Chapter 72: The Sealing of the City

“Luoyun, call Zhumeng over and see what’s going on.”

Luoyun acknowledged, just about to move, when the woman said, “Bingfeng, you promised me that you would no longer be involved in these mundane affairs. That force has only lost two or three hundred men; if even such a matter requires your attention, what use do they have?”

Luoyun interjected, “That force was personally built by the City Lord years ago, and there are still many of the old brothers from back then.”

The woman looked at Luo Bingfeng without speaking.

Luo Bingfeng tried to speak several times but, seeing her, ultimately said nothing, only sighing and waving his hand, “Forget it, let them handle it. Luoyun, you may leave as well. If there’s nothing major, there’s no need to report it.”

Luoyun, with no other choice, bowed and left.

The woman then smiled, rolled up her sleeves, and picked up two pieces of broken tile from the ground. With a gentle touch, she magically merged them into a new tile. She glared at Luo Bingfeng, saying, “Come and help; do you want to get rained on tonight?”

Luo Bingfeng gave a wry smile and, with no other choice, helped her repair the roof.

After a while, the roof was fixed. The woman looked at Luo Bingfeng’s face, patted his hand gently, and consoled, “Bingfeng, those brothers have been with you for a long time, but on the battlefield, who can avoid death? You must think of your own health. If something happens to you, those old brothers who followed you won’t have a good end either.”

Luo Bingfeng sighed deeply, saying, “I don’t know whether this is right or wrong.”

“A decade of dormancy, there will always be a time to soar.”

Luo Bingfeng shook his head, “I just can’t leave you. What will happen to you if I go?”

The woman smiled lightly, “Then I’ll follow you; what’s so hard about that?” She spoke as if it were a trivial matter.

Luo Bingfeng remained silent for a long time, letting out only a sigh.

They returned to their rooms, each sitting quietly to cultivate. Before they could enjoy a moment of peace, urgent footsteps echoed from the mountain path, and Luoyun hurried over.

“What is it now?” Luo Bingfeng’s voice resounded in the air, but he did not appear, clearly somewhat displeased.

Luoyun stood at the courtyard gate and reported, “City Lord, the two people you ordered us to find last time have been located. They are Qian Ye, the leader of the Darkfire Mercenary Corps in Nanqing City, and Ji Tianqing, his deputy.”

“Nanqing City? Aren’t they currently fighting with the Wolf King?”

“Exactly them.”

“Oh, contact them and see what conditions they have. Feel free to propose anything.”

“Yes, sir.” Luoyun bowed and turned to leave.

After he had gone, the woman sighed, “Why go to such lengths?”

“It’s just a talk. If the conditions are not too much, it’s fine to agree. If they don’t know when to stop, I’m not one to be rigid.”

Outside the city, Qian Ye sat cross-legged atop a stone pillar, his eyes slightly lowered, silently cultivating. The view from here was excellent, allowing him to see a large road, one of the three main roads connecting Tiding City to the outside world.

Qian Ye’s eyes suddenly opened, looking towards the end of the road where a cloud of dust indicated a convoy leaving Tiding City.

In an instant, the top of the stone pillar was empty.

The merchant convoy consisted of more than ten trucks, with only three cargo trucks, the rest being armored personnel carriers. The protective force was unusually strong.

The mercenaries manning the guns on top of each personnel carrier scanned the surroundings, highly alert. Before leaving the city, they had heard troubling news, knowing that the road might not be peaceful. Additionally, Tiding City had gotten involved in the war between the Wolf King and the Darkfire Mercenaries of Nanqing City, winning decisively. However, the enemy still had several strong individuals, and revenge was not out of the question.

The merchant leader was very cautious, spending a lot of money to hire double the number of guards to ensure the safety of the goods.

The convoy had only traveled a few dozen kilometers from Tiding City when the lead armored vehicle suddenly braked, causing chaos among the vehicles behind. Caught off guard, several almost collided.

“What’s going on?” The mercenary leader and the merchant executive both jumped out of their vehicles, rushing to the front of the convoy.

In the middle of the road, Qian Ye stood with a sword, only a few meters from the front of the lead armored vehicle.

The driver was clearly short-tempered, glaring at Qian Ye for a moment before revving the engine, making the vehicle shake violently. It seemed he intended to run Qian Ye over.

Qian Ye smiled coldly, waiting for the vehicle to hit him.

The driver’s companion, who was more rational, grabbed the driver and shouted, “Stop!”

But his intervention was too late. The armored vehicle lunged forward, crashing into Qian Ye and then rebounding, smashing into the vehicle behind it.

Throughout the entire event, Qian Ye remained standing in the same spot, even maintaining his stance with the sword.

After the armored vehicle bounced back, Qian Ye swung his sword, cutting through the armored vehicle with a cold blade. The once fierce driver’s expression changed from ferocity to fear, then to a lifeless look, blood pouring from the gaps in the vehicle.

The mercenary leader’s face turned pale, raising his hands and shouting, “Stop! Everyone stop!”

Although the mercenaries were ruthless, they also had discernment. Seeing Qian Ye effortlessly cut through the armored vehicle, they realized they were facing a true powerhouse. Without waiting for orders, many dropped their weapons. Pointing entry-level origin guns at a real expert was tantamount to suicide.

After stopping his subordinates, the leader approached Qian Ye, bowing respectfully and saying, “Why would someone like you trouble us small mercenaries who are just trying to make a living? If we have offended you, please let us know, and we will make amends.”

The merchant executive also ran over, holding up the company’s sign and smiling nervously.

“Why am I here, didn’t Zhumeng tell you?”

The mercenary leader was taken aback, “You mean General Zhumeng? He’s a big shot in the City Lord’s court, and we small mercenaries can’t even get close to him. General Zhumeng has given no message.”

Qian Ye’s brows furrowed, his gaze turning cold, “So, Zhumeng hasn’t said anything. Very well, leave the vehicles and you may go.”

The mercenary leader immediately felt relieved, as long as the people were safe, the equipment could be replaced. The merchant executive, however, paled, “Sir, that’s not possible! These goods are our lifeblood!”

Qian Ye replied indifferently, “If you don’t want to leave, stay as well.”

The mercenary leader, alarmed, covered the merchant executive’s mouth and dragged him away. Without needing to be told, all the mercenaries dismounted, carrying whatever they could, standing by the roadside.

Seeing their compliance, Qian Ye nodded, “When you return, tell Zhumeng that since his memory is so poor, I will remind him again. If he doesn’t release my brothers, no one from Tiding City will be safe. Also, he and his subordinates should not appear before me again.”

“Yes, yes! We will deliver the message,” the leader agreed, dragging the merchant executive away.

Qian Ye leaped into the air, taking out the Illusory Manjushaka, igniting its crimson flames. He fired more than ten shots, hitting each truck. The trucks, regardless of type, burst into intense flames, turning to ashes in moments.

The mercenary leader and the merchant executive’s faces turned pale. They had hoped to negotiate later, paying a ransom to recover the goods. To them, blocking Tiding City’s trade route was suicidal. The city had many powerful experts, and a few of them could easily take care of a madman.

However, no one expected Qian Ye to have no interest in money or goods, directly destroying the entire convoy. The mercenary leader and the merchant executive’s faces turned ashen. The ten armored personnel carriers were also a significant loss.

At this point, the merchant executive no longer resisted and left obediently. He finally understood that Qian Ye was not joking, and staying meant certain death.

From afternoon to evening, Qian Ye intercepted three convoys, driving away the personnel and destroying the goods.

The news brought by the mercenaries caused a stir in Tiding City. Since Zhang Buzhou rose to power in the neutral zone, no one had dared to act so brazenly in Tiding City. People were curious about who had been captured to cause such a commotion.

At this moment, Zhumeng was under the spotlight. However, he locked himself in the barracks upon returning and did not step out. Although the people in the city were extremely curious, no one dared to confront him. As a confidant of Luo Bingfeng and a strong figure in the city, with military power, no one wanted to offend him at this time.

The other two unblocked passages in Tiding City continued to function normally, with little impact. To the citizens, the person causing trouble outside was just a madman, and the city guards could easily handle it.

As night fell, another merchant convoy left the city, moving slowly, raising clouds of dust. This convoy had even stronger protection and more valuable goods. The ten all-terrain trucks alone were worth a fortune.

The special aspect of this convoy was that half of the guards were actually elite city guards. One of the three deputy commanders of the city guard, Du Yufeng, was hidden in the convoy, personally overseeing it. In addition, several champion-level fighters were hidden, ready to capture Qian Ye.

Du Yufeng’s personal involvement was also known to be due to his rivalry with Zhumeng. Capturing Qian Ye would not only prove Zhumeng’s incompetence but also use Qian Ye to bring Zhumeng down, thus likely transferring Zhumeng’s elite forces to Du Yufeng.

However, things took an unexpected turn. Halfway through the journey, a stunning blue light streaked across the night sky, striking the center of the convoy.

Du Yufeng was killed on the spot.