As Li Yan and Mo Cheng rode away, Li Fucai's First Madam stood quietly at his side.
"Husband, just who is this Young Master Li? How could he earn such high praise from you?"
"Shh. Not only is this man formidable, he is ruthless and black-hearted... Heh heh, I'm afraid you don't know that Black Cloud Stronghold's vast force of over a thousand men—including its chief, Long Tonghai, and all the lesser commanders—was nearly halved by him!"
"What?!" First Madam cried out delicately, as though she had been badly frightened.
"Sigh, you sisters truly suffered too, cooped up in that residence for so many days without even learning of this." Li Fucai shook his head with a sigh, then said with a chuckle, "You probably don't know yet that, at this very moment, those eighteen fiends of Three Fiends Ridge have also vanished without a trace."
"Him again?"
"Him again."
"Hiss... What a savage fiend!"
"Oh, don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Your husband will cherish you~~"
"Oh, you're awful. We're still outside..."
While the two were being lovey-dovey, a figure arrived at the foot of the already charred Dark Cloud Peak.
The newcomer looked around. After confirming there was no one nearby, he climbed the mountain, paying no heed to the stronghold's blackened ruins, where countless ashes mingled with ghastly white bones.
He slowly paced through the ashes. Every time he set a foot down, he paused for a moment. Before long, he stopped at the place where Long Tonghai's room had once stood.
With a sweep of his wide sleeve, the ashes beneath him whirled away in all directions, exposing the scorched earth below.
He then reached down and felt around the ground. Suddenly, he slapped the earth, and a hidden compartment sprang open.
The instant he saw the utterly empty compartment, his expression turned incomparably ugly.
Just then, a sharp whistle split the air behind him.
Sensing the fierce sound of something cutting through the air at his back, the man was startled. He hastily flipped into the air like a soaring kite, barely dodging a short spear thrusting in to kill him.
But the killing intent had not passed. The ambusher at his back closed in at that moment, the other short spear in his hand flickering again and again, dazzling like a blooming rose.
Only, this rose took lives.
"Hmph, courting death!"
With an angry roar, the man shook his arms. The sleeves on both sides tore apart, and two pairs of steel claws collided head-on with the incoming short spears.
The two figures crossed past each other and faced one another from afar.
"Twin Spears Flourishing Dance. You must be Wu Qinghua."
Wu Qinghua hooked the short spear he had thrown up with one foot. Only after spinning two spear flowers with the twin spears in his hands did he say, "You flatter me. It is indeed I."
"Judging by those hooked claws, you must be from the Azure Vulture Camp under that old thief Wu Zongren. Instead of being decent men, you insist on being dogs for a treacherous villain. No matter what, I cannot spare you today."
Hearing this, the newcomer narrowed his eyes. "Other than the Grand Commandant, everyone who knew of the Azure Vulture Camp has already died. Where did you learn my identity?"
"Wait... You... you're from Black River!"
Black River was an organization unknown to most of the martial world. The reason was simple: it had not the slightest interest in becoming famous throughout the martial world, fighting over territory, or building a reputation. Its sole purpose for existing was to overthrow Grand Commandant Wu Zongren and return an age of peace to the common people.
Its members were spread throughout the martial world. They could be high-ranking court officials, common street peddlers, or even companions recruited from prisons and death-row camps.
Anyone who bore hatred toward Wu Zongren was a potential recruit.
"Hahahahaha! I only came to investigate why Black Cloud Stronghold was destroyed, yet I never expected Black River to be stirring up trouble behind the scenes. Fine then—today is destined to be the day Wu Jiu rises to greatness!"
"Once I capture you, I naturally have ways to force the Black River's leads out of you."
As his words fell, True Qi surged around both men, transforming into spiraling vortices that sent everything nearby dancing wildly through the air.
These two were both experts above the Eighth Level of Meridian Opening. When such powerhouses clashed, the result would naturally be earth-shattering.
Who knew what sins Dark Cloud Peak had committed in its previous life? After being burned black from end to end, it now had to suffer the ravaging of such formidable men.
Speaking of two matters at once, after leaving Duobao Town, Li Yan and Mo Cheng spurred their horses onward at full speed. Dongjiang City was two days away from here; if they did not race day and night, going there would be pointless.
Passing a large carriage inn, the two stopped for the moment to give their horses time to rest.
"Brother Li, how should we act on this journey? Do you have any thoughts?" Mo Cheng spoke first, wanting to know how Li Yan intended to handle the situation before them.
"Not Li..."
"What?"
"Brother Mo, please allow me to offer an apology. When I met you that day, I concealed something. My surname is not Li. It is Wan—my name is Wan Sanhuo."
"Wan Sanhuo... It's you!"
Mo Cheng's eyes brightened slightly. "The ruthless man who, with one man and one blade, killed nearly two hundred Fierce Wind Bandits in just two days, even beheading two of their chiefs?"
"Good news truly never leaves the house..."
Li Yan revealed a bitter smile, though he had been observing every change in Mo Cheng's expression all along.
"Eh~ That isn't bad news!"
"Whom did you kill? Those mounted bandits were thieves, scourges that plagued the region!"
"So the one in the wrong isn't you, but Dongjiang City's lord. That idiot actually wanted to bow his head to a pack of bandits. It's simply laughable!"
Mo Cheng's expression was resolute. When he spoke of Huang Lingyan, his face brimmed with fury, as though Huang Lingyan were an utterly hopeless, colossal fool.
"Brother Wan, there is no need to worry. Killing people is nothing more than a trifling matter. Forget killing a hundred men—go look at the border. Among those experts who joined the army, which one has killed few people?"
"When facing those who deserve to die, the more you kill, the greater your merit."
"Those Fierce Wind Bandits deserved their deaths!"
That patient, guiding tone made it seem as though he feared Li Yan would abandon such a way of doing things because of rumors in the martial world.
It had to be said, was this the General's Manor's way of doing things? Their righteousness was so fierce it turned wicked!
After resting, the two mounted up again. Considering Mo Cheng's injuries, they stopped twice more along the way. By the time Dongjiang City came into view, it was already the afterglow of sunset on the second day.
"Brother Wan, what are your plans now? Charge straight in?"
"With my status, it would be no difficult matter to make that city lord hand over your friend."
Li Yan shook his head. "We cannot do that. Setting aside the fact that Huang Lingyan is far stronger than either of us, he only needs to stir the common people into opposing us, and you will find every step difficult."
"The best course for now is for you to enter openly. Use the identity of a traveler to learn the situation within the city and see whether you can find where Shangguan Xiyun is being held."
"As for me, I will first visit the Shangguan Family and ask exactly what happened."
Mo Cheng nodded. "That is indeed a good plan. Then we shall act accordingly... How should we contact each other?"
"Find an inn and stay there. Tie a strip of white cloth to the windowsill, and I will come find you."
Having settled their rough plan, the two immediately split up.
When Mo Cheng rode into the city, the guards outside saw his gallant bearing on horseback and his extraordinary demeanor. They questioned him a few more times before allowing him through. Watching from afar, Li Yan naturally made his judgment: even the guards at Dongjiang City's gates had been strengthened considerably. With how well known he was in Dongjiang City, trying to enter openly would undoubtedly be the dream of a fool.
"System, upgrade Wind Chasing Wave Treading!"
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