Chapter 428: Chapter 258: Dogfight

The two continued their clash in mid-air, their Sword Qi and Hidden Weapons weaving a dense, terrifying net.

Fang Yue’s movements were agile, and he used the momentum of his descent to continuously dodge Chen Tiangang’s attacks.

Finally, when he was still a hundred feet or so from the ground, he managed to break free of Chen Tiangang’s assault and landed steadily.

Chen Tiangang landed a moment later, right behind him.

He didn’t attack at once, instead standing a short distance away and staring coldly at Fang Yue.

"Fang Yue, do you think you can escape? Today, you must hand over the Hidden Soldier Map, or don’t even think about leaving here," Chen Tiangang said coldly.

But the Hidden Soldier Map truly wasn’t on him.

And because Chen Tiangang had been delayed, Qing’Er and her sister had long since escaped.

Chen Tiangang’s eyes, sharp as a falcon’s, were fixed on Fang Yue, as if trying to pry the location of the Hidden Soldier Map from his very gaze.

However, Fang Yue’s gaze was firm and open, showing no trace of evasion or guilt.

"Chen Tiangang, I’ve told you many times. The Hidden Soldier Map is not on me."

Fang Yue said calmly, "If you continue to press me, don’t blame me for being merciless."

A cold sneer formed on Chen Tiangang’s lips. He didn’t believe a word Fang Yue said.

In his eyes, Fang Yue was merely stalling, waiting for an opportunity to escape.

He had no idea, however, that Qing’Er and her sister had already used the chaos of his fight with Fang Yue to slip away from the scene.

"You think you can fool me?" Chen Tiangang sneered. "Today, whether you hand over the Hidden Soldier Map or not, you won’t escape death."

As he spoke, his body flickered, turning into a blur as he pounced on Fang Yue.

A cold glint flashed from his hand. He clearly intended to kill Fang Yue in a single strike.

However, Fang Yue was prepared.

His figure flashed as he dodged Chen Tiangang’s attack, simultaneously countering with a backhanded sword strike aimed at Chen Tiangang’s waist.

Startled, Chen Tiangang quickly pulled back to defend, just barely managing to block Fang Yue’s sword.

The two began to fight on the ground again, Sword Qi slashing through the air and Hidden Weapons flying everywhere.

Their figures intertwined, sometimes leaping high, sometimes dropping low, locked in a heated, inseparable battle.

Just then, the sudden, urgent pounding of horse hooves echoed from the distance. A moment later, a troop of cavalry appeared, galloping toward them.

"We’ll stop here for today. The next time we meet will be your last!"

With that, Chen Tiangang turned and left. He moved so quickly that he vanished from the docks in a mere moment.

’Why did he just leave like that?’

Fang Yue hesitated at the sight. After all, with Chen Tiangang’s power, even an army of ten thousand soldiers would be no match for him.

’Why did that man just run?’ Fang Yue wondered to himself.

He knew Chen Tiangang’s power was unfathomable; it was doubtful that even another ten thousand soldiers could have taken him down.

Yet Chen Tiangang had chosen to leave at this very moment, which Fang Yue found perplexing.

However, Fang Yue didn’t dwell on it.

He knew Chen Tiangang was an extremely cunning and ruthless opponent. Everything the man did surely had its own purpose and plan.

His leaving now probably meant he had seen something disadvantageous to him, or that something more important awaited him.

Staring in the direction where Chen Tiangang had vanished, Fang Yue took a deep breath.

He knew that while today’s battle might be over, his feud with the Blood Dragon Platform was far from finished.

’I should get going too!’

With that, Fang Yue also departed swiftly. He had no intention of meeting the local garrison, so he simply picked a direction and vanished.

~~~~~~~

On a moonlit path, Qing’Er and her sister hurried along, their faces etched with a mixture of panic and exhaustion.

"Sister, we were almost caught by that man today! He actually survived and followed us!"

the younger sister said, panting. She was clearly still shaken by the close call.

"I told you not to do it, but you just wouldn’t listen! Now that he’s tracked us down, what are you going to do?"

her sister Qing’Er chided, her voice tinged with helplessness and worry.

The younger sister lowered her head, not daring to speak.

She knew she had indeed been too impulsive this time.

What was even more shocking was that the man had been able to fight Celestial King Chen, one of the Blood Dragon Platform’s Eight Great Celestial Kings, to a standstill.

"Where are we going now?" the younger sister asked quietly.

Qing’Er was silent for a moment before replying, "We have to get to Gongzhou Prefecture as fast as we can."

She knew that what they needed most right now was time.

Once they reached Gongzhou Prefecture, they could find an old acquaintance of their father. Perhaps then they’d have a chance to uncover the secrets of the Hidden Soldier Map.

The two picked up their pace, not daring to stop for a single moment.

Soon, they came to a riverbank where a small boat was moored, looking as if it were waiting just for them.

"Get in!"

Showing no surprise, Qing’Er and her sister boarded the boat at once.

Once aboard, the sisters immediately untied the rope. With a push of the oars, the small boat slid gracefully into the middle of the river.

Under the moonlight, the river’s surface shimmered. The scenery on both banks was barely visible in the darkness, and the air was filled with the faint scent of water reeds. The quiet, mysterious night helped to calm their frayed nerves a bit.

Soon, they disappeared down the river.

~~~~~~~

’Chen Tiangang, you’re like a persistent ghost!’ From his hiding place in a dense forest among a cluster of mountains, Fang Yue’s gaze burned like a torch, fixed on something ahead.

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