Chapter 87
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Chapter 18: Besieged on All Sides (2)
Four Thousand Four entered a small riverside fishing village.
His entire body glistened with sweat from sprinting at full speed for nearly half a day.
Without even a moment to catch his breath, Four Thousand Four dashed straight to the riverbank.
Right there at the bank, an old boat was just pulling in after finishing its catch.
Shiiiik!
Four Thousand Four hopped right onto the boat and said,
"I'll borrow your boat."
"This boat..."
Four Thousand Four didn't give the middle-aged man a chance to finish, seizing him by the collar.
"You bastard, what do you think you're...!"
The middle-aged man resisted with the tough strength befitting a boatman, but...
Four Thousand Four callously hurled him away like slamming down a sack of rice.
Shyit! Splash!
The middle-aged man crashed onto the sandy riverbank.
By that time, Four Thousand Four had already gripped the oars and shoved the boat toward the middle of the river.
The man sprawled on the bank felt like his whole body was shattering in pain, but he sprang up as if stung by a hornet. After all, his boat—practically his entire fortune—was being stolen.
Thud!
A money pouch dropped belatedly in front of the middle-aged man.
Four Thousand Four had tossed it while steering the boat into the river's heart.
The man snatched up the pouch in a hurry and peered inside.
The boat was already drifting too far out for him to catch. No hope of retrieving it. At least the payment ought to cover its full value.
"Gasp!"
The middle-aged man gaped in shock upon opening the pouch. Then, fearing prying eyes, he quickly stuffed it into his bosom.
Four Thousand Four had seized the boat and pushed it to the middle of the river.
Yet the man no longer resented him. Far from it—he felt profound gratitude. With this sum, he could abandon his grueling fishing life right now and live comfortably anywhere he pleased.
"What kind of ploy is this?"
Zhuge Myeong furrowed his brow.
"Isn't it obvious? He's using the boat to move fast. He's on the run from his own comrades now anyway. A boat lets him watch all sides much better."
Mian Sosal answered casually.
The Green-Fragrance White Rat was still twitching its nose.
It hadn't lost Four Thousand Four's scent. Nor did it seem frantic. That meant the trail was holding steady.
Four Thousand Four could never shake them off.
"Why are you so quiet?"
Zhuge Myeong glanced at Zhuge Soso and asked.
Zhuge Soso narrowed her eyes, staring at Four Thousand Four. At the man rowing the boat.
"Who is that guy?"
She remarked, as if noticing him for the first time.
"What are you talking about?"
"That guy. What's his real identity?"
"Real identity?"
"If my guess is right, we're going to lose him today."
"What?! Haha! That's a bad joke. Unless the bastard can fly..."
"Hehe! Young master, you're being overly suspicious. Don't you trust him?"
Zhuge Myeong chuckled. Mian Sosal stroked the Green-Fragrance White Rat's head and added,
Everyone knew Zhuge Soso was exceptionally sharp.
They also acknowledged that Four Thousand Four was an utterly unpredictable man.
But there were limits to what a human could do. Rules that couldn't be broken. Unless he could somehow erase his scent, the Green-Fragrance White Rat would never lose him. And no such method existed, that much was certain.
Zhuge Soso stared piercingly at Four Thousand Four and said,
"I have a rough idea what he'll do next. Looks like it's time we let go of the Green-Fragrance White Rat."
"What do you mean?"
Zhuge Myeong scowled.
"He seems to have figured out why we can track him. The fact that his scent exists."
"Did he break the seal?"
"No, not yet. If he had, he wouldn't be fleeing like that. He'd hide deep instead. Fleeing openly means... he knows the cause but hasn't found a countermeasure. So he's resorting to a desperate gambit."
"He doesn't have many options."
"Water."
"Water?"
"Scents spread through the air. Blocking the air should work as a stopgap, right?"
"Hm! It makes some sense... but isn't that jumping the gun a bit?"
"We'll see."
Zhuge Soso gave a faint smile.
Zhuge Soso was a wise woman. Everything she'd said so far had been spot on.
"Prepare a pursuit team."
"A pursuit team...?"
"Ten Directions One Lotus."
"Understood!"
The Zhuge Clan excelled at pursuit.
They had the Black Hawk in the sky and the white rat on the ground. For what those beasts missed, there was One Lotus—a single lotus bloom that shadowed the target.
Lotus and pursuit... words with no obvious connection.
Yet Ten Directions One Lotus was indeed one of the Zhuge Clan's four supreme pursuit arts. A pinnacle technique relying solely on the clan's martial artists. That's why it could see what beasts could not.
"You really believe the young lady?"
Mian Sosal still sounded doubtful.
"She hasn't been wrong yet."
"Haha! Who else trusts her as much as you, young master? Still, even so, erasing his scent... Staying submerged has its limits too..."
"Hehehe!"
Zhuge Myeong laughed.
Mian Sosal was an outsider. He couldn't fully grasp Zhuge Soso. If he did, he wouldn't ask such foolish questions.
Swoooosh!
The boat drifted along with the current.
Four Thousand Four just had to hold the oars. The strong mid-river flow carried it smoothly downstream without much effort.
Four Thousand Four glanced at the riverbank.
No human shadows in sight. But Zhuge Clan warriors were surely lying in wait perfectly positioned.
He just needed to shake off Fox.
Now it was time to lose these pursuers.
Of course, he wasn't confident he could. But he intended to try.
Even distracting the Zhuge warriors for a moment would be a win.
That way, he could observe how the Zhuge Clan tracked him, how the Heavenly Annihilation Division hunted him, how Fox would find him... all the people and groups chasing him.
Four Thousand Four tied a rope securely to the gunwale.
For the time being, this rope would be his lifeline while in the water.
Thud! Thud!
He yanked the knotted rope hard to confirm it held, then wrapped the other end around his waist.
'Good?'
He glanced at the bank once more.
They'd probably guessed his plan by now. They'd switch to another pursuit method, no doubt.
Splash! Plunge!
Without hesitation, he submerged himself in the river.
Scents traveled through the air. Staying in the water prevented it from wafting out.
Should he dunk his head fully?
Probably. The head had plenty of acupoints. From the Baihui to many vital ones. Who knew which might emit the scent.
He dove deep, head and all.
The boat drifted on. He followed underwater.
His lungs burned. He surfaced just enough to breathe, then dove again.
They'd follow the boat.
He could kill the scent, but not the pursuit.
He knew that. This was a deliberate choice.
Squeak! Sniff! Sniff!
The Green-Fragrance White Rat suddenly stiffened, nose twitching frantically. It seemed extremely agitated.
"We've lost him."
Zhuge Myeong said with a smile.
"That guy really... Hm! Haha! I swear, young master, I'll never doubt you again."
Mian Sosal grinned sheepishly and offered the rat.
"Guess we don't need this little guy anymore. Got attached after a few days. Haha! Maybe I'll get a pet when I get home."
Zhuge Soso took the Green-Fragrance White Rat, smiling sweetly at the tiny creature.
The Green-Fragrance White Rat was one of the Zhuge Clan's two great spirit beasts, indispensable alongside the Golden-Eyed Black Hawk.
The clan had entrusted it to Mian Sosal.
"Want to chase him once?"
Zhuge Soso blurted out.
"Four Thousand Four? That guy's..."
"Of course, our Ten Directions One Lotus will pursue him. But... this is purely my personal curiosity... I'm wondering if you can kill Four Thousand Four, young master."
Zhuge Soso avoided the word "pursue." She asked if he could "kill" him.
"Young lady."
A spark lit in Mian Sosal's eyes.
Jealousy... intense jealousy hardened his expression.
Zhuge Soso was taking an interest in Four Thousand Four. Interest... starting to show interest.
That alone soured his mood.
And she rated that bastard's abilities so highly. Comparing him to herself, no less.
"Young lady, that sounded like you wouldn't mind if he died... Did I hear right?"
"You did."
Zhuge Soso stated clearly.
"Hehehe! I see. I spared him because I thought the Zhuge Clan valued him. If you say he's expendable, I'll kill him right now."
"That's why I'm telling you. Will you kill him?"
Another spark gleamed in Mian Sosal's eyes.
Flash!
Fire danced in his gaze.
The Zhuge Clan was pursuing him with one of their four supreme arts: Ten Directions One Lotus.
Yet on the side, she was asking him to kill the man.
Frankly, it was no different from provocation: "Can you kill him?" Kill him if you can. I don't think you can.
That's exactly how Zhuge Soso's words rang.
"Hehehe! Feels like I'm being tested. Honestly, it's a bit unpleasant."
"Oh? Was it? That's not what I meant. Sorry if it bothered you."
Her face showed no remorse. Who apologizes while beaming like that?
"When should I do it?"
"Now."
"Now?"
"Anytime from now on. I want to see how he survives your attacks."
Zhuge Soso poked at Mian Sosal once more.
Go ahead and try to kill him. Show me your full power. Four Thousand Four will slip away. I want to see how. Of course, she didn't for a second think he'd succeed.
"Hehehe!"
Shiiiing!
Mian Sosal laughed at Zhuge Soso—no, the laugh turned to motion as his figure shot toward the riverbank.
"You want him dead?"
"No. He can't die. There's much to learn from Four Thousand Four."
"Then you really...?"
Zhuge Myeong stared at Zhuge Soso in astonishment.
She truly believed Mian Sosal couldn't kill him. It sounded like a jest, but she meant it.
Who was Mian Sosal? By the Zhuge Clan's estimate—and Zhuge Soso's own judgment—he was the finest swordsman of the age. That's why they'd recruited him.
Of course, the martial world boasted a dozen or so swordsmen touted as the best. Their skills were so evenly matched that only crossing blades could decide superiority.
Mian Sosal was one such man.
Asking him to kill someone was tantamount to a death warrant on the target.
Yet... she thought he couldn't kill him.
Zhuge Soso gazed at the empty boat drifting lazily down the river's center. And... a gleam sparked in her eyes too. A clear, crystalline light.