Chapter 864: Pursuers

After much costuming and disguising from Jiang Chen and Huang'er, Liu Wencai and Lu Yali’s appearances were drastically changed. Apart from Lu Yali’s inflexibly rotund build, the two were almost entirely different people. The pair was bewildered after seeing each other’s appearances. Jiang Chen’s skills were simply masterful.

“Here are two escape glyphs for each of you. When there is danger, activate one. A single glyph can carry both of you.” Jiang Chen had enough of these glyphs to spare. He gave one to each of them.

Liu Wencai and Lu Yali had never seen anything as nice as these. They were consumables that only a large sect could afford. If they had something like this back then, there was no reason they wouldn’t have been able to escape.

“This is another treasure. I’ve modified it a little bit. Take it for self-defense.” Jiang Chen took out a flag as he spoke. The flag used to belong to Dark North Sect’s Lin Hai. Lin Hai was actually a traitor from Eternal Celestial Capital. In the Paramount Realm, he had fought with Jun Mobai, a fellow undercover agent from Ninesuns Sky Sect. However, their conflict only ended up benefiting a third party in the end–Jiang Chen.

The flag had made a strong impression on Jiang Chen at the time. Lin Hai was slightly weaker than Jun Mobai in terms of raw strength, but the latter was rendered helpless just by the flag. The flag could both attack and protect, and was quite mighty. It could easily beat out the average sage realm expert. Jiang Chen hadn’t actually used the flag after commandeering it. Instead, he adapted it somewhat by removing Eternal Celestial Capital’s marks and restrictions, as well as changing its outward appearance.

This way, even if someone from the Eternal Celestial Capital were to see the flag used, they wouldn’t necessarily know the flag was their sect’s property. After all, this treasure had been given to Lin Hai in secret to assist in his role as a covert operative. Most people wouldn’t know where it came from. Jiang Chen placed this flag into Liu Wencai’s hands.

“This flag has extraordinary origins. If you find an enemy, you must either kill them or use this item judiciously,” Jiang Chen instructed again. He thought for a final while before taking out yet another item. It was a medallion this time. “This is the Silver Dragon Medallion. It’s a token of the foremost clan of Veluriyam Capital, the Coiling Dragon Clan. If you truly find an enemy whom you cannot resist, show them this medallion. Ordinary factions won’t touch you upon seeing it.”

The Coiling Dragon Clan was a representative faction in Veluriyam Capital. Besides the seven great emperors, they held the most influence in the city. The clan lord had given the medallion to Jiang Chen in order to ensure he would be unhindered in the capital. But there had been no reason for Jiang Chen to use it. Pill King Zhen’s name alone was prominent enough. There was no one who would possibly dare to offend him in the Capital.

As for elsewhere, if anyone were to discover he was Jiang Chen, even a token from Emperor Peafowl wouldn’t be enough to discourage them. The absurdly large bounty on his head was enough to deprive any cultivator of their reason. Therefore, the Silver Dragon Medallion wasn’t very useful to Jiang Chen at present. However, it was quite possibly the best protective talisman he could give Liu Wencai and Lu Yali.

Receiving valuables that they previously never had experience with, or right to possess, made Liu Wencai and Lu Yali a little ashamed. Seeing their anxiety on their faces, Jiang Chen clapped their shoulders. “Both of you are my brothers. Don’t be a stranger.”

The necessity of departure so soon after a reunion left some dismay in Liu Wencai’s heart. He knew that Jiang Chen had important things to do though and nodded. “We’ll leave right now.”

Jiang Chen suddenly smiled. “Don’t be in such a hurry to go just yet. Watch me cut down some pursuers.”

Liu Wencai and Lu Yali both paused. Jiang Chen traded glances with Huang'er. The girl smiled, slightly inclining her head. “Be careful.”

With a sway of his body, Jiang Chen put himself into the open. At this time, five men in black arrived on the scene in hot pursuit. The person who led them had a pair of yellow eyebrows, almost as if they were singed. He stared at Jiang Chen before looking speculatively at his companions. “That’s him. He has someone with him, too.”

The group nodded amongst themselves, fanning into a circle around Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen looked over the five of them coldly. The strongest among them was only a sky sage realm cultivator. Of the others, two were mortal sage realm, and the other two earth sage realm. If it were the Jiang Chen of the Regal Pill Place, this five-man group would pose a mortal threat to him. But the Jiang Chen of today…

“Are you looking for me?” He smiled faintly.

“Kid, where’s the person you were with?” The yellow-browed cultivator glared at Jiang Chen, his consciousness searching through the area.

“There’s no need for you to look now. If you can kill me, then you’ll be able to find her easily. I’m curious, though, what faction are you from?”

“Heh heh, you’re asking too much, kid!” With a shout, the yellow-browed cultivator beckoned his compatriots forth. Five shadows swept towards Jiang Chen. They were well-coordinated and vicious. Though the way they arranged themselves was outwardly chaotic, they were actually following a formation within.

Jiang Chen harrumphed coldly, leaping into action instantly. Like a bolt of lightning, he soared backwards towards the two in the southwest. Two experts took this corner, one earth sage, one mortal sage.

“Excellent!” The two weren’t startled by Jiang Chen’s charge. On the contrary, they were very pleased. They looked at each other, then changed their stances. Like fishermen pulling at a net, they pulled out a silver chain, sending it hurtling at Jiang Chen’s torso. In this moment, something strange happened. The two of them felt their bodies struck by an unknown force. Suddenly, their perfect lockstep was slowed by an invisible strength. Their movement became sluggish for an instant.

The instant however, was enough to spell their final doom. Crack crack!

Two alarming cracks sounded through the air, heralding two terrifying finger points which detonated themselves upon the two. It was Jiang Chen’s third Supernova Point technique, Galaxy Supernova Point. The two experts exploded to smithereens upon contact. The shocking spectacle occurred extremely quickly–astoundingly quickly, in fact.

When the other three were able to react, their two peers were already dust. The yellow-eyebrowed sky sage realm expert gasped in surprise. “Careful, everyone. This kid is pretending to be weak in order to take us all!”

Jiang Chen cackled. Taking two lives ignited further murderous intent. He strode forward, reaching another earth sage realm expert with only two or three steps. Taken aback at his speed, the expert clutched at something with a hand. He was making a grab for an escape glyph. Jiang Chen was faster than him, however, and stabbed a finger into the man’s forehead.

Bam!

Another one destroyed.

“This is tough, let’s pull out!” The yellow-browed expert’s face colored considerably. He had come to the realization that this opponent was someone he couldn’t contend with. He crushed an escape glyph as he spoke. Its power expanded in preparation to take him away, but his feet were leaden. He wasn’t able to move!. The man looked at his feet, and noticed that strange vines hung around his legs–some were fiery crimson, some were verdant green. The last sage realm expert met the same fate. His entire body was wrapped tightly. How could he escape?

The Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice had evolved with each refinement from Jiang Chen. Its current incarnation was far changed from its original form. With its current qualities, Jiang Chen was confident that it could ensnare even a normal emperor realm cultivator, much less a sage realm one. The Lotus had a consuming hunger. Something as nutritious as a sky sage realm expert was swallowed up instantly by the petals at Jiang Chen’s command. There was no time for even a scream to escape.

The remaining mortal sage realm expert was pallid, his body shivering like a leaf. Though they weren’t the most elite in the Great Scarlet Mid Region, they could do as they wished without much interference. Even those from the top sects here gave them some face. The upper classes of the Great Scarlet Empire and the imperial family as well gave them the same degree of respect. That they were thugs working for the Resplendent Emerald Veranda was enough. As one of the wealthiest in the Great Scarlet Mid Region, Veranda was a very influential organization here.

Though they were not as mighty as the few third-ranked sects, the typical fourth-ranked sect found it hard to compete with the Veranda. The five of them weren’t the cream of the crop at Greenwood, but they were still fairly important individuals there. They’d always performed the menial tasks and dirty work for the sect.

Time was of the essence. After having dispatched the four others, Jiang Chen arrived in front of the remaining man, and smiled faintly at him. “Would you like to tell me what you know straight up? Or shall I torture it out of you?”

The man was yellow with fear. His pupils dilated, eyes full of terror. “I… I only want you to let me live. I’ll tell you whatever you want.”

“What if I’m not going to let you live?” Jiang Chen asked quietly.

“Then… I’d rather commit suicide than be threatened by you.” The man gritted his teeth.

Jiang Chen nodded. “Well, that means you don’t know much then. Why don’t I send you off with your friends?”

The man’s face colored drastically. “You… you don’t want to know where we’re from?”

Jiang Chen grinned nonchalantly. “You think I care about something as unimportant as that? You’re either dogs of the Great Scarlet Empire’s imperial family, or members of some sect. But I think it’s most likely that you’re from the Resplendent Emerald Veranda.”

The man was stunned by Jiang Chen’s words. He thought they had been quite secretive about it, but their quarry already knew who they were.

“As I thought, you really are from the Veranda.” Jiang Chen’s face darkened. Huang'er walked over now as well. “I’ve always felt that Wei Xing’er was in a bad situation at the Veranda. It looks like they won’t let anyone off who’s met with her, huh. The slaves she rescued before must have been recaptured by these guys too, hmm?”

Huang'er was very clever, and had discerned hints of the truth from these details. Jiang Chen didn’t suspect Wei Xing’er herself. If it had been her that betrayed them, then it wouldn’t be only these five after the pair, but masses of emperor realm experts instead. She must have had the wool pulled over her eyes regarding this matter as well. Moreover, it seemed that she was only superficially well-off at Greenwood. She knew nothing about the organization’s shadowy side.