The Chase Through the Dense Forest

The Wu Family riders soon charged up to the edge of the woods.

At their head, a middle-aged man with triangular eyes held a sandalwood box. Inside was a pink insect resembling a longhorn beetle, buzzing softly as it beat its wings nonstop.

"They really did run this way." The crowd parted, and a brocade-robed man in his forties stepped out from behind them. After surveying the gray carriage and two black horses abandoned on the spot, he sneered.

It was none other than Wu Tong, the third son of the Wu Family.

"Since that's the case, what are we waiting for? Let's hurry after them. We absolutely can't let them get away!" Hearing this, the arrogant youth behind the brocade-robed man exclaimed with delight.

"Heh heh, there's no rush. The two of them spent so long in the carriage that the scent of Thousand Mile Fragrance has rubbed off on them too. It'll last the entire night, at the very least. With that much time, are you worried we won't catch a mere Martial Disciple? You two stay here with Hua'er and watch the horses. The rest of you, follow me in." Wu Tong chuckled, then pointed at two of his men and gave his orders.

The two immediately bowed and acknowledged his command.

The rest drew their various weapons and swarmed after the man carrying the wooden box, charging into the woods.

Though all these riders were only Martial Disciples, every one of them was nimble on their feet, clearly skilled in martial arts.

Wu Tong gave the arrogant youth a few more instructions before unhurriedly walking into the darkness as well.

Half an hour later, deep in the woods.

Shi Mu ran through the forest, carrying the young woman in his arms. His outer clothes had long since been shredded by branches and vines, and countless bloodied scratches crisscrossed his arms and legs.

Shi Mu paid it no heed. Instead, every so often, he abruptly changed direction and raced off another way.

The young woman curled most of her body against Shi Mu, her arms around his neck and her cheeks faintly flushed. She said nothing.

In the hazy night, their intimate contact, the softness of her body, and the faint fragrance she gave off all held an indescribable allure.

But Shi Mu had no time to appreciate the enticing sight before him. Relying on his exceptional eyesight, he desperately searched for the easiest path, darting through the woods like a leopard.

Suddenly, he wheeled around and took cover behind a large tree. After drawing a deep breath, he tilted his head slightly and listened.

Zhong Xiu lifted her delicate face from his arms. Her eyes glimmered as she stared at Shi Mu's exceptionally grim expression, seemingly entranced for a moment.

Before long, the noisy sound of footsteps came from behind them, with faint curses mixed in.

Shi Mu's expression changed. Without a word, he turned and took off running again, still carrying the young woman.

"So it was just as I thought. They must have some special way of tracking us. Otherwise, there's no way they'd keep catching up with us so accurately in these woods. Big Brother Shi, put me down and save yourself. Without me weighing you down, you might still have a chance to escape." Hearing those sounds, Zhong Xiu suddenly came to her senses and spoke in a low voice.

"Miss Zhong, don't say that. Shi Mu may not be a hero, but I could never abandon a woman in distress. Besides, before Uncle Zhong died, he entrusted you to me with his own lips."

"But..."

"There's no 'but' about it! With my strength and stamina, carrying you isn't much of a burden. I could run all night without trouble. Let's see if those pursuers can keep up for that long." Shi Mu sounded remarkably calm.

"All right, I won't say anything more. At worst, little sister will live or die with Big Brother Shi."

Hearing this, the young woman gazed at Shi Mu's face. Her lovely eyes flickered several times before she suddenly spoke softly. Her arms tightened around his neck.

Shi Mu didn't have time to listen to what the woman in his arms was saying. His running footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

The trees ahead grew sparse, and in the distance he could make out a broad stretch of grassland.

In his dash, he had run all the way to the edge of the forest.

It was clearly too late to change direction now.

Seeing this, Zhong Xiu felt strangely calm. She wasn't afraid in the slightest.

"Looks like I'll have to fight this time. Miss Zhong, hold on tight!"

Shi Mu said in a low voice, his face dark.

"Mm."

The young woman answered with a soft, nasal hum.

Shi Mu immediately moved, rushing to a large tree. With the young woman in his arms, he shimmied up like an ape and quickly climbed to a branch ten or twelve feet above the ground.

After having the young woman hold tightly to the branch, he quickly instructed her:

"Wait here. If I can drive the pursuers off, I'll come back for you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Mu sprang straight down from the tree and raced back toward the depths of the woods they had just left.

On the branch, Zhong Xiu leaned most of her delicate body against the tree and stared blankly at the distant spot where Shi Mu had vanished. Her face was deathly pale. The blue birthmark on her forehead was barely visible in the night, lending her an indescribably delicate beauty.

After charging a considerable distance back, Shi Mu narrowed his eyes and abruptly dropped to one knee behind a stand of tall shrubs. He reached back and smoothly lifted the huge purple bow from his back.

Several hundred yards ahead, more than ten figures were running toward him.

The Wu Family riders could never have imagined that anyone could see them clearly from several hundred yards away on such a pitch-black night. Instead, they kept racing toward Shi Mu.

After pursuing their quarry relentlessly through the forest for over an hour, most of the Wu Family riders were as disheveled as Shi Mu. Their clothes hung in tatters, and some were already panting.

Seeing this, Shi Mu sighed inwardly, deeply regretting the situation.

If they hadn't been driven to the edge of the woods, he felt that he could have shaken off most of the pursuers after running for just a little longer.

As the thought crossed his mind, he drew a long arrow from the leather quiver on his back with a swish and nocked it to the bow with practiced ease.

"The Scent-Seeking Insect is reacting strongly again. They're not far ahead!" someone cried out a moment later. The Wu Family riders, who had been racing forward, slowed their pace.

But then another voice, tinged with displeasure, spoke up:

"It's reacting again? Hu Lao'er, are you sure the Scent-Seeking Insect isn't wrong? Every time you say that kid's ahead, we chase after him and find nobody. If we keep running like this, I'm afraid the brothers won't be able to hold on."

"Hmph, we might all be wrong, but the Scent-Seeking Insect can't be. The reason we haven't caught that kid yet is that he's slippery, and you lot are too slow. But it looks like he's run out of steam this time. Just go up and grab him. It'd be best to get it done before Master Tong arrives. After chasing him for so long, I'm afraid Master Tong will lose his temper." The triangular-eyed man carrying the wooden box replied bluntly.