Staring at the burly men who had already rushed forward and surrounded him, Chu Feng was momentarily stunned. He could tell what these men intended to do, but he couldn't figure out how they had known he would take this road.
"Damn it, that treacherous inn waiter!" Chu Feng suddenly realized what had happened and cursed inwardly.
The waiter had asked Chu Feng which direction he was heading, offering to show him a shortcut. Eager to reach the White Tiger Mountain Range as quickly as possible, Chu Feng had told him — never expecting that the waiter would sell him out and pass his route along to these thugs.
"Heh heh, kid, you've got some nerve, trying to steal a fine horse from our boss."
The burly men rubbed their broad sabers against their trousers as they closed in on Chu Feng with menacing strides. The murderous look in their eyes made it clear they intended to leave no survivors.
But Chu Feng couldn't care less about this lot. Apart from the bearded leader, who was a Ninth Stage Spirit Martial cultivator, the rest were laughably weak. For a bunch like this to try robbing Chu Feng — and silence him for good — was practically suicide.
"That aura." Just then, Chu Feng's brows furrowed tightly, and he turned his gaze behind him.
Dust clouds rose in the distance, and through the haze he could make out several dozen horsemen galloping at full speed. The horses were superb steeds, every bit as fine as the sweat-blood horse beneath him, and clearly well cared for.
The riders were no less impressive. They were dressed properly and their cultivation was decent — the weakest among them was at the Fourth Stage Yuan Martial level. Moreover, Chu Feng could faintly detect the aura of a Xuan Martial realm expert in the group. It was only Xuan Martial First Stage, but it was unmistakably the Xuan Martial realm nonetheless.
"This..."
The arrival of the group immediately caught the attention of the thugs. They quickly hid their sabers behind their backs and hurriedly lined up on either side of the road, putting on an air of peaceful innocence.
They were terrified that these might be soldiers from Vermilion Bird City. If the city guards caught them robbing a young man, they'd be dead for sure.
Chu Feng also stayed put, quietly watching the approaching group, intending to deal with these short-sighted thugs after they passed.
But to his surprise, once the horsemen drew near, they surrounded both Chu Feng and the thugs in a tight encirclement. A handsome young man mounted on a white steed fixed Chu Feng with a cold, penetrating stare and said: "You're a clever one, aren't you, slipping out of Vermilion Bird City at night? But did you really think you could escape?"
"Who are you? I don't believe we've had any prior dealings." Chu Feng studied the handsome young man carefully and found that his cultivation was not weak — Yuan Martial Eighth Stage.
However, what concerned Chu Feng more was the cold-faced middle-aged man behind him — the Xuan Martial realm expert he had sensed earlier. A Xuan Martial First Stage powerhouse, without question.
"Oh? You don't recognize me? Then allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shangguan Ya, and I am Su Mei's fiancé. Does that clear things up?" Shangguan Ya sneered, his eyes brimming with chilling killing intent.
"Fiancé?! Since when does Su Mei have a fiancé like you? She never mentioned you to me. Don't tell me you appointed yourself to the role."
Chu Feng narrowed his eyes, a flash of cold light flickering within them. Even though he had already suspected these people were up to no good, hearing Shangguan Ya claim to be Su Mei's fiancé sent a surge of fury through him.
Chu Feng had long harbored feelings for Su Mei, and Su Mei had quietly reciprocated his affections. Though neither had yet broken through that unspoken barrier between them, in Chu Feng's heart, Su Mei was already his. How could he tolerate someone else calling himself her fiancé?