What Jake and Jenny witnessed left them in shock after the Jeep started.

They observed that the car wouldn't stop at all, moving forward without them.

"Hey, where are you going? We're still here!" Jake shouted as they both ran after it, trying to catch up.

They assumed Max had thought they were in the Jeep before it started, and he drove off since waiting there was perilous.

"Sorry, Jake, Jenny, but we had no choice. They threatened our lives if we didn't leave you both here, so please understand," Oliver yelled as they drove away.

"That bastard, I should've known something was wrong," Jake muttered, crushing the grass under his feet in frustration.

"Jake, we need to get out of here before they come for us," Jenny said, scanning the surroundings for any sign of pursuit.

"Okay, let's hurry before we get caught," Jake agreed, and they both started walking. However, they had only covered a short distance when they heard someone approaching.

"Do you hear that? Can you tell where it's coming from?" Jenny whispered, crouching down to avoid detection.

"Let me listen carefully, then I'll be able to tell," he replied, attuning his ears to the sound of crushed grass and footsteps.

"Oh no, we're encircled, Jenny. They've arrived. Our escape prospects are bleak; there are over twenty of them, and it appears they're all at the Apprentice rank, with some reaching the Ninth stage," Jake observed, assessing the cultivation levels of their adversaries.

"Are we going to die here?" Jenny asked, her voice tinged with shock and despair.

"No, even if I have to, I will create a way for you to escape," Jake assured her, gripping her hand tightly.

They made no sound and quietly retreated, step by step, until the sound of footsteps ceased after a minute.

"We know you're here, so don't waste my time and come out," someone from the pursuing team shouted, likely their leader.

"Boss, should we go find them?" a team member asked, even though they hadn't heeded his boss's command to emerge.

"No, you idiot, no one leaves their position until I say so," the man commanded as he scanned the area for them.

Minutes passed, and still, no one appeared, pushing the man's patience to its limit until it finally snapped.

"Search for them; I need them here today. I will personally kill them with my hands and present them to the master," declared the man named Marcus, a servant of the Ashcroft family under the direct command of the Patriarch.

"Sir, but what about those two who escaped from the vehicle? Won't they discover the secret?" another man inquired, looking in the direction the car had fled.

"Do you think I'm a fool to leave those two alive? Our hit squad is waiting for them in that direction, and the signal to move in is imminent," he replied, eyeing the path the jeep had taken.

...........

Max and Oliver, having escaped the area, were heading towards the border of the Dragon and Phoenix kingdoms, where they hoped to find refuge. However, their luck ran out when they encountered a group of armed individuals blocking their path.

Max slammed on the brakes to halt the car.

"What are we going to do now, Max? We're surrounded," Oliver exclaimed, noticing several men in black suits with guns in their hands.

'I can't die here,' Max thought, giving Oliver a determined nod.

Understanding the signal, Oliver gripped his seat tightly.

Max floored the accelerator, and the jeep surged forward in the same direction, aiming to break through the blockade as stepping out would mean certain death.

"Fire," commanded one of the men, prompting the group to open fire on the jeep.

The jeep was riddled with bullets, yet Max didn't halt, and by staying low, they managed to escape. Unexpectedly, their pursuers had a grenade launcher.

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A single shot was fired, and the jeep exploded into fragments.

Both occupants were killed instantly, their bodies beyond recognition.

Meanwhile, the sound of the explosion drew the attention of Jake, Jenny, and their pursuers.

"It looks like our job here is done," Marcus remarked to his men, who nodded, visibly shaken.

"Do you hear that? That's the sound of your friends' demise. Your fate will be just as grim if you don't surrender now," Marcus bellowed, but still, they remained hidden.

"Should we surrender Jake." Jenny as she was getting scared as time goes.

"No, we can't, and didn't you hear? They will kill us if we're found," he said, understanding all too well how a pack of hunting dogs operates. They offer their prey hope, only to mercilessly tear them apart once they reveal themselves. He knew this, and he also knew who was orchestrating it.

"We have to escape for our child," Jake whispered as they began to crawl through the grass, moving forward with utmost stealth.

They managed to create some distance, but Marcus's patience was wearing thin, and he resorted to his last option.

"Fine, if you won't listen, then don't blame me. Everyone, back off!" he commanded, and the men retreated.

"Why are they backing off?" Jenny inquired, under the impression that they believed she and her companions had escaped.

"I doubt they're just going to let us go like that," Jake replied, peeking to see what they were up to.

"Oh shoot. Run, Jenny, but stay out of their line of sight," Jake told her, and with their heads lowered, they started moving in the opposite direction.

"What happened, Jake, and why are we running now?" Jenny asked, about to inquire further when she heard something.

"You won't come out, will you, rats? Then so be it, throw them," Marcus commanded, and the men standing behind him hurled something forward.

As the object hit the ground at a distance, a loud explosion ensued with a resounding bang. It was grenades.

They were hurling grenades to eliminate them.

"These mad dogs are trying to bury us alive with those blasts," Jake exclaimed, as numerous clods and fragments of rock flew towards them, impeding their escape.

"Jenny, it's the right moment to run in the shade of dust," Jake said as they both ran towards the jungle where they could hide and reach the Phoenix Kingdom, Blaze City, located just beside this jungle.

You might wonder how they could get near Blaze City so quickly compared to the other two. The answer is that the route the others were taking was meant for vehicles and was a longer one, but the path Jake and Jenny chose was more dangerous and less frequented by people.

Despite the circumstances, the path was clear, allowing for a swift escape through the jungle's cover.

{Author's Note: Oh, it's you again! Escape is not an option this time.}

Ha! Catching me is a game you won't win. Farewell, dear readers, until our paths cross once more.

{Author's Note: Drat, slipped through my fingers again! Apologies, dear readers, for the premature revelations. An elusive figure is divulging secrets meant for later. Fear not, I'll be ready next time to nab our mysterious spoiler. Meanwhile, please, carry on with the tale.}

They were just about to enter the jungle when a grenade landed in front of them.

"Jenny, get away!" Jake yelled as he pushed Jenny aside, and they both leapt into the jungle. However, Jake was caught in the blast, and his hand and the side of his face were severely burned.

"Jake!" Jenny cried out as she rushed toward him, horrified at the sight of his injuries.

His right face and arm were charred, his skin peeling away as it had been burned to the extreme.

Fortunately, he was still alive, though parts of his clothing were on fire, which she quickly smothered to prevent further burns.

"Are you okay? Can you hear what I'm saying?" Jenny asked, looking at him as he cried out in pain.

"Can't you see I'm not okay and in pain? Yet you're asking if I'm alright. Help me up quickly; we need to leave before they catch us," Jake said, attempting to conceal his agony. He tried to rise but couldn't, as his right hand was not functioning properly. He could move it, but the pain was so intense it felt numb.

"I'm sorry, I thought something had happened to you, and..." She was cut off as Jake placed his other hand over her mouth.

"Shh, let's go before they return," Jake whispered. She nodded, helped Jake to his feet, and they moved deeper into the garden, disappearing from view outside the jungle.

As they both escaped, Marcus, who had halted his men from bombarding the area, approached the jungle boundary.

"Boss, look! I've found traces of blood and some shredded skin," a man exclaimed, pointing in the direction.

"It seems one of them was caught in the impact and died here. Listen up, everyone," Marcus commanded, "search the surrounding area thoroughly but do not enter the jungle. It falls within the Phoenix Kingdom's territory, and their patrols are frequent. If we're discovered, it's certain death for us and trouble for the family head. So, I repeat, no one is to enter the jungle."

Several hours into the search, the team was still scouring the area when one man, who had discovered blood traces near the jungle's edge, called for Marcus.

"It appears those rats have escaped into the jungle," Marcus observed, noting the blood spots within the jungle.

"Now what, sir? Should we search inside the jungle?" one man asked.

"No one will go inside, but if we return without their bodies, then we are as good as dead. Ah, yes, we can use that tactic," Marcus said, intending to employ the same strategy he had used previously.

"Retreat, and everyone must remember that both of them are dead if you wish to escape the Patriarch's wrath. I will handle the rest; you go and bring me two bodies, one man and one woman," Marcus commanded, as everyone understood their tasks.

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