41: Night attack

Zhao Bufan immediately nodded. Just as he was about to signal the convoy to enter the city, a maid rushed to the carriage.

“Madam, this is bad, Young Miss is gone!”

As soon as these words were uttered, Zhao Bufan’s expression stiffened. He suddenly looked up at the maid, whose face was filled with panic and confusion.

“What happened?!” The woman frowned slightly, showing no sign of panic, but her words revealed a hint of helplessness.

“I just went to ask Young Miss, but there was no response from inside the carriage. When I went to check, Young Miss was gone,” the maid said tremblingly, even with a faint sob in her voice.

Zhao Bufan felt a headache upon hearing this; such a strong guard force yet an accident still occurred.

If he hadn't guessed wrong, the Young Miss she spoke of was Prince Qingyang's beloved daughter, the one His Majesty had bestowed the title of Princess Nanping...

The setting sun cast its glow on the lush forest, and as twilight deepened, the entire land fell silent.

Deep within the old mountains, two figures walked side by side. Their steps were not fast; they stopped and went, seemingly tracking something.

They hadn't found the actual scene of the incident, which wasn't because the task was difficult, but purely because the constables wanted to do a perfunctory job.

Naturally, this trouble fell on Lu Ming and Luo Zhong.

“Finally found it.” In a clearing in the woods, Luo Zhong let out a long sigh as he looked at the axe and basket lying on the ground.

After walking seven or eight li of mountain road, they had finally found the woodcutter’s tools.

Besides these, there was also a pile of chopped firewood nearby, presumably intended to be carried away.

However, there was no sign of the woodcutter nearby, not even a corpse.

“No smell of blood?” Lu Ming sniffed the clear forest air around him, frowning slightly.

However, he was not surprised by this. Whether it was a demon or a wild beast, if the woodcutter had indeed met with misfortune, it was unlikely that a complete corpse would be left behind.

“Let’s stop here for today. The mountain roads are rugged at night, and if we continue searching, who knows what trouble might arise. We’ll search again after tonight,” Luo Zhong suggested.

Lu Ming looked up at the gradually darkening sky and immediately nodded in agreement.

There was no need to gather firewood nearby. They piled up the chopped wood, and Luo Zhong arranged a circle of stones around it to prevent the fire from spreading. He took out a fire starter from his cloth bag and, after a few breaths, a wisp of white smoke rose from the pile.

Flames rose, and the intense firelight illuminated the surroundings. Once the fire grew larger, the sound of wood cracking could be heard from time to time, accompanied by a few sparks scattering.

Luo Zhong was well prepared for spending the night in the forest. Besides the fire starter, he also prepared two servings of dried rations.

He took out a few pieces of unleavened bread. Although they were a bit hard, they were still edible after being roasted over the fire.

“Young Master Lu, conditions in the mountains are like this, please bear with it.”

As the son of a famous wealthy merchant in Lianbo City, Luo Zhong was clearly worried that Lu Ming would dislike it. Although their interactions were generally harmonious, he couldn’t help but be a little anxious.

Lu Ming thanked him and took the unleavened bread to warm it over the fire.

If it were his former self, he would probably rather starve than eat such things, but Lu Ming was different; he didn’t have many demands regarding food.

Chewing on the unleavened bread, the two chatted idly.

The sky gradually darkened, and vast darkness enveloped the surroundings. Occasionally, the chirping of insects and birds could be heard.

If one had a weaker psychological fortitude, the surrounding dark environment alone would probably be enough to make them feel chills down their spine.

The burning candlelight kept the encroaching darkness at bay, and the two were like a small boat in a vast ocean.

Lu Ming voluntarily offered to keep watch. Luo Zhong initially wanted to refuse, but he couldn't win against Lu Ming, so he agreed.

Huddling up, Luo Zhong held his long saber, rested his arm, and prepared to sleep.

Lu Ming, on the other hand, sat cross-legged, his gilded long blade placed on his knees.

He closed his eyes slightly and slowly circulated the Blood Refining Yuan Gathering Skill.

After breaking through to the Initial Realm, his energy had greatly increased. Coupled with this Internal Skill Cultivation Technique, even if he didn't sleep for a night, as long as he circulated the Cultivation Technique, he would still be full of spirit the next day.

Moreover, in this state, his perception of the surroundings was extremely acute, so he didn’t have to worry about not reacting in time to a sudden attack.

As the night deepened, a faint mist appeared in the forest at some point.

This was a normal occurrence, but as the mist grew thicker, Lu Ming, who had been cultivating his Internal Skill with his eyes slightly closed, suddenly opened his eyes.

His deep gaze seemed to pierce through the darkness, seeing what was hidden within. Faint rustling sounds came from his ears, sounds that would be completely unnoticed if one didn’t listen carefully.

Something was gradually approaching!

“Is it the fellow who attacked the woodcutter? If so, then this trip won't be in vain,” Lu Ming thought to himself.

The surroundings were incredibly quiet, but his heart was calm and composed, as if the fellow lurking in the dark was not enough to make him flinch.

He subtly nudged the sleeping Luo Zhong with his saber sheath.

Luo Zhong, who was only lightly asleep, instantly opened his eyes, but he didn't move, maintaining his original posture.

He was initially a bit puzzled, but upon realizing that the surroundings were too quiet, as if even insects and birds were startled, he immediately realized the problem.

“Captain Luo, that fellow is lurking in the dark. When it makes its move, I’ll deal with it,” Lu Ming said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Luo Zhong’s slightly anxious heart gradually relaxed.

Having witnessed Lu Ming’s formidable strength, he knew that even if they encountered a demon, it would likely be the demon that suffered.

A tense atmosphere gradually spread. Although Luo Zhong knew Lu Ming’s strength was formidable, he still unconsciously tightened his grip on his long saber.

The rustling sound grew closer. Lu Ming remained motionless, sitting cross-legged, seemingly waiting for the hidden thing to make the first move.

Suddenly, the subtle sound of its approach vanished, and at this moment, Lu Ming’s vigilance reached its peak. He knew that thing was about to act.

Roar!

Just as this thought arose, from a thicket not far from the campfire, a massive dark shadow let out a beast-like growl, leaping out and pouncing towards Lu Ming’s position.

“It’s here!” Lu Ming suddenly opened his eyes. He slapped his saber sheath, and his gilded long blade flew out with a whoosh, gripped tightly in his hand.

Twisting his body, Lu Ming did not immediately attack. Instead, he employed the Dragon Snake Eight Extremes Step, his figure transforming into an afterimage, disappearing from his original spot in the blink of an eye.

The monster suddenly missed its target. This scene was clearly unexpected by the monster, and its body crashed heavily to the ground.

Seeing this, Luo Zhong quickly rolled and stood up, putting distance between himself and the monster.

Under the illumination of the campfire, the massive monster’s form was revealed before their eyes.