Becoming a Martial Master: Starting as a Swordsmith

Master Li's face turned ashen.

Upon learning of Li Jiwu's death, he was devastated.

But looking at her eldest son beside her, she finally calmed down.

He looked at the house where he had lived for decades, his eyes filled with reluctance and struggle.

In this critical situation, he finally made up his mind.

"Go! Everyone pack up your valuables and leave through the backyard immediately! Take as much as you can, and leave what you can't take!"

Li Chengwen quickly helped Master Li walk towards the backyard, with Shen Chu, Madam Hu, and Hu Bai following closely behind. Xu Zhibao and Xu Qingqing led the bodyguards to bring up the rear.

The group hurriedly packed up their valuables and filed out through the back door, disappearing into the chaotic night of Changping County.

Behind them, the sound of the Li family's gate being smashed open and the shouts of the Red Lotus Cult members came almost simultaneously!

......

The group hurried along the alley, getting closer and closer to the city gate.

Looking ahead by the firelight, the group could already see the night sky filtering through the city gate and the open fields outside the city.

A glimmer of hope ignited in everyone's hearts.

Once you break through this city gate, the world is wide and open!

It will be difficult for the Red Lotus Sect to catch up with them again!

However, at that moment, Master Li suddenly stopped.

"Father! Hurry!"

Li Chengwen was both anxious and exhausted, covered in sweat. If he hadn't been following Shen Chu's weight loss plan all this time, he would have collapsed on the road long ago!

Master Li glanced back at the raging flames behind him, a look of anxiety and struggle on his face: "Chengwen! Where's your second aunt? They haven't come out yet! I have to go back and bring her out!"

"Oh, my old man! Why didn't you say so earlier or later? What good is it now? Hurry up and get out of the city gate. Second Aunt is a lucky woman, and if all else fails, I'll find you twenty eighteen-year-old brides after we're out of trouble!"

Li Chengwen was taken aback by Master Li's words, and then retorted irritably.

After being rebuked by Li Chengwen, Master Li stopped talking.

He knew that if he turned back now, it would surely mean certain death.

Now, when disaster strikes, everyone has no choice but to scatter.

When Mr. Li thought of his second son who had lost his life and the destruction of his many years of hard work, he was overcome with grief and could no longer hold back his tears, which rolled down his cheeks.

"Cry, cry, cry! Why didn't you cry when my mother died!"

Li Chengwen muttered a few words in annoyance, then pushed Master Li and continued hurrying towards the city gate.

Seeing this scene, Shen Chu couldn't help but sigh. The people from the Xu Family Escort Agency also had various expressions.

This Master Li, who usually seems shrewd and worldly-wise, is surprisingly still thinking about that Red Lotus Cult scoundrel who has been lurking by his side for years, even at this critical moment of life and death.

Calling him a romantic wouldn't be entirely accurate.

Perhaps it's just that as people age, they always have some lingering affection for their spouse.

Just then, a silvery laugh suddenly came from ahead, carrying a hint of flirtatiousness and smugness, sounding particularly jarring in the night:

"My lord, you've missed me, haven't you? Well, here I am."

Everyone's expression changed simultaneously.

A graceful figure slowly emerged from the only road leading to the city gate.

Liu was dressed in a tight red outfit, holding a willow-leaf knife in her hand. Although she had a charming smile on her face, her eyes gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

Behind her, two or three dozen Red Lotus Cult members, armed with knives and spears, stood indistinctly, completely blocking the road out of the city.

Master Li's expression immediately changed.

Although he was old, he wasn't stupid. Seeing Liu's attire and the menacing Red Lotus Cult members behind her, he immediately understood everything.

The woman who had been with him for several years was a member of the Red Lotus Cult!

"You..." Old Master Li's lips trembled a few times, "When did you...?"

Liu chuckled, gently brushing a strand of hair from her temple with the tip of her scalpel, her posture exuding charm, yet her tone brimming with undisguised smugness:

"My lord, please don't look at me like that. I'm just following orders; I have no choice in the matter. But now, I can offer you a way out."

She took two steps forward, her gaze sweeping over Shen Chu and the others, and said with a smile:

"If you lay down your weapons and surrender, I can plead with the flag lord to let you join my Red Lotus Sect. With your skills, it's not impossible for you to become leaders or something. It's better than losing your lives, don't you think?"

Li Chengwen was so angry his face turned ashen; he wanted nothing more than to rush up and chop the woman to pieces.

Xu Zhibao and Xu Qingqing also had solemn expressions, prepared for a fight to the death.

Shen Chu remained silent, observing the surrounding terrain and the enemy's distribution in a daze, quickly calculating the possibility of breaking through.

Just as tensions were about to rise, a tall figure suddenly emerged from the shadows behind Liu.

The man was dressed in a black official uniform, with a single-edged sword hanging at his waist. He had a square face and looked like an ordinary constable.

But at this moment, the knife he held was still dripping blood, his eyes gleamed with a cold light in the moonlight, and his entire body exuded a chilling murderous aura.

It was Zhang, the head constable, who was also the "August 15th" flag leader of the Red Lotus Sect.

When Liu saw Constable Zhang appear, her smile widened even more.

She quickly turned around and hurried to meet him, her tone carrying a hint of flattery and sycophancy:

"Flag Master! You've come at the perfect time! I've already cornered this group! The Li family father and son, and the Xu family's escort agency, are all here! This is a big fish!"

Before she could finish speaking, a cold glint flashed past.

Before the smile on Liu's face could fade, a head shot into the air, tumbled a few times, and then landed on the ground with a thud, rolling twice before coming to rest in a pool of blood.

That once charming and beautiful face still retained the obsequious expression of someone who had been seeking credit, as if she hadn't yet realized that she was dead.

The headless corpse stood there for a moment, blood gushing from its neck like a fountain, before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

Officer Zhang slowly sheathed his blood-dripping single-edged sword, not even glancing at the corpse on the ground:

"It's all because of your incompetence that we were forced to launch the operation ahead of schedule. If you hadn't alerted the enemy, our plan could have been much more meticulous. How dare you boast about your success?"

The entire room fell into a deathly silence.

Master Li stared blankly at Liu's headless corpse, his lips trembling a few times, but in the end he said nothing. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes.

Officer Zhang shifted his gaze from Liu's corpse to Shen Chu and his group.