Blade - Unbound

Flames, flashing blades, battle cries, and agonized screams...

The area around Long Wind Inn had transformed into a chaotic battlefield. At that point, the merchants and jianghu travelers trapped there had no choice but to fight for their lives.

They stood with familiar companions, some with their backs against cliffs while others took shelter among the trees. They all wielded blades, spears, staves, and clubs to fend off the bandits' assaults.

Truthfully speaking, the two sides were fairly equal in combat strength. Most of the merchants and jianghu wanderers knew little martial arts, making them only slightly stronger than ordinary people. When pressed into desperation, they simply hacked and slashed wildly.

The White Tiger Stronghold bandits weren't much better. Those who trained year-round, had strong physiques, and had reached the Light Jin Realm were already qualified to lead small squads. Those who reached the Dark Jin Realm could become one of the Four Beams or Eight Pillars. As for the rest, they relied entirely on ferocity and courage.

However, the bandits had better coordination and, after Bai Yanhu's training, understood basic battlefield cooperation. When some charged forward, others provided cover with arrows.

As a result, the various groups around the inn were forced into a defensive position.

"Move!"

Under a large tree, escort master Wu Mao shoved Scarry Yue aside. An arrow whistled through the air and embedded itself into the tree trunk right where Scarry Yue had been standing.

Seeing an opportunity, a bandit immediately thrust a spear toward Wu Mao.

Wu Mao came from the Mind-Intent Six Harmonies Sect. Though he had not yet entered the Dark Jin Realm, years of work escorting cargo had given him abundant combat experience. There was no way he would fall for such a simple attack.

He sidestepped, allowing the spear to pass beneath his arm. Then he clamped down with his arm, let out a shout, and seized the weapon. The bandit who had thrust at him stumbled forward before he could react. A moment later, Sha Lifei's blade flashed next and severed his neck.

With a spear in hand, Wu Mao's combat strength immediately rose. After all, he practiced the Six Directions Spear Technique. The spear art was widely known, yet its origins were extraordinary. According to the legends, it combined the essence of six famous spear styles, including those of Xiang Yu, Zhao Changsheng, the Luo Family Spear, Yang Family Spear, Gao Family Spear, and others.

Though somewhat exaggerated, the fact that it had survived the test of time and become a mandatory spear art in many sects spoke volumes of its quality. It emphasized the Three Internal Harmonies of essence, qi, and spirit, as well as the Three External Harmonies of one’s waist, feet, and eyes.

Its core movements could be summarized into three words: block, seize, and thrust.

They were highly practical. With a spear in hand, Wu Mao immediately dove into a triple-step spear sequence. After piercing two bandits to death in rapid succession, he retreated and swept the spear horizontally, blocking two incoming blades.

Sha Lifei snarled, "Die!"

He had excellent timing. He instantly slashed and wounded one of the attackers that had his blade parried by Wu Mao. The two men worked together seamlessly. One focused on offense while the other finished off wounded enemies.

However, the strongest among everyone present was still Troupe Master Zhou. He had already entered the Dark Jin Realm. Armed with twin short blades and trained in nimble close-range techniques, dealing with ordinary bandits should have been effortless. Yet, he dared not move recklessly.

A bandit stood opposite him. The man was bare-chested, covered in stubble, and had hair as messy as a beggar's.

Resting a curved blade on his shoulder, he looked at Troupe Master Zhou with mockery in his eyes. "Old man, you're already this old and still risking your life out here. Aren't you afraid you'll throw your back out?"

The man who was taunting Troupe Master Zhou was Bao Tie, the White Tiger Stronghold's "Sky-Supporting Beam."

The Sky-Supporting Beam was essentially the operational leader of the stronghold. Not only did he have to be strong, he also had to fear neither life nor death. He was effectively White Tiger Stronghold's second strongest fighter.

Although both men were experts in the Dark Jin Realm, youth was a tremendous advantage in combat. Moreover, Bao Tie was a battle-hardened bandit veteran. Troupe Master Zhou knew that once they started fighting, he would probably be killed within a few exchanges.

However, Bao Tie also refrained from acting rashly. He wasn't afraid to risk his life, but that didn't mean he wanted to.

Glancing around, he suddenly shouted, "Everyone fall back!"

Immediately, the bandits retreated and drew their bows. It wasn’t just those around him. Those around every other battlefield also moved back. The bandits regrouped and organized into archery formations.

At that moment, Bai Yanhu stepped forward with a dark expression. He had already received word that his mystic path practitioner had been killed amidst the chaos, but he had no time to dwell on it.

Looking at the wary crowd, he spoke in a hoarse voice, "Men die for wealth just as birds die for food. All of you make your living on the road as well. I've got important business tonight.

"I can let you go, but first I need one thing. Among you are people carrying secret escort shipments. Stop helping them. Hand them over, and I'll turn around and leave."

That had been his true objective all along. By launching a fierce assault first, he had hoped to frighten the jianghu crowd into avoiding further interference.

As expected, someone from a wagon-driver group shouted, "Chief Bai, it's not that we're trying to make trouble for you. We simply don't know who they are."

"That's right. I'm not stupid enough to die for someone else."

"Whoever's carrying the shipment, hurry up and hand it over! Don't treat us like fools!"

The crowd's dissatisfaction grew louder and louder. In truth, Bai Yanhu wasn't wrong. They all earned their living through hard work. Whether Lu Kang lived or died, whether the escort goods were stolen or not, had nothing to do with them.

Wu Mao glanced behind him and stepped forward helplessly, "Chief Bai, I'll hand over the goods. I only ask that you keep your word and spare these innocent fellow travelers."

As he spoke, he removed the three-stringed lute strapped to his back and snapped off the neck. Pearls the size of thumbs poured out across the ground, shimmering brilliantly under the firelight.

Someone immediately cried out, "Eastern Pearls!”

Those top-grade pearls from beyond the frontlines were worth a fortune. Many people could labor for over ten years and still fail to afford even a single one.

Wealth stirred greed and many eyes immediately turned red. Even Sha Lifei swallowed hard.

Damn you old man. If you had something this valuable, why didn't you say so? We could've split it and retired from the jianghu altogether...

Bai Yanhu nodded slightly. One of his bandits stepped forward and carefully collected the pearls into a leather pouch. The surrounding jianghu travelers watched with envy but dared not make a move. Instead, many began looking suspiciously at members of their own groups.

"Wu Mao, what the hell are you doing?!" At last, one of the escort masters carrying secret shipments could no longer endure it and stepped out angrily, "Do you not care about the reputation of your Six Harmonies Escort Agency anymore?!"

As long as the goods remained, the escort remained. If the goods were lost, the escort should die. That was an iron rule of the escort trade. Anyone who broke it wasn't merely destroying their own reputation, they were ruining the livelihood of the entire profession.

That was because such actions undermined everyone's trust.

"My friends." Wu Mao remained calm and shook his head. "Haven't you realized it yet? Something's wrong with this escort mission. From the moment we left Chang'an, someone had already sold us out."

His words caused many experts present to fall silent. All of them were veterans. How could they not have sensed that something was suspicious? They simply hadn’t been able to determine who was responsible.

Lu Kang? Impossible.

The shipment represented his entire fortune. If it was lost, the Lu Family would be finished.

A traitor within the escort agencies?

The participants who took part were all elite personnel from their respective agencies. No outsiders were involved. After considering every possibility, the most likely culprit was Li Siyuan. He stood to benefit the most.

The only thing was, such accusations couldn't be made lightly.

At that moment, impatience flashed through Bai Yanhu's eyes. "I'll tell you the truth. Lu Kang is already dead. Our White Tiger Stronghold's Stake-Piercing Pillar killed him and obtained the list of secret escorts."

He pulled out a cloth scroll and casually read several names. Those whose names were called out immediately paled. Lu Kang was dead. Could the Provincial Administration Minister really have been the one who leaked the information?

Everyone was thrown into confusion. Yet, the exposure of the list also gave them an excuse to surrender. After exchanging helpless glances, they began handing over their secret shipments.

The escort mission truly contained extraordinary wealth. Even divided into over a dozen portions, the value remained astonishing. Every time someone revealed another hidden shipment, the surrounding jianghu travelers swallowed hard.

Their eyes grew increasingly bloodshot, but Bai Yanhu merely sneered and ignored them. Then his gaze shifted toward Sha Lifei's group and asked, "What's inside that coffin?"

Wu Mao's expression darkened slightly. "Chief Bai, I've already handed over the goods. The coffin contains the remains of a senior jianghu figure being escorted back to his homeland."

"Enough nonsense." Bai Yanhu snorted coldly. "Open it. If it's really a corpse, I'll leave immediately."

Sha Lifei immediately snapped back, "You won't even leave the dead alone? Have you no shame at all?"

"Hahaha!"

The bandits burst into laughter.

One stuttering bandit grinned and said, "W-we rob money... a-and kill people... so w-what's the difference between t-that and robbing a dead man's money?"

As he spoke, he stepped forward. At that moment, an arrow shot from the darkness.

Thud!

It pierced straight into his leg.

The stuttering bandit collapsed while clutching his leg and screamed, "Aaagh!"

"Who did that?!"

"Someone's shooting hidden arrows! Find him!"

The bandits immediately erupted into commotion.

The archer was naturally Li Yan. After killing You Laosi and returning, he had already assessed the situation. If he rejoined the group, he would only add one more blade to their defense. But hidden, he posed a far greater threat.

As expected, Bai Yanhu's pupils contracted. He raised a hand, preventing the bandits from acting recklessly. Murderous light gleamed in his eyes as he stared into the dark forest. He knew that the hidden individual had killed many of his best archers and also eliminated You Laosi.

Ordinarily, he would never let such a person go, but time was running short. The opponent was also a mystic path practitioner skilled in concealment. Continuing the conflict could jeopardize everything.

After a moment's thought, Bai Yanhu said coldly, "Forget it. I'll let you live. Boys, grab the goods and move out!"

"Move out?!"

"You bastard, you're actually trying to run?!"

"Damn your ancestors!"

Several furious voices suddenly echoed from the distance. At the same time, a black mass of bandits surged in from all directions.

Bai Yanhu's face immediately darkened. The newcomers were the remaining bandit groups of Niubei Ridge, led by another scar-faced brute. Their leader dragged a man forward and kicked him onto the ground.

Upon closer inspection, it was the young man who had killed Lu Kang.

Stepping on the young man's head, the scar-faced bandit roared, "Bastard Bai, you damned scoundrel! You got the information first and tried to keep all the profits for yourself. You even dragged us into this with you!

"Damn you! Luckily I kept my guard up and captured your White Tiger Stronghold's Stake-Piercing Pillar. What do you have to say for yourself now?!"

The bandits behind him were disheveled and bloodshot-eyed. Clearly, they were furious.

"You want an explanation?" Bai Yanhu sneered, "What's there to say? The goods are right here. If you've got the guts, come and take them!"

Then he roared, "Boys! Break through!"

Instantly, the two sides smashed into each other. The sudden development left the jianghu travelers dumbfounded. None of them had expected the bandits to fight among each other. Some were tempted by the opportunity, but after looking at the blood-crazed bandits slaughtering each other in the distance, most decided that staying out of it was wiser.

A few, however, secretly followed the bandits.

Within the chaos, Bai Yanhu had already gone berserk. He was a peak Dark Jin Realm expert and wore chainmail armor. Ordinary weapons barely threatened him as his twin spiked caltrop hammers spun like a storm. Empowered by hidden force, every bandit who charged him had their skull smashed open like a watermelon.

With a roar, he engaged several rival bandit leaders at once.

Faced with the unfolding chaos, Li Yan's hidden threats no longer mattered. He emerged from the forest and ran back to the group. "Don't move around. Stay where you are. The real players are about to arrive."

Sha Lifei blinked in confusion. "The real players?"

Rumble! Rumble!

Before he could say another word, the ground began trembling. Shock filled everyone’s eyes as they saw a massive cavalry force approaching. The thunder of countless horses galloping together shook the earth.

"Kill!"

The pounding of hooves merged with deafening battle cries. A river of fire burst around the bend of Niubei Ridge.

The imperial garrison troops had arrived! The military's combat power was naturally incomparable to that of bandits. Though not equal to frontier veterans hardened by a hundred battles, they were disciplined and well-trained. Breaking off, they advanced in teams of three riders.

One carried a torch while the other two nocked arrows. Each arrow had a bamboo tube filled with gunpowder tied to it.

In an instant, the sky was filled with flaming arrows.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions erupted across the battlefield. It wasn't modern gunpowder and barely injured anyone, but in the darkness, the thunderous detonations were terrifying enough. The bandits immediately fell into disarray.

Without the natural defenses of Niubei Ridge, how could they possibly fight back against imperial troops?

They forgot treasure and loot as they scattered in all directions, scrambling up the mountainsides.

As the saying went: “Once an army collapses, it collapses like a mountain.”

The bandits thought only of escape, allowing the garrison cavalry to effortlessly slaughter them. Long spears thrust left and right, leaving trails of corpses behind them.

The jianghu travelers watched as their minds went numb. The night's constant upheavals had already exhausted their ability to be surprised.

Now that imperial troops had arrived, human lives seemed cheaper than grass. Fortunately, the cavalry did not begin indiscriminate slaughter. One rider galloped over and shouted while brandishing a spear, "The bandits of Niubei Ridge obstructed trade routes and murdered imperial officials. Their crimes are unforgivable! To prevent fugitives from escaping among you, nobody is permitted to move!

"Remain here until dawn for inspection. Anyone who leaves without permission dies!"

After delivering the order, he spurred his horse onward and resumed pursuing the fleeing bandits.

"Young Hero Li... what do we do?" Scarry Yue looked at Li Yan nervously. The events of the night had nearly frightened him senseless.

Li Yan shook his head. "Don't worry. Just wait. They've achieved everything they wanted and even earned merit by killing bandits. They're in a good mood. They won't make things difficult for us."

Scarry Yue looked confused. Beside him, Wu Mao could only smile bitterly. He opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something. But in the end, he found the effort meaningless.

***

At dawn, the smell of gunpowder mixed with blood drifted through the cold wind.

Slash!

A bandit's head was lopped off his shoulder.

The soldiers laughed and joked as they tossed heads onto a cart. The cart bed had severed heads piled up like a mountain. The Xuan Dynasty awarded military merit based on how many enemy heads they brought back.

Though half the bandits had escaped into the mountains, four to five hundred heads still represented substantial merit.

"Madam Lu, please accept my condolences." On the Niubei Ridge official road, the garrison commander clasped his hands solemnly. "Rest assured, we won't let a single mountain bandit escape.

"We'll kill them all and comfort Lord Lu's spirit in heaven. Furthermore, I will assign troops to escort you the rest of the way. No bandit will be allowed to disturb Lord Lu again."

Beside him, Feng Ping's face was flushed red with anger, yet he dared not say a word.

Madam Lu, her face streaked with tears, nodded. "This old woman thanks the General."

Hatred filled her heart as well, but she dared not reveal it. Supported by attendants, she slowly climbed into the carriage.

Watching the departing convoy, a trace of mockery appeared in the commander's eyes before he turned around. "Let them pass."

With a single order, the Niubei Ridge checkpoint reopened. The merchants and jianghu travelers who had been stranded for days finally breathed a sigh of relief and lined up to pass through.

The corpse-escorting group was naturally among them.

Wang Daoxuan had mostly recovered. With a bitter smile, he said, "This journey has truly been anything but peaceful."

Sha Lifei shook his head. "Don't worry. Once we pass the Yingpan Relay Station ahead, it'll be smooth sailing all the way to Fengyang."

Li Yan glanced back at Niubei Ridge as a trace of doubt flashed through his eyes. He quickly turned away.

"Let's go."

Rustle!

Wang Daoxuan tossed a handful of spirit money into the air. "May the dead return home safely. And may nothing come to disturb us!"