Wan Jian returns to his clan!

Chapter 165 Thunderous Sweep, Hidden Sword in the Pearl's Shadow

It is thirty li west of Dongjun.

Luojiang, Qingshui Wharf.

As darkness fell, torches were lit in all directions, and hundreds of laborers, numb and staggering, carried goods.

Above the steps at the pier, a group of men stood guard, swords in hand, their eyes cold and menacing.

Some burly men were brandishing leather whips.

Anyone caught slacking off would be lashed out with a whip, leaving them with torn skin and screams of pain.

"Speed ​​up, load everything onto the ship, and before midnight, not a single tea brick is allowed to be left behind."

"Yes."

……

About three miles from the dock, on a gentle hillside, the camp was brightly lit, and the melodious sounds of string and wind instruments drifted through the air.

Zhu Yuanqing held a woman with a soft, boneless body in his arms. He slightly opened his mouth and took a grape that she peeled with her delicate fingers. As he chewed slowly, he smiled and said, "If Mingxintang finds out that their goods are going to be loaded onto a ship and left tonight, do you think that young master of Tianxing Sect will rush here to his death?"

Fang Tongfu, the middle-aged steward standing beside him with a bow, chimed in with a smile: "As far as I know, although the Tianxing Sect has gathered some financial resources, it still faces a huge shortage of cultivation materials."

Even if Lu Wubing was extremely magnanimous and indifferent to the gains and losses of some wealth, they absolutely could not abandon this batch of Purple Flame Shells and Blood Jade Coral.

Fang Tongfu clicked his tongue twice as he said this: "I didn't expect that a mere Mingxin Hall would possess such a vast amount of cultivation resources. Yet, it's unwilling to share them with its subordinates for cultivation. I wonder what Cheng Lin was thinking back then?"

"What else could they be thinking? They're afraid others will know about their family's wealth, so they want to develop their business slowly and don't want to attract attention."

Unexpectedly, a mere illegitimate daughter of the Zhu family, who had been kicked out of her home, revealed his true colors, proving she was utterly useless.

“Young Master, this plan to lure you into a trap is excellent... but better safe than sorry. In my opinion, it would be best to keep it hidden. Everything is well planned now, and you don’t need to be here to watch.”

"You do not understand!"

Zhu Yuanqing chuckled coldly: "I want to see that bitch's expression go from hope to despair, to see what choice she will make when she is on cloud nine one moment and in hell the next."

That day, this woman was as arrogant as a peacock, daring to defy my wishes.

This time, I'm going to humiliate them severely in front of all the remaining members of Mingxin Hall. I'll give them all a good look.

As for safety, let alone Lu Wubing alone, even if the entire Tianxing Sect were to mobilize, so what?
With Mr. Lin San here, no matter how many of them come, they will all die.

Moreover, there are five hundred elite troops under the command of Cao Jiang of the Jinghai Division not far away. I'm afraid they might see things turn bad and secretly escape..."

At this point, Zhu Yuanqing's expression turned slightly solemn, and he cupped his hands, saying, "Mr. Lin, I'm sorry to trouble you to deal with Lu Wubing this time. This person is the young sect leader of the Tianxing Sect, and recently he has also earned the name of 'Southern Sword,' so his strength is probably not weak."

I heard that during the battle at Mingxin Hall that day, even the two elders, Tang Heng and Zhang Yiming, couldn't withstand a single move from him..."

Although Zhu Ling was the sixth concubine's daughter in the Zhu family, her status was not high.

But no matter what, this time he made a great contribution to the Zhu family, gained a lot of wealth, and developed a resource point that could bring continuous gains, thus making a great contribution.

In the family ranking sequence, it has quietly risen to ninth.

Therefore, the Zhu family would inevitably reward her, not only by elevating her status but also by sending people to protect her.

Only in this way can we defend this territory.

The two elders in charge of foreign affairs, Tang Heng and Zhang Yiming, were thus assigned to Zhu Ling's side.

Normally, they would naturally obey orders.

If they discover that Zhu Ling has ulterior motives, these two elders will also become executioners.

It's nothing more than mutual restraint.

Regardless of who listens to whom within the Mingxin Hall, the two external affairs elders are truly capable. Although their martial arts skills are not very good, their cultivation level, with the support of resources, has already quietly broken through to the second rank.

One person opened twenty-two meridians, and the other opened twenty-three meridians. In the martial arts world, both of them would be considered rare masters.

But even these two masters died without warning at Lu Wubing's hands.

It didn't even damage a single hair on the other side.

Although Zhu Yuanqing didn't seem to care on the surface.

Deep down, I was also extremely shocked.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have hidden himself so well a few days ago, waiting until everything was ready and he had laid an ambush before releasing the news to lure people into attacking.

He had calculated that the other party would definitely not be willing to part with this batch of precious goods...

The Purple Flame Shell Heart could fit on two boats; the Blood Jade Coral couldn't fit on five large boats.

There are also some rare treasures from the outer seas, such as luminous pearls, dragon horns, and silver jade fins.

Even the Zhu family, renowned for their immense wealth, dared not underestimate this shipment. They would have to roll up their sleeves and fight it out to the death.

Moreover, the Heavenly Star Sect is so poor, I heard they're so poor they don't even have pants to wear, haha...

Thinking of this, Zhu Yuanqing could almost hear the sound of horses' hooves and see Lu Wubing's bloodshot eyes.

"You're bringing up those two old guys?"

Suddenly, a voice rang out from inside the makeshift tent. A man on the left mumbled drunkenly, as if he had just woken up.

He wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve and chuckled lightly, "Forcibly raising their cultivation to the second rank with drugs has exhausted their potential. Their palm and staff techniques are not worth mentioning. If they really encounter a master, they won't even last one move."

As for Lu Wubing, if he doesn't come, everything will be fine. But if he does come, I want 30% of the cargo on this ship.

Mr. Lin He, also known as Lin San, came from the Great Snow Mountain in the western region. Due to some past events, he traveled south and was eventually hired by the Zhu family as a retainer.

In the Zhu family, he was different from the other retainers; he only took action for major matters…

They demand extremely high rewards for each task they undertake. They even have the power to refuse some assignments.

There is no other reason.

This person possesses profound cultivation and unparalleled swordsmanship... He is in no way inferior to even some of the leaders of major sects.

The Zhu family has only managed to recruit and subdue five such experts.

As the saying goes, talented people are hard to come by, so it's inevitable that they'll be given some preferential treatment.

Normally, Mr. Lin would be a little more polite to Young Master Zhu.

He didn't take Zhu Er Gongzi, that kind of纨绔子弟 (spoiled brat), seriously at all.

He doesn't seem to take what he says very seriously.

If this kid hadn't been so nice and knew how to find beautiful women to fawn over, he wouldn't have bothered following his orders at all.

"30% is acceptable, as long as we kill Lu Wubing on the spot and capture that slut Cheng Liangyu alive this time. Even if we give you 50%, it's not impossible."

"You little rascal, hehe, you little rascal, if you keep going like this, you might just be able to compete with your older brother."

Mr. Lin burst out laughing.

Suddenly, a pair of triangular eyes widened, pupils bulging upwards, staring intently at a half-undressed girl lying on top of him, and said coldly, "You've touched a nerve!"

Before the terrified girl could even beg for mercy...

With a flick of his finger, Mr. Lin drew a drop of emerald green wine from the glass. With a whoosh, the wine transformed into a sharp arrow, piercing through the girl's brow and turning into a sharp icicle that pierced the back of her head.

The sudden turn of events terrified the women serving him, who all knelt and kowtowed, crying, "Sir, spare our lives! Sir, spare our lives..."

"What a disappointment, let's continue."

In the blink of an eye, Lin He acted as if nothing had happened, reaching out to stroke the delicate skin of a young girl beside him. He took a deep breath and smiled gently, "As long as you make me happy, you will naturally benefit."

Where did the drumming come from?

The atmosphere inside the tent was slightly chilly. Before the steward, Fang Tongfu, could come up with any words to restore the atmosphere, the sound of thunderous drums could be heard.

A drumbeat sounded.

The shouts of killing filled the air...

The sound had just begun, and after only three or five breaths, a howl was heard.

"Commander Cao is dead."

"kill……"

"Retreat! Retreat quickly! Run!"

Just as everyone inside the tent was feeling completely bewildered, those playing the zither, the flute, and the dancing all stopped.

Zhu Yuanqing and his companions then heard the sound of swords whistling.

It wasn't one or two sword strikes, nor was it three or four.

Sharp whistles echoed from all directions.

It was like a strong wind sweeping across the plains, making one's heart tighten.

They knew who Commander Cao was.

This ambush involved a dozen or so experts and over a hundred elite soldiers from the Zhu family stationed in the north, serving as bait and also as the location of the main camp.

Below are dozens of truckloads of goods and busy laborers.

In the mountain valley to the south, there are five hundred elite troops of the Jinghai Division.

Once someone enters the ambush zone, a hail of arrows and crossbow bolts immediately follow.

Then, their retreat was blocked, and both sides joined forces to kill them.

Zhu Yuanqing dared to set up this ambush not only because of the experts he brought with him from the Zhu family.

Furthermore, they also won over the local commander of the Jinghai Division, promising him benefits.

This was originally a relationship between the Zhu family.

He wouldn't need to develop any new connections... In fact, he could even persuade the Dongjun County government to intervene and eliminate any potential threats if he wanted to.

Zhu Yuanqing was determined to take over Mingxintang's territory, no matter what.

But what I'm seeing now is...

Before the spies ahead could send any news or signals, the soldiers lying in ambush in the southern ravine had already mutinied.

Judging from the sound, the commander-in-chief is dead.

"Go out and see."

Zhu Yuanqing reacted quickly, drew his sword, and darted out of the tent. He saw more than ten people rushing towards him as if flying through the grass.

These people were all dressed in light blue outfits, with a silver-white seven-star pattern of the Northern Hemisphere tattooed on their left chests.

His body emanated a chilling sword aura, and he charged forward swiftly, covering two or three zhang with each step.

"Tianxing Sect."

"how is this possible?"

Zhu Yuanqing immediately saw that his fourth-rank retainer, Zhu Siwu, had just charged forward, brandishing his broadsword.

Before the blade could strike, blood began to gush from his throat, and he collapsed to the ground.

Zhu Yuanlang, the leader of the third-rank family guards, shouted loudly, and four or five experts instantly gathered around him, blocking his way.

"Protect the young..."

Before he could finish his shout, seven swords appeared in front of him.

Whoosh whoosh!
Zhu Yuanqing only saw streaks of light flashing by.

Three to five people fell to the ground at the same time, blood spurting from their throats.

That top-tier expert, whom he relied on as his pillar of strength, and the commander of his family's guards, suddenly had four or five bloody holes in his body.

The next moment, his enormous head flew up.

More than ten figures in blue suddenly appeared and then separated, attacking the hillside.

Looking down the hillside, three riders stood side by side, one of them looking up with a gentle smile on his face.

The woman on the left is tall and valiant, like a beautiful orchid or a jade tree, but her eyes hold a deep murderous intent.

The woman on the right was tall and slender, with a beautiful and delicate face full of disdain and mockery.

Dozens of sword lights flashed and crisscrossed dozens of feet in front of them. Behind them, hundreds more people slowly followed, some leading horses and others driving pack carts.

They even have manpower ready for transporting the goods.

"Mr. Lin, please make a move."

The fierce swordsmen were getting closer and closer.

Zhu Yuanqing's face turned pale, and he cried out for help.

"Huh, what kind of sword technique is this?"

The languid look in Lin He's eyes vanished. He let out a long howl, and his long sword was already drawn from its sheath. He met the fat man charging at him with a single slash.

Amidst the whistling of the sword, a vast expanse of wind and snow surged forth around him, with wisps of frost blooming and snowflakes dancing wildly as they sliced ​​through the air.

The ground stones and vegetation crackled and splintered, instantly turning into powder...

The white sword had just reached the fat man when he froze, took a step back, and roared, "Sancai!"

With a heavy stomp of his left foot, he launched himself forward like a cannonball, bracing against the blizzard. His sword transformed into a streak of light, boom...

A sharp, hissing sound rang out.

The dissipated sword energy tore seven or eight deep cracks into the fat man's body, almost exposing the bone...

As the blood turned into ice crystals and danced in the air, he had already pierced Lin He's chest with his sword.

"Commendable fighting spirit, but too shallow in cultivation; courting death!"

Lin He spun his longsword, which lightly transformed into a goose feather. In the blink of an eye, he parried the sword thrust at his chest and was about to swing his sword back to sever the fat man's head.

Unexpectedly, a gust of wind suddenly blew from the right, and a flash of cold light pierced the side of his neck.

By the time the light appeared in their eyes, it was already too late.

He had no choice but to take half a step back, tilt his head slightly, and dodge the sword.

Before he could even steady himself, another sword silently pierced his lower abdomen, near his dantian, from his left side.

"drink!"

Lin He let out a deep shout, his body surging with energy, his longsword swirling around him, and the sword light around him surged like a tide, stirring up thousands of snowflakes.

Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding...

In the blink of an eye, he blocked more than twenty swords.

He only managed to unleash one sword strike, and then he was attacked so relentlessly that he couldn't even retaliate with a single sword strike.

Lin He's peak-level internal energy was circulating wildly, and his triangular eyes were so angry they were about to bleed, but he was helpless.

He was forced to retreat step by step, blocking left and right, until he reached the entrance of the tent.

For the first time, the thought of retreating arose in his mind.

He finally saw it.

None of these three individuals possessed particularly high cultivation levels, at most only having fifth-grade attack power, yet their sword technique was astonishingly fast.

No matter how fierce his mastered Great Snow Mountain [Blizzard Sword Technique] was, his opponent could only rely on speed.

In fact, this sword technique is even three points faster than the fully mastered [Blizzard Sword].

Ordinary second or third-rank soldiers would likely be surrounded and killed in just a few sword strikes by them.

Such formidable opponents flocked in from all directions, numbering over thirty.

Mr. Lin was so frightened that his soul almost left his body.

He no longer cared about saving others; his first priority was to save himself.

At that moment, he parried three consecutive sword strikes with one sword, his figure rising like a snowflake, about to slip away, land on the tent, use the momentum to fly back, and escape into the waves of the long river.

No one knew that although he had lived in the snowy mountains in his childhood, he was also a skilled swimmer. As long as he escaped into the water, no matter how many experts the enemy had, they would never be able to catch up with him.

"You only want to leave now? Don't you think it's too late?"

A sharp shout rang in my ears.

boom……

Another streak of light appeared before my eyes.

At an astonishing speed, the air exploded, and a faint roar of wind and thunder could be heard.

"Oh!"

Lin He plummeted down, his longsword held against his chest and brow, his entire body exerting its power, his meridians surging, the sword tip touching the flowing light.

A tremendous force surged forth, and he felt his wrist go numb. His body was pierced seven zhang away by the sword, like a rubber ball. He stepped on the flying stones, and a feeling of suffocation welled up in his chest, making him feel extremely annoyed.

"First-grade combat strength".

As the tall and imposing woman pounced like a ferocious tiger, the sword light shattered the air, producing a deep roar.

He knew that this one was much stronger than the previous three, and if he faced him head-on, he would likely be firmly pinned down in place.

The sword technique suddenly changed, becoming ethereal and indistinct.

The longsword lightly touched the lightning-fast sword light, no longer unleashing its power, but instead forcibly borrowing and absorbing its force...

While experiencing excruciating pain in his meridians, his body felt like an autumn leaf falling through the air, instantly traversing seven or eight zhang (approximately 33-40 meters) before plummeting towards a hillside.

chi...

A sword flashed through the air.

A tall figure in purple appeared before him, seemingly standing there all along, just waiting for him to jump diagonally backward.

The energy had just entered his body and hadn't been completely expelled yet; Lin He's arm was still sore and numb when he saw this sword strike.

A flicker of despair crossed his eyes.

Before he could even cry out for mercy, his life was in danger.

The sword light flashed like lightning, piercing through his heart.

"Another first-rank official?"

A powerful, malevolent aura exploded in his heart, and sword energy swept out. With a loud bang, a large hole blew open in Lin He's heart.

He stared intently at the tall woman in purple before him.

I just can't figure it out.

Wasn't it said that this young lady of Mingxin Hall only had second-rate martial arts skills and a cultivation level of only fourth grade? Why is her sword power so strong and her sword speed so fast?
Even if he were to calmly face one of the two women who just appeared, he might not be able to defeat her before she ran out of internal energy.

Moreover, the two of them were attacking together.

Looking down at the handsome young man in blue robes riding a large red horse, Mr. Lin felt a pang of regret before he suddenly stopped breathing.

He finally understood.

The opposing commander didn't even make a move. Tianxing Sect casually dispatched so many disciples with combat strength reaching the first-class level. What's the point of fighting them?

Lin He died with his eyes wide open in disbelief, while Zhu Yuanqing was trembling with fear.

Unable to stand steadily.

It's not entirely because he lacks mental fortitude.

Instead, Zhang Dexing had already severed both of his arms with his sword, and the sword had pierced his dantian, crippling his martial arts skills.

He can still stand at this time.

It can only be said that he wasn't tough enough, but rather that a spear had pinned his foot down, preventing him from kneeling.

Lu Wubing slowly rode his horse uphill.

The snow-covered red horse was exceptionally spirited, climbing straight up the rocks as if they were flat ground.

There was no feeling of strain at all.

He had just climbed the hillside when he saw seventy or eighty people lying on the slope, and his disciples, each carrying the scent of blood, leaped over.

"Young Master, Cao Jiang of the Jinghai Division has been executed. Of the remaining 230 dead and 260 escaped, should we pursue and capture them?"

Yang Tong, carrying the Tiger Soul Blade, stepped forward with fervent eyes to report.

This was the first time he had ever fought such a costly battle.

Dozens of top-notch fighters, in one wave of attack, slaughtered all the enemy's generals, centurions, and deputies.

Furthermore, after sweeping away the archers, the common soldiers immediately collapsed and followed behind, being slaughtered like pigs, one by one.

If Lu Wubing hadn't said beforehand that these soldiers would still be useful in the future and there was no need to kill them all, he wouldn't have been able to.

These five hundred so-called elite men were all killed in less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

"No need. Let them go back and warn those who come after them. After this battle, all four battalions of the Jinghai Division will surely have to behave themselves."

The Jinghai Division of Donghai Commandery has a total of only two thousand men, divided into four battalions led by their commanders. They do not usually go out to fight and only obey the orders of the imperial court.

In theory, they are an official force, but internally they have been secretly corrupted by someone and have been doing many things in secret.

Lu Wubing was too lazy to investigate these secrets one by one.

He wasn't in the Censorate, so he didn't care who was on whose side or whether they were loyal to the court.

All he knew was that anyone who dared to send a single soldier to attack his forces would be completely wiped out.

Once or twice, they might not be scared off, but once the leaders have sorted things out, I believe no fool would dare to be the first to stick their neck out.

This is the saying, "A person's name is like a tree's shadow."

There's no need to kill everyone, nor is it necessary to beat up everyone.

"Reporting to the young sect leader, all 317 members of the Zhu family have been killed. This second young master of the Zhu family, Zhu Yuanqing..."

Zhang Dexing carried a long sword, his body covered in blood, but he felt no pain at all; instead, his eyes were full of excitement.

"Fourth Senior Brother, you've worked hard. Let Junior Sister Cheng handle this person. Some grudges can only be resolved by taking action personally."

Lu Wubing flicked his sleeve and threw Zhu Yuanqing in front of Cheng Liangyu.

Seeing the other person's red eyes as they pierced Zhu Yuanqing's heart with a sword, he nodded and stopped paying attention.

Revenge is an essential part of the story.

However, he did not want to see Cheng Liangyu blinded by hatred... As a martial artist, especially as a leader, it is the most basic requirement to keep a clear head at all times.

"Instruct Tie Lao and Pan Lao to take the men from the three flag stalls, clean up the battlefield, bring back the goods, and then we'll go for the second round."

Lu Wubing gave the order in a low voice.

With a swift turn, it leaped from the crimson horse toward the shadowy peak of the tent.

The sword flashed like a streak of light.

A fleeting moment.

The disciples hadn't reacted yet.

I heard three sharp sounds.

It was the sound of weapons clashing.

A cool breeze carrying moisture brushed against everyone's faces.

As the figures moved, several torches went out, and then Young Master Lu was seen riding his horse again, looking thoughtful.

"Young Sect Leader."

The disciples formed a circle and carefully scanned the shadowy areas in all four directions.

"No need to look anymore, that person has already escaped. What an amazing shadow escape technique. His cultivation level is also very high; he was able to block three of my swords and only suffered minor superficial injuries."

Lu Wubing opened his left hand and saw a jade bead lying in his palm. The light and shadow within the bead shifted and flickered in the torchlight, revealing a faint character "影" (shadow).

..............................

(End of this chapter)