Chapter 254: Behind

"Who is this again!"

Shen Xunning's hand gripping the sword hilt was covered in cold sweat.

It was the seventh month, the weather was turning cool, and they were on the mountain; the sweat became cold and sticky in an instant, and her palms felt numb and itchy.

But she dared not draw her sword.

Because the old man behind her, whose light-body technique was faster than her eyes and who could prevent her from drawing her sword with a single finger, also dared not move at all.

A rabbit carried into a tiger's den by a wolf—what kind of situation was this!

Patter, patter.

Footsteps turned from behind and circled to the side, seemingly reaching the old man's side.

"Old man, don't want to live anymore?"

The lazy voice said.

"No… no, Senior—"

"Who are you calling Senior? Am I that old?"

The old man swept a glance with his peripheral vision, but dared not look at the other person's face, only daring to look at their lower body.

Soap-patterned boots, copper sunflower belt.

Embroidered Uniform Saber.

Pacification Commissioner's waist token.

He trembled violently.

"My… Lord…"

"You… you are the Pacification Commissioner…"

"I…"

Shen Xunning in front was suddenly shocked.

"Pacification Commissioner!?"

"Could it be that newly appointed Northern Pacification Commissioner? That's it! He went to the Sword King Pavilion alone and forced them to stop competing with the Tang Men; he must be an expert among experts!"

"Only he could scare this old man so much that he doesn't even dare to move! What is he doing at my Hengshan Sect?"

"And this voice, it seems somewhat familiar…"

Pop, pop.

Several light sounds came from behind, like fingers tapping on a person's body.

The lazy voice continued.

"What is your name, how many people in your family, what martial arts do you practice, and what are you doing at the Hengshan Sect? Speak up."

"However, don't stutter this time. This official has things to do; I'll give you the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. If you don't finish, I will assume you are refusing to confess."

"By then, it won't be as simple as just tapping an acupoint."

"Are you ready to say goodbye to all the protruding parts on your body?"

The old man broke into a cold sweat instantly.

Even Shen Xunning could feel his breathing suddenly becoming heavy.

"My Lord, I harbor no malice; coming up the mountain this time is merely to deliver an invitation for my master."

"Your master?"

Li Miao raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting, where is the invitation?"

"In my bosom."

Li Miao reached out and grabbed at the air; the old man's collar slowly opened, and an object fell out, slowly flying into Li Miao's hand.

Li Miao caught it and chuckled lightly.

This invitation was made of pure gold. It was a thin sheet of gold foil pressed from high-quality gold, with dyed silk thread pressed along the edges; one could tell from the stitching that it was the work of a master. And on the edges of the invitation, it was adorned with tiny jade stones, sparkling brilliantly.

It could be said that this one invitation alone, if taken to any pawnshop on the market, could be exchanged for at least one hundred taels of silver.

"Quite wealthy."

Li Miao unfolded the invitation and glanced at it.

"August 15th, join in the grand event."

"That's it?"

Li Miao raised an eyebrow and looked up at the old man.

"No signature, no location, no reason, just a time, and I don't even know where to go—what kind of invitation is this?"

"Are you playing with me?"

The old man was acupoint-tapped and could not shake his head, so he had to say urgently.

"No, My Lord, the invitation is just like this; it is the same for every family."

"'Every family.' You have delivered to others?"

"Emei, Beggar Gang, Cao Gang—I just finished delivering to them."

"Hah."

Li Miao sneered.

"What for? Rewarding good and punishing evil, is it?"

"Laba porridge isn't drunk on August 15th; did you deliver it a bit too early?"

Neither Shen Xunning nor the old man could understand these words.

Li Miao continued to ask.

"It's not written on the invitation; you don't know?"

"I do not."

"Who is your master?"

The old man had been sweating coldly, but upon hearing Li Miao ask this, he suddenly regained his composure and said coldly.

"I cannot tell you, My Lord."

"Oh ho."

Li Miao let out a scoff.

"Interesting, a tough bone."

"Come, come, come, it just so happens I want to test if my skills have grown rusty after resting for half a year."

Shen Xunning was listening with interest when suddenly, a miserable howl that didn't sound human came from behind.

"Ahhhhhhh—"

Shen Xunning had originally felt that this Pacification Commissioner didn't seem to harbor malice toward her and had wanted to turn around to see the situation behind her, but now she was scared stiff and dared not move.

A moment later, the screaming gradually ceased, replaced by heavy breathing.

"Can you tell me now, My Lord?"

Silence.

"Ahhhhhhh! —"

A howl ten times more miserable than before erupted again; Shen Xunning's legs went weak, and she could barely stand, having to prop her scabbard on the ground to steady herself, not daring to look back even once.

A foul stench and the smell of rust drifted from behind, entering her nostrils.

That was the smell of incontinence and blood.

Mists of white vapor drifted from behind; Shen Xunning felt the mist was somewhat warm, condensing into tiny water droplets on her hair.

"What is this, breathing? But such a large amount of vapor, it doesn't seem like it."

At first, she thought it was the vapor exhaled when the old man screamed in pain, but she found it strange that the vapor was too much, not something a person could exhale.

Just as she was puzzled, she suddenly noticed the soil beneath her feet seemed to have become somewhat soft.

She slowly lowered her head to look at her feet.

"Hiss! —"

Shen Xunning gasped, goosebumps rising all over her body! Her hands trembled involuntarily, and the sword made a clinking sound inside the scabbard!

Blood.

As if all the blood in a person's body had been drained, a large amount of blood flowed from behind to her feet, soaking the soil beneath her.

This was the reason the soil beneath her feet had become soft.

And the mist coming from behind…

Shen Xunning shivered.

A person cannot exhale so much mist; the mouth and nose are only so big, and no matter how hard one tries, there is a limit.

But what if, what was emitting heat was not just the mouth and nose?

If a person's abdomen were opened, and the heat from inside the body were released… there might be this much mist…

The howling from behind grew increasingly shrill, then suddenly seemed to cross a threshold, turning directly into a "he-he" gasping sound.

Shen Xunning could not imagine what kind of torture the old man behind her was enduring.

She practiced martial arts in the sect and would spar with fellow disciples and masters, but at most, it was just a wound one or two inches long and two or three fingers deep.

Where had she ever seen this!

The courage she had mustered when descending the mountain vanished instantly; her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground, but she dared not look back, instead lunging forward and burying her head firmly between her arms.

"Master… this disciple was wrong…"

She thought in her heart.

"If I can survive this, I will definitely listen to you…"

After a long time, it became quiet behind her.

The lazy voice said.

"How about it, you remember now, right?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 255 =====