"Bring people? Go ahead and try."
Xiao Wu planted her toe and stepped directly in front of Zhu Zhuqing, the Concealment Talisman tucked securely inside her collar.
Commander Zhu swept his arm. The ring of torches immediately pressed forward. Several guards charged Ning Chuan head-on, two more circled toward Zhu Zhuqing from the flank, while others slipped through the shadows behind the trees, edging toward Su Hang's escape route.
The Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda lit up in Ning Rongrong's palm, its radiance falling over Ning Chuan and the Seven Treasures Guard.
"Seven Treasures Have Names, First: Speed."
Ning Chuan's speed surged. He and two guards blocked the way head-on.
Ning Rongrong stood at the edge of Su Hang's lightning. Mud stained her skirt, but she didn't retreat.
"Don't leave the lightning's range. If anyone charges too far out, I'm not giving you a speed boost. Crawl back on your own."
A Seven Treasures Guard had just been about to charge out. Hearing this, he immediately stopped.
"Don't worry, Miss. I'll hold the line."
Xiao Wu had already met the Soul Master on the flank.
The man tried to circle around her left. As he shifted his footing, Xiao Wu twisted, sweeping her long leg toward the side of his knee.
Thud.
The Soul Master was kicked back to the edge of the lightning. The moment his boot touched the dark purple current, his leg went numb, and he toppled into the wet mud.
After landing, Xiao Wu dusted off her sleeve.
"Where do you think you're running? You don't even know how to line up and capture someone. Your Zhu Family training is pretty flimsy."
Ning Rongrong maintained the pagoda's radiance while chiming in despite herself.
"Rabbit, that mouth of yours is useful today."
Xiao Wu immediately looked back.
"Don't praise me too soon. We still haven't settled the seat debt."
Zhu Zhuqing stood half a step behind them. The pill had staunched the bleeding from the wound on her shoulder, but it still hampered her movements.
When she saw another Soul Master on the flank throw a rope, she didn't hide behind Su Hang. Instead, she charged out along the edge of the lightning.
After possessing the Hell Spirit Cat, she pushed her speed to its limit. With a flick of her dagger, she sliced through the rope looped toward her wrist.
The severed end hit the ground.
Zhu Zhuqing pivoted and used the opening Xiao Wu's kick had created to retreat into the lightning.
Xiao Wu looked pleased.
"Not bad, Zhuqing. You've got some grit."
Zhu Zhuqing held her dagger at her side and said little.
"I can fight."
Ning Rongrong immediately directed a little more of the pagoda's radiance toward her.
"Don't overdo it and then collapse. My support is expensive, so once you've got it, stay on your feet."
Zhu Zhuqing paused for a moment.
"Thank you."
Ning Rongrong gave a soft snort.
"Put it on your tab for now. We'll settle accounts with Dai Mubai later—you can pay together."
At the edge of the forest, Tang San watched the chaos unfold. At last, Blue Silver Grass sprouted from his palm.
He fixed his eyes on a Zhu Family pursuer preparing to ambush a Seven Treasures Guard. His yellow Soul Ring lit up, and Blue Silver Grass burst from the wet mud.
"I'll control the left rear."
Yu Xiaogang immediately lowered his voice.
"Tang San, keep a steady rhythm. Don't get too close to Su Hang's lightning zone."
Tang San nodded, and Blue Silver Grass wrapped around the pursuer's ankle.
But the Thunder Pressure by Su Hang's feet swept over at just that moment. Dark purple lightning spread along the ground, setting off the Poison Pattern in the damaged Soul Ring. The Blue Silver Grass leaves instantly whipped about.
The grass failed to catch the pursuer. Instead, it curled toward Tang San's own feet.
Tang San shifted his footing and forcibly drew the Blue Silver Grass back into his palm. Even his sleeve was tugged askew.
If Xiao Chenyu had been here, he definitely would've shouted about this legendary scene.
Ning Rongrong witnessed it with her own eyes, and the pagoda's light almost wavered.
"Tang San, maybe you should stop making things harder for everyone trying to help."
Xiao Wu didn't miss the chance to pile on either.
"The moment that grass of yours shows up, I start worrying for the pursuers. I'm afraid you'll throw them off course before we can catch them."
Tang San's expression darkened. He pressed his fingers against his sleeve and didn't release Blue Silver Grass again.
Yu Xiaogang stepped in beside him and spoke through gritted teeth.
"Tang San was trying to help. It's just that the suppression from the lightning attribute is too strong."
Ning Rongrong immediately retorted.
"Then help from farther away. Don't make everyone else worry about where his grass is going."
Commander Zhu had no time to pay attention to Tang San anymore.
The Seven Treasures Guard blocked the front, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing cut off the flank, and every pursuer who stepped into the lightning went numb in the legs. Su Hang's ring of lightning had split their entire formation into scattered fragments.
He gave a low shout, and his Soul Power surged.
He possessed the Shadow Leopard-type Martial Soul.
Gray-black beast markings spread along his arms. He lowered his body, shattered the wet mud beneath his feet, and pounced straight at Zhu Zhuqing.
"Second Miss, forgive me."
Xiao Wu immediately shifted sideways.
"You still think you're getting past me?"
Commander Zhu abruptly changed direction, dodged Xiao Wu head-on, and planted a foot against a tree trunk. He vaulted over her and charged toward Zhu Zhuqing's shoulder.
Zhu Zhuqing raised her dagger, but her injury slowed her movements.
Ning Rongrong hurriedly raised her pagoda.
"Seven Treasures Have Names, First: Speed."
The pagoda's radiance had barely fallen when Commander Zhu was already in front of Zhu Zhuqing.
It was at that very moment that Su Hang finally moved.
The aura of the Chaos Thunder Shadow Dragon unfurled from within him.
Dark purple lightning spread across the forest floor. The Soul Power pressed down on the loose stones, making them tremble, and the flames of the torches sank low. Every Zhu Family pursuer slowed by half a beat.
Commander Zhu was still in midair, leopard claws reaching for Zhu Zhuqing, when the Thunder Pressure forcibly pinned him in place.
Su Hang stepped in front of Zhu Zhuqing, raised his right hand, and pressed the lightning in his palm downward.
Boom.
Commander Zhu was slammed from the air, both knees smashing into the wet mud. Muddy water splashed onto the torch handles.
The pursuers around them were just about to charge forward when the lightning lines drew into a semicircle, forcing them all back beyond the ring of torches.
Ning Chuan led the Seven Treasures Guard forward, taking advantage of the opening to knock down two unsteady Zhu Family members with the backs of their blades, but he didn't strike hard.
Ning Rongrong watched, her heart racing, while the pagoda's radiance remained steady.
"Uncle Ning Chuan, don't chase too far. Hold the line inside Su Hang's lightning circle."
Ning Chuan answered at once.
"Miss, we've got it covered."
Xiao Wu stood beside Zhu Zhuqing and casually drew her half a step back.
"Don't push yourself. That last move was cool enough. Keep fighting and you'll drop out of the game."
Zhu Zhuqing glanced at her, slowly lowering her dagger.
"I can still hold on."
Xiao Wu snorted.
"Even if you can, follow orders. This is a rescue mission—don't steal the main damage dealer's job."
Ning Rongrong added from across the lightning,
"Rabbit, that almost sounded sensible."
Xiao Wu immediately looked back.
"You're the one who almost sounded sensible."
Caught between the two, Zhu Zhuqing lowered her dagger completely. The tension in her wounded shoulder eased a little.
Beyond the ring of torches, Commander Zhu tried to push himself up from the mud, but the Thunder Pressure weighed heavily on his shoulders and back.
He gritted his teeth and looked up.
"Su Hang, do you know what you're doing? I'm acting under the Eldest Miss's orders and representing the Star Luo Zhu Family in bringing the Second Miss back."
Su Hang stood in front of him, lightning circling his feet. He didn't press down any further.
"You don't represent the Zhu Family right now."
Commander Zhu stiffened.
Su Hang looked down at him, his voice even.
"You only represent this bunch of people I knocked flat."
Ning Rongrong immediately raised the Seven Treasures Token high.
"I'll vouch for that. If the Zhu Family really wants to talk, they can send someone who knows how. Don't send a bunch of people to chase us."
Xiao Wu piled on.
"And they even brought ropes to talk. How thoughtful."
The Zhu Family guards looked embarrassed. One of them kicked a severed rope behind him.
Commander Zhu tried to speak again, but the lightning had forced the surrounding torches back, and reinforcements behind them had stopped at the edge of the forest, afraid to charge in.
Tang San stood in the distance and didn't release Blue Silver Grass again.
Yu Xiaogang looked at Commander Zhu pinned down by the Thunder Pressure, then at Zhu Zhuqing standing behind Su Hang. His sleeves swayed back and forth, but in the end he couldn't find the right words.
Ning Rongrong withdrew some of the pagoda's radiance. Sweat was clearly visible on her forehead, but she still held her chin high.
"Su Hang, what now?"
Su Hang raised a hand and drew it back.
The dark purple lightning contracted from the outer edge inward, leaving only a few warning lines clinging to the muddy ground.
When the Zhu Family pursuers could move again, not one of them dared take another step forward.
Ning Chuan led his people in clearing the escape route, while the Seven Treasures Guard protected Zhu Zhuqing on both sides.
Zhu Zhuqing watched Su Hang's back and sheathed her dagger.
This time, she didn't hold her weapon across everyone's path.
Commander Zhu rose from the mud, his clothes soaked and splattered. His voice still carried a note of resentment.
"Second Miss, if you leave with them today, the Zhu Family won't pretend this never happened."
Zhu Zhuqing raised her head and finally stepped forward.
"Tell Zhu Zhuyun I'm going to Shrek."
She paused, standing behind Su Hang, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong, but she didn't retreat again.
"Also, Dai Mubai owes me. I'll go collect it myself."
Before you continue
Like what you read?
Upgrade to the full novel to keep reading beyond the preview chapters.