297: Chapter 297 Brothers Reunited

Three men in grey clothing, calling themselves Wang Wu, Zhao Liu, and Chen Qi, led the way ahead. Their expressions were terrified, and they occasionally stole glances at the youth in green robes behind them.

Ye Tian followed them, his footsteps silent, his gaze like lightning as he scanned the surrounding environment.

He was anxious, but the closer he got to his target, the calmer he became.

"Se-Senior, turn into that valley ahead, and you'll find the abandoned Black Tungsten Mine.

The headquarters of our Grey Clothing Society is inside the largest main shaft."

Wang Wu pointed toward an entrance in a mountain hollow ahead and spoke in a low, trembling voice.

Their wounds were only simply bandaged. The blood loss, combined with their fear of Ye Tian, made their faces deathly pale.

Ye Tian nodded slightly, his Divine Sense spreading forward.

Light from fires and the sound of voices came from the mine entrance. There didn't seem to be many guards, but the internal structure of the mine was complex and the auras within were chaotic. About dozens of people were gathered there, including several whose auras had reached the Late Stage of the True Martial Realm, with the strongest being around the ninth level of the True Martial Realm.

"Who is the leader of the Grey Clothing Society?

What is their cultivation level?

How many people are in the cave now?

Where are the captives being held?"

Ye Tian's voice carried a sense of overwhelming pressure.

Wang Wu did not dare to hide anything and hurriedly replied, "Our Chief's nickname is 'Mastiff Wolf.' He is at the ninth level of the True Martial Realm and is highly skilled with a vicious Spiked Mace.

The Second Chief is the 'Poison Scholar,' at the eighth level of the True Martial Realm, specializing in poisons and hidden weapons.

The Third Chief is 'Pangolin,' at the seventh level of the True Martial Realm, proficient in earth escape and digging tunnels.

There are also over thirty brothers in the society, with cultivation levels ranging from Ningyuan to the fifth or sixth level of the True Martial Realm.

That youth and the monkey... they should be locked in the water dungeon deep within the mine, personally guarded by the Third Chief.

Because that monkey seems a bit strange and injured several of our brothers."

Ninth, eighth, and seventh levels of the True Martial Realm, plus over thirty lackeys.

This force could indeed reign supreme in the Luoxia Slope area, but in the eyes of the current Ye Tian, it was no longer enough.

"Lead the way, go directly to the water dungeon. Do not alert the others," Ye Tian said indifferently.

He didn't want to waste time; he would save the people first.

"Yes!"

Wang Wu and the other two nodded hurriedly, leading Ye Tian to a ventilation shaft on the side of the mine.

This was a secret passage that low-level members of the Grey Clothing Society like them used to sneak in and out to avoid the sentries.

The ventilation shaft was only large enough for one person to crawl through.

Ye Tian was the first to crawl in, with Wang Wu and the others following closely behind.

After crawling for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, voices could be heard ahead.

"The Third Chief is really something, being so concerned about that half-dead monkey, personally feeding it medicine every day. If you ask me, we should just slaughter it and take its demon core; that'd be much simpler."

"What the hell do you know! That monkey clearly isn't an ordinary breed, maybe it's some kind of exotic beast. It's only worth money while it's alive! Didn't you see that the Chief wants to use them to negotiate a big deal with the Shadow Calamity Tower?"

"Hehe, true. But that kid is certainly resilient; even after being beaten like that, he hasn't made a sound."

"What use is being resilient? Once you fall into the hands of our Grey Clothing Society, even if you're a Dragon, you must coil up, and if you're a tiger, you must lie down..."

Ye Tian's eyes turned cold, and he quickened his pace.

They soon arrived at the prison area.

A deep pit had been dug into one side of the cavern, into which underground river water was diverted, forming a murky water dungeon.

Two wooden stakes stood in the center of the water dungeon. On one stake, a youth was bound with iron chains, his body soaked, his face deathly pale, his head hanging low in unconsciousness. It was Hou Xiaojie!

His aura was weak, whip marks crisscrossed his body, and he was soaking in the filthy water, barely clinging to life. He was in extremely poor condition.

On a rock beside the other wooden stake lay the motionless Mini Dragon Ape!

Its eyes were tightly closed, and its aura was even weaker than Hou Xiaojie's; its life was hanging by a thread.

Beside the water dungeon stood two lackeys from the Grey Clothing Society holding sabers, chatting idly.

Not far away, a short, stout middle-aged man with dark skin, a pair of rat-like whiskers, and shifty eyes was sitting at a stone table. By the light of an oil lamp, he was mixing some medicinal powders.

This person's aura was at the seventh level of the True Martial Realm; he must be the Third Chief, 'Pangolin.'

Seeing the miserable state of Hou Xiaojie and the Mini Dragon Ape, Killing Intent boiled within Ye Tian's chest!

But he did not erupt immediately; the most important thing right now was to save them.

"Who's there?!"

The two chatting lackeys suddenly saw Ye Tian emerge from the ventilation shaft. They were startled and shouted sharply.

Pangolin also snapped his head up, a sharp light flashing in his eyes as his hand already pressed against the Water-Dividing Spikes at his waist.

Ye Tian didn't waste words and lunged straight for the water dungeon!

His speed was incredibly fast. The two lackeys only felt a blur before their eyes and a coldness at their throats before they lost consciousness and slumped to the ground.

"Enemy attack!"

Pangolin reacted extremely quickly, shouting as he lunged forward. His Water-Dividing Spikes thrust out from the left and right, aiming directly for Ye Tian's ribs!

He knew that anyone who could sneak in here silently was no ordinary opponent and that he had to strike first to gain the advantage!

However, while he was fast, Ye Tian was even faster!

Ye Tian didn't even draw his sword; he simply waved his left hand, and a bolt of Sword Qi shot through the air, shearing both Water-Dividing Spikes off at the hilt!

The remaining force did not dissipate, slamming into Pangolin's chest!

"Pfft!"

Pangolin sprayed a mouthful of blood, his chest caving in. He was sent flying, crashing against the wall and sliding down. His eyes were filled with horror, and after a few struggles, he went silent.

A seventh-level True Martial Realm practitioner was not even a match for a single move from Ye Tian!

Ye Tian didn't look at him. He rushed to the edge of the water dungeon, his Sword Qi flickering as it severed the iron chains binding Hou Xiaojie. He lifted him out of the filthy water and laid him flat on the dry ground nearby, then saved the Mini Dragon Ape in the same way.

"Xiao Jie! Xiao Long!"

Ye Tian's voice trembled slightly as he hurriedly examined them.

Hou Xiaojie's internal and external injuries were both severe, and he was unconscious with a high fever, but his life was not in immediate danger.

The Mini Dragon Ape's condition was worse. Its Origin was severely depleted, and its demon soul was dissipating. Had it not been for its powerful Bloodline and that sliver of slaughtering sword-bane mark keeping it going, it would likely have died already.

Ye Tian felt as if a knife were twisting in his heart. He hurriedly took out the best healing Medicinal Pills from his qingxuan ring and fed them to Hou Xiaojie and the Mini Dragon Ape respectively. At the same time, he channeled true yuan into their bodies to protect their heart meridians.

"Cough, cough..."

With the pill in his stomach and the stimulation from Ye Tian's true yuan, Hou Xiaojie coughed a few times and slowly woke up. Seeing Ye Tian through a blur, he was first dazed, then his pupils suddenly dilated, and he cried out hoarsely, "Senior Brother... is it really you? I'm not dreaming, am I..." Tears instantly gushed out.

"It's me. Senior Brother arrived late and let you suffer."

Ye Tian's eyes were slightly red as he gently patted him.

"Quick... save Big Brother Dragon Ape... it protected me..."

Hou Xiaojie struggled to look at the Mini Dragon Ape beside him.

"Don't worry, with me here, you will both be fine."

Ye Tian said in a low voice, just as he was about to continue healing the Mini Dragon Ape.

At that moment, angry shouts came from deep within the mine!

"What was that noise?!"

"Something happened over by the Third Chief! Go check it out!"

"The enemy is at the water dungeon!"

Clearly, Pangolin's sharp shout and the sounds of the struggle just now had alerted the bandits of the Grey Clothing Society deep in the mine.

Ye Tian's gaze turned cold. He said to Wang Wu and the other two, who had just crawled out of the ventilation shaft and were pale with fright, "Watch over them!"

With that, he slowly stood up, shielding Hou Xiaojie and the Mini Dragon Ape behind him as he faced the direction the footsteps were coming from.

Soon, dozens of Grey Clothing Society bandits carrying weapons and torches flooded into the prison area, surrounding Ye Tian.

The two leaders had powerful auras.

The one on the left was eight feet tall, his chest bare to reveal massive muscles, his beard like a burst of lightning. He carried a large Spiked Mace and was none other than the Chief, with a cultivation at the ninth level of the True Martial Realm.

The one on the right was tall and thin with a decent face. He held an iron-ribbed folding fan, but his gaze was as dark as a venomous snake. He was the Second Chief, the 'Poison Scholar,' at the eighth level of the True Martial Realm.

"Kid, who are you? You dare to kill my third brother and break into the stronghold of my Grey Clothing Society? Are you tired of living?"

The Chief's eyes glared, filled with Killing Intent.

The Poison Scholar shook his folding fan and said, "Hehe, to be able to sneak in silently and kill Old Third in one move, it seems you have some skill. However, kid, your biggest mistake was coming here alone to seek death. Hand the people over, then break your own legs. Perhaps we can give you a quick death."

They saw Pangolin's corpse on the ground, then saw Hou Xiaojie and the Mini Dragon Ape behind Ye Tian, and immediately understood Ye Tian's purpose for coming. However, they relied on their superior numbers and the presence of two great masters, so they did not take the young-looking Ye Tian seriously.

Ye Tian slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the two of them, his voice bone-chillingly cold, "Grey Clothing Society, very well. For injuring my Junior Brother and imprisoning my companion, today, in this place, not even a chicken or dog shall be left alive."

"Arrogant!"

"A kid who doesn't know the heights of the heavens or the depths of the earth!"

"Slaughter him!"

The surrounding Grey Clothing Society bandits clamored one after another, brandishing their weapons.

The Chief laughed out of extreme anger, "Good! Good! Good! It's been a long time since I've seen such an arrogant little animal! Today, I will use your head as an offering to my third brother! Brothers, charge together and hack him to pieces!"