Chapter 109 - 108: Guan Yingxing
「Western Grassland, Tolin Riverbank.」
Chen Yuan had Lu Li buy two sheep from some herding Grassland People, and now they were roasting them whole by the river.
Flames licked at the tender lamb as fat dripped onto the charcoal, making a SIZZLING sound.
Chen Yuan sliced off a piece with his knife. Even with just a simple sprinkle of coarse salt, it was exceptionally delicious—crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
"Come on, everyone, have a taste. This mutton is really something else."
Lu Li took a large bite of the meat, his mouth slick with grease, nodding enthusiastically.
Cui Guan, on the other hand, ate with abnormal speed, practically wolfing down his food. It was as if eating was nothing more than a necessary process to maintain his stamina.
Yang Zhicai, however, found he couldn’t taste a thing.
They had followed Chen Yuan to the Western Grassland for seven days now, spending the entire time idling by the Tolin River, with no idea what Chen Yuan was planning.
Finally, he couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, "My lord, what exactly are we doing out here? We’re still quite a distance from both the Celestial Star Ranch and the Flying Horse Pavilion."
Lu Li, who was gnawing on a leg of lamb nearby, pursed his lips.
’This guy really has no patience,’ he thought. ’Not like me. When Lord Chen told me to kill, I killed. Not a moment’s hesitation.’
"We’re waiting for someone."
Chen Yuan said faintly, "The Tolin River originates in the heart of the Grassland. The Celestial Star Ranch always follows the river when acquiring foals."
"For the past few years, the one responsible for buying foals from the Grassland’s interior has been Guan Yingxing, the Young Master of the Celestial Star Ranch. He should be on his way back around this time."
Yang Zhicai was slightly taken aback.
’Lord Chen seems to know a lot about the Celestial Star Ranch,’ he wondered. ’Could it be that he researched the local Jianghu Forces so thoroughly even before taking office?’
Just then, the thunderous roar of horse hooves echoed from the distance, accompanied by the sounds of shouting and killing.
Hearing this, Chen Yuan immediately threw down his piece of mutton and vaulted onto his horse.
"Let’s go take a look."
The other three mounted up as well. When they arrived at the scene, they saw over a hundred bandits besieging a caravan of horses.
The caravan was leading over a thousand horses. Although they also numbered around a hundred people, most were simple herders; only about thirty were actual Martial Artist guards.
The young man in the lead had a decent Cultivation at the Qi Casting Realm, and two of the guards were at the Sea of Reincarnation Realm.
But their attackers included a full four Martial Artists at the Sea of Reincarnation Realm, and their leader was at the Peak of Sea Realm, his Saber Technique exquisite and ruthless.
Yang Zhicai took a closer look and immediately said, "My lord, that’s the Celestial Star Ranch’s caravan! The one in the lead is their Young Master, Guan Yingxing."
"But the Guan Family has been operating here for a long time. All the Grassland Tribes along this route are on good terms with them, and they’ve paid off all the nearby bandits and horse bandits. How could anyone dare to plunder a Celestial Star Ranch caravan?"
Cui Guan said grimly, "Because these aren’t local bandits. This group is the Ghost Owl Thieves, who are active in the Desolate Heaven Ridge. Their leader, ’One Slash Severing the Soul’ Sha Tianwei, is notorious in that area for his ferocious Saber Technique."
"Let’s move. Take out the Ghost Owl Thieves and save Guan Yingxing."
Chen Yuan glanced at Lu Li and Yang Zhicai. "The two of you don’t need to engage. Just stay on the sidelines and provide support."
Although Yang Zhicai was a Captain at the Qi Casting Realm, his strength could only be described as mediocre.
And while Lu Li was brave and willing to fight, and even had the Profound Celestial Observation Technique from Chen Yuan, he was still young and only at the Blood Movement Realm.
The two of them were fine for handling tasks, but a brutal, life-or-death battle like this was no place for them.
Guan Yingxing was around thirty years old. Though he was the Young Master of the Celestial Star Ranch, he had been accompanying his father into the depths of the Grassland to buy foals since he was a boy, dealing with Grassland Tribes that were sometimes friendly but other times incomparably fierce.
He was not some spoiled silk-panted heir; on the contrary, he had a steady and down-to-earth temperament.
But now, faced with this sudden, deadly ambush, Guan Yingxing was completely stunned.
"Warriors, I am Guan Yingxing, the Young Master of the Celestial Star Ranch. You must have heard my name."
"We were in the depths of the Grassland to buy foals. All our money is spent. We’re only bringing back these young horses."
"Even if you slaughter all of us, all you’ll get are some immature foals that won’t sell for a good price."
"If it’s wealth you’re after, the Celestial Star Ranch has no shortage of money!"
"As long as you let us live, you can name any price."
"If you don’t trust us, I can stay behind as a hostage. Let the others go back to fetch the ransom for my release."
Guan Yingxing had pleaded to this extent, but the Ghost Owl Thieves merely let out sinister laughs and didn’t reply, their attacks only growing more vicious.
When the Celestial Star Ranch guards heard their Young Master offer himself as a hostage to save their lives, they were deeply moved, and their morale surged for a moment.
But morale was one thing, and reality was another.
The Ghost Owl Thieves were powerful and numerous. The guards of the Celestial Star Ranch were simply no match for them and were still being slaughtered.
Just as Guan Yingxing was beginning to despair, two riders suddenly charged into the fray from the left and right.
Demonic Qi surged from the Cyan Dragon Blood Drink in Chen Yuan’s hand. With a single downward slash, all the bandits in his path were decapitated.
Cui Guan also used sabers, but his were a pair of Curved Sabers shaped like full moons.
Although he was already at the Sea of Reincarnation Realm, he kept his True Qi contained. Black-red True Qi swirled around his Curved Sabers, and his Sword Momentum was unbelievably fast and exceptionally ruthless.
Wherever he passed, his Curved Sabers danced like crimson wheels, leaving a trail of severed limbs in their wake!
The Ghost Owl Thief Leader, Sha Tianwei, was bald, with a face full of brutish muscle and a savage expression.
Seeing this, he roared in fury, "Meddling fools! You’re courting death!"
As his voice fell, Sha Tianwei, wielding a Horse-Cutting Saber, wheeled his mount around and charged straight for Chen Yuan.
He slashed down, his saber wreathed in fierce, berserk black True Qi. The Sword Momentum howled as it descended, and one could faintly hear the wail of a vengeful ghost.
The black True Qi twisting around the blade even seemed to take on the form of a vicious demon.
The power of this strike was peerless, especially with Sha Tianwei charging on horseback, using the momentum of his mount to amplify his slash. On a battlefield, it would be an ultimate killing move.
In the instant the saber was about to strike, Chen Yuan formed a Seal Technique with his hands, and a brilliant, dazzling golden Buddha Light erupted from his body.
Buddhist True Qi vibrated through the air, erupting into a deafening wave of Buddhist Chanting!
The Six Paths of Vajra Mantra of Master Padmasambhava!
The moment the Spell appeared, it suppressed evil, shattered demons, and cleared all obstacles!
In an instant, the grand and majestic Buddhist Spell completely shattered the ghost-like black True Qi on Sha Tianwei’s Horse-Cutting Saber.
The immense power shook his mind. An image of a Buddhist Vajra appeared before Sha Tianwei’s eyes—its visage solemn, holding a Demon-Subduing Pestle, roaringly rebuking him for his wanton slaughter of the innocent and his grievous sins!
But Sha Tianwei was a veteran bandit who had killed countless people and committed every evil imaginable throughout his life. When had he ever felt a shred of remorse?
Even burdened by sin, he would die without regret!
With a furious roar, Sha Tianwei finally broke free from the influence of the Six Paths of Vajra Mantra of Master Padmasambhava.
But in the next moment, what met him was a magnificent stream of blood-red light.
Like a Blood River reversing its flow, ultimate Blood Qi combined with a powerful and domineering Saber Intent slashed down.
Before the Blood Refining Divine Saber, the Horse-Cutting Saber in Sha Tianwei’s hands instantly shattered.
Chen Yuan’s slash cleaved both rider and horse in two. The man’s flesh and entrails mixed with the horse’s in an exceptionally gruesome scene.
After that single slash, everyone present, whether from the Celestial Star Ranch or the Ghost Owl Thieves, froze in place, staring dumbfounded at the scene before them.
Sha Tianwei’s nickname was One Slash Severing the Soul. His Saber Technique was so domineering and ruthless that he often killed Martial Artists of the same realm in a single blow.
Who would have thought that Sha Tianwei, the One Slash Severing the Soul, would have his own soul severed by another’s slash today?
’This young man... such terrifying strength, such a ferocious Saber Technique!’
After a moment of shock, the remaining Ghost Owl Thieves turned to flee.
Cui Guan seized the opportunity. His Curved Sabers spun, his movements swift and vicious, and he diced a Sea of Reincarnation Realm Ghost Owl Thief into pieces.
The men from the Celestial Star Ranch also snapped out of it and immediately began to counterattack.
Two Honored Guest Elders at the Sea of Reincarnation Realm struck out with vengeful fury, ganging up on a Sea of Reincarnation Realm Ghost Owl Thief and killing him as well.
In the blink of an eye, three of the four Sea of Reincarnation Realm Martial Artists among the Ghost Owl Thieves had been slain. The last one was terrified and spurred his horse into a desperate gallop.
But just then, an explosion of True Qi sounded from behind him.
Before he could react, a monstrous wave of Demonic Qi, carrying an ear-piercing Demon Sound, howled toward him.
Chen Yuan struck with a Great Celestial Demon Seal, blasting the Sea of Reincarnation Realm Ghost Owl Thief so hard he coughed up blood.
Even the warhorse beneath him couldn’t withstand the immense force; its legs snapped instantly, throwing the rider through the air.
Before the Ghost Owl Thief could get up, the blade of Chen Yuan’s Cyan Dragon Blood Drink was already at his neck.
"Spa—"
Before the word could leave his mouth, Chen Yuan jabbed a finger directly into his Dantian. Power flooded into his body, instantly shattering his Dantian and Reincarnation Sea. The man spat out another mouthful of blood, his face turning ashen.
By the time Chen Yuan walked back, dragging the Ghost Owl Thief with him, the men from the Celestial Star Ranch had already killed many of the bandits.
They didn’t pursue the rest who had fled—not because they didn’t want to, but because they were nearly exhausted themselves.
Seeing Chen Yuan return with a captive, Guan Yingxing hurried over and gave him a deep, formal bow.
"I am Guan Yingxing of the Celestial Star Ranch. Thank you, benefactor, for saving my life!"
"May I ask for my benefactor’s name? I will never forget this kindness and will repay it a hundredfold!"
The gratitude on Guan Yingxing’s face was not faked.
In that moment of crisis, he had been utterly hopeless. He never imagined someone would suddenly come to their aid.
"It was nothing. I am Chen Tian, the Inspector of Kaiping Prefecture."
Guan Yingxing stared at Chen Yuan, completely bewildered. "Shouldn’t the Inspector of Kaiping Prefecture be Qi Yuanming?"
It had been less than three months in total since Chen Yuan joined the Zhenwu Hall.
And Guan Yingxing’s trip to the Grassland interior to buy foals had taken three months, round trip.
In his mind, the Inspector of Kaiping Prefecture was still Qi Yuanming; he had no idea about the major events that had recently shaken Kaiping Prefecture.
Yang Zhicai chimed in from the side, "Young Master Guan, do you remember me? Qi Yuanming was killed by fiends from the Blood God Sect. Kaiping Prefecture is now under Lord Chen’s authority."
With that, Yang Zhicai briefly explained to Guan Yingxing the recent events that had occurred in Kaiping Prefecture.