Chapter 323 Night Raid on Baitang Town
Chapter 323 Night Raid on Baitang Town (Long chapter, thanks to the reward from the boss 'I Have a Love Letter')
To the west of Baitang Town, near the Wulong River, there is a small inn. Due to its remote location, it has always had poor business. There is only an old shopkeeper, a thin waiter, and a fat cook in the inn.
"Deng Deng!"
The sound of horse hooves could be heard in the night.
Half a month ago, a group of men with a Sichuan accent came to the inn, dropped off two silver ingots, and booked the entire inn.
"Xu~"
Two black horses stopped in front of the store. Two tall men jumped off the horses. They were wearing black clothes and bamboo hats, holding long swords. They behaved in a capable and proper manner, revealing a temperament different from that of martial artists. They looked at each other and walked into the store.
"Shopkeeper, stay at the inn, feed the horses, use good food!"
The leading man had a low, slightly hoarse voice. His voice was clearly a standard northern accent, but it also had a soft Jiangnan tone, like a northerner who had lived in Jiangnan for many years. The fusion of the two accents sounded very distinctive.
"My dear guests, I am so sorry, but our shop has been booked."
As soon as the two of them stepped over the threshold, the old shopkeeper hurried over to greet them.
"You have it?"
The man in black looked around the inn. It was already the end of the hour of midnight, but the lights were still on in the inn. There were twelve or thirteen men with white cloth wrapped around their heads sitting in the hall. They all carried swords and stared at the two people at the door.
Behind the man in black was a big bearded man with a sturdy back. He laughed when he saw this.
"Old man, you're not running a black shop, are you?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the men suddenly stood up, held the hilts of their swords, and prepared to attack. The sound of dense footsteps was also heard upstairs, and it was obvious that there were quite a few people.
"My dear guest, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say anything you want!
The old shopkeeper quickly stopped the two men and tried to push them out of the store.
"You should hurry up. There are seven inns and restaurants in Baitang Town, just one mile ahead. They are much better than this little shop. Don't waste time here."
"Hahaha!"
The bearded man took two steps forward, his body like an iron tower, and he stayed rooted in the same place. The old shopkeeper couldn't move him even a step. He laughed and looked at those people: "What if we don't want to change places?"
"Swish". Dozens of long swords were unsheathed in an instant, and those people hurried over.
"Fuck you, you two bastards don't understand what I'm saying. You can't stay in this store, but you insist on coming in to ask for a beating. I'll satisfy you!"
The old shopkeeper was kind-hearted. He stood between the two groups and tried to persuade them.
The man in black smiled at the bearded man and said, "Brother Ling, it seems that this shop is indeed not suitable for us tonight."
The bearded man said dissatisfiedly, "We have traveled hundreds of miles, and both the man and Marco are tired."
The man in black had thick eyebrows and big eyes under his hat and chuckled.
"Brother Ling, the old shopkeeper is right. It's only a few hundred steps away. We can just stay in the town. Why bother arguing with them?"
"Oh, okay then!"
The bearded man had no choice but to nod in agreement.
"Humph! You're smart, or I'll make you live at the bottom of the Wulong River."
When the men saw that they had given in, they began to sneer at them again.
The two men left the inn and the sound of horse hooves faded away.
The moon disappeared and the stars sank, and the night outside gradually darkened.
"Brother Zhao, am I okay at acting?"
Two figures came out from the direction of Baitang Town along the Wulong River, hid their bodies in a reed bush, and looked towards the small inn a hundred steps away. Light was still shining through the doors and windows.
The man in black pushed aside some reeds that blocked his view and said, "Don't you realize that there are only minions in the lobby? No powerful figures have shown up yet."
"Who are they?"
"They are wearing white cloth wrapped around their heads, straw skirts and straw sandals, and they all speak with Sichuan accents. They must be Yu Canghai's men from the Qingcheng Sect!"
The bearded man asked in confusion, "Qingcheng Sect? Aren't we following Lord Yang's orders to track down the whereabouts of Wanchonglou's henchmen? Why is Brother Zhao suddenly interested in this group of people?"
The man in black shook his head and said, "We are a step too late. The Jinyiwei have already withdrawn. But according to my guess, Chen Feibai's visit to Hengshan City at this time is probably related to the Jianghu affairs."
"Things in the underworld? Liu Zhengfeng's retirement from the underworld is one thing."
"Since the Jinyiwei left long ago, it has nothing to do with Liu Zhengfeng."
"What else?"
"I don't know, but I know that Wan Chonglou has long wanted to subdue the martial arts masters and use them for his own purposes."
The bearded man sighed and said, "If Wan Chonglou succeeds, the power of the Jinyiwei will become even more unstoppable. I don't know how many loyal officials will be killed by the evil concubine and Wan Chonglou. Now I just hope that Empress Su will give birth to a prince soon, and His Majesty will change his mind and let Lord Yang and his men curb the power of the Queen's party!"
The man in black turned around and looked at the bearded man: "Brother Ling, you and I are now in the government, which is different from when we were in the underworld. You must be careful with your words and don't let the Jinyiwei catch you."
The bearded man nodded and said, "Don't worry, Brother Zhao. I can save it."
The man in black looked forward and suddenly said, "Be careful! There are more people coming, and a large number of them!"
The two men crouched low.
At midnight, the sky is dotted with stars.
About fifty people came out of Baitang Town and ran towards the inn.
They were covered in black cloaks, with copper half-masks on their faces and weapons of various colors in their hands. They passed by the reeds, but on their chests, there was a wolf head embroidered with red thread. It was the size of a chicken egg, with two fangs showing, and it glowed coldly under the moonlight.
"It turns out it's them!"
The leader was tall, wearing a silver mask, a moon-white robe, riding a rouge horse, with a long-handled axe hanging on his left side. He walked at a neither fast nor slow pace, and moved in perfect harmony with the people behind him.
The bearded man saw those people passing by and asked, "Brother Zhao, do you know them?"
The man in black whispered, "Two years ago, I was ordered to collect evidence of Wan Guozhang's embezzlement of military rations in Taiyuan Prefecture. I had dealings with local friends in the underworld. These people are the Wild Wolves."
The bearded man said, "Wild Wolves? What a strange name, what's their origin?"
"It is said that it belongs to Qingfeng Village."
"The one that claims to be the best camp in the three provinces and holds up the banner of justice?"
"Yes! These people are selected from a hundred, they are very skilled, move as fast as the wind, fight as fiercely as wolves, and are specifically responsible for strangling the enemies of Qingfeng Village."
The bearded man nodded and said, "Then their target this time should be... Qingcheng Sect."
"Probably."
"Oh? You're not leaving again?"
The man in black looked forward and said in a deep voice: "They want to catch them all in one fell swoop!"
When they were a hundred steps away from the inn, the wild wolves stopped and hid in the lush grass under the cover of darkness. From time to time, two or three people would leave and quickly run in different directions. With the inn as the center, they arranged ambushes in all directions where the fish that slipped through the net might escape.
From the second floor of the inn, there was a sound of splashing water.
There was an oil lamp lit in the room, which was quite bright.
Lin Zhennan sat on the chair, his face gloomy and his heart confused.
After coming to this inn, the treatment has become much better. I don't have to gag or tie my hands all the time. My meridians are just blocked. Not to mention calling on my internal energy, I don't even have as much strength as an ordinary person.
"I don't know how Pingzhi is doing?"
There were more than thirty Qingcheng Sect disciples living on both sides, sandwiching the couple's room in the middle. The windows were sealed and there were people guarding the door outside, coming in to check from time to time, so there was no chance for them to escape.
Mrs. Wang came out from the inner room, changed into a plain white cloth robe, and was wiping the water stains on the ends of her hair. It had been more than half a month before she was finally able to wash and comb her hair. She looked at her husband, whose hair had turned completely white in such a short period of time, and could not help but sigh softly.
"Master, are you worried about Pingzhi?"
Lin Zhennan nodded and said, "As long as Pingzhi hasn't fallen into their hands, my Lin family still has hope. Although the Fuwei Escort Agency is gone, the friendships and good fortunes accumulated in the martial arts world over the years are still there. There will always be a day for revival."
"Friendship? Blessing?"
Mrs. Wang walked slowly to his side and smiled sadly.
"Master, don't you understand? In the martial arts world, luck is not important, only prestige is important."
Lin Zhennan was silent for a while, then shook his head and said, "Madam, you can't say that."
"Then how can I put it? From Fujian to Hunan, you have seen and heard a lot of things along the way. How many people have stood up for the Lin family? Those famous and orthodox sects are on friendly terms with the Qingcheng Sect. Have they ever come out to uphold justice?"
"What's worse, there are some people who say something like 'a person with little power who does not fear the strong, a person with no manners who insults his big neighbor, will be doomed'. Master, do you still believe in this nonsense that fortune comes first and power comes later?"
Mrs. Wang's words were quite impolite, almost like she was scolding Lin Zhennan.
After all, that nonsense was passed down by Lin Yuantu!
But when Lin Yuantu said "blessings come first, power comes later", he had already defeated all opponents in both the black and white worlds.
Lin Zhennan said this because he only had the means to bestow blessings but not the ability to exercise power.
People tend to be superstitious about what they have.
"My wife, ah~" Lin Zhennan sighed, not knowing what to say.
He looked up. They were ten years apart in age. Mrs. Wang was not yet forty this year. She was at the peak of her charm and maturity, with fair complexion. Her ill-fitting cloth gown flattered her curves to the fullest, but between her brows there was an unshakable sadness.
"My wife, you have suffered... following your husband."
Mrs. Wang sat next to Lin Zhenyang, holding his hand, looking outside the door, and whispered.
"Master, if it really doesn't work, just hand over the thing and let them fight over it. Our whole family will go back to Luoyang. It's never too late for a gentleman to take revenge."
"My lady, do you really think that if we hand over the things, Yu Canghai will let our whole family go?"
"That…"
Just as Mrs. Wang was about to speak, the door was suddenly pushed open and an old man walked in. He was extremely short, with a white beard and ill-fitting clothes, like a monkey on Mount Emei. Yet, even such a dwarf was far better at martial arts than Lin Zhennan and his wife.
"Captain Lin, Madam Lin, are you satisfied with your stay?"
He entered the room and looked at the couple, his gaze especially lingering on Mrs. Wang for a while.
Mrs. Wang said coldly, "Thank you, Mr. Tiegong, for providing us with food and clothing, and for letting us bathe and live like half a human being."
Deng Tiegong sat down on the chair and chuckled, "Do you two have any grievances?"
Madam Wang retorted, "Do you still want to thank Master Yu for his kindness?"
Deng Tiegong shook his head and said, "That's not necessary. It's just that, regardless of the old grudges between the ancestors, Master Yu's beloved son died at the hands of your son. With new hatreds and old grudges added up, no matter how the Qingcheng Sect deals with you, no one in the martial arts world can say a word against it."
Lin Zhennan asked, "Master Yu, what do you want to do to my husband and me? You might as well just give me a straight answer."
Deng Tiegong sneered and said, "Give me the Sword Manual of Exorcism now, and everything will be fine. Otherwise, when we get to Bashu and Master Yu is free, he will have the strength and means to force you to speak."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a sound of fighting, followed by screams from the building. Deng Tiegong's face suddenly changed and he jumped off his chair. At this time, the door was pushed open again and Pi Renqiu hurried in.
"Uncle Deng, someone broke into the inn."
"who?"
"I don't know. They didn't discuss things when they met, but used weapons directly. There were several masters among them, and some of the disciples couldn't resist them."
"Leave one person to watch over them, and the rest of you, follow me downstairs to meet the enemy."
Deng Tiegong glanced at Lin Zhennan and his wife and walked out of the room.
Pi Renqiu fell behind and glanced at Madam Wang who had just come out of the bath. He swallowed his saliva unconsciously, but when he thought of the power of the life and death talisman, his heart sank. Wasn't it this woman who got him last time? He had to put away his desire and cursed inwardly: "My dear, Tian Boguang is right, the life and death talisman really has this use."
In the lobby of the inn, the old shopkeeper and the thin waiter hid behind the counter, trembling like two plucked quails. With a bang, a corpse was kicked onto the counter. The two looked up and saw the Qingcheng sect disciple lying face down with his eyes wide open. A plum blossom dart was deeply embedded in his forehead, and blood plasma dripped down one by one.
The thin guy was so frightened that he lost his mind and screamed, "Help...Help..."
"You're not going to die, and you still dare to make a sound?"
The old shopkeeper quickly covered his mouth.
In the lobby, except for a few who escaped upstairs, the dozen or so Qingcheng Sect disciples had all been eliminated. Among the more than forty Wild Wolves, only one was seriously injured, and the others were slightly injured. When Deng Tiegong led his men downstairs, he saw the ground full of broken limbs and arms, and he was shocked and angry.
"Uncle Deng, they did it!"
Pi Renqiu stood beside Deng Tiegong, pointing at the men in black robes wearing bronze masks.
Deng Tiegong said coldly, "You killed the disciples of Qingcheng Sect for no reason. Do you think you don't respect our Master Yu of Songfeng Temple? Or do you think you don't respect the righteous heroes of Hengshan City?"
"What are these righteous heroes? They are birds of a feather, not worth mentioning."
Zhao Xia wore a silver mask on her face and held a peach blossom axe in her hand, which was upright beside her. She looked very imposing. She was sitting on a bench in the middle, but her figure was much taller than Deng Tiegong who was standing.
"Little girl, you are so arrogant!"
Deng Tiegong shook his sleeves slightly, and two snake-shaped daggers slid out and were held in his palms skillfully. He was good at light work and daggers, and his attacks were ruthless and tricky, and he was good at dodging and moving. The woman was so tall, but she was taller than a normal man, and she was using a long axe and heavy weapons, which was like using a cannon to kill a mosquito.
He had already figured out a way to restrain himself.
"I'm going to teach you how to behave!"
Zhao Xia slowly stood up, picked up the peach blossom axe,
Deng Tiegong looked up and saw two majestic peaks. He couldn't help swallowing his saliva. He was worried that he had no place to vent the anger that Mrs. Wang had provoked upstairs. He thought to himself that after conquering this woman, he must display his martial arts well.
"Little girl, you have a nice figure."
Zhao Xia chuckled and said, "Do it!"
Deng Tiegong raised the two daggers and was about to meet the enemy when he suddenly felt a strong wind coming from behind his head. His many years of experience in the martial arts world prompted him to sink his body and roll on the ground at the critical moment of life and death. This trick of escape had always worked.
He was born with a short stature, and people often made fun of and looked down on him for this. However, Deng Tiegong was able to rely on this special skill to escape sword attacks several times. Unfortunately, the person who attacked him from behind was very close to him and knew this trick well.
"Ah~"
Deng Tiegong's left arm flew up and was cut off at the shoulder by the iron sword, and blood gushed out like a fountain.
"die!"
He rolled on the ground and was about to get up when a white light suddenly flashed in his eyes. An axe blade as big as a millstone fell from the sky. With a scream, the dwarf's body was cut in half, and his intestines and internal organs poured out from the gap, just like... a frog was broken open.
The arm fell behind the counter, and the two men fainted from fright.
"It's you!"
Deng Tiegong was strong enough that he did not die immediately after being cut in half. He turned his head and looked at the man who attacked him. Among the disciples of Qingcheng Sect, only Pi Renqiu had blood on his sword.
"Brother Pi, what are you doing?"
"Haven't you figured it out yet? He's a traitor..."
"Pi Renqiu, aren't you afraid of the temple master's punishment?"
Pi Renqiu held up the bloody sword, knelt down at Zhao Xia's feet, and laughed, "I have fulfilled your mission!"
Zhao Xia said coldly: "Kill them all!"
"kill!"
"The leader has ordered to kill them all..."
When the Wild Wolves heard the command, they pounced forward instantly, first launching a wave of hidden weapons, with darts, caltrops, sleeve arrows, poison needles, and iron nails flying everywhere... When the Qingcheng Sect disciples saw that one of their two leaders was dead and the other had rebelled, their morale collapsed and they were unable to organize an effective resistance.
"Sword Knot Formation!"
"No, the hidden weapons are powerful and we can't stop them at all."
"Go to Hengshan City quickly and report to the abbot. Escape quickly..."
In just one encounter, the sword formation of the Qingcheng Sect disciples was broken up, and they fell one after another under the siege of the wild wolves. The few who escaped and tried to escape from the inn were chased down and stabbed to death by Pi Renqiu, who was guarding the door with a sword.
A quarter of an hour later, the battle ended.
"Chang'an."
"My subordinate is here."
"Assist Pi Renqiu to count the number of people. Kill anyone who is breathing."
"Yes!"
Zhao Xia led a dozen people up to the second floor. After killing the last Qingcheng Sect disciple with a palm strike, he pushed the door open and walked in. He glanced at the panicked Lin Zhennan and his wife and said, "Take them away!"
In just a quarter of an hour, the inn calmed down again, and then several puffs of thick smoke rose up. The wild wolves withdrew one by one, but did not return to Baitang Town. Instead, they continued to walk into the mountains along the upper reaches of the Wulong River.
In the reeds, the bearded man looked at the inn being gradually engulfed by flames and shook his head, saying, "Murder and arson are lawless. The government is useless to these gangsters!"
The man in black slowly stood up, his face equally gloomy: "The root cause is still in the court! Only by destroying Wan Chong Lou and his minions, and allowing Lord Yang and those loyal ministers and generals to take charge of the government again, can we restore the prosperity of the time of Taizu and Taizong."
The bearded man sighed: "Will that day really come?"
The man in black said firmly: "It will happen. Whether it is the court or the martial arts world, one day the disputes will be settled, the world will return to peace, and there will be no more wars in the world. For this day, I, Zhao Huaian, will never regret even if I die!"
The bearded man laughed and said, "I hope that as Brother Zhao said, I will make Guo Zhou willing to follow you till death, whether in the court or in the underworld!"
………………
At the same time, on the road between Nanyue Temple and Hengshan City, a dozen people stood on the slope. The sky was dotted with stars. They looked at the path below. Seven or eight black shadows were digging a pit in the middle of the road, as if they were burying something.
The woman wore two swords on her waist. Under the moonlight, her figure was slender. She asked the man beside her, "Master Su, this road leads to the Nanyue Temple. Many people come and go to burn incense every day. When the fire bomb is detonated tomorrow, will there be any harm to innocent people?"
"Maybe! But there's no better way."
The person had a male appearance but spoke with a female voice. It was none other than Su Qiqi, the leader of the Guanzhong Yunyu Temple.
The woman asked, "Is this an order from the Lord?"
Su Qiqi nodded.
Cai Zhongwen smiled and said, "Don't worry, Miss Yuejian. I am a former miner. Filling explosives and blasting rocks are my specialties. I will try my best to avoid harming innocent people."
I'll try to update another chapter tonight.
(End of this chapter)