The three of them walked slowly along the street without revealing anything unusual. They passed through an old stone alley and turned into a bustling market.
This place was near the outer edge of the western district. Though the streets were old, there were still plenty of merchants and pedestrians: vendors selling baked cakes, dealers in medicinal herbs, wandering martial artists, gamblers, and hawkers mingling among them. Beneath the clamor lay a subtle tension.
Gu Chang'an suddenly stopped.
His gaze fell on a filthy, disheveled old beggar beneath the wall not far away.
The beggar lay prostrate on the ground, draped in tattered hemp cloth, his hair covering his face. A chipped bowl sat before him, and he looked gravely ill. Though pedestrians came and went, he did not move an inch.
Yet that stillness was eerie beyond measure, as if a fierce tiger lay crouched there—neither drinking nor moving, yet breathing out killing intent.
A sudden alarm jolted through Gu Chang'an's mind. The next moment, the system's information appeared before his eyes:
[Lu Tian: Physique 295]
Gu Chang'an's mind tightened instantly.
So it really is him...
With a sidelong glance, he saw the beggar's limbs sprawled on the ground, his back broad and his muscles faintly bulging. At a glance, it was the build of someone who had spent years fighting in the mountains and forests, charging across the wilderness under heavy loads.
Even his ragged clothes and filthy face could not conceal that bestial aura.
This man could not be fought head-on.
"Brother Gu?" Seeing him stop, Liu Wei frowned slightly and asked in a low voice.
Gu Chang'an's gaze remained calm. He shook his head lightly. "It's nothing."
The three of them continued forward at once, as though they were merely strolling. Yet after they had gone more than thirty steps, Gu Chang'an quietly glanced back.
The beggar remained utterly motionless, his head lowered almost to the ground. But a cold glint flashed briefly through his eyes—he had noticed!
We can't delay any longer.
Thoughts raced through Gu Chang'an's mind. He spoke quietly to Zhou Yue.
"Brother Zhou, go back immediately and find Constable Li. Tell him we've found the 'Red Wolf.'"
Zhou Yue's eyes flew wide. "You mean—that beggar?"
Gu Chang'an nodded. "His build and aura match the portrait."
Liu Wei's eyes narrowed. He looked back at that inconspicuous figure and said heavily, "...He does look a little like him."
Zhou Yue's expression tightened. He nodded solemnly. "All right. I'll leave at once."
He swiftly melted into the crowd, taking a wide detour without leaving a trace.
Gu Chang'an and Liu Wei stopped beneath a carpenter's shop diagonally across the street, pretending to chat with the owner while keeping their eyes fixed on the prostrate beggar.
Lu Tian seemed to remain completely unaware. He kept his head lowered as he begged, occasionally coughing twice, his body trembling faintly.
But Gu Chang'an could sense that this was not weakness. He was gathering strength.
He was like a wolf that had endured in silence for a long time, waiting only for the right moment to tear every obstacle apart with the force of thunder.
He's waiting for an opportunity, Gu Chang'an thought quietly. We have to wait for reinforcements too.
Liu Wei slowly placed his right hand on his saber hilt. His gaze was as cold and sharp as lightning as he spoke in a low voice.
"The moment he makes a move, we'll block him first. But don't fight him head-on—staying alive comes first."
Gu Chang'an nodded, his eyes as calm as ever. "Understood."
Suddenly—
The beggar who had been lying on the ground jerked his head up. A bloodthirsty red light flashed in his eyes.
"...Little brother, your big brother has come."
Lu Tian murmured in a low voice. It was hoarse, yet sounded like the growl of a wild beast, carrying overwhelming killing intent!
He exploded upward!
His body shot up like a cannonball and instantly pounced on the nearest stallholder. The man had no time to react. He only felt a chill in his chest before five claw-like fingers pierced straight through it!
"Argh!!—"
Blood sprayed as the stallholder collapsed.
The nearby pedestrians erupted in terrified screams and scattered in all directions. The market instantly descended into chaos!
"Murder!—"
"Help! He's a mountain bandit—"
"Run!!"
The crowd surged like a tide. Stalls were overturned, pots and bowls rolled across the ground, children wailed, and women shrieked. Utter chaos reigned!
Lu Tian's figure blurred. He knocked down two more civilians who failed to dodge in time, twisted his shoulder, and used the crowd as cover to slip into a narrow alley, like a wild wolf breaking free of its shackles!
"Damn it!" Gu Chang'an's eyes sharpened, his gaze cutting like a blade.
"Brother Liu, take care of the people here. I'll chase him!"
Liu Wei's expression changed, but he immediately nodded and said in a low voice, "Be careful."
He knew his own strength well. Among ordinary people, he might be considered outstanding.
But if he truly fought a Ranked Martial Artist—a notorious mountain bandit at that—he would surely be courting death.
At this moment, stabilizing the civilians and calming the scene was what he needed to do.
Gu Chang'an said no more. His saber was already out of its sheath, its cold gleam flowing like a bolt of silk!
He drew a deep breath. His Dantian circulated, sending his inner breath surging through his body. With one step, his entire form became a light shadow, his movements swift as the wind—
Flowing Wind Steps!
His figure threaded through the panicked crowd without the slightest obstruction. Gu Chang'an was like a gray shadow tearing through the air. In the blink of an eye, he had crossed several yards and charged straight toward the direction Lu Tian had fled!
Ahead, Lu Tian forced his way into a dark alley, his feet moving like the wind. He ran on all fours like a wild wolf, kicked off the wall, and vaulted into the air, easily clearing a wall three zhang high.
Dust churned above the wall as his figure sank into the darkness on the other side like a night owl.
Gu Chang'an did not retreat. He pursued at full speed, then suddenly leaped—
"Ha!"
Using the corner of the wall as a foothold, he rose almost flush against it, pushing Flowing Wind Steps to its limit.
His entire body was as light as a drifting leaf. He barely managed to reach the top of the wall, then flipped over and landed in the alley opposite!
His feet struck the stone bricks, making the ground tremble.
At that moment, he saw Lu Tian turn into the alley's far end. Lu Tian glanced back at him, a sinister smile and vicious intent showing in his eyes.
"Not bad. You're so young, yet you managed to catch up with me."
"But unfortunately—you were born unlucky!"
Before his voice had even faded, Lu Tian stomped down. His body pounced like a wolf on a deer, and with a ferocious lunge, he suddenly swept toward Gu Chang'an!
Gu Chang'an did not retreat. His feet crossed, and his Blade Light turned with his body as he slashed horizontally!
Clang!!
The saber collided with his claws, sending sparks flying in all directions!
Lu Tian's ten fingers were like iron. He had actually caught the long saber barehanded!
"Hiss..." Gu Chang'an's wrist trembled. He felt an astonishing force travel through the saber!
"What terrifying strength!"
Lu Tian sneered. Suddenly, he sank his body and stomped hard with his right foot. The paving stones shattered. Taking advantage of the motion, he swept low, his leg like an Iron Whip, lashing across Gu Chang'an's lower body!
Gu Chang'an's eyes turned sharp. He lightly leaped backward, and Flowing Wind Steps shifted in an instant. His feet moved in alternating steps, allowing him to drift away from the attack. His Blade Light curved around and slashed toward Lu Tian's waist!
Slash—!
His robe split open, and a bloody gash opened along Lu Tian's side. But Lu Tian showed no fear. Instead, he grinned with bloodthirsty delight!
"Good kid. You can actually hurt me!"
"Then taste this—see how a mountain bandit manages to survive!"
He threw his head back and roared. The muscles throughout his body swelled violently, and his entire figure seemed to expand by a full circle in an instant!
A heavy punch descended like a mountain, the wind exploding around it!
Gu Chang'an's gaze was icy. He drew a deep breath, compressed the vortex of energy in his Dantian, and met the blow head-on with his saber!
Mountain Shattering Saber Technique Breaking Style!
The long saber descended like a collapsing mountain, fierce and unstoppable!
Boom!!!
The two forces collided violently. The entire alley shook, broken stones rolled from the walls, and dust billowed into the air!
Gu Chang'an staggered back several steps. His chest churned, and his arm went faintly numb!
Lu Tian's expression changed as well. He had been forced back half a step, his shoulder torn open and blood seeping out!
"What saber technique is that?!"
He glared and growled.
Gu Chang'an did not answer. He shook his saber, then charged forward again!
Flowing Wind Steps brought him there in an instant. His saber was like thunder, and amid the crisscrossing blades, he actually forced Lu Tian to retreat again and again!
Seeing that the situation was turning against him, Lu Tian suddenly let out a low growl and slammed toward the wall. He gripped the wall with both palms and scurried upward like a lizard!
"Trying to escape?" Gu Chang'an gritted his teeth, then pushed off with both legs and shot upward!
One in front and one behind, the two figures vaulted over the wall and plunged into another narrow alley!
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