Chapter 67: The Messenger

"Giddy-up, giddy-up!"

The night was quiet; city gates could not be opened without the commander's order. Two messengers at the Internal Qi realm were lowered down in a bamboo basket, along with six sturdy warhorses — three per man — and provisions were prepared.

The messengers swung themselves onto the horses' backs, lashed the horses' flanks desperately, and their figures sped off into the distance.

The garrison colonel clicked his tongue in secret awe.

It was night, and although they rode a special breed of sweat-blood horses cultivated by the army — capable of night vision, their speed matching that of a martial artist at Great Perfection of Internal Qi, and their endurance far surpassing —

in such pitch-black darkness, with only a sliver of moonlight, and at such a frantic pace, one careless moment would mean a horse's leg snapping.

He wondered what kind of urgent military intelligence it could be.

……

The hurried sound of hooves grew from faint to loud, until it became an unending downpour.

This novel is first published on. Please go to to read it!

After a short wait, Long Zhengwu hurried over, his hair still somewhat disheveled — he had clearly just climbed out of bed.

Jiang Ding stopped his horse as instructed and tossed over a Jin Ling.

The contents were also very simple: in an extremely stern tone, it ordered Long Zhengwu, who was stationed here, to stop capturing the Blue Fluorescent Butterflies, and to send back to Fucheng immediately those already captured, or else the Marquis would surely be angered, and so on.

It differed greatly from the ways of the jianghu; an ordinary martial artist at Minor Perfection of Internal Qi could be seriously wounded if he was not careful.

"By the General's order, the letter must reach the Four Seas Merchant Guild's manager before dawn. If we fail, we both die."

The messenger's pupils contracted. He said with a placating smile, "My Eight Directions Escort Agency has never shortchanged any of our brothers on tribute. Surely there must be some misunderstanding?"

Long Zhengwu's heart gave a jolt.

Some fifty-plus kilometers from East Spirit Fucheng, a curved stone bridge.

Jiang Ding nodded and asked again, "East Spirit Mountain — the messenger pigeons and birds there are said to be delicious. I've been longing to try them…"

"Long Zhengwu, pays his respects to Young Master Jiang!"

Long Zhengwu said resolutely, "East Spirit Mountain is sealed off from the outside. What letters could there possibly be?"

Based on his understanding of the Four Seas Merchant Guild, they might play it close to the line, but they would never directly oppose a local major power for any reason, no matter how great the temptation.

The people — he could guarantee he had intercepted them all; none had escaped, even if they avoided the main road and took hidden paths.

A drone still hovered above East Spirit Fucheng. Using the drone overhead as a signal relay, he watched the other party sprint all the way here, so there was no worry of killing the wrong person.

"Which way's friend might this be?"

The two exchanged a few pleasantries and entered the camp together.

He had seen the corpses strewn across the mountain at Tiger-Stronghold, and even now the memory still made his blood run cold.

This bridge spanned the Dahe, connecting both banks, wide enough for two horse-drawn carriages to pass side by side. It was the only passage from East Spirit Fucheng into the mountains — one could take a detour, but it would add several days.

"Don't worry…"

One messenger spoke in a low voice.

In the deep mountains and old forests, anyone could turn into a bandit; there was no order.

Clop-clop-clop……

The Internal Qi realm messenger tightly reined in his horse; the sweat-blood horse reared up on its hind legs, but he had already leapt from the saddle, borrowing the horse's momentum to bring his blade down in a vicious slash — swift as a gale! Wind-Splitting Saber!

Then, after cleaning up the bloodstained earth on the ground and the scattered hoofprints, Jiang Ding led the six horses slowly toward the Four Seas Merchant Guild's butterfly-catching outpost on East Spirit Mountain.

Clang! A shallow sword mark appeared across the throat, and the head drooped limply.

"Who!?"

"Tell me, then run — deep into East Spirit Mountain, or flee to another prefecture entirely — and you can still live."

It wasn't that there was no way out; as long as no notice came from Hou Fu, things would be fine.

Jiang Ding spoke again.

The sword-shadow slowly faded.

Long Zhengwu said solemnly, "From today onward — no, I will immediately order the camp's skilled archers to hunt more and present them to Young Master. To be frank with you, my camp has quite a few highly skilled old cooks."

Long Zhengwu personally took the reins from Jiang Ding's hands and handed them to an attendant nearby. The moment he clearly saw the Hou Fu brand on the horses' hindquarters, his pupils contracted — he had a premonition.

!.

Clear tea sent up curling wisps of steam; the stove-fire drove away the slight chill of the night.

The green-robed youth before him appeared gentle and kind to the extreme — he would even feel pity at the sight of a beggar and try his best to help — but he was absolutely not someone to be trifled with!

The sword-glow flickered faintly, and the letter crumbled into a skyful of paper dust.

"Honored guest, please wait a moment. I'll go notify the old master at once."

"Friend, halt! This is the Four Seas Merchant Guild's camp!" But the next moment, behind the slowly fading sword-shadow, a slender green-robed youth had appeared at some unknown moment.

Whoever blocked would die.

The other laughed — then suddenly revealed a look of horror.

Military martial techniques — simple, direct, channeling all one's internal force into a single strike, going for the kill from the outset, and capable of borrowing the galloping horse's momentum to add several tenths more power.

Although one would be somewhat weakened after such a strike, it never mattered on the battlefield — comrades-in-arms could cover for one.

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Ding's eyes.

The sweat-blood horse's entire body was drenched, blood-red sweat dripping down — it had not paused for a single moment along the entire way.

"Mr. Long, you are too courteous. I am unworthy of such honor."

"Friend, I truly don't know any Chen Chen. Have you got the wrong person?" The messenger grew anxious: "My Eight Directions Escort Agency…"

The Blue Fluorescent Butterflies concerned his Dao path; unless his life was seriously threatened, he would not give them up.

"No!"

"What Chen Chen?"

"Mr. Long, have you received any letters from Fucheng?" Jiang Ding asked with an easy smile, perfectly at ease.

"That's for the best."

Taking the letter, Jiang Ding found some vines and bound the two corpses together, then added a long stone and sank them into the river.

The guard's expression immediately turned respectful, but he did not let down his guard—the Jin Ling was an important item of the Four Seas Merchant Guild, and he had no way to verify it.

Jiang Ding said lightly.

A youth in blue appeared in the guard's sight; besides the one he was riding, he was leading five more horses behind him.

"Make it quick!"

"Chen Chen… what were the orders given to you?"

From a great distance, Long Zhengwu began to bow, cupping his hands in salute, his posture so low that the surrounding guards were shocked.

Ding! The messenger only felt a tremendous surge of internal force strike the weak point of his Qing Daoren, his whole body's internal Qi instantly scattered, and he was sent flying several meters, crashing hard into the ground, a mouthful of fresh blood spilling from his mouth.

Jiang Ding nodded in satisfaction.

The Butterfly-Catching Camp was situated in a mountain hollow, its four corners brightly lit, with dedicated martial artists standing watch.

"Rest assured, Young Master!"

But some carrier pigeon or tamed bird—now that would be hard to say.

The messenger said blankly.

Relying on his transparent gloves and internal force for protection, he directly began to search the two corpses.

Jiang Ding was mildly impressed; the Four Seas Merchant Guild had many problems, but they were generous enough to their honored guests.

Jiang Ding dismounted and returned the courtesy.

It was no simple threat—it bore the great seal of the Hou Fu and could represent the will of the Hou Fu.

"Safe travels."

The Four Seas Merchant Guild was not his subordinate, so there were no secret codes or hidden meanings; it could be read directly.

The clatter of hooves,

A wisp of sword-light, dim and heavy in the night, came from nowhere and easily sliced across his throat; his body crumpled softly to the ground, but the horse kept galloping on its own.

There wasn't much on the two of them—just a letter and a few taels of broken silver.

…On the unhurried horse, Jiang Ding read through Chen Chen's handwritten letter.

……

It was precisely the Four Seas Jin Ling that Long San had given him earlier, representing a strategic-level honored guest of the Four Seas Merchant Guild—even at the Yuejing headquarters, it could secure the Guild Master's personal welcome.

Jiang Ding asked softly.

"It's just…"

Long Zhengwu's face showed difficulty, and he hinted obliquely: "My Four Seas Merchant Guild is a small, humble household, a family of good folk—when facing the authorities, we truly lack the strength…"

"Old Mr. Long worries too much. The authorities are a great house with a great business—why would they come to such a remote place?"

Jiang Ding said lightly.

(End of this chapter)