow sounded once again.
Jiang Chen remained as unmoving as a mountain, having entered the finest realm of the Boulder’s Heart. It was as if all minute changes were unable to escape the perception of his mind.
Jiang Chen thought of a story, the story of birds being startled by the merest twang of a bow string.
“Is the boss thinking of me as a frightened bird? He only pulls the bow without shooting an arrow in order to wear away at my fighting spirit and to test my nerves?”
Jiang Chen suddenly understood something, and traces of a cold smile leaked out from the corners of his mouth. “If I hadn’t trained ‘Boulder’s Heart’ and my mental strength wasn’t steadfast enough, I would have been affected by this parlor trick.”
Twang, twang!
Consecutive bow twangs!
Jiang Chen moved this time!
Truth and falsehood mixed in with the bow twangs, two false and one true. The one in the middle was the attack of an arrow!
Truths and falsehood, truths and falsehood.
One had to say, the boss had a thorough understanding of attacking the heart, and a deep grasp of the way of hunting.
What a pity that he’d met Jiang Chen, an opponent with an exceedingly strong heart.
A rock wall was utterly demolished into rock dust by this arrow.
“Currents of true qi, an explosion of true qi! He’s an eleven meridians true qi master alright!” Jiang Chen was also privately astounded by the power of this arrow.
He had to admit that his opponent was quite strong.
Even if he hadn’t been injured, the only way out would most likely have been to make a clean getaway if he was faced with this person in combat.
It was a good thing that the Boundless Catacombs led in all directions, and was an endless underground world with no end.
“With my strength, it would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to kill this person in return. He’s a killer, and has more than enough time to play with me. I have a mission to execute. Although I’m only a few green spirit pearls short, almost half of the month’s time has passed already. If I’m dragged down by him, it would be quite severe if I’m unable to complete the mission.”
Although Jiang Chen held an abiding hatred for this person, his reason told him that it would only waste his time and effort if he continued to be entangled with him. He was beset with danger on all sides and it’d be difficult to have any results.
Out of the thirty-six stratagems, running away to fight another day was the best policy.
“It’s also a bit difficult to shake this person off. The terrain within the third level is dangerously precipitous and thus easier to hide in. The terrain becomes less complex back in the second and first level. It would then be even more difficult to shake him off.”
Jiang Chen was in a dilemma.
If he stayed and was unable to kill the other party, then he’d only become his prey.
Leave? With this killer’s tracking abilities, it would be tough to free himself from this killer once the latter had their sights set on him. Besides, as Jiang Chen still had a bit of spirit pearls to collect, this was as difficult as climbing up to the sky.
Two days afterwards, Jiang Chen lurked behind a hidden wall, his breathing a bit hurried. The wild goose chase and battle over the previous two days had greatly expended his energy.
This opponent was strong enough to the point in which Jiang Chen felt prickles down his back.
In these two days, Jiang Chen used many tricks and thought of many plans.
However, this person was like a ghost from beginning to end, always able to hang over Jiang Chen, following him at a distance not too far away and not too close.
Jiang Chen had also tried to counterattack, but his attacks had always been a beat behind. The other’s bow and arrow attacks were accurate, wily, and could always firmly restrain his counterattacks.
If he wanted to throw the other off on the basis of strength, the speed of the other wasn’t faster than him, but it also wasn’t slower than him.
He’d been unable to befuddle the other by concealing his body, scurrying this way and that, and disguising his features or his pace.
Jiang Chen suspected that the other must have a special method to follow his tracks.
He couldn’t shake him off, and couldn’t beat him in battle.
After two days of this, Jiang Chen felt a bit weary. It was a good thing that he’d prepared many heaven defying medicines.
The Heavenly Karma Pill allowed him to recover seventy to eighty percent of his injuries.
The Vast Ocean Pill facilitated the timely recovery of the true qi he’d expended.
With the aid of these pill medicines, although Jiang Chen continuously resided in the face of danger, he had yet to be beaten by the other.
“Jiang Chen, doesn’t it feel grand to be in a constant state of anxiety and on tenterhooks?” The raspy voice like a ghost or a ghoul sounded once again.
“Who would’ve thought that you’d be able to hold out for so long. I greatly admire and am excited by you. You are the kind of prey that makes the hunt and torture more meaningful.”
“However, it ends here today.”
The boss never forgot to attack his prey’s heart at any given time. In his eyes, prey that constantly existed under a state of fear was no different than birds frightened by the merest twang of a bowstring.
Attacking the heart, undermining the fighting spirit, until the prey finally suffered a mental breakdown in the end and was tortured to death by him.
Jiang Chen’s heart was as if a boulder. Although the circumstances were exceedingly disadvantageous to him and he was extremely bedraggled, these wretched conditions made his courage mount as the battle progressed.
“You’re a killer, but have the flapping mouth of a woman. Come kill me if you really have the skills to. If you don’t, then we’ll continue whiling the time away in the Boundless Caverns. Let’s see who lasts longer.”
Jiang Chen didn’t bother concealing his body anymore. He didn’t fear being ambushed by the bow and arrow of the other as long as he kept the proper distance.
After all, both were quite familiar with the other’s ways after multiple days of chasing.
“Lasts longer? What qualification do you have to while away time with me? There’s not much left of the allotted one month’s time. Can you afford to waste time?” The boss killer laughed leisurely.
“A month? Didn’t you just say that it ends today? You’re slapping yourself in the face?” Jiang Chen sneered.
“You have a glib tongue!” The raspy laugh sounded out in a sinister fashion. “However, you probably don’t even know that you’ve already walked into your final resting place?”
Jiang Chen’s thoughts raced. Instinct told him that there seemed to be some truth to the other’s words.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen’s heart sank. The Ear of the Zephyr twitched slightly. There were two sets of footsteps quickly approaching from the east and west.
And, a frightening power was also contained behind these footsteps, a strength that didn’t pale in comparison to true qi masters!
Familiar, a feeling that became more and more familiar.
“It’s them!” Jiang Chen was startled.
Jiang Chen hadn’t seen the two ever since entering the Boundless Catacombs. Were they finally going to reveal themselves at this moment?
Long Yinye, Long Juxue!
The two heirs of the Duke of Soaring Dragon!
“Jiang Chen, you’re looking a bit bedraggled.” Long Yinye’s voice sounded from within a hundred meters to the east.
“Jiang Chen, I gave you a chance that day in the capital.” Long Juxue’s lofty tone belonged to one high on top. “You didn’t cherish it and decided to be my enemy.”
“We can only crush you if you move against my Soaring Dragon dukedom. Jiang Chen, face your death!”
The Long siblings echoed each other as they circulated their true qi with awe inspiring momentum. They were both true qi masters!
“Long siblings, my three subordinates have all been killed by Jiang Chen. I’ve decided to double the price for this transaction.”
The boss killer spoke with a leisurely voice.
Long Yinye’s tone was cold. “Xue Sha, don’t reach for more after getting what you want. The price we’ve given you is already double.”
“Yes, you’ve given us double, but my brothers have lost their lives. Some compensation is appropriate?” The boss continued to speak in a voice as diffident as the fleeting wind and clouds.
“Are you trying to break the contract?” Long Yinye’s voice lowered.
“The decision is yours. You can choose not to accept. I can give up this job. Not that I’m boasting for Jiang Chen, but as soon as I let up here, he is sure to escape like a slippery eel. You have no idea how much energy I’ve spent the past three days just to pin him down!”
Long Yinye and Long Juxue looked at each other, with Long Juxue finally nodding, “Alright, then we’ll do as you say. We’ll double the price again, but you cannot drag your heels when completing your work!”
“Drag my heels? Do I, Xue Sha, look like someone who takes money without doing work?”
As he spoke, he notched an arrow and sent it flying like a shooting star directly where Jiang Chen had hidden himself.
“Jiang Chen, die!”
“Kill him!”
Long Yinye and Long Juxue cooperated together and came at him from both sides.
The depths of an expert’s skills are revealed when he makes a move.
Subtle runes shimmered over Long Yinye’s broadsword, emanating rays of dark gold light, appearing exceedingly sinister.
Long Juxue had a short sword that sparkled with a remarkable green light. The surface of the short sword was encompassed by a green current of air, vaguely forming the shape of an azure phoenix.
When the boss killer saw this, he rasped out, “Spirit weapons! You, you have two spirit weapons!”
Jiang Chen was also abruptly enlightened when he heard the words “spirit weapons”, his face changing slightly. These Long siblings actually had spirit weapons on them!
In the span of a moment, Long Yinye’s broadsword had already started cleaving through the air. The golden runes on the exterior of the broadsword started expanding endlessly, swirling out a golden splendor and forming a frightening momentum. It was as if a five clawed golden dragon was imbued on the blade’s edge as it came viciously chopping down.
Long Juxue’s short sword was suffused with green light, turning true qi into the shape of an azure dragon. It formed a beam of falling light and stabbed straight towards the critical parts of Jiang Chen’s stomach and chest.
Beseiged on three sides.
To the front was an arrow shot out with the full strength of eleven meridians true qi!
On the left and right were two newly ascended true qi masters and the terrifying blows from their spirit weapons!
Desperate circumstances. Jiang Chen had been cornered into desperate circumstances in the blink of an eye!
