119. Release

Another cry pierced the sky. Hearing that grating sound, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but shake his head, muttering to himself, "It seems I am still too merciful!"

The human trafficker, however, did not collapse as he had before. He remained on his knees, cold sweat beading on his forehead, his eyes fixed intently on Zhang Xuan—perhaps this was his final act of defiance.

Zhang Xuan ignored him. Not killing the man was mercy enough. Just as he had been considering snapping the trafficker's other arm, he noticed two figures crawling toward them from a distance. Zhang Xuan squinted, unable to recognize them; they didn't look like his older brother and his companions. He glanced at the trafficker—could they be his accomplices? But they didn't look like that either; if they were, they wouldn't need to be so stealthy. Could they be the two who had run off earlier?

As Zhang Xuan pondered their identity, the two crawling figures were finally close enough to see his position clearly.

"Brother, am I seeing things? Or am I just so exhausted that I’m hallucinating? How is it that this guy hasn't been captured? And the one who was chasing us is kneeling on the ground—look at his hands, there’s something strange about them, he looks absolutely miserable. Don’t tell me those two screams came from our pursuer!" The younger brother stared at the scene, confused. It was nothing like what he had imagined. He had expected to find the area empty, with the person who had stood his ground already dragged away, leaving him and his brother to find the man's allies to organize a rescue mission.

"I don't think we're seeing things," the elder brother replied, rubbing his eyes repeatedly. He stared, wide-eyed at the bizarre sight. It was completely unexpected; surely, the person who looked around their age should be the one lying on the ground!

If Zhang Xuan knew what they were thinking, he would have felt like grabbing them and giving them a good thrashing. How could they be so resentful of someone else's success? He had taken the heat for them, struggling to break free from the trafficker's clutches, and these two were still "wishing" he had been the one captured. Where was the justice in that?

The two brothers watched from where they were for a while, finally convinced their eyes weren't deceiving them. Summoning their courage, they stood up and walked toward Zhang Xuan. Once they were close enough, Zhang Xuan got a clear look at them. They didn't seem particularly remarkable, though they certainly had a knack for running; they had managed to escape the trafficker's camp and stay ahead of their pursuer for so long.

The trafficker noticed them too. Gritting his teeth, he hissed, "It's you two. You dare to come back?" If they hadn't escaped the camp, he wouldn't have come out to hunt them, and if he hadn't come out, he never would have encountered this demon. If he hadn't met this demon, his hands wouldn't have been crushed. Ultimately, it was all their fault.

Seeing the malice in the trafficker's eyes and recalling the torture they had endured at the camp, the two brothers shrank back, retreating several steps.

Zhang Xuan noticed their reaction. "What are you doing? Don't scare the kids; they aren't built for your brand of intimidation!"

With that, Zhang Xuan turned to pick up the chicken that had fallen to the ground. He spent a moment blowing, brushing, and patting it to clear away the mud and dust. Once he was satisfied, he glanced at the trafficker. "You've been watching for long enough. I told you, this chicken isn't for you. You'd better get moving. If you're lucky, there's someone in your camp who can set bones; get them to fix you up quickly, or your hands will be useless forever. Don't worry, I won't follow you. If you don't trust me, take a long, winding route. But I mean what I say—I won't tail you. Get lost, before I change my mind."

The older of the two brothers hurried to Zhang Xuan’s side. "Brother, you can't let him go! If you do, he'll come back for revenge! There are many of them at their camp. You might be able to handle him, but they have many experts in martial arts there. You won't be a match for them..."

Zhang Xuan waved him off. "Are you still here? If you don't leave now, you won't be able to leave at all!"

"Kid, you're smart to let me go. I'll give you a piece of advice: watch your back. Don't ever fall into my hands, or I'll make sure you suffer—I'll show you exactly what I'm capable of." Having delivered his empty threat, the trafficker scrambled to his feet and bolted, ignoring the agony in his hands, terrified that Zhang Xuan might change his mind.

Listening to the trafficker's hollow threats, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but sigh. It was true—villains always made a scene. If he wanted to leave, he should have just gone; why bother with the threats? He wanted to show him what he was capable of? He already knew—it was completely amateurish. Didn't he know that villains usually died from talking too much? Zhang Xuan shook his head, pulled the small knife he had used to dress the chicken from his waistband, and gestured vaguely toward the fleeing man.