Yue Hongling vs. Luo Qi

Whatever else might be true, Instructor Sun's appreciation for Zhao Changhe was genuine. He spared no effort in teaching him and truly regarded him as a prized pupil. Zhao Changhe's feelings were complicated too, but he set aside the matter of formations for the time being and devoted himself to learning the Blood Baleful Blade.

In any case, he dared not ask too many questions about the finer points of formations, or he would surely arouse suspicion.

The Blood Baleful Blade was one of the martial techniques that complemented the Blood Baleful Art. By applying the art's method of mobilizing blood and qi to wielding a saber, it delivered greater power and ferocious bursts of force. Its forms contained very few fancy tricks; this was a saber technique of broad, sweeping strokes. At higher levels, the baleful intent carried by a single slash could wither grass and trees, killing weaker opponents on contact. Its power was formidable.

As for its finishing moves, his current strength was still insufficient to use them. Even if he barely managed to force one out, it would leave him drained and unable to fight.

A complete system, with a cultivation art, combat moves, and ultimate techniques, was visibly taking shape.

It even included complementary footwork. Since positioning mattered, it naturally began to overlap with the knowledge of formations.

Zhao Changhe studied diligently.

Whatever plans he had... he needed strength before he could pursue them, one step at a time.

As far as personal taste went, he quite liked this style of saber technique, gathering power fiercely and unleashing it just as fiercely. His only regret now was that his saber was too light. He had no idea where to find a heavier one...

During a break, Zhao Changhe unconsciously slipped a hand into his pocket and gently clasped the Blood-Stabilizing Pill he had never used.

Instructor Sun certainly could not have imagined how fiercely this matter would provoke the rebellious streak in someone like Zhao Changhe.

When he returned that evening, Luo Qi was absent.

Zhao Changhe frowned slightly.

This winter solstice marked a turning point not only for Zhao Changhe's breakthrough and the discovery of the hidden door in the pool. Luo Qi, too, had reached an important juncture.

They had been here a month, yet had never robbed any traveling merchants or raided any towns or villages. So many people from their sizable Mountain Stronghold were out hunting beasts, but where were they supposed to find that many animals in the dead of winter? After more than a month of hunting, prey had become harder and harder to find. Over the past two days, more and more people had returned empty-handed.

How did that resemble mountain banditry at all? They were clearly fighting the hunters outside the mountains for their livelihood-and losing, since none of them were professionals.

If the hunters had not feared the bandits and dared not venture deeper into the mountains, they probably would not even have earned what little they had before.

Things had come to this largely because Helmsman Fang and many of the other stewards had their minds elsewhere. Instructor Sun's duties were limited to teaching martial arts, and nobody had paid much attention to this side of things. But the Mountain Stronghold's month-long display of doing absolutely nothing had finally made Helmsman Fang feel humiliated. A few days earlier, he had issued a strict order: the Mountain Stronghold had to carry out a raid.

Luo Qi had already begun scouting ahead of time. Just as Zhao Changhe had proposed, he investigated whether any wealthy, heartless masters lived in the villages and towns outside the mountains, intending to dispense justice on Heaven's behalf.

He had actually found an exceptionally vicious local gentleman, and a few days earlier had said he was preparing to act. By the look of things, today seemed to be the day of Luo Qi's raid.

Warmth stirred in Zhao Changhe's heart. Luo Qi had called him naive, but his actions had followed this very plan. Whether that had been his own wish all along or he was accommodating Zhao Changhe's feelings, either possibility warmed Zhao Changhe's heart.

After all this time rising and sleeping together, along with last night's emergence from the bath and the strenuous effort of guarding him, Zhao Changhe knew that no matter how much he claimed to treat Luo Qi as a man, deep down he already regarded him as family.

Or perhaps, to put it more plainly, as a wife.

"Boss Zhao! Boss Zhao! Something's happened!" A bandit he got along with came running up. "A squad of brothers guarding the road just went to report to the stewards' hall. They saw someone passing by..."

Zhao Changhe did not understand. "Why tell me someone passed by? Even if you're going to rob them, there's no need to get this excited..."

"Who's excited, boss?" The bandit stamped his foot. "It was Yue Hongling! Even the cult leader can't beat that monster. Who the hell would be tired enough of living to provoke her? We reported it to Instructor Sun, and even he backed down!"

Zhao Changhe froze. Before he could grasp what this meant, the bandit continued, "Yue Hongling headed toward Zhang Village. It looked like she intended to spend the night there. That Brother Luo who shares your room went to raid Zhang Village today, didn't he? That's why I came to warn you! And you're asking why I'm telling you?"

Before he had even finished speaking, Zhao Changhe had already swept out of the Mountain Stronghold like a whirlwind and charged down the mountain path.

Luo Qi's operation had been going smoothly today.

A remote little town outside the mountains, a landlord's estate beyond its walls-what master could possibly be stationed there? At the first level of the Profound Pass, Luo Qi stormed in with a dozen-odd ferocious bandits and swept through them like a gale through rotten wood.

In moments, Luo Qi had immobilized everyone in the estate capable of resisting by striking their acupoints. He waved a slender hand. "Search the place. Do not touch their women. Anyone who so much as lays a finger on them will have his filthy paws chopped off!"

The bandits looked as though they had swallowed shit. They were already doing this kind of work, and they still couldn't have their fun with women? Were they even bandits anymore? Did he really think he was some great hero who robbed the rich to aid the poor and carried out Heaven's justice?

Yet none of them dared defy Luo Qi. Only the bandits who followed him knew that their thin, frail-looking Boss Luo was actually more ruthless than Boss Zhao, whose fame in the stronghold eclipsed everyone else's.

A few days earlier, some idiot had drunk too much yellow piss and, seeing Boss Luo's delicate features, mouthed off at him. He said that if the higher-ups had not appointed Luo Qi as their leader, a pretty little catamite like him would only be fit to entertain the rest of them. Saying it was one thing; he had even tried reaching out a paw.

Then Luo Qi had struck his acupoints and carried him to the edge of a cliff. Expressionless, he had loosened his grip inch by inch, watching the man fall and smash into bloody pulp. The cold indifference in his eyes had sent chills down everyone's spine.

Indeed, only birds of a feather nested together. Only someone this ruthless would share a room with Boss Zhao-and those two were practically inseparable.

Luo Qi had reported back to the stronghold that the man had lost his footing and fallen off a cliff. Nobody there bothered investigating such a case, so a fatal slip was what it became.

In chaotic times, human lives were worth no more than grass. Even inside the stronghold, it was no different.

Who dared defy a leader like that? Better to obediently search the place and be done with it.

Zhao Changhe knew nothing about this. Even if he had, he would probably have thought the others were exaggerating. The Luo Qi in his mind was not a ruthless person at all...

Luo Qi coldly regarded the local gentleman and his family, all immobilized before him. This was his first time doing something like this, and for the moment he could not decide whether he ought to kill them.

In theory, bandits did not necessarily kill people during a raid. If they encountered no fierce resistance, there was little need. This was not because bandits were kindhearted, but because they were raising pigs for slaughter.

Residents outside the mountains could hardly uproot their entire families on a whim. After being robbed once, they would still live here, merely hiding their wealth more carefully and reporting the bandits to the authorities. That meant there would still be something to plunder next time... Some even reached an understanding: whenever the bandits came, they simply paid protection money without fuss, building a connection. They then enlisted the bandits as outside support and became even more tyrannical in the countryside.

The bandits understood this too. They would not casually strip the land at the foot of their own mountain bare, and might even lend a hand when trouble arose.

That was why many mountain bandits were so hard to eradicate. In reality, their eyes and ears were everywhere.

But Luo Qi felt something was off... He had first investigated this wealthy local tyrant's long record of evil deeds, then come to carry out Heaven's justice-not to play along with an understanding between bandits and local gentry. So should he kill him after all? Was there a handbook for heroes he could borrow?

While he hesitated, he suddenly heard what seemed to be hoofbeats in the distance.

Luo Qi frowned and stepped outside to look. A figure in red was galloping toward him beneath the setting sun.

"Fuck, we really did run into a hero!" Luo Qi turned and ran. "It's Yue Hongling! Retreat!"

But how could they possibly get away in time?

In the blink of an eye, Yue Hongling had already blocked their path.

Her beautiful eyes swept over Luo Qi, then turned toward the estate, which was in utter turmoil. A throng of bandits was pouring out, trying to flee.

"Bandits from the Blood God Cult..." Yue Hongling sighed. "I had important business these past few days. I knew there was a Mountain Stronghold near Mang Mountain. I should have come to wipe it out long ago..."

For some reason, although he was deeply afraid of Yue Hongling, the sight of her righteous, heroic bearing kindled anger in Luo Qi's heart. He actually sneered. "Why pretend to be some great hero? You roam the martial world every day-how do you earn a living? Where does the money for your daily expenses come from? Don't you rob the rich to aid the poor, just like us?"

Yue Hongling paused, then said with some amusement, "I do rob people. But the people I rob are you."

Luo Qi said, "...Fuck."

Come to think of it, this Yue Hongling did not feel like the stern-faced, lecturing hero he had imagined... She really was a little like Zhao Changhe. He wondered how much of Zhao Changhe's temperament was natural, and how much came from deliberately trying to resemble Yue Hongling.

Amused, Yue Hongling dismounted, drew her sword, and pointed it at him. "Not many bandits argue with me. You're one of them. I wonder how your sword compares to your tongue."

Irritated, Luo Qi drew his sword and took a defensive stance. There was clearly still room to argue his case, but for some reason he had no desire to debate Yue Hongling at all. He simply could not stand the sight of her.

Just then, it was as though a raging wind swept past. Even from far away, they could feel the ferocity of the approaching blood baleful intent.

Yue Hongling's expression shifted slightly. She turned to see a burly man charging across the snow with the momentum of a galloping horse.

Delight surged through Luo Qi's heart, followed by a sudden hint of amusement.

Perfect timing.