Chapter 26: A Timely Rescue, Heavy Casualties

At the entrance of the Linghu Club, Chu Yan waited anxiously for Jiang Chen, while Yao Bing stood by her side with clear reluctance. Lu Ying, accompanied by martial arts experts from the Linghu Sect, maintained order and informed Chu Yan that Jiang Chen had not been found.

"Yan, I told you that guy ran away! You didn't believe me, and now look—he’s vanished without a trace!" Yao Bing complained, her disdain for Jiang Chen growing by the moment.

Chu Yan frowned. The favorable impression she had formed when Jiang Chen saved her grandfather was rapidly turning into resentment.

"Hearsay is unreliable; seeing is believing. Even an elementary school student understands that. You should wipe your eyes and look clearly before drawing conclusions," Jiang Chen’s voice sounded as he stepped out from inside the club.

"Ha!" Yao Bing sneered sarcastically. "Hiding inside until the danger passed and then coming out to spout such grand words—you have no shame, and frankly, I’m embarrassed for you!"

Jiang Chen shook his head. It was like playing the lute to a cow—utterly futile.

"Alright, Bing, that’s enough. Let’s go," Chu Yan interrupted. She reasoned that since Jiang Chen had intended to help Cao Moling with Linghu Xin, his decision to hide for safety was understandable.

Just as Jiang Chen was about to follow Chu Yan to the car, Cao Moling and Linghu Xin approached them quickly. Their wounds had reopened, and blood stained their clothes.

"Sect Master!" "Miss Linghu!" The disciples of the Linghu Sect bowed respectfully. Seeing this, Chu Yan and Yao Bing hurriedly turned to pay their respects to avoid offending the leader of the Linghu Sect.

Noticing that Jiang Chen remained unmoved, Yao Bing wanted to kick him. Could this fool not read the room?

"Mr. Jiang, please wait!" Cao Moling ignored Chu Yan and Yao Bing, calling out to Jiang Chen with visible anxiety.

Chu Yan and Yao Bing were stunned. Cao Moling was actually looking for Jiang Chen, and her tone was so deferential?

"Is there something else, Sect Master Cao?" Jiang Chen stopped and asked.

"I need your help to save someone. The situation is critical—I beg you, please save them!" Cao Moling knelt before Jiang Chen, pleading sincerely. Injured herself and lacking the combat strength of Ye Qingchan, she feared for Ye Qingchan’s life as she remained surrounded. She was willing to debase herself to secure Jiang Chen's help.

Chu Yan, Yao Bing, and the others were dumbfounded. Especially Yao Bing—in her eyes, Jiang Chen was a useless wastrel. How could he possibly make the infamous "Black Widow," the master of the Linghu Sect, kneel and beg for help?

"I can help, but please, Sect Master Cao, send someone to escort Chu Yan home," Jiang Chen agreed; he found Cao Moling far more tolerable than Yao Bing.

"Thank you, Mr. Jiang! I will personally ensure President Chu is escorted home safely!" Cao Moling was overwhelmed with gratitude, surprised by his swift agreement.

"Lead the way, Sect Master Cao."

Cao Moling quickly rose and led Jiang Chen to the back seat of her car, while Linghu Xin drove them directly toward the Xiaokun Kingdom’s ninja stronghold.

Only after the car drove away did Chu Yan and Yao Bing regain their composure.

"What on earth is going on?" Yao Bing was completely baffled.

"Jiang Chen knows medicine. The Sect Master must have been looking for him to treat someone," Chu Yan speculated. It was the only explanation that made sense of Cao Moling’s desperate plea; the person in need must be someone of great importance.

Cao Moling’s vehicle was a multi-million dollar bulletproof Audi. Seated in the back, Jiang Chen was curious about whom she needed to save.

"I won’t hide it from you, Mr. Jiang. It is my sister’s daughter, Ye Qingchan," Cao Moling said, her legs held together and her hands resting in her lap, speaking with concise urgency.

"Who did you say? Ye Qingchan?" Jiang Chen’s expression shifted. He pulled a photo of a beautiful woman from his pocket and confirmed, "Is it her?"

"Yes, it is! Do you know Qingchan, Mr. Jiang?" Cao Moling asked with excitement.

Know her? They had communicated quite intimately! Having promised Ye Qingchan he would keep their relationship private, Jiang Chen replied, "This morning, when I returned to the Zifu Mansion in Lindu, a master-level ninja from the Xiaokun Kingdom infiltrated the Tiange district disguised as a security guard."

"He claimed he was going to deal with Ye Qingchan. He failed to kill me and was killed by me instead. This photo fell from him."

"You killed the master-level ninja at the Tiange district? Wait—are you the owner of the Zifu Mansion in Lindu?" Cao Moling was shocked twice in a matter of seconds. Hadn't Wei Hongyi claimed he was the one who killed the ninja? Was he lying? And when did the Zifu Mansion, the premier estate of the Zhao family, fall into Jiang Chen’s hands?

"I did kill the ninja. One master-level expert and four advanced practitioners. I assume Ye Qingchan handled the bodies?" Jiang Chen nodded. "As for the Zifu Mansion, the head of the Zhao family gave it to me."

Cao Moling did not doubt him. Wei Hongyi must have lied. Zhao Tingshan likely knew Jiang Chen was a high-level martial arts master; otherwise, he would never have surrendered the Zifu Mansion.

...

At an abandoned factory in Linzhou—a secluded location used by the Xiaokun ninjas as a rendezvous point—Ye Qingchan and Wei Hongyi, along with ten members of the Hidden Dragon team, had charged in, only to fall into a trap.

Over thirty ninjas emerged from all sides, wielding blades longer and sharper than standard daggers, surrounding them completely. Two of the ninja leaders were masters, and the rest were high-level practitioners. In both numbers and strength, they far outmatched the Hidden Dragon team.

"Ye Qingchan, where is my brother?" asked the man with the hooked nose, one of the two leaders. His brother, who had gone to deal with Ye Qingchan, had lost contact.

"Who is your brother?" Ye Qingchan was on high alert, scanning for an opening to lead her team in a breakout.

"His name is Kenji Yoshino. He went to the Tiange district this morning to find you. He must have fallen into your hands, right?" The hooked-nose man, Kenichi Yoshino, stared at her with hawk-like eyes.

"Your brother wanted to kill Qingchan, so I beheaded him! Since you care about him so much, I’ll be happy to send you down to reunite with him!" Wei Hongyi brandished his Tang sword, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Ye Qingchan, feigning a righteous air. He was confident they could break through the siege and use the opportunity to demonstrate his authority as captain before the team.

Hearing this, Ye Qingchan cursed inwardly. She could have played along to stall for time, but Wei Hongyi’s provocation had left them with no choice but to fight to the death.

"You seek death! Kill them all! Leave no one alive!" Enraged, Kenichi Yoshino gave the order.

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

The thirty-plus ninjas charged. Kenichi Yoshino lunged at Wei Hongyi, while the other master-level ninja attacked Ye Qingchan.

A fierce battle erupted. Each member of the Hidden Dragon team was forced to face three opponents at once. Despite killing many ninjas, the team suffered heavy casualties.

*Clang!* *Squelch!*

Wei Hongyi was no match for Kenichi Yoshino’s blade. He was sent flying, crashing to the ground and vomiting blood.

"Die!" Kenichi Yoshino roared, pursuing him to finish the job.

"Qingchan, save me..." Wei Hongyi, lying crippled on the ground, begged for his life in sheer terror.