Chapter 1044: Chapter 1044

Nalan Fangyuan is no ordinary person; after all, he's a master on par with Liu Mubai. Even though the attacker came stealthily, Nalan Fangyuan didn't panic at all. He simply shouted and raised a fist to meet the attack.

The person charging down was the Right Protector, who had already noticed members of the Nalan Family approaching. Thus, he sent the Netherworld Scholar to find Ms. Tsubaki for help, while he hid in a tree to prepare for the ambush.

He hadn't expected Nalan Fangyuan to be so strong, not only not retreating from the ambush but also counterattacking. The Right Protector roared as well, striking heavily with his fist, directly meeting Nalan Fangyuan's punch.

The result was that the Stone Tablet beneath Nalan Fangyuan's feet was shattered, and the Right Protector was sent flying over three meters upward, landing again on a tree branch.

Having exchanged blows, both had basically gauged each other's strength. Previously, the Right Protector's skills were inferior to Nalan Fangyuan's, but after being with Ms. Tsubaki, his abilities had improved significantly, enabling him to contend evenly with Nalan Fangyuan.

However, despite the Right Protector's prowess, he couldn't withstand the sheer number of people from the Nalan Family.

Nalan Fangyuan stared intently at the Right Protector, ordering in a deep voice, "You guys, rescue Tianyu and Helian Qingfeng first!"

Other members of the Nalan Family immediately went to untie the ropes to save Nalan Tianyu and Helian Qingfeng.

Nalan Fangyuan didn't join them; he remained vigilant against the Right Protector, blocking him to prevent interception of the Nalan Family. Meanwhile, Nalan Fangyuan was also filled with caution, knowing that the Right Protector wasn't alone here.

He understood after clashing once that he knew the Right Protector's prowess. Helian Qingfeng and Nalan Tianyu, along with their group, would not have been defeated by the Right Protector alone. Thus, there must be another master here who had captured them, and this hidden master was actually Nalan Fangyuan's main concern.

Seeing the Nalan Family trying to rescue Nalan Tianyu and Helian Qingfeng, the Right Protector grew anxious and quickly jumped down from the tree intending to stop them. But Nalan Fangyuan was watching him. Seeing him descend, he immediately approached to engage in battle with the Right Protector.

Their skills were evenly matched, and with both possessing rich combat experiences, neither could easily gain the upper hand. Meanwhile, the Nalan Family wasn't idle, quickly rescuing the two from the trees and lifting a few wounded people off the ground, preparing to leave.

Just then, laughter suddenly echoed from afar. Nalan Fangyuan turned his head to look and saw a monk in yellow robes running swiftly towards the Nalan Family. The monk's speed was astonishing, reaching them in the blink of an eye.

Three members of the Nalan Family rushed up to intercept the monk, but they couldn't hinder him at all. They were all sent flying backward upon reaching him, lying on the ground unable to rise again.

The monk was Ms. Tsubaki, whose prowess far exceeded any member of the Nalan Family. Behind her, not far away, the Netherworld Scholar was hiding behind a large tree, afraid to show himself, aware that this incident involved Helian Tiehua and Prince Nalan, and unwilling to invite trouble upon himself.

Seeing Ms. Tsubaki arriving, Nalan Fangyuan immediately abandoned the Right Protector, turning to confront her, understanding that no one in his family could hold their own against Ms. Tsubaki, going would only lead to needless deaths.

"Take Tianyu and Qingfeng away at once!" Nalan Fangyuan shouted, charging several steps toward Ms. Tsubaki, throwing a slicing punch aimed at her face.

Ms. Tsubaki didn't dodge but countered with a punch of her own. Just as their fists were about to collide, Nalan Fangyuan's punch suddenly shifted direction, bending and twisting sideways to strike at Ms. Tsubaki's chest.

"Interesting!" Ms. Tsubaki chuckled, lightly tapping the ground. Without visible movement, she retreated over half a meter backward, effortlessly dodging Nalan Fangyuan's punch.

Nalan Fangyuan was surprised Ms. Tsubaki could evade this punch, but he was no ordinary fighter himself; missing the punch, he quickly reversed and punched again.

Ms. Tsubaki didn't strike back, merely dodging each of Nalan Fangyuan's punches sequentially. Her casual movements seemed like a cat toying with a mouse, totally mocking Nalan Fangyuan.

Meanwhile, the Right Protector rushed over to block the Nalan Family, preventing them from taking Helian Qingfeng and Nalan Tianyu away.

The Nalan Family had numbers, but those accompanying Nalan Fangyuan lacked skill. The Right Protector was a top-tier expert, easily holding off the dozen or so members without difficulty; they could not take away Helian Qingfeng or Nalan Fangyuan.

Here, Nalan Fangyuan tried several times to go over and help, but he was unable to shake off Ms. Tsubaki. Ms. Tsubaki was like a specter circling around him, yet never attacking directly. Every time he tried to turn and help, Ms. Tsubaki would intervene, preventing him from escaping.

This situation persisted for about ten minutes, and the dozen or so Nalan Family members were all knocked down to the ground by the Right Protector. Meanwhile, Nalan Fangyuan was getting dizzy from spinning around. Throughout this lengthy battle, Ms. Tsubaki never counterattacked; it was all his offense, yet he couldn't even touch the edge of Ms. Tsubaki's clothes.

The Right Protector watched the duel between Ms. Tsubaki and Nalan Fangyuan, feeling increasingly shocked by Ms. Tsubaki's strength. He knew Nalan Fangyuan's abilities well, as they were roughly equal to his. Thus, if he were to fight Ms. Tsubaki, this would likely be the outcome too!

Seeing that Ms. Tsubaki was toying with Nalan Fangyuan, the Right Protector couldn't help but say, "Ms. Tsubaki, finish him quickly. Otherwise, the Nalan Family members will be here soon, and we need to be prepared!"

"Hehehe..." Ms. Tsubaki laughed coldly and said, "Don't worry. I'm merely playing with this kid, wanting to see if the Nalan Family's boxing technique has improved over the years. Hmph, it seems Prince Nalan, that old fool, hasn't made much progress. The Nalan Family's boxing technique is still the same!"

Nalan Fangyuan was shocked, finally understanding why Ms. Tsubaki hadn't retaliated; she simply wanted to scrutinize the Nalan Family's boxing technique.

"I've only learned the superficial skills from Prince Nalan. You won't see much from me!" Nalan Fangyuan shouted in reply.

"Nonsense!" Ms. Tsubaki laughed wildly, "Do you think I don't know? With your skills, you are definitely one of the top second-generation offspring in the Nalan Family. Although not the strongest among the second-generation, ranking in the top five shouldn't be an issue. Truly, the Nalan Family has declined through the generations. Back then, Prince Nalan's brothers could at least fight me. Today, besides Prince Nalan, who else in the Nalan Family is qualified to contend with me!"

"Who… exactly are you?" Nalan Fangyuan asked solemnly.

"You've probably heard of Buddha Master's fame before. However, back when Buddha Master roamed the world, you were probably still in diapers!" Ms. Tsubaki laughed, "Listen carefully, Buddha Master is called Joyous Monk, later changed to Ms. Tsubaki!"

"Joyous Monk is you!" Nalan Fangyuan's expression changed drastically; he certainly knew that name. Joyous Monk is considered one of the Nalan Family's greatest enemies throughout the years.

When Joyous Monk wreaked havoc on the Nalan Family, Nalan Fangyuan was just a child, so he never met Joyous Monk. However, he was well aware of Joyous Monk's deeds. Joyous Monk humiliated three of the Nalan Family's maidens, severely injured two of Prince Nalan's brothers, killed seven people of the Nalan Family, and Nalan Tianyu's father died in that battle. Thus, the Nalan Family bears deep resentment towards Joyous Monk.

However, Joyous Monk disappeared for over a decade, and the matter gradually faded. No one expected that at this critical moment, Joyous Monk would reappear and once again clash with the Nalan Family members!

"You bold bald monk, you dare to come to the Capital again!" Nalan Fangyuan shouted loudly, saying gravely, "The Nalan Family's blood debt must be repaid with your blood!"

"If you have the skill, Buddha Master is ready anytime," Ms. Tsubaki laughed heartily and said, "But judging from you, it seems you're incapable!"

As Ms. Tsubaki spoke, she suddenly shot forth like a cannonball, heading straight for Nalan Fangyuan.

Nalan Fangyuan quickly raised his arms, trying to block Ms. Tsubaki's attack. However, his movements were not as fast as Ms. Tsubaki's, and he was heavily struck in the chest, flying backward seven or eight meters, constantly spewing blood from his mouth.

"It seems the Nalan Family is truly failing!" Ms. Tsubaki sneered coldly, saying to the Right Protector, "Hang him up!"

The Right Protector hesitated a bit and whispered, "Ms. Tsubaki, Prince Nalan may be coming soon. You've fought so many battles tonight and expended a lot of energy. Waiting here, if you have to fight Prince Nalan, it would be to our disadvantage!"

Ms. Tsubaki frowned slightly; the Right Protector's words touched a nerve. Although she talked big, she was actually quite wary of Prince Nalan. To fight Prince Nalan, she must face him in the best condition, as Prince Nalan is indeed formidable!

"You're right!" Ms. Tsubaki nodded and said, "Take these two boys with me, and hang up the others. Even if we don't fight that old undying Nalan tonight, I want to completely disgrace the Nalan Family!"

The two Ms. Tsubaki referred to were Helian Qingfeng and Nalan Tianyu. One was Helian Tiehua's son, and the other was the upcoming Family Head of the Nalan Family – both being rather significant figures. Taking them as hostages would be beneficial.