The mountain peaks undulated, and the wind blowing through the hills was bitterly cold. The dilapidated mountain god temple was drafty and broken, causing the fire to flicker and cast twisted, elongated shadows that resembled ferocious demons with claws and fangs.
Lu Zhongqi was eating a freshly baked white flour bun, gazing absentmindedly at the flickering flames. After changing their route, the group had endured wind and rain, bypassing cities and villages to evade most of the ambushes by martial cultivators. They were finally nearing the capital.
However, he did not feel reassured. The closer they got to the capital, the more anxious he became. It felt as if the past month of calm had merely been a prelude to the storm that awaited them in the next day or two.
He had an ominous premonition. If even Du Wuchang had appeared, the traitors in the imperial court would certainly not stop here—they would send even stronger experts, which deeply worried him.
Lu Guan sat by the fire, never putting down his military treatise even while eating buns. He remained calm and composed, completely unfazed by the potential danger of an enemy attack at any moment. This prompted Hu Daoren to silently praise him: General Lu was indeed a capable commander, as calm as someone who would not blink even if a deer suddenly leaped before him!
Thinking of this, Hu Daoren slightly turned his head, looking at Meng Qi, who sat with his sword across his knees, eyes half-closed, and at Ruan Yushu, who sat peacefully stroking her zither. He couldn’t help but sigh again: these two young ones were calmer than himself. Truly, the older one gets, the more timid one becomes in the martial world.
After tonight, everything would be fine. Once they reached the outskirts of the capital and raised their banners, the traitors would dare not attack openly. After all, General Lu had been summoned by imperial decree, and around the capital, people were numerous and tongues were loose—if any news leaked, it would result in the punishment of the entire household… Comforting himself with these thoughts, Hu Daoren took off his sword from his back, unsheathed it with a metallic clang, and gently stroked it.
This sword, named Tiger’s Roar, had followed him for nearly thirty years, drinking the blood of countless villains. He hoped it would help him through this crisis. His own life was not important, but if General Lu were harmed, it would be a catastrophe for the entire nation.
Suddenly, his right hand, which had been stroking the blade, stopped. His eyes flashed with sharp light as he stared toward the edge of the temple door.
There stood a figure—a tall man, holding a broadsword in his hand. No one knew when he had arrived, but he had been silently watching the people inside the temple.
“General Sword…” Hu Daoren abruptly stood up, pointing Tiger’s Roar diagonally forward, his voice heavy and his expression grim.
At that name, Lu Zhongqi was startled. It was indeed General Sword, a renowned swordsman across the nine provinces, second only to the strongest martial cultivators like the Evil Monarch and Ghost King.
He had profound internal cultivation and a bold, aggressive sword style, resembling a general charging into battle, hence his nickname. His combat abilities far surpassed even Du Wuchang’s. He had once singlehandedly challenged nine top-tier martial artists, killing them all. His reputation and achievements far exceeded those of Hu Daoren, the strongest among their group.
Lu Zhongqi anxiously looked at the other three. Lu Guan had put down his military treatise and slowly stood up, seemingly ready to join forces with Hu Daoren against the powerful enemy, his expression calm. Ruan Yushu continued to play her zither softly, creating a lofty and serene atmosphere—but what use was that?
Meng Qi, the swordsman who loved practicing sword techniques, sat upright, his expression calm, as if the swordsman before him were a corpse rather than a formidable opponent.
Was he paralyzed by fear? Lu Zhongqi couldn’t help but think, for General Sword was towering and imposing. Even standing still, he exuded an overwhelming presence, making Lu Zhongqi’s heart race and his legs tremble.
He had long heard that martial experts beyond the ordinary level were skilled in spiritual pressure and mental confrontation, but he had thought it nonsense. Now, facing General Sword, he realized the rumors were true. Even without attacking, merely standing there, the swordsman weakened his fighting spirit and left him flustered, unable to utilize even half of his full strength.
General Sword stepped forward, each step seeming to shake the temple slightly. After seven steps, Hu Daoren’s grip on his sword began to tremble slightly. The man before him seemed to grow taller and taller, like a mythical giant.
“Hu Daoren, this matter does not concern you. If you leave now, I will not stop you,” General Sword said in a deep, resonant voice.
Hu Daoren took a deep breath. “General Lu carries the hopes of the nation, and his safety affects the threat of western invaders. As the saying goes, better to be a dog in peaceful times than a person in chaotic ones. I may not be much, but I am willing to sacrifice my life for the peace of the common people! Your actions go against justice, and retribution will surely come!”
He secretly signaled to Lu Guan, urging him to escape while he held off General Sword.
Lu Guan remained unmoved. “I have never considered my life more valuable than others’. Though I command strictly, I have always led from the front, which is why my Iron Mountain Army never retreats after a hundred battles.”
As he spoke, his aura surged, as if commanding an army of hundreds of thousands, causing even General Sword to slightly change his expression.
Inspired by this, Lu Zhongqi’s fear instantly vanished, and he declared resolutely, “As long as one man lives, the formation does not break! As long as Iron Mountain stands, the barbarians will be destroyed!”
General Sword unsheathed his broadsword with a metallic ring. The blade was wide, like a door panel.
“I am deeply indebted and must come to kill you. Please allow me to bow first,” General Sword said solemnly. His tone suggested that killing Lu Guan and Hu Daoren was as effortless as killing chickens or dogs, making Lu Zhongqi tremble with fear again.
With a calm expression tinged with pity, he raised his broadsword and prepared to attack.
At that moment, Meng Qi, who had remained cold and silent, suddenly stood up. With a metallic clang, his sword unsheathed, radiating a cold gleam.
He looked at General Sword and said expressionlessly, “If you can make me parry even once, I will consider myself defeated.”
What arrogance! Not only General Sword, but even Hu Daoren and Lu Zhongqi felt the same.
Even if your sword skills are extraordinary, General Sword was a renowned swordsman with a long history of victories. How could he possibly fail to make you parry even once? Even the Queen of Demons and the National Preceptor would not dare to speak so boldly!
These young people truly don’t know their place!
Just as General Sword’s mind wavered slightly, Meng Qi attacked. He stepped forward, as if treading on General Sword’s heart, and slashed downward in a crooked, awkward manner, like a child’s scribble.
“Huh?” Both Hu Daoren and Lu Zhongqi exclaimed in surprise and disbelief. How could the arrogant young Meng Qi use such a clumsy, full-of-blanks sword strike, as if he had never practiced sword techniques before! Ruan Yushu, however, seemed to understand something.
To General Sword, that strike was indescribable—full of flaws, yet constantly shifting, making it impossible to grasp!
The momentum he had built was perfectly disrupted by Meng Qi. Losing the advantage in spiritual pressure, he had no choice but to sweep his broadsword sideways, as if wielding an iron rod, pushing Meng Qi into a defensive position first for self-preservation.
Meng Qi’s sword fell like a leaf, suddenly pointing downward at the tip of the broadsword.
General Sword felt as if a thousand-pound weight hung from his sword, his wrist suddenly heavy, and his sword dropped sharply.
Using that moment, Meng Qi rebounded upward, thrusting diagonally at General Sword’s throat.
With no other choice, General Sword took a step back.
As he stepped back, Meng Qi stepped forward, mirroring him like a shadow.
With a roar, General Sword, using some secret technique, raised his broadsword from below, seemingly aiming to split Meng Qi in half.
His sword style was different from ordinary ones, extremely forceful and aggressive!
Meng Qi suddenly leaped, his sword tip flickering, changing from horizontal to upward diagonal.
At this distance, the tip barely reached General Sword’s throat, but when angled upward, it struck his chin directly.
With a splat, the sharp Bingque sword pierced effortlessly through General Sword’s jaw into his head, lifting his head and causing his broadsword to go off course.
Meng Qi landed to the side, sword lowered, blood dripping slowly from the tip.
Thud! General Sword’s towering figure fell backward, kicking up a cloud of dust.
“You lost,” Meng Qi said coldly, then calmly walked back to the fire and sat down.
General Sword’s eyes remained wide open, filled with fear and shock, but he no longer breathed, unable to answer Meng Qi.
He had truly failed to make young Meng Qi parry even once! And Meng Qi had killed him in just four moves!
Lu Guan, Hu Daoren, and Lu Zhongqi looked at Meng Qi, who remained calm, as if he had merely roasted a bun moments ago, then at General Sword, whose death was still shocking. They couldn’t help but feel fear toward Meng Qi’s sword skills.
Recalling the battle, they realized that none of Meng Qi’s moves were particularly refined; on the contrary, they were full of flaws and ordinary. Yet his timing, angles, and control of force were perfect, as if he completely understood General Sword!
Could such a sword style truly exist in the world? Could there really be such a swordsman!
Hu Daoren had thought he understood Meng Qi’s abilities, but now he realized that Meng Qi’s sword skills surpassed even his imagination, perhaps even approaching the level of Ghost King Ruyi Monk.
How old was he? Was he truly a born swordsman?
With Meng Qi around, this journey to the capital would surely be safe despite the dangers. Lu Zhongqi exhaled in relief, gratefully nodding at Meng Qi before rushing to General Sword’s body to search it.
As a killer, General Sword’s style was bold and open, so he carried only a bag of dried food, a pouch of silver, and a letter.
Lu Zhongqi picked up General Sword’s broadsword and placed it beside Meng Qi—it was his trophy.
Meng Qi remained expressionless, neither accepting nor rejecting it, but secretly delighted inside.
“Not good!” Lu Zhongqi randomly opened the letter, took a glance, and cried out in alarm.
Hu Daoren hurriedly asked, “What’s wrong?”
Lu Zhongqi’s expression darkened. “The one who wrote this letter to General Sword is the Four Fierce of the Zheng family—they are coming to assassinate General Lu too!”
“The Four Fierce of the Zheng family?” Hu Daoren’s face changed, and Lu Guan slightly frowned.
Knowing that Meng Qi was their only hope now, Lu Zhongqi quickly explained, “Individually, each of the Four Fierce is slightly inferior to General Sword, but they have a secret technique for fighting together, usually attacking and retreating in unison. At one time, they were even ranked among the likes of Ghost King and Xiyue Immortal, but later, when they jointly attacked the Evil Monarch, they were easily defeated and became his servants, so they were no longer considered at that level.”
“Even so, their combined strength is extremely close to the peak of human martial cultivators, far surpassing General Sword!”
Secret techniques for group combat might be effective against others, but against the “Undying Seal Method,” which fears no group attacks, it would only mean death… Meng Qi inwardly chuckled.
“The worst part is, the Four Fierce are currently the Evil Monarch’s servants. Their involvement means the Evil Monarch himself is involved in this!” Lu Zhongqi panicked again. “Brother Meng, Miss Ruan, maybe we should travel through the night?”
“It’s too late.” A voice sneered from the door.
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