CHAPTER 521: CHAPTER 520: YOUNG MASTER

More than twenty White Lotus Cult Members desperately fled through the winding alleys, barely holding off the encirclement and pursuit of the Wude Army Guard and imperial soldiers. These White Lotus Cult Members belonged to the private army of the Guangmu Dharma Protector. They had just arrived in Lvzhou City yesterday to assist the local branch in snatching the Auspicious Beast.

They had initially been stationed in a civilian house in the city’s west district, waiting for a signal from the Lvzhou branch confirming they had seized the Auspicious Beast. Then, they were to cover the branch’s escape through the city gates. Unexpectedly, after waiting all night without a signal, they heard several explosions within the city. Soon after, the Wude Army Guard, leading a large contingent of soldiers, came knocking at their door.

Their opponents were numerous and well-prepared. The White Lotus Cult Members, caught off guard, lost more than a dozen of their brethren in the first clash. This forced them to flee their stronghold and use the alleys to skirmish with the Wude Army Guard.

"Damn it!" A youth with a delicate and sinister appearance, subtly protected by the others at the group’s center, cursed angrily. "What the hell has that good-for-nothing, utterly useless Song Jie done? If I get my hands on him, I’ll chop him into pieces and feed him to the pigs!"

This delicate young man was Gongyang Han, the legitimate son of the Guangmu Dharma Protector. In the hearts of these fanatical White Lotus Cult Members, he was someone they had to protect with their lives. And indeed, that is precisely what they did.

CLANG! A dense barrage of Crossbow Arrows rained down from afar. A bald, muscular man, his body covered in black tattoos and wielding four steel knives, stepped forward to shield the retreat, spinning his blades fiercely against the shower of Arrows.

Under the moonlight, the rapidly spinning steel knives gleamed, driving the wind and kicking up dust from the ground to form a hazy sphere. The incoming Crossbow Arrows, drawn by the wind, were sucked towards the sphere and struck the blades. With a series of sharp CLINKING and CLANGING sounds, the Crossbow Arrows shattered into pieces, their arrowheads and wooden fragments scattering across the ground.

"Huff... huff..." The bald man slowly lowered his arms, his eyes bloodshot. "Hurry, go!" he bellowed at his comrades without looking back, his trembling hands bleeding profusely from torn skin between his thumbs and forefingers.

"Hmph." The middle-aged Wude Army Guard officer with a full beard, mounted on horseback, witnessed the scene and sneered, waving his hand forward. "Fire!"

Another volley of Arrows rained down. The bald powerhouse deflected more than twenty Arrows before finally retreating, exhausted. His four steel knives clattered to the ground, and his black-tattooed body was riddled with so many Arrows he resembled a pincushion.

His sacrifice only slightly delayed the Wude Army Guard’s advance. Flares continually rose in the surroundings, attracting more and more imperial soldiers to encircle the area. The Wude Army Guard could even afford to leisurely hang back, using Crossbow Arrows to wear down the enemy’s stamina. Capturing these White Lotus Cult Members was merely a matter of time.

"Young—Master—!" A shrill cry echoed from afar. Both the White Lotus Cult Members and the Wude Army Guard looked up to see several figures in black robes rushing towards them, leaping across rooftops. The leader was Song Jie, the head of the White Lotus Cult’s Lvzhou branch.

"Young Master?" The bearded Wude Army Guard officer raised an eyebrow. In the White Lotus Cult, the title "Young Master" is reserved for either the Saint Heir or the son of a Protector or Commander. Lvzhou is under the Guangmu Dharma Protector’s jurisdiction, so the Young Master they’re referring to must be his legitimate son...

"Excellent! We’ve hooked a big one!" A glint flashed in the officer’s eyes. With a wave of his hand, he led his troops to accelerate the pursuit.

The pressure on the fleeing White Lotus Cult Members instantly intensified. They cursed inwardly, wishing they could tear Song Jie to shreds. Gongyang Han, his identity now exposed, turned various shades of pale and purple with rage, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists so tightly they audibly cracked.

"Young Master! Your servant has arrived too late to rescue you; I deserve to die ten thousand deaths!" Song Jie cried out. He led his men across the rooftops, rushing along the tops of buildings, dodging the volleys of Arrows from the Wude Army Guard. He still had the energy to shout down to the White Lotus Cult Members below, "Young Master! Young Master, are you there, Young Master? If you hear me, please respond!"

Gongyang Han nearly spat blood. Would it kill you to shut up? Shouting so loudly, are you trying to get me killed and arrange my funeral? He remained silent.

However, on the rooftop, Song Jie wouldn’t give up. "Young Master, why aren’t you speaking? Has someone taken you hostage?" He paused for a moment, then muttered to himself, "Huh? Did I make a mistake? Is the Young Master not among them?"

Yes, you made a mistake! Now get lost! Gongyang Han fumed internally. If the situation weren’t so critical, he would have personally struck Song Jie down.

"Wait! I see him!" Song Jie suddenly shouted excitedly. "The one in the white robe is the Young Master!"

Gongyang Han’s expression was indescribable. The pursuing Wude Army Guard became even more excited, unleashing an even denser volley of Arrows towards the center of the White Lotus Cult Members.

In his mind, Gongyang Han had already killed Song Jie a thousand times over. He quickly shed his white robe and tossed it to a subordinate, ordering the man to put it on.

"Huh?" Song Jie, still rushing across the rooftops, paused, slightly startled. He squinted, observing for a moment, then shouted again, "The one with the fairest complexion is the Young Master!"

You! Gongyang Han felt his throat tighten, his eyes turning bloodshot. The hatred in his gaze was practically overflowing.

"Young Master..." An elderly attendant beside Gongyang Han silently took out a handful of black ash. Gritting his teeth, Gongyang Han snatched the ash and smeared it on his face. He then quietly swapped places with a subordinate, moving to the very front of the group.

"The one without a beard is the Young Master!" Song Jie yelled.

Gongyang Han quickly stuck on a fake beard handed to him by another subordinate.

"The one who’s one point six meters tall is the Young Master!" Song Jie continued.

Several White Lotus Cult Members beside Gongyang Han, skilled in Body Shrinking Skills, contorted their skeletons, adjusting their height to match his.

Song Jie continued to shout at the top of his lungs. The mounted Wude Army Guard visibly closed the distance with the White Lotus Cult Members. If this continued, their capture was inevitable.

The White Lotus Cult Members’ hearts sank into despair. If they were facing ordinary imperial soldiers, they might have tried to take civilians hostage from the houses along the street. This could have made their pursuers hesitate, giving them some breathing room. However, their pursuers were the Wude Army Guard. They wouldn’t negotiate with the White Lotus Cult Members, no matter how many citizens of Lvzhou died.

SWISH! The sound of chains dragging across the bluestone pavement echoed from ahead. To their dismay, the White Lotus Cult Members saw heavy black chains stretched across all three paths before them, suspended in mid-air. These chains were densely covered with yellow Talismans.

Wude Army Guard and imperial soldiers, holding torches, appeared on the streets in all four directions, completely surrounding the White Lotus Cult Members.

Is today the day I die here...? A wave of despair washed over Gongyang Han. His delicate, handsome face contorted into a savage, twisted mask, like a cornered beast.

"Fire!" the bearded Wude Army Guard officer bellowed. A dense volley of Crossbow Arrows rained down from all directions.

"I’d like to see who dares harm my Young Master!" Song Jie roared. He stomped, shattering the roof tiles beneath him, and plummeted from the building. With a single palm strike, he sent eight wooden doors flying, which managed to block most of the mid-air Arrows.

"Absolute loyalty is the only true loyalty! Your subordinate is late to the rescue!" With an expression of utmost devotion, Song Jie yelled to Gongyang Han, who was just outside the now doorless frame, "Young Master, get in here quickly! There’s a secret tunnel leading underground!"