Do Something Big

Shen Chu had wanted to leave the Li Family, to leave Changping County,

precisely to escape this mysterious Flag Master and the shadow of the Red Lotus Sect.

Yet the danger he had gone to such lengths to avoid had come crashing into him once again just as he was about to get away.

And from the sound of it, this group of Red Lotus Sect members was targeting Li Chengwen's convoy.

No wonder the backup Li Chengwen and Xu Zhibao had left behind had never come into play. This group of monsters had killed them all!

Had Li Jiwu lost his mind?

Instead of being the Li Family's Second Young Master, he had gone and mixed with these monsters?

Thoughts raced through Shen Chu's mind.

He was alone now, surrounded by Red Lotus Sect Cultists. And the one in the black mask clearly did not look easy to deal with.

Trying to force his way through would be courting death!

He could only blend into the group for now and wait for an opportunity.

At the same time, Shen Chu could not help worrying about that fat man, Li Chengwen.

Though he had always wanted to shake off trouble, Li Chengwen had treated him well. He could not simply stand by and watch that fat man die at the hands of the Red Lotus Sect.

Seeing that Shen Chu had finished dealing with the matter, the black-masked leader said no more. With a wave of his hand, he led everyone in pursuit of the convoy.

Shen Chu also blended into the ranks, following the Red Lotus Sect Cultists as they hurried after the direction in which Li Chengwen's convoy had departed.

The Red Lotus Sect members hurried onward.

Shen Chu's heart pounded, and his mind worked at breakneck speed, searching for every possible chance to escape.

But the Red Lotus Sect's movements were extremely tight. There were people both ahead and behind him, leaving him no chance at all to break away and send a warning.

Shen Chu could only follow the group while silently praying that Li Chengwen's side would sense something amiss.

But when he thought of what Li Chengwen was like, a bitter smile rose in his heart.

Relying on him? He might as well rely on Xu Zhibao!

Meanwhile, the night grew deeper.

Li Chengwen's convoy stopped before a relay station in the outskirts.

Though it was called a relay station, it was really just a small courtyard enclosed by earthen walls.

Inside stood an old building and several crude rooms, meant for passing travelers and government runners to rest their feet and spend the night.

There was a well in the courtyard.

Fortunately, though the relay station was old, it was fairly clean.

Xu Zhibao swung down from his horse and carefully inspected the inside and outside of the relay station.

Only after confirming there was nothing unusual did he have everyone drive the carriages into the courtyard, unload the goods, and carry them into the rooms in batches.

He then arranged for the remaining men to take turns keeping watch through the night, assigning every shift with meticulous care.

Once everything had been properly arranged, Xu Zhibao returned to his room and sat on the edge of the bed.

He removed the saber from his waist, placed it beside his pillow, and lay down fully clothed.

Although Xu Zhibao had lain down, he had not truly fallen asleep. His ears remained alert to every sound outside.

It was extremely quiet outside. Now and then, the night watchmen's voices drifted over, but there were no other sounds.

In the neighboring room, Li Chengwen was already sprawled across the bed, snoring like thunder and sleeping as soundly as a dead pig.

Listening to the earthshaking snores, Xu Zhibao could not help giving a bitter smile. He muttered softly, "It's good to have a big heart... To still sleep so soundly at a time like this."

Perhaps Li Chengwen's snoring had infected him. A wave of drowsiness washed over Xu Zhibao. He turned over and closed his eyes, but his hand never loosened from the hilt of his saber.

Outside, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

In the wilderness beyond the relay station, dozens of black figures lurked soundlessly in the night, like crouching leopards awaiting the order to strike.

The black-masked leader crouched behind a boulder, his gaze locked onto the relay station's tightly shut wooden gate as he patiently waited for the best moment.

At last, he raised a hand and made a downward chopping gesture.

"Send two men over. Prepare to release the sleeping smoke."

Two Cultists stepped out at once.

They took two slender bamboo tubes from their robes, bent low, and under cover of the night quietly crept toward the earthen wall at the side of the relay station.

Of these two, one was a genuine Red Lotus Sect Cultist.

The other was Shen Chu.

Shen Chu gripped the bamboo tube, his heart thudding wildly.

He knew this was his last chance.

Once the sleeping smoke was released, the people inside would be slaughtered in their sleep, utterly unable to resist. Li Chengwen would surely die.

He had to do something before that happened.

The two crept beneath the earthen wall and aimed one end of their bamboo tubes at a crack in it.

But hearing people still talking inside, Shen Chu took the initiative to grab the Cultist beside him, signaling him to wait a little longer. At the same time, Shen Chu took several steps back, quietly gathering the force of his fist in his hand.

Just as Shen Chu was about to strike, the Cultist suddenly asked, "Hey, brother, what's your name? Why do I feel like I've never seen you before?"

Shen Chu's movements paused slightly. He gave a vague "Mm."

But the Cultist seemed to have become interested and continued in a low voice.

"Don't be so tight-lipped! We're all brothers in the sect. Is it wrong for me to want to get to know you? Where are you from?"

The instant Shen Chu heard that, everything became clear.

So this guy did not know him at all!

His taut nerves loosened slightly, and his courage grew. Lowering his voice, he answered vaguely, "I... I'm just a nobody, not worth mentioning. What about you? How long have you been in the sect?"

Seeing that he was finally willing to speak, the Cultist chuckled and whispered, "Me? More than a year. If I do well on this mission, maybe I'll get promoted to be a small leader."

As he spoke, there was a hint of pride in his tone, along with curiosity.

"Hey, do you know what exactly we're doing this time? The higher-ups only said we were robbing that batch of Li Family goods, but where they'll be sent afterward or what they'll be used for—I haven't heard even a whisper."

Shen Chu's heart stirred, and he continued probing. "I'm not too sure either. I only heard that we were going to do something big. Do you know what big thing it is?"

The Cultist scratched his head and said somewhat sheepishly, "I really don't know that... How could matters of the higher-ups ever be ours to ask about? Anyway, we just have to follow orders. The sect is surely doing it all for our own good."

Shen Chu probed indirectly a few more times and confirmed that this man truly knew nothing. He was merely a low-ranking Cultist being used as a gun.

Now that Shen Chu understood, he asked no more.

After chatting for a while, the Cultist suddenly remembered their real task and urged, "All right, all right, enough talk. Hurry up and release the smoke. If we miss the time, the leader will start cursing."

As he spoke, he brought the bamboo tube to his mouth, preparing to blow the smoke inside.

Just as he drew in a full breath and was about to blow,

Shen Chu's right hand shot out like lightning. His five fingers came together into a fist, striking precisely at the center of the Cultist's back!

The force of the Stone-Shattering Fist passed through his fist, instantly shattering the man's heart meridians.

The Cultist's body stiffened abruptly. The bamboo tube fell from his mouth to the ground, and his entire body slumped forward.

After killing the man with one blow, Shen Chu had just been about to warn those inside the courtyard when a low voice came from behind him.

"Are you done yet?! What's taking so long?"