Chapter 111: Kidnapped... again

Master Shen gave Yamiru only one sentence to speak.

This sentence, in order to save his life under Tao Pai Pai's imminent Dondon Ray, must explain all of the doubts that Master Shen had raised earlier.

"Why did you avoid us? Do you know who we are?"

"How could you escape us? What kind of ability do you have?"

"Clearly, you're skilled, but why didn't you fight back? How much do you really know?"

Yamiru knew that his next words would directly determine his fate.

The Dondon Ray hovered near his forehead, bringing with it a subtle but sharp sting.

The vast sky of the desert backdrop was so clean it was almost unsettling.

Master Shen wore his sunglasses, making it impossible to read his expression.

Yamiru's heavy breathing sounded in his ears, his lips tingling from the cold air.

Tien Shinhan slightly tilted his head, his three eyes showing no visible emotion, likely having long grown accustomed to killing.

Many thoughts flashed through Yamiru's mind.

Some were from Dragon Ball in the manga, others from his real-world knowledge of it. Some thoughts seemed to come and go in a fleeting instant.

Should he show courage and glare at them with defiance?

Should he say something shocking to stun them?

Or perhaps beg for mercy and try to save his life first?

No, no, no.

Yamiru knew that in front of these two, especially with the monstrous experience of Master Shen and Tao Pai Pai, none of these approaches would save him. They could easily end his life without hesitation.

"How dare you glare at me, kid? What kind of eyes are those? Looking for death? Talking nonsense—laughable. You should just die! Begging for mercy? That's even worse! I'll kill you just to end the boredom..."

.

"Come on, hurry up, or you'll be dead." Tao Pai Pai's Dondon Ray seemed ready to strike at any moment.

Master Shen remained silent, his sunglasses hiding his gaze, exuding an aura of mystery.

Yamiru, not foolish enough to think he could outsmart these centuries-old monsters with a performance, understood that this wasn't a game. He wasn't like Goku, and they weren't naive. As he was about to make something up to buy time, he suddenly recalled what Master Shen had said earlier—"Too much talk will lead to mistakes."

"Kid..." Tao Pai Pai's voice suddenly turned cold, the light on his fingertip flaring brighter, "Do you know? The time you've wasted already is enough for me to kill you two hundred times."

Master Shen smiled and said, "No need to rush. I'm more interested in seeing what kind of lies this kid can come up with."

Tien Shinhan could tell from his master's tone that he was already certain of the boy's fate. Tao Pai Pai was impulsive and often acted without thinking, but Master Shen was more restrained and preferred to strike later. The common factor was that anyone they didn't like would end up dead.

Clearly, this boy had already displeased both of them.

Yamiru also caught the cat-and-mouse tone in Master Shen's voice. He took a deep breath, feigned hesitation, and said, "It's Master Roshi..."

(I decided to use Master Roshi, inteads of Master Mu, from now on.)

"Master Roshi?"

Tao Pai Pai's eyes widened in surprise, furrowing his brow before lowering his finger, causing the Dondon Ray to dissipate.

"Oh?"

A flash of light seemed to pass across Master Shen's sunglasses as his tone became unexpectedly intrigued.

Tao Pai Pai, with an unfriendly edge, asked, "brother, isn't Master Roshi the old fool you mentioned, our sworn enemy, the one with the Turtle School?"

"Our sworn enemy?" Tien Shinhan looked up. His master and uncle were so powerful, and they had an enemy?

Master Shen snorted coldly. "I've heard that old turtle has rarely shown himself lately." He looked down at Yamiru and asked, "So, I see! It seems that it was that old pervert who told you about the Crane School?"

Yamiru remained silent, seemingly acknowledging the assumption. In his mind, however, he was frantically repeating, "I only said it was Master Roshi. I didn't say he told me about you! This is your misunderstanding, I didn't lie or perform. You can't find any flaws, right? Please just fill in the blanks…"

Tao Pai Pai asked, "Kid, where did you meet this so-called Master Roshi?"

"That old turtle seems to be hiding at Mount Mutaito," Master Shen suddenly interjected.

Yamiru turned to Tao Pai Pai and said, "It was at the World Martial Arts Tournament, sir." Master Shen, you old bastard, Master Roshi isn't hiding at some Mount Mutaito!

Master Shen finally believed him. This kid had really been lucky enough to meet the old pervert.

Although he didn't hold much respect for his fellow schoolmate, Master Shen still acknowledged the man's ability to discern talent. If that old turtle had recognized this kid, there had to be something worthwhile about him. The fact that the old pervert had even mentioned the Crane School to this boy meant he took him seriously!

"Did he take you as his disciple?" Master Shen asked coldly.

Yamiru opened his mouth but didn't speak, his expression showing fear and concern.

Please, use your imagination! Yamiru's heart was in his throat, his mind pounding as he desperately tried to think of an answer.

Tao Pai Pai grinned coldly, saying, "Looks like you know that the Crane School and Turtle School don't get along!"

Great! Tao Pai Pai scores a point.

Master Shen snorted disdainfully, took off his sunglasses, and crouched down, bringing his face close to Yamiru's. Their eyes locked. Yamiru's gaze flickered nervously, feeling the intense pressure from the centuries-old creature in front of him. It was terrifying. The sharpness in the eyes of a monster who had lived for hundreds of years sent a shiver down his spine.

"Don't look at me, just answer the question, I'm not cheating!" Yamiru did his best to distract himself.

After what felt like an eternity under the intense stare, Master Shen finally put his sunglasses back on.

"You kid, you speak ten lies in seven or eight words. Hmph! You look like you've been on the road for a while. Fine, don't go anywhere, just stay with us. As for your connection with that old turtle… Heh, we'll have plenty of time to make you tell the truth on this journey…"

Master Shen tossed his sleeve dramatically, turned, and started walking away.

Tao Pai Pai sneered and said to Yamiru, "Kid, you're lucky!"

"Lucky my ass…" Yamiru cursed silently. As he exhaled in relief, he couldn't help but feel dejected. He glanced back at the distant horizon, which seemed just within reach. "Damn it, Paozu Mountain was so close!" But the situation was beyond his control, so he could only take it one step at a time. Maybe he could find a chance to escape… maybe.

"You'd better not think about running, you won't get away," Tien Shinhan said, his face still emotionless, offering a rare piece of advice before following his master and uncle.

"I know better than you how strong Master Shen and Tao Pai Pai really are!" Yamiru stayed where he was. But at the same time, he understood more clearly than Tien Shinhan just how strong they were... The two Earth martial artists, each with a battle power exceeding 150, could instantly vaporize his fragile body.

Though reluctant, Yamiru had no choice but to slowly follow the trio. Paozu Mountain receded farther into the distance, the path ahead uncertain.