The Hundred-Forged Steel Blade, coated in a layer of red light, seemed like a divine weapon that could slice through iron as if it were mud.
The monster that had been impervious to blades and spears had actually had its leg severed with a single slash.
A flash of blade light appeared and vanished.
With one leg cut off, the monster immediately lost its balance and toppled forward, flailing its claws wildly.
Li Qing's eyes lit up. Strike while it's down and finish it off.
He sprang up from the ground and pounced on the falling headless monster.
He swung his blade at its waist.
A flash of steel.
The headless monster was sliced in two at the waist.
But it wasn't over yet. The monster suddenly braced its hands against the ground and lunged straight at Li Qing.
As Li Qing stared at the claws rushing toward him and the monster's twisted, hideous face, a chill shot straight through his skull.
The blade that had been hanging down swept upward as he flipped his wrist. At the same time, he bent backward into a bridge, and the monster flew over him.
By the time the headless monster's upper body hit the ground, it had already been split down the middle.
The monster's body was still writhing like a worm, making everyone who saw it break out in a cold sweat.
Wang Kuohai and the Escort Guards all took several steps back, their faces filled with fear.
Li Qing finally let out a slight breath of relief. At least for now, the monster was no longer a threat.
He looked at Wang Kuohai. "Burn it."
Wang Kuohai snapped back to his senses and shouted to the surviving Escort Guards beside him, "Quick, burn it with fire!"
The Escort Guards hurried over to the bonfire, pulled out burning branches, and carried them toward the monster.
They pressed the burning ends against the monster's body, and its clothes caught fire at once.
Some of the Escort Guards gathered dry branches from around them and threw them all onto the monster.
Soon, three piles of flames blazed up. The monster writhed and twisted in the fire, but having lost the ability to move, it could only burn.
More than ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye, and the monster in the flames finally stopped moving.
Wang Kuohai said with a troubled expression, "It looks like this was one of the bandits we killed."
Li Qing nodded. He had recognized the clothes on the monster too.
They were clearly the same clothes worn by the bandits they had encountered that day.
"I've traveled the jianghu for decades, and this is the first time I've encountered anything so strange."
"In one day, we've run into two things that only happen in legends."
"We really should've checked the almanac before setting out. I'll have to remember next time."
After that night's disturbing episode, half an hour later the body had been reduced to ash.
Holding the Hundred-Forged Steel Blade, Li Qing kept turning over the ashes in the fire.
He wanted to see whether he could find the same kind of round bead left behind by the monster that had died at the post station.
After searching for a while, he still couldn't find one.
"Seems not every kind of monster leaves something like that behind."
Wang Kuohai stood to one side and asked anxiously, "Mr. Qin, are we staying here tonight?"
Li Qing looked toward the Escort Guards nearby as they cleared away the bodies of their companions.
Unfortunately, two Escort Guards had been attacked this time.
He shook his head slightly. "Let's travel through the night."
"Things don't seem peaceful lately. The appearance of these monsters and demons seems to be some kind of omen."
After talking with Wang Kuohai, Li Qing felt that there was no way the events they had encountered along the way were normal.
All he wanted now was to reach Jade City as quickly as possible and get some proper rest.
At Li Qing's words, Wang Kuohai was visibly startled. His expression immediately turned grave. "All right."
Clatter, clatter, clatter.
The sound of a carriage came from the distance, raising clouds of dust. The escort team, flying the banner of the All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency, came rumbling toward them after a long journey.
The sky was already dark. After traveling for a whole day and night, the people of the All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency had finally reached Jade City.
The city gates were about to close, and hardly anyone was going in or out.
Yet many refugees sat or lay on the ground around the gates.
Hope glimmered in their eyes, as if they wanted to enter the city.
But fear filled their eyes too, and they didn't dare approach the gates.
The fully armed city guards stood watch there like grim reapers.
The escort team's arrival drew the guards' attention.
They stopped the escort carts and began checking everyone's identity.
The members of the Escort Agency had all come from inside the city, and each of them had their own travel permits.
Seeing this, Li Qing furrowed his brow.
He had left Qingshi County without bringing a travel permit. Under the circumstances, he probably wouldn't be allowed in.
Wang Kuohai seemed to realize what was wrong and said quietly, "Don't worry, sir. Leave it to me."
The city guard had already reached the carriage and spotted Li Qing inside.
He asked in a harsh voice, "You in the carriage. Where's your travel permit?"
Wang Kuohai, standing nearby, was already smiling as he said, "Sir, here's the travel permit. Please take a look."
As he spoke, he discreetly slipped a silver ingot into the guard's hand, worth at least one tael.
The guard accepted the silver without a word, then turned to the others.
"Let them through!"
The guards quickly moved aside, and the escort team entered Jade City without a hitch.
Jade City was ablaze with lights that evening.
As the seat of Huanglong Prefecture, it was the political and transportation hub of the entire prefecture.
Its population topped a million, and every trade and industry flourished.
Wang Kuohai and Li Qing sat in a carriage. Wang Kuohai asked, "Mr. Qin, do you have somewhere to stay in Jade City?"
"If not, why not stay at our All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency for a while?"
"I have plenty of people there. We can see to all your daily needs."
Hearing Wang Kuohai's invitation, Li Qing considered it for a moment. "That wouldn't be very appropriate, would it?"
Wang Kuohai immediately replied in earnest, "Mr. Qin, you saved us three times along the way. That's a life-saving kindness."
"Those who travel the jianghu value gratitude and grudges."
"We repay kindness and avenge wrongs."
"A temporary stay is nothing at all."
"Mr. Qin, if you're willing, you could stay for the rest of your life, and I, Wang Kuohai, wouldn't object in the slightest."
Wang Kuohai spoke with complete sincerity, making it hard for Li Qing to refuse.
"I've only just arrived in Jade City, and I don't know my way around. On top of that, I still don't know what's happened in Qingshi County."
"Staying at the All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency wouldn't be a bad choice."
"If I need to ask around about anything, Wang Kuohai should be able to help."
Having made up his mind, Li Qing looked at Wang Kuohai and said, "All right. I'll trouble you for a few days."
Wang Kuohai beamed. "Hahaha! It's an honor for the All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency to host you, Mr. Qin."
About fifteen minutes later, they arrived outside a grand compound.
Li Qing stepped down from the carriage and saw a large gate set in gray walls beneath a roof of green tiles.
Four gilded characters on the sign above the gate read, "All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency."
The agency's gates were already open, and a group of imposing Escort Guards stood on either side.
Quite a few people were coming out to greet them.
Wang Kuohai gestured toward Li Qing. "Mr. Qin, please!"
Li Qing smiled slightly. "After you!"