108: They're putting on an act again!

Inside the carriage.

The space was quite spacious, and the decorations were extremely luxurious.

Qin Shuang sat alone on one side, her eyes closed as she rested, her cold Aura keeping people a thousand miles away.

Zhao Cheng sat stiffly in the corner, appearing somewhat restless.

Li Qing leaned by the window, lifting the curtain to watch the scenery receding rapidly outside, his expression leisurely.

Having reached the Late-stage Condensing Yuan Realm, his perception had become even more acute.

He could clearly feel that the fluctuations of Yuan Qi within Qin Shuang's body were much more condensed than they were three days ago.

Clearly, that Blue Sea Tidal Pill had a significant effect on her.

However, it was only that much.

In the eyes of the current Li Qing, the Peak of Condensing Essence Realm was no different from an ant.

The carriage traveled at an extremely fast speed; the Wind-Chasing Horses could cover a thousand miles a day without rest.

From Jinling City to the Royal Capital, the journey would take about ten days.

Along the way, all was calm.

The route Zhang Long arranged followed the wide official roads, with relay stations and towns along the way, so they basically encountered no danger.

This allowed Zhao Cheng, who had been constantly on edge, to gradually relax.

However, on the fifth day, when the carriage was traveling through a mountain range called "Black Wind Ridge," an accident occurred.

"Whoa—!"

The driver suddenly let out a cry of alarm and jerked the reins.

The carriage shook violently and came to a halt.

"What's going on?"

Zhang Long's cold voice rang out from inside the carriage.

“Ch-Chief Steward, ahead, someone is blocking the road!”

The driver's voice carried a hint of trembling.

The few people inside the carriage were all startled.

Li Qing lifted the curtain and looked outside.

He saw several large chopped-down trees lying haphazardly across the road ahead, blocking the path.

A group of fierce-looking men holding various weapons emerged from the woods on both sides of the road, surrounding the carriage.

The leader was a one-eyed burly man with a full beard, carrying a large Ghost-head Saber.

He emitted the Aura of the Late-stage Condensing Yuan Realm, clearly the leader of this group.

“Hahaha! This mountain was opened by me, and these trees were planted by me!”

The One-Eyed Dragon plunged his Ghost-head Saber into the ground and laughed arrogantly.

“If you want to pass through here, leave behind your toll money!”

Bandits?

Li Qing raised an eyebrow, finding it somewhat amusing.

What era was this, and there was still such a cliché way of highway robbery?

Looking at the posture of this group, they were clearly mountain bandits entrenched in this Black Wind Ridge.

Outside the carriage, the groom couldn't stop shivering!

Beside him, Qin Shuang's face was cold as she simply gripped the hilt of the sword at her waist, a cold light flashing in her eyes.

“A bunch of rabble, yet you dare to block the City Lord Mansion's carriage?”

Zhang Long's cold voice came from outside the carriage.

He had already stepped down from the carriage and was looking coldly at the group of mountain bandits.

“Get lost, or else, die!”

He released his Late-stage Condensing Yuan Realm Aura without reservation.

Hit by this Aura, the group of mountain bandits' expressions immediately changed, and they all retreated a few steps.

However, the One-Eyed Dragon didn't flinch but laughed instead.

“Oh? A tough nut to crack?”

He licked his lips, his eyes shimmering with a greedy light.

“Late-stage Condensing Yuan Realm?”

“Just right. After killing you and stripping off your gear, I can trade it for quite a bit of money!”

“Brothers, don't be afraid!”

“He's just one person, and a cripple at that! Let's go together and chop him up!”

The One-Eyed Dragon roared, raised his Ghost-head Saber, and was the first to charge up.

“Seeking death!”

Killing intent flashed in Zhang Long's eyes as his figure blurred, meeting the charge.

Although he couldn't beat Li Qing, his strength was not something these mountain bandits could compare to.

The longsword in his hand turned into streaks of cold light, clashing violently with the One-Eyed Dragon's Ghost-head Saber.

Clang, clang, clang!

The sound of clashing metal was incessant.

The two instantly became locked in combat.

The rest of the mountain bandits also howled and rushed toward the carriage.

“Hmph!”

A cold snort came from inside the carriage.

The next moment, a brilliant sword light, like a fleeting glimpse of a swan, shot out from the carriage window!

Puff, puff, puff!

The mountain bandits rushing at the very front hadn't even realized what was happening before a thin line of blood appeared at their throats.

They clutched their necks and collapsed in disbelief.

Qin Shuang had made her move.

She hadn't even gotten out of the carriage; she just sat inside and casually swung her sword once.

This display instantly intimidated the remaining mountain bandits.

They looked in terror at the luxurious carriage, as if sitting inside was not some delicate woman, but a prehistoric beast ready to devour people.

“A bunch of trash!”

The One-Eyed Dragon, who was in a fierce battle with Zhang Long, couldn't help but curse angrily upon seeing this.

He also hadn't expected that a master of the sword was hidden inside this carriage.

He steeled his heart, knowing that if he didn't take down this haul today, his reputation as the Great Chief of Black Wind Fortress would be completely lost.

“Blood Fiend Saber Technique!”

He roared, and an eerie blood-red light glowed on the Ghost-head Saber in his hand.

The saber's momentum became even more violent and fierce!

Caught off guard, Zhang Long was pressed by this violent saber technique, and his situation suddenly became precarious as he retreated repeatedly.

“Die!”

The One-Eyed Dragon seized a flaw and slashed his saber ruthlessly toward Zhang Long's head!

Zhang Long's pupils constricted; he wanted to dodge, but it was already too late.

Just at this critical moment.

A flat voice suddenly drifted out from the carriage.

“Too noisy.”

The voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

Immediately after, a hand reached out from the carriage window.

It was a slender and fair hand that seemed to possess no strength at all.

It just lightly flicked through the air toward the Ghost-head Saber that was flashing with blood-red light.

Ding!

A crisp sound rang out.

It was as if someone had flicked glass.

Then, under the horrified gazes of everyone present.

That Ghost-head Saber, forged from fine steel and weighing a hundred pounds, shattered inch by inch!

It turned into iron fragments filling the air!

“Puff!”

The One-Eyed Dragon felt as if he'd been struck by lightning; he sprayed out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the ground, his fate unknown.

The entire scene was deathly silent.

Everyone was stunned.

Those mountain bandits, one by one, had their mouths wide open, their eyes nearly popping out.

What had they just seen?

A single finger flicked from a distance had shattered their Great Chief's precious saber?

Was this something a human could do?

Even Zhang Long, who had been in the heat of battle, froze in place, his face full of disbelief.

He was the closest and saw it most clearly.

That flick seemed casual, yet it contained a terrifying power that even made his heart palpitate!

Inside the carriage.

Zhao Cheng's mouth was open wide enough to fit an egg.

Qin Shuang rolled her eyes; here he went again.

Showing off!

“Begone.”

Li Qing's flat voice rang out from the carriage once more.

The group of mountain bandits, as if granted a great amnesty, scrambled to pick up their half-dead Great Chief and fled into the mountain forest in a panic, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Long looked at the hand that had been withdrawn, a layer of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

Why did it feel like Li Qing's strength had increased again?

What kind of Prodigy was this!

He swallowed hard and respectfully cupped his hands toward the carriage.

“Thank you, Young Master Li Qing, for your assistance.”

A faint reply came from the carriage.

It was as if everything that just happened was merely an illusion.

Zhang Long hurriedly directed the driver to clear the roadblocks and continue the journey.

The carriage started moving again.

The atmosphere inside the carriage, however, became strange.

Zhao Cheng shrunk into the corner, not even daring to glance at Li Qing.

He thought back to Duan Lang, who had been instantly blown apart by Li Qing.

Qin Shuang, meanwhile, closed her eyes to rest.

If she wanted to, she could also have killed that bandit with a single sword strike!

Li Qing, however, acted as if nothing had happened, still leaning by the window and looking at the scenery.

Making a move just now was a trivial matter.

He just felt that the One-Eyed Dragon was too noisy and had disturbed his appreciation of the scenery.

Nothing more.