In a sudden ferocious attack, Galon's arm reached for Gold Ring's head, pressing down with the ferocity of a beast's claw, as if intending to completely crush the skull. This move, derived from the Baiyun Combat Technique's Rush Form, allows for instantaneous acceleration and surprise attacks when combined with any action.
Galon had never used the Baiyun Combat Technique in real combat until today. This technique emphasizes momentum, demanding that every action, every word, carries the weight and force of a rampaging behemoth.
As his palm neared Gold Ring's forehead, a dagger suddenly appeared in Gold Ring's hand, thrusting upwards towards the descending wrist. The quick, sharp movement, as if powered by some special technique, accelerated the dagger's tip.
Snap!
Galon sidestepped the dagger's thrust, slapping sideways at Gold Ring's wrist. The dagger whistled through the air, flung into the bushes.
Gold Ring, taking advantage of the momentum, retreated several steps, widening the distance between them.
"Think brute strength alone can win? Foolish!" Gold Ring drew four black throwing knives from his belt, flinging them with a flick of his wrist.
Sssss!
The knives, like lightning, pinned Galon's chest, his arms too slow to block. By the time he raised his arms, the knives had already pierced his clothes.
But the knives merely pierced the fabric, barely grazing the skin.
Plucking a knife from his chest, Galon hurled it back at Gold Ring. The knife, spinning furiously, became a blur as it flew, easily dodged by Gold Ring.
Galon threw the remaining knives in quick succession, all easily evaded by Gold Ring, who also managed to pick up a double-barreled shotgun from the ground.
Bang!
The shotgun's blast left a blackened crater in a tree, leaves and bark raining down.
Gold Ring's agility was unmatched, dodging even before Galon could aim. After several dodges, a cold smirk appeared in his eyes, his initial apprehension about Galon's transformation fading.
"Thought you could kill me? Do you have the skill?"
"Die!!" Galon roared, swinging the shotgun like a club. Despite the whistling force, Gold Ring effortlessly dodged to the side.
"All that strength is useless if you can't hit anything," Gold Ring taunted, closing in fast, another dagger in hand, aiming straight for Galon's wrist in a swift, upward stab.
"At last," Gold Ring sneered, sensing victory.
But then, Galon's eyes narrowed, his right arm whipping back in a swift countermove. His previously slow movements suddenly accelerated, his arm lashing out like a whip, hitting Gold Ring's left arm.
The speed was a stark contrast to his earlier sluggishness, nearly doubling in velocity, leaving only a blur.
Gold Ring's eyes widened in shock as the dagger only made it halfway before a sharp pain shot through his right arm, sending him flying to the right.
Crash...
Gold Ring tumbled into the bushes, creating a path through the vegetation, rolling several meters before coming to a halt by a large white rock.
Galon, reverting to his original form, did not pursue. He flexed his arm, a satisfied smile on his face.
"You really thought I was slow? I may not be as fast as you, but I'm not that slow. My taunt, my feigned clumsiness, was all to draw you into combat, to make you think you could easily dispose of me without wasting time, to vent your frustration. Unfortunately..."
He approached Gold Ring, who struggled to rise but collapsed again, his arms clearly broken.
"If you had ignored me and chased after Tarry and Ceylan, I wouldn't have been able to stop you. But you fell for my bait," Galon reflected on his successful use of Baiyun's combat strategy, feeling a rare sense of satisfaction.
Gold Ring, blood oozing beneath him, had believed his victory was certain.
"You've been hit by my knives and yet... cough... remain unharmed. But don't be smug... someone will avenge me!"
With those final words, purple blood spilled from his mouth, and he died with eyes wide open.
Galon narrowed his eyes and quickly crouched down to press against Gold Ring's chest. Though the body was still warm, there was no heartbeat.
"Dead? Could the infamous Gold Ring really be taken down by me so easily?" Suddenly, it all seemed too simple for Galon.
After all, Gold Ring had been matching wits and strength with Tarry Mercury for years. If it was this easy to deal with him, he would have been eliminated long ago, without Galon needing to lift a finger.
Galon stood up swiftly, scanning his surroundings.
The woods were eerily quiet, with only the rustling sound of leaves in the breeze.
He crouched down again, beginning to carefully inspect Gold Ring's belongings and clothing.
Aside from some loose change and small throwing knives, there was nothing else on him.
As Galon frowned and gently removed the face cloth, he was taken aback.
Beneath the cloth was a face half-destroyed by fire, with a black scar marked with the number 102 on the right cheek, as if branded by something.
"102? This indicates Gold Ring isn't a person but an organization." Galon suddenly felt the situation was more complicated, "This means there might be others pursuing Tarry Mercury and Ceylan. This man was just a decoy."
He got up, cautiously looking around before quickly running towards the castle direction.
"This Gold Ring was just a common man with some fighting skills, easily impersonated by anyone with a bit of training, only knowing some techniques for burst speed. The real Gold Ring couldn't be this simple."
Recalling the number 102 on the man's face, Galon felt a sense of dread.
"If that number represents a ranking or code, then it means Gold Ring is an organization with at least a hundred members. Why would such a large group focus solely on stealing antiques? Is it purely for the immense value of the antiques, or is there another motive?"
Considering how casually Tarry Mercury handed over the Black Jade Disc, it's clear he didn't understand what it meant to Galon. He probably just saw through Galon's martial prowess and interest in antiques.
An artifact as valuable and cursed as the Black Jade Disc would be an irresistible temptation for collectors.
But that was Kelly, a collector's identity fabricated by Galon, who is actually just a high school student.
The thought of facing an organization as ruthless as Gold Ring alone, despite his martial arts training, still unsettled Galon. Despite having lived for decades in his past life, those years were spent in a society with robust laws and stability.
As he ran back, the broken fence of the castle soon came into view.
Galon quickly squeezed through, turning towards the castle's main entrance. He thought he glimpsed something shining to his right.
Halting, he focused on the direction of the light, barely making out a black telescope retracting into the bushes. The reflection was from the sun shining on the telescope lens.
"Someone's been watching, meaning all my actions have been observed by others!" Galon realized with a chill, "No wonder that number 102 said someone would avenge him. This complicates things."
He had thought his actions in the woods, killing that man unseen, would not draw the organization's attention. Clearly, he was naive.
"Better find Tarry Mercury and Ceylan first. Being targeted without understanding the full situation is asking for trouble."
Circling the castle's side, he approached the main entrance.
The castle door was ajar, eerily silent inside, without any sign of Tarry Mercury or Miss Ceylan.
Galon stepped through the main door into the castle hall, where a previously neatly arranged coffee wood table was now overturned, spilling tea everywhere. The ground bore chaotic footprints, as if many people had hurried through.
After a brief inspection of the footprints, mostly damp black ones mixed with slight green moss, Galon concluded, "Someone's been here, and not just one person."
He moved silently upstairs, inspecting the corridors.
The castle's walls and floors were ash-colored from fire damage, a mix of white ash and black, like improperly mixed black and white paint.
Some half-burned black remains of paintings still clung to the corridor walls.
Approaching Tarry Mercury's bedroom, Galon treaded lightly, listening intently for any sounds within the castle.
It felt as though he was the only one present, the air filled with a silent, oppressive deathliness.
He reached Tarry Mercury's bedroom, the iron door slightly open.
Gently pushing the door, he slipped in without making a sound.
The room contained a large white bed, a single sofa, and a rectangular large chest.
Thick curtains covered most of the window, allowing only a sliver of light to penetrate, casting most of the bedroom into shadows, giving it a dim appearance.
The chest at the foot of the bed had an oil lamp on it, still lit, its dim light illuminating the shadowed areas somewhat.