In the distance, dust rose from the road, and a massive caravan could be seen slowly making its way forward. The sheer size of the caravan was unimaginable, clearly the result of multiple merchant houses banding together. Over a hundred trucks and armored personnel carriers moved in an elongated procession, unable to go any faster.
From the perspective of bandits, this was a massive fish.
Qian Ye squinted, pondering the meaning of this sudden, enormous caravan. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a sliver of icy blue at the corner of his vision.
He turned slightly, saying, “Why are you here?”
Li Kuanglan appeared quietly behind Qian Ye, replying, “You really can’t be fooled. I’m more curious than ever about what kind of cards you’re holding.”
“Let’s get to the point.”
Li Kuanglan handed over a letter, saying, “There’s a letter for you.”
Qian Ye took the envelope, asking, “Who is it from?”
“It’s said to be from Luo Bingfeng, the lord of Tidal Sound City. The messenger is named Luo Yun, claiming to be the chief steward of the city lord’s mansion. I don’t think he’s lying.”
Holding the unopened letter, Qian Ye pointed towards the approaching caravan, asking, “What do you make of this?”
Li Kuanglan glanced in the direction Qian Ye pointed, then looked back at him, saying, “Have you used Zangxin?”
“Yes. I just killed a warrior who tried to disguise himself as a soldier.”
Li Kuanglan let out a small laugh, “Trying to ambush you in disguise, isn’t that courting death?”
“What do you think?” Qian Ye repeated his question.
Li Kuanglan replied, “It’s simple. You’ve already put your threat out there, and you’ve used your killer move. They know you won’t act right now, so they sent this large caravan to show off, both to you and the people of Tidal Sound City. In short, it’s a slap in the face.”
As the two conversed among the rubble, the hunter on the hilltop seemed oblivious. Every time he turned his gaze in their direction, he subconsciously averted his eyes, as if looking too long would bring about something terribly frightening. Yet, unaware of his own unease, he signaled twice to his companions that everything was safe.
Qian Ye and Li Kuanglan stood with their hands clasped behind their backs, watching the approaching caravan. The lead vehicles were already breaking through the dust and heading up the mountain road. Gunners on the roofs of the trucks were on high alert, scanning their surroundings with binoculars. However, as their gazes passed over where Qian Ye and Li Kuanglan stood, they showed no reaction.
Through the enhanced binoculars, Qian Ye and Li Kuanglan appeared to be nothing more than inconspicuous rocks.
Qian Ye stood with his hands behind his back, tapping the letter lightly with his fingers, gradually increasing the frequency.
Suddenly, Qian Ye asked, “How should I make them realize that I’m not joking?”
Caught off guard, Li Kuanglan shook his head, “I don’t know.”
Qian Ye’s fingers abruptly stopped, and he said calmly, “It’s quite simple. I’ll just raid this caravan, right now!”
With a loud pop, the letter exploded into a swarm of paper butterflies, fluttering away. Qian Ye never opened it.
In an instant, Qian Ye vanished from his spot!
Li Kuanglan instinctively reached for the hilt of his sword, Cold Moon in Silk Cage. But before he could draw it, he felt a prick on his face, leaving a small, bleeding red dot.
This was a trace of Qian Ye’s origin power, set without Li Kuanglan even noticing. Its message was clear: stay out of it.
In the caravan, the lead armored personnel carrier suddenly lifted its front end, flying sideways and tumbling several times before crashing into a roadside ditch. The soldiers inside, caught off guard, were either thrown into unconsciousness or unable to escape, as the vehicle rolled.
Qian Ye strolled through the convoy, flipping each truck with a light flick of his Eastern Peak. The occupants, whether drivers or warriors, were tossed around. Within moments, all the lead trucks were overturned, and the following ones braked hastily, creating chaos.
However, some soldiers quickly reacted, pointing their guns at Qian Ye. A few rookies, overcome by nervousness, fired before being ordered. As the officer’s frantic “Don’t fire!” echoed, gunfire roared, raining bullets towards Qian Ye!
Qian Ye’s face hardened. In a flash, he disappeared and reappeared beside an armed truck, driving Eastern Peak into the engine like a knife into soft soil.
A deafening boom, followed by a cloud of steam, erupted. Fire shot out, and mangled metal and machinery parts flew everywhere. The truck split in two, its cargo boxes igniting. The gunners on the roof were flung high and slammed into the ground, lifeless.
Qian Ye’s figure flashed, moving against the flow of the convoy, causing explosions one after another. Trucks turned into fireballs, and the merchant houses suffered heavy losses within moments.
The vice-commander and his generals, still far away, were momentarily stunned, unsure who dared to attack such a large convoy. By logic, Qian Ye should have remained hidden after his initial warning. The vice-commander ordered the convoy to proceed, not expecting to provoke him. Even seasoned mercenaries wouldn’t fall for such an obvious trap.
Yet, in just a few moments, a quarter of the vehicles were destroyed, turning the convoy into a fiery serpent. The destruction rate showed that Qian Ye held nothing back.
Enraged, the vice-commander leaped, bellowing, “You dare!!”
As the vice-commander moved, the city guards followed, along with several generals from their hiding spots, surrounding Qian Ye to cut off his retreat.
Their encirclement was sound, but Qian Ye destroyed seven or eight more trucks in the delay. The entire convoy halted, forming a twisted line of steel. Soldiers and passengers scrambled out, fleeing to the sides. Qian Ye didn’t aim to kill, but the explosions were indiscriminate, threatening those nearby.
Stopping Qian Ye was the task of the high-ranking officers and generals.
Once the first person fled, others followed, scattering like ants. The vice-commander fumed.
Disregarding the origin power cost, he sped up, hurtling toward Qian Ye. Mid-flight, he jolted, his trajectory shifting. In his sight, a dignified young man appeared, a water-blue sword gleaming ominously.
Li Kuanglan hadn’t moved, but drew his sword, revealing himself.
The vice-commander, decisive, growled, “You deal with him. The rest, follow me. Whoever kills Qian Ye will be hailed as the hero!”
The trucks were now empty, their soldiers scattered. Qian Ye ignored the encircling forces, advancing steadily, transforming each truck into a fireball. He moved through steel and flame.
A fierce general couldn’t hold back, charging Qian Ye. Qian Ye stepped forward, colliding with him. With a thud, the general was sent flying, and Qian Ye’s Eastern Peak pierced his chest.
Another general floated in, brushing past Qian Ye.
Qian Ye paused, then continued, a bloody gash appearing on his side. The general retreated, collapsing after a hundred meters, bleeding out.
Generals attacked Qian Ye one by one, falling. Burning trucks acted as barriers, preventing coordinated attacks. Their fallen comrades only fueled their rage, as they fought to wound Qian Ye.
Qian Ye pressed on, leaving a trail of flames, steel, and bodies. His wounds multiplied, his energy waning, yet his eyes remained sharp.
This was a battle of will and ferocity, seeing who would collapse first.
A general lingered at the edge, aiming a sniper rifle at Qian Ye. When Qian Ye slowed, he fired, hitting Qian Ye’s back.
The vice-commander seized the moment, materializing before Qian Ye, thrusting twin blades at his heart.
But the vice-commander saw his reflection in Qian Ye’s eyes, dizzying. His blades deflected, piercing Qian Ye’s abdomen instead.
Though wounded, the vice-commander felt no joy, staring in shock at Eastern Peak skewering his own belly. Qian Ye had waited for this, for mutual injury.
Now, any move would be catastrophic. The vice-commander froze, while Qian Ye smiled, grabbing him, pulling him close, their faces nearly touching.
This act deepened their wounds. The vice-commander’s will faltered, and he dropped his blades, raising his hands in surrender.
Qian Ye, locking eyes with the terrified man, said, “Tell them, I won’t leave until Zining is freed.”
Slowly, Qian Ye withdrew Eastern Peak and walked away, leaving the vice-commander crumpled on the ground.
Blood dripped from Eastern Peak, drawing a crimson line on the earth as Qian Ye departed.
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