Chapter 163: Chain Reaction

Space, that's right, it's space!
Tang Tian, who had caught the big man's fist, shook without hesitation. A fierce wave of vibrational energy spread along the big man's body. The big man's body went numb, and his defensive circle instantly collapsed.
Taking advantage of the opening, Tang Tian pressed into the big man's embrace.
The big man was greatly alarmed, thrusting his elbows outward in an attempt to push Tang Tian away. But he clearly underestimated Tang Tian's mastery in close-quarters combat. Tang Tian's figure swayed slightly, dodging the tip of the big man's elbow, and took the opportunity to hook onto the big man's elbow joint.
For any martial artist proficient in joint locks, once they obtain a fulcrum, the subsequent joint techniques will erupt in an extremely short time like a chain reaction.
Crack, crack!
The formidable aspect of joint techniques lies in their tendency to target soft joints where true power is difficult to reach. In history, renowned experts frequently fell victim to joint locks simply because they carelessly allowed enemies to close the distance.
When Tang Tian successfully dislocated the opponent's joints, the big man knew he had lost.
"I surrender."
The sudden surrender left Tang Tian momentarily stunned. Judging by the opponent's magnificent, imposing physique and his previous tough, stubborn performance, Tang Tian had assumed the man would rather die than submit.
Yet, the opponent had actually surrendered.
Not only Tang Tian, but Ling Xu was also dumbfounded.
"That's right, I surrender!" the opponent said very straightforwardly.
Tang Tian scratched his head, caught completely off guard by the current situation. After a moment, he finally recovered his senses. To prevent the opponent from escaping or resisting, Tang Tian dislocated several more of his joints and then tied him into a straight vine post, leaving only his head exposed outside.
"No way, a guy from the Enforcer Corps actually has zero backbone." Ling Xu ran over, looking up and down at the big man with suspicion.
On his panda mask, a clear footprint was still visible.
Tang Tian gave a light cough and asked with a feigned air of seriousness: "Since you're a prisoner, you need to have the awareness of a prisoner. Alright, prisoner, state your name!"
"Zhai Hengzhan!"
"Zhai Hengzhan?" Tang Tian showed a puzzled expression, turned his face, and asked Ling Xu: "What were the names of those guys from the Enforcer Corps again?"
"Yan Xia, Wu Nan, Gong Yixiu, Suo Guang—there is no Zhai Hengzhan here." Ling Xu glared somewhat unkindly at Zhai Hengzhan, having just been humiliated by this guy.
If it weren't for Tang Tian... Wait, that bastard Tang Tian actually dared to make a move on him and steal his opponent...
Ling Xu abruptly shot an angry glare at Tang Tian.
Tang Tian ignored Ling Xu and instead asked Zhai Hengzhan curiously: "You're pretty strong, how come you weren't ranked in the Enforcer Corps?"
"I'm not part of the Enforcer Corps." Hearing this, Zhai Hengzhan had already roughly figured out what was going on, and his heart eased slightly.
"Not part of the Enforcer Corps?" Tang Tian became even more puzzled: "Then why were you inside the Enforcer Corps' carriage? Could it be that you were captured by them too? Hey, wait, no, you're obviously free!"
Tang Tian grabbed Zhai Hengzhan with a slap, his face turning gloomy: "Hmph, how dare you lie to me!"
Zhai Hengzhan said helplessly: "Don't you even recognize the insignia of the Enforcer Corps? Our carriage flies the insignia of the Marquis of Wu's Mansion."
"Marquis of Wu?" Tang Tian paused, turned his head to ask Ling Xu again: "Little Xuxu, do you know the Marquis of Wu?"
"Never heard of him." Ling Xu's anger had not yet dissipated, and he snorted coldly: "Heaven knows which remote corner some nobody came from! It's clear you have no Jianghu experience. Let me tell you, in the Jianghu, the more intimidating something sounds, the more of a nobody they actually are."

Hearing this, the little vine girl in Pi's hand instantly widened her pitch-black, shining eyes.
Zhai Hengzhan smiled faintly: "You have a feud with the Enforcer Corps?"
Tang Tian didn't conceal it and said very frankly: "Yeah, they came to cause trouble for us, so we planned to strike first and gain the upper hand."
Zhai Hengzhan seemed to understand, and immediately said: "Since it's all cleared up now, can you let us go?"
"No way!" Ling Xu immediately spoke up to stop him: "What if they're tricking us?"
Pi also chimed in: "We can't let them go. We don't have the energy to deal with them right now, it's better to keep them tied up."
Zhai Hengzhan quickly said: "Please rest assured, everyone, we certainly won't pursue the matter of this misunderstanding."
Hearing this, Tang Tian instantly beamed, pointing at Zhai Hengzhan and laughing heartily: "I used to say things like that all the time, but every single time, I pursued the matter. And I pursued it to the death!"
Looking at Tang Tian's smug expression, Zhai Hengzhan was struck dumb.
Ling Xu and Pi instantly averted their gazes, putting on expressions that clearly said they didn't know this guy.
"So, you just stay put honestly. Once we finish dealing with that pathetic Enforcer Corps, we'll naturally let you go." Tang Tian patted Zhai Hengzhan's shoulder, wearing a profound and earnest expression as he offered comforting words.
"But..." Zhai Hengzhan panicked and was about to speak when a rag was stuffed into his mouth.
Tang Tian looked apologetic: "Couldn't find a silk scarf, so I had to use this instead."
With that, he hoisted Zhai Hengzhan onto his shoulder and propped him up beside the little vine girl. One large and one small, the two vine-post people stood side by side like statues.
"We intercepted the wrong carriage." Tang Tian spread his hands and stated this awkward fact.
"That's still up for debate; we can't just listen to his unilateral account," Pi said with a rigorous expression, though in his heart he knew that nine times out of ten, they really had intercepted the wrong carriage. Moreover, as the planner of the operation, this caused him to lose face.
This was an absolute disgrace... Good thing those guys from the team aren't here, otherwise my life would be ruined...
"Wrong carriage is a wrong carriage." Ling Xu snorted coldly, taking it like a man.
"We need to get back quickly. Ah Xue alone definitely won't be able to hold off the Enforcer Corps." Tang Tian said without hesitation: "Let's go, back to the Gu family!"
With that, Tang Tian directly hoisted the rigidly bound Zhai Hengzhan onto his shoulder.
Hearing the mention of the Gu family, a thoughtful gleam flashed in Zhai Hengzhan's eyes.
Pi took the little vine girl, and the group hurried back toward the Gu family estate.
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"We were actually attacked! Princess Mingzhu has been abducted!" The female guard who had fought Tang Tian now wore a face covered in frost. Beside her stood a man whose face was pale white and trembling with fear.
Without regard for consuming her vitality, the female guard had sprinted at full speed for a day and a night. Covered in dust, she was now radiating intense coldness.
"You are a veteran of the Marquis of Wu's Mansion, and I believe you know very well how much the Marquis dotes on Princess Mingzhu. If any harm comes to Princess Mingzhu, the Marquis will not hesitate to use the entire planet Philin as a burial sacrifice!"
The female guard's tone was icy cold.
At this moment, sweat poured from the man like rain. His face was drained of color, and his body swayed precariously. He knew very well how terrifying the Marquis of Wu's temper was. Using the entire planet Philin as a burial sacrifice was something the Marquis was entirely capable of doing, and as for himself, he would undoubtedly meet a dead end.
The female guard said in a deep voice: "Mobilize everyone you can command. Even if you have to dig three feet into the planet Philin, you must find Princess Mingzhu! If you can't find her, your tenure as Planetary Lord is over!"

Planetary Lord! This man, who didn't even dare to draw a full breath in front of the female guard, was actually the supreme ruler of planet Philin, the Planetary Lord!
"This subordinate understands!" Driven to a desperate corner, the Planetary Lord knew that finding Princess Mingzhu might incur some punishment, but his life would be spared. If she couldn't be found, not a single living soul among his entire family would survive.
"These people are definitely not ordinary bandits; their combat strength is extremely formidable!" The female guard's expression softened slightly as she continued: "And the fact that they ambushed us at Crane Beak Valley shows they were clearly familiar with our itinerary! They must have an agenda!"
"The closest place to Crane Beak Valley is Black Mountain City." The Planetary Lord's expression suddenly stirred: "Could it be related to the events in Black Mountain City?"
"What happened in Black Mountain City?" The female guard's spirits lifted.
"An Enforcer Corps and the local factions of planet Philin have had a falling out." The Planetary Lord felt somewhat guilty; he had only decided to turn a blind eye because Xu Changtian had shared the benefits with him.
"An Enforcer Corps and local factions of planet Philin?" The female guard sneered with contempt: "Even if you gave them a thousand guts, they wouldn't dare show a single hair near a carriage bearing the Marquis of Wu's insignia, let alone dare to make a move to abduct Princess Mingzhu!"
Berated like this, the old face of the Planetary Lord flushed slightly. He knew that what he had just said indeed made no sense.
Those bumpkins certainly wouldn't dare.
"Some other faction must have infiltrated us." Not losing her composure, the female guard said in a deep voice: "Seal the planetary gate. Until the Princess is found, no one is allowed to leave planet Philin."
"Yes!" the Planetary Lord replied hastily, then offered a suggestion: "Should we investigate those outsiders?"
The female guard shook her head: "Don't startle the snake in the grass. In case the enemies are driven to desperation and harm the Princess, our sins will be unforgivable. Besides, since the other party made so many preparations, it's entirely possible they utilized some long-laid sleeper agents."
The Planetary Lord nodded repeatedly. Truly worthy of someone by the Princess's side—her train of thought was crystal clear.
"We can't use brute force." Realizing this quickly, the female guard overturned her previous plan: "Don't mobilize ordinary personnel, but gather all the elite experts. The enforcers under your command must be completely trustworthy."
"Yes!" the Planetary Lord said hastily.
"The key to this matter doesn't lie with you, but with those local clans." The female guard said in a deep voice: "They are the local tyrants, and their reach in this area is beyond anything you can match. If we want to find any clues, we must borrow their strength."
Drawing inferences from this, the Planetary Lord stated: "The largest family in Black Mountain City is the Gu family."
His expression suddenly shifted: "Oh no! The Enforcer Corps' target is the Gu family!"
The female guard's face immediately darkened.
Feeling as though pins and needles were pricking his back, the Planetary Lord hurriedly summoned a close guard: "Go! With the utmost speed, tell Xu Changtian: no matter what, he must not make a move against the Gu family! Tell them to stay right where they are and wait for me to arrive! Set off right now!"
Hearing this, the close guard was startled and hurriedly said: "Yes!"
As the close guard rushed away, the female guard continued: "The enemy's strength is formidable, we must not take them lightly. Moreover, after succeeding, they may not necessarily stay in place. Rally the various clans and make them our eyes and ears. Once any suspicious characters are discovered, we will begin our investigation."
"Those old fogies might not be so obedient," the Planetary Lord said with some difficulty.
The female guard said indifferently: "Issue invitations in the name of the Marquis of Wu's Mansion, summoning the heads and experts of all the clans to Black Mountain City to discuss vital matters. Who would dare not to come?"
The Planetary Lord's spirits instantly soared: "Absolutely no one would dare refuse!"
"Be quick about it!" A cold gleam flashed in the female guard's eyes.
Not daring to slack off, the Planetary Lord said: "I'll go handle it right now!" (To be continued)