Meng Qingshan whipped the sun hat from his hand and hurled it at the face of the man with the mace.
The man reacted swiftly, easily cleaving the hat apart with a backward swing of his mace. Then he spurred his horse into a gallop and charged straight at Meng Qingshan.
While the man with the mace was busy defending himself, Meng Qingshan shifted slightly and effortlessly dodged the powerful blow.
At the same time, he swiftly drew the Brocade Cloud Saber from behind his waist and unleashed the Nine Forms of Swift Saber.
Since he was on horseback, the Nine Forms of Swift Saber were ill-suited to mounted combat, so Meng Qingshan couldn't use them very quickly. Even so, they were more than enough to deal with this man.
Besides, the man had underestimated Meng Qingshan because of his young age. After just one exchange, Meng Qingshan cleanly severed his right arm.
"Argh!"
The burly man let out a bloodcurdling scream.
But Meng Qingshan acted as if he hadn't heard a thing. Just as he was about to take the man's life, someone suddenly called out, "Wait! Are you Young Escort Leader Meng Qingshan of the Changfeng Escort Agency?"
Meng Qingshan's blade was already at the man's throat.
At those words, he abruptly forced the Brocade Cloud Saber in his hand to a stop. He slowly raised his head, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.
The speaker was the oldest of the three.
He wore a simple yet dignified Black Fur Gown, its loose fit and wide sleeves giving him the look of a secretary. His expression was composed and reserved, and a keen glint flashed in his eyes now and then. He was nothing like those rough, unruly bandits.
Meng Qingshan's sharp gaze recognized him at once.