The Iron Palm Gang leader's voice boomed like thunder, echoing through the entire mountain forest.
Yet the two youths fleeing ahead seemed not to hear it.
Supporting each other, they did nothing but plunge deeper into the mountains.
Having scraped by on the streets since childhood, they naturally could not have known nothing about the powerful figures who ruled over them.
Over the years, they had often seen street beggars squeezed dry of their last drop of blood by such people; wealthy merchants lured into gambling and reduced to ruin; mountain folk who found treasures and wished to enter the city to sell them for a better life, only to die without even a whole corpse left behind.
Had the two of them not supported one another, and had they not possessed a bit of wit besides—
They likely would have long since become food in the belly of that colossal beast, swallowed until not a scrap remained!
Having witnessed so much darkness on the streets, how could they possibly believe
that the head of such a force would be some trustworthy, honorable man?
What was more, a tragedy that had occurred not long ago had given them an even deeper understanding of that gang leader's true face.
Hand over the item, be accepted into his ranks as a personal disciple, and soar to the heavens in a single step—nine times out of ten, it was merely a false promise meant to lure them out.
They believed even more firmly
that the very next instant after handing over the item, they would be killed on the spot!
With such a great secret at stake, given that gang leader's nature, he would absolutely never allow any outsider to possess it!
Therefore, their only path was to run!
Run deeper into the