Chapter 298: Chapter 274: For Now, I’ll Keep You

Rong Zhi had once attempted to seize the bracelet, but at that time he lacked understanding of such high-tech beyond his era. He was caught off guard, and now, several years later, this object that had nearly cost him his life finally encircled his wrist.

The icy bracelet felt like shackles, heavily weighing on his wrist. Rong Zhi, curious, lifted his hand to examine it closely while listening to Tian Rujing explain how to use it.

Under Tian Rujing’s guidance, Rong Zhi activated the bracelet’s spatial folding function. Slight distortions appeared around his body, and the objects around him seemed twisted. His own sensations were even more pronounced, as if a surging, vast force was tearing at his body, and the strange force within him that had been lying dormant for two years, now awakened once again by this external influence, stirred more wildly than before.

To those outside, Rong Zhi’s figure seemed to be enveloped in a hazy halo, becoming blurred as if between illusion and reality, his clothes rustling without wind as though he were about to ride away on the breeze.

These so-called outsiders were Tian Rujing, Yue Jiefei who had entered the house after Guan Canghai, and Gan Lin, another senior brother of Tian Rujing. Although Guan Canghai was blind, he could keenly detect the terrifying destructive power emanating from Rong Zhi’s presence–a force even he could not contend with.

Tearing his body was of no concern… He needed to hasten.

Rong Zhi thought gently.

The sooner he reached Luoyang, the sooner he could save Chu Yu.

There were, in fact, other ways, such as letting someone else take his place on this journey, but when Chu Yu’s life and death were at stake, how could he be at ease and gamble with those slim chances?

He also knew that at this moment, Tian Rujing too was worried about Chu Yu’s safety. If he delayed any further, Tian Rujing might not be able to restrain himself and would go to save Chu Yu.

But he couldn’t risk it.

He was unwilling for Chu Yu to face any dangers. He could not use Chu Yu’s safety as a bargaining chip. Just on that point, he had completely lost.

Rong Zhi smiled faintly, feeling that the twists and turns of life were absurd. Just this morning, he was calm and in control, but now, the situation had drastically changed, and he had become a mere pawn on the chessboard.

The hand manipulating him was not anyone’s, but what Chu Yu called fate.

He could resist fate, but if there was a chance it might cost Chu Yu her life, he would rather surrender willingly.

The world was his chess game, and he was originally the one in control, but for Chu Yu, he was willing to become a pawn at the mercy of the game.

With a faint smile, Rong Zhi mentally triggered the activation. In front of him, a vast expanse of darkness seemed to appear, as space violently tore open, engulfing him with an irresistible force.

Before his figure vanished into the air, Rong Zhi left two sentences: “Senior brother, leave Tian Rujing behind.”

The latter sentence was directed to Tian Rujing since the transportation had already begun, and his voice seemed to come from a far-off place, sounding somewhat distorted: “Tian Rujing, I admit defeat. When it comes to ruthlessness, I’m no match for you.” Tian Rujing could use those he loved as tools, but he could not.

The words had not yet faded when Rong Zhi completely disappeared from the room.

Tian Rujing was somewhat unsteady on his feet; his face was pale, and his lips were drained of all color. His gaze was almost hollow as he stared at the spot where Rong Zhi had vanished. Although Rong Zhi had left, the last words he had dropped were like a sharp and cold blade, silently slicing open bloody wounds in Tian Rujing’s heart.

He had always been doing his utmost to suppress his emotions, yet with a single sentence from Rong Zhi, his deepest pain was effortlessly evoked. Using Chu Yu’s life and death as a bargaining chip, he had forced and lured Rong Zhi step by step onto a path of no return. This was a strategy agreed upon with Feng Ting, and initially, he had concurred. But as the plan unfolded, every minute and second were excruciating for him. Struggling to remember his duty, it was only with all his strength that he managed to maintain a normal facade. However, Rong Zhi’s words had effortlessly forced him to reveal his true self.

After Rong Zhi left for Luoyang, the atmosphere among the four remaining people in the room immediately turned tense and hostile. Yue Jiefei and Gan Lin positioned themselves protectively in front of Tian Rujing, warily watching the silent Guan Canghai.

Now that Tian Rujing had lost his means of protection, as martial artists, Yue Jiefei and Gan Lin could sense the silent murderous intent emanating from Guan Canghai. His expression wasn’t ferocious; he simply stood there quietly, but it gave off an illusion as if one’s body was being pierced by ice needles.

Guan Canghai smiled quietly to himself, turned to Tian Rujing, and said in a very amicable tone, “If you have any last words, you’d better hurry up and say them now.” This wasn’t a threat; it was a fact.

Yue Jiefei and Gan Lin drew their swords at the same time, attacking Guan Canghai from the left and right. Guan Canghai stepped slightly aside, evading the two crossing swords by a hair’s breadth. With unruffled calm, he lifted one hand and, in the instant when the two swords overlapped due to missing their target, he pinched them at the point where their blades crossed.

Without the disturbance of his eyes, his senses were actually more acute. The swords that seemed extremely fast to ordinary people were, for him, merely so-so.

With a slight exertion of force on his fingers, both swords broke at once. Yue Jiefei’s face changed dramatically. As he attempted another move, he suddenly lost sight of Guan Canghai. Turning his head, he saw that Guan Canghai had somehow reached Tian Rujing’s side. The hand capable of breaking gold and crushing stone was now resting on Tian Rujing’s fair and delicate neck.

With just a little effort from Guan Canghai, his neck would snap just like their swords had.

Yue Jiefei was filled with regret. Had he known how terrifying this man was, he would never have let Tian Rujing get involved in this mess. Their sharp sword moves, lethal against others, seemed laughably trivial before this man, like children swinging branches. But now there was no time for regret; with Tian Rujing’s life hanging by a thread, Yue Jiefei clenched the broken sword and lunged forward again, trying to force Guan Canghai to turn and defend himself. Guan Canghai still had one hand on Tian Rujing’s neck, and without turning his head, he parried with a backhand sweep, effortlessly snatching the broken sword from Yue Jiefei’s grip. With a twist of his wrist, the broken sword flew out, carrying a fierce unstoppable force that pierced right through Yue Jiefei’s shoulder, sending him stumbling back several steps.

Gan Lin met the same treatment at the hands of Guan Canghai.

Tian Rujing seemed oblivious to the hand on his neck, ready at any moment to end his life, and unaware that his fellow disciples had been injured. His eyes were empty and bewildered, like a crystal statue on the verge of shattering.

Guan Canghai let out a cold laugh and applied a slight pressure with his hand, but to his surprise, discovered that Tian Rujing made absolutely no struggle, not even the instinctive reaction to pain. His brows slightly furrowed, he recalled the words Rong Zhi had left behind before departing, and withdrew his hand, leaving a purple mark on Tian Rujing’s fair neck.

Guan Canghai said coldly, “I’ve changed my mind; I’ll leave you be for now.” Rong Zhi had told him not to kill Tian Rujing, and there must have been a reason for it, certainly not out of compassion or kindness.

He would wait and see.

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I’ve changed the name of another of Tian Rujing’s senior disciples; I think this new name has more personality.

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