Chapter 37: Another Change

Zhao Ti saw it was the person who had entered the hall the night before, and his body flashed to the side, dodging a blade.

The man revealed an expression as if he had obtained a treasure: "That pretty boy actually dares to leave the hall? I'll catch you and hand you over to Ping Pozi to claim credit, just right to coerce that little slut into submission!"

Zhao Ti remained expressionless, watched the opponent slash with another blade, his feet glided lightly, the long sword in his hand instantly left its sheath, he used no particular technique, only an extremely swift oblique thrust, only to see a flash of light—how could this man possibly dodge? Horror appeared on his face, a spray of fresh blood gushed from between his ribs, and then he toppled to the ground.

Zhao Ti had come out precisely to eliminate the subordinates sent by the Wangfuren Sect.

He was unwilling to reveal his true Wu Gong in front of Mu Wanqing; there was simply no need. Had he not happened to rush into this place, he would not have deliberately sought out memories to meddle in these affairs.

But since he had encountered it, and was himself half entangled in it, lending a hand was no trouble.

This was not the Great Song, but Dali, a different country. He could not casually rescue just anyone—the Wuliang Sword Sect, the Shennong Gang, or anyone else. He was the King of Song, not the King of Li, much less some wandering knight-errant of the jianghu.

He was indeed fond of standing up against injustice, but that was among the people of the Great Song. In lands outside Song, he acted as he pleased, bound by nothing.

He continued forward. The stone path curved, and not far ahead he met an old man in yellow. The old man saw him and could not help but be startled: "Aren't you that little slut's lover?"

Zhao Ti said with a smile: "You dare remember what that fat old woman said?"

The old man cackled: "Brat, you're seeking death. You don't know who I am. If not for that little slut having a case of poisoned arrows, I myself would have…"

Before he finished speaking, his face suddenly changed drastically. He lowered his head to look, and at some unknown moment a steel sword had already pierced into his heart.

Zhao Ti did not return his sword to its sheath, and continued forward, the blood from the sword's tip dripping all along the ground.

Seeing the eastern kitchen was not far, he employed the Lingbo Weibu footwork, swayed a few times, and his overlapping figure arrived nearby in an instant.

Right at the eastern kitchen door, a man in brown clothing was dozing while leaning against the door. Hearing the sound he opened his eyes and was about to shout, but was stabbed in the throat by Zhao Ti's sword and instantly collapsed onto the ground.

Zhao Ti reached out and pushed open the kitchen's wooden door, only to see five or six people inside. Rui Pozi sat among them, holding a bowl of rice and eating noisily.

This courtyard was remote; to go outside to buy food and drink would require running quite a distance, so these people had come here to prepare meals, which was far better than gnawing on dry rations.

No one had expected Zhao Ti to come here. They had posted guards along the outer paths, yet no one had reported in. At this moment they all could not help but be stunned.

Zhao Ti looked at Rui Pozi with a slight smile: "Fat old woman, is it good?"

Rui Pozi shouted loudly: "You brat, tired of living, to actually dare come out? This old body will definitely chop you into meat filling today to make buns!"

She was originally the leader and would not easily take action personally, but she was truly furious. She grabbed a pair of blades and charged over, slashing down at his head.

Zhao Ti shifted his steps lightly, dodging the blade. Rui Pozi's Wu Gong was truly ordinary, her internal cultivation mediocre, and her bladework held no great subtleties.

He did not wish to delay. His foot stepped out from an inconceivable angle, his body turned behind Rui Pozi, then his long sword swept obliquely upward, cleaving Rui Pozi clean in two. Blood sprayed all over the ground. The people beside were greatly shocked and scrambled to grab their weapons to attack together.

Zhao Ti used only a single hand of swift swordwork, his body moving through the kitchen like a willow leaf dancing lightly. In but a short moment, everyone had been stabbed to death.

He narrowed his eyes. The other half of the people were nowhere to be seen, so he went out to search for them everywhere.

After circling the courtyard once and killing several more, he still did not see Rui Pozi and the remaining people.

Zhao Ti stood before the courtyard gate and thought for a few breaths, then returned to the inner courtyard's main hall. He saw the young girl still sitting in the chair. Seeing him come in, she was quite surprised: "You… didn't run into those people from last night?"

Zhao Ti shook his head: "I went to the eastern kitchen and found a ground full of corpses. That fat old woman from last night was among them, but I didn't see the other old woman. I walked all over the courtyard and saw several more corpses. Perhaps a group of them had a dispute and turned on each other, and after the internal clash they left."

The young girl raised her brows, her eyes full of doubt: "You're not lying to me, are you?"

Zhao Ti shook his head: "What's there to lie about? Go out and look for yourself and you'll know."

The young girl stared at him: "If you're deceiving me, I will surely with one sword…"

Zhao Ti smiled faintly: "If I were deceiving you, it would surely be because I was coerced by the other side. There must be traps laid outside. When the time comes, even if you want to kill me, I'm afraid you won't be able to. You yourself are already hard to protect!"

The young girl looked at him for a long while, then gave a cold snort: "Even if I encounter traps and ambushes, killing you would be as easy as turning over my hand."

Having said that, she went out the door, and in a short while arrived at the eastern kitchen. Seeing those corpses, she could not help but knit her brows. After a long while she said: "These people seem to have been killed by extremely superb swordsmanship. Among the opposing side there is no such sword Dao master."

Zhao Ti shook his head: "Miss, why bother caring about that? As long as they're dead, that's enough."

The young girl's gaze swept over Zhao Ti suspiciously, settling on the long sword in his hand.

Zhao Ti laughed: "You don't think I killed them, do you? Wouldn't that mean my skill is even greater than yours, Miss?"

The young girl snorted: "I doubt you have that kind of skill."

Zhao Ti laughed: "Although it's safe for now, we don't know whether those who left will return again and lure others here. So I advise you to leave this place quickly and not stay any longer."

The young girl said: "I want to stay here and wait for my master. I cannot leave for now."

Zhao Ti thought for a moment: "Your master may not necessarily come back here to find you. If you have some secret sign between you, you might as well leave it. When she sees it, she'll leave on her own."

The young girl fell into thought upon hearing this, seeming somewhat unable to make up her mind.

Zhao Ti said again: "If you won't leave, then sell or lend me the black horse. I'll make a trip to Dali City."

The young girl glanced at him: "You're still plotting after my horse?"

Zhao Ti laughed: "If you won't sell, then consider it a loan. But I still advise you to leave this place right now. If you ride away, then I won't keep that black horse in mind."

The young girl said: "Let me think it over."

Zhao Ti nodded: "I'll go outside and have a look around first."

He walked out of the eastern kitchen door and came to the stable. The black horse was snorting. It had not suffered any harm the previous night. Seeing him, it pawed the ground ceaselessly, seemingly wanting to go out for a stroll—any mount or warhorse generally needed to go out and run about each day.

After a long while, the young girl finally came over: "I just thought it over. Not far from here there is a place where my master's friend lives. I can go there to wait. This horse I can lend you, but I don't know how you'll return it?"

Zhao Ti knew she was referring to Gan Baobao. The entrance to Wanchou Valley was just over a dozen li away in the Great Black Forest. He said: "If Miss later goes to Dali City, then we can arrange a place in the city to return it. If not, then name a location, and when the time comes I'll have it delivered to you."

The young girl was just about to speak upon hearing this, when suddenly a howl came from afar.

This howl was extremely coarse and deafening, and each cry came faster than the last. In but a few breaths it reached outside the courtyard, then a furious roar: "Is that little girl who killed my disciple inside!"