Chapter 784: Chapter 784

Among the Japanese martial artists on site, the strongest was only at the mid-Earth Level realm. Long Jingtian leaped into their midst like a fierce tiger plunging into a flock of sheep, punching and kicking. In the blink of an eye, he had knocked down dozens of Japanese warriors, with hardly anyone able to withstand a single move from him.

However, Long Jingtian had discussed with Fang Bai beforehand and was not planning to go on a killing spree. Instead, he intended to cripple their cultivation level, take them all under his control, and then leak the news, waiting for the Hattori Clan to send someone to negotiate.

It was said that the Hattori Clan was rich enough to rival countries. By using these Japanese warriors to extort a huge sum of money, it would be the best outcome for both Fang Bai and Long Jingtian.

These Japanese warriors were the elite forces of the Hattori Clan, including the daughter of the Clan Leader, Hattori Yumi. The Hattori Clan would certainly be willing to pay the ransom.

What regretted Long Jingtian was that Hattori Yumi had managed to slip away from his grasp. This meant that during the negotiations, he would have one less important bargaining chip, and the benefits he could extort would certainly be greatly reduced.

A light sound, splashing water.

Hattori Yumi, who had escaped to the seaside by using an evasion technique, leaped into the sea. Taking advantage of the darkness, she swam rapidly away like a fish, quickly reaching hundreds of meters away in the blink of an eye.

Hattori Yumi quietly surfaced, taking a deep breath, thinking she might have finally escaped to safety.

She continued to swim forward vigorously, when suddenly she felt an unusual surge in the water beside her. Turning her head, she was startled, almost crying out in shock.

In the water about three meters to the left of her body, a figure had appeared at some unknown time. The figure swam alongside her, matching her speed effortlessly and seemingly with energy to spare.

By the moonlight, Hattori Yumi recognized the man’s face; it was none other than Fang Bai, which left her dumbfounded.

"Miss Hattori, your swimming skills are quite impressive!"

Fang Bai turned his head to see Hattori Yumi’s astonished expression and said with a smile, "Don’t just stand there in a daze, keep on running!"

"Fang Bai! Let me go, and I will give you one billion US dollars as a reward!"

Despite Hattori Yumi’s resentment towards Fang Bai, she softened her tone, pleading with him.

She knew that since Fang Bai could catch up with her, his swimming ability must be far superior to hers. Escaping from his grasp was likely to be very difficult; persisting in defiance would be harmful and useless to her.

She could be considered a beauty, and at this moment, with her gentle and soft voice, coupled with a pitiable look, and the promise of a billion-dollar reward, it could indeed move people’s hearts.

Fang Bai said with a laugh, "If I catch you, and then let your father pay a ransom for you, wouldn’t I get far more than one billion US dollars? Oh right, there are also the several hundred martial artists you brought along. Once we’ve captured them all, even if we charge just ten million US dollars per person for ransom, that’s still several billion US dollars!"

Hattori Yumi angrily said, "Don’t even think about it! My father will never agree!"

Although the Hattori Clan was wealthy, raising several billion US dollars at once would still be a strain, and Hattori Jiro, the Family Head of the Clan, had his powers greatly restricted. It was unlikely that other clan members would agree to pay such a high ransom.

Fang Bai’s gaze turned cold, and he said sternly, "If he doesn’t agree, including you, the several hundred of you can leave your lives in Huaxia!"

When Hattori Yumi met his icy gaze, she shivered uncontrollably, before gritting her teeth and saying, "How cruel-hearted you are! Killing so many people, aren’t you afraid that you will go to hell when you die?"

Fang Bai said with a sneer, "Miss Hattori, it’s quite amusing to hear such words coming from you. When we were in Zhao Family Village, Zhao Guoqiang and I kindly showed you the way, yet you sent people to try to silence us by killing us. When it comes to ruthlessness, who can match you?"

Hattori Yumi’s face turned red, and she was at a loss for words.

Fang Bai laughed coldly, "Out of words, are you? Every cause has its effect. You wanted to kill me first, so even if I kill you now, it would only be just and proper!"

Seeing Hattori Yumi’s eyes darting about and her gaze flickering, he knew what she was thinking. He snorted with disdain and said, "You won’t be escaping from my grasp! And I’m not a patient man. If you don’t come clean, I won’t mind killing you and feeding your corpse to the fish in the sea!"

"What exactly do you want?"

Hattori Yumi sighed as if resigned to her fate and stopped swimming forward.

Fang Bai said, "I’ve already told you, I’m holding you hostage to exchange you for some money from the Hattori Clan!"

Hattori Yumi angrily said, "The treasure we worked so hard to dig up has been taken by you all. Isn’t that enough?"

Fang Bai replied, "The treasure originally belonged to us in Huaxia, so how can there be any talk of stealing?"

Hattori Yumi was momentarily lost for words, but after a while, she gritted her teeth and said, "Although my father is the Family Head of the Hattori Clan, the funds he can access amount to only around ten billion US dollars. If you expect more, you can forget about it!"

"How much we can get is not your concern! Miss Hattori, come with me!"

As Fang Bai spoke, he made a move and reached out to grab Hattori Yumi.

Even though he was underwater at this moment, his speed did not seem any slower than it would be on land, and Hattori Yumi saw only a blur before one of her arms was securely grasped by Fang Bai. At the same time, it felt as if all the strength in her body had vanished, leaving her without the power to resist.

Seeing that Fang Bai was moving through the water much faster than even a fish, Hattori Yumi felt completely hopeless, closed her eyes, and bitterness filled her heart.

Fang Bai grabbed Hattori Yumi’s arm, drawing upon the Water Element Qi to slowly rise to the surface of the water, stepping on the waves as if they were solid ground, and speeding toward the shore.

"What... What kind of skill is this?"

Hattori Yumi, feeling the sea breeze whistling by her ears, couldn’t help but open her eyes. When she saw Fang Bai actually walking on the waves with her as if on flat ground, she was utterly astounded.

She knew that in the Ancient Martial World of Huaxia, there was a skill called "water gliding," but at most, it allowed one to skitter across the water for a few dozen meters. Fang Bai, however, was taking her—a live person—across several hundred meters of sea, which was truly shocking.

Hattori Yumi knew that although her father, Hattori Jiro, had reached the realm of a Heaven Level Martial Artist, compared to Fang Bai, he was far inferior.

Martial artists from Japan had always bullied the weak and feared the strong, with a deep admiration for true power in their bones. They would bow and submit to anyone who had a stronger fist.

Fang Bai’s strength brought deep shock to Hattori Yumi, and while her heart held reverence for Fang Bai, it also fostered a measure of admiration.

When the two reached the coast, the fighting on the shore was still going on, but the "Dragon Guards" led by Long Jingtian had gained the upper hand, leaving the martial artists from Japan scattered on the ground.