Fleeing for Their Lives

"This... is it really Tian down there?" Fifth Master Jin spun around and asked the Jin Family Patriarch in a low voice.

"Fifth Brother, at a time like this, how could I still be joking with you? These children all witnessed Tian's death with their own eyes." The Jin Family Patriarch said slowly.

Upon hearing the Jin Family Patriarch's reply, Fifth Master Jin's face lost all color. He turned again, suddenly lifting his foot and sweeping it across the ground.

With a "puff" sound.

The white cloth was instantly swept up by the gust of wind, revealing Jin Tian's corpse, twisted like a vengeful ghost, though the Golden Silk Armor on his body was conspicuously gone.

"Tian!"

When Fifth Master Jin saw Jin Tian's swollen, green-black face like a pig's head and the bloody, mangled wound at his throat, he clenched both fists and let out a low roar.

"Fifth Brother, don't rush to grieve. I already know the full story through these children. Jin Wu, tell your fifth uncle the details again." The Jin Family Patriarch sighed and then instructed a slightly older youth standing nearby.

"Yes, Uncle. Fifth Uncle, it happened like this. This morning, Cousin Tian invited us to hunt outside the city..." That Jin family disciple, though extremely nervous, still recounted the events in full detail under the Jin Family Patriarch's order and Fifth Master Jin's icy gaze.

Throughout the entire account, Fifth Master Jin's face remained wooden, only showing a slight change when he heard that Jin Tian had stolen his Golden Silk Armor and taken out a Wind-Fire Tube.

"Eldest Brother, I've heard it all. How do you plan to handle this?" Fifth Master Jin took a deep breath and asked coldly.

"This is rather troublesome. You see, speaking of it, Tian started it by making the first move, and he also stole the clan's Wind-Fire Tube..." The Jin Family Patriarch frowned and said slowly.

"I don't care what Tian did wrong while alive. All I know is that the one who lost his life is my only son, your own nephew! I will have Shi Mu cut into a thousand pieces to avenge my poor child. If you refuse to let me take revenge, don't blame me for turning my back on you as my elder brother!" Fifth Master Jin shouted harshly at the Jin Family Patriarch.

"Fifth Brother, have you gone mad? How dare you speak to Eldest Brother like that?"

"Fifth Brother, we all know you're grieving, but the Jin family is a great clan; we cannot lose our discipline."

Several other Jin family elders nearby saw this and began to dissuade him.

"Hmph, easy for you to say. That's because it wasn't your son who died. I know you're wary that Shi Mu is nominally Seventh Sister's son. But I don't care. If the Jin family won't avenge my son, I'll do it myself." Fifth Master Jin glared at the others, looking completely reckless.

Seeing Fifth Master Jin throwing such a tantrum, the Jin Family Patriarch's face darkened, and he was about to speak again.

But just then, an aged voice suddenly echoed through the hall:

"Oh, Little Five? If I forbid you from taking revenge, are you going to disown me as your father too?"

"Father!"

"Grandfather!"

"Patriarch!"

Everyone in the Jin family hall was shocked by the voice and immediately knelt on the ground.

This aged voice belonged to the Jin family's pillar, the Houtian Great Perfection Jin Family Patriarch.

Fifth Master Jin also replied with a panicked expression:

"Father, how could your son dare to have such rebellious thoughts? But Tian died too miserably. As his father, if I don't avenge him, I have no face left to stay in the clan. Other noble families in Feng City will surely mock the Jin family for this."

"Hmph, Jin Tian's calamity this time is mostly your fault. If you hadn't spoiled him so much before, he wouldn't have stirred up such trouble, let alone lost his own life." The aged voice snorted, carrying authority without anger.

"Your son admits his mistake, but I beg Father to grant me this, to let me take revenge. After that, I will accept any punishment without a word of complaint." Fifth Master Jin thumped his head on the ground twice, his forehead bruised and swollen, and said hoarsely.

"Heh, since you know regret, it's not too late. As you said earlier, Jin Tian was still a direct descendant of the Jin family. If we do nothing after he was killed, the other families in Feng City might indeed look down on us. Eldest Brother, send some men to go with Fifth Brother. Let Shi Mu disappear from the noble families from now on. As for Seventh Girl, I will personally order her not to leave Feng City for the time being." The Jin Family Patriarch was silent for a long while before he chuckled and made his decision.

"Yes."

The Jin Family Patriarch agreed without hesitation.

Then the Jin Family Patriarch's voice faded away.

The others slowly stood up from the ground.

"Since Father has given the order, Fifth Brother, just say which men you want." The Jin Family Patriarch pondered briefly and then asked Fifth Master Jin amiably.

"Eldest Brother, I don't need anyone else. I just want those Blood Hounds best at tracking and that Green-Headed Eagle." Fifth Master Jin said without hesitation.

"Very well. Dealing with a mere Martial Disciple doesn't require sending other Houtian Martial Artists. Then I'll lend you the Dog and Eagle Servants." The Jin Family Patriarch nodded and agreed readily.

"Excellent! That bastard Shi Mu has only been gone half a day at most. I'll set off immediately and take his dog life within two or three days." Fifth Master Jin was overjoyed, his face twisted with ferocity.

At the same time, on the official road dozens of li from Feng City, Shi Mu was driving a gray carriage pulled by two black horses, speeding away into the distance with a trail of dust.

He wore the Sun and Moon Blades at his waist, carried the huge Purple Steel Bow and a quiver of long arrows on his back, and his face showed a hint of anxiety.

"Brother Shi, you didn't have to take me along. If you were alone, it would be easier to escape." A very pleasant girl's voice suddenly came from inside the carriage, and then the curtain lifted, revealing Zhong Xiu's worried face.

"No. If I left you alone in Feng City, not only might the Wu Family harm you, but even if the Jin family couldn't catch me, they would definitely take their anger out on you." Shi Mu replied in a deep voice without turning his head.

"Then you could drop me off somewhere along the way. I can find a place to hide on my own." Zhong Xiu said softly after a moment of thought.

"You underestimate the Jin family's power. As long as we're still within Quanzhou, you won't find a safe hiding place. Even if we do that, it has to be after I've taken you out of Quanzhou." Shi Mu replied with a bitter smile.

"That's true. But Brother Shi, do you have any plan? If we keep going on this official road, the Jin family will catch up sooner or later." Zhong Xiu sighed lightly and said.

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