Chapter 21
"As you command!"
Xi Xichang and Liu Yezhi, realizing that their break was over, composed their breathing again.
Although the number of ambushers had decreased slightly, the two of them had consumed that much internal energy.
They sincerely hoped that the man named Jin Tianxiang would hold Wu Qian's feet for just a little while.
"Brat! I am Wu Qian, the leader of the Red Moon Squad of the Black Contemplation Fortress!"
"I am... um... let's just fight."
"Take the Red Moon Sword Art!"
Wu Qian sincerely displayed the Red Moon Sword Art towards Jin Tianxiang.
It was not a situation to drag on, and he intended to cut off Jin Tianxiang's neck in one go.
'Truly a heavy sword momentum.'
Jin Tianxiang, without panicking, immediately drew the sword at his waist and rotated his body.
Clang!
Wu Qian, at Jin Tianxiang's skill in receiving his sword strike and counterattacking, acknowledged that he had the skill to match his guts in daring to step forward even after hearing the name of the Black Contemplation Fortress.
But Wu Qian was still confident.
After crossing swords, he had realized that the opponent's martial prowess was slightly, but not up to his own.
Clang!
Jin Tianxiang could not hide his bewilderment as Wu Qian's momentum did not decrease, contrary to his expectation.
If he had not been wearing a mask, Wu Qian would have read Jin Tianxiang's expression and pressed his attack even more.
The situation was not much better for Liu Yezhi and Xi Xichang.
Although Xi Xichang had joined Liu Yezhi to face the Red Moon Squad, it was the Red Moon Squad that had the upper hand against Liu Yezhi in the first place, and Xi Xichang's attack, who had consumed a considerable amount of internal energy, was not of much help.
"You're more skilled than you look. I'll give you credit for that one thing. I'll kill you without pain!"
Wu Qian once again drove his sword like a gale.
Was it not so? After a few strong and heavy attacks, a gap in the sword art that Jin Tianxiang was displaying was seen.
"Haaah!"
Wu Qian jumped into the air about a zhang high and swung his sword with the momentum to cut Jin Tianxiang in two.
"Halt!"
At that moment, Wu Qian felt a short shout and a sword wind flying towards him, and he quickly twisted his body in the air and changed his posture.
A chilling sword wind grazed Wu Qian's collar. Another mysterious man was rushing towards Wu Qian, brandishing a seven-foot (about 210cm) crescent moon blade.
"Ugh!"
Wu Qian, startled by the suddenly appeared mysterious man, stepped back.
He couldn't understand where these guys, like daytime goblins, were popping out one by one.
The one who had appeared this time was wearing a mask, not even a hood, and was brandishing a crescent moon blade taller than himself, so he couldn't help but be surprised.
"Who are you!"
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Seeing the man who appeared, handling the crescent moon blade as if a child were handling a toy, Jin Tianxiang's complexion brightened noticeably.
Although he had changed his clothes and even his hood to thoroughly hide his identity, he had recognized his identity at once.
"Huang...!"
"Hmph!"
As Jin Tianxiang, overcome with joy, was about to call him, Huang Feihu coughed loudly and covered his mouth.
As soon as he knew that the opponents were from the Black Contemplation Fortress, he had immediately brought his crescent moon blade and mask, but if his identity were to be revealed and reach the ears of the Black Contemplation Fortress, it would be a great disaster.
"These bastards..."
Wu Qian, in front of the leader of the great Black Contemplation Fortress, spewed out his anger at the farce that was unfolding and scattered his sword.
"Hmph!"
Huang Feihu, without the slightest hesitation at Wu Qian's fierce sword momentum, rotated his crescent moon blade and confronted him.
Like a ferocious beast snatching the nape of its prey, Huang Feihu's crescent moon blade aimed for Wu Qian's opening and launched a fierce and persistent attack.
As Huang Feihu confronted Wu Qian, Jin Tianxiang, rather than joining him in a joint attack, flew to help the girl and the old man who looked to be in danger.
It was a bold action that he could do because he had that much faith in the martial prowess of Huang Feihu, the best master and chief head escort of the Seo Won Escort Agency.
"Kuh!"
As Jin Tianxiang moved towards the Red Moon Squad, Wu Qian's heart became anxious.
It seemed that Liu Yezhi and Xi Xichang would soon collapse under the joint attack of the Red Moon Squad, and if Jin Tianxiang joined them, it was clear that they would be counterattacked instead.
Screech!
While he was thinking about something else for a moment, the crescent moon blade scraped the ground loudly and soared into the sky.
That one move was so sharp and great that Wu Qian, who had hurriedly deflected the crescent moon blade, felt a surge of heat and blood flowed from his thigh.
"Ugh..."
Wu Qian realized that he, who had consumed his internal energy through a series of battles, would have a hard time subduing the current opponent.
No, even in his best condition, the opponent's martial prowess was clearly a level above his own.
'Where on earth did such masters...'
Although he was wearing a mask, a master of the crescent moon blade like this was not common in the martial world.
Especially with a tiger decoration drawn on the crescent moon blade...
"The Lion Escort King of Qinghai?"
At Wu Qian's muttering, Huang Feihu flinched, but he couldn't undo what had happened now.
"In the end, do I have no choice but to kill him and shut his mouth..."
He had no intention of committing murder for a matter unrelated to the escort mission, but it was his own karma for accompanying Head Escort Jin, whose conduct was not serious in the first place.
The Lion Escort King was a nickname given to the chief head escort of the Seo Won Escort Agency, Huang Feihu, by the escorts as a sign of respect, and it was a nickname that was always mentioned when talking about the most outstanding master among the escorts of the numerous escort agencies in the world.
Upon learning the opponent's identity, Wu Qian went on a rampage as if it were absurd.
"You bastards! Do you think the Seo Won Escort Agency will be safe after making an enemy of the Black Contemplation Fortress?"
No matter how great the masters were, the thought that mere escorts who only transported goods had interfered with them made it very difficult for Wu Qian to regain his composure from the humiliation.
Since his identity had been revealed anyway, there was no good in dragging on the time any longer.
Huang Feihu decided to settle the match at once with his ten-tenths internal energy and displayed his ultimate move.
Lion Heart, Lion Slashing Blade. The sound of the huge crescent moon blade turning over the ground was like the roar of a tiger.
By the time Wu Qian felt the storm-like airflow and displayed the Red Moon Sword Form, it was already too late.
The crescent moon blade, which had soared at a terrifying speed, covered the sky and was falling on Wu Qian's head.
Huang Feihu's Lion Slashing Blade had broken through Wu Qian's Red Moon Sword Art.
"Cough!"
Wu Qian, who had spewed out a mouthful of blood, could not understand it at all.
Even if his name was quite famous in the martial world, in the end, he was an escort.
How could it be understood that he, the leader of the Black Contemplation Fortress, had been defeated by such an escort?
Wu Qian felt as if he would lose his mind at any moment.
Huang Feihu's merciless Lion Slashing Blade, as if it would not stop until it had cut off the opponent's breath, did not hesitate and once again attacked the defenseless Wu Qian.
Crash!
"Kuaaak!"
A single gash was drawn from Wu Qian's shoulder to his waist. He let out a scream.
Gurgle...
With a gurgle of blood, Wu Qian's body collapsed powerlessly.
Before his pained final scream could even end, Wu Qian had died.
For the name of Wu Qian of the Red Moon Squad, it was too vain a death.
The Red Moon Squad, who heard Wu Qian's scream, could not believe the current situation.
To the Red Moon Squad, the leader of the Red Moon Squad was the sky.
And that sky, Wu Qian, had fallen.
"This is ridiculous...!"
With Wu Qian's death, the Red Moon Squad was greatly shaken.
They were already being pushed back by the addition of the mysterious man, and they judged that they had no chance at all if the man who had defeated Wu Qian joined in.
"Qihao, report this news to the fortress."
Someone among the masked men opened his mouth with a heavy voice.
Pabat!
One of the called Red Moon Squad members quickly left the battlefield.
The remaining members of the Red Moon Squad all composed their posture, holding their swords with a do-or-die attitude.
Even if the Red Moon Squad lost here, they could not show their backs and tarnish the name of the Black Contemplation Fortress.
"The supreme one of the evil path... the Black Contemplation Fortress..."
If they were from the evil path, no, no martial arts group of the evil path could show such a sight.
The tide of the battle had already turned greatly.
As Huang Feihu, who was brandishing his crescent moon blade, joined in, the Red Moon Squad could not hold out for even half a quarter of an hour and all met their end.
"Gasp... gasp."
As the arena was cleared, Xi Xichang, who was panting heavily, let out a sigh of relief.
She had barely survived at a moment when there seemed to be no hope.
The strange men, whom she had thought would be a relief if they just bought some time, had appeared, killed Wu Qian, and defeated the Red Moon Squad.
Jin Tianxiang, who no longer felt the need to wear a mask, took it off, and Xi Xichang and Liu Yezhi cupped their fists.
"Thank you for your help. I am Xi Xichang of the Qingcheng Sect."
"I am Liu Yezhi. Thank you for your help."
Jin Tianxiang, seeing that his prediction that they were from the righteous path, as they were being targeted by the Black Contemplation Fortress, was correct, waved his hand at their thanks as if he were embarrassed.
"Don't mention it, don't mention it... I am Jin Tianxiang."
"Phew... I am Huang Feihu."
Huang Feihu, who had finally taken off his mask, sighed and exchanged names with them.
Huang Feihu had no intention of helping them in the first place, nor did he have any intention of receiving their thanks.
His only goal was to end this incident at this level and finish the escort mission safely.
"If you are Huang Feihu... could it be the Seo Won Escort Agency's..."
"Yes, this is the chief head escort, the Lion Escort King, and I am Jin Tianxiang, a head escort of the Seo Won Escort Agency."
Liu Yezhi nodded slightly.
Since he was the Lion Escort King, the most outstanding master among the escorts, he was not lacking in dealing with the leader of the Red Moon Squad of the Black Contemplation Fortress.
The corpse of Wu Qian, whose body had been cut by the Lion Slashing Blade, was a gruesome sight.
Xi Xichang frowned slightly at the sight of Wu Qian's corpse.
If that man had not died, she would have been the one lying dead like that.
"I would like to repay you for your help. I would like to treat you to a meal at a nearby manor."
"We just happened to get involved, so it would be best to keep this matter a secret between us."
Before Jin Tianxiang could step forward, Huang Feihu coldly cut off Xi Xichang's words.
The Qingcheng Sect, although it was different in the past, was now a precarious sect with a greatly reduced power.
To receive a reward from such a sect and let the Black Contemplation Fortress know that they had intervened in this matter would do more harm than good.
"Is that so..."
"Head Escort Huang, why are you being so harsh? We have to go a long way to the Kunlun Mountains anyway, so let's at least get a delicious meal."
"You should just prepare to be scolded by Master Seo when you return after finishing the escort mission."
For a head escort of an escort agency to reveal their destination so easily, it was clear that he had not yet shed his martial artist ways.
At Huang Feihu's sharp words, Jin Tianxiang also shut his mouth like a clam and watched his expression.
Seeing the man who usually did not show his emotions speak like this, it seemed he was quite angry.
"Then we will be on our way."
"Wait a minute!"
"Is there still something you need?"
"Are you going to the Kunlun Mountains?"
"...Yes, this escort mission is one that Master Seo is particularly concerned about, so we cannot be late."
And the reason for that concern was known to all, including Huang Feihu and the first-class escorts, except for Jin Tianxiang, who was joining this escort mission for the first time.
"Then can't we accompany you?"
"What do you mean..."
"I am asking because it seems our destination is in the same direction."
Xi Xichang's intention was simple.
Now that the forces of the Black Contemplation Fortress had revealed their claws like this, there was no guarantee that there would be no other dangers.
Moreover, the journey to their destination was arduous.
Having already experienced such an incident, it seemed that if they traveled with skilled escorts, they could prevent accidents in advance.
Huang Feihu, at the situation brought on by Jin Tianxiang's loose tongue, glared at him once again and then firmly shook his head.
"We are transporting goods, so we cannot be responsible for your safety."
"We can take responsibility for our own safety. Although our transactions have decreased recently, we have had many transactions with Master Seo. Are you going to ignore us and go like this?"
The young girl's voice and will were extremely sharp.
Judging by the atmosphere, the old master next to her also seemed to be her subordinate.
'I had heard that there was a girl sect leader in the Qingcheng Sect...'
Well, since she had this much guts, it was possible that the Black Contemplation Fortress had personally planned her assassination.
As Xi Xichang even mentioned Master Seo and pressured him, the wrinkles on Huang Feihu's brow would not smooth out.
"Then where are you planning to go?"
"The Hermit's Valley."
At Xi Xichang's short answer, Huang Feihu's eyelids trembled slightly for a moment.
For a coincidence, it was too strange.
Xi Xichang, as if she had expected Huang Feihu's surprised reaction, spoke again clearly with a calm voice.
"We are going to the Hermit's Valley."
(End of Chapter)