"It's a small sandstorm! Everyone take cover!"
"Protect the supplies!"
The caravan leader shouted a warning to those behind him, his voice carrying back one by one, while the others hidden within the caravan began their own subtle movements—
Jiang Rushuai was wearing a black cloak and a scarf to protect his face from the sand. He was clutching the corner of the cloak to shield himself from the sandstorm as he struggled forward against the strong wind.
In his field of vision, there was a lone camel at the very front, spinning around in place amidst the chaotic sandstorm.
A man dressed in black, completely covered up and whose figure was not visible, sat on the camel. Due to the sudden sandstorm, he was obviously at a loss for a moment, so he crouched down on the camel, seemingly preparing to seek shelter again depending on the situation.
This man was very mysterious in the caravan. Although he traveled west with the caravan the whole time, he never showed his face. Almost no one in the caravan knew him or spoke to him. He seemed to be just a lone traveler who followed the caravan into the border region.
However, many details of his daily life suggest that he is not a lone traveler who spends most of his time in the martial arts world, and his demeanor is ordinary, as if he were just an ordinary person without any martial arts skills.
Jiang Rushuai, who had been lurking in the caravan for a long time, felt suspicious and doubtful. So he wanted to take advantage of the chaos of the sandstorm and risk his life to investigate the other party's identity.
Just as Jiang Rushuai reached the camel and was about to reach out to pull the person on it, a pair of cold, sharp lights pierced through the yellow sand in the dim storm, whipping around with a swirling gust of wind, and lunged at his outstretched hand—
A flash of surprise crossed Jiang Rushuai's eyes, but he immediately and nimbly dodged the dangerous glint of light. At the same time, he drew the sharp sword hidden under his cloak and turned to block the opponent's next attack.
The next moment, Jiang Rushuai seemed to sense something and suddenly leaned back, barely dodging the boning knife that grazed his neck.
"It's me! Cough cough, ptooey! Ptooey!"
In fact, the moment the swords clashed, Jiang Rushuai recognized the opponent's familiar style. However, just as he was about to speak to acknowledge him, he was filled with a mouthful of yellow sand, some of which even went directly into his throat, making him cough violently from discomfort.
His being engulfed in the sandstorm did not seem to stop the opponent's deadly attack. The opponent continued to attack, and the boning knife in his hand was like two venomous snakes with cold, gleaming scales, coldly and viciously climbing towards his arm, preparing to take the opportunity to wrap around his neck and deliver a fatal blow.
Jiang Rushuai cursed under his breath, wanting to fiercely condemn Shen Jue's behavior, but the sandstorm was too strong, and all the words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat. He could only curse in his heart, "Shen Jue is crazy," and then raise his sword to block, retreating step by step.
Amidst the swirling sandstorm, Shen Jue's boning knife seemed to have gained power, each strike carrying deadly intent; a moment's carelessness could result in a chunk of flesh being sliced off. Jiang Rushuai, initially only on the defensive, didn't initiate attacks, but as the fight progressed, he too grew increasingly agitated and began to retaliate.
Jiang Rushuai's sword appeared slightly cumbersome in the sandstorm, making it more difficult to wield than the more agile boning knife. However, after several rounds of fighting, Jiang Rushuai gained the upper hand and forced Shen Jue back to the camel's side.
Just then, in the chaotic and extremely low-visibility sandstorm, a short arrow darted through the air, flying straight toward the man in black who had dismounted from the camel.
The next moment, Shen Jue decisively gave up attacking Jiang Rushuai and knocked the short arrow away. However, he also seemed to be exhausted and suddenly knelt down on the sand, struggling to support his body with the boning knife in his hands.
The man in black in front of the camel immediately helped Shen Jue up with concern.
Arrows flew continuously from the yellow sand. Jiang Rushuai cursed inwardly and immediately stood in front of the two men, deflecting all the arrows that were secretly fired.
Several figures, also draped in black cloaks, emerged from the sandstorm—
A new battle has begun!
...
The small sandstorm passed quickly.
Several fresh corpses were quickly buried by the yellow sand and completely hidden beneath the sand, unknown to anyone.
The rest of the caravan gradually emerged from the sand.
Only then did Jiang Rushuai have time to check on Shen Jue's condition: "How is he?"
Shen Jue was wrapped in the same black robe, his face completely covered by a windproof scarf. Only when Jiang Rushuai pulled off the scarf did he realize that Shen Jue's face was ashen.
It turns out that Shen Jue was just putting on a brave face during the battle just now.
“We encountered another guy on our escape route. He impersonated you to gain our trust. Luckily, Xiao Jue discovered it in time and, despite being injured, led me to safety… However, we encountered too many ambushes along the way, and to protect me, he is now at his last gasp…”
Another man in black answered Jiang Rushuai's question.
Hearing the familiar female voice, Jiang Rushuai looked up at the person in front of him, then nodded knowingly: "Boss lady, what exactly is going on?"
The Penglai Inn was burned down, Shen Jue was seriously injured, and they fled all the way to the Northwest. Why?
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