The Geared Immortal

Chapter 1162

(Unedited)

…

Outside the town facing the enemy's territory, a small figure is stealthily running through the thick trees of the forest. His steps are weak and his body would sometimes sway as if he would fall to the ground and faint. However, he did not stop and continued running deeper and deeper into the forest.

Because of the searching of the soldiers in the town and outside behind its territory line, Xin Ja has no choice but to escape towards the location where the enemy of the kingdom has been hiding from before.

He is a bit cautious but he also knows that the soldiers of the enemy kingdom have already retreated back.

And so, this place might be the safest place and would be the last place that they would search for him.

Soon, he reached a thick tree and staggered as he falls to the ground.

His wounds have not fully healed and he was forced to run away. And because of this, his internal organs have been aggravated, and began bleeding once again.

"I… I need to heal my wounds…" Xin Ja thought as he look around him.

Seeing the side of the tree and its thick roots, he carefully crawls to it and leans his back on the tree. Then he threw several bone runes around him and his figure suddenly vanished replaced by a thick tree branch.

…

Two days later…

After the incident in the town, the army continued their searching for Xin Ja. It has now turned into a manhunt as the soldiers were mobilized at this point in time. They began to scour the nearby villages and towns which inevitably ended up where the stronghold in the area receives the news.

Inside the stronghold's meeting hall where there are many high-ranking officers are gathered.

Wham!!!

The table was turned into dust by that one strike from an old man who is seething in anger.

"What the audacity! He dares treat my student like a rat! He dares hunt him like he owns the whole army?!" shouted Wang Chanling as his aura suddenly suffocate the whole room.

"Old Wang… control your emotions…" a General who is barely able to hold his consciousness said.

After discovering that the people around him are suffocating, Wang Chanling retrieved his aura but his anger is still present on his wizened face.

"Explain to me, why the army is hunting a mere 1st level Ki fighter. Explain to me how an officer at the 6th level was killed without the high-ranking officers making a move to stop that fight? Explain to me why my student is now an army fugitive!" shouted Wang Chanling where his voice almost shook the room.

Everyone now discovered that this old man which is usually amiable… and just stays in the stronghold helping and teaching soldiers, and also taking care of everyone… is actually a very powerful Ki Master.

But Ki Masters are not permitted to join the fray. It is a violation of the imperial law to which the kingdoms are subjected. But discovering a Ki Master in the stronghold made everyone fearful at the same time hopeful.

But it seems that the army has offended this Ki Master because of his student who has suffered some grievance and is now missing.

"Master Wang… We are still looking at this case. Please feel assured that your student will not suffer any grievance if he is not proven guilty." explained a General.

"Guilty? Hahaha… My student is also the student of Divine Doctor Ba and has shared his skill to the medical masters in that town… and now you are telling me that such a person who contributed huge merit that helps them win the war… guilty? Do you think of me as a fool… General?"

"This… Master Wang… I…I did not mean that."

"You have all received the report! What do you think?" Wang Chanling asked everyone inside the hall.

Everyone became silent as they did not know what to say. But then after a few seconds, an officer answered.

"I think that the child Xin Ja has… has suffered injustice… I think we should question Commander General Zhang about this. The report might be… false…"

"We should discuss this case further…" another one said.

"While you people talk... my student is now out there being hunted by our own soldiers like an animal… Should you do anything about this?" a cold tone suddenly came out of Divine Doctor Ba's mouth.

"We will retract the order…" said one of the generals.

"You people are hopeless… If the generals continue to act like this… then I will take my student and we will not join this war. You people can fend for yourselves…" Wang Chanling said as he stood up and left the room.

Everyone became silent as their eyes landed on the middle-aged man who is the commanding officer of Commander General Zhang Baguan. The middle-aged man saw the looks on his comrade's eyes and he clenches his fists.

All these problems pop out because of an insignificant 1st level Ki fighter who turns out to be the student of two well-known masters.

Actually, if the kid dies normally in battle, this would not be a problem. But the thing is that there is a deep smell of conspiracy hidden within the report. It was like… the child was deliberately being hunted by the military because of some unknown reasons.

He could not help but curse in his heart and wanted to punch General Zhang. He did not know what is in that old man's head, why did he do such a thing? He is usually one of his most level-headed battalion commanders.

Suddenly a soldier came bursting inside the meeting hall.

"This is bad! Master Wang… Master Wang just left the stronghold!" shouted the soldier.

Everyone was suddenly in panic upon discovering this. The stronghold is the boundary where Ki Masters can operate. Outside of that, they are not permitted to enter because it is against the imperial law.

If the empire received this news, then the kingdom of Jimal would surely suffer.

"Damn it! Brigade Commander Tee… You must handle this mess. Solve this within a day… if not, your position is in the line…" the Division Commander said as he stood up and left with a sunken face.

The command was immediately spread throughout the entire Brigade and the manhunt for Xin Ja was taken down.

…

Town of Tiig, the town that the 708th battalion is protecting

Inside a room, Commander General Zhang Baguan is sitting calmly on his chair while looking outside the window.

On the ground, his adjutant is lying on the ground with an inch of his life. His other adjutant is standing on the side while heaving heavily after beating his companion.

"Commander… What should we do with this mess?" the adjutant asked with a worried expression.

Zhang Baguan did not reply and just watches the scenery outside his window. He is not afraid of the news that was sent by his adjutant and the trouble that it is going to cause him. He is confident of his backing within the Brigade. His concern now is the promise he made.

He must capture that child. When he discovered the child's background, he was a bit regretful that he let him get away after that fight. He could have already gotten him and then sent him back to the Town of Ogden. But it seems that the child is very perceptive that he is even able to escape the closed town.

"Hmm… Do not worry too much… Finish him. I don't need traitors within my ranks…" he commanded.

The soldier lifted his hand and was about to hit the unconscious soldier on the ground, to give him the final blow… when suddenly, a soldier knocks on the door.

"Commander Zhang… we just received a report from the fortress…" the soldier said.

"Enter…"

The soldier then gave the adjutant a small scroll which is clearly sent by flying messengers.

"The manhunt should be stopped, the child Xin Ja should not be hunted but instead protected. Severe punishment would be dealt with on our battalion if something happens to him…" the adjutant reads.

This froze the two as they did not know what just happened and how the command was sent immediately.

"Sir… this…"

Zhang Baguan frowns and shook his head as he once again looks outside the window… this time with deep contemplation in his eyes.

…

While this is happening within the territory of the Jimal kingdom forces, in the forest near a dilapidated town opposite of the Town of Tiig, a figure is currently atop a tree while watching the activity happening inside the town.

"Wow… the enemy soldiers are still increasing… If they attack the town once again, then it would surely fall this time…" Xin Ja thought after seeing the increasing number of enemy soldiers inside the town.

He could see that large reinforcements are continuously coming to the town for the whole day.

"Hmm… Will, I just let that town fall… or stop the enemy in their tracks in here?" he thought as a difficult decision is right now in front of him.

If he let the enemy soldiers attack the town, then both the soldiers and the innocent people would surely die. But if he tries to stop them, then the ones to benefit are those soldiers that are against him.

He is truly stuck between a rock and a hard place.