Rumble——
The rumbling sound of horses' hooves resounded across the wilderness.
More than a thousand cavalrymen in light armor galloped in from the direction of Jianyang City. In the front, three hundred of them held long horse spears that were two zhang in length, and behind them were soldiers armed with bows, crossbows, sabers, and shields.
Most of the people in Baisu Town were martial artists traveling from all directions. They all had a good foundation in martial arts. However, the army was also part of the martial arts world. It wasn't that they didn't practice martial arts. Many of those who taught martial arts were famous masters from martial arts sects in the Jianghu, and their martial arts inheritance was more orthodox than that of most ordinary Jianghu practitioners.
An ordinary soldier might not be a match for a Jianghu martial artist in a one-on-one fight. But when a thousand soldiers were clad in armor and held powerful bows and crossbows, forming a battle formation, if Jianghu martial artists charged at them in a group, perhaps seven or eight out of ten of them would die before they even reached the soldiers.
Therefore, the moment the army's vanguard appeared, Baisu Town was in an uproar. Countless Jianghu martial artists used their various skills and began to flee in all directions towards the mountains and fields.
The disciples of Xianyue Tower didn't understand the situation. They didn't dare to leave their station without permission, nor did they dare to attack the approaching army rashly. They could only hide their weapons and stand on the outskirts of the town, on high alert, waiting for orders.
Yejingtang led Luo Ning out of Xianyue Alley. After confirming that they weren't being followed, they quickly came to an alley.
Sanniang had sensed that something was wrong and was already waiting in the alley with the horses. When she saw the two of them come back, she quickly asked:
"Why did the government troops come?"
"I don't know."
Yejingtang came to the horse and quickly tore off his robe, putting on the robe of a Black Yamen arrestor to avoid being accidentally injured by the government troops as a thief:
"The confidant of the Prince of Wu has shown up. I've sent the bird to follow him. Let the government troops deal with the lackeys of Xianyue Tower. We're going to chase after Bai Siming."
The two women didn't say anything more upon hearing this. They put on the prepared dark green robes, wore bamboo hats, and dressed up as Black Yamen arrestors. They mounted their horses and followed Yejingtang out of the alley, charging towards the back of the town.
The town was already in chaos. There were commoners running home everywhere and Jianghu martial artists fleeing for their lives. Clearly, many people could be seen leaping out from the buildings near Xianyue Alley and fleeing towards the mountains behind the town.
Yejingtang held a long spear and galloped on his horse. Just after running less than half a street, he saw a large group of light cavalry pouring out from the crossroads ahead. In the front was a fierce horse, on which sat a military officer wearing a red cape.
The light cavalry behind held powerful bows. When they saw the Jianghu martial artists brandishing their weapons, without any hesitation, they launched a shower of arrows and shouted along the way:
"All of you get down on the ground! Those who move without permission will be killed on the spot!"
Yejingtang and Pei Xiangjun held their long spears and galloped over from the side street, making quite a commotion.
The more than a hundred light cavalry who had charged past the street corner immediately turned their horses around and charged towards Yejingtang. Seeing that the three of them had an imposing manner and seemed like masters, and that they didn't obey the order to dismount and lie on the ground honestly, dozens of light cavalry drew their bows and nocked their arrows when they were still a hundred paces away.
Yejingtang was wearing the robe of the Black Yamen. Seeing that the other side had such poor eyesight, he could only take out his waist token and shout loudly:
"The Black Yamen is ordered by Prince Jing to pursue the remnants of the Prince of Wu. Stop!"
The dozens of charging light cavalry recognized that Yejingtang was wearing the robe of an arrestor upon hearing his words, and they immediately put away their bows and arrows.
The military officer at the street corner, seeing this, turned his horse around and rode dozens of steps away. After confirming that it was the token of the Black Yamen, he called out from a distance:
"Just now, we received an anonymous tip that Bai Siming, a retainer of the Prince of Wu, was meeting with the rebels of the Pingtian Sect here. I've come to arrest them. How's the situation in the town?"
Yejingtang had just revealed his identity as a member of the Pingtian Sect, and only the side of the Prince of Wu knew about this. Upon hearing these words, he knew that someone on the side of the Prince of Wu had leaked the news and betrayed him.
"I haven't seen the rebels of the Pingtian Sect. Xianyue Tower has secretly colluded with the Prince of Wu and imprisoned many commoners in Xianyue Alley. I hope the general will go and rescue them quickly..."
After briefly explaining the situation, Yejingtang turned his horse around and led Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning to chase towards the mountains in the northwest...
———
The moonlight was as frosty as snow, and there were ghostly shadows among the mountains and forests.
The rugged mountain roads were difficult for horses to enter, and the armored soldiers with guns couldn't run fast either. Therefore, the Jianghu martial artists who had fled from Baisu Town all fled into the mountains without any discussion.
Among them, Bai Siming and the others were the fastest.
In the past two days, since something had happened to the Prince of Wu, Huang Yulong had known that they might have to flee. He had already asked the third leader of Xianyue Tower to settle his family members in other places, and the family property that could be taken away had also been transferred. So when the troops arrived, they fled cleanly and quickly.
As for the hundreds of disciples in the town, they were all outer disciples who paid to learn martial arts. They were placed in Baisu Town to maintain the appearance and prevent the government from becoming suspicious in advance. Now that the government troops had attacked, the smart ones knew to leave far away and meet again in the Jianghu; those who didn't know to run could only be said to be unsuitable for the Jianghu.
After rushing out of Baisu Town, Huang Yulong looked back and saw that there was a lot of fire near Xianyue Alley, and the disciples had already engaged in a fight with the government troops. Since there were no large groups of troops chasing after them, he finally had the chance to catch his breath:
"Lord Bai, that woman just now is definitely the Fairy of the Moon Palace. I won't admit it wrong. Could it be that the Pingtian Sect has secretly accepted amnesty?"
Xiao Shichen, who was holding a long weapon wrapped in black cloth by his side, shook his head and said:
"It's impossible. The Pingtian Sect is the overlord of the Jianghu and is known for its tough stance. They didn't accept amnesty even when they were running out of ammunition and food in the past. Now that their power is so great, why would the leader of the Pingtian Sect surrender without a fight?"
Bai Siming walked in front, his face extremely gloomy. In his heart, he thought that Xiao Shichen's opinion was right, and the Pingtian Sect might not be a problem.
But the Prince of Wu was already in a desperate situation. Trusting anyone blindly would lead to a dead end.
Bai Siming secretly considered and felt that it was a bit risky to directly return to Fulong Cave. He said:
"I don't know where the news was leaked from, and our whereabouts have already been discovered by the government troops. We don't dare to go near the Prince in a short time. Let's first go to Tiehe Villa to recruit people. If it really doesn't work, we'll break through the checkpoints ourselves and escape from Wuzhou."
Huang Yulong didn't say much, and the three of them quickly moved forward in the mountains.
But after walking just a few li and passing through a bamboo forest, Bai Siming suddenly stopped in his tracks and raised his hand.
The two people behind immediately held their breath and stopped in their tracks.
Shasha sha——
The gentle night wind blew through the green bamboo forest covering several mountains, making a fine sound like the waves.
The light in the bamboo forest was dim. Except for the chirping of a few birds and insects, no living creatures could be seen. It was as silent as a land of the dead.
Huang Yulong held a short weapon wrapped in yellow cloth and leaned against Xiao Shichen's back, asking in a low voice:
"Is there any movement?"
Bai Siming held a folding fan and listened carefully to the movements deep in the bamboo forest. Then he turned his gaze towards the dim area on the side of the bamboo forest, frowning and looking carefully.
Ca~ca~...
Soon, the slight sound of boots stepping on bamboo leaves came from the depths of the dim bamboo forest.
The footsteps were unhurried. Just by listening to the sound, one could feel the calm and ease, as if it were an experienced hunter approaching a prey trapped by a beast trap.
Huang Yulong and Xiao Shichen's faces changed slightly. They silently turned their heads and looked towards the depths of the bamboo forest.
The moonlight shone through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting flickering reflections on the ground. Further away was the endless dimness and stillness.
The slight footsteps sounded from the darkness. As the three of them watched, a figure slowly emerged with its outline.
The figure was quite tall, wearing a dark green robe. There was a saber hanging behind the waist, and a long weapon wrapped in black cloth was also held in the hand.
As the figure approached, by the dim moonlight, it could be seen that the person had sword-shaped eyebrows and starry eyes, and was very handsome. There was a waist token hanging on the side of the waist, engraved with the character "arrestor".
Although the person was alone and seemed vulnerable, those eyes were so calm that there was not a trace of emotion, as if they had just walked out of the underworld, a cold-faced judge coming here to claim souls.
Ca, ca～
Although the footsteps were light, they struck the hearts of the three men with each step.
Bai Siming saw that the other party had an imposing manner and didn't dare to be careless. He tapped his palm with the folding fan and took the lead in saying:
"Did you come here alone, sir?"
Yejingtang walked unhurriedly to a distance of ten zhang and looked at the three bandit leaders who were alone:
"I'm an official. How could I go out to handle things alone?"
Tata~~
There was movement again on the left and right sides of the bamboo forest. Two ghostly figures quickly shuttled through the bamboo forest and stopped at a distance of ten zhang. One held a long spear, and the other held a sword.
Bai Siming glanced out of the corner of his eye:
"Just three of you?"
Yejingtang slowly untied the black cloth wrapping the Minglong Spear and said calmly:
"There are more than five hundred government troops behind."
"..."
Bai Siming felt that his question was a bit silly. The government lacked many things, but it was never short of reinforcements.
If they engaged in a fight here and were held back, the three of them would surely die.
Therefore, Bai Siming gave up the idea of fighting head-on. He tapped the folding fan in his hand twice and said:
"Everyone tries to save themselves. The more who can get away, the better."
Huang Yulong didn't say anything. He paid attention to the movements of the three people around him, untied the yellow cloth strip, and revealed a big saber with nine copper rings on the back of the blade.
Xiao Shichen leaned against Huang Yulong's back, took off the spear sheath, and revealed a double-headed spear that was seven chi long. He held it horizontally in his hand.
Weng~~~
Yejingtang stood where he was, raised the spear with one hand, and pointed it at Bai Siming. As the side catching the thieves, he was in no hurry to attack and waited for the other side to make the first move.
Bai Siming obviously couldn't afford to delay. After scanning the positions of the three arrestors out of the corner of his eye, he slightly twisted his right foot.
Ca——
The tip of his shoe kicked into the soil, directly creating an oval pit in the ground covered with fallen leaves. The soil splashed, and his figure retreated at the same time.
Xiao Shichen and Huang Yulong didn't need to be reminded and followed Bai Siming to flee backwards.
Hua la la——
The overwhelming soil and broken leaves obscured the view ahead.
According to common sense, Yejingtang should have leaped or dodged to avoid the flying sand and stones and then pursued.
But to the surprise of the three of them, at the same time that Bai Siming made a move, a dull sound came from the silent bamboo forest.
Boom!
Yejingtang's body shook slightly. He held the tail of the spear with one hand, retracted and released his right arm, and with a move of "Azure Dragon Presents Its Claw," he threw the spear out.
Shu——
The long spear that was over a zhang long was like a giant arrow shot out by an eight-ox crossbow, with a terrifying whistling sound of breaking the wind. It cleared a long black soil groove on the ground covered with fallen leaves.
The oncoming soil in the air, when it touched the tip of the spear, was swept up by the air current and turned into a whirlpool, forcefully creating a circular void in the air.
Qiang lang——
At the same time, the clear sound of the saber being unsheathed pierced through the bamboo forest.
The moment Yejingtang threw out the Minglong Spear, the Chilong Saber in his left hand had already been unsheathed, bringing out a dazzling white light in the dim bamboo forest. It almost followed the tail of the spear and slashed towards the three people in front.
Seeing this terrifying power, astonishment flashed in the eyes of all three of them.
Bai Siming had the highest martial arts skills and naturally the fastest movement. He retreated without any hesitation and just threw the folding fan in his hand towards the incoming spear tip.
Xiao Shichen's martial arts skills were not even as good as Wang Chenjing, the Mountain-Breaking Tiger. He was the slowest. This sudden spear directly struck his chest and abdomen, and his dodge was hasty. There was also a saber as fast as thunder following behind. He would definitely be instantly killed in the next moment, and his heart was filled with despair.
However, after all, Huang Yulong was one of the leaders of the four major sects in Wuzhou. His reaction was much quicker. He could have followed Bai Siming to retreat, but seeing that his brother was about to be killed by the saber, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, raised the Nine-Ring Saber in his hand, and slashed at the Minglong Spear.
The irresistible long spear stabbed the folding fan held by Bai Siming in the air. The folding fan exploded and shattered in the air, and its remaining force continued to stab towards Xiao Shichen's heart.
Huang Yulong slashed with all his might, and the Minglong Spear was forcefully lifted and shot into the air.
And Yejingtang followed the spear. The moment Huang Yulong made a move, he rushed in front of the two of them and slashed at Huang Yulong's waist and abdomen with the saber in his left hand.
Xiao Shichen and Huang Yulong had a very good cooperation. Seeing that Huang Yulong had helped to relieve the siege, he raised the double-headed spear and placed it beside Huang Yulong's waist, trying to block the saber for him.
But Xiao Shichen obviously underestimated the gap between them.
Dang——
There was a loud explosion of metal clashing.
The saber as fast as thunder slashed on the double-headed spear. The moment the air current erupted, it directly shattered the tiger's mouth of Xiao Shichen's left hand.
An irresistible huge force pressed down. Xiao Shichen's left arm couldn't hold on for even a moment, causing the tip of the spear to move backward and hit Huang Yulong's waist and abdomen.
Peng!
The Eight-Step Fierce Saber techniques were closely linked. As soon as Yejingtang made a saber move, he had already passed the handle of the saber to his right hand and stabbed the tip of the saber forward towards Xiao Shichen's left chest!
Pu——
Huang Yulong reacted extremely quickly. He knocked the Minglong Spear away with a saber. When his waist and abdomen were hit by the spear shaft, the Nine-Ring Saber in his hand also slashed down to block Yejingtang's long saber.
The Nine-Ring Saber was a heavy saber. Although it wasn't as exaggerated as the Junshan Saber, it still weighed sixteen jin. The nine copper rings on the back of the blade served as weights to increase the slashing force.
Dang——
The two blades met, and the fallen leaves under Yejingtang's feet were instantly shaken away by the air current, creating a circular empty area.
"Ha!"
Huang Yulong's muscles bulged all over his body. He wanted to press down the blade of the saber to hold Yejingtang down and let Xiao Shichen make a supplementary stab.
But the moment he slashed and released the force, Yejingtang had already retracted his saber as soon as he made contact and retreated backward, landing three zhang away.
Ta——
Huang Yulong pressed down in vain and immediately retracted the saber and stood it in front of him, staring at Yejingtang's movements. A look of shock flashed in his eyes.
Yejingtang stood in the bamboo forest with his left hand behind his back and his right hand holding the saber obliquely pointing at the ground. At the tip of the silver saber blade, there was a two-inch-long streak of scarlet.
Because the saber didn't touch much blood, the scarlet blood gathered towards the tip of the saber and turned into a drop of blood, which fell on the dry bamboo leaves.
Di da～
The Minglong Spear that had been spinning in the air for several circles finally fell from the