Chapter 76: Capturing Chu Yan
As the city lights began to flicker on, countless office workers, some busy, others slacking, started to stream out of spacious, brightly lit office buildings. Some, exhausted in body and soul, rushed toward what they called home—in reality, just a tiny rented room. Others joyfully met up with a few friends to go shopping and drinking, as if it were the only way to truly set their dull souls free.
Zhou Fan drove with Chu Yan, listening to sweet love songs as they happily headed for home.
"Honey, how about we take a trip to the countryside today? I looked online before I left work and they say you can buy the most authentic free-range chicken out there. I'd like to get one to help nourish you," Zhou Fan suggested as they neared the villa.
"Okay! Whatever you say, honey. All I have to do is eat, anyway!" Chu Yan readily agreed. Although she had run into some disgusting, annoying business today, as long as Zhou Fan was with her, she felt none of it was worth mentioning.
"Then maybe we should also buy something extra nourishing to build you up too, honey, what do you say?" Seeing Zhou Fan had already turned onto a small road heading toward the countryside, Chu Yan suddenly broke into a mischievous smile.
"Hey now, are you questioning my skills?" Zhou Fan feigned indignation.
"Spare me, my lord! This humble girl wouldn't dare!" The usually serious Chu Yan was now laughing and joking freely with Zhou Fan, tempting him so much he almost wanted to devour her right then and there.
"Then I'll have to punish you tonight!"
"No! You just want to bully me again!"
As the two of them joked around, the car left the city limits. But then Zhou Fan glanced at the rearview mirror and frowned slightly.
'Damn it, we're being followed!'
'Could the people Ye Fei sent have arrived?'
However, Zhou Fan dismissed this thought in a mere second. Ye Fei was insidious, but he was also incredibly strong and far from arrogant. The proof was in how long Ye Fei had managed to remain hidden by his side without being discovered.
Ye Fei knew perfectly well that even if Zhou Fan was severely injured, as long as he was still breathing, he wouldn't send such incompetent assassins—people who couldn't even manage a proper tail—to kill him.
So, if they weren't sent by Ye Fei, then they had to have been sent by an enemy he'd made during his time in Nanjiang City.
'Chu Yifeng? Ah Lian? Impossible.'
'They wouldn't send people this weak either.'
In that case, it had to be someone who didn't understand his true strength.
"Honey, wait for me in the car for a minute!"
Zhou Fan pulled the car over in a secluded spot, speaking softly to Chu Yan before getting out. He turned to face the car that had been chasing them; he had already guessed who sent them.
'Wang Tianhao!'
'It could only be him!'
Although Zhou Fan didn't know what had happened when Chu Yan went to negotiate the contract, his intuition, honed by years of hovering between life and death, told him it was Wang Tianhao.
By now, Chu Yan had also seen the car chasing them. Although she knew Zhou Fan's skills were formidable, she couldn't help but worry.
Just as Zhou Fan had predicted, the men chasing them were none other than a few of Wang Tianhao's bodyguards.
Seeing Zhou Fan get out of the car, his opponents all grinned with delight. They stopped their car less than a hundred meters away and got out.
But just as the men closed to within fifty meters and Zhou Fan was preparing to teach them a lesson, a chill shot up his spine. Acting on pure instinct, Zhou Fan threw himself to the side in an extremely awkward-looking leap. He hit the ground, rolled, and scrambled back to his feet.
An arrow was stuck in the ground right where Zhou Fan had been standing.
Before Zhou Fan could react, another three arrows came flying straight for his face.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
A series of sharp whistles cut through the air.
Not daring to let his guard down for an instant, Zhou Fan hurriedly dodged. After a few quick leaps, he took cover behind a large tree.
'The Assassination Squad from the Netherworld King's Hall!'
In that instant, Zhou Fan was certain. The rhythm of the arrow volley was the exact pattern he had once taught.
For a moment, the small road fell utterly silent. Even Wang Tianhao's bodyguards, not far away, were frozen in terror where they stood.
'There's someone else here besides us?'
In the tall grass on both sides of the road, several figures moved like phantoms, silently approaching the tree where Zhou Fan was hiding. Among them was a thin man with only one eye, lying prone on the ground, cautiously observing Zhou Fan's position.
One-Eye. In the Assassination Squad, his strength was second only to Viper's. He was also the squad's deputy commander, and it was he who was leading the team this time.
"Instructor, stop hiding. Come on out. This isn't your style!"
Seeing his men were already close to Zhou Fan, One-Eye shouted loudly, hoping to distract him.
But there was no response.
Seeing this, One-Eye signaled the others not to act rashly. He himself began to quietly change position, moving toward the car.
He had been personally trained by Zhou Fan and knew his strength all too well. Even though their analysis suggested Zhou Fan was severely injured, he didn't dare let his guard down.
Therefore, he was now moving toward Zhou Fan's car to capture Chu Yan and use her to force Zhou Fan's hand.