Chapter 273 - 271: Making a Move
The inn.
As He Zhangqiu was growing restless, the window lattice rattled softly, and Li Sanli’s figure drifted silently into the room.
"Well?"
He Zhangqiu asked, looking up.
Li Sanli was silent for a moment. "The Tuo Long Bang has agreed to this matter."
A broad smile finally bloomed across He Zhangqiu’s face, tinged with smugness. "A wise man knows when to yield. Gang Leader Sanli and your esteemed Gang Leader are truly reasonable men."
"Rest assured, Young Master He. Since we have agreed, we will naturally do our utmost."
Li Sanli nodded in acknowledgment.
He Zhangqiu laughed. "In that case, here’s to our pleasant cooperation and immediate success."
Li Sanli said no more. With a slight nod, his figure flickered and vanished out the window again.
After he left, the smile on He Zhangqiu’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a dark scowl. He cursed under his breath, "That two-faced dog."
...
「The night deepened.」
「Midnight passed.」
He Zhangqiu’s expression was stormy, his agitation almost palpable.
His gaze frequently swept toward the docks.
An hour, then another, passed quietly.
The appointed time had long passed. At the docks, there was no movement aside from the two Treasure Ships.
Not only was there no sign of the silk convoy, there wasn’t even a ghost of a shadow to be seen.
BANG!
He Zhangqiu could finally no longer restrain himself. He slammed his palm on the table, sending the dishes clattering. "Go, summon Li Sanli of the Tuo Long Bang! I demand an explanation!"
The Honored Guest waiting outside the door responded and left.
Before long, a dark figure flashed outside the window. Li Sanli, wearing a conical hat with dual blades at his waist, drifted into the room like a phantom, his straw sandals still damp with night dew.
"Young Master He, what is the matter?"
Li Sanli’s voice was hoarse.
"What is the matter?"
He Zhangqiu stood up, staring him down. "Gang Leader Sanli, you certainly are composed! Midnight has passed. Where are the Chen Family? Hmm?"
Beneath his conical hat, Li Sanli’s brow furrowed deeply as well.
He, too, was filled with doubt.
That night at the Dragon Bone Temple, he and Chen Li had agreed to trade at Zhuoyan Collection in ten days.
But at the time, he had been severely injured and under duress, focused only on saving his own life and feigning compliance. How could he have had time to arrange detailed contacts or secret signals?
’Although I felt something was amiss afterward, I thought that since the Chen Family had agreed to the deal, they would surely arrive on time.’
"Perhaps... they were delayed on the way."
Li Sanli said in a low voice.
However, even he didn’t quite believe this excuse.
Forty thousand bolts of silk was no small amount; how could they possibly be delayed by other matters?
For them to have vanished without a trace now was truly strange.
"Delayed?"
He Zhangqiu sneered. "Gang Leader Sanli, could it be that your gang and the Chen Family have teamed up to make a fool of me? Or perhaps... you were in it together from the start, had no goods to deliver tonight, and lured me here just to make a move?"
Li Sanli said grimly, "I swear on the Tuo Long Bang’s reputation, the agreement with the Chen Family was not a lie. Since they already agreed, there is no reason for them to break the contract without cause. Perhaps... there are other hidden circumstances."
"Hidden circumstances?"
But He Zhangqiu was unconvinced, pressing him further. "What hidden circumstances could there be? Gang Leader Sanli, I demand a satisfactory answer."
Li Sanli was silent for a moment, then said, "If they don’t come, today’s transaction will have to be canceled."
"Canceled?"
He Zhangqiu looked as though he’d heard the world’s funniest joke, yet his eyes held no humor, only a bone-chilling coldness. "If they don’t dare come to Zhuoyan Collection, then we’ll go kill them. The monk can run, but the temple can’t escape."
"Young Master He, wait."
Li Sanli’s heart jolted, and he spoke to stop him. "We need to think this through. Lingxi is the Chen Family’s foundation; rushing in recklessly would be too risky. Besides, these forty thousand bolts of silk are still here. What if we fall for their trick to lure the tiger from the mountain and they seize the cargo ships?"
These words were a wake-up call for He Zhangqiu.
His brow furrowed, his gaze flickering.
There was some truth to what Li Sanli said.
It wasn’t impossible that the Chen Family had deliberately missed the appointment to bait them into a rash advance, only to launch a sneak attack.
After a moment of thought, He Zhangqiu made a decision. "In that case, we will split into two groups. Each of our sides will leave one Grandmaster behind to guard against any surprises. The rest will raid Lingxi and annihilate the Chen and Zhou Families. It won’t be too late to deal with this silk after we’ve succeeded."
Li Sanli considered this for a moment and found the plan feasible.
Besides, if he tried to refuse now, He Zhangqiu would turn on him instantly.
He took a deep breath, then suddenly tilted his head back and let out a long, clear whistle.
In just over a dozen breaths, two figures floated up from the Treasure Ships, soared over the ten-odd-zhang-wide river, and landed lightly in the inn’s courtyard.
It was the Tuo Long Bang’s Gang Leader, Jiang Hengzhou, and Vice Gang Leader, Shi Zhenshan.
Li Sanli briefly explained He Zhangqiu’s proposal and the strategy to split their forces.
Jiang Hengzhou’s narrow eyes swept over the other rooms, and he was slightly alarmed.
’The force the He Family brought this time is not to be underestimated.’
After a moment’s thought, he said slowly, "I have no objections."
"Good."
He Zhangqiu gave a cold smile. "Since the Gang Leader has agreed, there’s no time to waste. We leave immediately."
Jiang Hengzhou said coolly, "One moment, Young Master He. My Tuo Long Bang brothers came by boat and did not prepare any horses. For this raid, I must ask you to provide them."
He Zhangqiu frowned. That was indeed a problem.
He had brought seventeen men on this trip, but clearly not enough horses for both sides.
Li Sanli chimed in, "Young Master He, how about... your side streamlines its manpower and sends only three or four people? We will also send just three."
He Zhangqiu’s eyes flickered as he understood the Tuo Long Bang’s calculation.
’They’re worried that my side has superior numbers. If we turn on them, the Tuo Long Bang will be at a huge disadvantage.’
’That’s why they’re demanding an equal number of people from both sides, to keep each other in check.’
"In that case..."
He sneered inwardly, then after a brief thought, nodded in agreement. "Elder Mo, Mr. Shen, Mr. Jin, you’re with me. Master Yao, I’ll trouble you to stay and guard the cargo ships."
The men nodded, indicating they understood.
The "Iron Arhat" Yao Guangzhi replied in a booming voice, "Rest assured, Young Master He. As long as I am here, the goods are safe."
He Zhangqiu looked at Jiang Hengzhou.
Jiang Hengzhou exchanged a look with Li Sanli and Shi Zhenshan, then said, "Very well. The Tuo Long Bang will also send three men. Zhenshan, you will stay behind and watch over things with Master Yao. Have Hall Master Xi come with us."
"Alright."
A sharp glint flashed in He Zhangqiu’s eyes. "There’s no time to lose. We leave immediately."
Immediately, he had fine steeds brought forth, and they charged out of the quiet Zhuoyan Collection.
The seven riders had just galloped a hundred-odd zhang out of Zhuoyan Collection.
「Suddenly.」
A piercing shriek, filled with alarm and fury, suddenly tore through the night from the direction of the docks, reaching everyone’s ears clearly.
It was immediately followed by a deafening BOOM, mingled with the harsh crack of splintering wood and the roar of clashing, violent Qi Strength.
"Not good."
He Zhangqiu abruptly reined in his horse, which let out a sharp whinny.
He whipped his head around, his pupils contracting instantly.
Under the hazy moonlight, he could see two figures locked in fierce combat aboard the Tuo Long Bang’s Treasure Ship in the distance.
One of them had a towering, burly frame. His fists were ferocious and explosive, each punch tearing through the air with the sound of muffled thunder.
It was the "Iron Arhat," Yao Guangzhi, who had been left to guard the ship.
The other figure wielded a long staff, his moves wide and sweeping, meeting Yao Guangzhi’s attacks head-on.
What was even more shocking was that Yao Guangzhi, a Divine Hall Grandmaster renowned for his Horizontal Training Skills, was completely at a disadvantage.
He was struggling to defend himself, roaring in anger as his Protective Gang Qi flickered unsteadily around him. He was forced back again and again, the deck planks beneath his feet CREAKING as cracks spread across them.
He Zhangqiu’s expression instantly turned hideous.
He snapped his head around, his gaze shooting like a poisoned arrow toward Jiang Hengzhou and Li Sanli, who were riding beside him. Fear, fury, and suspicion peaked in an instant.
"Who is he?"
He demanded sharply.
Jiang Hengzhou’s narrow eyes squinted even tighter. He didn’t answer, merely staring at the battle on the ship.
Beneath his conical hat, the corner of Li Sanli’s mouth seemed to twitch slightly.
"Elder Mo, go help Master Yao!"
He Zhangqiu shouted urgently.
Chen Li’s sudden appearance had completely disrupted his plans.
What terrified him even more was the strength his opponent displayed, completely overwhelming Yao Guangzhi.
’This can’t drag on.’
’If something happens to Yao Guangzhi, our side’s strength will be greatly diminished.’
The black-robed Elder Mo flickered and vanished from his horse’s back.
In the next moment, he seemed to melt into the night, transforming into a blurry, indistinct shadow as he shot toward the Treasure Ship at astonishing speed.
The strangeness of his Body Technique and the swiftness of his speed fully revealed his Cultivation as a Void Transformation Grandmaster.
However, just as Mo Wuji’s figure was about to reach the docks—
PUFF!
Yao Guangzhi’s Protective Gang Qi shattered like paper, and he sprayed a mouthful of blood.
His massive body was sent flying backward like a broken sack. It smashed through the ship’s railing and fell with a SPLASH into the cold river, sending up a huge spray of water before going still.
A Divine Hall Grandmaster, killed in a matter of moments.
"Master Yao!" He Zhangqiu felt as if he had been struck by lightning, a chill running through his body.
「Immediately after.」
WHOM!
A dull, heart-stopping sound of tearing air suddenly came from above and to the side.
A plain, unremarkable-looking black staff, carrying a terrifying aura as heavy as a mountain and powerful enough to shatter all things, came crashing down on Mo Wuji’s head.
Mo Wuji let out a sharp cry. A majestic aura erupted from his wiry frame as he thrust out his palms, creating layered, overlapping illusions of palm strikes to meet the attack.
BOOM!
The staff and palms collided, creating a blast far more terrifying than the fight on the ship.
A ferocious shockwave of Qi exploded outward from the point of impact.
The river’s surface was pressed down into a huge depression. The Treasure Ship rocked violently, its planks CRACK-CRACKING and splintering everywhere.
A figure grunted and was sent flying backward. He barely managed to twist his body in mid-air and landed staggering on the dock, taking another seven or eight stumbling steps back.
It was Mo Wuji.
He looked up, his eyes filled with horror and graveness.
’He’s dead?’
’A Divine Hall Grandmaster, Yao Guangzhi... dead in just a moment?!’
He Zhangqiu felt as if he had been plunged into an icy cavern.
He had originally thought that the Chen and Zhou Families had two or three Divine Hall Grandmasters at most. By bringing two Void Transformation experts, he should have had an overwhelming advantage.
But this man before him could not only suppress Yao Guangzhi head-on, he could also force back a Void Transformation Grandmaster like Mo Wuji with a single blow.
’His strength... could he also be at Void Transformation?!’
’If the other side has a Void Transformation expert too, then there are far too many variables!’
"Gang Leader Hengzhou, Gang Leader Sanli, quick! Attack together and kill this beast first!"
He Zhangqiu looked at Jiang Hengzhou and the other man, his voice sharp and urgent, cracking with fear.
At this moment, he couldn’t afford to be suspicious of the Tuo Long Bang; he just wanted to eliminate the biggest variable first.
Jiang Hengzhou and Li Sanli exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in the other’s eyes.
"Alright."
Jiang Hengzhou answered and leaped from his horse’s back.
But instead of pouncing toward Chen Li on the Treasure Ship, he viciously struck at He Zhangqiu, his palms surging with roiling black Water Elemental Power.