Chapter 159
Chapter 159: Prefecture City
A troop of armored guards rode forward, numbering about a hundred. Their ranks were disciplined, and their presence brimmed with unstoppable spirit.
Unlike the earlier group from Fallen God Peak, these riders approached from the direction of Sheng Province. Judging by their armor and weapons, they belonged to the provincial army stationed there.
The cavalry halted neatly in front of Hu Rui An and his companions, their armor clanging sharply before abruptly falling silent.
Witnessing this, Hu Rui An’s eyes flickered subtly, but his expression remained calm.
Murong Xiao Ya, who had been quietly standing in the corner, suddenly rose and looked toward a luxurious carriage among the armored riders.
At this moment, a noble young master dressed in silken robes, wearing a jade crown over neatly tied hair, reached out to lift the curtain of the carriage. His brows were sharp as sword edges, and his gaze was calm and cold.
After glancing briefly at the shattered cliff walls and the torn battlefield, he showed no particular reaction. Instead, he turned his attention directly toward Murong Xiao Ya and spoke gently, “Little sister, Father received your letter. He specially instructed me to come and bring you home.”
Everyone turned their gaze simultaneously toward Murong Xiao Ya, making her blush slightly with embarrassment.
She stood uncertainly, nervously clutching the hem of her dress, then turned her eyes towards Hu Rui An.
Hu Rui An studied the noble young master for a moment, then asked, “Could it be the ‘Divine Needle Young Master’ of the Murong Family?”
The noble young master’s narrow phoenix eyes lifted slightly at the corners as he regarded Hu Rui An. After seeming to recall something, he cupped his hands politely and replied, “Indeed, that is me. Your Excellency must be Lord Hu. My father mentioned that Lord Hu has graciously cared for my sister on this journey, and he has already prepared a banquet to welcome you warmly. Please join us.”
Hu Rui An did not respond immediately but instead turned towards Li Mu Sheng, quietly saying, “Young Master, the Murong Family is the foremost martial dao family in Sheng Province. For our mission, we might need their assistance. The Commander informed me about this before we left the Imperial Capital.”
Li Mu Sheng raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced at Hu Rui An, waving his hand casually. “You decide. My only condition is that we do not stay in Sheng Province Prefecture City for more than two days. Once the time is up, whether the matters are resolved or not, I won’t involve myself any further.”
Hu Rui An quickly nodded in agreement. Turning back to the noble young master in the luxurious carriage, he responded courteously, “Then we humbly accept your invitation!”
Murong Feng narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing Li Mu Sheng beside Hu Rui An. A brief frown flickered across his face. Though he suspected Li Mu Sheng’s identity was unusual, he chose to remain silent and instead waved gently toward Murong Xiao Ya. “Little sister, are you still not coming over?”
Murong Xiao Ya hesitated visibly, carefully looking over Murong Feng. Instead of immediately approaching, she suddenly gathered her courage and asked softly, “Have you ever taken the Sparrow Flame Pill?”
At these words, Murong Feng appeared momentarily stunned.
Hu Rui An glanced at Murong Xiao Ya in surprise, wondering what had prompted her to ask such a question.
Quickly recovering his composure, Murong Feng said calmly, “Little sister, it seems you’ve become distant after a year apart.”
He then waved dismissively. “If you’re unwilling to ride with me, you may continue traveling with Lord Hu. I will not force you.”
Murong Feng lowered the carriage curtain without another word.
The hundred armored riders remained completely silent, unmoving in front of the cliff, awaiting orders patiently.
Murong Xiao Ya bit her lip lightly, looking deeply toward Murong Feng’s carriage. Her expression was troubled. Her eyes briefly flickered over Hu Rui An and Li Mu Sheng before quickly dropping her gaze. Without lingering further, she climbed quietly into the carriage nearby.
Hu Rui An frowned slightly, appearing thoughtful. Beside him, Li Mu Sheng sighed quietly to himself. Indeed, his handsome looks had once again caused trouble. Clearly, this socially anxious young lady had even declined her brother’s invitation just to spend more time near him.
Meanwhile, the Hemp Robed Elder and the Pink Clad Girl, seeing the situation no longer involved them, quickly gathered their belongings, preparing to lead their pack mule away.
“How old are you this year?”
At that moment, Li Mu Sheng suddenly approached the Pink Clad Girl, looking at her curiously.
She wrinkled her delicate brows slightly, glancing at Li Mu Sheng. Pursing her lips, she replied stubbornly, “I won’t tell you that I’m already seven years old.”
With a soft huff, she climbed onto the pack mule and paid Li Mu Sheng no further attention.
The Hemp Robed Elder narrowed his eyes slightly, nodding politely to Hu Rui An. “This old man will go ahead first. If fate allows, we shall meet again in the martial world.”
He then turned, leading the mule down the road without further delay.
Li Mu Sheng did not stop them. He stroked his chin thoughtfully, staring after the two retreating figures, murmuring quietly to himself, “Seven? I think she’s older than that.”
Meanwhile, after traveling some distance away and crossing over a small hill where they could no longer be seen, the Pink Clad Girl suddenly turned her head with a serious expression. “Grandfather, perhaps it’s just my imagination, but it felt as if that man saw through something about me.”
The Hemp Robed Elder pondered briefly. “Unlikely. Your cultivation method is too peculiar. Even after staying with you for so long, I would not detect anything unusual if I didn’t already know.”
Shaking his head, he glanced at Bei Shi, who was lying bound and silent on the mule’s back. “They have no grudge with us and likely won’t interfere. We can ignore them for now. But we have tracked this man for over half a year. He was among those who attacked us back then.”
“Once we kill him, our revenge will move one step closer to completion. After that, only the peak lord of Fallen God Peak and his wicked disciples remain!”
Though the Hemp Robed Elder’s face remained emotionless, his clouded eyes held a lingering, deadly intent.
Hearing this, sorrow briefly appeared on the Pink Clad Girl’s face. She turned towards Bei Shi, whose eyes were wide with terror upon hearing their conversation, though he remained mute, unable to speak because of a pressure point sealing his voice.
“Do you wonder why we want to kill you?”
The Pink Clad Girl swiftly collected her emotions, fixing her clear eyes on Bei Shi. “Don’t worry. I will tell you the reason slowly. Until then, I will make you wish you were dead and endure every possible torment.”
With those words, she flicked her finger, sending a small black pill flying directly into Bei Shi’s mouth.
In the next instant, Bei Shi’s eyes bulged wildly, the whites turning blood-red from countless swollen veins, as though the eyeballs might burst out from his sockets. Conversely, his previously robust body rapidly withered, shriveling until his flesh dried and blackened veins protruded horribly across his skin.
Pain, sharp as knives tearing flesh, flooded his entire being. Bei Shi was consumed by agony, his body convulsing and twisting uncontrollably.
At the same moment, the Pink Clad Girl and the Hemp Robed Elder quietly turned onto a small path off the main road, leading their pack mule away. Soon, they vanished into the deep shadows of the mountain forest.
…
After resting briefly, Li Mu Sheng and his companions resumed their journey, followed closely by Murong Feng’s carriage and a troop of a hundred armored guards. By the afternoon, the group crossed into Sheng Province territory. Another day’s travel, and they would arrive at the Prefecture City.
Meanwhile, Elder Formless, Xu Qing Cang, and their companions had left Deer Slaying Manor and were steadily tracking Li Mu Sheng’s route. Earlier, Elder Formless, having witnessed Shen Jue Sheng’s impressive skills the previous night, had felt an irresistible urge. He even openly approached Shen Lian Cheng, an assassin from Deer Slaying Manor, to propose a friendly duel with Shen Jue Sheng.
Yet Shen Lian Cheng outright rejected the request. Elder Formless had no choice but to accept, knowing Shen Jue Sheng’s martial prowess was beyond forcing. After failing, he gave up and had Xu Qing Cang lead him along Li Mu Sheng’s trail.
“That Eighth Prince is intriguing,” Elder Formless murmured thoughtfully in his carriage. News of the Third Prince’s death had already spread far and wide in recent days. Elder Formless himself had overheard the matter along the journey, but it wasn’t until receiving a secret letter from the Second Prince that he discovered Li Mu Sheng’s involvement.
“A ruthless one, indeed,” he muttered. “No wonder my disciple died so miserably. But no matter how ruthless, when this old man decides someone must die, there is nowhere they can hide.”
He then turned to Xu Qing Cang, seated nearby, and asked calmly, “Are you certain those people are headed towards Sheng Province Prefecture City?”
Xu Qing Cang nodded solemnly. “According to our scouts, they’ve stayed on the main road without taking side paths.”
“But we also found evidence that they clashed with Fallen God Peak’s disciples, and all of them were killed. Bei Shi, however, disappeared without a trace.”
Xu Qing Cang glanced cautiously at Elder Formless, then continued, “Someone capable of casually killing Fallen God Peak’s people must have considerable backing. Furthermore, there is a Heavenly Union expert among them—someone potentially stronger than Bei Shi or even myself.”
Elder Formless narrowed his eyes slightly. If Li Mu Sheng dared murder a prince in the Imperial Capital, killing an elder from Fallen God Peak was hardly noteworthy. He didn’t elaborate further, merely stating coldly, “It doesn’t matter who they are. Just focus on your duties. If you succeed, perhaps I’ll spare your life.”
Then, Elder Formless glanced at the Second Young Master from the Sheng Province general’s family inside the carriage. “Have you considered the matter I discussed with you last night?”
The heroic-looking young man trembled slightly, stealing a quick look at Xu Qing Cang. Seeing Xu Qing Cang nod gently, the young man immediately knelt on the floor of the carriage, pressing his forehead deeply in respect. “I am willing to become your disciple, senior,” he said firmly, bowing three loud times.
Elder Formless regarded him impassively. “This old man has never forced anyone to become a disciple. If you agree only out of fear, there’s no need.”
The young man hesitated briefly before replying decisively, “Senior’s skill is unparalleled. Becoming your disciple is a rare blessing, a gift I couldn’t even dream of asking for.”
With that, he bowed again several times and declared solemnly, “Master, from today onwards, your disciple vows lifelong loyalty.”
Only then did Elder Formless finally nod in approval. Luck had truly favored him, allowing him to discover such a promising candidate halfway through his journey. Finding someone suited for practicing the Formless Divine Art fulfilled his hope of passing on his martial arts sooner than expected.
Now, once he slew Li Mu Sheng to avenge his deceased disciple, Elder Formless would finally settle the matter troubling him. Unexpectedly, his departure from the Imperial Capital had become surprisingly fruitful.
With that pleasant thought, Elder Formless’s mood eased considerably, and he no longer urged Xu Qing Cang to quicken their pace. After all, killing Li Mu Sheng was just a matter of time.
…
One day later, as twilight approached, Hu Rui An’s group hurriedly reached Sheng Province Prefecture City. Though this city lacked the majestic scale of Great Li’s Imperial Capital, it was nonetheless impressively grand. As the bustling heart of Sheng Province and a vital crossroads for travelers and traders alike, it attracted endless streams of merchants and martial artists. The city’s liveliness rivaled even Shang Yang City, the Imperial Capital.
Yet, unlike the Imperial Capital’s orderly streets, Sheng Province’s Prefecture City appeared chaotic and disorderly. Even the city guards were loose and careless. Aside from enthusiastically extracting bribes from ordinary citizens, they dared not provoke the stronger-looking martial artists, allowing them to freely pass through.
Outside of Jing Province, this scene was typical across most provinces. Hu Rui An and his companions were accustomed to this laxness. Usually, if Wu Shang displayed even a glimpse of martial skill, the guards obediently stepped aside without trouble.
But this time, arriving at Sheng Province Prefecture City felt distinctly different. Just as they approached the city gate, hundreds of armored guards abruptly emerged from within the walls, scattering the common people who had been waiting in line.
In mere moments, they tightly surrounded Hu Rui An’s group like an iron wall. Or more accurately, they had surrounded Murong Feng and his hundred armored guards, while Hu Rui An’s party appeared merely caught in the crossfire—though perhaps intentionally, given that they traveled together.
As the group stood encircled, several figures clad in battle armor emerged atop the towering gate walls. Leading them was a stern-faced man around thirty years old. With bronze-colored skin and a stern gaze, he glared sharply downward.