Chapter 118 Taken Hostage

The sound of the wind grew louder and louder, as did the sound of horse hooves galloping across the wilderness, and U-ri slowly regained consciousness. He still felt dizzy, but when he heard Michio's voice calling his name, he realized he was being taken away. He slowly reached into his belt and pulled out a talisman to mark his position. He dropped the talisman on the ground and lost consciousness again. The talisman soon rose into the dark sky, marking Uri's last known location.

Michio looked up at the sky and said, "That's U-ri."

Abrafo said, "You go help Yul take care of those men. I will go after U-ri." Abrafo run towards U-ri's marked position.

"We'll catch up to you as soon as possible," Michio shouted.

Michio rushed to the front of the house while Abrafo disappeared behind the woods.

Seeing this signal, the eleven people standing in front of Yul immediately rushed towards Yul. Three men in black rushed towards Yul with their swords. Yul raised his sword to block the man's sword, while the other three men jumped over the three men who swung their swords at Yul. The last four men in black rushed to Yul's left and right sides, forming two despicable tag teams.

The gray wolf and the black panther rushed through the grass towards Yul and the eleven men in black. The three wolves tightly grabbed the left ankles of the three men in black and dragged them backwards, while Yul dodged the attacks of the three men who attacked him from the air. Yul flipped over the men and the wolves; landing behind wolves, he swung his sword across the men's throats.

Michio rushed out from the left side of the house, waving a three-section staff at the first person with his left hand, and throwing his spear at the second person with his right hand. Michio's spear struck the second man in black in the side of the neck, and the second man fell dead on the ground a few feet away from Yul. Michio then swung his three-section staff and hit the other man in the back again, knocking the man to the ground. 

The black panther rushes towards the first man in black. The black panther quickly dodged the attack of the first man in black, circled around the first man in black, and from behind, the black panther rushed forward and grabbed the first man in black's neck.

Hajime shouted to the black panther, "Go after Abrafo and U-ri."

The black panther threw the first man in black to the ground, where he lay bleeding from his neck and the black panther chases after Abrafo.

The remaining five men in black quickly retreated towards the burning house. The wolves roared angrily and slowly pushed them towards the burning house.

Michio asked angrily, "Tell us where you're taking U-ri."

Hajime walked over quickly and asked, "What's wrong with U-ri?"

Michio said, "I believe he was taken away by these people."

One of the men said, "We don't know where the old man is."

Hajime asked angrily, "You don't know? This is really the worst excuse. If you don't know, how do you know that U-ri is old? Huh? Who ordered you to kidnap U-ri?"

Yul pointed his sword at the three men and said, "I'm going to ask you three again...who ordered you to capture U-ri?"

The man replied, "Even if you kill us, we can't tell you."

Hajime took a deep breath and said angrily, "Well, if that's the case...then there's no reason to beat around the bush." He looked wildly at the men. He was angry because he thought this little house was their safe haven, and he wanted to cherish every moment even if it was short-lived, but now these people came and destroyed their peace, and what was worse, they captured his friend, a man he considered his father. He turned and looked at his wolves. "Tear them apart." The three wolves rushed forward and began to attack the three men in black.

Michio said, "Abrafo had gone after U-ri."

Hajime said worriedly, "Let's hurry up and catch up with Abrafo and rescue U-ri."

Through the tall grass and darkness, Abrafo had a hard time running. As he approached the signal U-ri left behind, he heard something rushing towards him, so he quickly drew his sword and swung at what came behind him, but the black panther jumped over him and stood a few feet away from Abrafo.

Abrafo hesitated to get closer because he was not sure whether the black panther in front of him was Hajime's black panther or a wild panther that wanted to eat him for dinner. Just when he raised his sword and was about to stab the black panther, the black panther sat down on the ground.

Abrafo breathed a sigh of relief. "Ah...my friend," he said, sheathing his sword into the scabbard on his back. "You scared me. I almost attacked you. Let's go find U-ri."

The panther stood up, as tall as a horse, and Abrafo jumped on the panther's back. Abrafo leads the black panther forward toward U-ri's last known location.

At this time, U-ri was fully awake, but he could not escape because the horse ran too fast. He estimated that the chance of him jumping off the horse and breaking his neck to death was higher than the chance of being killed by the kidnapper boss, so he decided stay on the horse and try to find another way to escape. Perhaps if he delayed long enough, one of his friends would have the best chance of finding him in time before his life was in danger.

Then the horse slowed to a complete stop. The rider jumped off the horse and dragged the horse slowly toward a group of people not far away. U-ri decided this was his best chance to escape, so he quickly jumped off the horse and began to run away when something hit him in the back of his right calf, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground.

"You just arrived, what are you in a hurry for?" a man in black said, walking towards U-ri.

U-ri stood up slowly and stared at the man dressed all in black with a black cloth covering his face. U-ri saw five men standing behind the man. The way they were arranged bothered U-ri greatly because their posture and behavior seemed familiar to U-ri, but there were so many things running through his mind that he couldn't figure out where he had seen such a posture before.

U-ri looked at the man and said, "I don't remember offending anyone. Sir, what have I done to offend you?"

The man said, "You didn't offend me, it's just that I need you to be my hostage."

U-ri knew he had to delay as long as possible to have a chance of escaping alive. He hopes his efforts will give others enough time to find him. U-ri looked at the man and asked, "Since we have never met, why did you kidnap me?"

The man's actions and words to U-ri finally awakened U-ri's memory. The man in front of him looked very much like Lixin, and the five people behind him also treat the man the same way as Lixin's men treated Lixin. U-ri wonders if he was kidnapped because of Lixin's order, but he can't understand why Lixin would want to kidnap him, because they have a good relationship in Magior City, Lixin even risked his own life and that of his men to save them and find the key to No Man's Land.

U-ri said, "You walk and talk like someone I know. Even the way your people line up looks like his people line up."

The man smiled and asked, "Oh, who is that? Is he a friend of a foe?"

U-ri said, "A friend."

The man said, "Sometimes, even friends will stab each other in the back when there is personal gain or loss. In short, what are your friends' names? Are they good people or bad people?"

U-ri said, "Lord Lixin and his men are good people. We met them in Magior City." U-ri is fifty percent confident that this man might have taken ordered from Lixin. "Did Lord Lixin order you to capture me?"

The man laughed and said, "Kidnapping you has nothing to do with your lord Lixin."

U-ri asked, "Then why did you kidnap me? You haven't answered even the simplest question since we were standing talking. I deserve to know."

The man said, "We may have never met, but since your boss has something, I want. I have no choice but to hold you hostage and use you to get what I want from your boss." 

U-ri said, "If that thing belongs to my boss, then you have no right to take it. Besides, capturing me, a lowly slave is not enough to get what you want from my boss."

The man giggled and said, "I trusted my source. I believe that your boss will diffidently hand over the things I want if your life is on the line."

U-ri smiled and said, "I am a penniless person, not even worth half a silver leaf. If you take me as a hostage, you will gain nothing."

"Hahaha...hahaha..." The man laughed. "Your life is worth more than you think, old man," the man said, approaching U-ri. "Your life can be exchanged for two keys to No Man's Land. Now, tell me again, old man..." He came face to face with U-ri. "Is your life really penniless?"