He's Actually a Tough Guy

Sarah clearly saw the pretty boy as well. She rode over and said to Li Ang, "That's Juan! The leader of the Crimson Brotherhood... Sir, he's the rogue knight the Horton Family kept hidden. Foucher sent him to keep an eye on me before..."

Well, what a coincidence!

'Rogue knight' wasn't a title or a troop type, but specifically referred to the textbook-level scoundrels employed by nobles to do all sorts of evil. They were usually lower-ranking knights, but typically without fiefs, considered the dregs of nobility.

Knights with fiefs didn't have that much free time to be thugs...

He had underestimated this pretty boy before, not expecting him to be a noble.

Perhaps it was his outstanding acting skills when he'd bolted out of the tavern screaming.

But back in Lion City, was Juan pursuing this body on behalf of the Crimson Brotherhood, or was he attacking him on Duke Alma's orders?

Or perhaps... both?

"Sarah, are the Crimson Brotherhood in Lion City all Duke Alma's men?"

Sarah nodded, then shook her head. "Not the Duke... To be precise, they're all Foucher's men. Foucher is the sponsor behind the Crimson Brotherhood in Lion City, and he's been handling Duke Alma's dirty business. Juan is one of Foucher's capable subordinates."

So that's how it is, that illegitimate son is actually a mob boss!

Or rather, the umbrella protecting the mob!

No wonder Duke Alma thought so highly of that illegitimate son.

Li Ang actually had a newfound respect for Foucher. The guy who seemed incredibly clumsy in the arena probably possessed extraordinary abilities when it came to dealing with the dark underbelly of society.

Everyone had their uses, after all.

Why exactly was Lyon Griffin being jointly pursued by the Crimson Brotherhoods of two continents?

Li Ang had pondered this question many times but never had the chance to verify it.

Now, looking at the battlefield where they held a clear advantage, Li Ang felt this was a perfect opportunity to get a clear answer—he had to try and resolve this issue. Being constantly watched by assassins was no pleasant feeling.

He glanced at the battlefield. His side had a decisive advantage, and Kloze and the others had already begun ganging up on the remaining few enemy infantry.

The battle would likely end soon.

"I need to have a good chat with this guy... Sarah, be careful on your own. I'm going to catch Juan."

Li Ang spoke as he quickly put on his helmet.

He took a hammer from his saddlebag, intending to charge over and knock out the pretty boy Juan directly, lest he escape again—Li Ang vividly remembered the man's extraordinary agility when he fled in Lion City.

The reason he used a blunt weapon instead of a longsword was that Li Ang didn't want to accidentally kill him.

Seeing Li Ang charge forward on his horse, Sarah let out a "Hey" but didn't stop him. Then, gritting her teeth, she drew a throwing knife from her waist and followed Li Ang on horseback.

Sarah probably thought Li Ang was standing up for her, and her gaze towards him held a considerable warmth.

After all, Li Ang was leading troops into battle, but the moment he heard Juan was Foucher's subordinate who had been watching Sarah, he immediately charged forward bravely without hesitation. This indeed seemed very knightly...

Juan was looking around in panic when he quickly spotted Li Ang charging towards him.

He only glanced sideways before, with astonishing speed, he spurred his horse and galloped away, recklessly knocking over two of his own men in front of him, eliciting cries of pain and curses—the very colorful kind.

This created some obstacles for the pursuing Li Ang, as it caused Kloze and the others to miss their targets. The men brandishing hammers inadvertently blocked Li Ang.

Li Ang circled around to avoid his own men, allowing Juan to get further away.

The camp naturally had no walls, and Juan quickly escaped beyond its perimeter. His escape route was also clever; he ran along the gentle slope near the river towards the nearby mountain.

There were no roads here; it was mostly barren wilderness, making it difficult for Li Ang's excellent horsemanship to be effective.

When it came to running, Juan's agility was indeed exceptional, and Li Ang couldn't catch up for the time being.

However, Sarah, who was behind, caught up—her lighter weight meant her horse was less burdened, making her much faster on the slope.

About twenty to thirty meters from Juan, Sarah threw two throwing knives while galloping on her horse.

One of them accurately hit Juan's backside...

The other landed on his horse's hindquarters.

The horse, in pain, bucked and threw Juan to the ground, then galloped away.

Juan lay on the ground, howling in pain, struggling to get up but seemingly unable to even roll over.

Li Ang whistled in admiration, looking at Sarah and praising her sincerely, "Truly masterful! Such throwing knife skills are rare!"

Indeed, at nearly thirty meters, while riding a bumpy horse, facing a constantly fleeing enemy, to be able to hit both targets so accurately with a casual throw!

Furthermore, both knives hit the most scientifically effective spots—neither causing too much damage to kill the man, nor failing to incapacitate him.

Li Ang even suspected if Sarah's ancestors were also surnamed Li?

Sarah, however, looked a bit embarrassed. "Uh... I was aiming for his neck..."

Alright, then he's a child of destiny, and luck is also part of his abilities.

Why were all his subordinates luckier than him?

Li Ang felt this was very unfair...

But no matter what, the man was caught, and Li Ang was in a good mood.

Li Ang dismounted and walked up to Juan, who was still howling, holding the spiked mace and gesturing in front of Juan's eyes.

Juan's eyes showed obvious fear, and his painful screams gradually stopped.

"You're from the Crimson Brotherhood, aren't you? If you don't want to suffer, answer my questions properly."

Li Ang didn't want to waste too much time and got straight to the point.

Juan's eyeballs rolled around, and then he saw Sarah walking over.

"Sarah! ... Sarah is young master Foucher's fiancée! You actually kidnapped her? You even attacked the Horton Family's territory! Have you considered the consequences! You'll be caught, subjected to all the terrible tortures in the world, and then crushed like a bug..."

Oh?

He dared to threaten me in this situation?

I didn't expect this guy to have a tough heart hidden beneath his fierce but cowardly expression?

Li Ang looked at Juan seriously with surprise, then grabbed his hand and placed it on a rock, smashing his little finger with a hammer...

The finger visibly flattened, the sound of bone shattering and sharp, painful screams followed, startling the birds in the mountains into flight.

Sarah watched the spectacle with amusement from the side, seemingly enjoying the scene.

"Whether I'll suffer all the tortures in the world is uncertain, but you'll definitely start enjoying them soon... Speak or not?"

Li Ang raised the hammer again.

Tears streamed from Juan's eyes, his body convulsed as he wailed in agony, shaking his head frantically, "No... don't..."

Huh?

A real man?

Li Ang was even a little impressed.

There was no choice, the interrogation had to continue. The hammer fell heavily again, even harder than before. Juan's ring finger also flattened, and blood even spurted from under his fingernail.

This was definitely not a torture that an ordinary person could endure.

Juan's deathly pale face was covered in tears and sweat. He was in so much pain that he couldn't make a sound for a long time, his entire body tensed.

Li Ang couldn't help but pause for a moment. This kid could really take it... Were all the thugs from the Crimson Brotherhood iron-willed true men?

This didn't make sense...

Just as Li Ang shook his head and raised the hammer again, Juan finally broke down—perhaps he had finally recovered. He wailed and desperately protected his hands, "No... don't do this... What do you want me to say?... Ask me!!"

Hmm?

Seeing Li Ang's stunned expression, Sarah praised from the side, "My lord, your interrogation methods are very unique..."

Li Ang scratched his head and grinned.

It seemed he hadn't actually asked anything