Chapter 142: Run if You Can’t Win, the Best Strategy is to Retreat
“Good, let’s fight!” Jiang Che exclaimed excitedly, jumping up to stand directly opposite of Cangmang. Ever since reaching the peak of Transformation, he hadn’t had a clear sense of his own strength. Today, he was eager to test his power against this formidable opponent.
Jiang Che gathered the power of the Pure Yang in his palm and launched a fierce attack towards Cangmang. The two terrifying forces collided mid-air, covering the sky with dark clouds and causing the air to tremble faintly.
As the battle intensified, Jiang Che grew more excited, unleashing a series of lethal moves. With the blessing of “Pure Yang Limitless Technique,” his inner strength seemed inexhaustible, and he felt no fatigue.
Cangmang, however, was quickly stunned. How could this guy’s inner strength be deeper than his own? Blocking a fatal blow from Jiang Che, Cangmang retreated several steps, looking at Jiang Che with a strange expression. After dozens of rounds, although neither had the upper hand, Cangmang had exhausted most of his internal strength, while Jiang Che appeared tireless.
“What kind of secret technique do you practice?” Cangmang asked warily, unable to fathom Jiang Che’s seemingly limitless strength.
“Too much talking. Do you want to fight or not?” Jiang Che snapped impatiently. Why was this old man so talkative?
Realizing that he would soon be drained of his internal strength while Jiang Che remained unaffected, Cangmang made a quick decision. Taking advantage of a moment’s inattention, he dashed back to Yang Wei’s side, grabbed his arm, and ran towards the exit.
In times of crisis, retreat is often the best strategy. As long as they survived, they could always seek revenge in the future.
With remarkable speed, the two vanished from Crouching Dragon Villa.
Jiang Che watched their retreat in bewilderment. He had imagined countless outcomes, but he hadn’t expected the old man to flee without a fight, but escaping wouldn’t be so easy.
“Follow them!” Jiang Che commanded Uncle Fu before disappearing in pursuit. Uncle Fu followed closely behind.
Under the moonlight, four figures moved like ghosts through the streets and alleys of Linjiang City, their speed like lightning. Passersby only caught fleeting glimpses, thinking they were seeing things.
In the woods on the outskirts of the city, Yang Wei, panting heavily, spoke to Cangmang who was still running. “Master, stop… I can’t run anymore.”
Yang Wei sat down, gasping for breath. Although Cangmang had been pulling him along, Yang Wei had also used up a lot of internal energy and was injured. He didn’t want to run any further.
Cangmang, sensing that Jiang Che was no longer pursuing them, exhaled heavily and began to regulate his breathing. This had been a serious miscalculation. He hadn’t expected Jiang Che to match his cultivation level and possess a secret method to maintain his inner strength.
“Master, why did we run?” Yang Wei asked, puzzled. He had watched the fight with excitement, not expecting his master to flee.
Cangmang glanced at Yang Wei reproachfully. Could he not see they were no match for Jiang Che? However, he couldn’t admit this to his disciple.
“I am close to a breakthrough and plan to seek revenge on Jiang Che afterward. Such insights don’t come often,” Cangmang said, finding a reasonable excuse.
“Really?! Congratulations, Master!” Yang Wei exclaimed, looking at his master with admiration. As expected, his master was a genius, gaining insights even from a fight.
“Yes, I plan to take you out of Linjiang City first and return after the breakthrough,” Cangmang said, feeling guilty. He truly intended to leave Linjiang City, having offended a monster like Jiang Che. It was best to escape while he could.
Just as Yang Wei was about to ask when they would set off, a voice chilled him to the bone.
“Why did you stop running?” Jiang Che jumped down from a tree, looking at the master-disciple pair with amusement. These two were quite good at running, making him chase them for over an hour.
“R…” Yang Wei looked at Jiang Che in horror, not expecting him to catch up so quickly.
“What? Shut your mouth!” Jiang Che snapped, frowning at Yang Wei. With a wave of his hand, he sent Yang Wei flying with a slap.
Yang Wei got up, covering his swollen cheek, looking at Jiang Che with resentment but not daring to say anything more.
“Young Master Jiang, today was my mistake. Let’s put it behind us and consider it water under the bridge,” Cangmang said sincerely, realizing he couldn’t win. Admitting defeat was the wisest choice.
“Master, you…” Yang Wei was shocked. Just a moment ago, his master had been clamoring for revenge. Now he was admitting defeat?
“Shut up!” Cangmang glared at Yang Wei. Couldn’t he see that admitting defeat was the only sensible choice?
“You want me to let you go?” Jiang Che glanced at Cangmang, assessing his character. This old man wasn’t stubborn like the protagonists; he could calm down and think rationally.
“Yes, Young Master Jiang, please forgive us,” Cangmang said humbly, having lost all his earlier arrogance.
“It’s not impossible to let you go, but there are conditions,” Jiang Che said, eyeing Yang Wei, who was hiding behind Cangmang.
“Please say it, Young Master Jiang. As long as it’s within my power, I won’t refuse,” Cangmang said quickly, even swearing an oath.
“First, give Yang Wei a few slaps for me. Slap him hard and don’t stop until I say so,” Jiang Che said with a sinister smile.
“This…” Cangmang hesitated.
“What, you don’t want to? Then die!” Jiang Che released the pressure of his peak Transformation cultivation, pressing it towards Cangmang.
Sweat dripped from Cangmang’s forehead. Normally, he wouldn’t be afraid, but with his internal strength nearly exhausted, he couldn’t resist.
“Alright… I’ll do it!” Gritting his teeth, Cangmang agreed to Jiang Che’s demand.