Even if Zhang Ning wanted to rebel against Long Chen, he had the capital and strength to suppress her. Under his rule, Long Chen wasn’t particularly worried that something would happen to her. However, her bodyguard’s anxious visit today indicated that something was amiss.

Seeing the robust Yellow Turban warrior, Long Chen’s face darkened, and he sternly asked, "What’s the matter? Speak quickly!"

The Yellow Turban warrior, as if seeing a close family member, had tears shimmering in his tiger-like eyes. He respectfully said, "General! This morning, on her way out of the city, the Holy Maiden was kidnapped by a group of agile and elusive bandits!"

"They said... they told me to bring the message to you, General, and said that you must go alone to the border between Xuzhou and Yangzhou, fifty miles southeast of the city..."

"Also... they said that if you bring anyone else, they will take the Holy Maiden’s head!"

Hearing this, Long Chen was furious! Usually, he was the one making threats, and no one had dared to threaten him like this before!

Long Chen swung a punch in anger, and the sound echoed, causing trees dozens of meters away to snap under the force.

The Yellow Turban warrior was startled, quickly lowering his head, fearing for his life. Although he was a close guard of the respected teacher Zhang Jiao, with considerable strength a value close to 63, he felt the awe-inspiring majesty of a fierce tiger in front of Long Chen.

Anger lingered in Long Chen’s mind for a moment, but he quickly pushed it aside. Now was not the time for anger; it would only lead to irrational actions.

Taking a deep breath, Long Chen calmly asked again, "Did you manage to see the appearance of those villains? And how many of them were there?"

"Reporting to General, those villains all wore black veils to cover their faces, so we couldn’t see their features!"

"The number of those villains was around several dozen, not many in quantity, but each of them moved like phantoms!"

"And they also used a kind of powder in the air, making us feel powerless. We could only watch helplessly as the Holy Maiden was taken away by them!"

The Yellow Turban warrior was filled with regret, clenching his fists tightly. Devoted to Zhang Jiao, he had sworn to protect Zhang Jiao’s daughter, but he never expected such an outcome.

At the border between Yangzhou and Xuzhou, a lawless and sparsely populated area, a simple tent stood in the dense forest. A group of assassins in black discussed something in secret, while Zhang Ning was tightly bound with sinew ropes, casually placed in a corner.

Zhang Ning’s eyes were bloodshot, and there were faint traces of tears at the corners. As the daughter of the respected teacher Zhang Jiao and the Holy Maiden of the Taiping Dao, she had faced the unfortunate events of her father’s murder and her subsequent captivity.

Although she appeared cold and strong, her inner self was quite tender and sensitive. Now, captured by a group of strangers, she felt extremely anxious in this oppressive atmosphere. In this situation, she even yearned to return to the safety of Yiling in Jiujian, where Long Chen would not oppress her.

Suddenly, Zhang Ning keenly heard the low whispers of those assassins. She quickly perked up her ears and activated her innate talent, "Listening to the Sounds of Truth," enhancing her sensitivity to the surrounding environment. With this heightened awareness, she could clearly hear the conversation of the assassins.

"Lord Leng, you truly deserve to be an elite assassin in the Assassin Alliance. This move is extraordinary!"

"Targeting the weak points of the enemy, specifically aiming at Long Chen’s vulnerabilities. Now, we don’t have to worry about Long Chen not coming here to find us!"

Zhang Ning’s pupils constricted. What? The Assassin Alliance? Why are they doing this? Are they trying to force Long Chen to show up because of me? Ridiculous! How could Long Chen put himself in danger for my sake? He killed my father; abandoning me would be nothing to him!

Curling up on the ground, Zhang Ning reproached herself.

"Humph, Long Chen is not an ordinary person. He possesses an extremely rare unknown talent! When he arrives, all of you must do your best to seize the opportunity and strive for a fatal blow! Do you understand?" The lead assassin, Lord Leng, replied.

"Yes! Lord Leng!"

"Don’t worry, Lord Leng. We practice the art of delivering a fatal blow. We strike only when necessary; once we do, it’s a guaranteed kill!"

"Yeah, when I chose the path of an assassin, what I pursued was this ultimate attack power!"

The cold and elegant female assassin wiped her Peach Blossom White Gold Sword, speaking indifferently, "This time, we were chosen by higher-ups to complete this task. We must do our best! Only success is allowed, not failure!"

"Understood! Lord Leng!"

"Rest assured, Lord Leng. What we practice is a one-hit-kill technique. We won’t fail when we strike!"

During this discussion, a masked man approached Zhang Ning, eyeing her in a lascivious manner. Zhang Ning immediately feigned unconsciousness. With her heightened senses, she heard the man request, "Lord Leng, this woman is exceptionally beautiful. How about letting me... hehe."

Lord Leng raised her sword, retorting coldly, "If you want to die, just say it. No need to beat around the bush!"

The masked man scratched his head, retreated, and cast a fearful glance at the dazzling Peach Blossom White Gold Sword.

The original desire disappeared entirely. Life was more important than lust, especially since he knew how terrifying this woman’s strength was!

Just at this moment, another black-clad assassin burst into the tent and knelt down, reporting, "My Lord, there’s movement!"

"How many people are coming?"

"One person."

Lord Leng sheathed her sword and exchanged a glance with the other assassins.

"Operation begins!"

At this moment, Long Chen stands alone in the empty wilderness, the location the opponents requested is ahead.

But ahead lies high mountains and dense forests; entering there means being exposed while the enemy lurks in the shadows, making it easy to fall into an ambush.

For now, he assesses the surroundings, his mind quickly calculating how to escape if in danger.

And to think, he has to carry a burden. To him, Zhang Ning is nothing but a burden.

He resolves that if he rescues Zhang Ning, he’ll definitely confine that person in a small dark room, impose a ban! Always stirring up trouble!

This is a period of rapid development in the Jiujiang County, with loads of trivial matters.

But there’s no way around it; he must adhere to his initial pledge. If he blames anyone, it’s his own excessive kindness, being too indulgent with Zhang Ning.

In the midst of his thoughts, suddenly, a shadow emerges in front of him, moving at a ghostly speed, crossing a hundred meters in moments.

Long Chen’s breath quickens instantly. This person’s arrival bodes ill, carrying with them a rolling sense of imminent danger.

The killer intent is sharp, making his heart skip a beat.

Hurriedly, Long Chen draws out an orange epic-grade weapon—the Demon Horn Spear!

They clash.

Clang—

The collision between sword and spear sparks fireworks. Long Chen is forced back several steps by the immense force, while the cloaked figure retreats even further.

Eyes filled with astonishment and disbelief!

"Who are you? And where is the woman you’ve kidnapped?"

Long Chen’s voice is firm, accusing.

The masked assassin remains silent, casually twirling a flower with the sword and blowing a whistle with the left hand in response!