The Arrival

"Not good! Let's go quickly!"

Zhang Jiu rushed towards everyone in a panic.

He glanced at the square-faced martial artist kneeling on the ground but ignored him, instead hurriedly reporting to Chen Feng:

"It's Iron Butcher!"

"I climbed to a high place and looked into the distance, and found him rushing towards us!"

Chen Feng's expression changed drastically.

Did Zhang Biao Tou plus Xue Hai still fail to take him down?

"Iron Butcher" was clearly not in the Viscera Quenching realm.

And how did he get here so fast?!

"Go! Hurry and go!"

Chen Feng ordered everyone to mount their horses, and then he himself flipped over and mounted the square-faced martial artist's horse.

"Then what about me!"

The square-faced martial artist immediately panicked, disregarding the bloodstains on his face, and hurriedly blocked the horse.

"Go with Senior Cheng and help him drive the horse carriage!"

Resistance flashed in the square-faced martial artist's eyes.

The horse carriage was the most cumbersome and slowest, and it would definitely be the first to be caught up to.

"Are you going or not!" Chen Feng shouted.

There was no more time to dawdle with the square-faced martial artist.

The pursuers were right behind them, and at this moment, whether to kill him or drive him away would be a waste of precious time, so it was better to let him drive the carriage.

This way, Cheng Li's hands would be freed, allowing the Bone Forging Realm martial artist to play a greater role.

"I'll go! I'll go!"

The square-faced martial artist quickly agreed, ran to Cheng Li's side, took over the reins and whip, afraid of being left behind.

"Giddy up!"

Chen Feng pulled the reins.

The steed beneath him neighed and surged forward, the others following closely behind Chen Feng.

Chen Feng scanned the road ahead, constantly recalling the scenery from his memory, judging how much longer it would be until they reached the next inn.

At the same time, he had to prepare for the worst – that enemies might already be at the inn.

If that happened...

It would truly be a dead end.

There would be no water, nor food.

If the horses gave out first, Chen Feng would decisively abandon them, having Cheng Li carry Cheng Tingxue.

Abandoning the maid.

And fleeing back to Pingcheng at full speed.

The two parties would then part ways, each to their own fate. Chen Feng felt he had done all he could.

But...

There was one thing he couldn't figure out: how exactly was Iron Butcher tracking them?

They had specifically found a hidden spot to rest.

And there wasn't just one road back to Pingcheng.

Yet Zhang Jiu said Iron Butcher was heading our way...

And those Mountain Bandits, they seemed to have been ambushing for a long time.

Where exactly did things go wrong?

Chen Feng's thoughts raced.

Evening, Zhang Village.

They were already very close to Pingcheng, this was the first place Chen Feng stayed after leaving the city.

He remembered it vividly.

Fortunately, the worst-case scenario Chen Feng had anticipated did not occur.

The group could quickly replenish some supplies and buy some fodder for the horses.

But Chen Feng did not choose to rest for long.

The horse carriage was already slow.

No one knew if Iron Butcher would catch up in the next moment.

Everyone obeyed Chen Feng's decision and continued on their way.

However...

Not long after, they had to turn into a fork in the road and find a clearing to stop.

"Damn it!"

The Square-faced Martial Artist cursed.

"The damn horse carriage is broken! It's the last stretch, how can the wheel break just like that!"

Chen Feng dismounted to inspect. The wheel was too worn out and completely scrapped.

The Square-faced Martial Artist's expression was uncertain.

They were still some distance from Pingcheng, in the middle of nowhere, and it was obvious they couldn't fix it.

But there weren't enough horses.

Everyone didn't know what to do.

Cheng Li vigilantly watched their surroundings.

Wang Huan paced back and forth anxiously, regretting that problems always occurred at the last moment.

Zhang Jiu silently looked at the wheel.

Old Li sat quietly to the side, spacing out, watching the Xu Family Martial Artist fiddle with his wound from time to time, wondering what he was thinking.

"Wuwu..."

Cheng Tingxue's Maid burst into tears, sobbing intermittently.

It annoyed everyone.

And Cheng Li Xue, she softly comforted the Maid.

Her face was pale and weak, clearly forcing herself to appear calm.

It was unknown whether the comforting words she spoke were for the Maid or for herself.

"Still crying!"

Wang Huan rebuked.

"I've been unhappy with you, maid, for a long time. Crying and crying, crying when surrounded by mountain bandits, crying when the carriage broke, can't you just be quiet!"

"Wuwuwu!"

Scolded by Wang Huan, the maid cried even louder.

The noise didn't stop.

As if throwing a tantrum on purpose, she not only cried but also yelled while crying.

Chen Feng's expression turned cold.

The maid's crying was too loud. In this quiet place, it could easily expose their location.

He quickly walked to Wang Huan's side...

Hummm--

A buzzing sound of metal.

Everyone was greatly alarmed.

They saw Chen Feng draw the saber from Wang Huan's waist and directly place it on the maid's neck:

"Cry one more word."

As if recalling the ruthless manner in which Chen Feng had dealt with the Square-faced Martial Artist.

The maid immediately shut her mouth.

Terror flickered in her eyes.

She was afraid Chen Feng would actually act.

Seeing that she had quieted down, Chen Feng let it go and put the saber down.

Just as he was about to put the saber back into Wang Huan's sheath.

His nose twitched, and he smelled a faint fragrance.

Faint.

Easily overlooked if not sniffed carefully.

Chen Feng's expression changed.

He realized something.

Along the way, he could always smell a faint fragrance from the back of the horse carriage.

He originally thought it was Rouge Scent.

But it might not be the case.

He approached Cheng Tingxue and the Maid, sniffed them, then quickly walked to the side of the horse carriage and lifted the curtain.

The familiar scent rushed towards him.

Everyone didn't know what Chen Feng was doing. They saw him get into the carriage and rummage around.

Soon.

He took out a Sachet from the carriage.

Chen Feng's expression turned grim. He handed the Sachet to Cheng Tingxue and asked:

"Whose is this?"

A flicker of confusion crossed Cheng Tingxue's eyes. She remembered this Sachet was...

Cheng Tingxue turned to look at the Maid.

Seeing this, a trace of panic appeared in the Maid's eyes.

Although she quickly suppressed it, Chen Feng still keenly caught it.

"Do you know there's a Mole in the family!"

Chen Feng gritted his teeth and looked at Cheng Tingxue, disappointed.

At the same time, he regretted not checking the horse carriage earlier.

No wonder the Mountain Bandits could ambush them in advance...

No wonder Iron Butcher could pinpoint their location...

All the way here, Chen Feng had trusted others too much. He didn't expect his teammates to be more of a pitfall than the last!

He roughly pulled the Maid away from Cheng Tingxue, letting her stumble and fall to the ground.

The Maid immediately panicked and turned to look at Cheng Tingxue, seeking help.

Even if Cheng Tingxue was slow-witted.

She realized something at this moment and looked at the Maid in shock.

She couldn't believe that after she had treated her so well, she was repaid with betrayal.

Just then.

"So you were here!"

A familiar voice sounded from outside the forest.

Chen Feng turned his head sharply.

He saw Xue Hai, holding a spear, riding towards everyone.

His face bore several bruises and bloodstains, like scars left from a fight.

Seeing Xue Hai.

Cheng Li's expression brightened.

"That's great..." the maid also cried out in surprise.

Chen Feng's expression, however, changed drastically.

They were hiding in the woods, yet Xue Hai could find them so precisely, indicating Xue Hai had a way to locate them.

"Wait!"

Chen Feng shouted.

Everyone stopped in their tracks, turning to look at Chen Feng, awaiting his next command.

"Fall back, there's something wrong with him. Senior, be ready."

Cheng Li's expression changed.

He then assumed a stance, looking warily at Xue Hai.

Everyone else did the same, quietly retreating.

The maid, however, looked anxious and said:

"Xue Da..."

Her words cut off abruptly.

Chen Feng, raising the knife in his hand, to everyone's disbelief.

Stabbed forward!

Piercing the maid's heart.

The maid's eyes widened, not understanding why Chen Feng had suddenly attacked.