Fortunately, the branch wasn't too brittle and dry to withstand the tightness of the obstructing rope. However, something unexpected happened—the rope was stretched by two individuals at each end.

They darted and moved from one tree to another, causing Jagat Wengi's body to be entangled by the rope they stretched earlier.

Their movements were incredibly fast. The branch he had used earlier finally proved useful in this situation. Jagat Wengi managed to hold the rope against his chest using the branch. The rope loosened slightly and eventually slackened.

Before the two opponents could converge near him, Jagat Wengi gradually attempted to free his right hand from the entangled rope. There was a gap he could use to reach for the stretched rope, and then it happened...

He pulled it inward. One person stumbled backward. The weight of their body caused Jagat Wengi to fall down. And he wouldn't have time to relax. He knew that.

Their group would soon come from all directions. Jagat Wengi had to quickly deal with one opponent who still held the rope at the other end. He pulled the rope back, but it was still too strong.

He continued to struggle to pull, but it seemed like his opponent on the tree was also resisting. The only way was to jump up, and that's what Jagat Wengi did now.

He ran toward the tree while being entangled, first stepping on the trunk. It propelled him upward, directly facing his captor.

The opponent was surprised and didn't expect his prey to reach him. Reflexively, he pushed, but the foothold on the tree branch was too narrow as Jagat Wengi's foot kicked his heel.

The opponent fell hard, hitting his chest against the tree branch before dropping down. Immediately, his comrades arrived. Jagat Wengi crouched above, silently observing in the darkness.

"Damn it..." He cursed the situation, and one thing he had forgotten was that the rope was still hanging down, and someone had pulled it.

Jagat Wengi swiftly descended, landing on his fallen opponent. Nonetheless, his body still felt the pain from colliding with the hard bones beneath him.

The group immediately surrounded him. The dark night made their faces appear blurred. However, someone had brought him from behind, and only then was it evident that these people belonged to a martial arts school.

Jagat Wengi silently observed his captors. He had always had trouble with martial arts schools. But it wasn't entirely his fault because when he stole their books, there must have been someone inside the school who aided him.

He was still waiting to see who would be the spokesperson for this martial arts school.

"Are you from Kediri or Majapahit?"

"I'm not from anywhere."

"Why were you running? What are you chasing?"

What kind of question is this? They clearly didn't know who they were capturing. So, it wasn't Jagat Wengi they were looking for, but someone else.

He had to choose his words carefully, and a kick to the thigh made him respond quickly.

"I'm chasing after my kidnapped brother by the Mongols," he answered. Jagat Wengi observed their changing facial expressions, and one person stepped forward after taking a torch from his companion and thrusting it towards Jagat Wengi's face.

The torchlight was blinding, causing Jagat Wengi's eyes to narrow slightly.

"Did you just say Mongols?" asked the person squatting in front of Jagat Wengi.

"Yes, Mongols. Their warriors kidnapped my brother after attacking Kediri. Release me. I want to pursue them."

The person grabbed Jagat Wengi's shoulder-length hair, pulling his face forward.

"You're not good at lying. There are no Mongols around here. And they are currently feasting in Kediri. Some are in Tuban and Kali Mas."

That information was correct. Jagat Wengi was aware of it. He had been recruited by Bekel Majapahit to assist them in finding the book from Rakryan Tumenggung.

The king's palace had been plundered. All the female servants were taken to a ship in Tuban, some were violated and then left behind. One of the looted items that couldn't be found was the sacred book belonging to the Kediri Royal Commander.

However, he didn't expect this person to know about the Mongols' movements. From the tone of hatred in his words, Jagat Wengi could guess that this person belonged to a martial arts school supporting the Kediri kingdom.

They were loyalists of King Jayakatwang.

"I have no business with your knowledge of the Mongols. But they are in the forest in that eastern direction. Release me. We are on the same side."

The person's face showed some hesitation, and he asked again, "Which martial arts school are you from?"

"What martial arts school are you from?"

"We are from the Kentabuana school."

So, they were practitioners of the White Crane style. Jagat Wengi nodded slightly upon hearing the name. They also possessed a sacred book that he hadn't stolen yet. More precisely, no one had placed an order for it.

Orders usually came from royal figures and would later be used to train warriors. Most schools were very reluctant to teach their secret techniques. The requirements were quite strict, making it difficult for the kingdom to learn.

As for the kingdom, they would request some students from the schools to be recruited as warriors. Or their teachers would become martial arts instructors.

"I'm not from any martial arts school. I learned from nature."

"Impossible. You're so agile and skilled. The lightness of your body is not like an ordinary person's. Where did you learn it?" The person with thick eyebrows started to grow suspicious. "Did you learn it from a book? Without a teacher? Or perhaps you're a book thief?"

Jagat Wengi made a mistake. He should have just made up the name of a martial arts school. But then he thought again that they would surely be familiar with all the schools in the land of Java.

"Can you release my neck so you know which martial arts school I'm from? Martial arts practitioners like you are too arrogant. I simply learned from a teacher, not a martial arts school."

*Smack!

"Well then, who is your teacher?"

In the land of Java, there are two types of warriors: those who learn in martial arts schools and those who learn from a single teacher. These are two different things, each with its advantages and disadvantages.

And the disadvantage of martial arts school practitioners was evident in front of Jagat Wengi right now – their arrogance and conceit. They were accustomed to moving in groups.

"You don't want to talk? Are you mute?"

The person choked Jagat Wengi's neck tightly, causing veins on his forehead to bulge like tree roots. The grip tightened more and more, and his legs thrashed around, kicking anything within reach.

"Hahahaha..." The person laughed uproariously, seemingly unwilling to release his grip. "Hand over your knives!"

The chokehold loosened, and he reached for the knives that were within his reach. He held onto Jagat Wengi's neck again to force his mouth open.

"If you don't speak, I'll make you mute forever. Quickly, speak up. Who are you? Where are you headed?"

Jagat Wengi struggled, searching for a target to kick, but both of his knees were now occupied by the members of the Kentabuana martial arts school. Moreover, his shoulder was pressed firmly by another member.

The knife was getting closer to his mouth, ready to pry it open. It might go for his tongue or his throat.

The tip of the knife was about to enter his mouth.

"Wait! Wait! I'll talk! I'll talk! But please give me some water." Jagat Wengi choked. His throat was extremely dry. However, his eyes had to keenly seize the small opportunity.

The attention of person in front of him was slightly distracted when Jagat Wengi signaled his companions with his eyes. His grip loosened a bit, and Jagat Wengi immediately lifted both his knees upwards, pushing his body forward and aiming his forehead.

*Thud!

It landed precisely on the nose, and blood quickly trickled down. Jagat Wengi didn't stop there. He pushed the body again, and his head struck backward, hitting the groin of the person behind him.

He rolled backward, continuing his attack on the person behind while trying to loosen the rope that bound his body.

After kicking his opponent's stomach, he ran towards a small tree and tied one end of the rope around its trunk. In the midst of the pursuit by the other group, he had to quickly secure the rope.

Once he successfully tied it, he took the other end of the rope to use it as a makeshift weapon. It would help him maintain some distance from the five individuals scattered in front of him.

His plan was to use the rope tied to the tree trunk to entangle his pursuers and free himself from their grasp.

And that's exactly what he did!

What he did actually invited laughter. A man in the dark forest was seen circling the tree until the entanglement completely disappeared.

As he circled, he continued to swing the other end of the rope like a whip.

And when he reached the final entanglement, he lunged at one of the individuals who seemed stunned by Jagat Wengi's efforts. That's how students from martial arts schools were – lacking intelligence and improvisation skills.

Jagat Wengi's kick landed on the chest of the student and was followed by the others. Amidst the chaotic situation, their leader seemed to regain his strength after having his nose broken from a headbutt.

This time, Jagat Wengi had no more weapons to use. His energy was starting to deplete. The only option was to flee in the opposite direction, as the east was now blocked by his two opponents.

Thus, the situation returned to its initial state. There were no more ropes binding him. However, as he ran towards the dense thicket, one of the martial arts students caught his leg, causing him to tumble to the ground once again.

He was forcefully dragged by the strength of two individuals. His hands quickly grasped anything within reach.

Turned out, he found a small stone!

Jagat Wengi threw it directly at the head of his opponent. But the other two students quickly shifted their positions towards his head and pulled both his arms.

His body was lifted into the air. No matter how hard he tried to free himself, his position was too difficult to offer any meaningful resistance.

Faintly, the sound of galloping horses could be heard from a distance. It grew louder with each passing moment. The two students above Jagat Wengi were momentarily frozen.

And suddenly, a sword struck the head of one of the students, splattering blood onto Jagat Wengi's face.

The remaining body of the student fell to the ground. Jagat Wengi's body once again tumbled, and he quickly assessed the new situation.

It turned out to be the Mongol officer and his entire troop!

He had escaped from the crocodile's cage, entered the tiger's den, and now he had returned to the crocodile's cage again.