"Captain..." The crowd was stunned.
"You don't need to persuade me, my mind is made up," Fang Yong snorted coldly, then turned to scan his subordinates, his gaze finally settling on Chu Chen.
Chu Chen raised an eyebrow, as if he had expected this.
"I've found out that Jinshan Village has a secret passage that leads directly to a cave fifty miles outside the city. That's Li Zhongcheng's lair."
Fang Yong said, "I've already sent people to ambush nearby. As soon as he appears, he'll be unable to return!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Chen did not intervene, because he knew that Fang Yong's arrangement was out of necessity. After all, Jinshan Village was too strong, and he had no chance of winning.
However, Chu Chen still did not reveal himself. He chose to hide in the shadows and wait for an opportunity.
"Fang Yong, our patience is limited. We hope you don't play any tricks," a hoarse, low voice suddenly rang out.
Fang Yong trembled all over, his face suddenly changed drastically.
He recognized the voice! It was Li Zhongcheng!
"Damn it, Li Zhongcheng must have noticed something. He's hiding now!" Fang Yong's face turned ashen.
He immediately realized he had made a huge mistake. According to the plan they had discussed earlier.
He was supposed to first lead Li Zhongcheng away from the ruined temple, and then Chu Chen would strike and kill the bandit leader. With Jinshan Village leaderless, they would fall into chaos.
Once Jinshan Village was defeated, they could then attack the city, capture Li Zhongcheng, and force Jinshan Village to surrender.
But he never expected that Li Zhongcheng had seen through it all.
Fang Yong gritted his teeth, hating the people of Jinshan Village, but at this moment, he was helpless. He could only brace himself and say.
"You can't threaten me! I will capture Li Zhongcheng alive tonight!" With that, Fang Yong turned to leave the ruined temple.
Chu Chen frowned slightly. He didn't know why Fang Yong was so determined to kill Li Zhongcheng himself. Was he trying to prove he was better than Chu Feng?
He mused, "Could this guy really have some peculiar hobby?"
"Since you want to die, I'll grant your wish," Chu Chen watched Fang Yong's receding back indifferently, a cold smile curling on his lips.
Fang Yong had only walked a few steps when he felt something strange. Why had the ruined temple suddenly become so quiet? It was as if a strong smell of blood permeated the air.
"Something's wrong!" Fang Yong stopped abruptly, looking around vigilantly. "Why is no one here?"
As soon as he spoke, a dangerous aura swept over him. Fang Yong's pupils contracted, and he quickly drew his saber to defend himself.
*Bang!* A muffled sound was heard, and Fang Yong was sent flying, crashing into a tree trunk and spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Who are you?" Fang Yong's eyes widened, staring at the seven or eight masked men in black with shock.
Especially the torches they were holding, their blazing flames illuminating the night sky.
"Jinshan Village?" Fang Yong's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately realized.
"Heh heh, Fang Yong, you wouldn't have thought it, would you? We from Jinshan Village have been lurking here for a long time, waiting for a stupid dog like you!"
A slightly hoarse voice came, accompanied by a powerful oppressive aura.
Then, a burly man walked out with steady steps. It was Chu Chen.
"Li Zhongcheng!" Fang Yong's eyes turned red, his heart filled with hatred and grief, which turned into hot tears that welled up in his eyes.
"Don't look so sad. After all, we've known each other. On the eve of your death, I can tell you a piece of news." Chu Chen grinned, revealing his white teeth.
"What news?" Fang Yong asked blankly, his eyes filled with confusion.
Chu Chen chuckled, "As far as I know, Jinshan Village's reinforcements will arrive soon. You probably won't have a chance to leave alive."
"What?" Fang Yong's eyes almost popped out. He stared at Chu Chen blankly, as if doubting his own ears.
"You... you're lying to me!" Fang Yong was furious and roared, "You're clearly in league with Li Zhongcheng, why are you lying to me!"
"Alas, you are indeed deceived. I came here specifically to remind you, but you just wouldn't believe me," Chu Chen sighed and shook his head, deliberately putting on a helpless expression.
"Stop pretending! I don't believe you, you must be lying to me!" Fang Yong roared.
"I can't be bothered with you. In short, your death is imminent, so there's no need to waste any more words." Chu Chen then walked towards the bandits, preparing to attack.
Fang Yong's face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth, "Chu Chen, I don't care if you did it on purpose or not. If you dare to harm the brothers of Jinshan Village, I will never forgive you!"
"Don't worry, if I'm not mistaken, this troop will probably be wiped out soon," Chu Chen sneered.
Fang Yong was stunned. He looked around carefully and found no anomalies other than the more than two hundred soldiers.
"Is Chu Chen trying to scare me?" Fang Yong was half-believing.
"I'm just giving you a kind reminder. Whether you believe it or not is up to you," Chu Chen said indifferently.
Fang Yong frowned and ignored Chu Chen, leading his subordinates into the ruined temple.
He thought to himself, "What Chu Chen said might be true. Li Zhongcheng must have discovered something. If he wanted to escape, he would have left long ago."
"Brothers, kill them!" Fang Yong raised his arms and shouted.
The more than two hundred soldiers immediately rushed into the ruined temple, but something that made them extremely horrified happened. They saw an extremely bizarre scene.
As soon as the soldiers rushed into the ruined temple, they immediately fell unconscious. Some even screamed on the spot.
Chu Chen's figure flashed like a ghost, instantly knocking down several people and throwing the unconscious enemies into the dungeon.
In just a moment, Chu Chen finished the fight and rushed out of the ruined temple, his right shoulder stained with the blood of many enemies.
"Captain Fang, we have the situation under control," a subordinate excitedly ran over to report.
Fang Yong nodded, his worry slightly reduced. He quickly asked, "Are you sure Li Zhongcheng won't come back?"
"Absolutely not. That traitor has already fled," Chu Chen guaranteed with conviction.
Fang Yong breathed a sigh of relief, then glanced at the corpses lying in the ruined temple, a complex feeling surging in his heart: "I still underestimated him."
Chu Chen said indifferently, "If you cooperate with me obediently, I can let you live. If you're not sensible, don't blame me."
Fang Yong sneered, "You're dreaming!"
Hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Chu Chen's eyes: "Stubborn and foolish. In that case, I can only send you on your way."
Chu Chen raised his right hand, his five fingers clenched, and brilliant silver light appeared in his palm. His index and thumb formed a sword seal.
A sharp edge spread out, as if it could tear the air.
Fang Yong's heart pounded. He clearly felt a fatal danger approaching, so he immediately drew the saber at his waist.