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Translator: Silavin & Jon
Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun
Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys
It would take a person about half a month to travel from White Jade City to Great Abundance City. He would pass through a lot of desolate places where bandits might appear at any moment. The average person had to be escorted by powerful cultivators if he wanted to take this journey; otherwise, he would most likely be killed.
On the other hand, this was one of the major business routes for the Meng Family. Every year, countless goods would be sent to or dispatched from the Meng Manor through this route.
There were more than twenty people who were tasked with escorting the goods this time. Other than Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong, who were personal bodyguards from the Meng Manor, the rest were from Grand Abundance Bureau, an armed escort service provider from White Jade City.
The chief armed escort was surnamed Guo. He was a straightforward and well-built man.
The Meng Manor had worked with Grand Abundance Bureau many times before, so they were on good terms; therefore, after accepting the order, the chief armed escort immediately made an arrangement and even personally led the best-armed escorts in the bureau to protect the goods to show that they truly valued this partnership.
The task assigned to Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong was simple. They just had to follow the people from Grand Abundance Bureau and escort the goods to Great Abundance City. After the other party accepted the goods, they could return.
Yin Zhi Yong had been confined to the Eldest Young Lady’s side recently. Upon leaving the Meng Manor, he was as happy as a bird that had been released from a cage. With a wine bottle in his hand, he went everywhere to look for people who could drink wine with him. Besides that, he also boasted to Yang Kai that the women in Great Abundance City were beautiful and promised to take Yang Kai to a brothel when they arrived at the destination.
The armed escorts from Grand Abundance Bureau were professional. The scouts were regularly sent out in pairs to gather information and return with useful news.
It had been peaceful for the first five days.
On the fifth day, the team had to sleep the night in a place named Upward Mound. It was an open-air area with no places for anyone to hide. It wasn’t possible for there to be any ambushes. Even if an emergency happened, it would be easy for them to flee.
Those from Grand Abundance Bureau were careful when looking for a place to rest, and after they were done with dinner, most slept while the rest stood guard.
In the middle of the night, Yang Kai awakened in shock as he caught a whiff of a metallic tang. This faint smell of blood was imperceptible to those who hadn’t had a lot of experience in battle; however, Yang Kai had experienced countless carnage in his life. Although his strength had been significantly weakened after he was incarnated into this world, he remained sensitive to the smell of blood.
Right then, the sounds of something breaking through the air rang out. In the darkness, sharp arrows broke through the sky and poured down on them like rain.
“Enemy attack!” Yang Kai got to his feet and shouted. At the same time, he picked up Yin Zhi Yong, who was sound asleep, and rolled away before hiding behind a tree.
The sounds of arrows breaking through the air were heard amidst the grunts and shrieks. After just a short moment, the armed escorts from Grand Abundance Bureau were all either killed or injured.
Yin Zhi Yong had had some wine before going to sleep, but he was completely sober at this moment and asked in horror, “What’s going on?”
There wasn’t a need for Yang Kai to answer the question. Presently, all the tents were on fire. The arrows were aflame as they turned the tents and carriages into pyres. The horses neighed in shock as the entire place descended into chaos.
The rain of arrows didn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. Yang Kai pulled a dead-armed escort towards himself and covered his body with the corpse.
Upon seeing that, Yin Zhi Yong did the same.
The arrows that poured down like rain only stopped a cup of tea later. The entire place was ablaze as all twenty armed escorts from Grand Abundance Bureau were all dead.
It wasn’t until this moment that horses were heard approaching them from a distance.
Hiding beneath a corpse, Yin Zhi Yong looked around in horror with the help of the flickering fire. More than 100 people on horses had appeared from all directions. The burly bald man at the front was holding a sabre with a hideous expression.
Yin Zhi Yong felt his heart skipping a beat, for he recognised the bald man.
The person was none other than the Head Manager of Hidden Treasure Peak!
After those from Hidden Treasure Peak barged into the Meng Manor in the middle of the night and took the Eldest Young Lady away, their Managers were put on wanted lists, and their faces became known to everyone in the city.
That was the reason Yin Zhi Yong could instantly recognise this man.
However, why were the people from Hidden Treasure Peak here? This was a route that led to Great Abundance City, which was in the south, while Hidden Treasure Peak was in the north. Those from Hidden Treasure Peak didn’t have any business in this.
Nevertheless, he didn’t have any time to ponder on it as the Head Manager wielded his sabre and shouted, “Find the corpses!”
His subordinates then dispersed and searched around.
Yin Zhi Yong had no idea what corpses they were looking for. He only knew that he would be doomed if he couldn’t come up with a solution. He turned to look at Yang Kai’s hiding place and became dumbfounded.
That was because Yang Kai was nowhere to be seen. Only the dead armed escort, who was previously used to fend off the arrows, was left behind.
[That stinking brat is too much! How could he run away without telling me!?] Yin Zhi Yong had the urge to howl in misery. He didn’t even notice that Yang Kai had left. He only knew that when he was sound asleep, Yang Kai picked him up and rolled away to dodge the first round of arrows.
Seeing that those from Hidden Treasure Peak were about to find him, Yin Zhi Yong was struggling internally between begging for mercy or fighting to the death. Right then, someone was heard exclaiming, after which something heavy thudded on the ground. The next moment, everyone was heard yelling, “Head Manager!”
“Don’t move!” The Head Manager bellowed.
Yin Zhi Yong had no idea what was going on, but with the help of the fire, he looked up and faintly saw a figure standing behind the Head Manager, holding a sharp blade to the latter’s neck.
Stirring Clouds Saber!
Yin Zhi Yong was ecstatic. Even though he couldn’t make out the person behind the Head Manager, he could recognise the incredible weapon.
After pushing the corpse away, Yin Zhi Yong, who was drenched in blood, got to his feet. His action stunned the bandits around him.
The Head Manager took a glance at him and grinned, “You two are indeed martial arts experts. I didn’t expect you to survive.”
“Thanks for the compliment.” Yang Kai’s voice was heard coming behind him. The next moment, Yin Zhi Yong saw Yang Kai sticking out his head as the latter asked, “Are you alright, Brother Yin?”
“I’m fine,” Pretending to be tough, Yin Zhi Yong wiped the blood off his face. In fact, he wasn’t injured one bit as even his skin was still intact.
“What about you, Head Manager? What should I do about you now?” Yang Kai asked impassively, not moving the sabre away.
The Head Manager chuckled, “This is how I usually hold a woman. I hadn’t expected to be embraced in such a way one day. It’s a new experience.”
Just then, a glint flashed through the weapon as two fingers were sent flying away. The Head Manager grunted while his hand, which had secretly reached for the dagger at his thigh just now, was covered in blood.
At that moment, the Head Manager turned ferocious while the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak were agitated.
“Nothing good will ever come out of your mouth, huh? Only say something after thinking it through and don’t do anything unnecessary. My blade is pretty sharp. If I cut off something important, you won’t be able to put it back.” Yang Kai threatened him in a hushed voice, “Tell your people to back up. I’m a timid person. My hand will shake with so many people around me.”
The Head Manager sported a hideous expression, then raised his hand, “Move back 300 metres!”
The bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak exchanged glances before they stepped backwards and disappeared into the darkness.
Despite the fact that the Head Manager was held captive while his blood was dripping from where his fingers were cut, he remained calm and collected. Yin Zhi Yong couldn’t help but think that this man was really something.
“I think we can have a talk now,” the Head Manager said.
Yang Kai sheathed Stirring Clouds Saber and leaped off the horse before shuffling towards the carriages where the goods were kept.
When the Head Manager saw Yang Kai facing away from him, he had the urge to unsheathe his sabre. However, as he recalled Yang Kai’s mastery of martial arts, he stifled his urge to do so.
When he held Meng Ru captive previously, he led more than 100 bandits to launch an attack on Yang Kai. Nevertheless, a lot of his subordinates were killed while the other party persevered until the soldiers from White Jade City came to the rescue.
This time, the Head Manager was captured by Yang Kai while he was unsuspecting, which was why he became at a disadvantage.
He still couldn’t believe that those from the Meng Manor had found such a powerful guard.
“Tell me. Who told you to do this?” Yang Kai asked with narrowed eyes while standing in front of the carriage.
Upon hearing that, the Head Manager sneered, “Do we need anyone to tell us to avenge the death of Hidden Treasure Peak’s Second Manager?”
“How did you find out our route and exact location? I’m guessing you have been hiding here for more than a day.”
The Head Manager replied impassively, “That’s what we do for a living. Of course we have our own ways of gathering information.”
While facing away from him, Yang Kai said, “It was those from the Meng Manor, right?”
Upon hearing that, Yin Zhi Yong was astounded, “Little Brother Yang, what are you talking about?”
The Head Manager flashed a smile at Yin Zhi Yong, “Your Little Brother is pretty interesting. Is there something wrong with his head?”
Yang Kai unsheathed his Covering Rain Sword. As a glint flashed through his weapon, the carriage fell apart and revealed the goods inside.
When Yin Zhi Yong took a glance, he became flabbergasted, “W-What’s going on here?”
The ‘valuable goods’ that the two of them and those from Grand Abundance Bureau had been escorting were just stones placed in crates. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He quickly went over to examine the stones. In the end, he confirmed that they were just rocks with nothing else hidden inside them.
It was the same case for the other carriages.
“How could this be?” Yin Zhi Yong found it hard to accept the truth as he still had no idea what was going on.
More than twenty people from Grand Abundance Bureau had lost their lives just to protect a few carriages of stones. If not for Yang Kai’s quick response, the two of them would have perished tonight as well.
“There’s something I don’t understand.” Yang Kai turned to look at the Head Manager, “Previously, those from Hidden Treasure Peak barged into the Meng Manor in the middle of the night and kidnapped the Eldest Young Lady from the Meng Family. There were quite a few casualties on both sides, and even the Second Manager lost his life. Supposedly, those from the Meng Manor would never work with you, but this is exactly what happened. Can you tell me the reason behind it?”
The Head Manager was no longer as calm and collected as before because he felt helpless at the fact that the other party had seen through everything; however, he chose to say nothing and simply stared at Yang Kai with a grim expression.
Yang Kai held both the sabre and sword in his hands while shuffling towards him. With his gaze lowered, he said, “A person who doesn’t speak is no different from a corpse!”
The Head Manager replied grimly, “I can only tell you that I received a piece of information that you would pass through this place while escorting goods. However, the person who told me this has nothing to do with the Meng Manor.”
“Who is that person associated with, then?” Yang Kai asked while standing in front of him.
The Head Manager shook his head, apparently unwilling to reveal anything.
“Farewell, then,” As soon as Yang Kai finished speaking, he pushed out his sabre and sword at the same time. Although the Head Manager had put his guard up, he was still unable to ward off both weapons. His head was sent flying away while blood spurted out from his neck.
On the other hand, Yang Kai leaped onto a horse and picked up the dazed Yin Zhi Yong before clenching his thighs. The next moment, they galloped off in a particular direction.
I think this last sequence was really well written. Congrats to the author, translators, e team!
I could fell Yang Kai’s emotions, and was really angry at this whole plot.
I get so invested in these smaller, literally meaningless, side stories in the small worlds.
Also, are we literally going to have 9 of these lol
Cut their hands
Thanks for the chapter!