Chapter 80

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

A thin mist lingered over the desolate wilderness. In the distant night, the cries of men and the neighing of horses pierced through the darkness.

Clang—

Clang, clang—

The carriage shafts rattled violently as they rolled over the rugged ground, spinning uncontrollably. A galloping horse, its rider brandishing a blade, charged toward the wagon and shouted at his companion handling the reins.

“Stop!”

“The horse is spooked—” The driver, a burly man gripping the reins tightly, turned his head, his expression equally frantic.

Thud, thud, thud…

Behind the wagon, the sound of galloping hooves grew louder, closing the distance. One of the horsemen clenched his teeth and shouted, “Protect them!” With a swift motion, he swung his blade down, slashing at the neck of his own horse.

Neigh—

A heart-wrenching cry escaped the horse as its front legs buckled, sending it tumbling forward. Its massive momentum carried it crashing into the wagon, its hooves flailing wildly.

With a deafening crash, the wagon’s axle snapped, and the shafts broke loose, flying into a nearby tree. The carriage overturned in midair, breaking apart as it fell. At that instant, the side panel of the wagon burst open with a loud bang. The driver, clutching a child under one arm and dragging a woman with the other, leaped out. They hit the ground hard, rolling several times before coming to a stop.

“San’er and the others are staying behind to hold them off. We’ll escape into the forest—quick!”

The burly man on horseback swiftly dismounted, scooping up the fallen child and helping the dazed woman to her feet. He pulled her along, running toward the forest. The wagon driver grabbed a blade from the ground and followed closely, glancing back over his shoulder from time to time.

The clash of weapons continued to echo.

The flickering light of torches illuminated the chaos. Suddenly, a sharp scream erupted. A figure was flung through the air, crashing into a tree with a heavy thud. The impact sent the trunk shuddering, and leaves rustled as they fell.

A tall, slender figure in a green robe stood still, the faint glint of fine-scaled armor beneath his attire. Calmly, he withdrew his hand.

Crunch, crunch…

The figure’s hand, encased in a gauntlet of densely packed, scale-like iron plates, ended in sharp, claw-like fingers. He clenched it briefly before striding past the corpse beneath the tree. His pale, bluish face betrayed no emotion, and his icy gaze shifted toward the lone survivor lying on the ground.

It was one of the three left behind to cover the carriage’s retreat.

“Hmph.”

The figure approached the injured man, cast one last indifferent glance, and then raised his foot. Without hesitation, he stomped down hard, twisting his foot at the man’s neck.

Crack.

The sound of snapping neck bones echoed, leaving the man unquestionably dead.

Moments later, the group of over ten men moved onward, pursuing their quarry. What greeted them was a scene of shattered carriage debris scattered across the ground.

One of them, holding a blade, cupped his hands respectfully and began: “Leader…”

“Hmm?”

The tall, slender figure turned his face slightly, the flickering torchlight casting sharp shadows on his pale features. The subordinate quickly bowed his head low. “Leader, there are no bodies nearby. The targets likely fled.”

“Fled?”

The pale-faced leader’s thin lips curved into a faint smirk. He extended his iron-clad hand, and one of his men stepped forward, presenting a small cage.

“Hmph, fortunately, I had anticipated such complications.”

He opened the cage door, releasing a small bird, slightly larger than a thumb. It hopped onto his palm, chirping noisily before spreading its wings and taking flight toward a certain direction in the forest.

“This bird is a treasure, unmatched in tracking and scouting. Follow it!”

With a wave of his iron hand, the group of over ten men immediately broke into a run, following the bird deeper into the woods.

Rumble, rumble…

Beneath a boulder, a Daoist holding a white chess piece was about to make his move when he suddenly clutched his stomach. Dropping the chess piece, he shot to his feet and dashed outside.

“Wait for this Daoist a moment!”

Lu Liangsheng, deep in thought over the game, lifted his head and watched the retreating figure.

“Where’s he off to?”

From behind the boulder and into the wild grass, the Daoist shouted back loudly from afar.

“To relieve myself!”

Lu Liangsheng chuckled, turned his gaze back to the chessboard, and continued contemplating his move. Meanwhile, the Toad Daoist hopped onto the boulder, crossed his webbed hands behind his back, and observed the board for a while.

“Come, let your master take over this mess of a game and continue it.”

“Master, you’d better be careful…”

The scholar picked up a black chess piece and had barely spoken when faint rustling noises drifted in on the wind from a distance.

Wild beasts?

His brows furrowed slightly as his gaze swept over his master’s head toward the distant woods. Through the trees, he saw two men and a woman stumbling forward, carrying a child as they fled.

The woman, her hair disheveled and swaying, was struggling to keep up.

“I can’t go on… I really can’t…”

“Madam, just a bit further! Grit your teeth, just a bit further!”

The driver, clutching the child, glanced back nervously. Swallowing hard, he looked ahead toward the burly man wielding a blade.

“We’ve run quite far. They shouldn’t be able to catch up. Let’s let the madam and the young master rest for a while.”

The burly man gritted his teeth. Opposite him, the woman’s lips were pale, her face covered in cold sweat. She was gasping for breath and collapsed on the ground, and the child in her arms was groggy and listless. If they continued at this pace, something would go wrong even without their pursuers catching up.

The burly man puffed out his cheeks and nodded. “Fine, but let’s get out of this forest before we stop to rest.”

With that, he persuaded the woman on the ground. The coachman helped her to her feet, and she stumbled along for a short distance. Up ahead, the man leading the way hacked at the branches blocking the path. In his line of sight, just a few dozen steps ahead, there was a large boulder beneath which firelight flickered.

The coachman asked cautiously: “Could it be an ambush set up to wait for us?”

“How could an ambush be so blatant?”

He was a martial artist, his senses sharp. Not far away, an old donkey resting in the grass let out a sneeze. Within the circle of firelight, a young man dressed as a scholar sat, accompanied by two bookshelves nearby.

After scrutinizing the scholar’s attire and belongings, the burly man felt reassured.

“It’s just a scholar.”

After a day of fleeing, the group was utterly exhausted. Seeing someone there, along with a fire, it seemed an ideal spot to rest and warm themselves. The burly man approached cautiously. However, as he drew closer, he realized the scholar was sitting alone, playing chess by himself. Beside him lay an oversized toad wearing a short jacket. For a moment, the burly man regretted stepping into the area.

“This person is a bit peculiar. Don’t say anything.”

He gestured for them to approach the fire and let the woman hold the child in her arms again. With his hand gripping the hilt of his blade, the burly man cupped his fists and saluted the scholar.

“We are just passing through. I hope this gentleman will grant us a bit of leniency. If we disturb you, we will leave after resting briefly.”

The scholar, Lu Liangsheng, had already heard the burly man’s whispered instructions earlier. Out of the corner of his eye, he had observed the group. The woman was dressed plainly, but her exposed neck and hands were fair and delicate, clearly unbefitting someone who would wear coarse fabrics. The other man had rough, calloused hands and seemed to attend to her with utmost care, marking him as a servant.

As for the saluting burly man, it was evident he was their guard.

Traveling in the wilderness at night naturally made one cautious of strangers, and Lu Liangsheng didn’t take offense. He simply raised his hand and returned the gesture with a polite smile.

“It’s no bother. This boulder does not belong to me alone. You all are free to rest here.”

“We are most grateful!”

With that, neither side spoke further. The child in the woman’s arms peeked up curiously at the figure by the fire and softly asked: “Mother, it looks like that man is playing chess with a toad…”

The woman’s disheveled hair swayed as she turned, revealing a glimpse of startling beauty. Upon hearing her child’s words, she quickly covered his mouth.

“Jing’er, don’t speak nonsense.”

Nearby, the coachman leaned against the cave wall. His gaze flitted uneasily toward the handsome scholar, who was intently studying the chessboard, fingers poised over a piece. Lowering his voice, he murmured:

“Daren, I think we should leave… That scholar gives me the chills. I’ve often heard tales of encountering a striking scholar on the road at night—such people are never ordinary.”

[TL_Note: Daren = Title of respect towards superious]

“Hmm… I also feel something strange about him.”

The burly man nodded in agreement. As a martial artist, his senses were sharper, and whether it was due to the relentless pursuit or his growing wariness, the scholar’s presence made him increasingly uneasy.

“We leave now.”

Grabbing the long blade by his side, he reached out to take the child from the woman’s arms.

Buzz, buzz, buzz…

A faint humming sound suddenly came from outside.

Bees?

Lu Liangsheng raised his head. A tiny azure bird, its wings fluttering rapidly, hovered just outside the cave entrance.

The burly man, who had been ready to leave, turned pale the instant he saw the bird. His voice burst out in alarm.

“It’s a Seeker Bird! They’ve found us! Move!!”

As the cave echoed with his urgent shout, a streak of crimson shadow flashed through everyone’s vision like lightning, coiling around the hovering bird.

With a swift motion, the bird vanished entirely, leaving behind a single feather that floated gently to the ground.

“Th-the bird… where did it go?”

The burly man, along with the coachman and the woman behind him, stared in stunned silence at the lone feather. Slowly, their gazes shifted toward the fire.

Hiccup!

The large toad perched atop the chessboard puffed up its belly. A faint feather still hung at the corner of its mouth.

“Croak…”