Osmanthus Flowers Float in Blood

Bieyou Pavilion is a pavilion located outside Yongtang City.

It was built over sixty years ago by a prime minister of the Great Yu dynasty.

He had bid farewell to a dear friend there, penned a poem, and left behind a beautiful verse.

"The wind and smoke outside the pavilion urge the traveler's road, Words of parting before the cup fill the heart with homesickness. When will the returning oar find the vast waters, To cast a single line in mist and waves, free to come and go."

Since then, it has become a well-known tale.

For the next sixty years, whenever court officials saw off their friends, they would stop at Bieyou Pavilion.

Scholars who failed their exams would also pass by Bieyou Pavilion under the farewells of their successful friends, casting a glance at the inscribed poem tablet and sighing at the long road ahead.

Thus, although Bieyou Pavilion was just an ordinary pavilion, it was regarded as a place of elegance by scholars and officials.

When Bai Yan arrived using the Lightning-Fast Movement Steps, he saw over a dozen osmanthus trees, each requiring three people to embrace, gently swaying in the wind by the pavilion.

Tiny golden osmanthus petals rustled down, mixing with a sweet fragrance that permeated the air, refreshing the mind and spirit.

But beneath this elegant scenery lay a bloody battle.

Over a hundred masked men in black were locked in combat with soldiers, who were the Imperial Guards responsible for escorting the Bozeguo delegation.

The combat prowess of the Imperial Guards was undeniable; they were hardened warriors, but that was on the battlefield, when they could form battle formations.

Now, in the midst of the forest, unable to form their formations, they found themselves restricted when facing the surprise attack of Martial World experts.

From Bai Yan's perspective, more than half of these masked men in black were First-rate Martial Artists, with the weakest being Second-rate Martial Artists.

There were also several Innate realm experts, and the strongest was a Master, who was currently fighting the commander of the Imperial Guards.

The Imperial Guards were already suffering casualties in their engagement with the masked men, dyeing the ground crimson and adding a hint of fishy sweetness to the osmanthus fragrance.

Yet, they did not retreat an inch, firmly guarding ten carriages in the center.

The carriage at the very front was the most luxuriously decorated; the Princess of Bozeguo was inside.

In the carriages behind, some carried the Princess's maids, who would be responsible for her daily life after she entered the palace.

Others contained the dowry sent by Bozeguo.

Hearing the sounds of fighting and screams from outside, the Princess was already terrified, now curled up in a corner of the carriage, covering her ears and trembling.

The maids in the other carriages were in similar states, occasionally letting out screams.

"Who exactly are you people! How dare you rob the Bozeguo delegation!"

"Disrupting the peace between our two nations is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations!"

"It's not too late to retreat now, otherwise, when the imperial army arrives, you will be trampled into dust!"

"No matter who is behind you, you will be annihilated by the imperial court!"

The commander roared loudly, his voice echoing in all directions. Though somewhat hoarse, it couldn't mask the righteousness within his words.

As soon as he finished speaking, he unleashed a sword strike, forcing the Master-level bandit back.

Then, he turned the tip of his sword, his movements as fast as lightning.

With a few swift slashes, he killed three to five masked men who had gotten too close.

Judging by his strength, he was already at the Master realm. Bai Yan understood; he must be Zhou Long, the commander of the Imperial Guards.

"Hehehehe..."

The leading Master-level masked man let out a few cold laughs, his laughter sinister and tinged with mockery.

"The old emperor has so many concubines, three palaces and seventy-two courts, can he even keep track of them all?"

"This Princess of Bozeguo is quite pleasing to the eye. I desire her, and I must take her with me today."

"Besides, with three thousand beauties in the old emperor's harem, he won't miss this one."

"I am lonely and solitary. It is her best fate to be with me, this Princess of Bozeguo."

Zhou Long's eyes widened in anger, and he shouted:

"Insolent! Audacious scoundrel, how dare you blaspheme His Majesty! Your crime is unforgivable!"

He charged directly at the leader, then suddenly changed his move, his swordsmanship becoming even more swift. With his sword's momentum dispersed, he slashed across the black clothing on the other's chest.

The leader tapped his foot and retreated rapidly. He glanced at his chest and let out a few strange laughs:

"Jie jie jie, as expected of the Imperial Guard commander, this Green Falcon Swordplay of yours is indeed tricky and vicious."

"It's a shame you haven't mastered it yet, unable to unleash its full power."

The Green Falcon Swordplay was created years ago by a Grand Commander of the Imperial Guards. Its sword forms were tricky and incredibly fast.

However, reaching its highest realm was not easy and required exceptional talent.

Although Zhou Long was now a Master-level expert, he had not yet trained the Green Falcon Swordplay to the Grand Perfection realm.

"It's more than enough to kill you!"

As soon as the words fell, Zhou Long charged at the leader again.

The leader met the attack with his bare palms, his entire body wrapped in black True Essence. His palm strikes were powerful, and his strength was not much inferior to Zhou Long's.

The two immediately fought to a standstill.

However, the other Imperial Guards lacked Zhou Long's strength and couldn't form a battle formation. They were no match for the group of black-clothed, masked assailants and quickly fell into a disadvantage.

Bai Yan saw that after several masked assailants killed the Imperial Guards guarding the carriage, they rushed directly towards it.

One masked man jumped onto the carriage and pulled back the curtain, letting out a few lewd laughs.

"Princess, my little beauty, I'm here. Come with me quickly..."

With a laugh, he reached out to grab the Princess of Bozeguo.

The princess screamed in terror.

Just as the masked man was about to succeed.

Suddenly, a strange sound echoed.

Chiiiii—!

A dazzling bolt of lightning suddenly flashed, streaking past the masked man from behind. The lightning was accompanied by a brilliant saber light.

As the saber light flashed, the masked man's head flew into the air simultaneously.

His eyes still held a lingering lasciviousness, but his body had already crashed to the ground.

With a thud, his head struck the carriage before rolling onto the ground.

"Ahhh!!"

The Princess of Bozeguo and her maids inside the carriage screamed in terror upon seeing the headless corpse, their shrieks deafening.

The sudden turn of events greatly surprised the many masked assailants.

Zhou Long and the Imperial Guard also immediately looked in the direction of the sound.

They saw a figure descending from the sky, sweeping past mid-air. The saber in his hand was as cold as frost, instantly drawing a large spray of blood.

The many masked assailants only saw a blur before their eyes; the saber light had already vanished.

The saber light was too fast, unbelievably fast, impossible to track with the naked eye.

By the time the black-clothed men recovered, the attack was over, and their lives were gone.

The more than ten masked assailants around the carriage froze in place, as if turned to wood.

A moment later, a bloody gash appeared on their necks, and their heads tumbled down.

Thump! Thump!

A dozen heads rolled on the ground, blood gushing from their severed necks, dyeing the osmanthus flowers on the ground red.

Whoosh!

Bai Yan's figure landed, appearing on the roof of the princess's carriage.

His Flying Fish Robe cape fluttered in the wind, making his posture even more upright and heroic.

Bai Yan sheathed his saber and scanned the surroundings with his icy eyes, saying calmly:

"Those who plunder the Bozeguo delegation shall be killed without mercy!"