Chapter 33: Don't Treat Longevity Lightly
Outside Yunzhong City, a large net had captured Big Shadiao. Big Shadiao realized the danger and struggled desperately, pecking and tearing with its mouth and claws, but the large net was completely invulnerable.
There were five to six cultivators scattered around the net, constantly shouting and scaring Big Shadiao. Their goal was to exhaust Big Shadiao so that they could capture it alive.
"Chirp chirp."
Small Shadiao circled high in the sky, crying mournfully. It had a deep wound on its abdomen, still bleeding, but it dared not dive down to rescue Big Shadiao because there was a person standing below, giving it a deep sense of threat.
"Uncle He, when can we catch that beast?"
Outside the crowd, there was also a person dressed in luxurious clothing, lazily gazing at the small bird in the sky, with a face full of greed.
"Don't worry, young master. This creature is tired and we will have it very soon."
The middle-aged man facing Small Shadiao said, Small Shadiao didn't want to leave. Perfect! If we capture both Aurora Falcons, the young master will surely reward us generously.
"Hurry up, I can't wait any longer."
Young Master He said, this Aurora Falcon looked incredibly magnificent. Just one look and he fell in love with it. It was much better than the beast pet he had before. He must get his hands on it.
"Yes, young master."
The middle-aged man said, he knew Young Master He's temper. Since he said so, they must capture the Aurora Falcon today.
······
Lin Jiang stuck on an invisibility charm and secretly approached the vicinity of the Aurora Falcon. He saw Big Shadiao being captured and Small Shadiao in great distress, feeling a bit anxious himself.
"Nine people, is the one in the Building Foundation Period?"
Lin Jiang saw those bad people again, and one of them had the aura of a beginner in the Foundation Building stage. He had encountered many such auras in Yunzhong City over the years, so he was very familiar with this kind of energy.
"Is that finely dressed man their leader?"
Lin Jiang continued to analyze their clothing and positions. The finely dressed man seemed to be the leader of these people, and it was highly likely that he was the young master of a prominent family, while the others were servants.
"Is it worth it for Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao?"
Lin Jiang began to hesitate. This group of people was clearly not easy to deal with. Not only did they have someone at the beginner level in the Foundation Building stage, but they also had four people in the later stage of Qi Refining, while the remaining five were in the middle stage of Qi Refining. Their strength already exceeded what Lin Jiang could handle.
"I must save them. Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao are not only the last thoughts I have for the Lin family, but also my commitment to the path. Though I have an endless lifespan, I still have a heart devoted to the path. If I give up my own interests because the enemy is too strong, then my commitment to the path is too weak."
"A commitment to the path is a commitment to become stronger. The heart devoted to the path must remain steadfast."
"Besides, I'm not weak either. Even though I'm only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, I have the Explosive Element Technique. I have tens of thousands of years of lifespan. Isn't that what it is, just lifespan? I don't care about that."
After reflecting for a moment, Lin Jiang's gaze immediately became resolute. No amount of danger could damage his commitment to the path.
Of course, Lin Jiang didn't use brute force. He had a plan. First, he would capture the young man in fancy clothes, and then he would rescue Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao. Once that was done, the Explosive Element Technique wouldn't stand a chance, and they could escape.
Lin Jiang silently hid, keeping a distance of over five hundred meters from the Building Foundation Period. Within his range of awareness, he was temporarily safe. When the Building Foundation Period moved away, it would be time for him to take action.
The opportunity came quickly. With the young man in fancy clothes urging him on, the middle-aged man finally cast his spell and took off to chase Small Shadiao. The Aurora falcon, a powerful bird of prey, could fly very high. It wasn't as simple as a few hundred meters.
"Charge!"
The opportunity flashed by, and Lin Jiang decisively made his move. He displayed his skills to the fullest and headed straight for the young man in fancy clothes.
Young Master He never expected someone to attack him from behind. It wasn't until Lin Jiang was just tens of meters away from him that he felt a gust of wind coming from behind. But his reaction was slow. By the time he turned around, he saw Lin Jiang's palm pressed against his shoulder.
"Bang!"
"Plop!"
Lin Jiang's palm struck the young man in fancy clothes' shoulder, almost shattering his shoulder bone. The young man spat out a mouthful of blood, and then Lin Jiang grabbed his neck with one hand.
"Young master"
"The young master was captured"
"Oh no, the young master has been captured"
Several servants noticed something strange and shouted loudly. The man who was wrestling with Small Shadiao in mid-air also had a big change in expression and immediately let go of Small Shadiao, landing on the ground.
"Excuse me, who are you? Do you know who you've captured?"
"I don't care who you are. How dare you lay hands on my pet. This means a lifelong grudge."
Lin Jiang spoke in a deep voice. He had already disguised his appearance and wrapped himself in a cloak. It shouldn't be easy to recognize his identity.
"Your pet, taoist friend, it seems there was a misunderstanding. We thought it was a monster from Yunzhong Mountain Range, so we acted to capture it. Since it's a misunderstanding, why don't we resolve it?"
The middle-aged man spoke, trying to maintain a gentle tone. He wanted to rescue the young master first before discussing further.
"Oh, you say, how do we unlock it?"
"We released your pet, and we will compensate you with some spirit stones. You can decide on the amount. And then, you release our young master. How about that?"
"You won't kill me afterwards?"
"No, we are a reputable family. Your Taoist friend may not know this, but the person you captured is called He Yunwei. The ancestor of our family is the sixth elder of the Cloud Sword Sect. His grandfather is the deputy city lord of Yunzhong City, and his father is the deputy hall master of the Guardian Hall in Yunzhong City. The Hefamily has a great reputation in this area. If you don't believe it, you can let our young master give you a guarantee that we will absolutely not pursue anything later on."
The middle-aged man said gently. Make the guarantee first, and then use your identity to pressure him. This foolish boy is probably going to take the bait.
Lin Jiang's face showed a somewhat fearful expression. This fine young master's identity is really intimidating. He knows about the He family. The ancestor of the He family is an elder of the Cloud Sword Sect, at least a Nascent Soul Ancestor. The He family is also a prominent figure in Yunzhong City.
"So, you're the young master of the He family. Then, I believe you. Take down the net first, and then we can discuss compensation. I don't want much, just give me a thousand spirit stones, and I will release the person."
"No problem, I'll release them right away."
The middle-aged man said, then he personally subdued Big Shadiao and then untied the net, releasing Big Shadiao as well.
Lin Jiang blew a whistle and Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao flew onto his head, then slowly landed on his shoulder, almost covering his head. Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao were really big.
"Taoist friend, we have done as you said. This is one thousand spirit stones. Can you release my young master?"
"Cannot."
"You... Why are you going back on your word, taoist friend?"
The middle-aged man suppressed his anger and had already made up his mind. After saving the young master, he would definitely make this person suffer, and let him die happily as a result of his incompetence.
"I'm not a fool. How about we play a game?"
"What game do you want to play?"
"Your men can fight against my beast pet. If I lose, you can release the person. If you lose, I will also release the person, but you have to retreat fifty miles."
"Kid, you're playing with fire."
"Do you want to play?"
"No, let go of my young master, or else I will tear you into pieces."
The middle-aged man ripped off his disguise. He stopped pretending and wanted to kill you.
"Unfortunately, you have no choice. Mr. He is the legitimate son of the He family, right? If I kill him, you will also die, right? Otherwise, I will trade my life for all of yours."
"You..."
"I told you, you have no choice. Step aside, and you are not allowed to intervene."
Lin Jiang said coldly, then he commanded Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao to attack those He family servants.
Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao were filled with anger. Upon hearing Lin Jiang's order, their eyes turned icy. They flapped their wings vigorously and flew into the sky.
"Don't let them get close to you, or else I'll break one of their legs first."
Lin Jiang saw that the servants were already afraid and desperately leaned towards the Building Foundation Period, immediately saying.
"You guys, don't come closer. Young master is in trouble. Not only will we all die, but our families won't survive either."
The middle-aged man took a deep breath and said to the others, "He Yunwei is useless in the He family. He lacks talent, character, and schemes altogether."
But he has a very powerful skill, which is that he can please the He family's patriarch. He is the favorite offspring of the He family's patriarch and is said to look very much like the patriarch's deceased son.
With this skill, He Yunwei is highly favored in the He family. His father and grandfather have to rely on him to please the He family's patriarch. If he dies, the He family will surely be furious, and all of these people, together with their families, will die.
Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao have already started hunting. Their methods of attack are simple but very effective. They fly high in the sky and then glide down, using their speed and claws to break through even the strongest defenses. And they are incredibly fast, even cultivators can't react in time.
"*sound effect of a "pu"*"
In less than a minute, casualties began. One person in the Qi Refining stage had their head torn apart, while another person was grabbed by the shoulder by an Aurora falcon and thrown down from high in the sky.
Before he could hit the ground, another Aurora falcon flew in from the side and slashed through him. His whole body was split in half, a truly tragic end.
"Run quickly!"
The remaining people were completely devastated. He Yunwei was just a spoiled person, and all of his followers were flatterers. They were not strong characters. If they were to encounter a truly tough character, Aurora Falcon might not be able to compete.
They tried to escape, but Aurora Falcon was unwilling to let them go. Aurora Falcon was the fastest among the flying monsters. It quickly caught up to them and killed them all. It even brought back two storage bags.
"Taoist friend, you won. I'm out of breath. Let them go."
The middle-aged man's breath became extremely cold, and his powerful aura enveloped Lin Jiang.
"Here, take it."
Lin Jiang laughed loudly, exerted force with his hand, directly snapped He Yunwei's neck, and then threw him to the middle-aged man.
