Chapter 84 The Storm Is Brewing
Inside the post station fifty li north of Shuzhou Prefecture.
At midnight, the dark clouds dispersed.
The bright moon shines down, and the land of Shuzhou, washed by the rain, is somewhat bright even at night.
Especially for martial artists who practice martial arts, seeing at night is not a difficult task.
Shen Huatang, dressed in green with her long hair tied back, sat on a treetop overlooking the entire post station, holding a long sword named "Songyue".
Although this place is only two miles from the Chishui River and there used to be a camp of the prefectural garrison, it is hard to guarantee that those bandits who risk their lives will not come knocking on the door.
After all, there were as many as forty carriages parked outside the post station, winding around it in layers, occupying a full two acres of land.
Shen Huatang had no choice but to be cautious.
In fact, she wasn't the only one on watch. The Xuanwei Escort Agency, which was responsible for transporting this batch of medicinal herbs, also had a team of eight people scattered around.
At that moment, during the shift change, another team of eight men emerged from their tent outside the convoy.
The leader, a burly man dressed only in a t-shirt and straw sandals, came out and shouted:
"Fifth brother, come back and rest. It's our turn."
I went over three times in a row, but there was still no response.
Shen Huatang's cool expression shifted slightly. She flipped down and went straight to the carriage camp. In a calm tone, she said:
"Something's happened, wake everyone up."
The burly man froze, his face suddenly turning grim. He turned around and shouted, "Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!"
The sound was muffled, blasting directly into the ears of the people sound asleep inside the tent.
Even the people sleeping soundly inside the inn were disturbed, which drew a few curses.
The burly man did not respond, but drew his broadsword from his waist and frowned as he looked at the darkness outside the post station.
After waiting for a while, the members of the escort agency came out of their tents.
A middle-aged man, not particularly robust and with a somewhat aged face, looked around and asked, "Fourth brother, where are the enemies?"
The burly man shook his head. "Brother, we haven't heard from Lao Wu and the others for a long time. They must have all met with misfortune."
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man's expression turned serious. He stopped talking and waved to several bodyguards to investigate.
Then he looked at Shen Huatang: "I wonder if Miss Shen has made any discoveries?"
Shen Huatang tilted her head and said in a cold voice, "The smell of blood."
She hadn't noticed it before, as she was upwind, but now that she was downwind, she caught a whiff of blood.
Clearly, the burly man was right; the guards on night duty had perished.
The middle-aged man immediately ordered his men to light torches to illuminate the surroundings.
However, before everyone could get ready, they heard screams from the guards who were checking the situation in the distance.
The shrill cry pierced the quiet night, causing the horses in the post station to neigh.
"Who would dare to rob such a shipment? Do they know that this goods belong to the Xiao family, the Marquis of Dingyuan?!"
The middle-aged man shouted and waved to signal the guards to use the carriage as a shield and to draw their bows and arrows.
After a short while, a voice came from the side: "Chief Escort Li is mistaken. I am not here to rob a caravan."
Although the voice was soft, it was heard very clearly by everyone.
Clang—
Before the middle-aged man could speak, a sword rang out, and Shen Huatang's long sword was already drawn.
He thrust his sword out from the side, the sword energy like snow and mist suddenly sweeping across thirty feet.
The newcomer exclaimed in surprise, "The Snowdrift Sword of the Tianshan Sect? It's not bad."
As soon as he finished speaking, a flash of light appeared, and the sword energy dissipated instantly.
Shen Huatang frowned slightly, holding her sword and watching the person approaching from not far away.
He was a young swordsman with a slender and tall figure, dressed in a long black robe.
After thinking for a moment, she realized she had no recollection of it, so she simply said, "Since you know it belongs to the Xiao family and still dare to come, you must not be an unknown person."
The young swordsman slung his long sword over his shoulder, raised his head, and said, "Liu Lang greets Miss Chen."
The middle-aged man, the镖头 (bodyguard) surnamed Li, looked grim. "刀狂?" (Knife Madman)
Liu Lang smiled and nodded, praising, "As expected of a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) who has traveled all over the country, you have some knowledge."
Upon hearing this, Chief Escort Li quickly reminded Shen Huatang, "The newcomers are fierce, be careful."
Shen Huatang did not speak, her eyes fixed on Liu Lang, her mind already recalling some of the rumors about him.
Liu Lang, also known as "The Madman of the Blade" or "The Madman of the Northern Desert Blade," is a master of swift and fierce swordsmanship, and is one of the best among the younger generation of swordsmen.
Even Huang Ziqi, the leader of the caravan known as "Blood Droplets" who had roamed the northern deserts for many years, died at his hands.
His cultivation level should be at the upper level of the fifth rank, and his swordsmanship... it's hard to say.
Thinking about all this, Shen Huatang knew that things would be difficult to resolve today, so she stepped forward.
"Chief Escort Li, send someone to the city guards immediately for reinforcements. This batch of medicinal herbs cannot be lost."
Before Li Biaotou could respond, Shen Huatang lightly touched the ground with her toes and took a step that covered ten zhang.
The sword moved with him, and he slashed three times in succession.
Sword energy clashed, hurtling towards Liu Lang.
Liu Lang looked her up and down, then tilted his head, a hint of disappointment on his face. "Miss Chen, your Snowdrift Sword technique isn't up to par."
"Xiao Cheng's Snowfall Sword Intent can only be considered..."
"Slightly chilly."
The moment the word "cold" was uttered, Liu Lang had already moved.
Then he stepped forward without any fancy moves, and his long sword slashed diagonally down, the sword energy taking shape like a chaotic storm.
With a single slash, the three sword energies were directly dispersed.
Unmoved, Shen Huatang took a second step and flew out, closing in on Liu Lang with her sword tip pointing directly at his wrist.
Liu Lang flicked his wrist upwards, the blade touching the tip of the sword, slicing diagonally, before stepping forward to meet the slash.
Shen Huatang sensed the force emanating from the long sword and knew that his cultivation and swordsmanship were superior to hers.
Instead of blocking directly, he flipped over to dodge, and his longsword swept horizontally, the sword energy scattering like snowflakes.
Liu Lang curled his lip, "Weak and powerless, boring and dull."
That being said, his knife was faster than his voice.
He slashed thirteen times in an instant. Although the sword energy was only three inches away from the blade, each slash precisely shattered the sword energy.
This clearly demonstrates his exceptional eyesight and skill.
Shen Huatang was not disappointed and was already prepared to fight. She fought and retreated, leading Liu Lang away from the post station.
Liu Lang didn't seem to be thinking about determining a winner; he simply defended and followed without attacking.
But his mouth was more chattering than the knife in his hand, and he kept babbling on and on.
"Miss Chen, is this all the sword technique you know? It's not nearly enough."
"With swordsmanship like this, how can the Tianshan Sect trust you to go down the mountain? It's incredibly irresponsible."
"Fortunately, you met me. Although people in the martial arts world call me 'Knife Maniac,' I am the most tender-hearted towards women."
"Hey, this sword strike is quite interesting. What's it called? A Touch of Winter Plum Blossom?"
"ha……"
The sound gradually faded into the distance.
Outside the post station, Chief Li gritted his teeth, summoned two bodyguards, and ordered them to ride to the Shuzhou City Guard camp to seek help.
Before the two horses had gone far, a cold wind blew by, and both the man and the horse were torn in two.
Bang, bang, bang, bang.
Four muffled thuds rang out in succession, and the burly man brandished his knife and roared, "You cowardly bandits, do you dare to show yourselves and fight?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of a flute rang out from the woods.
The music was hollow, with extreme fluctuations; the high notes were piercing, while the low notes were so muffled that they made everyone's hearts race.
After listening for a moment, Li, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), suddenly changed his expression. "Quick, cover your ears! This is a secret technique of the Illusionary Sound Sect!"
Unfortunately, his reminder came too late.
Dozens of bodyguards behind him had already shown ferocious expressions, and drew their swords to slash at the nearby bodyguards.
Several guards wielding longbows began firing indiscriminately, each arrow whistling through the air, aimed straight for vital points.
Only Chief Escort Li and three other escorts with cultivation levels reaching the middle third rank were unaffected by the sound of the flute.
Despite their desperate efforts to save them, everything happened too fast; within just ten breaths, all the镖人 (bodyguards/escorts) perished.
Enraged at the sight, Chief Escort Li shouted, "I'm going to kill you!"
He disregarded everything and led his men straight into the forest.
Two more breaths.
Li, the镖头 (bodyguard), and the burly man slowly retreated, blood spurting from their necks.
The two then collapsed to the ground, their angry expressions freezing on their faces.
Once everything has calmed down.
Those inside the inn who heard the noise panicked and hid themselves, not even daring to look outside.
Faintly, the sounds of horses' hooves and cart tracks could be heard afterward.
After a quarter of an hour of commotion, the area outside the post station finally fell silent.
Nearly an incense stick's time had passed before one person finally mustered the courage to peek out and look around.
Dozens of镖人 (bodyguards) lay scattered outside the post station, their bodies covered in blood, their deaths extremely gruesome.
Besides, the carts loaded with goods, along with the horses, were nowhere to be seen.
"Heavens... someone actually dared to rob the Xiao family's goods in Shu Prefecture..."
"Who is this fierce guy? Does he have a death wish?"
"Just now I think I heard something about the Illusionary Sound Sect and Liu Lang."
"This time, Shu Prefecture is going to be in chaos for a while."
...
Shu Prefecture, Xiao Mansion, Chunhe Garden.
Chen Yi sat quietly in the pavilion, gazing at the bright moon in the night sky, waiting patiently.
Until the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), my vision blurred:
On the banks of the Chishui River, "Knife Madman" Liu Lang, together with the evil spirits of the Illusionary Sound Sect, slaughtered the Xuanwei Escort Agency members who were transporting medicinal herbs for the Xiao family.
[Chance +1.]
[Comment: To not seize an opportunity presented itself before the person even arrives, before the voice is heard, and before the scene is witnessed, is the mark of an inherently lazy person.]
After reading the report calmly, Chen Yi got up and walked towards the wooden building.
"'Knife Maniac's' strength should be above Shen Huatang's, but in the end, he didn't get what I wanted."
He muttered a few words to himself, and then he paused in his tracks.
Chen Yi turned his head to look at Jiaxing Garden, which was separated by a wall, and vaguely saw the figure wearing a snow-white cloak.
After a moment of silence, his expression became more serious.
"The storm is coming..."
(End of this chapter)
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