Chapter 947 Big Brother is Here (Two Updates)
Li Jiangping is an elder of Dark Night Island, yet he was shot away by an arrow. What terrifying force could that be?
The swordsman frowned and said to his four subordinates, "Attack!"
The four drew their longswords and used their lightness skills to fly towards Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao fired three arrows simultaneously at incredible speed, each with a devastating whistling sound as it pierced the air, striking the hearts of the three swordsmen.
Before the three could even retaliate, they screamed and fell to the ground.
The last swordsman paused, seeing his three companions fall victim to the same attack.
In that brief moment of hesitation, the Black Wind King was already beneath him. Gu Jiao drew the red-tasseled spear from her back and pinned him to a nearby tree with a single thrust!
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his head lolled to the side, and he was lifeless.
The swordsman's brow twitched violently; he couldn't believe it was true.
In a flash, a scene appeared in his mind: "I know who you are! You are the adopted daughter of the Duke of Anguo! Commander of the Black Wind Cavalry! Should I call you Xiao Liulang, or Young Madam?"
To be honest, when he heard that the Black Wind Cavalry commander who killed Gongsun Yu was actually a woman, he was more surprised than if he had seen a ghost!
Aside from the Shadow Lord of yesteryear, I never expected there to be a second woman so powerful!
That's right, the first Shadow Lord was a woman. This secret might not even be known to the people of the Shadow Clan, but their Sword Pavilion leader had dealt with her.
Black Wind King stopped ten steps away from him. If Duke Anguo hadn't been still in the carriage, it would have crashed into him without a care.
Gu Jiao gripped the reins with one hand and coldly pointed the red-tasseled spear at him with the other: "Release my godfather, and I'll leave you with a whole corpse."
The swordsman laughed mockingly: "Releasing him would only leave him with a complete corpse? Ha! Girl! You have quite the nerve!"
Gu Jiao sat on horseback, looking down at him: "It seems you're unwilling to choose, that's fine too."
The swordsman sneered, "You don't really think you can kill me, do you? Although I admit your martial arts are superior to what I imagined, you are still no match for me!"
"Shut up." Gu Jiao finished speaking slowly and deliberately, then leaped off her horse, her spear flashing like a rainbow as she thrust it fiercely at the swordsman.
The swordsman drew his sword to defend, but he underestimated Gu Jiao's strength and the sharpness of the red-tasseled spear.
His sword was severed, and his arm went numb for a moment.
He took a few steps back and looked at Gu Jiao in disbelief.
To be honest, Gu Jiao was also very surprised. Since the war, she had not had a proper duel with anyone. The swordsman was the first opponent she had seriously encountered, although... his strength was a bit lacking.
The swordsman threw away his longsword and drew another sword from under the carriage, but unsurprisingly, it was still cut in half by Gu Jiao's spear!
He finally realized he had kicked a hornet's nest and tried to back down, but Gu Jiao didn't give him the chance and decapitated him with a single shot.
He watched helplessly as his body receded further and further away, the world spun around him, and dust filled his mouth and nose.
And then, that was it.
"Godfather!"
Gu Jiao hurriedly lifted the curtain of the carriage.
But they found no one inside!
Upon closer inspection, she realized that while she was dueling with the swordsman, another expert had taken advantage of the situation and led the Duke of Anguo away through the back door of the carriage.
She looked up at the sky: "Little Nine!"
Little Nine flapped its wings and chased after it.
Gu Jiao also mounted her horse and followed the cry of Xiao Jiu's eagle, galloping into the night.
...
There was no horse faster than the Black Wind King. When Xiao Heng and Shangguan Qing arrived at the ferry, Gu Jiao and the Duke of Anguo had already disappeared. Only a few corpses lay on the ground, including a headless one.
Shangguan Qing frowned: "After chasing for so long, have we still lost them?"
Xiao Heng glanced around and said warily, "There's someone in the water!"
The accompanying guards went into the water and pulled the wounded Li Jiangping out of the water.
Li Jiangping was still breathing.
"Who is this guy?" Shangguan Qing asked. He had just taken Jingkong out when Li Jiangping came to the mansion, so he didn't see Li Jiangping.
Xiao Heng said, "Li Jiangping."
"So he's the traitor from the Dark Night Sect?" Shangguan Qing crouched down and examined the arrow in his chest. "It's Jiaojiao's arrow."
Xiao Heng stepped forward and coldly looked at the dying Li Jiangping: "Where did Jiaojiao and the Duke of Anguo go?"
Li Jiangping initially refused to speak, so Xiao Heng had his fingers chopped off.
Shangguan Qing clicked his tongue in disbelief. "No way, is this brat really that ruthless?"
Xiao Heng said expressionlessly, "If you don't talk, I'll cut off your ears, nose, and mouth and feed them to you."
Shangguan Qing: Holy crap!
Today was a day when my little brother completely changed my understanding of what a bad brother is!
Li Jiangping eventually succumbed to torture and confessed.
"Three miles to the east... there's a Hidden Sword Manor. The people from the Sword Pavilion should be... there..."
Hidden Sword Manor is a small sect near Zhaodu. When Sword Pavilion arrived, they needed a place to hide, so they robbed Hidden Sword Manor.
According to the plan, Li Jiangping and the swordsman would first lead Duke Anguo onto the ship, while the people from the Sword Pavilion would cover the rear to ensure that no expert could catch up with them.
But now that this has happened, the plan has been disrupted, and it's uncertain whether the people from Jianlu will choose to board the ship at another ferry crossing.
"How many people are there in total?" Xiao Heng asked.
Li Jiangping said weakly, "Sect Leader... four Venerable Ones... eight Protectors... and some disciples... I don't know the exact number..."
Xiao Heng paused for a moment, then asked, "How does your strength compare to Shi Tian's?"
Li Jiangping recalled, "Shitian... I've never seen him..."
Xiao Heng considered it for a moment and changed the name: "Then, Dark Soul."
Li Jiangping said, "Dark Soul... is the sect leader's personal disciple... his strength... is comparable to that of a Dharma Protector..."
Eight guardians, eight dark souls.
Xiao Heng clenched his fists involuntarily; the situation was far from optimistic.
"And what about the Venerable One?" he asked again.
Li Jiangping said, "The Venerable One's strength... is above that of the Dharma Protector..."
Shangguan Qing's expression also turned serious. With so many experts around, if Jiao Jiao really manages to get through, the odds are against her.
Xiao Heng quickened his pace: "Why did you arrest the Duke of Anguo?"
Li Jiangping said, "For...for that...box..."
Xiao Heng asked, "What treasure is in that box? Why does Sword Pavilion want it?"
Li Jiangping, barely breathing, said, "I...I don't know...it was the sect leader's order..."
Shangguan Qing leaned closer to his younger brother and asked, "Is what he said true?"
“It should be true.” Xiao Heng said with a serious look, “Young Master Mingyue is the sect leader’s son. He knows nothing about the small medicine box, which shows that this matter is indeed a secret and very few people know about it.”
Shangguan Qing glanced at Li Jiangping: "Then what about him? Kill him or—"
Xiao Heng said calmly, "Leave it to Chang Jing."
Shangguan Qing glanced at Li Jiangping's finger, which had been severed at the root and was bleeding profusely, and felt a pain in his own finger.
Although this scene is cruel, what can I do if I'm a little overwhelmed by how handsome the little brother is?
...
The person who kidnapped Duke Anguo was a master of lightness skills, and with his familiarity with the terrain, almost no one could catch him.
Unfortunately, he was being chased by the eagle, the overlord of the sky, and even if he grew wings, he could not outfly it.
He did want to shoot down the eagle that kept circling overhead, but the eagle was flying too high, and he didn't have a bow and arrow. With just his sword energy, he couldn't even reach a feather.
Despite being a small sect, Hidden Sword Manor has a very strategic location. It is situated in a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains. The mountain gate is at the foot of the mountain and is guarded by the sect's own disciples, but now it is guarded by disciples from Sword Pavilion.
You need to climb over a hundred steps to reach the sect halfway up the mountain.
Gu Jiao chased him all the way to the foot of the mountain. Perhaps the expert had given prior notice, for the two disciples guarding the mountain were prepared and drew their swords one after the other, looking at Gu Jiao warily.
"Who goes there!"
One of them asked.
Gu Jiao didn't waste any words with them and went straight for the kill.
There were steps leading up, and Black Wind King couldn't go any further. Gu Jiao told him to wait in the woods, while she grabbed her red-tasseled spear and charged all the way up to the manor.
Don't be fooled by how easily she killed them; it's not that they were weak. In fact, each of their disciples was equivalent to the strength of a Sirius.
Her strength has improved significantly, but she cannot yet determine the exact extent of the improvement, as she has not yet encountered an opponent strong enough to unleash her full power.
"You audacious madman! How dare you injure a disciple of my Sword Pavilion!"
Just as Gu Jiao was about to step into the manor, a gray-clad man wearing a silver mask flew towards her in the night, sword in hand.
This person's aura was clearly stronger than that of the disciples from before.
He is a true master.
His sword struck Gu Jiao's red-tasseled spear. The weapons clashed, sparks flew, and with a crisp clang, Gu Jiao could feel a strong shock to her arm.
Gu Jiao was forced back several steps.
She gazed intently at the person who had arrived.
Judging from the voice, the other person was a middle-aged man, but his figure looked incredibly agile and young, with the strong muscles in his arms and chest almost bursting out from under his clothes.
This person was a master of body refinement and also possessed very profound internal strength. Gu Jiao sensed a killing intent from him that was comparable to that of Dark Soul.
A year ago, I would never have been a match for Dark Soul.
But now she has the strength to fight him!
Gu Jiao gripped the red-tasseled spear tightly, beginning to search for her opponent's weakness.
The man was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting that despite such a disparity in strength, the other party showed no intention of backing down.
"Who are you?"
This young man caught his attention.
Gu Jiao said, "Who am I? Why don't you go to the underworld and ask your fellow disciples!"
"You're a woman?" The man was surprised again, then looked at Gu Jiao's beautiful face in the moonlight and murmured, "No wonder."
He said, "How can a man be so good-looking?"
Gu Jiao looked around. There was more than one ferry crossing nearby. If they were delayed, Duke Anguo might be taken away through another gate.
She stopped wasting words with him, raised her red-tasseled spear, and charged at him!
...
Meanwhile, Xiao Heng and Shangguan Qing's group were surrounded by disciples of the Sword Pavilion halfway.
The guards protected the two young masters in the middle, while Shangguan Qing, holding a musket, stood back to back with Xiao Heng, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
He frowned and asked, "How many people from the Sword Pavilion have come this time? How did they manage to infiltrate the Zhao Kingdom?"
Xiao Heng looked warily at the Sword Pavilion disciples who had surrounded them: "Merchant caravans, underground martial arts arenas, and the marriage proposal team from the Dark Night Sect are all possibilities."
Shangguan Qing gritted his teeth and said, "That guy surnamed Li deserves to die!"
Xiao Heng said, "He is just a henchman; the real mastermind is the head of the Sword Pavilion."
"Kill them!"
At the command of the leading Sword Pavilion disciple, the rest of the group rushed toward the Xuanping Marquis's secret guards.
The two sides quickly clashed. In a one-on-one fight, the secret guards were no match for the Sword Pavilion disciples, but the secret guards outnumbered the Sword Pavilion disciples three to one, and for a time they managed to hold them back!
Xiao Heng grabbed Shangguan Qing's wrist and took advantage of the chaos to run into the nearby woods.
As the sounds of fighting faded into the distance, Shangguan Qing breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Where do we go next?"
Xiao Heng said, "Li Jiangping said to go east, and that's east ahead."
Shangguan Qing hurriedly said, "Oh, then let's go quickly!"
Unexpectedly, after taking only a few steps, Shangguan Qing heard a cracking sound from his foot, and a sharp pain shot through his ankle. He tripped and fell to the ground.
Xiao Heng stopped in time, turned around and walked towards him, squatted down and asked, "What's wrong?"
Shangguan Qing propped himself up and sat up, picking up the musket that had fallen to the side. He said, sweating profusely, "My foot...it feels like it's stuck in something..."
Xiao Heng lifted his hem to take a look, his brow furrowing as he said, "It's an animal trap. It was probably set by a villager nearby. Bear with me, I'll pry it open. Give me the musket."
Shangguan Qing asked, puzzled, "What do you need a musket for?"
Looking at the animal trap embedded in Shangguan Qing's flesh, Xiao Heng said, "Only a musket is tough enough."
Shangguan Qing hugged the musket tightly: "It will... it will break."
Xiao Heng looked up at him and said, "I'll make you a new musket if it breaks, but I can't help you if your leg is crippled."
Shangguan Qing reluctantly handed the musket to his younger brother, saying with a heavy heart, "Then be gentle... not with me, but with it. It's my wife, don't hurt her."
Xiao Heng: "..."
...
Mountain villa.
Gu Jiao ended her fight with the man. The man was very talkative, and she had learned his identity from him: he was the seventh protector of the Sword Pavilion.
The Seven Protectors were beaten until their masks shattered on the ground. They fell heavily to the ground, clutching their chests and vomiting blood.
He looked at Gu Jiao, panting, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Didn't my fellow disciples say that this girl can't even beat Dark Soul?
This is what you call being unable to win?
This is a total slap in the face!
His skill was comparable to that of Dark Soul, but during their fight just now, apart from his first unexpected move that forced the girl to retreat, he hadn't been able to gain the upper hand since she took the initiative to attack.
The first ten moves were a draw, but from the eleventh move onwards, he was completely powerless against this girl.
Why is this happening!
Gu Jiao stomped on his chest, looking down at the ants on the ground like the lord of all things: "Where is the Duke of Anguo?"
The Seventh Protector gave a cold laugh, raising his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth: "You think... I'd tell you? I'm warning you... this is Sword Pavilion territory... if you dare to cause trouble..."
His eyes were resolute; there was no way he would reveal any information to Gu Jiao.
Not wanting to waste time on him, Gu Jiao withdrew her foot and, under the watchful eyes of the Sword Pavilion disciples who dared not approach, walked into the manor step by step, like a demon, carrying a blood-dripping red-tasseled spear.
The Seventh Protector struggled to his feet. He stared coldly at Gu Jiao's back, clenched his fist, gathered his inner strength, and was about to slap Gu Jiao's back hard!
Just then, Gu Jiao happened to pass by the corpse of a Sword Pavilion disciple. She stomped her foot, causing the long sword on the ground to flip up. She then struck the hilt of the sword with her backhand.
The long sword flew towards the Seventh Protector behind her with a whoosh. Before the Seventh Protector could even react, he was pierced through the chest!
Throughout the entire process, Gu Jiao did not look back.
Her red-tasseled spear touched the ground, and with each step she took, the gleaming spear tip scraped slowly and harshly across the bluestone pavement, occasionally scattering a series of sparks.
Disciples charged at her, and each one fell beneath her red-tasseled spear.
The disciples of the Sword Pavilion were terrified of her.
A disciple said tremblingly, "Quickly...quickly go and report to the sect leader!"
Hidden Sword Manor has two peaks. The sect leader, along with the various venerables and protectors, are all on the rear peak. Today, it just so happens that it's the seventh protector's turn to guard the front peak.
Gu Jiao found Duke Anguo bound hand and foot by four disciples at the back gate of the front peak. As she expected, they were planning to take him down the mountain through the side gate to another ferry crossing.
Gu Jiao dealt with the four men as quickly as possible, cut the ropes binding Duke Anguo, knelt beside him, and helped the unconscious Duke Anguo to his feet.
"Godfather, godfather." She leaned the Duke of Anguo on her shoulder and took his pulse.
Duke Anguo slowly awoke, weakly opening his heavy eyelids, and said to Gu Jiao, "Jiaojiao... hurry... don't worry about me... quickly... get down the mountain..."
Gu Jiao said, "Let's go together!"
Duke Anguo gritted his teeth and, with his last remaining strength, said, "I have medicine on me! It will harm...you..."
Gu Jiao had already noticed, and she helped him untie the ropes on his feet: "This little bit of sleeping potion won't work on me, I'll carry you down the mountain."
As she spoke, she turned around and carried Duke Anguo on her back.
But just as she turned around, a ghostly figure appeared unexpectedly, striking her chest with a palm and sending her and the Duke of Anguo flying at the same time.
"Jiaojiao!"
Duke Anguo, seemingly drawing strength from nowhere, grabbed Gu Jiao and spun her around in mid-air, causing himself to fall to the ground, tightly protecting Gu Jiao in his arms.
He was hit so hard that he coughed up blood on the spot.
The two crashed into a nearby rock, and he used his hand to protect Gu Jiao's head.
Gu Jiao's head was saved, but the enormous impact still knocked her out of his arms.
There's a cliff ahead.
It was too late for him to lunge at Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao fell to the ground—
"Jiaojiao—" Duke Anguo cried out in despair, "Save her! Quickly save her! She's the one you're looking for!"
The second protector of the Sword Pavilion, who had ambushed Gu Jiao, was taken aback.
"What? She's that—"
"Oh no! She can't die!"
The second protector lunged to the edge of the cliff, but he was too late. He reached out and couldn't even grab a piece of clothing.
He swayed several times, the sand and gravel beneath his feet falling off the cliff with a rustling sound, as if he were about to slide down with them.
He stared in shock at the dark cliff, completely bewildered.
Duke Anguo climbed towards the cliff, tears welling in his eyes: "Jiaojiao—"
"What's that sound?" Shangguan Qing, who was being supported by Xiao Heng and limping forward in the woods, frowned.
Xiao Heng focused his mind and looked up: "It seems to be the Duke of Anguo... Something happened to Jiaojiao!"
The gale-force winds whipped up from the cliff, making it impossible to open one's eyes.
The second protector raised his hand to cover his eyes and took a few steps back.
At that very moment, a pale blue figure leaped from behind and jumped off the cliff without hesitation. His robes billowed in the wind, blooming into a breathtaking lotus flower in the dark valley.
Gu Jiao continued to fall.
The wind was like a knife scraping against her face.
It feels like this when a plane crashes...
So, am I going to die this time too?
Her thoughts were scattered by the wind, and in her dazed state, a strong hand grabbed her wrist.
She felt herself being pulled by something, and when she opened her eyes, she saw a familiar young and handsome face.
"Gu Changqing?"
Gu Changqing grabbed her with one hand and clung to the cliff face with the other, but the force of their simultaneous fall was not so easy to maintain.
His fingertips were worn raw and bloody on the cliff, revealing the white bones beneath.
Finally... I made it!
Gu Jiao was suspended beneath him, and warm liquid dripped onto her forehead.
She touched the liquid on her forehead and rubbed it between her fingertips: "Gu Changqing, you're injured."
Gu Changqing's hand ached so badly it didn't feel like his own. He was drenched in cold sweat, but he said in a normal tone, "I'm fine. Do you still have the strength? Let me pull you up first. Hold on to me, and I'll take you up."
Here, you could easily fall if you're not careful.
They are indeed skilled, but they are human, not gods.
If you fall, you'll die.
Gu Changqing carefully pulled Gu Jiao up, letting her climb onto his back, and used the whip to bind them together.
Gu Jiao said, "I can do it myself."
Gu Changqing: "Don't move."
He saw it all; she was struck by a palm strike. Even though her armor blocked most of the force, it still had some effect.
Gu Jiao hugged his neck and said, "But you're injured."
Gu Changqing said softly, "That's why I have to carry you on my back. I don't have that much will to survive on my own."
Gu Jiao didn't insist any further.
Thinking of something, Gu Jiao added, "I have a tinderbox; I'll light your way."
“No need.” He glanced at his bloodied and mangled left hand and said calmly, “I can see the road.”
(End of this chapter)
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