Without hesitation, the two Foundation Establishnt Realm guards jumped to their feet and tried to alert the others.
But couldn’t find any other guards around which was quite confounding to them.
Not wanting to waste even a second more, they followed the hurried trail of footsteps left by the fleeing slaves.
They moved rapidly, utilizing their cultivation movent techniques which enabled them to catch up quickly.
anwhile, Victor and the group had nearly reached the hidden passageway, concealed behind thick vines and overgrown foliage, where Tarkos awaited.
Victor suddenly paused, sensing a rapidly approaching danger.
His qi Sense spread and he was instantly able to tell that they were being chased.
’Of course it wouldn’t be that simple,’ he groaned internally before turning to Chen Wu.
"Go, take everyone and hurry into the passage. Tarkos will be waiting," he voiced urgently.
Chen Wu hesitated with concern written clearly on his face, "But you—"
Victor placed a hand on Chen Wu’s shoulder. "I’ll hold them back. Trust ."
Chen Wu nodded solemnly, recognizing Victor’s determination. "Stay safe," he said quietly, and ushered the group quickly toward the hidden exit.
Victor swiftly tied a strip of cloth around his face, concealing his features as the two guards erged into view.
They skidded to a stop in surprise at seeing a single masked youth blocking their way.
The guards exchanged brief glances, assessing Victor’s aura disdainfully.
"A re Qi Refining Realm brat dares block our path?" One of them sneered while stepping forward confidently. "Move aside if you value your life."
Victor didn’t budge. "If you turn back now, you might live," he replied coolly with a slightly forced raspy tone.
The second guard laughed bitterly, drawing his sword with arrogance. "You’re courting death, boy."
Both Foundation Establishnt Realm guards lunged forward simultaneously with their swords singing through the air.
Victor gritted his teeth and carefully controlled his strength, keeping his cultivation concealed at Qi Refining Realm stage three.
He drew out his blade and parried their strikes precisely, blocking and evading expertly despite being constantly pressured.
Yet, the suppression of his cultivation severely limited his ability to counterattack.
He swiftly deflected a blade strike aid at his chest, but the second guard kicked out fiercely, catching Victor’s side.
He felt a pang of pain spread through his ribs, forcing him several steps backward.
"You’re skilled for a Qi Refining brat," mocked the guard while circling him predatorily, "but your luck ends here."
Victor eyes narrowed as his frown deepened underneath the scarf.
The guards advanced once more, launching coordinated sword techniques ant to corner him.
Victor did his best to evade and counter as much as he could.
When attacks ca from both sides at the sa ti, he would use shadow blink to reappear behind one and strike out.
However, he could only use shadow blink thrice before it went into cooldown mode again so he found it increasingly difficult to successfully land a hit. If anything, the guards were surprised he had held on for this long.
Victor parried another strike from both guards, causing his knees to buckle as his blade pressed down. However, in the next instant, he pushed his blade back up with all the strength he could muster, causing both guards to stagger backwards with looks of disbelief.
They exchanged a brief glance, sending signals to each other as their aura climbed to its peak.
Suddenly, Victor sensed they were about to unleash their strongest attacks. He had barely held on with the initial attacks.
Seeing no other option, he took a deep breath and abruptly released his Nascent Soul Realm cultivation.
In that instant, a vast and domineering aura exploded outward from Victor’s body, radiating powerfully into the surroundings.
The two guards faltered as their eyes widened in sheer disbelief and terror.
They felt as though a divine mountain had suddenly crushed down upon them, immobilizing them montarily.
"Nascent Soul Realm—!" one guard gasped.
Before either could properly react, Victor’s sword erupted with blinding light, slicing effortlessly through their attacks.
In a single slash, he cut down both guards, causing their bodies to collapse lifelessly to the ground with their faces frozen forever in shock.
Victor exhaled sharply and quickly suppressed his aura again with another concealing pill.
However, it was already too late. The surge of a powerful, foreign Nascent Soul Realm cultivation had swept over the Bai-Qin estate like a terrifying storm.
Within monts, lanterns flared to life throughout the compound as voices filled with urgency shouted orders.
The thundering footsteps of multiple cultivators rapidly closed in toward Victor’s location.
"There’s an intruder!"
"Quickly! Find whoever emitted that Nascent Soul Realm aura!"
Knowing he had re seconds, Victor turned and dashed toward the secret passage using wind dash.
As he disappeared into the hidden tunnel, dozens of figures burst onto the scene, only to find the corpses of the guards sprawled on the ground.
Elders from both the Bai and Qin families soon arrived with faces contorted in anger and confusion. "How did a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator infiltrate our estate without us sensing anything until now?" Elder Qin Han barked furiously.
As chaos and panic spread through the estate, Victor erged from the hidden passageway beyond Lingyun Town’s borders, safely concealed once more. He found Tarkos calmly waiting, with Chen Wu, his father, and the other forr slaves safely beside him.
Victor removed the cloth covering his face and gave Tarkos a firm nod of appreciation. "Thank you for waiting."
Tarkos smiled lightly. "Of course. Everything went well?"
Victor glanced back toward Lingyun Town. "The first part is done," he said firmly. "Now cos the next."
Chen Wu stepped forward with a look of deep gratitude etched onto his tired face. "Thank you, Brother Fang Chen. Without you, none of us would have seen freedom again."
Victor shook his head with a look of sincerity. "This is only the beginning. By the way, I t Ting Ting..."
Chen Wu eyes lit up. "How is she? Has she been eating well? Is she..."
"Ask later, I have to head back now to avoid suspicion," Victor voiced before putting obscuring his face once more with a scarf.
...
...
(( Four Days Later - [In Ga] ))
The Bai-Qin family estate was still in absolute turmoil. Lanterns lit up every corner of the massive manor grounds, guards ran frantically from one building to another, shouting orders, questioning terrified servants, and dragging people into makeshift interrogation rooms.
The news that every slave working in their mines had escaped, coupled with the death of two guards, caused panic and fury amongst the family’s upper brass.
The whole mass interrogation had been ongoing for the last four days as they left no stone unturned in a bid to find these slaves or uncover any information.
However, Victor remained utterly calm amidst the chaos. He’d already ticulously covered his tracks; having completed his guard duty a full day before the breakout, he was the last person they would suspect. Every suspicion pointed inward, toward individuals who might have secretly turned against the family.
As he stood silently by the main hall, watching Qin elders storm past, he suppressed a faint smirk. The elders’ faces were contorted with anger and confusion. He overheard snippets of conversation as they argued furiously amongst themselves.
"Elder Qin Rong, this is entirely your doing! Had you not insisted on using slave labor. Now when word gets out not only will our family suffer embarrassnt, we will be seen as villains!"
"My doing?" Qin Rong snapped back fiercely. "I warned you all to station more guards! If the Bai elders had cooperated instead of constantly questioning my decisions, we would not be here!"
Victor took satisfaction in this infighting. It was exactly what he had planned.
Not long after, Victor slipped unnoticed through a small exit at the back of the Bai-Qin estate. Cloaked in the darkness of night, he swiftly maneuvered through dense forests and rocky terrain, eventually reaching the hidden area where Chen Wu and the other rescued slaves were positioned.
They were camped deep within a quiet ravine, hidden by tall trees and covered by a network of vines.
Makeshift tents had been set up, and small cooking fires flickered warmly in the night.
The atmosphere was far lighter here despite the lack of comfort.
"Fang Chen!" Chen Wu greeted him imdiately, rushing over, eyes filled with anticipation. "Is Bai Ting Ting—"
Victor raised a calming hand, nodding gently. "She’s okay. I visited her again yesterday. She told she is unhard and waiting patiently. I also gave her your letter."
Chen Wu let out a heavy breath as his shoulders visibly relaxed. "Thank you... Fang Chen, truly."
Victor smiled faintly and patted his shoulder. "Don’t worry, Chen Wu. When the ti is right, I’ll free her. But right now, the Bai-Qin family is very unstable. It’s best we let them fight amongst themselves a bit longer."
Chen Wu nodded, understanding but clearly still restless. "I know you’re right, but it’s difficult knowing she’s there alone."
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