Although Murong Xi did not know martial arts, there were some martial arts sects in Yueyao Kingdom, and Chu Xia was also a martial artist, so she knew a little about the different levels of martial arts.
Grandmaster is the pinnacle of martial arts.
"Perhaps he's just passing through, like us."
Murong Xi said softly, as if she were comforting Jing Zhe, or perhaps comforting herself, because if this man in the bamboo hat really harbored ill intentions towards them, wouldn't that mean they should return to the city?
She had just had dinner with Jing Zhe and felt that their relationship was at a perfect stage. She had been hoping to take things further in the afternoon, so going back to the city now was not what she wanted.
"Perhaps..."
Jing Zhe said something, but his gaze remained fixed on the ground.
Because the area outside the city is sparsely populated, they did not encounter a second person along the way, so there should only be their hoofprints on the mountain road. The man in the straw hat also rode a horse, so his hoofprints will be added to the road before or after this teahouse.
But when Jing Zhe looked, he saw a row of hoof prints on the road in front of the teahouse, and two more rows of messy hoof prints behind the teahouse. His eyes narrowed.
This indicates that the man in the straw hat also rode out of the city on horseback, passed the teahouse, and then turned back...
Let's go back!
Jing Zhe suddenly said something, and then spurred his horse and galloped towards the city gate.
Murong Xi leaned against Jing Zhe's chest and asked, "What's wrong? Is there really something wrong with him?"
"I don't think this person is a good person."
Jing Zhe cracked his whip as he said, "Besides, I don't want to take any risks with you by my side. Let's go back to the city first!"
Although she felt a little reluctant, Murong Xi obediently nodded and said no more.
But Jing Zhe noticed something was wrong after riding away for a short while.
Logically speaking, this horse should have excellent stamina, and after resting for a while, it should have been galloping at full speed. However, after less than fifteen minutes, the horse started to slow down, eventually reaching a pace comparable to walking.
Murong Xi seemed to sense something was wrong and reached out to tightly grasp Jing Zhe's hand.
The image of the grain and fodder in the stable flashed through Jing Zhe's mind, and he immediately realized: it seems there's something wrong with the grain and fodder!
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from behind.
Jing Zhe turned his horse around to look, and sure enough, the man in the straw hat was galloping towards them on horseback. There was nothing wrong with his horse, which made Jing Zhe even more certain: the man was up to no good!
...
The man in the straw hat approached Jing Zhe and Murong Xi, then rode past them—at this moment, Murong Xi still felt a sliver of hope, thinking that the man in the straw hat was merely passing by…
But she was wrong.
The man in the straw hat stopped after passing them, blocking the only way for Jing Zhe and his group to return to Jingzhou.
"May I ask if this senior has something to discuss with us?"
Jing Zhe decided to ask first. Although he was wary of the man in the bamboo hat, he was not as relaxed as he was in the Western Frontier tent when Murong Xi was around. Back then, the Western Frontier generals acted like children in front of an adult in front of him, and he felt no pressure even with Murong Xi by his side.
But this man in the straw hat is different. If he really knows martial arts, he must be at least a grandmaster. He is only at the peak of the sixth level and he would have a hard time dealing with him by himself, let alone with Murong Xi with him.
He was afraid that he might hurt Murong Xi if he was not careful, which was the last thing he wanted to see, so he decided to ask.
"have."
The man in the straw hat spoke in a low voice, uttering only one word. The voice sounded very strange; although it wasn't loud or high-pitched, the listener could feel an inexplicable pressure.
What Jing Zhe can't stand the most is this kind of pretentious person. They're more arrogant and pretentious than me. Do they think they're the king?
However, given the man in the straw hat's strength, he didn't show any dissatisfaction on his face, but instead asked, "May I ask, senior, what business do you have with us?"
"kill."
"Who to kill?"
"Kill her."
As he spoke, the man in the straw hat pointed at Murong Xi. At this moment, he finally raised his head and glanced at Jing Zhe: "If you dare to stop me, then I'll add you to the list."
"..."
It seemed that even speaking a single word was extremely difficult for the man in the straw hat. When he looked up, Jing Zhe realized that the man in the straw hat was probably in his sixties or seventies, with graying temples. What was most striking about him was his face covered with scars, crisscrossing and shocking to behold. It was unimaginable how much pain those scars must have caused when they first slashed his face!
That's ruthless!
But with his pretentious attitude, it's only a matter of time before he gets attacked...
"May I ask, senior, why did you kill her?"
What intrigued Jing Zhe was the man in the straw hat's motives. After all, not many people in Anguo knew Murong Xi's identity, and she had secretly brought Murong Xi out. How did this man in the straw hat find her?
Or rather, he had his eye on Murong Xi from the very beginning, but he didn't have the chance to make a move while in the city. Today, when he saw them leaving the city, he followed them all the way here!
Upon hearing Jing Zhe's question, the man in the straw hat sneered disdainfully. After thinking for a moment, he still spoke up, "If it were before, I wouldn't have wasted a single word on you."
"And now?"
"I don't want to talk about it now."
"..."
"However, I want to kill you, so I'm answering your questions as a reason to kill you."
"..."
To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that the man in the straw hat was unfathomably strong, Jing Zhe would have already started cursing him out—"What are you pretending for in front of King Benbi?"
But the words that came out of his mouth were: "What, does a senior need a reason to kill someone?"
"That's for sure. I've killed countless people in my life, but no one has ever been killed without a reason. Every person who died by my slap had a reason to die!"
The man in the straw hat said in a deep voice.
Jing Zhe curled his lip and said, "Senior, there are too many reasons to want to kill someone. If you just don't like someone, isn't that a reason to kill them?"
The man in the straw hat scoffed at this.
"With my skills, if I were to kill someone I don't like, how many people in this world would be alive? I have a great reputation in the martial arts world, so I set a rule for myself: I will never kill without a reason!"
After listening, Jing Zhe gave an analysis.
Judging from the current situation, this man in the straw hat must know martial arts, otherwise he wouldn't dare to talk so much nonsense here.
Since he knows martial arts and I can't tell how skilled he is, it can only mean that his level is above grandmaster. Jing Zhe has no chance of winning against him, especially since he is with Murong Xi, so he dares not.
Seeing Jing Zhe remain silent with his head down, the man in the straw hat immediately said, "I advise you not to try to be clever. Since you asked me a question, I will tell you now. After I tell you, you can..."
The man in the straw hat looked up, his gaze dark and menacing: "We'll all die together!"
"..."
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