Steward Liu!!!

Roars and howls kept ringing in Lin Yi's ears.

Hearing their shouts, Lin Yi's expression changed.

Black Wind Stronghold—though the name sounded a little crude, it ranked among the strongest bandit strongholds in Beicang Mountain, which stretched eight hundred li beyond Beicang County. Its power even loomed over the entire Guangling Commandery!

The stronghold had a Fourth Rank expert, nearly ten Fifth Rank experts, and a huge number of ordinary bandits at Sixth Rank and below.

With strength like that, it would count as a Top Force even in Guangling Prefecture City. It was incredibly powerful.

But the Beicang County magistrate was only a lowly county official. How could he dare offend such a major stronghold?

Lin Yi was bewildered.

Just then, a tremendous burst of air erupted from Wang Chuan's courtyard.

A moment later, Wang Chuan charged out of the courtyard. He wore Golden Chainmail and wielded a Seven-Foot Steel Spear. Though there was a hint of drunkenness on his face, he still looked imposing, like a fierce tiger. He stopped in front of the burly man and shouted:

"Brother from Black Wind Stronghold, I'm Wang Chuan, a branch member of the Guangling Wang Family. Today, on the Wang Family's orders, I came to the Beicang branch of Wang's Pharmacy to escort some medicinal herbs. I hope Black Wind Stronghold will show our Wang Family some consideration and spare our pharmacy."

"As for the other forces in the county, including the Beicang County magistrate, whether you kill them or butcher them, our Wang Family won't interfere. What do you say?"

"The Guangling Wang Family!"

At Wang Chuan's words, the burly man's expression shifted, but then he sneered and said:

"So what if you're from the Wang Family? Our Stronghold Master gave us a death order: today, we're going to teach Beicang County a hard lesson!"

"Everyone in Beicang County, from the magistrate to every family above Seventh Rank, and every branch of every major force—we're leaving none alive!"

"Forget a mere branch member of the Wang Family. Even if a direct descendant showed up, we'd kill them all the same. Die!"

Boom!

As his words fell, the burly man swung the two giant hammers in his hands. Like a pair of boulders, they crashed toward Wang Chuan.

"You're asking for death!"

Wang Chuan flew into a rage. He leveled his steel spear, and it shot forward like a dragon, thrusting straight at the hammer-wielding man.

When the other bandits and the guards of Wang's Pharmacy's branch—both the awakened members of the Medicine Escort Team and the branch's own guards—saw their leaders clash, they immediately began fighting too.

"Attack!"

"Kill!"

"Kill those Black Wind Stronghold bastards!"

"Brothers, attack! Trample the damn Wang's Pharmacy into the ground!"

Shouts of battle rose to the heavens, shaking the area for several li around.

Seeing this, Lin Yi picked a Seventh Rank late-stage bandit at random and began fighting him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Explosions and the clash of weapons rang out across Wang's Pharmacy's branch.

Within the vast compound, which covered hundreds of mu, the two sides fought with all their might.

At first, Wang's Pharmacy had held an overwhelming advantage. After all, they had Wang Chuan, a Late Sixth Rank expert, as well as a number of Seventh Rank peak and late-stage guards. Wang's Pharmacy was truly powerful; under ordinary circumstances, they could sweep through an entire county with ease.

But the guards had drunk too much the night before, and the alcohol was now taking its toll. On top of that, Black Wind Stronghold had received reinforcements: a Sixth Rank expert and several Seventh Rank fighters. The pharmacy, which had originally held an overwhelming advantage, gradually fell into a disadvantage.

One pharmacy disciple and guard after another was killed. Even the Seventh Rank guards from the Medicine Escort Team began to suffer casualties.

Seeing this, Lin Yi had no choice but to secretly guide the Seventh Rank late-stage bandit he was fighting into retreating as they fought. He led him toward the edge of Wang's Pharmacy's branch, ready to escape at any moment.

What was the point of risking his life for a few hundred taels of silver a month?

He wasn't loyal enough to the Wang Family to go that far. Holding off one formidable Seventh Rank late-stage bandit was already plenty!

Besides, if he died, what would happen to his parents?

His father and mother had suffered so much for his sake. Only now, after he'd passed the Martial Scholar exam, had their lives finally gotten a little better. If they suddenly received such devastating news...

Just imagining the scene filled Lin Yi with dread!

As for Wang Chuan and the other Medicine Escort Team guards, all Lin Yi could do was apologize.

If they could escape, then Lin Yi naturally hoped they all would.

If they couldn't, then as their friend, the only thing he could do in the future was burn a little extra spirit money at their graves.

Clang, clang, clang!

And so, Lin Yi fought while watching the battle, ready to pull out at any moment.

Before he knew it, he had fought his way to the warehouse of Wang's Pharmacy's branch.

By now, the warehouse was engulfed in flames. Inside, the blazing fire devoured the medicinal herbs and supplies.

Outside the warehouse, the Medicine Escort Team's wagons, already loaded with Blood Origin Grass, were also burning fiercely. Most of the grass had been reduced to black ash, with only a little left intact. But at this rate, it wouldn't last much longer.

After all, the people in the pharmacy were either fighting the bandits or hiding away, like the little maid Xiao Zhi. No one was left to put out the fire, so it could only rage unchecked...

"Wait!"

At that thought, Lin Yi suddenly remembered something. When the Black Wind Stronghold bandits first fought the people from Wang's Pharmacy, they had been at a disadvantage. They didn't even have enough fighters to engage in battle, so how could they have spared anyone to set fire to the pharmacy's warehouse?

Besides, although Black Wind Stronghold seemed to have come for revenge, they were bandits. After breaking into a county town, they would surely plunder its supplies. Only after taking what they could carry would they burn whatever they had to leave behind.

But they hadn't even carried off the supplies yet. Why burn them now? Could the arsonist have been someone other than a Black Wind Stronghold bandit?

Thoughts raced through Lin Yi's mind, and in an instant, everyone he'd seen in Beicang County that day came to mind as a possible suspect.

But he continued steering the Seventh Rank late-stage bandit away from the warehouse.

Whoever had set the fire, Lin Yi didn't want to get involved.

Black Wind Stronghold had the upper hand now, and Wang's Pharmacy's branch could barely protect itself. Lin Yi himself had to get out at any moment.

Besides, the fire was raging. Even if he did get involved, he couldn't put it out. At most, he'd satisfy a little of his curiosity.

There was no need to invite trouble and provoke another enemy lurking in the shadows just to satisfy that little bit of curiosity.

As he mulled it over, Lin Yi kept fighting the Seventh Rank late-stage bandit while drawing farther away from the warehouse.

But just then, a corpulent figure suddenly appeared in the warehouse and caught Lin Yi's eye.

"Steward Liu!"

Recognizing that unmistakable figure, Lin Yi knew who it was without even seeing his face.

At that moment, the other man seemed to sense something. His plump head snapped around, and the firelight instantly illuminated Lin Yi's face in the darkness.