Chapter 373

Qiao Chu said to Mu Yuanzhi.

Mu Yuanzhi nodded.

That's indeed the case; besides, if Hanlu Village were to forcefully attack here, they wouldn't just focus on a single gate.

"Your master must have set up a heavenly net and earthly trap here, right?"

Otherwise, would the entire manor rely solely on the Qilin's fleshly protection?

Qiao Chu: "All entrances and exits are heavily defended, easy to defend but hard to attack, with the maze formation set up by Master Yuan Yan, but he isn't here, so how long the formation can hold is also a question."

He seemed not very optimistic.

Mu Yuanzhi: "Take me to the high point to have a look."

Qiao Chu nodded, leading Mu Yuanzhi to the high point of the valley, which is beside the riverbank.

Mu Yuanzhi had noticed this place when she previously entered the valley; from here she could clearly see a boat, presumably Hanlu Village's boat, completely unlike the one she had taken before.

There were only two people on board, one man and one woman.

Unless there is an ambush, there seems no need to be fully prepared.

"The sentries report that quite a few Hanlu Village people are active down in the valley." Apparently sensing Mu Yuanzhi's thought, Qiao Chu said.

"About how many people do they have?"

"Just from what we can see, there are over a dozen, but we can't rule out that these are merely what they want us to see." Qiao Chu said.

"Who are the two people on the boat?" Mu Yuanzhi asked again.

Qiao Chu: "The man says he is their village chief, Andre Luo."

"The name sounds like a foreigner's." Mu Yuanzhi said, "And the woman?"

"She says her name is A Zi."

"What?!" Mu Yuanzhi startled for a moment, quickly fixing her gaze firmly on the woman at the boat's prow.

The sunlight was just right; although far away, she couldn't fully make out the boatwoman's appearance, but her general shape and height were exactly like A Zi's, leaving no room for a skin mask.

Could it be just a coincidence of name?

But the chief of Hanlu Village is supposed to be Shuangjiang's person!

How could it be such a coincidence? There must be some connection!

Mu Yuanzhi felt uneasy in her heart.

She didn't know what kind of person Andre Luo was, Rong Jin wasn't there either, and she had never known anyone else from Shuangjiang besides him and A Zi—oh, plus the defector Nine Thousand Years Old.

The people on the boat seemed to notice them as well; Andre Luo and the woman also named A Zi both looked over.

Looking head-on, this woman also bears no resemblance to A Zi in appearance, and her demeanor is completely different.

However, being too far away, Mu Yuanzhi isn't entirely sure.

She recalled the witch doctor's words, making her heart even more complicated.

Because she was too focused on A Zi, she completely neglected to pay attention to Andre Luo, who was the one she should have watched most.

Andre Luo's gaze fell upon her, with hidden meaning.

The boat simply docked at the shore, the gate shut tight, everyone in the valley on high alert, and the two sides stood in a stalemate.

After about a quarter of an hour, Andre Luo broke the eerie atmosphere: "Friends come from afar; is this how Juechen Valley greets its guests?"

His voice was loud and resonant, matching his imposing, mighty appearance.

He isn't exceptionally burly, but at first glance he looks strong and sturdy; his features are the deep-set, sharp look of a Hu person, yet his accent is purely Central Plains, with no discernible difference.

His attire leans toward that of the Miao frontier.

He is probably someone who has traveled south and north.

Shuangjiang is not to be underestimated.

As the temporary representative of Juechen Valley, Mu Yuanzhi replied: "Friends are naturally welcome; uninvited guests can just be forgotten!"

Her words were sonorous and powerful, spreading through the echo, striking people's ears, and her momentum was in no way inferior to Andre Luo's.

Andre Luo curled his lips and laughed heartily, while the A Zi beside him tightened her grip on the sword at her waist.

Just that small gesture made Mu Yuanzhi think of that A Zi again.

I don't know why, but this woman's every move is clearly unlike A Zi, yet she constantly reminds me of her—is it just because they share the same name?

Could this also be the enemy's deliberate doing?

The purpose being to disturb them?

After laughing, Andre Luo then said: "I haven't heard that the master of Juechen Valley is a woman."

"This small matter doesn't need to trouble the valley master." Mu Yuanzhi smiled.

"Hahaha! Miss Mu, you're sharp-tongued!" Andre Luo burst into another round of laughter.

Does he know her?

Well, it's not surprising; since he was once a person of Shuangjiang, he must have heard of her.

But she currently knows nothing about this person.

"Your junior fellow disciple isn't here, is he?" Andre Luo hit the nail on the head.

His voice was very loud and resonant, and through the echo it gave the illusion that everyone in Juechen Valley could hear it.

Mu Yuanzhi furrowed her brow.

This Andre Luo indeed knows!

But why would he know?

Are there spies in Juechen Valley?

Mu Yuanzhi: "How could my junior fellow disciple possibly not be in the valley? The village chief, having heard some idle gossip, comes here to cause trouble—truly lacking the dignity of a sect leader."

"Princess, you overstate it; I merely came to pay a visit to Juechen Valley, yet I've been turned away at the door twice, and I don't know where I've offended your sect." Andre Luo said.

Mu Yuanzhi: "They're all thousand-year-old foxes; just stop playing Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio, okay? If the stronghold chief insists on causing trouble, we can only accompany them to the end!"

"All that's said is a misunderstanding, look, you're not listening again." Andelo said, "I came all the way from Cold Dew Stronghold; you have no justification to leave us out in the cold. If this gets out in the martial world, it won't sound good."

Heh, still talking about reputation in the martial world?

Does an assassin organization in the martial world still have reputation to speak of?

Mu Yuanzhi was thinking when the river surface actually began to surge with huge waves!

What's going on?

Qiao Chu looked at the river, slightly surprised; this river has always been calm, why would it suddenly...?

"Something seems to be down there?!" Mu Yuanzhi whispered to Qiao Chu.

Qiao Chu also noticed that something seemed about to surface beneath the waves!

At that moment, suddenly, huge waves filled the sky!

Dozens of boats actually broke through the water from below and shot straight up!

The boats were full of people; the leader at the front clearly wasn't an ordinary person, likely a master from Cold Dew Stronghold!

Moreover, from each of the four directions, four people who looked highly skilled in martial arts flew over; in an instant, the entire river surface was fraught with danger!

These people must have been hiding in the town for a long time, lying in wait for the opportunity.

What do we do?!

Mu Yuanzhi looked at Qiao Chu; Qiao Chu couldn't make up his mind for a moment, but his expression remained calm, he said: "I hope Master Yuan Yan's formation still works."

"I've heard it all; do you think I came without any preparation? The ins and outs of your Juechen Valley have long been known to me inside and out!"

Mu Yuanzhi knew that as soon as Andelo gave an order, his men would immediately attack; she was completely unfamiliar with this place and couldn't come up with a foolproof plan in a short time.

"Qiao Chu, you decide." Mu Yuanzhi now could only trust Qiao Chu.