Chapter 511 – The One Blocking the Road Finally Appears

This was a place between two high mountains.

The mountains were not very tall, but the distance between them was extremely far, and the mountain ravine between them was frighteningly deep.

A suspension bridge stretched between the two peaks, like a black line, swaying violently in the surging mountain wind.

That man in green stood leisurely in the middle of the suspension bridge, hands clasped behind his back, facing the direction from which the Incense Spreading Sect’s convoy was coming, quietly waiting.

From time to time, mountain gusts swept past, lifting the man’s hair and lapels with a rustling sound, yet his eyes did not even blink, fixed straight ahead.

Zhang Xiaohua’s divine sense spread over him, and the man did not notice at all. Only when Zhang Xiaohua carefully sized him up did he slightly knit his brows and raise his chin a little, feeling somewhat surprised. But when he circulated his skills to examine himself closely, Zhang Xiaohua had already withdrawn his divine sense far away.

“Could this be some kind of welcoming trick arranged by another sect again?”

Zhang Xiaohua muttered inwardly.

He had wanted to classify this road-blocking man as the ambush type, but along the way, the Incense Spreading Sect had been completely open and aboveboard, not concealing their route in the slightest. All the various sects could wait beforehand along their path, yet he had never seen anything disadvantageous happen to the Incense Spreading Sect. Gradually, Zhang Xiaohua himself understood why the disciples of the Incense Spreading Sect said having him escort the convoy was merely for show. Wherever they went, others were too busy welcoming them—who would harbor ill intent?

However, the convoy was still quite far from the suspension bridge. The man in green had not yet noticed their arrival, nor had the killing intent on his body been revealed, so it was impossible to tell whether he was friend or foe.

After traveling for about the time it takes to eat a meal, the suspension bridge drew near.

The man in green suddenly lifted an eyebrow, a faint smile appearing at his lips. His figure shifted slightly, and in an instant, an invisible killing aura spread from him, charging straight toward the Incense Spreading Sect’s convoy.

Riding the Sibuxiang at the very rear, Zhang Xiaohua saw the man in green move and release that aura. He immediately understood in his heart that this fellow had indeed come looking for trouble. Not only was he not angry, but he was also delighted. To be honest, after traveling for so long, he had grown tired of the journey. If someone came to challenge the Incense Spreading Sect’s authority, he would actually be happy to watch.

Just at this moment, the disciple leading in front already knew that a suspension bridge lay ahead and was about to remind everyone, when he heard a low snort: “Stop the convoy.”

It was precisely Lady Kong, Kong Que’s command.

No one dared delay. They immediately halted the carriages, and then heard Kong Que continue her order: “You, go see what’s happening on the suspension bridge ahead.”

She did not call a name directly, yet the leading disciple accepted the command at once. He urged his horse forward several quick paces to the mountain’s edge. When he saw clearly the man in green on the bridge, he sucked in a cold breath and shouted loudly: “You there, fellow! Who are you? Why are you blocking the road and obstructing the advance of my Incense Spreading Sect?”

A scornful smile spread across the pale face of the man in green as he said softly: “Merely an outer disciple, yet so arrogant. What qualifications do you have to ask my name? Go report to your Lady Kong that I am not here to welcome you. Tell her to come and receive death. After she dies, I will toss you all down this cliff one by one!”

When had the Incense Spreading Sect’s disciples ever suffered such humiliation? He was about to spring from his horse when a furious shout rang beside his ear: “Come back. Don’t you even weigh your own measure?”

As the words fell, a graceful white figure shot into the sky from the central carriage and sped straight toward the mountain’s side.

Seeing his superior descend, the disciple did not dare move rashly. He hurriedly saluted and withdrew. Kong Que looked at the figure on the suspension bridge ahead, then glanced around the surroundings and instructed: “Guard the carriages carefully. Do not let this fellow’s accomplices take advantage of the chaos to rob us. The convoy’s goods are worthless, but the Incense Spreading Sect’s reputation is not.”

“This disciple understands.”

Having spoken, he turned his horse back to the convoy, rearranged the personnel, and sealed the formation tight as water.

Zhang Xiaohua, this counterfeit guard, naturally lost his post as well. A Incense Spreading Sect disciple rode to a position not far from him, holding a longsword and standing on alert.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaohua drifted down from the Sibuxiang and sat on a carriage. He saw Qiang Shi poke his head out from inside, asking somewhat fearfully: “Little uncle-in-law, th-this… what’s going on?”

Zhang Xiaohua frowned. “Why are you calling me that again? Mm, it’s nothing really. Seems someone’s blocking the convoy.”

“Another one offering wine and food?” Qiang Shi shook his head. “Every few days we run into—”

“Hide inside the carriage and don’t say a word. Seems they’re here to cause trouble.”

“What? Cause trouble? Someone dares touch the Incense Spreading Sect’s tiger tail! Oh no, this is bad. If they didn’t have some real confidence, they wouldn’t dare come. Little uncle-in-law, we’re just medicine boys—they won’t want our lives, right?”

“Idiot. When people kill, they cut the weeds and eliminate the roots! Would they spare you so you could report back to the Incense Spreading Sect?”

Zhang Xiaohua’s face was full of disdain. A child who’d never roamed the jianghu really was this ignorant.

Sure enough, hearing this, Qiang Shi’s face turned pale. Trembling, he said: “Little uncle-in-law, we’re real relatives. If you run away, don’t forget to take me with you…”

Zhang Xiaohua shot him a sideways glance. “If even the Incense Spreading Sect’s disciples can’t escape, where could I run? Just pray for Lady Kong. Only if she wins will we be safe.”

Qiang Shi nodded like a chicken pecking at rice. “Alright, alright, I’ll pray right now. Little uncle-in-law, won’t you join?”

Zhang Xiaohua replied irritably: “My heart isn’t sincere. You do it.”

Then he released his divine sense again, watching from afar with interest, no longer minding Qiang Shi.

Meanwhile, Kong Que arrived at one end of the suspension bridge. She examined the surrounding terrain. The bridge was extremely long, linking the two sides and forming the only path forward. Beneath it lay a very deep ravine, filled with countless clusters of forest; at a glance, it was an expanse of lush green.

Having formed a plan, Kong Que asked calmly: “Which sect’s hero stands ahead? Why do you look so unfamiliar? You block my sect’s convoy—what is your purpose?”

Though her voice was calm, it traveled straight into the green-clad man’s ears, unaffected by the roaring mountain wind.

The man in green sneered. “An honest man does not act in secret. I am Liang Cangxu, a nobody. Even if Lady Kong knows my name, she could not possibly know my origin. Since I know you are Lady Kong and I’ve blocked your only path, what else could my purpose be? Simply to take your life and slaughter all your Incense Spreading Sect people.”

“Heh, quite a fine plan you have there. But just you alone? Don’t you think that’s a bit of wishful thinking?”

“Lady Kong truly lives a life of ease and honor. Though there are many in the Incense Spreading Sect, the only one worth my making a move against is you. As long as I kill you, the rest will be mine for the taking—like crushing ants.”

Kong Que nodded. “What you say is indeed true. Still, I do find it strange. In the jianghu, who wouldn’t flatter the Incense Spreading Sect and try to curry a bit of favor? Why would you choose to oppose us?”

“Hahaha!” Liang Cangxu burst into loud laughter. “Lady Kong, if you’re trying to draw words out of me, you’ve misjudged. Come, come—let me see just what ability you, an inner disciple of the Incense Spreading Sect, really possess.”

With that, he brought forward the hands that had been clasped behind his back. In each hand, he held a steel saber.

At this sight, not only did Zhang Xiaohua start in surprise, even Kong Que’s brows knit slightly. As the saying goes: ten days to train the fist, a hundred days to train the saber, a thousand days to train the spear, ten thousand days to train the sword. Most experts of the jianghu use swords; only with a sword can one fully display profound inner strength and exquisite techniques. Ahem—of course, there are exceptions. Zhang Xiaohua himself found practicing fist techniques far more difficult than practicing the sword.

But since this unknown Liang Cangxu dared to block Kong Que, an inner disciple of the Incense Spreading Sect, no one would believe he lacked confidence. His skill with the saber must be formidable—he surely possessed unique killing techniques. Moreover, he wielded the rarely seen twin sabers!

Seeing her opponent reveal his weapons, Kong Que’s trace of surprise vanished. She reached to her waist and flicked her hand—clang! A flexible sword slid out like a flood dragon emerging from water, flowing ceaselessly in her grasp. With a casual shake of her wrist, several sword-flowers flashed, glinting with specks of golden light beneath the sun.

A flexible sword—again, a flexible sword. Zhang Xiaohua’s heart stirred, and he could not help thinking of Qin Shiyue of the Heavenly Dragon Sect. That fellow also used a flexible sword, yet preferred hacking and slashing, utterly sullying the blade’s supple grace. Now Kong Que, clad in white like fresh snow, held her soft sword swaying in the mountain wind; blade slender, beauty graceful—it truly formed a picture of elegance.

Kong Que stepped onto the suspension bridge and walked steadily forward. Though her figure was slender, each step still set the bridge swaying. Opposite her, Liang Cangxu stood incomparably firm, his body subtly shifting with the bridge’s motion, as if he and the bridge had already become one.

Seeing this, Kong Que was not surprised. Only when she drew closer did she channel strength into her arm and snap the flexible sword straight, its tip slanting toward the sky. With a cold smile, she said: “Liang Cangxu, no matter where you come from, if you stop now, it’s not too late. Turn back at once, and I will pretend nothing happened. But if I am forced to make a move and cut off your head, regret will come too late!”

Liang Cangxu crossed his twin sabers and scraped them together, producing a harsh, grating sound. He laughed and said: “Even now you’re still thinking of winning without fighting? Could it be that the Incense Spreading Sect’s inner disciples all like to persuade people with reason?”

As he spoke, he stamped his foot and his body rose lightly into the air. With a loud shout, he said: “Since you won’t make a move, then I’ll teach you what it means to strike first and gain the advantage.”

Before his words had even fallen, the saber in his right hand rose, slashing toward Kong Que’s crown like a streaking rainbow.

Kong Que showed no weakness. A cold laugh like the chime of silver bells rang out. “Seeing you don’t understand the slightest etiquette, you must be some untrained wretch not properly taught by any sect. Let me teach you what a true expert really is.”

Immediately after, she shot forward like lightning, the flexible sword in her hand thrusting straight toward Liang Cangxu’s throat. The speed of that blade was actually faster than the steel saber that had struck first. If Liang Cangxu did not evade, the soft sword might well pierce his vital point before his own attack landed.

Yet Liang Cangxu did not draw back his saber to defend. Instead, his left hand circled, wrist flicking outward, and the other steel saber rose to block directly in the path of the incoming flexible sword.