Everyone froze for a moment at Li Qing's actions.
Wang Kuohai, the head escort of the All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency, felt a sudden jolt in his heart as he watched Li Qing about to leave.
He immediately stood up and said to the two men beside him,
"Forget the goods. We're leaving right now!"
With that, he turned and headed outside.
But just then, a cold killing intent came from behind.
Already on guard, Wang Kuohai swung his saber at his back.
A flash of steel sliced through a spray of black blood, along with a strange head.
It was one of the three burly men sitting at the table beside them.
The other two lunged at the same time, twisted smiles on their faces as countless patches of rot appeared across their skin.
The two Escort Guards beside the head escort felt their scalps prickle at the sight.
They raised their weapons and hacked at the attackers.
"Roar..."
At the second table, a man and a woman charged over too, their faces now green and fanged, their skin turned a deathly blue-green.
Wang Kuohai's expression changed. He drew a deep breath.
A trace of killing intent appeared in his eyes. His long saber swept out, tracing a wondrous arc as it flashed past the two monsters.
Two heads flew into the air, black blood gushing from their necks.
Screams erupted from the escort team outside. A terrifying black shadow sat on one of the escort wagons.
It was a gaunt figure with an ape-like face, its body covered in dark gray fur. The monster wore the clothes of a tavern server.
Its left hand gripped an Escort Guard by the neck, while its right hand had already dug open his skull.
It was greedily slurping up its meal.
Its eerie eyes were pitch-black, devoid of all feeling, and fixed unblinkingly on Li Qing.
Li Qing's whole body stiffened. He felt as if death itself had fixed its gaze on him.
A suffocating sensation rose in his heart.
Behind him, the people who had turned into monsters had all been cut down by the head escort and Escort Guards of the All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency.
The head escort had come to Li Qing's side. He gripped his saber and watched the monster on the wagon with wariness and fury.
The Escort Guards beside the wagon were all visibly terrified. As they watched the monster, the sabers in their hands trembled.
The monster's gaze shifted away from Li Qing and turned toward the escort team.
Suddenly, it flashed forward, followed by another anguished scream.
An Escort Guard had no time to react before his skull was ripped open. The monster scooped out a mass of red and white matter and stuffed it straight into its mouth.
"Roar... Delicious..."
The monster let out a terrifying roar and spoke in a strange tongue. A chill ran through everyone from head to toe.
"Monster!"
"Run!"
Several Escort Guards couldn't bear the terror any longer. They ran in all directions, crying out for their parents.
A trace of disappointment crossed the head escort's face. He knew that the faster they ran, the faster they would die.
A black shadow flashed past. The Escort Guard who had run the fastest was already lying on the ground.
His skull had been ripped open, and his brain was gone.
The shadow landed, flashed away again, and reappeared behind another fleeing man.
Wang Kuohai roared, "Everyone, attack together!"
"You won't get away!"
With that, he charged forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. In just a few strides, he had covered several meters.
The veins bulged across his body. A flash of cold steel burst from his hand as he cleaved at the terrifying monster.
Seeing the head escort charge, the other Escort Guards gritted their teeth and rushed in after him.
Li Qing's expression shifted as he watched the battle unfold.
The group had surrounded the monster. This seemed like the perfect chance to run.
Should I run?
No. There's no way these people can fight that monster. It's only a matter of time before they're all killed.
Once they're dead, the monster will definitely come after me. It was staring right at me just now.
At that thought, he stopped hesitating and gritted his teeth. "I'll take my chances."
He pulled out the Spirit Summoning Tablet and poured all his vital essence into it.
"Moo!"
A roar like a dragon's cry rang out. A phantom dragon surged from the Spirit Summoning Tablet.
It pounced at the monster, which was wreaking havoc.
A massive thud rang out, and Wang Kuohai, the head escort, flew backward, spitting blood.
The monster struck the steel saber in his hand with one swipe, shattering it to pieces. Despair filled his face.
The tremendous force slammed into him, sending him flying with severe injuries.
In that instant, the mysterious dragon shadow had already reached the monster.
The monster shrieked, "Roar!"
It swung both claws at the dragon shadow, the sharp talons tearing through the air with a terrifying whistle.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Something astonishing happened: every one of its attacks missed.
The dragon shadow had no physical form. Like an illusion, it pounced straight through the monster.
A twisted phantom ape was ripped out of the monster's body.
The Flood Dragon's phantom tore the twisted ape apparition apart in its jaws.
It flicked its tail lightly in midair, then flashed back into the Spirit Summoning Tablet in Li Qing's hand.
The monster, its phantom ripped away by the Flood Dragon, began to collapse grotesquely. Its body slumped to the ground like heaps of shredded meat.
Everyone turned to look at Li Qing, their faces filled with shock.
The head escort beside them stared at Li Qing in astonishment too.
He realized he had met an extraordinary person.
As Li Qing faced their gazes, he kept his expression calm, making himself look like a master.
Although he had saved the escort team, it was hard to say whether these people might harbor ill intentions toward him.
After all, stories of escort agencies robbing their own clients weren't unheard of.
It was hard to know how they would treat a random passerby like him.
Wang Kuohai, the head escort, had just gotten up from the ground. He walked over with gratitude and solemnity.
With his hands clasped, he bowed deeply to Li Qing. "Wang Haikuo, chief escort of the Jade City branch of the All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency, thanks you for saving our lives, sir."
The other Escort Guards had also recovered by now. One after another, they bowed and offered their thanks.
"Thank you for saving our lives, sir!"
In just a few short breaths, they had lost three companions.
Their fifteen-man team was down to twelve. The peril they had faced left them shaken.
Li Qing felt a little relieved. They seem pretty upright. I can afford to get to know them.
He concealed the Spirit Summoning Tablet in his sleeve and felt his vital essence. It seemed he still had enough to use it once more, at most.
He smiled slightly. "There's no need for such formalities. I only did what came naturally. After all, this monster was more dangerous than anyone could have imagined."
Wang Kuohai quickly said, "May I ask your name, sir? What should we do now?"
Li Qing looked at Wang Kuohai with a slightly odd expression.
Why are you asking me? How would I know what you should do?
Li Qing nevertheless replied, "My name is Qin Wuming."