Wang Kuohai held only an ordinary blade. His own weapon had already been shattered while fighting the ape-like brain-eating monster.
Though his weapon was inferior, he still gritted his teeth and charged at the burly man rushing toward him.
His chest still throbbed with pain. The collision two hours earlier had left him badly injured.
Clang, clang!
Both men were highly skilled. Their blades flashed and clashed repeatedly as Wang Kuohai darted around the burly man like a nimble serpent.
Already wounded, he naturally avoided meeting the man head-on, constantly searching for an opening.
The burly man, meanwhile, laughed wildly as he swung his blade. He had already realized Wang Kuohai didn't dare meet him head-on.
"Hahaha! Are you scared? Then die!"
He overwhelmed his opponent with sheer force, his blade flashing more terrifyingly than ever.
Wang Kuohai seemed to be at a slight disadvantage.
Watching the scene from the carriage, Li Qing's mouth twitched.
"I really have had one disaster after another."
"First Mr. Huayue, then the Government Office's pursuit, a Flood Dragon on a rainy road, thugs when spending the night outdoors, a monster at the post station, and now bandits just for a bit of good luck."
"I'm under a dark cloud of misfortune, unlucky to the bone. Why has everything piled up at once? Is it really this hard to get to Jade City?"
"An ordinary person would've died eight hundred times by now."
Li Qing grumbled indignantly. With his courage rising alongside his anger, he picked up the Spirit Summoning Tablet.
He poured his vital essence into it, this time using half of what he had.
A Flood Dragon, both real and illusory, burst from the tablet and shot toward the burly man fighting Wang Kuohai.
"Moo!"
A sound like a dragon's roar rang in everyone's ears.
Their minds shook, and in an instant, they lost control of themselves.
The Flood Dragon pounced on the eight-foot-tall man and ripped out his spiritual soul.
With one bite, it tore his soul to pieces.
Only then did everyone come to their senses, and they witnessed this incomprehensibly terrifying sight.
The Flood Dragon devoured a soul—like something out of a myth.
"Monster!" one bandit cried, his face drained of color.
He let out a scream and turned to run.
The Escort Guards seized the opportunity to attack.
Squish.
Two bandits were cut down on the spot, screaming as their heads were severed.
Of the twenty bandits, five were left behind. All their heads were cut off.
Wang Kuohai had come over to Li Qing. He bent forward respectfully and said,
"Thank you for coming to our aid, Mr. Qin. You've saved us once again."
Li Qing waved a hand. "It's nothing. I just hope we can reach Jade City as soon as possible. Since we're traveling together, I might as well lend a hand."
He watched the Escort Guards chop off the bandits' heads, a trace of confusion on his face. "What are they doing?"
"Bandits' heads are worth a lot of money."
"They'll bury the bodies nearby and take the heads to the Government Office later."
"Then the constables will come and inspect the scene."
"Each head is worth at least five taels of silver. These five are worth twenty-five taels."
"An Escort Guard's basic monthly pay is only two taels of silver."
"For one escort job, they usually get about one tael in bonuses."
"If they split twenty-five taels, each of them will get two taels—equivalent to a month's wages."
Only then did Li Qing understand. He walked over to the eight-foot-tall man's corpse.
His soul had been ripped away, leaving him a mere corpse.
Li Qing picked up the Hundred-Forged Steel Blade from the ground and began searching the corpse.
He soon found a money pouch and a book on the man.
When he looked closer, he was surprised to discover it was a manual for the Seven Star Blade.
Seeing the manual, Wang Kuohai wore a look of dawning understanding.
"So it's the Seven Star Blade. It belongs to a sect called the Seven Star Blade Sect, which is quite famous in the martial world."
"The fellow was probably a traitor who left the Seven Star Blade Sect."
Li Qing looked at Wang Kuohai. "Is this blade technique powerful?"
"It's considered a first-rate blade technique in the martial world, on the same level as my family's."
Li Qing understood. Wang Kuohai was indeed far more capable than an ordinary person. In both strength and speed, he was at least twice as good as those Escort Guards.
"Could you help me deal with the body?"
Wang Kuohai's expression turned solemn. "Don't worry, Mr. Qin. I'll have someone take care of the heads. Once we exchange them for silver at the Government Office, I'll bring the money to you."
Li Qing nodded. "Thank you."
The convoy set off again. Li Qing remained in the carriage, and new information appeared on the Jade Tablet in his mind.
Seven Star Blade (Unranked): The blade moves like the Seven Stars, each strike chasing the soul.
Seven Star Blade (Technique): Become one with the blade; wield it as naturally as your own arm.
The new information on the Seven Star Blade flowed into his mind, and he understood the technique completely.
The technique was mainly made up of various methods for exerting force. Practicing them could also train the muscles, flesh, and skin, further developing the body.
"I wonder if it'll be useful to me. My body should be stronger than an ordinary person's."
"I can practice when I have time. Relying solely on the Spirit Summoning Tablet leaves me with too few tricks."
"If I ever run into a situation where the Spirit Summoning Tablet is useless, I'm done for."
"I'm like a spellcaster. If anyone gets close to me, I'm finished."
"Learning a blade technique will help me protect myself."
Li Qing was beginning to feel more and more that the world was hostile toward him.
The convoy continued on at a slow pace. About two hours later, it gradually came to a stop.
Wang Kuohai's voice sounded from outside. "Mr. Qin, we've found a Mountain God Temple where we can take shelter."
"Let's rest here tonight. It'll keep out the wind and rain."
Li Qing paused, then leaned out of the carriage and looked at the ruined temple.
It was an extremely dilapidated temple. At a glance, it seemed to have only a main hall and two side halls.
Li Qing furrowed his brow. Seeing his expression, Wang Kuohai's face tightened slightly. "Mr. Qin, is something wrong?"
"Can we find somewhere else? A temple like this isn't a good place to stay."
"Don't enter the woods or temples."
Hearing Li Qing's warning, Wang Kuohai was startled. He quickly replied, "All right. I'll make arrangements right away."
Wang Kuohai shouted to the Escort Guards, "Keep going! We'll rest outdoors tonight."
The Escort Guards heard his words, their eyes showing weariness and resignation.
The convoy continued forward. Li Qing quietly watched the Mountain God Temple recede into the distance, feeling a little relieved.
"This world is too dangerous. Better to play it safe and keep a low profile."
Another half hour passed in the blink of an eye, and night had fallen.
At last, the convoy found a level patch of woodland. They lit a bonfire and arranged the carriages in a circle.
Everyone sat inside the ring of carriages and began cooking.
They all gathered around, drinking bowls of dried-meat soup and chewing on coarse rations.
Wang Kuohai and Li Qing ate the same food.
"Mr. Qin, we really don't have anything good today. Everyone will have to make do for the night."