25: Chapter 25 The Arrow Letter Presses Down

Three pit traps collapsed simultaneously!

Dust flew, and bamboo spikes stood like a forest.

The front row of black-armored cavalry could not rein in their horses in time, and both men and horses fell into the pits, their screams mingling with the neighing of horses, exploding suddenly.

The rear ranks hurriedly pulled their reins, and the formation fell into chaos.

Liu Three-Knives' face turned ashen, his single eye staring fixedly at the wooden wall at the village entrance.

On the wall, Lu Zhao stood with his hands behind his back.

The morning breeze blew the hem of his coarse cloth robes, his figure standing tall and straight like a lone pine on a cliff.

That phrase from just before, "You'll have to come in and get it yourself," was every bit as clear, actually drowning out the wails from the pits and spreading across the fields.

"Good... very good!" Liu Three-Knives squeezed these three words through his teeth.

He raised his hand and waved.

The black-armored soldiers behind him immediately scattered, surrounding the village entrance in a semi-circle, swords drawn, bows strung, their movements swift.

The three riders who had fallen into the pits were already silent—bamboo spikes had pierced their chests and abdomens; they were dead as dead could be.

Liu Three-Knives did not even look, only staring at Lu Zhao.

"Lu Zhao," he said in an icy voice, "do you think you can stop my Liu Family's armored cavalry with just these few broken pits?"

Lu Zhao said nothing.

Liu Three-Knives suddenly sneered, "Do you know that the corpse of Boss Wu has been hanging outside Black Mountain City for three days?"

These words were like an ice pick, piercing the hearts of everyone in the village who heard them.

Lu Zhao's eyes narrowed slightly.

Liu Three-Knives continued, "The bandit leader of the Funiu Gang, robbing travelers and harming the common people, deserved to die. You killing him can be considered acting on behalf of Heaven."

He paused, his voice turning abruptly sharp, "But—"

"Boss Wu confessed before he died that he had long been colluding with you at Yangjiao Ravine! Thirty percent of his plunder was hidden in your village cellar! Furthermore, the Qinglan Sect patrol Disciple Chen Song, who went missing a month ago, his corpse was also found in the Funiu Gang's lair, and the wounds on his body... match the fist techniques you, Lu Zhao, are accustomed to using!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the village was in an uproar.

Behind the wooden wall, He Shan roared, "Bullshit! Chen Song was clearly killed by you Liu Family members and framed on the Funiu Gang! Boss Wu was nothing but a running dog for your Liu Family, and now you're shifting the blame!"

Yan Meng, Han Meng, and the others all gripped their weapons tightly, fire in their eyes.

Lu Zhao, however, raised his hand, stopping everyone.

He looked at Liu Three-Knives and suddenly smiled, "Steward Liu, this story is well-fabricated."

Liu Three-Knives' single eye narrowed.

Lu Zhao continued, "If Boss Wu had truly confessed, why didn't your Liu Family come sooner? Chen Song has been missing for over a month; why hasn't the Qinglan Sect investigated until now? You just happened to wait until I killed Boss Wu to 'coincidentally' obtain a confession and 'coincidentally' find the corpse—"

His voice turned cold.

"In these three hundred miles of Black Mountain, your Liu Family's word is truly more effective than the law."

Liu Three-Knives' face changed drastically!

Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves from behind.

Dust rose again.

A dozen or so riders emerged from the bend in the mountain path, all wearing heavy armor and holding long spears.

In the center of the formation, a black iron carriage slowly drove forward.

The carriage was pitch black, with copper bells hanging from the four corners; as it moved, the bells tolled dully, like the ringing of a funeral bell.

The carriage curtain hung low.

But that Aura of pressure had already spread—the Aura of a fourth-layer Qi Refining cultivator, like an invisible mountain, pressing down on the village.

Liu Three-Knives hurriedly turned his horse around, rushed to the side of the carriage, and bowed, saying, "Family Head."

The curtain did not move, and a deep, thick voice came from inside the carriage, like rolling thunder, "Why have you stopped?"

Liu Three-Knives' forehead broke into a sweat, "There are pit traps at the village entrance; we lost three riders."

"Pit traps?" The person inside the carriage seemed to be sneering, "Are mundane methods worthy of being called an obstacle?"

As the words faded, a small window on the left side of the carriage suddenly pushed open a crack.

A pale hand reached out.

The five fingers were splayed in the air, and then gently clenched toward the village entrance.

"Boom—!"

The three pits exploded simultaneously!

Earth and stone flew into the sky, and the bamboo spikes were pulverized.

The corpses and horse remains in the pits were lifted by a tremendous force, thrown several feet like rags, and then smashed heavily to the ground.

Amidst the swirling dust, that deep voice sounded again, "Yangjiao Ravine colluded with the Funiu Gang to ambush and kill a Qinglan Sect patrol Disciple; the evidence is conclusive."

"By noon, hand over the mastermind Lu Zhao and all the loot; all men and women of the village will be made slaves, and you may be spared death."

"Those who disobey—"

"Will be slaughtered to the last."

These four words were spat out like ice picks falling to the ground, the cold seeping into everyone's marrow.

On the wooden wall, the group of young men turned pale.

The pressure of the fourth-layer Qi Refining realm was like a mountain collapsing; those with lower cultivation were already weak in the knees, and their hands holding weapons were shaking.

Lu Zhao, however, remained motionless.

He stared at the black iron carriage and said slowly, "Since the Liu Family Head has come in person, why not show yourself?"

There was silence in the carriage for a moment.

The curtain was finally lifted.

Liu Zhenxiong sat upright in the carriage.

He was about fifty years old, with a square face and broad mouth, sporting a short beard.

His single eye (the other covered by a black patch) was like a hawk's, sweeping over the village and finally landing on Lu Zhao.

He wore a black brocade robe embroidered with golden python patterns, and in his hands, he toyed with a pair of iron balls, which clattered as they rotated.

"You are Lu Zhao?" Liu Zhenxiong spoke.

"Yes."

"Young, but quite bold," Liu Zhenxiong said indifferently, "Killing Boss Wu, refusing my Liu Family's command arrow, and now setting up pit traps to block the way... Do you really think that with your meager skills, you can make any waves?"

Lu Zhao did not answer but asked instead, "The Liu Family Head claims Yangjiao Ravine colluded with the Funiu Gang; is there any concrete evidence?"

The corners of Liu Zhenxiong's mouth curled slightly.

He raised his hand and waved it gently.

A black-armored personal guard spurred his horse forward, untied a corpse from the side of the saddle, and tossed it into the open space at the village entrance.

The corpse was dressed in the standard green robe of the Qinglan Sect, with a fist print on its chest, sunken three inches deep, the surrounding flesh charred black—it was precisely the wound caused by the Nine Yang Divine Skill's Pure Yang True Qi!

"This person's name is Chen Song, an Outer Sect Disciple of the Qinglan Sect, who went missing while patrolling Black Mountain a month ago," Liu Zhenxiong said in a flat voice.

"The corpse was found yesterday in the Funiu Gang's lair, and the wounds are identical to the fist technique you used to kill Boss Wu that day."

He paused.

"And there's more—"

Another corpse was tossed out.

This time it was a burly man with a face full of fat, a broken blade stuck in his chest. Judging by his clothing, he was indeed a member of the Funiu Gang.

"This person's name is 'One-Eyed Wolf,' the Third Leader of the Funiu Gang," Liu Zhenxiong said.

"Before he died, he confessed that Boss Wu had long been in collusion with you, and thirty percent of the plunder was hidden in your village. If you don't believe it, you can search his person—there is a map of Yangjiao Ravine, marking the treasure location."

The personal guard stepped forward and indeed produced a scroll of sheepskin from the bandit's chest, unfolding it to show the crowd.

The sheepskin depicted a rough map of Yangjiao Ravine, with a red cross marked somewhere behind the village and a small note on the side: "Stolen Goods Warehouse."

The village was deathly silent.

He Shan and the others widened their eyes, faces full of disbelief.

This framing method was simply seamless!

Lu Zhao, however, suddenly smiled.

The laughter was very soft, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.

Liu Zhenxiong's single eye narrowed slightly, "What are you laughing at?"

"I am laughing at the pains you have gone to, Family Head Liu," Lu Zhao shook his head.

"The fist print on Chen Song's corpse was indeed left by my Nine Yang Divine Skill. But—that was left three days ago when I was fighting Boss Wu at the village entrance. Where was Chen Song at that time? If he had already been dead for over a month, why would the fist print on his corpse be so fresh?"

The iron balls in Liu Zhenxiong's hand paused.

Lu Zhao continued, "As for this 'One-Eyed Wolf'... the Funiu Gang's Third Leader is clearly a hunchbacked cripple, known as 'Hunchback Wolf.' This person has a tall, straight figure, and although he has an eye ailment, he is not a hunchback. If the Family Head is going to find a body double, he should at least find one that resembles the original."

The personal guard beside the corpse's expression changed.

A cold light flashed in Liu Zhenxiong's single eye.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

The laughter was like the cry of a night owl, piercing and chilling.

"Good, a very good Lu Zhao." His laughter stopped abruptly, his single eye staring at Lu Zhao, "I underestimated you."

He stood up slowly and stepped out of the carriage.

His black robe snapped in the morning breeze, his fourth-layer Qi Refining Aura fully unleashed, surging toward the village like a tidal wave.

Several young men on the wooden wall groaned, blood seeping from their mouths and noses.

"But—" Liu Zhenxiong took a step forward, the ground cracking, "Since I have come today, it is not to reason with you."

He raised his hand, pointing at Lu Zhao.

"Hand yourself over, or hand over the lives of the entire village."

"Choose."

The word was like iron, slamming onto the ground.

The old, weak, women, and children in the village had already retreated to the back mountain; those who remained were all young men.

At this moment, shrouded by this pressure, many were pale, but no one retreated.

Lu Zhao looked at Liu Zhenxiong quietly.

After three breaths, he spoke:

"Family Head Liu."

The voice was calm, yet it carried an iron-clad determination.

"The Lu you want is here."

He paused, speaking word by word:

"But if you want to take me—"

"You must step over the forty-seven lives of Yangjiao Ravine."

As the words faded, he lifted his foot and stepped onto the battlement of the wooden wall.

His figure stood tall like a spear.

Behind him, He Shan, Yan Meng, Han Meng... over twenty men stepped forward in unison, standing in a row.

Swords drawn, bows pulled to the full, spears pointed to the sky.

No one spoke.

But that Aura of "fighting to the death without retreating" had already soared to the sky.

Liu Zhenxiong's single eye narrowed.

He stared at Lu Zhao, and after a long while, suddenly shook his head.

"Stubborn and unyielding."

These four words spat out, he raised his hand.

"Pass the order—"

The fifty black-armored soldiers behind him responded in unison, their voices shaking the surroundings.

"Flatten this village."

"Leave none alive."

The order was as immovable as a mountain.

The black-armored formation shifted; shield-bearers in front, spearmen in the center, crossbowmen in the rear.

Horse hooves struck the ground, dust rose again, and like a black torrent, they slowly pushed toward the village entrance.

On the wooden wall, He Shan shouted in a low voice, "Archers, prepare—"

A dozen or so young men holding bows nocked arrows, but their arms were trembling slightly.

Facing fifty armored cavalrymen, these dozen hunting bows were truly too flimsy.

Lu Zhao, however, suddenly said, "Wait."

He reached into his robe and took out an object.

—It was exactly the Xuanshuang Sect Punishment Hall Token.

The token shimmered with a dark, mysterious color in the morning light, the ice flower totem clearly visible.

Lu Zhao raised the token high, his voice spreading across the battlefield:

"Family Head Liu, do you recognize this?"

Liu Zhenxiong's pupils contracted sharply!

The Xuanshuang Token!

Of course he recognized it—that was the Xuanshuang Sect Punishment Hall enforcement token; seeing the token was like seeing a Punishment Hall Deacon.

The holder of the token was someone the Xuanshuang Sect wanted to protect!

But how could Lu Zhao, a mundane with no Spiritual Root, have this token?!

Liu Three-Knives' expression also changed drastically, and he said urgently, "Family Head, this token... three days ago, a Xuanshuang Sect knight did indeed come and gave this kid the token, saying it was for meritorious service in suppressing the evil, and past crimes could be forgiven..."

Liu Zhenxiong stared fixedly at the token, his heart filled with suspicion and uncertainty.

Why would the Xuanshuang Sect want to protect Lu Zhao?

Could this kid really have a connection with the Xuanshuang Sect? Or... did the Xuanshuang Sect also have their eyes on the things beneath Yangjiao Ravine?

His thoughts raced, but his face remained impassive.

"So what if it's a Xuanshuang Token?" Liu Zhenxiong said coldly, "This order commands you to pay the fine within three months and report to Black Mountain City. Now that the three months haven't passed, you are using the token to resist the law; even the Xuanshuang Sect cannot protect you!"

Although he said this, the black-armored torrent had already stopped.

Liu Zhenxiong was weighing his options.

If he really killed Lu Zhao, it would be... difficult to explain to the Xuanshuang Sect.

The Xuanshuang Sect was different from the Qinglan Sect; it was a Sect that truly acted with ruthless decisiveness, and the Punishment Hall was notorious.

Lu Zhao put the token back into his robe and said indifferently, "Since the Family Head knows of this token, you should understand—my life is now on the record with the Xuanshuang Sect."

"You can take it if you want. But after you take it, how will you explain it to the Xuanshuang Sect?"

He paused.

"How about this."

"If the Family Head retreats today, I will owe you a favor. In three months, I will go to Black Mountain City myself, and whether I live or die then will have nothing to do with the Liu Family."

"How about it?"

This was a stalling tactic.

How could Liu Zhenxiong not know?

His single eye flickered as he weighed the pros and cons. Killing Lu Zhao would offend the Xuanshuang Sect, which was not worth the gain.

But if he retreated now, where would the Liu Family's face be? In the future, how would they establish their authority in these three hundred miles of Black Mountain?

Just as he was pondering, he suddenly heard a long whistle from the distance!

The whistle was clear and resonant, like the cry of a crane in the Nine Heavens.

Everyone turned their heads in unison.

On the eastern mountain path, three green figures were speeding toward them.

The leader was flying on a sword, his green robes fluttering; it was none other than the Qinglan Sect Deacon, Zhao Yuankun!

Behind him followed two Disciples, both with first-layer Qi Refining cultivation.

The three arrived in the blink of an eye and landed in front of the Liu Family army.

Zhao Yuankun swept a glance over the battlefield, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Family Head Liu," he cupped his hands, "what is the meaning of this?"

Liu Zhenxiong's expression changed slightly, then he smiled, "Deacon Zhao, you have come at the right time. I am in the midst of exterminating the villains who colluded with the Funiu Gang and ambushed and killed your Sect's Disciples."

"Oh?" Zhao Yuankun looked up at Lu Zhao on the wooden wall, "Lu Zhao, is what Family Head Liu says true?"

Lu Zhao cupped his hands, "Deacon Zhao, please discern the truth. The so-called 'evidence' from Family Head Liu is all fabricated. The fist print on Chen Song's corpse is a fresh wound, definitely not left a month ago. That 'One-Eyed Wolf' is a body double; the Funiu Gang's Third Leader is clearly a hunchback."

Zhao Yuankun turned his gaze to the two corpses, and after a brief inspection, he knew that what Lu Zhao said was not false.

He understood in his heart—this was the Liu Family framing them to swallow Yangjiao Ravine.

But...

Zhao Yuankun pondered.

The Liu Family was powerful and had dealings with the Qinglan Sect. Offending the Liu Family for a village without Spiritual Roots was not worth it.

Just as he was about to speak to smooth things over, he suddenly heard Lu Zhao say again:

"Deacon Zhao, Junior has something to report."

"Speak."

Lu Zhao took out that scroll of animal skin from his robe—it was the "Qi Nourishing and Breathing Regulation Chapter" he had shown Zhao Yuankun before.

"Junior has recently had some insights into this Qi nourishing method," he said loudly, "and is willing to offer it to the Qinglan Sect in exchange for justice for Yangjiao Ravine."

Zhao Yuankun was stunned.

He took the animal skin and unfolded it to look closely.

At this glance, his expression changed drastically!

On the animal skin were still those basic breathing formulas, but at certain key points, Lu Zhao had added new annotations—it was the most rudimentary breathing guidance method of the [Sea-Gathering Stance]!

Although it was only superficial, it had already faintly touched the edge of "guiding Qi into the body"!

For those without a Spiritual Root, this was simply an earth-shattering method!

Zhao Yuankun's breathing became rapid.

Although the Qinglan Sect was founded on the Dao of the Sword, there were also a large number of handymen, servants, and affiliated Family Disciples without Spiritual Roots under its banner. If they obtained this method, the combat power, lifespan, and loyalty of those people would be greatly improved...

This was a great merit!

A monumental contribution!

He looked up sharply at Lu Zhao.

Lu Zhao's expression was calm, and he only nodded slightly.

Zhao Yuankun took a deep breath, his mind made up.

He turned and looked at Liu Zhenxiong.

"Family Head Liu."

The voice was flat, yet carried an unquestionable authority.

"There are still doubts about this matter, and I need to return to the Sect to investigate thoroughly. Before it is clarified, Yangjiao Ravine will be under the temporary supervision of my Qinglan Sect."

"Your Liu Family people—can go back now."

Liu Zhenxiong's single eye widened, and the iron balls creaked as he squeezed them in his palm.

He stared fixedly at Zhao Yuankun, then at Lu Zhao on the wooden wall, and suddenly laughed up to the sky: "Good! A good Qinglan Sect! A good Lu Zhao!"

The laughter stopped abruptly, he flipped onto his horse, turned it around, and left only an ice-cold sentence: "Lu Zhao, we will settle our accounts slowly."

The black-armored torrent retreated like a tide.

Zhao Yuankun watched the Liu Family army go, then turned to look at Lu Zhao, his eyes complex: "Where did you get the method you gave me?"

Before Lu Zhao could answer, he suddenly heard a shrill scream from the direction of Wild Wolf Slope behind the village—it was the voice of Granny Xue.