“Wang Meng, run!”
Gu Chen’s gaze sharpened, and she turned to shout.
“Head down the mountain. Teacher Li and the Class Monitor should be arriving soon.”
“Be careful!”
Wang Meng nodded.
Knowing she would only be a burden if she stayed, she struggled out of the car and quickly fled down the mountain path.
“Don’t even think about it!”
Wu Peng was not about to let anyone leave.
He let out a roar.
He abruptly changed direction and charged toward Wang Meng.
If he dealt with her first, he could focus on Gu Chen without any distractions.
“In your dreams!”
Gu Chen naturally wouldn’t give him the chance.
She lunged forward, blocking the path between the two.
*Hah!*
She leaped into the air, her sharp kick landing heavily on his abdomen, followed by a clean and swift dragon tail sweep to complete the combo.
“Ugh…”
After taking the kick, Wu Peng grunted and took half a step back.
He actually endured it, his hands snatching out as he interrupted her combo and seized Gu Chen’s ankle.
“Ah!!”
Gu Chen was flung through the air and slammed into the ground.
She saw stars as her head spun; this guy’s strength was far more terrifying than Li Fugui’s!
“Cough, cough… Damn it!”
She scrambled up awkwardly, but the man had already chased over ten meters.
He was on the verge of catching Wang Meng, and the situation was critical.
A split second later, the sound of something cutting through the air pierced the night.
Years of experience in the ring gave Wu Peng a bad premonition.
He had to abandon his pursuit of Wang Meng, who was within arm’s reach, and step aside to dodge.
Something whizzed past his face.
If he hadn’t noticed, it would have surely smashed into his head.
*Whoosh…*
Another similar sound followed.
Wu Peng blocked with his arms, feeling a sharp pain, and rolled several times to hide behind a tree.
“Go on, keep chasing! How disrespectful to turn your back on your opponent,” Gu Chen said, rattling the pebbles in her hand as she let out a sigh of relief.
This was a mountain side.
Rocks were everywhere.
She could just pick one up and throw it; even if she didn’t hit him, she could scare him enough to keep him from going after Wang Meng.
*Thud!!*
Two more stones flew toward him, making a sharp sound upon impact.
“You little brat, you’re despicable!”
Wu Peng roared in fury, but he was powerless for the moment.
No matter how tough his physique was, he was still a carbon-based life form and couldn’t withstand being pelted like this…
“Cut the crap. Do you think we’re in a ring? You expect us to strike a pose and go one-on-one? I’m not some honorable general, and besides, I’m very good at running.”
Gu Chen smirked.
From the looks of it, this guy’s strength was indeed nothing to sneeze at.
She didn’t dare underestimate an underground combat champion; this was the strongest opponent she had ever faced.
The ancestors said that all warfare is based on deception.
This wasn’t the Spring and Autumn Period; there were no rules to follow…
Even if she didn’t hit him, she could intimidate him and stall until Teacher Li and the Class Monitor arrived.
By then, the man wouldn’t be able to escape.
‘Hm? Why is it so quiet?’
She had intended to keep stalling Wu Peng to give Wang Meng more time to escape, but after he finished cursing, the man went silent.
He was hidden behind a tree and completely out of sight.
‘Did he sneak off to chase Wang Meng?’
Sensing something was wrong, Gu Chen cautiously approached.
*Puchi…*
“Ah!”
But she had still underestimated Wu Peng.
The man had truly lived on the edge of life and death; his combat experience was much more seasoned than hers.
Before she could even poke her head out, a switchblade flew toward her face.
Unable to dodge in time, the sound of metal entering flesh echoed as a cold sensation spread across Gu Chen’s shoulder.
Then came a piercing pain.
Half the blade had sunk into her flesh, and she couldn’t tell if a blood vessel had been hit.
Seized by fear, Gu Chen retreated repeatedly, falling right into his trap.
With a hideous expression, Wu Peng lunged forward.
*Thud!*
A dull sound rang out again.
Gu Chen took a hit on her right shoulder as well, the pain making it nearly impossible to lift her arm.
She could only use her left arm to block.
The sheer force made her feel as though her arm was about to break.
She could only retreat frantically in pain.
Faced with such a humanoid beast — a cold-blooded murderer — she couldn’t stand her ground.
But there was no way Wu Peng would let this opportunity slip by.
Fuelled by his earlier resentment, he attacked with everything he had.
In the blink of an eye, Gu Chen took several punches to the face, leaving her skin stinging and raw.
“You’ve got some skill. It’s a pity.”
Wu Peng saw that Gu Chen could still block under these circumstances and almost felt sorry for her.
As his fist descended, he opened his palm and seized the handle of the knife lodged in her shoulder.
He ripped it out!
“Ugh…”
Blood from Gu Chen’s shoulder stained her clothes, but the bleeding wasn’t heavy; it seemed no major vessels had been hit.
It was a stroke of luck in her misfortune.
But there was no time to celebrate.
The knife lunged toward her again, aimed straight for her throat…
Driven by a desperate will to live, she grabbed Wu Peng’s hand to resist.
However, due to the difference in strength, the tip of the blade still crawled uncontrollably toward her neck.
Left with no choice, Gu Chen could only push back while retreating until she slammed against a large tree.
“Die!!”
With eyes full of murderous intent, Wu Peng used both hands.
The sharp blade had already punctured her skin, sinking deeper bit by bit!
‘Damn it!!!’ Gu Chen gritted her teeth.
She could no longer muster an ounce of strength in her body.
‘I’m probably going to die here today. To think I haven’t even had a girlfriend in this life… what a goddamn waste!’
Feeling the suffocating pressure, she briefly considered giving up as blood seeped from the tip of the blade.
“Gu Chen!”
At the most critical moment, Wang Meng’s voice rang out again.
Wu Peng’s attention was instinctively diverted, and the pressure in his hands slackened slightly, giving Gu Chen a moment to breathe.
“Ah!!”
In the end, Wang Meng’s conscience prevented her from fleeing alone, and she had returned.
Seeing the scene before her, she finally overcame her inner fear.
Steeling herself, she picked up a large clod of dirt from somewhere and smashed it hard against Wu Peng’s head, personally shattering her five-year nightmare…
*Crumble!*
The clod of dirt broke into several pieces, and Wu Peng collapsed.
The blade slipped from his hand, clattering to the ground beside him.
It had to be said that for a pampered young lady like her to do something so violent was truly pushing her limits.
“Are you crazy? Why did you come back?”
Gu Chen gasped, her body weak.
She knelt on the ground, clutching her wound, so frustrated she could have spat blood.
‘I went through all that trouble to give her a chance to escape, only for her to come back and risk her life. Wasn’t my stalling all for nothing?’
“I… I couldn’t just leave you, Gu Chen. I’m sorry…”
Wang Meng sobbed as she crouched down.
She looked at the man lying on the ground and asked tremulously, “Gu Chen, did I… did I kill him?”
“Don’t worry. This guy is tough; he’s just knocked out.”
“Stop worrying. Even if you did kill him, it would be Justifiable Defense. You won’t get in trouble. Don’t cry anymore; you look like a little cat with a messy face.”
Gu Chen patted her head and comforted her patiently.
If it hadn’t been for her sudden ambush, she probably would have died here.
When she thought about it, there was no reason to blame the girl.
Now that this guy was finally dealt with, she wondered how Li Yanqiu and Tang Ziya were doing.
They should have realized by now that nobody was coming for them.
Whatever.
She needed to deal with things on her end first.