Chapter 126: The Li Family

Shadows of blades filled the sky, and the scent of steel permeated the earth. This was a battle at the pinnacle of martial prowess.

Densely packed beams of blade energy surged toward Li Ting, as if intent on shredding her to pieces. The treehouse in the great tree had already been pulverized, leaving Li Ting and Wang Lu exposed to the starry night. Back to back, they scanned their surroundings with intense vigilance.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

With a few agile leaps, countless ninjas emerged upon the surrounding treetops. They crouched on the branches, clad in traditional night-raid attire, their faces hidden behind black masks. Their sharp eyes were locked onto Li Ting and Wang Lu.

Li Ting gritted her teeth. "Damn it, how did they track us?"

Wang Lu was even more panicked. "Miss, I told you! We shouldn't have left the Dragon Kingdom!"

Li Ting rolled her eyes. "And stay there to wait for a political marriage?"

"But..."

"Enough with the 'buts'!" Li Ting took a deep breath, her chest heaving. "Clang!" She drew a dagger instantly. "Would the Li family of our Dragon Kingdom ever fear these Japanese ninjas?"

Gripping the dagger, she spun and launched herself into the air. "Whoosh!" Her figure became like a spinning top, rotating rapidly through the night sky and erupting in a brilliant display of sparks. These were the manifestations of a martial artist's internal energy; it was clear that Li Ting was a true martial practitioner, not a cultivator. The colorful, dazzling light of her energy was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Attack!" A ninja on a branch signaled, and the surrounding warriors leaped forward in unison, swarming toward Li Ting.

Li Ting’s face was cold as ice. She thrust her dagger deep into the chest of one assailant. "Urgh..." The man let out a pained gasp and instantly ceased to breathe. The Li Ting present now was a far cry from the one who stood before Zhao Feng; she embodied the very essence of ruthless, decisive combat.

Watching from the void, Zhao Feng looked on with surprise. "I never expected this Li Ting to be so cold-blooded. I truly underestimated her," he murmured to himself, rubbing his chin. "It seems I don't need to intervene."

"Boom!" The slaughter continued. Li Ting moved with the agility of a nimble cat, leaping across the tree trunks with the grace of a hunting leopard. "Bang!" She kicked off the air itself, pivoted, and landed steadily on a branch.

"Huff... huff..." Li Ting panted heavily. This was the disadvantage of being a martial artist. Though they surpassed ordinary people, they were human in the end, and humans eventually reach their limit. She had been fighting for twenty minutes, yet the number of ninjas seemed to increase rather than dwindle.

"Bastards," Li Ting hissed. "Has the entire Iga school come for us?"

There was no answer. The "Iga" style she referred to was a Japanese school of ninjutsu. However, both the Dragon Kingdom and Japan had regulations prohibiting martial artists from revealing themselves to the mundane world. In truth, this was a proxy struggle between the powerful families of the Dragon Kingdom and the ninjas of Japan.

Seeing the growing numbers, Li Ting felt a wave of helplessness. She leaned toward Wang Lu. "Lu-lu, their target is me. I will draw them away; you must escape on your own!"

Wang Lu shook her head frantically, eyes brimming with tears. "No!"

"Listen to me!" Li Ting patted her head.

"Miss, I will live and die with you!" Wang Lu insisted stubbornly.

Li Ting rolled her eyes. "Live and die? I haven't even been married yet! I haven't even experienced the affairs of men and women!"

"Pfft!" Wang Lu burst into a tearful laugh.

Li Ting ruffled her hair. "Be good! I’m drawing them away now—go and get help!"

"Okay!"

Without further ado, Li Ting leaped, kicking off the empty air. "Bang!" She stepped on nothingness, then used a series of aerial kicks to propel herself into the distance.

The hundred-odd ninjas were momentarily stunned. Their leader’s face turned livid. "Pursue! She won't get far!"

"Yes!" With a roar, the ninjas leaped from the trees, giving chase at high speed. As expected, every last one of them followed Li Ting, leaving Wang Lu alone.

Ten minutes passed. Wang Lu glanced into the distance, and, contrary to her earlier behavior, she pulled out an old-fashioned black mobile phone.

"Beep... beep..." She dialed a number. "Hello! Li Ting has fled toward the east. Can you release my family now?"

The person on the other end said something, and Wang Lu’s face darkened instantly. She turned around, only to be struck with shock.

Zhao Feng was standing right behind her. She jumped back in terror. "You... you... what did you just hear?" she asked nervously.

Zhao Feng crossed his arms and asked coldly, "You’re the one who issued the bounty, aren't you?"

"Bounty? What bounty? I don't know what you're talking about!" Wang Lu denied.

"Heh heh heh," Zhao Feng laughed cruelly. "It doesn't matter. You'll tell me yourself soon enough."

Terrified by his demeanor, Wang Lu clutched her chest. "What do you want?"

Zhao Feng didn't speak; he just took a step forward. That single step made Wang Lu recoil in fear. As he continued to advance, she could only keep backing away.

"To be honest," Zhao Feng chuckled, "whether you issued the bounty or not isn't important. What matters is that I want to understand something else."

"What do you want?" Wang Lu asked, trembling.

Zhao Feng remained silent. He took a step, seemingly traversing time and space, and appeared directly in front of her. He grabbed her by the throat.

"Urgh..." Wang Lu gasped in pain.

Zhao Feng gave a chilling smirk. With his left hand, he gripped her clothes and pulled with force. With a loud "rip," Wang Lu was left completely exposed. She stood dazed for a moment before letting out a horrified scream. "Ah! What are you doing!"

She was now completely naked, held aloft by her throat. Zhao Feng studied her, rubbing his chin with his left hand. "I must say, you're quite shapely."

"W-what do you want?!" she stammered.

Zhao Feng reached out and touched her abdomen. Then, he said, "Now, I ask, you answer."

Wang Lu’s eyes filled with tears, and she nodded frantically. "Yes! Yes, of course!"

Zhao Feng nodded with satisfaction. "Is the Li family a hidden clan?"