Stone Gambling Tournament

"The First Chief is dead!"

"The Second Chief and Third Chief were killed by that kid too!"

At that moment, every battle in the desert came to an abrupt halt. Everyone looked toward the Green-Robed Figure, their eyes filled with profound fear.

The remaining Demon Wind Bandits stared at the three corpses, trembling all over in terror. No one had expected the three chiefs of the Demon Wind Bandits to all die at Lu Changsheng's hands!

This young man had actually relied on his own strength to forcefully slay three bandit leaders with thunderous methods!

At that moment, the surviving guards were all wounded. They stared blankly at the scene before them, their bodies seemingly turned to stone. The hands clutching their weapons shook violently, and their gazes upon that green-robed figure were filled with boundless reverence, as though they were looking up at a deity walking among mortals!

Wu Yan's bloodstained saber fell onto the sand with a clang, yet he did not notice it at all.

His eyes, too, were filled with immense shock. This battle-hardened commander of the guards had a blank mind at that moment. His lips trembled, but no sound came out.

He could not believe that this young man had hidden himself so deeply! Recalling his earlier suspicions and attempts to make things difficult for Lu Changsheng, an indescribable wave of shame and lingering fear instantly seized him, making him nearly unable to remain standing.

Lin Ningshuang covered her slightly parted red lips with her delicate hand, stunned beyond measure. Her beautiful eyes reflected that figure bathed in faint golden radiance, like a god of war, filled with unbelievable shock and the daze of surviving a calamity.

"Run!"

With the three chiefs fallen, the remaining Demon Wind Bandits were frightened out of their wits. They immediately fled in miserable disarray, scrambling and crawling away.

"Capture them!"

Wu Yan roared.

Immediately afterward, Wu Yan led the guards in a fierce counterattack, swiftly capturing all the bandits in one sweep.

"Mercy, my lord! Have mercy!"

"This lowly one was blind and offended heavenly might! Please show us mercy, my lord!"

"It was all Song Dao! That bastard Song Dao secretly tipped off our leaders! He said the Lin Family caravan was escorting a priceless treasure along this route! He betrayed the Lin Family in secret—it has nothing to do with us!"

The bandits desperately kowtowed like pounding garlic, their foreheads striking the sand and stones with dull thuds. Their pleas for mercy came out in incoherent wails.

Their voices had warped from extreme terror, tears and snot streaming down their faces. Where was even a trace of their former arrogance?

"What?! Song Dao was actually the traitor?!"

Hearing this, Wu Yan, Lin Ningshuang, and the others were both shocked and enraged. Wu Yan in particular was so furious that the flames in his eyes nearly burst forth.

"Where is Song Dao? My Lin Family has treated him well all these years, yet he colluded with desert bandits in an attempt to seize our treasures and even sought to put us to death!"

Lin Ningshuang clenched her pearly teeth.

Even in her dreams, she had never imagined that Song Dao was the traitor who had sold information about their route to the bandits!

"Miss, Song Dao took advantage of the chaos and escaped earlier!"

A guard said.

"Damn it! That dog thief got off easy. If I catch him next time, I absolutely won't spare him!"

Wu Yan gritted his teeth.

"Miss, how should we deal with these bandits?"

Wu Yan asked in a deep voice.

"Tie them up first and take them back to Tianyou City for the city guards to deal with!"

Lin Ningshuang said coldly.

"Yes!"

Immediately, Wu Yan tightly bound the bandits one by one.

This disturbance was finally settled, and everyone let out a sigh of relief, as though a heavy burden had been lifted. However, although they had driven back the bandits, nearly half of the caravan's guards had perished.

Fortunately, the caravan's goods were completely unharmed. After counting the remaining personnel, they hastily buried the dead within the stone forest.

"Young Master Lu, I never expected you to be so deeply hidden. If you had not acted this time, our caravan would likely have been doomed."

Lin Ningshuang said gratefully.

"Miss Lin, you flatter me."

Lu Changsheng smiled faintly.

His intervention had merely been a simple matter of lifting a hand. Besides, when he had gotten lost on the Yellow Sand Ancient Road, Lin Ningshuang had indeed extended a helping hand to him.

"Brother Lu, I truly wronged you earlier. We suspected you of stealing the Cosmic Bag and offended you greatly. Please do not hold it against us. This time, we have you to thank for acting. Otherwise, we would likely have been buried at the hands of the desert bandits. None of us will ever forget this kindness!"

Wu Yan walked over, his gaze full of guilt. Earlier, urged on by Song Dao, they had falsely accused Lu Changsheng of stealing the Cosmic Bag. Thinking back on it now, he could not help but feel deeply ashamed.

"No matter."

Lu Changsheng let it pass with a smile. Wu Yan was fiercely loyal to the Lin Family. Though his temper was somewhat fiery, he was far better than a despicable petty man like Song Dao.

After making some preparations, the caravan soon set out again.

Over the following days, their luck was fairly good. They encountered no further trouble, and the Yellow Sand Storm finally subsided completely.

Along the way, Lu Changsheng also grew much more familiar with Wu Yan and the others.

Wu Yan was filled with admiration for Lu Changsheng. In particular, Lu Changsheng's slaying of the three bandit leaders had shaken him to the core. Who could have imagined that such a young-looking youth possessed such formidable combat strength?

With the Yellow Sand Storm subsided, the caravan's travel speed increased considerably.

At last, on the fifth day, they finally emerged from the Yellow Sand Ancient Road.

In the distance, a black city sprawled across the earth came into view.

The city looked immensely majestic, especially its towering black walls, which seemed as indestructible as steel and reflected a metallic gleam under the sunlight.

"We're finally here!"

"Young Master Lu, that is Tianyou City, the largest city in all of Tianyou Commandery."

Lin Ningshuang smiled brightly.

"Since that is the case, Miss Lin, let us part here. Until we meet again."

Lu Changsheng said with cupped hands.

"Until we meet again!"

"May all go well for you!"

Lin Ningshuang waved.

Then Lu Changsheng entered Tianyou City alone.

The moment he entered the city, broad bluestone roads crisscrossed before him, while all kinds of shops stood on either side. Blacksmiths selling weapons rang with clanging hammers, pill pavilions wafting medicinal fragrance were thronged with customers, and shops displaying the pelts of rare and exotic beasts drew passersby to stop and look. The entire city was extraordinarily prosperous, with a bustling sea of people everywhere.

Lu Changsheng could not help but sigh. Whether in scale or population, Tianyou City surpassed Tianyang City.

"The Xuanyuan Family has truly made a grand gesture this time. I heard they're hosting a Stone Gambling Tournament in the plaza, and it has attracted quite a few martial artists!"

"Hurry, hurry! How can we miss such a grand event? If we arrive late, we won't get a good spot!"

"Heh heh, I wonder who will uncover a heaven-shaking treasure this time?"

At that moment, a burst of noisy discussion reached his ears. Lu Changsheng immediately stopped walking, a trace of interest appearing on his face.

A Stone Gambling Tournament?