Blockade

The inn was so quiet, it seemed you could hear the candle flame burning inside the lanterns.

The burly man's gaze swept across the inn, scraping over every face like a dull knife.

At last, it settled on the escort guards.

"Hand her over." The man's voice was hoarse, like two sheets of sandpaper rubbing together.

"Young Master Lu said he's willing to marry her as a concubine. If she obediently comes back, she can still enjoy wealth and glory. If you force me to act, things could get ugly..."

A Martial Artist from the Xu Family cupped his hands and smiled obsequiously, his voice trembling faintly.

"Sir, the person you're looking for isn't here. We're a legitimate escort agency. We transport goods."

The burly man glanced at him, the corners of his mouth turning down. It looked like a smile, or perhaps like he was spitting out a mouthful of phlegm.

"Not here? Aren't you the Xu Family's caravan? Don't make me act."

Then he leveled his broadsword.

"I'll ask one last time. Are you handing her over or not?"

Whoosh!

A rush of air sounded behind him.

A black Long Staff shot out

over everyone's heads,

straight toward the burly man's skull!

"Hmph."

The burly man snorted coldly and reacted swiftly, bringing his blade across in front of him.

Clang!

The staff's tip struck the blade.

The shrill impact rang out.

With a sweep of his large hand, the burly man knocked it away, sending the Long Staff flying off to the side.

Before the others could even see what had happened,

Xue Hai, the Xu Family's Attendant, darted out from behind them.

He caught the deflected Long Staff.

The burly man wasn't about to let him have his way. He raised his blade, ready to hack at him.

Just then,

Boom!

Another loud crash rang out, this time from upstairs.

Zhang Jinsong leaped down from the second floor,

a black iron Long Staff gripped in his hands.

He swung it down at the burly man's head!

The burly man had no choice but to abandon his attack on Xue Hai and turn to block the blow.

"What are you standing around for?!"

Zhang Biao Tou roared.

The Escort Guards snapped out of it, raised their weapons, and rushed forward to help, attacking the burly man together.

Chen Feng,

meanwhile, had already taken several strides and reached the burly man's side.

Carrying the momentum of his charge, he twisted his body, raised his hand, and launched a Splitting Fist strike at the man's waist!

The burly man's eyes narrowed.

He seemed not to have expected Chen Feng to act so decisively.

To everyone's surprise, the burly man instead grinned, making no attempt to dodge.

Even as he blocked Zhang Biao Tou's attack, he managed to raise his foot

and kick at Chen Feng!

As the shin rushed closer,

Chen Feng punched without hesitation!

Fist met shin.

The dull thud of flesh striking flesh made everyone's hearts tremble.

The next second,

Chen Feng staggered backward several steps,

forced to put some distance between them.

His shoulder had been dislocated. Grimacing in pain, he gritted his teeth and shoved it back into place.

The burly man, by contrast,

had only swayed, unsteady on his feet. A patch on his shin had turned blue-black, as if blood had begun to pool beneath the skin.

Chen Feng could only think how absurd it was.

Could a human body really be this hard?

He was wearing brass knuckles, for heaven's sake! And after landing a blow like that, he'd only caused a minor injury?!

After assessing the situation, Chen Feng realized he definitely couldn't beat the burly man.

A Bone Forging Martial Artist would have to deal with him.

"Pull back! We'll catch up with you!"

Zhang Biao Tou roared. He knew the others couldn't do much to help here.

"Pull back? Where to?"

The burly man sneered and swung his cleaver at Zhang Biao Tou. Zhang Biao Tou blocked with his staff, but he was clearly weaker in strength.

"Die!"

The Long Staff thrust through the air, stabbing toward the burly man.

Zhang Jinsong and Xue Hai worked together, attacking him from both sides.

They forced him away from the inn's entrance.

"Hurry!"

Cheng Li hurried over, with two women behind him: Cheng Tingxue and her maid.

While the burly man was focused on fighting the two men,

the others streamed out through the back door.

"What about the cargo? What do we do with it?"

someone shouted.

"Forget the cargo! It's all worthless stuff! Our mission this time is to escort a person!"

Cheng Li bellowed. After helping the two women into the carriage,

he took the reins himself, raised the whip, and snapped it down.

"Move!"

"More people will come after us!"

The others' hearts jolted at his words. They hurriedly swung onto their horses and followed Cheng Li, racing out of the village.

Clip-clop, clip-clop...

The horses' uneven hoofbeats cut through the night.

Only after the clashing sounds of the fight had faded completely behind them did Wang Huan call out:

"What on earth is going on?"

"Who exactly is that burly man?"

"What else have you been hiding from us?"

The Xu Family's two Martial Artists clearly knew something, but they still said nothing, keeping their heads down as they rode.

The four Escort Guards, Chen Feng among them, were left in the dark like outsiders.

They knew nothing.

Nobody liked feeling that way.

"Sorry. We were afraid word might get out, so we kept it from everyone."

Cheng Li answered as he cracked the whip.

"The mission wasn't to deliver goods. It was to escort Tingxue back to Pingcheng."

"Zhang Biao Tou should have told you how dangerous this mission was. That's why the payment is so high."

The Escort Guards were taken aback. Zhang Biao Tou had indeed emphasized the dangers of the journey.

And the pay for this escort job really was generous.

For a moment, no one knew what to say.

The carriage wheels rolled over gravel on the road, making a soft crunch.

The sound was soon drowned out by the hurried clatter of hooves.

"Who's that burly man? And who's the Young Master Lu he mentioned?" Chen Feng asked.

"Questions, questions, questions! That's all you ever do! You took the money, so just do your job. Why so much pointless chatter?"

One of the Xu Family's Martial Artists snapped at Chen Feng.

"Don't stick your nose into things that aren't your concern!"

The Escort Guards from the Changwei Escort Agency darkened at his words, their tempers flaring.

Chen Feng's gaze turned cold too.

"If you don't explain, I'm turning around and leaving right now."

"You dare!"

The Xu Family's Martial Artist snapped angrily.

"Why wouldn't I? This is just a private job Zhang Biao Tou took on himself, not a mission assigned by the agency."

Chen Feng spoke coldly.

"You'd be breaking your contract!"

"I haven't even received a cent, and I never signed a contract. How would that be breaking it? I could even turn around and help that burly man, and there'd be nothing wrong with that."

Hearing Chen Feng say this, the Changwei Escort Agency's men slowed their horses.

They silently stood with Chen Feng.

It was as if the moment Chen Feng left, they would leave too.

"You..."

The Xu Family's Martial Artist was struck speechless.

The carriage curtain suddenly parted, and the maid poked her head out to scold Chen Feng.

"If you dare leave, the Cheng Family will make you pay!..."

"Shut up!"

Cheng Li, who was driving the carriage, shouted at her.

He was afraid Chen Feng might actually leave.

It was only the first day of the return journey, and they still had several days on the road ahead.

If they were short-handed, Tingxue would be in danger.

The maid seemed about to say more, but when she saw the cold look in Cheng Li's eyes, she shrank her neck and ducked back into the carriage.

Chen Feng looked at Cheng Li, waiting for an explanation.

If Cheng Li hadn't once helped him, Chen Feng would have turned around and left the instant the maid opened her mouth.

Before becoming a Personal Disciple, he'd been timid and meek.

After becoming a Personal Disciple, he was still timid and meek.

If that was the case, what was the point of being a Personal Disciple?

As a Personal Disciple, everything Chen Feng said and did out in the world reflected on his martial arts school.

So Xie Fei's sneak attack on Chen Feng could be seen as a provocation against the school.

Chen Feng had been entirely justified in crippling him—and could even demand compensation.

He had the status of a Personal Disciple to back him up.

A mere maid from the Cheng Family had dared to threaten Chen Feng. Even if Chen Feng had punched her to death on the spot,

no one would have said a thing.

Instead, they would have blamed the Cheng Family for failing to discipline its servants.

Chen Feng wasn't bloodthirsty. He was willing to give Cheng Li some face and not fall out with them on the spot.

But first,

they had to be willing to take the way out he'd offered.