Hongwei

Chapter 44: Hongwei

Du Hongwei was a Hundred Household Officer of the True Martial Division, but unlike Zhao Rong, he had earned this position through sheer strength. Not only was he at the Late Seventh-Rank, his saber mastery was also quite profound, with one foot already across the threshold of saber intent.

He had originally been serving in Yuanyang City when a transfer order suddenly arrived from above, sending him to Luoxia City to oversee the Hundred Household Office there and, incidentally, apprehend the heinous criminals who had killed Zhao Rong and the others.

He had also heard a little about what had happened at the True Martial Division's Hundred Household Office in Luoxia City, and he regarded the youth named Lu Zhaojin with great solemnity.

Before setting out, he had read the autopsy records for Zhao Rong and the others. He discovered that they had died with startling ease, as though they had possessed no ability to resist before being beheaded by a single sword strike.

That showed Lu Zhaojin's strength far surpassed Zhao Rong and the others. Yet, judging from the information sent over by the Luoxia City True Martial Division, Lu Zhaojin was also only at the Seventh-Rank and had come from Mount Qi. How could the gap be so vast?

Du Hongwei felt that only by comprehending saber intent could he kill Lu Zhaojin. Otherwise, the risk was too great—far beyond what he could bear.

This trip to Luoxia City was unlikely to go smoothly.

However, he had occupied the position of Hundred Household Officer for a long time. It was about time he moved up and became a Battalion Commander, wasn't it?

Du Hongwei had toiled diligently in Yuanyang City for many years, and those above thought highly of his ability. But to be promoted to Battalion Commander, he needed an achievement that could convince others; otherwise, it would be difficult to win public support.

In other words, Du Hongwei lacked a good opportunity to rise to Battalion Commander.

Now, that opportunity had arrived.

In truth, this was also a test from above.

As long as he captured Lu Zhaojin and brought him to justice, the position of Battalion Commander would be as good as nailed down.

So no matter how difficult this journey was, he had to go and see what happened.

"Report!"

Ahead, a True Martial Guard scout came galloping back at full speed. More than ten paces from Du Hongwei, he pulled hard on the reins and reported on the situation at the teahouse ahead.

Du Hongwei had him lead the way.

They arrived at the teahouse in a mighty procession.

Several True Martial Guard scouts surrounded the youth inside the teahouse, gripping their True Martial Sabers tightly, yet none dared attack.

Du Hongwei looked at the composed youth and frowned slightly. He felt the youth looked familiar, as though he had seen him somewhere before.

He trusted that his memory could not be wrong. It was precisely this powerful memory that had allowed him to stand out among the True Martial Guard and take the position of Hundred Household Officer.

At the same time.

Du Hongwei sensed a terrifying power from the youth. The still-crude saber intent within him seemed to stir restlessly upon encountering this youth, yet it was also afraid of something, filling him with unease.

"Sir Hundred Household Officer, look at those corpses."

Hearing this, Du Hongwei could not help looking toward the bodies on the ground. Every one of them had been decapitated. It was as though he had caught a fleeting spark of inspiration; his pupils contracted slightly, and he abruptly looked at the youth, now certain of his identity.

Lu Zhaojin!

No wonder he had felt both familiarity and strangeness.

Du Hongwei had seen Lu Zhaojin's portrait, but a portrait on paper could never recreate the aura of the real person.

He did not know how to describe it. That refined face watched them with indifferent eyes, as though he was not looking at living people at all, but at something else. It made Du Hongwei's hair stand on end.

Du Hongwei did not dare look any longer. Sweeping his gaze over the corpses again, he unexpectedly discovered that one of them was Ye Hao, the young master of the Ye Family whom they had been searching for days.

Thinking of the Ye Family, now reduced to ruins, Du Hongwei felt considerable emotion. On the surface, it was because the Ye Family had obtained a sword manual on Dragon Head Mountain, and White Cloud Villa had learned of it and wanted to seize the sword manual from them.

In truth.

The news that the Ye Family had acquired a sword manual had been secretly leaked to White Cloud Villa by the True Martial Division.

The purpose was to destroy the Ye Family without spilling a drop of blood.

White Cloud Villa would obtain the sword manual from the Ye Family.

The True Martial Division, meanwhile, would take all of the Ye Family's properties into its own hands.

If White Cloud Villa was not ruthless enough, perhaps even that sword manual would fall into the True Martial Division's hands.

It could be called killing three birds with one arrow.

Du Hongwei had not known of the plan beforehand. If White Cloud Villa had not been so unreliable in handling matters and let Ye Hao escape—

Those above had ordered them to capture Ye Hao, but they could not do so openly. Instead, they were to use the pretext of helping the Ye Family to lure Ye Hao out, then secretly seize him and ask where the sword manual was.

Who would have thought Ye Hao would die here?

And judging by the blue-and-white clothing of the others, they should have been people from White Cloud Villa.

Du Hongwei swiftly pieced together what had happened at the teahouse.

White Cloud Villa's people had found Ye Hao's whereabouts and laid an ambush here. Yet Lu Zhaojin had appeared as an unforeseen variable, and the outcome spoke for itself.

But why had Ye Hao died as well?

Du Hongwei glanced at Lu Zhaojin, wondering whether that sword manual was on Lu Zhaojin's person.

Lu Zhaojin had not expected to encounter the True Martial Guard here.

He swept his indifferent gaze over them, thinking that if he killed them all, his experience points might surge by another great deal.

Because of Zhao Rong, he had no favorable impression of the True Martial Division. These days, he had also come to understand that the True Martial Division had been established to oversee those of the martial world.

But that did not seem to be all.

That Great Ding Emperor's ambitions were likely even deeper.

Lu Zhaojin looked at Du Hongwei once more. The two strands of sword intent within him stirred restlessly, as though they had encountered an opponent worthy of drawing his sword against.

That meant this man had likely comprehended some true intent of the martial path.

When Lu Zhaojin noticed Du Hongwei's pupils contract slightly upon looking at him, he knew the other man had recognized him. He could not help smiling as he asked, "Your target does not seem to be me, yet it also feels like it is me."

Du Hongwei looked at him with a grave expression. Knowing there would be no peaceful resolution today, he drew the True Martial Saber at his waist. Saber intent spilled through the room, leaving slash marks across the tables and chairs.

Du Hongwei knew his chances of victory were slim. As for the people behind him, they would be no different from being sent to their deaths. "Leave now. I'll hold him back."

The moment his words fell, a wisp of cold wind suddenly blew.

Du Hongwei only saw a streak of azure light flash before his eyes. Then blood filled his vision. A True Martial Guard beside him had been beheaded, his face still full of bewilderment.

Du Hongwei's pupils abruptly contracted. Before he could even see the trajectory of the Sword Qi, one True Martial Guard had already been separated from his head. If that strike had landed on him, he would likely have followed in that guard's footsteps.

He was no match for him!

Du Hongwei had initially thought he could exchange a few moves with Lu Zhaojin, but reality slapped him hard across the face. He might not even be able to block a single sword strike.

Du Hongwei fully activated his movement technique and fled for his life.

Lu Zhaojin glanced at him and swung his sword, sending a bolt of lightning racing through the air like an arrow loosed from a fully drawn bow. In the blink of an eye, it pierced through Du Hongwei's left shoulder.

To survive, Du Hongwei endured the searing pain and continued desperately executing his movement technique. He could no longer spare any thought for the others, and in the next instant, he vanished from Lu Zhaojin's sight.

The Falling Leaves Following the Wind Movement Technique was still only at the beginner level, and its rank was not high. It was clearly inferior to Du Hongwei's movement technique, so Lu Zhaojin did not pursue him.

The True Martial Guard before him could also provide more than enough experience points.

As for Du Hongwei, judging from the direction in which he had fled, he should have been heading for Yuanyang City.

By coincidence, Lu Zhaojin was also going to Yuanyang City.

Because Yuanyang City was an unavoidable stop on the road to Lushu Commandery.