Chapter 155

Everyone looked toward Heng Xian.

The Eldest Miss Murong Zhiwei and Young Master Xu, as students of the Stop Water Kingdom Shangdang Academy, not only cultivated but also studied the sages' books, thus they especially valued scholars.

What books are you reading?

Heng Xian thought for a moment; he really couldn't recall what books he'd read in this world, but he had read a few with Nangong Liluo, and said offhand: "Confucian classics, imperial and Buddhist works, great governance canons, the Southern Mountain Wonderful Dao Scripture, the Great Dao is simplest……"

Before he finished speaking, Xu Gongzi shouted loudly: "Impudence!"

The Eldest Miss also couldn't help but say: "What a reckless scholar!"

Heng Xian wondered: "Any problem?"

Xu Gongzi's face flushed red as he clasped his hands toward heaven: "These books are read by great scholars, emperors, and Great Dao cultivators; you, an unknown, struggling reader, how dare you claim to have read them? Hmm?"

Heng Xian thought: In this world, cultivation is the only path for everyone, but resources are mostly controlled by the powerful and influential,

therefore the Tianyuan Sect's noble offspring are as numerous as cow hairs, officials and nobles walk everywhere; even princes and princesses can be slapped together in a group—my senior brother is the emperor, my senior sister is the Chang Gongzhu—such a crowd's reading material cannot possibly be simple, so the books I've read might be……excessive for ordinary people!

He could only say: "These books are indeed famous masterpieces, but if you want to read them, hand-copied and pirated copies are not rare on the market……"

Before he finished speaking, Xu Gongzi snapped: "Is this about whether you can get hold of them? You simply aren't qualified to read them!"

The Eldest Miss also waved her hand wearily: "Go on, attend to your paperwork."

Zhou Fang and the others exchanged glances, also unwilling to say more.

Heng Xian clasped his hands and turned to leave.

Their horizons are just this big; if you speak too grandly, they can't accept it, so from now on I ought to cultivate discreetly, avoid contact, and appear as ordinary as possible.

Not long after the meal, the escort squad continued on the road.

We were already less than three hundred li from Yangzhou City; the escorts and helpers were completely relaxed, even Zhou Fang's chant "Liang Biao Wei" was shouted more casually.

From afternoon we drifted aimlessly until dusk; along the way it was either Young Master Xu holding forth grandly, or Wu Liang's "Lone Sword Wanderer" silhouette drifting back and forth.

Then we reached a densely forested hill; Heng Xian glanced at the woods on either side and slightly furrowed his brow.

"'Zhenyuan, zhenyuan, nowhere dangerous…'" Zhou Fang's work chant rang out loud as ever.

"'There's danger today!'" a low, bloodthirsty voice came from the right‑hand woods.

Zhou Fang's chant cut off abruptly.

Escort Captain Wu Liang stared, then waved his hand, halted the escort squad's advance, and clasped his fists: "May I ask which band……"

Before he finished speaking, he was cut off by a vicious "kill" character.

Immediately, a dense "swish‑swish" sound came from the thickets on both sides.

The sound was sharp, sending chills through the heart.

"'Arrows! Intercept!'" the Little Beard escort shouted angrily.

However, the escort squad had few escorts; most were helpers and laborers at the Acquired Realm, utterly unable to intercept, and instantly fell into chaos.

From time to time someone fell with an arrow, their miserable screams and painful howls never ceasing.

In the panic, Wu Liang and others struggled to block the arrows; Young Master Xu also drew his sword, guarding the carriage, and his second‑level Condensing Qi cultivation was exerted to the utmost, which was passable.

Heng Xian merely leaned on an escort cart, silently watching the spectacle; when an arrow flew toward him, it oddly drifted aside on its own.

"Gou Dan" hid beneath his feet, showing no panic at all, his eyes rolling about curiously.

After a while the arrows ceased; the escort squad suffered heavy casualties, goods overturned, and pack animals ran wild.

Escort Captain Wu Liang, unable to attend to anything else, bellowed: "There are bandits—take cover!"

"Whoosh——"

Twenty‑odd escorts and fifty‑plus surviving helpers quickly gathered around the valuable cargo, moving toward the Eldest Miss.

Then, from both forests, over a hundred men emerged, hair disheveled, tall and muscular, brandishing knives and swords, eyes gleaming with menace.

Just from their aura, one could tell this was a gang of murderous bandits!

The bandit chief stood nine feet tall, one‑eyed, broad‑nosed and wide‑mouthed, wielding a ring blade weighing over a hundred catties, reeking of sourness, his seventh‑level Qi Hai Realm aura unmistakable!

With such a leader and such a band of thieves, wiping out the escort squad seemed no problem at all.

Young Master Xu's face turned ashen.

Inside the carriage, the Eldest Miss was frightened pale, her veil fell away, revealing a beautiful yet delicate face.

The escort squad's helpers trembled all over, their legs shaking.

At that moment the bandits laughed strangely and surrounded the escort squad.

Escort Captain Wu Liang gritted his teeth, stepped forward a few steps, clasped his fists and said: "Gentlemen, please..."

Before he finished speaking, a one-armed woman among the bandits threw two consecutive flying darts.

This female bandit, too, was at Condensing Qi fifth layer.

Escort Captain Wu Liang immediately exerted his cultivation, raising the aura of his Condensing Qi fifth layer to its peak, waved his palm to catch them, but he managed to catch only one dart; the second pierced through his arm.

"Ah!"

He involuntarily gave a miserable shout, being pulled by the flying dart, he was flung far away.

The whole venue fell silent in an instant.

The escort captain actually couldn't withstand a single blow!

The young lady, Zhou Fang, and a group of escorts trembled, then hurriedly looked toward the "foremost expert" Wu Liang.

Wu Liang had been watching coldly from the sidelines; at this moment he leapt up, arrived before the one-eyed bandit chief, clasping his sword with both hands, his face a picture of lonely, desolate coldness: "I am the ruthless cold sword, Yang Wudi—may I ask for a favor, sir?"

"Alright, his title has changed again!"

Moreover, the few hairs on his bald head fluttered in the wind, especially conspicuous.

"Smack!"

The bandit chief's palm, as big as a sandbag, flickered strangely, leaving an afterimage, and slapped Wu Liang's face with a crisp, loud sound.

Wu Liang's whole body flew out, landing in a clumsy, twisted heap on the ground.

"Damn! Still an unfeeling cold sword!" The bandit chief spat contemptuously.

"Eh..." The young lady Murong Zhiwei, Xu Gongzi, Zhou Fang and a group of people stood dumbfounded.

Is the escort team's top expert also so fragile in one blow?

However, Wu Liang suddenly stood up again, wiped his nosebleed, flashed, and once again appeared before the bandit chief, sweeping aside his bald hair: "I am a swordsman without feelings; doing this will anger me, do you really think you can beat me?"

"Pa!"

He was slapped again on the face, his whole body like a torn rag, flying far away.

This time he fell to the ground and couldn't get up.

The entire escort team instantly fell into despair!

The young lady Murong Zhiwei angrily shouted: "Who exactly are you? What do you want? At least let us know!"

The one-eyed bandit chief looked at her, his eyes lighting up, revealing a mouthful of big buckteeth: "I am the mountain king of Death Mountain, seeking both wealth and life; wherever I pass, not a blade of grass grows."

Murong Zhiwei and the escorts seemed to have heard this slogan before, their faces instantly darkened.

"Hahaha... Kill!"

The bandit chief laughed loudly, raising his big sword.

The bandits immediately charged forward.

The bandit chief himself charged toward the carriage, his tall stature and door‑panel‑like great sword, immensely mighty!

Zhou Fang and the group of escorts in front of the carriage moved to block, but were sent flying by a single sword swing.

Xu Gongzi brandished his sword and rushed forward, but was flung tens of meters by a single blow, falling to the ground just like Xiao Shou Shou.

Immediately, the bandit chief swung his sword again.

"Crack!"

The carriage, together with the monkey‑fearing maid, was split into pieces.

The remaining young lady was instantly stunned.

"Haha..." The bandit chief threw away his sword, grabbed Murong Zhiwei in one arm, as if holding a child, his big mouth leaning in to kiss.

"Young lady!"

Zhou Fang and several escorts had their eyes nearly bursting, yet they were blocked by the bandits.

"Buzz—"

At that moment, a piercing sword cry rang out, like a rainbow soaring to the heavens.

(End of chapter)