Chapter 20
Not far from the scene where Xi Xichang and Wu Qian were fighting, two men were secretly hiding.
"Isn't this a truly strange thing?"
A man with tanned skin and a sturdy body pouted his lips.
"Hmm... it would be best not to get involved."
The other man, stroking his beard that hung down to his chest, made a hand signal with his other hand to go back.
Both men were wearing a yellow band with the character for 'escort' engraved on their right arms, and they seemed to be from an escort agency.
Pababat!
The trees in the forest, where the sword wind was blowing, were swaying back and forth.
But they didn't move an inch and were watching Xi Xichang and Wu Qian fight from above and below the trees.
The man with the tanned skin, who was in a dilemma, scratched his head.
"I thought they were bandits from the Green Forest, but it doesn't seem so..."
When he felt the ominous killing intent that shook the mountain, he had at first thought that a group of bandits from the Green Forest, who were after the escorted goods, had found the old man and the girl and had flocked to them.
But their attire was far from that of bandits, and their un-bandit-like behavior, such as the masked man throwing off his mask, made him realize that there was another reason for their attack.
"If it's not related to us, there's no need to get involved in a useless grudge."
"Head Escort Huang, aren't you being too cold?"
The man with the magnificent long beard shook his head with a cold gaze.
They were escorts whose mission was to transport goods.
If they carelessly got involved in the grudges of the martial world, even their mission could be endangered.
"Has Head Escort Jin still not gotten rid of his old habit? Don't forget that Master Seo has repeatedly warned us about this escort mission."
The Master Seo that Head Escort Huang referred to was Seo Won, the wealthiest man in Qinghai.
As the wealthiest man in Qinghai, Seo Won had numerous businesses and an escort agency in his name.
The Seo Won Escort Agency.
As befitting its reputation as the number one escort agency in Qinghai, many of the escorts and head escorts were highly skilled, and it was the prevailing opinion that to become a head escort of the Seo Won Escort Agency, one had to be a master close to the peak level.
The chief head escort of the Seo Won Escort Agency, Huang Feihu, and the head escort, Jin Tianxiang.
As the two head escorts had stepped forward, this escort mission was clearly a very important one, as Huang Feihu had said.
"If we hadn't seen it, it would be one thing, but if we go back like this, that old man and the girl will surely be killed."
The old man seemed to be a great master, and the girl also displayed considerable martial arts for her age, but their opponents were too strong.
Their joint attack skills were proficient, and especially the martial arts of the one who seemed to be the leader were extraordinary. The more he watched, the more it became clear that they were a trained martial arts group with a purpose.
Huang Feihu also had a bad feeling, but he couldn't get involved in a fight between people whose identities he didn't even know.
Seeing Huang Feihu's still stubborn attitude, Jin Tianxiang took out a coin from his pocket.
"Then, Chief Head Escort, you should go back first, and I will secretly help them."
"...Do you have to do that?"
He asked, knowing that it would be useless to try to stop him, and as expected, the answer was not much different from Huang Feihu's expectation.
He naturally covered his face with a mask and smiled with his eyes.
"I'll leave if things get messy. Don't worry."
Jin Tianxiang lightly rolled the coin with his fingers.
Even if things went wrong, he could just leave this place, so it didn't matter, and if he succeeded, it would be a desirable thing to create a way for the woman to overcome the current situation.
For a child who would grow up to be a peerless beauty to die a violent death in a place like this was no different from a great loss to the world.
Jin Tianxiang immediately circulated his internal energy and fired the coin at Wu Qian with all his might.
Swoosh!
The coin, which flew through the air like an arrow, grazed Wu Qian's head and was deeply embedded in the ground.
"Ugh!"
Wu Qian, who had thought he could soon cut off the tenacious Xi Xichang's breath, screamed without realizing it at the sudden bolt from the blue.
"Gasp!"
Jin Tianxiang was also surprised.
Although it couldn't be compared to the secret techniques of the Tang Clan, the coin he had thrown with the intention of a one-hit kill had grazed Wu Qian's head and missed.
It was clear that Wu Qian's martial arts were more powerful than he had expected.
"Leader!"
"Kuh... who on earth is it!"
The startled Wu Qian stepped back and became wary of his surroundings.
If his reaction had been a little late, his head would have been smashed.
He didn't know who it was, but it was truly a lightning-fast strike.
There was no more threatening enemy than an enemy who did not show himself.
Especially if it was a master.
"Who is it! Show yourself immediately!"
As they had been trained, all the members of the Red Moon Squad flocked to Wu Qian's side.
Thanks to that, Xi Xichang and Liu Yezhi were able to have a moment of respite.
"What happened?"
"It seems Wu Qian was attacked by someone."
"Who...?"
Xi Xichang felt as if it were a dream that she had received help in a remote place like this in a situation like this.
"Could it be a reclusive master...?"
"Well..."
Although he was grateful for the help, realistically, it was unlikely that a reclusive master of the righteous path had helped them.
In any case, it was a variable that could overcome the situation.
Xi Xichang and Liu Yezhi were as anxious as Wu Qian.
"I don't know who you are, but did you attack us knowing that we are the Red Moon Squad of the Black Contemplation Fortress?"
'Ugh...'
It is the law that those who have lost their spirit or confidence try to show off their power by using their background.
But Wu Qian's threat against Jin Tianxiang was very effective.
Jin Tianxiang, startled by the words that they were from the Black Contemplation Fortress, flinched and hurriedly checked on Huang Feihu.
Fortunately, Huang Feihu's figure was not to be seen, as if he had left the place.
'What bad luck, the Black Contemplation Fortress...'
If it became known that he had interfered in a matter related to the Black Contemplation Fortress, not only the Seo Won Escort Agency but also Master Seo's neck would be in danger.
Seeing the murderous Red Moon Squad looking for him, Jin Tianxiang hurriedly racked his brain.
And he solemnly composed his voice and shouted with his internal energy.
"This demonic person is the Blood Demon Lord!"
"Blood Demon Lord...?"
At the familiar nickname, Wu Qian racked his brain.
'Ugh... was that great demon here?'
He also thought that a demon of that level would have to be the one to interfere with the affairs of the Black Contemplation Fortress.
He was a master of the previous generation who had not shown himself for ten years.
But there was no one who did not know the nickname of the Blood Demon Lord, one of the notorious demons.
If even half of his legendary martial prowess and nature were true, it would be difficult to be sure of the life and death of the Red Moon Squad.
But that was only a story for when he was the Blood Demon Lord.
If he were the real Blood Demon Lord, there would be no reason for him to be hiding like this.
"I don't know what your identity is, but the Red Moon Squad of the Black Contemplation Fortress will not back down just because you imitate a demon of the previous generation! Come out immediately!"
While Wu Qian was diligently looking around for Jin Tianxiang, Xi Xichang and Liu Yezhi were also in a difficult situation and could not easily move.
It was not a good time to escape now, and they could not ask for help from someone who had identified himself as a notorious demon.
'Tsk, since they're from the Black Contemplation Fortress, it's not working...'
Jin Tianxiang, who had been excited in the tree, clicked his tongue briefly.
Well, he hadn't expected to be able to get through the situation easily with this much bluffing.
'What should I do... should I just go like this?'
He had come too far to go back.
If he went back like this, the death of the old man and the girl was a matter of course, and he didn't have the confidence to face Huang Feihu's eyes, which would look at him as if he were pathetic.
"To hell with it."
Jin Tianxiang jumped down from the tree.
The reason he had stepped forward was not only because of his faded sense of justice from his time as a righteous path hero, but also because he had calculated that if he joined the old man and the girl, he could block the remaining members of the Black Contemplation Fortress and escape this disaster.
When Wu Qian's opponent did not answer his words, he thought that he had been pressured by the prestige of the Black Contemplation Fortress and would no longer interfere in their affairs.
But since an unexpected situation could arise, it was a top priority to deal with Xi Xichang quickly.
"Kill Xi Xichang with all your might!"
Even if Liu Yezhi was a secondary matter, if they killed Xi Xichang, their goal would be achieved.
Xi Xichang's face hardened with tension.
She was already tired enough from the fight with Wu Qian, and she didn't have the confidence to withstand a concentrated attack.
At that moment, one of the members of the Red Moon Squad discovered a figure popping out from the forest.
"Leader, over there...!"
Wu Qian, who had given the order, looked at the masked man who had appeared behind him as if it were absurd.
What kind of riffraff was this?
Of course, that man was none other than Jin Tianxiang.
"On such a fine day, why don't you stop fighting with swords and make up?"
It was a clear voice that was neither too high nor too low.
Although Jin Tianxiang was pretending to be relaxed on the outside, his inner situation was not at all like that.
Now that he had dipped his foot in, a situation had come where he had to see it through, so as not to bring shame to the escort agency.
Wu Qian's martial prowess was, at a glance, on par with his own.
But if it was Wu Qian, who had consumed a considerable amount of internal energy while dealing with the girl, Jin Tianxiang had a good chance of winning.
"Who are you!"
Not only the one who had impersonated the Blood Demon Lord, but also a mysterious masked man.
It seemed as if the heavens were helping Xi Xichang and constantly blocking him.
"Umm... I'm not such a famous man."
"Who asked for your name? You look like a guy who's lost his mind! If you disappear quietly, I'll let you keep your life."
"Ah... I introduced myself wrongly. How stupid of me..."
An ordinary person would not have such an attitude in this situation.
Wu Qian, also because of what had just happened, carefully observed Jin Tianxiang.
"I am the Blood Demon Lord I just mentioned."
"What...?"
"Umm... I'm saying I'm the Blood Demon Lord."
To hear it as a joke, Jin Tianxiang's voice was too serious.
Wu Qian asked Jin Tianxiang with a bewildered expression.
"You... no... you are the Blood Demon Lord?"
If you lie so confidently, the other person gets confused.
Wu Qian felt great confusion at the masked man's words.
"He existed, but he did not exist, so it is I."
What kind of nonsense was this?
He had to eliminate Xi Xichang as soon as possible, but he couldn't move carelessly because of some guy who was chasing clouds.
"What are you talking about?"
"He existed until just now, but he disappeared with the appearance of this true self, so I'm saying he existed but did not exist."
"So... are you saying a young brat like you was teasing me?"
Judging by his relaxed attitude and his actions, it was clear that Jin Tianxiang was teasing Wu Qian.
"Well, you can think of it that way. You're dumber than I thought! You're so inattentive that you get injured by a carelessly thrown coin."
Had he ever been insulted like this in his forty years of life? At Jin Tianxiang's provocative attitude, Wu Qian could not hold it in and spewed out his anger.
"This piece of shit brat dares to laugh at me? You guys kill Xi Xichang and Liu Yezhi! I will cut off that brat's neck!"
(End of Chapter)