They ran and ran. It seemed to never end. The surrounding scenery changed from grasslands to even more grasslands. Herds of jade bison peered at the two humans warily while packs of great wolves occasionally sniffed at them in vague interest.

When the sun dipped past its highest point in the sky, when it seemed like Tang Duanmu would never give up the chase, the bandit abruptly stopped. He quietly turned and ran off towards the west, away from the river and away from Gray.

“Hey, come back! Are you giving up?” Gray yelled at the quickly diminishing figure.

The bandit did not respond and kept fleeing west.

Gray’s first instinct was to give chase. He leaped over the river bank after his enemy. Having been chased like a dog for so long, it was time for a little payback.

Tang noticed his pursuit and broke into a full sprint.

Gray laughed and increased his pace to match. He wasn’t going to let his opponent go so easily, not when he had been tormented for so long, not when he still hadn't gotten payback for that humiliating defeat. He had to at least make the bandit a little uncomfortable, his bruised pride demanded it.

The pair left the path of the river and dashed through the tall grass, across the endless plains. The relentless sun beat upon their bodies, with only momentary gusts of wind to provide relief. The hunter was now the hunted. There was nowhere to hide, the only thing to do was run.

After the initial rush of the turnabout wore off, Gray began to have second thoughts. His momentary pettiness and frustration that caused him to give chase melted away and, now, he didn’t have a real purpose to continue.

He considered what to do and his options.

First, he still couldn’t beat Tang in a straight-up fight. His opponent was too fast, too crafty, and too dangerous with the sword. If he continued like this, there was even a chance of running into more bandits. Before that happened, the easy way out was to simply turn around and find his way back to Jade Hill Town. He was the sole survivor of the raid and he had to report it as soon as possible.

However, being the only person to return would raise a lot of questions. People would wonder why only he was able to escape. Perhaps they would even be suspicious of his allegiances and accuse him of being a bandit spy. He was a newcomer with no background and low cultivation. Nobody would believe that he managed to flee from a bandit leader when even Foreman Kang couldn't. The Southern Seas Trading Company could use the opportunity to deal with him. All that was needed was a few rumors spread around town and he would be labeled an outcast.

He thought of the Patel family. Would they still be on his side if that happened? They had helped a stranger like him because it was convenient. What if it was no longer so? Harsh Patel… Anand Patel… he didn’t know how they would react if he came back alone and empty-handed.

Then there was Alisha, the beautiful maiden who cared so much for the people of Jade Hill Town. Her feelings were clear from her actions as well as the way she spoke about them. The loss of so many would be devastating for her. How would she react?

He had told himself many times that he wasn’t interested in her yet he found himself worrying. He had even made an offer to help her. What would she think if he fled back to town while abandoning the captured miners?

He didn’t know what would happen to the miners either. They were alive for now but their lives hung at the tip of a sword, a bandit sword. Krish and his sons were only recent acquaintances but he considered them his people, the first employees of the King’s Mountain Mining Company. That amounted to something and he felt an unexpected sense of responsibility.

Despite their jokes, antics, and lack of any real talent, they were good, honest people. They lived simple, difficult lives, struggling to survive and raise a family despite the hardships. They didn’t deserve to be rounded up like cattle. He didn't know if he couldn’t save all of them by himself but he wanted help somehow, that much was certain.

Besides, his instincts told him that this incident was not simple. He had no idea why the bandits went after the people instead of jade or spiritual stones. What if there was a bigger plot underway, one that could upend the Jade Plains?

No, he couldn’t let Tang run away like this. He couldn’t let the bandits go. He wanted to find out what was going on.

He was Gray, the strongest man in the King’s Mountains. Soon, he was going to be strongest in all of the Jade Plains. He couldn’t let a bunch of bandits beat him.

“Run little doggie! I’m coming!” Gray shouted, continuing the hunt.

“Scram!” Tang shot back.

Gray laughed and threw a few more insults back.

Both men ran through the rest of the day. The plains were flat and endless so there was nowhere to hide. There was no room for underhanded tactics, Gray could see everything Tang did from a safe distance. If the bandit stopped to rest, he would rest. If the bandit ran faster, he would do the same.

They ran through several herds of jade bison, causing dangerous stampedes. Gray emerged from them with bruises and scratches but he didn’t give up. The bandit even tried to antagonize a pack of great wolves but the beasts were too smart. They sensed the bandit’s strength and immediately fled.

When darkness fell, Tang tried a sneak attack like the despicable bandit he was. Gray expected it and dodged away. When the attack failed, the bandit tried to slink away during the night. Gray was ready for this as well and pursued, shouting insults all along the way.

Finally out of petty tricks, the bandit simply ran. They ran across the plains; through fields of tall grass, wide river valleys, and rolling hills. A pair of unfortunate acquaintances, one the hunter, the other the hunted, both gave everything they had and neither gave up.

The days passed in a blur; rest, run, shout insults, repeat.

Nothing changed until a walled town appeared over the horizon.