Chapter 43: The Royal Warrant

Black Bear City.

There were four city gates.

At each gate, a wanted poster was affixed.

Anyone passing by would inevitably cast a curious glance.

"Ten thousand gold coins!"

"Who exactly is this Qin Feiyang?"

"How could he be worth so much?"

This was the topic that dominated all conversations in Black Bear City.

As the sun set in the west, Qin Feiyang finally emerged from the forest, walking alone down a broad, level road toward the northern gate.

As for the Wolf King, it was, of course, impossible for it to enter the city, so Qin Feiyang had instructed it to hide temporarily within the ancient fortress.

At first, as he walked along the main road, Qin Feiyang didn’t notice anything unusual.

But gradually,

He sensed that something was amiss.

Every passerby eyed him with a strange gaze, assessing him intently.

Many even began to follow him, trailing in his wake.

Their intent seemed anything but friendly!

The crowd around him grew larger and larger.

Yet not one uttered a word; all fixed their gazes on him as if he were a sumptuous cake.

Qin Feiyang couldn’t help but knit his brows.

Suddenly,

He halted.

The throng behind him also stopped in unison!

Some even placed their hands on the hilts of their weapons, and a tense, electric atmosphere quickly spread across the area.

Qin Feiyang arched an eyebrow, said nothing, and continued toward the northern gate.

The crowd behind him followed at a distance, maintaining a steady gap.

Before long,

He arrived at the city gate.

The guards stationed on either side of the entrance saw him and their expressions instantly turned grave.

"What on earth is going on?" Qin Feiyang was deeply puzzled.

He was about to enter the city when his eyes suddenly locked onto the wanted poster nearby.

On the poster, an artist’s portrait was drawn.

Was that not his own likeness?

Beneath the image, bold characters declared:

"This man, named Qin Feiyang, is a ruthless killer, guilty of heinous crimes. Whoever severs his head shall be rewarded with ten thousand gold coins!"

Beside this proclamation was a large, crimson seal:

—Yan Prefecture, King Yan!

The words struck Qin Feiyang like a bolt from the blue.

He was wanted!

And not just by anyone: the very lord of Yan Prefecture, King Yan himself, had personally issued the warrant!

His confusion vanished in an instant.

No wonder Mu Fei and the others had known his name.

No wonder these people were acting so strangely.

Now, he was worth his weight in gold—anyone who laid eyes on him would covet such a bounty.

"King Yan..."

He clenched his fists, fixing a deadly stare on that seal, his eyes gleaming with icy fury.

He needed no explanation—Lin Han must have returned to the imperial capital and persuaded King Yan to issue this edict.

A royal house, so lofty in stature, yet issuing a wanted notice without discerning right from wrong—how ridiculous, how laughable!

Such a corrupt dynasty deserved to be swept away.

But for now, he lacked the power.

His first priority was to escape this predicament.

Qin Feiyang swept his gaze over the crowd, speaking coolly: "Why haven’t you made your move? Lacking confidence?"

Silence.

Indeed, they were hesitant. Though he seemed young, being wanted by the royal house meant his strength must be formidable.

No one wished to be the first to test him.

Qin Feiyang smirked, then suddenly spun around. The crowd behind him stumbled back in panic.

With a metallic ring, swords and blades were drawn, their cold edges glinting.

"Don’t let him escape!"

"There’s so many of us—he can’t possibly stand against us all. Don’t be afraid!"

Seeing Qin Feiyang preparing to flee, several guards shouted furiously.

"I’d like to see who dares block my path!" Qin Feiyang laughed coldly, striding forward with bold steps.

The crowd retreated again.

No one dared act.

"What are you waiting for? Attack together!" roared one of the guards, raising his broadsword and swinging it at Qin Feiyang’s back.

The others surged forward as well.

"Hmph!"

Qin Feiyang snorted, whirling around. Cangxue flashed like a startled swan.

Clang!

Several broadswords shattered instantly.

He struck out with lightning-quick punches.

Agonized screams filled the air as those guards were hurled against the city wall like meteors, spitting blood, their faces deathly pale!

"So strong!"

The surrounding crowd was aghast.

Those guards were all first-rank martial masters, yet before this young man, they hadn’t even mustered the slightest resistance.

"His head is worth ten thousand gold coins—what are we waiting for?"

"If we work together, we can slay him and split the reward!"

Two guards, struggling to their feet, shouted wildly.

"Kill!"

For wealth, men are willing to risk their lives, just as birds are for food.

Seduced by the lure of gold, the crowd finally swung their weapons toward Qin Feiyang!

His gaze turned frigid. Sword in hand, Cangxue blazed as he rampaged like a human dragon, blood spraying in his wake.

In less than three breaths,

He tore open a gap and broke free from the encirclement.

Over a dozen lay groaning on the ground.

"Don’t let him get away!"

The remaining crowd surged after him.

"I advise you all to know your limits," Qin Feiyang said coldly, then, with a single bound, disappeared into the forest without a backward glance.

"Find him!"

The crowd poured into the woods as well.

"What happened here?" Just then,

A burly, middle-aged man emerged from Black Bear City, eyeing the battered guards in confusion.

"Captain, Qin Feiyang appeared! He escaped into the woods. Everyone’s gone after him!" the guards replied hastily.

"Qin Feiyang!"

The man’s eyes blazed with killing intent. "You stay here and let no suspicious person pass!"

"Yes, sir!" the guards responded respectfully.

The man then dashed into the forest at full speed.

But all their efforts would be in vain.

Because once Qin Feiyang entered the forest, he immediately retreated into the ancient fortress.

"If Black Bear City has a wanted poster, every other city surely does too. It seems I won’t be able to take a single step in Yan Prefecture from now on."

Qin Feiyang stood beside the Wolf King, his expression grave.

The Wolf King let out a low growl, as if asking what to do next.

If he couldn’t enter the city, the medicinal herbs he had plundered would be of no use.

"Don’t worry, there must be a way," Qin Feiyang reassured him, muttering to himself, "If only I had a 'Mirage Pill.'"

The Mirage Pill could alter a person’s appearance.

But in these remote wilds, where could such a pill be found?

"You stay here. I’ll go out and see what’s happening," Qin Feiyang instructed, then slipped out of the fortress and into the woods.

He moved stealthily through the undergrowth, making his way to the forest’s edge to spy on the city gate.

A great crowd was pouring out of the city, all bound for the forest where he was hiding.

"It seems news of my appearance has spread throughout Black Bear City," Qin Feiyang thought, preparing to slip away.

But suddenly,

He spotted two familiar figures among the crowd streaming from the city.

"What are they doing in Black Bear City?"

He muttered in surprise.

It was none other than Luo Qingzhu and Zhao Shuang’er!

Just then,

A middle-aged man in black vaulted from within the city, landing atop the wall, his body radiating a golden battle aura, standing out like a beacon.

"A Battle King!"

Qin Feiyang’s pupils contracted.

Simultaneously,

Luo Qingzhu and Zhao Shuang’er, standing at the base of the wall, frowned and looked up at the man.

He stood there like a monarch, sweeping his piercing gaze across the woods, sending chills down all who beheld him.

Suddenly,

He spotted Qin Feiyang at the edge of the forest!

A surge of murderous intent erupted in his eyes.

"You little wretch, at last you’ve come!"

He sneered coldly, leaping from the wall, flying toward Qin Feiyang with terrifying speed.

"To send a Battle King after me... you must think very highly of me," Qin Feiyang said with a bitter laugh, turning and vanishing into the forest without a backward glance.

Everyone near the city gate looked in the same direction, catching a glimpse of his retreating figure.

Instantly,

They seemed to have been injected with adrenaline, all surging toward the woods.

"It’s really him!"

"He’s got some nerve!"

Luo Qingzhu and Zhao Shuang’er exchanged glances, their brows knitting tighter.

Zhao Shuang’er whispered, "Qingzhu, should we help him?"

"Well..." Luo Qingzhu hesitated.

To help Qin Feiyang was to oppose the Lin family of Yancheng.

No!

Now the royal house was involved as well.

If discovered, the consequences would be dire.

Though neither the Lin family nor the royal house would dare kill her openly, they could easily send assassins. There would be no way to guard against it.

Yet before she left home, her mother had privately instructed her: if she ever encountered Qin Feiyang and could help him, she should do so if possible.

"We’ll help him one more time, but the Lin family must never find out," Luo Qingzhu said in a low voice.

Zhao Shuang’er nodded.

The two of them entered the forest in turn.

Their bearing and beauty were both unmatched; wherever they went, they were a dazzling sight.

But now,

No one paid them any heed; everyone was searching for Qin Feiyang.

They searched as well.

But after scouring hundreds of meters in every direction, Qin Feiyang was nowhere to be found.

Nor was there any news from elsewhere.

It was as if he had vanished from the face of the earth.

Luo Qingzhu and Zhao Shuang’er returned to the edge of the woods.

By now, the area was deserted and eerily quiet.

Everyone assumed Qin Feiyang had fled into the depths of the forest, so they had all gone to search further in.

The two women stood by a great tree, scanning the forest ahead, their brows deeply furrowed.

With so many searching—among them a Battle King—even a fly should have been found by now. Where on earth was that man hiding?

Night fell.

The forest was plunged into darkness.

But not a soul left; torches flickered as the search continued relentlessly.

Luo Qingzhu said, "He must have escaped into the mountains. Let’s return to the city and come back at dawn."

Zhao Shuang’er nodded.

But just as they turned,

A soft chuckle drifted down from the branches above.

Both women started and looked up.

There, a shadow parted the leaves and dropped lightly to the ground.

Who could it be but Qin Feiyang?

"You were hiding up there all along?" Luo Qingzhu and Zhao Shuang’er stared at him in astonishment.

Qin Feiyang smiled, "If I’d been up there the whole time, I’d have been found long ago."

At first, he’d hidden in the ancient fortress, and when all footsteps had faded, he slipped out and concealed himself in a nearby tree, waiting for an opportunity to enter the city.

He hadn’t expected to run into these two women.