Steward Liu!!!

Roars and shouts continuously echoed in Lin Yi's ears.

Hearing their shouts, Lin Yi's expression changed.

Black Wind Stronghold, despite its rustic name, was one of the top-ranked major strongholds within the Beicang Mountain, which spanned eight hundred li outside Beicang County. It even held sway over the entirety of Guangling Commandery!

The stronghold boasted a Fourth Rank Expert, nearly ten Fifth Rank Experts, and a large number of Sixth Rank and lower ordinary bandits.

Such strength would be considered a top-tier force even in Guangling Prefecture City, immensely powerful.

Yet, the Beicang County Magistrate was merely a petty county official. How could he dare offend such a major stronghold?

Lin Yi was filled with surprise and doubt.

At that moment, a massive explosion of air suddenly erupted from Wang Chuan's courtyard.

Immediately after, Wang Chuan, clad in Golden Chainmail, wielding a Seven-Foot Steel Spear, his face showing a hint of drunkenness but still exuding a majestic aura like a fierce tiger, burst out of the courtyard and confronted the burly man, shouting:

"Brother from Black Wind Stronghold, I am Wang Chuan, a collateral descendant of the Guangling Wang Family. Today, I am under orders from the Wang Family to escort some medicinal ingredients to the Beicang branch of Wang's Pharmacy. I hope Black Wind Stronghold can show respect to our Wang Family's name and let us Wang's Pharmacy pass."

"As for other forces in the county town, including the Beicang County Magistrate, whether you kill them or flay them, our Wang Family will not interfere. What do you say?"

"The Guangling Wang Family!"

Hearing Wang Chuan's words, the burly man's expression shifted. However, he then let out a sinister laugh:

"So what if it's the Wang Family! Our Black Wind Stronghold's Grand Chieftain has issued a death order: we must teach this Beicang County a harsh lesson today."

"The entire Beicang County, from the Magistrate down to all families above Seventh Rank, all major faction branches will be wiped out without exception!"

"Let alone a mere collateral descendant of the Wang Family like you, even a direct descendant would be killed without hesitation. Die!"

"Boom!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the burly man's twin giant hammers moved, smashing towards Wang Chuan like two massive boulders.

"You court death!"

Seeing this, Wang Chuan also grew enraged. He pointed his steel spear forward, the spear thrusting out like a dragon, directly piercing towards the hammer-wielding burly man.

Meanwhile, the other bandits, along with the Medicine Escort Team guards who had been awakened in the Wang's Pharmacy branch, and the guards within the Wang's Pharmacy branch itself, seeing their leaders engage in battle, immediately began their own slaughter.

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

"Kill these scoundrels from Black Wind Stronghold!"

"Brothers, kill! Annihilate this damned Wang's Pharmacy!"

The sky-shattering battle cries reverberated for several miles.

Seeing this, Lin Yi casually selected a bandit at Late Seventh Rank and began to fight him.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Within the Wang's Pharmacy branch, explosions and the clash of weapons continuously erupted.

Across the vast branch, spanning hundreds of acres, the two sides fiercely battled.

Initially, Wang's Pharmacy held an absolute advantage. After all, they had Wang Chuan, a Late Sixth Rank expert, along with a host of Peak Seventh Rank and Late Seventh Rank guards. Wang's Pharmacy's strength was truly formidable; under normal circumstances, they could sweep through an entire county.

However, later, due to the guards drinking too much the night before, the alcohol took its toll. Coupled with the arrival of another Sixth Rank expert and several Seventh Rank experts from Black Wind Stronghold, the Wang's Pharmacy, which initially held the absolute advantage, gradually began to fall into a disadvantage.

Disciples and guards of the pharmacy were killed one after another. Even the Seventh Rank guards from the Medicine Escort Team started to suffer casualties.

Seeing this, Lin Yi had no choice but to subtly guide the Late Seventh Rank bandit he was fighting to retreat, step by step, towards the edge of the Wang's Pharmacy branch, preparing to flee at any moment.

After all, for a few hundred taels of silver a month, why should he risk his life!

He wasn't loyal to the Wang Family to that extent. It was already good enough that he could hold off a formidable Late Seventh Rank bandit for them!

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

His father and mother had suffered so much for him over the years. Only recently, with him becoming a Martial Scholar, had their lives improved slightly. If they were to suddenly face such devastating news...

The thought of such a scene sent shivers down Lin Yi's spine!

As for Wang Chuan and the guards of the Medicine Escort Team, Lin Yi could only offer his apologies.

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

If not, then as a friend, Lin Yi could only burn more spirit money at their graves in the future.

"Clang clang clang!"

And so, Lin Yi continued to fight while observing the battlefield situation, ready to disengage at any moment.

Unbeknownst to him, he had already fought his way to the vicinity of the Wang's Pharmacy branch's warehouse.

At this moment, the warehouse was engulfed in flames. Inside, a fierce fire consumed all the medicinal ingredients and supplies.

Outside the warehouse, the carts of the Medicine Escort Team, already loaded with Blood Origin Grass, were also burning fiercely. Most of the Blood Origin Grass had already turned into black ash, with only a small portion barely surviving. However, looking at the intensity of the fire, it was estimated that it wouldn't last much longer.

After all, the manpower in the pharmacy was either fighting the bandits or hiding like the maid Xiao Zhi, so no one was there to put out the fire, leaving it to rage fiercely...

"No!"

Thinking of this, Lin Yi suddenly remembered something: when the Black Wind Stronghold bandits first engaged the forces of Wang's Pharmacy, they were at a disadvantage. They didn't even have enough people to fight, so how could they have specifically sent people to set fire to the warehouse of Wang's Pharmacy?

Moreover, although the Black Wind Stronghold's expedition seemed like revenge, as bandits, once they had breached a county town, they would certainly plunder its resources. Only after plundering the supplies would they set fire to whatever they couldn't carry away.

But they hadn't even transported the supplies yet, so why would they burn them directly? Could it be that the arsonist wasn't from the Black Wind Stronghold, but someone else entirely?

Thoughts raced through Lin Yi's mind, and everyone he had seen in Beicang County today was instantly brought to mind as a potential suspect.

However, he began to guide the Late Seventh Rank bandit away from the warehouse.

No matter who started the fire, Lin Yi didn't want to deal with it right now.

After all, the Black Wind Stronghold bandits had the upper hand, and Wang's Pharmacy branch couldn't even protect itself. He himself might have to retreat at any moment.

Furthermore, with the warehouse fire raging, he couldn't do anything to extinguish it even if he wanted to. At most, he could satisfy a tiny bit of his curiosity.

He didn't need to create more trouble and attract another hidden enemy just to satisfy a small curiosity.

With these thoughts, Lin Yi fought the Late Seventh Rank bandit while moving away from the warehouse.

But just then, inside the warehouse, a stout figure suddenly caught Lin Yi's eye.

"Steward Liu!"

Seeing the man's unique physique, Lin Yi recognized him without even seeing his face.

At that moment, as if sensing something, the steward's large head suddenly turned, and his face was clearly illuminated by the firelight as he looked at Lin Yi in the night.