Blood Drifting Through Osmanthus Blossoms

Blood Drifting Through Osmanthus Blossoms

Bieyou Pavilion was a cooling pavilion located outside Yongtang City.

It had been built more than sixty years ago by a chancellor of Great Yu.

That year, he had bid farewell to a close friend here, penned a poem, and left behind a celebrated verse.

"Beyond the pavilion, wind and smoke hasten the traveler's road; before the goblet, parting words stir homesickness.

When shall my returning oars cross the Canglang waters? Let one fishing line drift with the misty waves, wherever they may lead."

From then on, it became a celebrated tale.

For the next sixty years, whenever an Imperial Court official bid farewell to a friend, they would escort them as far as Bieyou Pavilion before stopping.

Some scholars who had traveled to take the examinations and failed would also pass through Bieyou Pavilion under the escort of friends who had made the list, look at the inscribed stele, and sigh at the long road ahead.

Thus, although Bieyou Pavilion was merely an ordinary cooling pavilion, it was regarded by scholars and officials as an elegant and cultured place.

When Bai Yan used Lightning-Fast Movement Steps to rush there, he saw more than a dozen osmanthus trees, each requiring three people to encircle, swaying gently in the wind beside the pavilion.

Fine golden osmanthus petals rustled down, mingling with a sweet fragrance that filled the air and refreshed the heart and mind.

Yet beneath this refined scenery raged a bloody slaughter.

More than a hundred black-clad, masked men were battling the soldiers. They were the Imperial Guards responsible for escorting the Bozeguo diplomatic mission.

There was no question about the Imperial Guards' fighting power. They had all been tempered in seas of blood—but that was on the battlefield, after forming a battle formation.

Now they were in the woods, unable to form one. Faced with a surprise attack by Martial World experts, they immediately found themselves hamstrung.

In Bai Yan's eyes, more than half of those hundred-odd black-clad, masked men were First-rate Martial Artists, while the weakest were at least Second-rate Martial Artists.

There were also several experts in the Connate Realm, and the strongest was a grandmaster who was fighting the Imperial Guard commander.

The Imperial Guards had already suffered quite a few casualties in their clash with the masked men, staining the ground crimson and adding a hint of bloody sweetness to the osmanthus fragrance.

But they had not retreated a single step, firmly protecting the ten carriages at the center.

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

Some of the carriages behind held the princess's maids, who would be responsible for attending to her food and daily life after she entered the palace.

The others contained the dowry sent by Bozeguo.

Hearing the slaughter and screams outside, the princess had long since been terrified. She was curled up in a corner of the carriage, covering her ears and trembling violently.

The maids in the other carriages were in the same state, occasionally letting out bursts of shrieks.

"Who exactly are you? How dare you rob the Bozeguo diplomatic mission!"

"Destroying the marriage alliance between the two countries is a crime that warrants the extermination of nine generations of your clans!"

"Withdraw now, and it won't be too late. Otherwise, once the Imperial Court's army arrives, they will trample you until not even your bones remain!"

"No matter who stands behind you, the Imperial Court will exterminate their sect and wipe out their entire clan!"

The commander roared furiously, his voice echoing in every direction. Though somewhat hoarse, it still could not conceal the righteousness in it.

As soon as his voice fell, he swung his sword, forcing back the grandmaster among the bandits.

Then he turned the tip of his sword and struck as swiftly as lightning.

With several flashes, he cut down three or five masked men who had closed in on him.

Judging by his strength, he had already reached the grandmaster realm. Bai Yan understood at once—this must be the Imperial Guard commander, Zhou Long.

"Heh heh heh heh..."

The leading masked grandmaster let out several cold laughs, his voice sinister and laced with mockery.

"That old emperor has so many consorts—three palaces, six courts, and seventy-two halls. Can he even keep track of them all?"

"This Princess of Bozeguo is quite lovely. I've taken a fancy to her, and today I'm taking her with me no matter what."

"Besides, that old emperor has three thousand beauties in his harem. He won't miss this one."

"I'm all alone and lonely. Following me is the best fate this Princess of Bozeguo could have."

Zhou Long glared furiously and shouted:

"Outrageous! You audacious bandit, how dare you blaspheme His Majesty? Your crime is unforgivable!"

He charged straight at the leader, then abruptly changed his moves. His swordplay grew even more rapid, and as his sword force scattered, one slash ripped open the black clothing across his opponent's chest.

The leader tapped the ground and retreated through the air. After glancing at his chest, he let out several strange laughs.

"Heh heh heh, as expected of the Imperial Guard commander. That move from Green Falcon Swordplay is indeed devious and vicious."

"It's a pity you haven't mastered it yet, so you can't unleash the full might of Green Falcon Swordplay."

Green Falcon Swordplay had been created many years ago by a former commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guards. Its sword forms were devious and astonishingly fast.

However, reaching its highest realm was no easy feat. It required extraordinary talent.

Although Zhou Long had already become a grandmaster, he had yet to cultivate Green Falcon Swordplay to perfection.

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

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Long charged at the leader once more.

The leader met him with a pair of bare palms. Black True Essence coiled around his entire body, and his palm force was vast and vigorous. His strength was not much inferior to Zhou Long's.

The two immediately fought to a standstill.

But the other Imperial Guards did not possess Zhou Long's strength, and they were unable to form a battle formation. They were no match for this band of black-clad, masked men and soon fell into a disadvantage.

Bai Yan saw several black-clad, masked men charge straight for the carriages after killing the Imperial Guards protecting them.

One masked man leaped onto a carriage and pulled open the curtain, letting out several lewd laughs.

"Pretty little princess, I'm here. Hurry up and come with Your Lordship..."

Laughing, he reached out to grab the Princess of Bozeguo.

The princess screamed repeatedly in terror.

Just as the masked man was about to succeed—

a strange sound suddenly rang out.

Ssshhk—!

A dazzling bolt of lightning suddenly flared and shot past from behind the masked man. Wrapped within its radiance was a brilliant blade-light.

The blade-light flashed, and the masked man's head shot into the sky.

The lewdness that had yet to fade still lingered in his eyes, but his body had already crashed to the ground.

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

"Ahhh!"

When the Princess of Bozeguo and the maids inside saw the headless corpse, they were scared out of their wits. Their screams were deafening.

The sudden turn of events shocked the many black-clad, masked men.

Zhou Long and the Imperial Guard escort immediately looked toward the sound as well.

They saw a figure descending from the sky, sweeping through midair. The blade in his hand was cold and frosty, and in an instant it carried a vast spray of blood into the air.

The many black-clad, masked men saw only a blur before their eyes. The blade-light had already vanished.

That blade-light was too fast—astonishingly fast, utterly beyond the ability of the naked eye to capture.

By the time the black-clad men came to their senses, the attack was over, and so were their lives.

The more than ten black-clad, masked men surrounding the carriages stood frozen in place, as though they had turned into wooden figures.

A breath later, blood-red gashes split open across their necks, and their heads rolled to the ground one after another.

Thud! Thud!

More than a dozen heads rolled across the ground, blood gushing from their severed necks and dyeing the osmanthus petals covering the earth crimson.

Whoosh!

Bai Yan landed lightly and appeared atop the princess's carriage.

His Flying Fish Robe's cape snapped loudly in the wind, making his figure look even more upright, valiant, and extraordinary.

Bai Yan sheathed his blade. His cold eyes swept across the scene, and he said flatly:

"Robbing the Bozeguo diplomatic mission is punishable by death!"