"Wait a minute, what are you guys trying to do?"
Even though Zhao Bing was obsessed with the idea of cultivating immortality, he finally realized that he had been tricked.
As for why?
It was obvious—they intended to use him to threaten his father and extort money.
Seeing the two men approaching, Zhao Bing hurriedly tried to run away, but he bumped into Qiu Shicai, who grabbed the back of his collar and lifted him up.
"Hmph, it wasn't easy to lure you out here. Now you're finally in my hands!"
"Bastard, how dare you! My father won't let you get away with this!"
Suspended in midair, Zhao Bing flailed his arms and legs angrily.
"Blame your father for being so stingy. We spent months helping you seek your immortal fate. Even though we found nothing, he could have at least provided us with some living expenses. But he refused. We had no choice but to find another way to get what we deserved."
The middle-aged man, Qiu Shicai, sneered.
"Indeed, all consequences stem from your father's actions. So it's only fair that we use you to extract some money. I'm sure your father won't be stingy this time."
The young man with the headscarf, Yao Liang, said, crossing his arms.
"Hmph, you never found the way to immortality, so naturally, you didn't earn any reward!"
Knowing that they only wanted money, Zhao Bing felt slightly relieved.
"Enough talk," Qiu Shicai said, tying Zhao Bing up with a rope he had prepared in advance. He then turned to the round-faced chubby man, "Guangxian, go to the 'Five Blades Gate' and demand ten million Mora. Tell them we'll release him once we get the money."
Ten million Mora was the amount Qiu Shicai estimated wouldn't hurt the 'Five Blades Gate' too much.
Asking for too much would cause delays, and the longer it took, the sooner experts from the Millelith would get involved, potentially leaving them with nothing and even facing imprisonment.
They only wanted Mora, not to harm the boy. Killing him would only bring them relentless pursuit by the 'Five Blades Gate'.
"Got it, boss. I'll go right away."
The round-faced chubby man, Xu Guangxian, nodded. Having lost the bet earlier, he had no choice but to take on this job that might be a bit dangerous.
"Alright, once you get the money, head straight back to our hideout," the middle-aged man, Qiu Shicai, reminded him.
"They really are kidnappers. What should we do? Should we act now?"
Paimon, hiding in the distance, saw that the boy was already tied up and looked furious. She turned to the others, seeking their input.
"Yes, but before we fight them, Nolan, you should go invisible and get the boy out of there first to avoid him getting hurt," Lumine suggested, her white fingers gently tapping her chin as she pondered the best approach.
"No problem, that's what I was thinking."
"No problem, I was thinking the same thing," Nolan agreed, nodding slightly. Just as he was about to activate his "Concealment Form" skill, a sharp cry echoed from ahead.
"Where do you think you're going, you scoundrels, daring to kidnap in broad daylight!" A young girl in gray clothes drew her longsword from its sheath, stepping between the two bandits.
"Hmph, who's this wild girl?" Qiu Shicai sneered at the sight of the girl. Did she really think she could be a hero with just that longsword?
"Mind your own business!"
The young man with the headscarf wasted no words. He reached into his coat and pulled out a short axe hidden at his waist, stepping forward and swinging it towards the girl.
Today, he would show her that the Liyue underworld was no place for young girls to play hero!
"Petty tricks!" The girl deftly deflected the axe with the side of her sword, diverting its path. As she did so, she slashed downward towards the young man's wrist.
"What!"
Yao Liang, caught off guard by the swift and ruthless move, quickly let go of the axe and withdrew his hand. If that sharp sword connected, his hand would be ruined!
With a thud, the short axe fell to the ground.
Though her initial strike missed, the girl pressed her advantage. With a swift twist of her sword, she aimed the tip at Yao Liang's throat.
"Damn it!"
Yao Liang backpedaled frantically, but he stumbled over a protruding rock and fell backward. As he lay on the ground, the sword still coming at him, he fearfully shielded his head with his arms.
Watching the tip of the sword still keep coming towards him, he clutched his head in fear.
Qiu Shicai, seeing the situation unfold, swiftly darted in front of Yao Liang, extending his right hand like a serpent's glide, aiming a strike towards the girl's chest.
Mockingly, he remarked, "Traversing the Liyue, and you haven't even heard of my 'Heavenly Serpent Hand'!"
"Shameless!"
The girl halted her retreat upon sensing the sneak attack, moving swiftly backward.
"Too late to evade!" Qiu Shicai showed no mercy; having observed the girl's skill during her exchange with Yao Liang earlier, he knew she wasn't far from his own level.
So on the rare occasion that he caught a break, he had to hit her hard with one blow before he could do so.
"Watch out, Junior Sister!"
Just as the crisis unfolded, another figure appeared—also dressed in gray, but a man this time. Drawing his sword, he lunged towards Qiu Shicai from the side.
Qiu Shicai frowned and withdrew his hand.
Frowning, Qiu Shicai withdrew his hand. He hadn't worn his specially crafted metal gloves earlier when posing as an immortal(adeptus); otherwise, he could have easily broken the sword with a casual flick.
He had no choice but to give up this opportunity to pursue it.
With a slightly stern expression, Qiu Shicai looked at the man and the woman before him and inquired, "Who are you people?"
"I am Sun Yu from the 'GuHua Clan', and this is my junior sister, Little Que'er. We cannot stand by while such evil deeds are committed. Please release that boy!"
Sun Yu stood protectively in front of his junior sister, sternly addressing the two before him.
The two of them passed by and discovered the situation over here, and had planned to rescue the boy once the kidnappers let their guard down, catching them off guard in the process.
However, Little Que'er's impatience had led her to act prematurely. Thankfully, one kidnapper had already left, leaving two they could manage.
"'GuHua Clan'?" Qiu Shicai sneered, bursting into laughter. "Is that the same 'GuHua Clan' that's down to a handful of members?"
Qiu Shicai laughed loudly as if he had heard something funny.
Unfazed, he slowly donned a pair of metal gloves. "If it were the 'GuHua Clan' of old, I'd show some respect. But now, I'll let you fools experience the power of my 'Heavenly Serpent Hand'!"
With that, Qiu Shicai and Yao Liang charged at Sun Yu and Little Que'er.
Meanwhile, Paimon's eyes lit up from her hiding spot:
"Though Paimon doesn't know where these two heroes came from, now's the perfect chance to rescue the boy since no one's guarding him!"
Nolan and Lumine exchanged a glance, nodding in agreement.
(End of Chapter)
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You did not read the pokemon fic, I know it, You ungrateful bastards [ Insert Crying Emoji Here ]
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