Chapter 39: This World

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Chapter 39: This World

“Hello there, Captain Jack,” Ye Tian greeted the young man with a cheeky grin. Everyone in the room froze, as if unable to believe that Ye Tian could wake up on his own.

“Damn it, the sedative didn’t work?” one of them exclaimed in frustration.

“Hmph, what’s there to be afraid of with a mere intermediate swordsman? Get him!” Jack said impatiently. The group lunged at Ye Tian at once. Smiling, Ye Tian moved swiftly, not wasting any motion; he slapped each person, knocking them all out cold.

“Oh? It seems you’re not just a swordsman, you’re fast—are you a rogue swordsman?” Jack eyed Ye Tian. “Heh, how embarrassing,” Ye Tian replied coldly. “Could you give me a reason? If you can give me a satisfactory explanation, I’ll let you go.”

“Let me go?” Jack found that notion laughable. “Try it, then. I’ll have you know, I’m not actually a great swordsman—I’m a swordmaster!” With a flash, he drew the longsword from his waist and stabbed at Ye Tian like lightning.

Snap! Ye Tian caught the blade between two fingers. “Impossible!” Jack poured all his energy into the sword, desperately trying to drive it into Ye Tian’s chest.

Snap! Jack stared in horror at the sword tip now embedded in his own shoulder.

Clatter! The longsword slipped from Jack’s hand, falling to the floor. “You’re not an intermediate swordsman!” Jack gasped.

“And you’re not a great swordsman either, are you?” Ye Tian smiled, gently pressing Jack’s shoulder to staunch the bleeding.

“Well then, Captain Jack, don’t you think you owe me a reason? Why did you try to kill me?” Ye Tian looked down at Jack, demanding.

“This, I…” Jack hesitated. Whoosh! An arrow whistled through the air, aimed straight at Ye Tian!

Bang! Ye Tian deflected it with his wrist, then leapt back, pulling Mina, who was lying on the bed, down to the floor. He shielded her with his body. Thud, thud, thud, thud! Arrows rained down, filling almost the entire room.

At last, the volley ceased. Ye Tian cautiously peeked out and frowned—Jack was gone, clearly spirited away by someone. “Looks like I’ll have to step out for a bit,” Ye Tian muttered, patting the still-sleeping woman. He took a small vial from his pouch, waving it under Mina’s nose.

“Ugh, that stinks!” Mina woke at once, blushing when she realized Ye Tian was on top of her. Ye Tian hastily stood and pulled her to her feet.

“What happened?” she asked, startled by the state of the room.

“It’s nothing, just had some visitors,” Ye Tian replied with a smile. “I’ll take you to find Alansa and the others. You all should leave the city first, I’ll catch up soon.”

“What are you planning?” Mina demanded.

“Nothing much, just some questions I need answered.”

Earlier that day, Ye Tian had found a fixer’s den through the little beggar. These fixers would do anything for money. Thanks to some persuasion, Ye Tian had no trouble hiring them for his task.

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First, Ye Tian had the fixer fetch Alansa and Taya, settling them somewhere safe. He’d intended for all three girls to leave the city together, but Mina absolutely refused to leave him. In the end, Ye Tian had Taya and the others stay at the fixer’s instead.

When he visited the mayor that day, Ye Tian had sensed something was off. After being tailed as soon as he left, he was even more certain the mayor was up to something, so he’d acted strangely to shake his pursuers.

Everything went smoothly. Ye Tian found a fixer and had them bring Taya and the others to safety—he didn’t trust the inn. Then, with the stubbornly loyal Mina in tow, he sought out the best local informant to gather information.

As Ye Tian expected, it wasn’t even midnight before Mr. Jack paid him a visit. The only thing that bothered Ye Tian was the presence of hidden assassins. Deciding he’d waited long enough, he resolved to pay a visit himself.

Night had fallen over the little town, and its bustle had faded. Most people were deep in sleep as Ye Tian quietly made his way to the mayor’s residence. Soon, he arrived at the large house and, without hesitation, pushed open the door.

The interior was pitch black. Ye Tian grinned and headed upstairs. Whoosh! A blade whistled toward his eye. Ye Tian deflected it with a flick of his hand—the dagger flew away, its wielder vanishing into the darkness.

Undeterred, Ye Tian continued forward. Whoosh! Another dagger flew at him; he sidestepped just in time. Yet another blade silently slashed at his left flank. Ye Tian twisted away, dodging the fatal blow, though his clothes were torn wide open.

“Leave, and I’ll spare your life,” an eerie voice floated through the darkness.

“A reason?” Ye Tian replied with a smile.

“You may be strong, but in this darkness, you can’t defeat an assassin,” the voice continued, drifting on the air.

“Is that so? I don’t think so.” Ye Tian flexed his wrists and said coldly, “Let me pass and I’ll overlook what just happened. Otherwise, I’m getting angry—and you won’t like the consequences.”

“Then negotiations are over,” the voice said, continuing to drift. “This is your last chance—leave. I don’t want to kill you.”

“Kill me? I doubt you’re up to it,” Ye Tian retorted. “Let me pass. Otherwise, I’ll lose my temper, and then… I’ll spank you…”

“Hmph!” The voice snorted in the darkness, but Ye Tian remained unmoved.

Whoosh! A dagger stabbed at Ye Tian’s throat. He dodged, then raised his right hand—smack!

“Mmph!” a muffled cry came from the darkness.

Smack! Another blow. Smack! And another! The maid in the shadows was exasperated, unwittingly rubbing her backside, which must surely be swelling now—Ye Tian hadn’t held back at all.

“This can’t be!” she gritted out, launching another attack. But—smack!—another resounding slap, followed by Ye Tian’s teasing, “Didn’t expect your backside to be so well-padded.”

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The maid, incensed, drew out a treasured scroll—a gift from Forbes, one she’d never dared use. But now, to deal with her formidable opponent, she gritted her teeth and tore it open.

Suddenly, light blossomed beneath Ye Tian’s feet—a magic array. In an instant, his feet felt rooted to the floor, unable to move. The maid’s dagger flashed silently toward Ye Tian’s jaw, a killing strike.

Bang! The blade touched the skin beneath Ye Tian’s jaw—yet it felt like striking stone, utterly impenetrable.

“Not good!” the girl tried to retreat, but a strong hand seized her, and that dreaded palm was raised once more. Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!

The maid struggled desperately, but her strength ebbed away and a strange warmth spread through her body.

Smack! “That’s for disobeying!” Smack! “That’s for blocking my way!” Smack! “That’s for shooting arrows at me!” Ye Tian’s anger grew with each word, his slaps growing more vigorous.

At last, the maid couldn’t hold back—she burst into tears, humiliated and furious that a stranger had spanked her until her backside was swollen high. “Hmph!” Ye Tian scooped her up and tossed her onto the sofa.

“Wait here, I’ll deal with you when I get back,” Ye Tian said, heading upstairs. “You—!” The maid tried to rise, but the pain in her backside forced her back down. Ye Tian didn’t look back as he went up.

The upper floor was just as dark. Ye Tian walked straight up, following the corridor to a certain door—he had no doubt this was the fat swine’s bedroom.

Bang! Ye Tian kicked the door open; the room was pitch black as before.

Thwip! A crossbow bolt shot at Ye Tian, who caught it lightly between two fingers and tossed it aside. Instantly, a shriek like a slaughtered pig rang out.

“Mr. Mayor, would you mind turning on the light? Let’s have a chat—I have many questions for you,” Ye Tian said coldly.

Click—the magical lamp flickered on, revealing Forbes shivering behind the bed.

“Good evening, Mayor, we meet again,” Ye Tian said, settling onto the sofa and surveying the lavish, golden room.

“Quite beautiful. You must have spared no effort, Mr. Mayor.”

“What do you want?” Forbes’ voice trembled, his wrist still impaled by a crossbow bolt.

“Come here, let me treat you. Don’t worry, I don’t like killing—your life is safe,” Ye Tian said.

Forbes, shaking, came to sit beside Ye Tian, who took his hand and examined it carefully. “Hmm, don’t worry, the bone’s not hurt.” With that, Ye Tian began to treat Forbes’ wound.