Hiding in the Chaos, Jiang Ye Goes Alone!

"An escape tunnel out of the city?!"

Liu Qingshi and Jiang Ye both glimpsed a trace of hidden shock in each other's eyes.

The Su Family truly lived up to its reputation as a local power. Its foundations ran deep; it even had an escape tunnel leading out of the city.

"This was one of the precautions we took back then, just in case. I never thought it would actually come in handy."

Su Chen let out a soft sigh, a complicated look flickering across his face.

He said no more. Turning briskly, he led everyone through the corridors and across several courtyards, finally stopping in front of an unremarkable woodshed.

The woodshed was dilapidated and piled high with chopped firewood and odds and ends. It looked no different from the woodshed of any ordinary household.

But when several servants quickly moved the firewood aside, a pitch-black opening appeared in the ground—a flight of stone steps winding down into the unknown darkness below.

"Go!"

At Su Chen's command, several servants who had been prepared in advance immediately lit candles and entered the escape tunnel first, leading the way for the others.

The candlelight flickered in the darkness, stretching their shadows long across the mottled walls.

The cries of battle and screams coming from inside the city grew louder and closer. Daring not to delay, everyone hurried into the tunnel.

Jiang Ye followed behind Liu Qingshi and stepped into the deep underground passage.

The moment he entered, the damp, earthy smell washed over him, mingled with the scent of old, rotting timber.

Yet the stone steps beneath their feet were smooth and even, and the surrounding walls had clearly been reinforced with wooden beams, stone slabs, and even fired bricks, layered one upon another to support this escape route.

The Su Family must have put a great deal of thought—and silver—into building this tunnel back then.

Candlelight flickered, and shadows swayed.

Nobody spoke. Only the disorderly sound of footsteps echoed through the deep passage, one beat after another like the pounding of a tense drum.

Behind them, the screams and sounds of fighting from Anxi County reached them through the thick earth, muffled and distant, yet still enough to send a chill down their spines.

After about half an hour, they finally caught a fresh, grassy scent drifting faintly from ahead.

"We're almost at the exit!"

Someone exclaimed in a low voice. Everyone's spirits lifted, and even their weary footsteps quickened involuntarily.

The candlelight shook even more wildly, but no one paid it any mind. They kept their eyes fixed on the darkness ahead, where a faint glimmer showed through.

After another half-stick of incense, a sliver of moonlight entered their field of vision.

The light was faint, yet like a ray of hope, piercing the darkness that had pressed down on them for so long.

One after another, they emerged from the tunnel and finally set foot on solid ground.

The tunnel's exit was hidden on a small hill outside the city.

Half a person's height of wild grass and shrubs covered the hillside, concealing the opening so thoroughly that it would be almost impossible to spot unless one came close and looked carefully.

The night breeze swept past, and the grass rustled, bringing with it the crisp, free air of the open country.

But no one had time to savor that freedom.

Everyone turned around in unison and looked toward Anxi County, the city they had called home for decades.

Then they all stood stunned.

Inside the city, flames soared into the sky!

The firelight turned half the night sky a terrifying dark red, while billowing smoke blotted out the heavens and the moon.

The piercing screams, desperate wails, sharp clang of weapons, and thunderous crashes of collapsing buildings—all of it remained faintly audible despite the distance, like mournful cries rising from hell.

The entire county town seemed to have become a vast slaughterhouse, being swallowed by darkness and bloodshed.

Nearly everyone's face bore the relief of having escaped disaster.

Some even collapsed to the ground, their legs giving way, gasping for breath as tears silently slid down their cheeks.

They had escaped from hell.

But countless people were still dying in that city.

Su Chen drew a deep breath, forcing down his roiling emotions, then turned and solemnly cupped his hands to the two men beside him.

"Brother Guo, Brother Liu, now that we've left the city, I'll have to trouble you both to keep everyone safe along the way."

Two men stood beside him.

One was Liu Qingshi, his expression grave and his brows tightly furrowed.

The other was a middle-aged man with a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, dressed in a black martial outfit.

He was powerfully built, his aura steady. He was Guo Wei, the Transformation Strength martial artist who had served as an Attendant of the Su Family for many years.

"Rest assured, Family Head Su!"

Guo Wei returned the salute, his voice ringing with conviction. "I'll do everything in my power to keep everyone safe! Once we're out of the city, things will be easier. The road may not be entirely peaceful, but most of the bandits are small fry, a rabble of no account. They're nothing to fear!"

Liu Qingshi nodded slightly. His voice was low but steady. "Rest assured, Brother Su. I'll do everything I can.

Yet a trace of worry flashed through his eyes, impossible to conceal.

Although the Su Family had dismissed some of its servants before setting out, nearly a hundred people had escaped: the women, the guards, and the servants.

A crowd that large was practically a conspicuous flock of fat sheep.

If they only ran into ordinary refugees and bandits, then with two Transformation Strength martial artists—himself and Guo Wei—they would have little to fear.

What he was afraid of was running into people from the Seven Kill Cult along the way.

He had heard the martial artists who fled from Lushan County say that those beasts from the Seven Kill Cult didn't just massacre cities; they also left people lying in ambush outside, waiting to hunt down anyone who escaped. They were cunning as foxes.

If they ran into them, it would surely be a bitter fight.

Still, worrying now wouldn't help. When the boat reached the bridge, it would go straight across. They could only take things one step at a time.

"Let's go. We need to reach Shahe Mouth before dawn!"

Su Chen clapped his hands, composed himself, and began giving orders.

Several stewards immediately got to work, counting the people, assigning tasks, and arranging the order of the group.

A party of nearly a hundred couldn't afford to fall into disarray. They had to move in good order.

Jiang Ye quietly withdrew to the edge of the crowd, hunched over like an old, withered tree. No one paid him any attention.

Taking advantage of the night, the Su Family's party hurried along.

They had no carriages. At first, the women who had never practiced martial arts managed to keep up by gritting their teeth, but after less than half an hour, they were already panting, stumbling as they walked.

Su Chen glanced back, his expression tightening, then finally waved for the group to stop and rest.

Liu Qingshi had wanted to say that this was no time to rest, but when he saw the weariness between his wife Huang Xiyu's brows, he hesitated, then swallowed his words.

The worry etched between his brows deepened.

Yet they had rested for less than half a stick of incense when—

"Not good!"

Liu Qingshi and Guo Wei sprang up at the same time, their gazes shooting like arrows toward the direction of the firelight.

Their eyesight was the sharpest. They had already made out the figures surging behind the flames—a dense, black mass sweeping toward them like a tide.

"Enemy attack!"

The shout exploded like thunder, instantly tearing through the night's silence.

Everyone shuddered and followed their gazes.

In the distance, a short, ugly man with a face as hideous as a yaksha was charging toward them, holding a bright torch high.

As he ran, he pumped his arm and shouted at the top of his voice, his shrill cries piercing as an owl's call.

"Hahaha! I knew there'd be stragglers! And a whole flock of fat sheep, too!"

"Come on, you lot! Kill every one of these rich bastards who won't show an ounce of kindness!"

"Grab all the women and let the brothers have their fun!"

Behind him, a dense mass of refugees charged forward with wild yells, like hounds that had caught the scent of blood.

Their clothes were ragged, their faces sallow and gaunt, but twisted, savage grins hung on every face, and mad, greedy flames burned in their eyes.

They gripped all kinds of weapons: rusty cleavers, sharpened sticks, stolen swords and blades, and even half a brick.

There were three or four hundred of them.

"Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Kill every one of these rich bastards who won't show an ounce of kindness!"

"Hahaha! Don't kill the women! Save them for later!"

"Look at all those beauties!"

"We're going to have ourselves a good time tonight!"

The refugees' roars shook the heavens.

They harbored an innate hatred for powerful families like the Su Family, and along the way they had committed countless atrocities alongside the Seven Kill Cult's demonic followers.

Meanwhile—

"It's over... We're finished..."

"How are there Seven Kill Cult people outside the city, too...?"

"Run! Run!"

The Su Family's party immediately fell into chaos. They had never seen anything so terrifying.

The women turned as pale as paper. Screaming, they huddled together; some collapsed to the ground as their legs gave out, while others rolled their eyes and fainted on the spot.

The guards' hands trembled around their weapons. Their faces were deathly pale, their eyes darting away.

The relief they had felt after escaping the county town was now swallowed whole by overwhelming terror.

"Hold steady! Don't panic!"

At that critical moment, Liu Qingshi strode forward, releasing the full force of a Transformation Strength martial artist's presence. It bore down on the panicked crowd like a mountain.

His voice wasn't loud, but it rang with full-throated power, like the peal of a great bell, forcefully suppressing the panic that was on the verge of erupting.

"That's right! Don't panic. We have two Transformation Strength martial artists here, along with all these guards. What's there to fear? They're just a bunch of bandits, no match for us!"

Su Chen forced down his fear and stepped forward to steady the group.

Their two shouts were like a pair of heart-settling pills, barely managing to steady the party.

The guards gripped their weapons tightly, and the women supported one another. Their faces were still deathly pale, but at least they stopped scattering.

"Brother Guo, we have to seize their leader first!"

Liu Qingshi gave Guo Wei a meaningful look.

"Good!"

Guo Wei nodded in reply.

He knew that if they could take down the man leading the charge, the refugees would scatter like birds and beasts.

"Yiyi, when the fight starts, protect your mother and Old Jiang."

Liu Qingshi lowered his voice and spoke to Liu Yiyi behind him.

Liu Yiyi didn't answer. She only nodded firmly.

She shielded her mother, her right hand resting on the short sword at her waist. Her cool eyes were fixed on the mass of shadows surging toward them.

But as her gaze swept past her side, she suddenly froze.

"Where's Old Jiang?"

Liu Yiyi frowned and was about to search the area.

The battle had already begun!

"You're courting death!"

Liu Qingshi and Guo Wei charged one after the other like arrows loosed from a bow, lunging straight at the short, ugly man.

Both were Transformation Strength martial artists. Fighting at full strength, they moved astonishingly fast and reached the man in the blink of an eye.

"Hahaha! Just what I wanted!"

Faced with two Transformation Strength martial artists, the short, ugly man wasn't afraid in the slightest. Instead, a savage look spread across his face.

He abruptly drew a gleaming curved saber from behind his waist. Its blade curved like a crescent moon and was as thin as a cicada's wing, its icy light flashing in the firelight.

He flicked his wrist, and the saber became a true crescent moon, slicing toward Liu Qingshi with a shrill whistle.

Whoosh!

The blade cut through the air.

"Hmm?! This is saber momentum..."

Liu Qingshi's eyes narrowed. Sensing the ferocity of the attack, he chose not to meet it head-on and twisted aside, dodging the saber.

Clang!

The saber that missed its target carved a deep gash in the ground. Shattered stones flew, and dust billowed!

By then, Guo Wei had attacked from behind!

He clenched his right fist, gathering all his strength at his knuckles, and hammered it toward the ugly man's head like an iron mallet!

But the ugly man seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He ducked at the last instant, narrowly avoiding the punch.

At the same time, he slashed backward, the saber darting like a venomous snake's tongue, straight for Guo Wei's neck!

Guo Wei's expression changed drastically. He threw himself backward with all his might.

Squelch.

A bloody line appeared on his neck, but luckily, the wound wasn't deep.

If he'd been even a breath slower, he might have been decapitated by that single stroke.

Liu Qingshi and Guo Wei both realized how dangerous this ugly man was.

They began fighting with greater caution.

After several more exchanges, the ugly man sneered contemptuously. "You two cowards hiding in your shells!"

He gave a cold laugh, then deliberately left an opening, exposing his chest completely to Guo Wei.

A flash of light passed through Guo Wei's eyes. How could he let such an opportunity slip by?

"Die!"

He gathered all his strength into his right fist. Like a cannonball, it slammed into the ugly man's chest.

His punch was heavy and vicious, packed with strength. Even a boulder would have been smashed to dust by it.

Yet when his fist slammed into the ugly man's chest, it felt as though he had struck a piece of black iron.

Clang!

A light ring rang out.

The ugly man had actually taken the punch head-on with his bare body.

"Hardening martial arts?!"

Guo Wei's pupils contracted sharply, and a bone-deep chill rose in his heart.

He finally understood why the ugly man had dared to be so brazen. He had cultivated hardening techniques, and his physique was far beyond that of ordinary people.

He instinctively tried to pull back his fist and retreat.

Too late!

The ugly man let out a savage grin. The curved blade in his hand fell like a crescent moon, and its light flashed.

Pfft.

Blood sprayed! Guo Wei's right arm, the one he had punched with, was severed at the root and flew away in a spray of blood.

"Ah!!!"

Guo Wei screamed and staggered backward. Blood gushed from the stump, instantly soaking half his body.

"Die!"

The ugly man was about to press his advantage and take another swing, claiming Guo Wei's head.

Mountain Crushing Strike!

Liu Qingshi's heavy fist slammed into his back like a mountain crashing down.

"Ugh..."

The ugly man grunted, his body jolting violently.

His back visibly caved in, and a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of his organs sprayed from his mouth.

At the brink of death, he used the force of the blow to fling himself forward like a kite with its strings cut. He stumbled more than a dozen steps away, narrowly dodging Liu Qingshi's second punch, which followed right behind.

"You've got some strength... I underestimated you!"

The ugly man glanced coldly back at Liu Qingshi, raised a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, and sneered. "I'll let you live a little longer."

With that, he pushed off the ground and fled into the distance like a wild dog, quickly vanishing into the night.

"Disaster! The divine emissary escaped..."

"We should run too!!!"

"Run... hurry!"

The refugees still locked in combat with the Su Family guards saw the ugly man fleeing in disarray, and their ranks immediately fell into chaos.

Some shrieked in terror, some dropped their weapons and ran, and some were cut down by the guards.

In mere moments, the three or four hundred refugees scattered like floodwaters bursting through a breached dam.

Liu Qingshi did not pursue them.

He hurried to Guo Wei's side, supported his blood-soaked body, tore off a strip of his own clothing, and wound it tightly around the stump of his arm.

Guo Wei's face was as pale as paper. His lips trembled as he said in a faint voice, "Th-thank you..."

The Su Family gathered around, still shaken. Seeing the scene, some wept, some trembled, and some collapsed to the ground.

Su Chen's face was ashen. He stared in the direction the ugly man had vanished, then looked at the gravely wounded Guo Wei. Worry clouded his eyes, impossible to dispel.

Liu Yiyi still stood protectively in front of her mother, her gaze sweeping over the crowd again and again.

The girl's brows were drawn together in a rare, deep frown.

She realized Jiang Ye had disappeared.