A terrible roar swept through the forest at night.
The birds flew away in fright.
On the dark road, the warhorses galloped restlessly. Xu Dong's right hand was broken. The palm holding the knife was cut in half after a moment of pain. Blood gushed out. He staggered and ran. Then, a knife slashed his thigh. He rolled away and crashed into a tree.
The knife-wielding Asura was walking toward him.
This was the first time in his life that he had encountered such a fierce battle. His brain could not react at all, and he did not even know how his companions had died. However, it had only been a few breaths, and the person who had killed was like an Asura from hell. His footsteps were like karmic fire that could burn everything.
Back then, his master had not taught him anything like this. He did not even know who the person in front of him was. He could not offend such a person. The disappearance of the palm made him feel like an illusion. There was still a big knife on his back, and the flying knife in front of his chest did not move at all. However, he did not dare to touch them. His tall figure moved on the ground. His words were unclear. The Asura's knife-wielding figure was very stable. He had already approached.
"Ying, ying, ying, hero … I made a mistake, I made a mistake —"
He waved his intact left hand. "I, I, I, we have no enmity! Hero, I made a mistake … "
The figure was tall and carried with it an immense, destructive pressure. Xu Dong couldn't recognize it, but the figure paused and slowly raised its left hand. It used two fingers to point at its own eyes, then turned around and slowly pointed at Xu Dong.
Xu Dong was stunned. He could recognize that it was a gesture he often used to threaten people. It meant "I'll remember you." When did he mess around with such a person?
"Ying, ying … hero, I didn't … I was wrong … That's not me …"
Spittle flew out of his mouth, and tears fell down, blurring his vision. However, the figure finally came closer, and the faint starlight shone through the gaps between the trees, faintly illuminating a young man's face. "After you bullied that girl, I was the one who carried her out. You said you remembered us, and I thought it was very interesting."
The young man's gaze was cold. "You should have been stabbed a few more times."
Xu Dong's mouth opened a few more times. At this moment, he really could not connect the inconspicuous young man among the group of scholars with this terrifying figure.
"I … I … I don't know … I … ah …"
The shadow of the saber rose.
"… I have a hostage!"
A certain thought returned to his mind. Xu Dong raised his hand and roared.
The young man was stunned. After a long while, he tilted his head slightly. "… Huh?"
Xu Dong's voice was hoarse and hurried as he explained what had happened. When he mentioned Lu Wenke's name, the expression on the youth's face kept changing. Xu Dong cried and begged, "Hero … spare me … spare my life. I can trade for him, I can trade for him …"
The youth raised his head and thought for a moment.
…
"… What's there to exchange?"
…
Killing intent blossomed in the forest. Then, blood and darkness enveloped everything.
*****
Even in the most anxious night, Gongzheng's time continued to pass unhurriedly.
The people of the Li Clan's Wu Castle spent the long night planning their next move. The next morning, Yan Tiehe, Yan Yunzhi, and the others also woke up. Under Li Ruoyao's hospitality, they began to eat in the main hall. Outside the manor, a messenger rushed in in a panic.
Last night, the villagers of the Li Clan's Wu Castle were on high alert. However, the murderer who killed Shi Shuifang did not come to cause trouble. But outside the Li Clan's Wu Castle, evil things did not stop.
Under the direction of the steward of the manor, the people struck the emergency gong. Then, the villagers quickly gathered and lined up. After a while, the caravan, carriages, and a large number of villagers left the Li Clan's gate. They passed through the market below and turned in the direction of Tongshan County. Yan Tiehe, Yan Yunzhi, and the others also followed in the caravan. They stopped by a road that passed through the forest not far away.
The villagers spread out in groups and sealed off the area. Li Ruoyao and the others walked in.
It was a scene of a tragic massacre.
Five bailiffs had died. One of them was especially tall and sturdy. He looked rather brave. His neck had been cut open and his death was hideous. His eyes were still filled with deep fear. Li Ruoyao introduced him to Yan Tiehe. "This is my niece's son-in-law, Xu Dong. He's currently the chief constable of Tongshan County. He's been on the battlefield …"
The five bailiffs were all armed to the teeth and wore thick leather armor. Everyone inspected the scene. Yan Tiehe was shocked, and Yan Yunzhi was also shocked. She said, "This is different from the fight yesterday evening …"
"All five of them were wearing armor. There were fishing nets and lime on the ground," Yan Tiehe said. "Your niece's son-in-law wanted to swarm in and subdue the enemy in an instant. However … the ability of that person yesterday was far beyond their imagination. In this encounter, they probably used the strongest martial arts of their lives. Three bailiffs fell to the ground with one blow. Their throats, abdomens, and faces. Even though they were wearing leather armor, the opponent only used one move. This means that yesterday at the foot of the mountain, when he fought with Shi Shuifang … Hero Shi, he didn't even use his full strength. When he faced Steward Wu, he didn't even involve anyone else."
"This level of martial arts couldn't have been practiced behind closed doors." Yan Tiehe paused. "I heard last night that this person came from the southwest. But the southwest … wouldn't send a child to the battlefield …"
Although Yan Tiehe and Yan Yunzhi weren't present during Lu Wenke's interrogation last night, they had a rough idea of the situation. What he said in hesitation was exactly what everyone else had doubts about and didn't dare to say.
Li Ruoyao leaned on his walking stick and stood where he was for a moment. Then, he opened his bloodshot eyes and told Yan Tiehe more. "The tragedy that happened last night wasn't limited to the fight here …"
"Ah …"
"Last night, my niece's son-in-law and several bailiffs were killed in the first half of the night. In the second half of the night, the murderer snuck into Tongshan County …"
"Isn't Tongshan County under curfew …" Yan Yunzhi said.
"The war in Jiangbei has started. Most of the available soldiers have been deployed by General Liu to guard the entire city. How can there be so many people … After the murderer killed here, he went all the way to Tongshan County and found my niece's house. My niece … was killed in the early morning … "
When he said this, everyone was speechless. Only Monk Ci Xin put his palms together and said, "Amitabha." Then, he chanted sutras as if he was releasing the dead from purgatory.
The old man's gaze swept over everything.
"… Is there still law?!" His walking stick trembled as it fell to the ground. "Using martial arts to break the law! Lawless! Just because he has some skills, he kills people indiscriminately! The world can't tolerate such a person! The Li family can't tolerate such a person! Gather the men in the village and the nearby village warriors. Release him for me. I want to drag him out and bring justice to everyone! "
His loud roar was deafening. The surrounding people gathered and responded in unison. Yan Tiehe also walked over and comforted him.
They didn't expect to experience such a tragedy on the trip to Jiangning. But even if they did, the scheduled itinerary wouldn't be disrupted. At the same time that the Li Jia Village started to mobilize the surrounding forces, Li Ruoyao also repeatedly apologized to Yan Tiehe and the rest for their lack of hospitality. Naturally, the most important issue of the Yan Clan's visit was the opening of the trade route. However, the rest of their objectives had been achieved. After lunch, they gathered their men and prepared to leave.
The current situation was complicated for the Li family. The most complicated point was that the murderer was involved in the southwest. Li Ruoyao didn't want the Yan family to stay. He only prepared gifts and sent them off. He also reminded them to pay attention to the murderer. The Yan family naturally expressed that they wouldn't slack off.
"The Li family is hiding many things from us."
Some things couldn't be said in detail in the Li family's residence. Yan Yunzhi only told her second uncle about these thoughts after the carriages and horses left.
"Naturally, we can't be honest with everyone." Yan Tiehe rode his horse and walked beside his niece's carriage. "For example, the incident this time happened because Chief Arrester Xu Dong was possessed and wanted to defile a girl who was a performer. The girl resisted, but his bestial nature failed him and he even wanted to beat and kill her. Who knew that there would be a junior doctor from the southwest in the other party's team … "
"Second uncle, how did you know …"
"Last night, when they were questioning the hostages, I hid on the roof and listened for a while."
The Yan family's assassination skills were superb. They were also good at hiding and gathering information. When Yan Yunzhi heard this, she beamed with delight. "Second uncle, you're really experienced."
"I'm indeed old." Yan Tiehe sighed. "The five corpses in the forest this morning shocked me. How could the murderer be so skilled at such a young age?"
"Could it be … that there was more than one person from the southwest who came this time? In my opinion, when that youth killed Steward Wu yesterday, he was still holding back. Monk Ci Xin missed him several times, but he didn't take the opportunity to fight back. But when it came to Miaodao Shi Shuifang, killing intent suddenly appeared … This person seems to be a member of the southwest's Tyrannical Blade, but no one saw the two murders last night, so he might not have done it. "
"That's possible, but it's even more likely that the Asura Land of the southwest has raised a group of monsters. Who knows?"
Yan Tiehe sighed. In reality, everyone in the world knew that the southwest was powerful. Their power lay in the fact that they had relied on a small area of land and a weak military force to directly defeat the invincible Jurchen Western Army. But if one really thought about it, just how powerful was the Jurchen Western Army? Then, what were the details of the southwest's power? Those who had never personally experienced it would always have their own thoughts, especially in the forest. There were all kinds of strange stories, and it was hard to determine whether they were true or false.
At this time, uncle and nephew couldn't help but think of these strange stories.
Yan Tiehe said, "What Li Ruoyao was truly afraid of today was actually this youth's connection to the southwest. If an expert from the Underworld was skilled in ambushing in the wilderness, it wouldn't be strange for one person to strike fear into the hearts of several dozen or even a hundred people. But no matter how powerful one's martial arts are, in the end, one person is just one person. Even if one has reached the Grandmaster realm and is full of spirit and energy at the beginning, they can naturally strike fear into the hearts of others. But when one person fights against many, as time goes on, even a Grandmaster will lose his life to a flurry of blades. If the Li Clan wants to establish a firm foothold in Mount Tongshan, even if the Li Clan suffers heavy casualties, they will still be able to kill the other party. There's no need to truly fear them. "
"But what if this youth really came from the Huaxia Army of the southwest, or did he come out on a mission? Look at him pretending to be naive and hiding among a group of scholars. He looks weak and powerless, but he's been hiding for at least two months. Why? " Yan Tiehe said, "Perhaps he went to Jiangning to do something big. But this time, the Li Clan's niece and son-in-law did something so immoral that he couldn't bear it anymore. If the Li Clan goes all out and kills this person, what if the next person to kill is a squad of the Huaxia Army …"
He lowered his voice. "In the past two years, the Huaxia Army has been doing business with the world. In order to protect the trade routes, they have sent people out. There were originally these people in General Liu's territory. They fought in the southwest and were not at a disadvantage against the most elite Jurchen scouts. Each one of them is vicious and merciless, and their martial arts are excellent. If such a squad attacked the Li Clan, even if Li Yanfeng personally oversaw it, he would probably be executed here. Right now, this is what the Li Clan fears the most. "
Yan Yunzhi also nodded. "But the Li Clan is riding a tiger and it's hard to get off. Now that his nephew's son-in-law was killed on the road and his niece was killed at home, this matter has spread far and wide. If he doesn't even dare to capture these people, the Li Clan will lose all face in this area."
"They definitely have to be captured."
"Will that youth be able to avoid it?"
"This matter has already been said. One against many, experts with high martial arts might be able to make others tremble in fear at first, but no one can be full of spirit and energy at all times. Last night, when he was fighting in the forest, his opponent used fishing nets and lime, while his every move was fatal. Even Xu Dong's body was only left with three or five slashes. This battle definitely didn't last as long as when he killed Shi Shuifang, but in terms of spirit and energy, it was definitely several times more than when he killed Shi Shuifang. Now that the Li Clan's villager and the surrounding villagers have been released, he won't be able to get away easily. "
Yan Yunzhi was silent for a moment. "Second Uncle, I just thought about it. If this youth really came out with the other Southwest Black Banners, then let's not talk about it for the time being. But if he really left the southwest alone, could there be other possibilities?"
"… Speak."
"The southwest acts fiercely, and the slaughter on the battlefield is fearsome. But in the past, I've never heard of them sending children to the battlefield. This youth is only fifteen or sixteen, and the Jurchen Zhenren was only thirteen or fourteen when they fought their way to the southwest. For him to be able to practice such martial arts, a large part of it must be due to his family's teachings."
Yan Tiehe nodded.
"He was born in the southwest, and because of the Miaojiang incident, he killed Miaodao's Shi Shuifang. From these things, it can be seen that at least the elders in his family must be old friends with Miaojiang's Ba Dao. He might even be an important figure in Ba Dao. Because of this relationship, his martial arts skills are good, and he might even have helped on the battlefield. But if his parents were still alive, they wouldn't have thrown this youth out of the southwest and let him travel alone, right? "
"You think …"
"His parents died, so he might be a hero who died in the southwest war," Yan Yunzhi said. "It's also because of this that he left the Huaxia army and traveled the world alone. I think this possibility is also very high. "
Yan Tiehe thought for a moment and looked at Yan Yunzhi. Yan Yunzhi also looked back at him seriously. After a moment, Yan Tiehe smiled. "You mean …"
"It's fine if he's on a mission …" Yan Yunzhi lowered her voice. "Actually, even if he's on a mission, the one who has a grudge with the Huaxia army is the Li Clan of Tongshan, not our Yan Clan. We can help him and form a good relationship. But if it's really as I think, he has no more worries in the southwest and came out to travel the world. This kind of expert can be of use to us … Second Uncle, you said it yourself. If he really fights with the Li Clan, he can only gain the upper hand. If we can rescue him along the way, he'll be a powerful general when the world is in chaos again in the future … "
The carriage moved forward. Although Yan Yunzhi's tone was not loud, her words still fell into Yan Tiehe's ears. He thought for a moment and nodded. "Let's not talk about the powerful general first. Our Yan Clan has no grudges with the Huaxia army. No matter where that young man came from, it's always good if we can form a connection with him … This isn't a simple matter. I'll discuss it with your Senior Martial Brothers. If that young man is still lingering nearby, it'll be as easy as lifting a finger for us to leave a message for him."
He was used to dealing with the underworld and naturally had some experience in forming alliances and scheming. At this moment, he felt that there was a lot of room for maneuver. He immediately rode forward and gathered the other core members of the team for a discussion.
The steed galloped several feet before he spoke to one of Yan Yunzhi's Senior Martial Brothers. Suddenly, there was a commotion behind them.
It was the figure of a pedestrian walking on the road. In an instant, he rushed up to Yan Yunzhi's carriage. With just one kick, the coachman, who was skilled in martial arts and was driving Yan Yunzhi's carriage, was sent flying. He fell down the grassy slope by the side of the official road and rolled down with a grunt.
At this moment, that figure tore open the curtain of the carriage. Yan Yunzhi suddenly drew her sword and rushed out. She thrust her sword forward, but the other party waved his hand and slapped away Yan Yunzhi's short sword. His other hand reached out and grabbed Yan Yunzhi's face. He pressed her back into the carriage as if he was grabbing a little chick. The wooden planks of the large carriage shook with a bang.
The entire team was alarmed. Everyone tried to charge forward.
The autumn afternoon sun was deathly white.
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