The Startling Change in the Valley
“Wait, Master!”
Ouyang Wujie fell behind, shouting from a distance, as he swiftly approached with graceful steps, swaying from side to side.
“How much have you comprehended?”
Yun Wuya patted his shoulder, asking coldly.
“One-tenth, no! A little over one and a half-tenths!”
Ouyang Wujie corrected himself.
“Tsk! You’re really foolish, indeed someone who was born in the year of pig!”
Yun Wuying sneered with disdain.
Blushing, Ouyang Wujie scratched his head and lamented, “Do you think I want it?”
“In such a short time, achieving this progress is already impressive!”
Lu Suifeng praised him.
His figure suddenly flickered and hovered three inches above the ground, moving like the wind and clouds, making it impossible to distinguish between reality and illusion.
Then, his figure changed again, leaving behind thirty-two residual images in the air, one after another...
It was truly magnificent and incredibly awe-inspiring!
The group was filled with excitement, as this was the goal they aspired to achieve in the future.
For now, they could only look up, but soon they would reach such heights.
“Master! What kind of realm is this?”
Ouyang Wujie asked in astonishment.
“You don’t know?”
Lu Suifeng shook his head and smiled bitterly.
“It seems like I can’t find my place! What’s with your expressions? It’s just a temporary mismatch! While the realm is important, it’s not the only criterion. Sometimes, a person’s emotions, martial skills, combat awareness, and adaptability on the battlefield, along with a bit of luck, are enough to change the final outcome of a battle.”
Lu Suifeng took the opportunity to guide the others, looking up and seeing the caravan had already gone far.
He urged, “Let’s go! Otherwise, the old bearded man will get angry again!”
The caravan smoothly passed through cities and towns along the way, with mercenaries protecting them, making it difficult for small troublemakers to act recklessly.
After several tens of days, they were less than a hundred miles away from Baiyun City.
Once they passed through the deep and secluded valley ahead, they would be on a flat plain and soon arrive at Baiyun City.
While on the move, Lu Suifeng suddenly frowned, his expression becoming serious as he said to Ouyang Wujie, “Quickly inform Lord Qin, there is a sinister aura in this valley. The caravan must not rashly proceed.”
Ouyang Wujie heard this and didn’t doubt Lu Suifeng’s judgment in the slightest.
He immediately informed Lord Qin and the mustachioed mercenary about the situation.
“How is that possible? I’ve passed through this valley countless times and have never encountered an attack. This is the territory of Baiyun City, and within a hundred miles, there has never been a case of bandits robbing merchants,” the mustachioed mercenary said dismissively, complaining that Lord Qin believed even the words of a kid.
“Just because it hasn’t happened before doesn’t mean it will never happen! Our leader said there is danger, and he won’t be wrong!”
Ouyang Wujie insisted stubbornly.
“Better to believe it exists!” Lord Qin said cautiously.
“We should send someone to explore the valley before making a decision.”
“No need! Our leader said the enemy is hiding well and shouldn’t be discovered. We just need to stop the caravan at the mouth of the valley and present a defensive formation. Within an hour, the enemy will come out from the shadows.”
Ouyang Wujie faithfully relayed Lu Suifeng’s words without missing a single detail.
“This method is good! We’re not in a hurry, and an hour won’t make a difference,” Lord Qin agreed.
“Alright! Let’s set a limit of one hour. If there are no abnormal circumstances, we will enter the valley,” the mustachioed mercenary grumbled unhappily.
“Nonsense!”
The passage at the mouth of the valley was about twenty meters wide.
The caravan suddenly stopped according to the agreement, and over fifty mercenaries quickly formed a defensive formation at the entrance, protecting the rest of the caravan.
Each of them unsheathed their swords, ready for battle.
The mercenaries had varying levels of cultivation, with only the bearded man possessing the strength of the Heavenly Realm, making him the leader of the group.
Time passed by in minutes and seconds, as an hour swiftly approached.
The valley remained silent, without any unusual movements.
The mustachioed mercenary sneered, about to remove the defensive formation at the valley entrance, when suddenly a cloud of dust rose within the valley, accompanied by figures.
In the blink of an eye, a dense crowd emerged before his eyes.
Cloaked in black attire, their movements agile, they appeared to surge forward as one, yet scattered without chaos.
Standing thirty meters apart, they abruptly halted, each person drawing their bows and preparing to unleash their power.
Caught off guard by this sudden change, the seasoned mercenary, despite being startled, remained composed.
He spoke with a resolute voice, “We are the Flying Wolf Mercenary...”
Before he could finish his sentence, a person from the opposing formation raised their hand, and in an instant, a volley of arrows was released, accompanied by sharp whistling sounds, raining down upon the entire caravan.
Fortunately, the people within the caravan were already prepared and sought refuge behind the carriages to evade the onslaught of arrows.
The frontline mercenaries brandished their swords and blades, blocking the fierce arrows with skill.
Attack!
As the arrow rain ceased, a thunderous shout erupted from the enemy formation, and a wave of darkness surged forward, sweeping toward the mercenaries’ defensive line with ferocity.
This group of black-clothed people numbered around seventy to eighty, each possessing formidable skills.
Their movements were coordinated, their actions orderly, displaying ruthless decisiveness in battle.
They were not a ragtag group found in the wilderness but rather resembled a well-trained army.
Within the silent valley, blades and swords clashed, blood splattered, and the sounds of furious roars and shouts filled the air.
In the brutal fight, every strike drew blood, every sword drank its fill, and casualties were suffered by both sides.
In a matter of moments, the entire mercenary defense line collapsed, with a large number of mercenaries falling in the bloody struggle.
The remaining mercenaries were forced to retreat towards the caravan, fighting desperately while using the carriages as cover.
Seeing the situation deteriorate, Lord Qin couldn’t help but look up to the sky and sigh, then urged Ouyang Wuji and the others to quickly escape.
“I won’t leave! Even in death, I will stand with the caravan!”
Ouyang Wuji stubbornly declared.
“Don’t panic, Lord Qin! There is always a way out of adversity. We will turn danger into safety!”
Lu Suifeng calmly reassured him.
“Ah! It’s already this late. If we don’t leave now, we’ll only end up buried here!”
Lord Qin anxiously exclaimed.
Lu Suifeng smiled faintly, his expression suddenly becoming serious.
He let out a clear whistle, a sound as powerful as thunder, resonating through the valley...
After the whistle, a profound silence enveloped the land, abruptly halting the bloody battle between the two sides.
Everyone’s ears were ringing, their minds filled with a deafening roar, and their faces displayed astonishment.
After a few moments, the black-clothed person retreated to their original positions, swiftly forming a defensive formation as if facing a formidable enemy.
“Who are you people? Clearly, you are not here to rob, but to annihilate!”
Lu Suifeng asked loudly but received no response.
“Those who kill will be killed!” he declared.
As soon as his words fell, the Yun siblings were the first to soar into the air, followed closely by the fellows of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Tiger groups. Their figures leaped into the sky and trod on empty space, flying toward the black-clothed person.
Those who had reached the Profound Emperor Realm were capable of utilizing spatial energy to traverse the void.
“Wuji, you should go too! This obstacle will be overcome sooner or later.”
Lu Suifeng said to Ouyang Wuji. The latter hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and unleashing his Walking on Water, charging toward the black-clothed person.
“Second Young Master...”
Lord Qin exclaimed in shock as Ouyang Wuji suddenly rushed forward.
“Don’t worry, Lord Qin! Wuji will be fine. These people can’t harm him!”
Lu Suifeng reassured him.
“Kill!”
Yun Wuying’s delicate voice rang out, and in the empty space, thirty sword lights pierced through the air.
The world suddenly changed colors, as a dazzling sword radiance tore through the space, countless sword edges trembled, and sword qi surged.
With the force of thunder, they cleaved through the air, striking the formation of the black-clothed person several meters away.
Boom!
Dozens of black-clothed people spewed blood from their mouths, flying in all directions.
Limbs and arms were scattered, and numerous black bodies, severed at the waist, fell like rain.
This earth-shattering strike, as mighty as thunder, instantly shattered the formation of the black-clothed person.
More than half of them were dead or injured, and the remaining few were terrified, their fighting spirit extinguished.
They had no courage to resist and scattered in panic, fleeing in all directions...
Ouyang Wuji was covered in blood, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins.
His sword danced like a rainbow, his feet gracefully stepping on the Walking on Water, slashing and killing.
Every swing of his sword resulted in an enemy falling to the ground.
He couldn’t even remember how many people he had killed.
In a moment, the valley was filled with corpses, and blood flew like a river. Not a single black-clothed person remained alive.
The scene was so bloody and horrifying that it was unbearable to witness.
The air was filled with a strong, pungent smell of blood. Flocks of white-headed vultures arrived, circling and screeching, making the atmosphere in the valley even more eerie.
Ouyang Wuji bent over, continuously vomiting. He paled and drenched in cold sweat.
Weak and powerless, he sat on the ground, gasping heavily.
The fellows of the Dragon, Phoenix, Tiger groups as well as the others quickly cleared the scene, digging a large pit and throwing the bodies of the black-clothed person into it.
Lu Suifeng peeled open the clothes of one of the black-clothed people, revealing a silver battle armor underneath.
“Lord Qin! Do you recognize this armor?”
Lord Qin stepped forward to examine it and exclaimed, “The Marquis Mansion’s Imperial Guards! They are not bandits?”
Lu Suifeng was greatly surprised.
“These people have a clear objective: killing and looting, leaving no survivors. But why would it be the Marquis Mansion’s Imperial Guards?”
Furrowing his brow in thought, Lord Qin suddenly realized, “I know!”
“Can you please tell us? We have been dragged into this, so we must know the truth,” Lu Suifeng said solemnly.
Lord Qin sighed. “Our Mingyue Chamber of Commerce is just a second-rate trading company in Baiyun City. Recently, we have been in fierce competition with another second-rate chamber of commerce called ‘Huayun’. It has reached a point where we can’t coexist peacefully. From what I know, the leader of that company’s younger brother is a commander in the Imperial Guards. Otherwise, who else could assemble such a large force?”
“Your speculation may be close to the truth! But how did they know the return date and route of the merchant convoy so accurately?”
Lu Suifeng asked, pondering.
“Yes, it seems almost impossible from a thousand miles away,” Lord Qin replied, confused.
“Before we set off, I did send someone back to Baiyun City to inform them of our return date.”
Lu Suifeng suddenly smiled.
“There is only one possibility: there is a traitor within your trading company.”
“How is that possible?” Lord Qin exclaimed in shock.
“We can discuss this later! Someone is coming!”
Lu Suifeng turned around and saw the heavily bloodstained mercenary approaching.
“Thank you, Young Master, for saving us!”
The mustachioed mercenary bowed respectfully to Lu Suifeng.
“We were blind and offended you earlier. I hope you can forgive us.”
“No need for such formalities! We are all in the same boat, and it’s only natural to help each other. I truly admire the professionalism of the Flying Wolf Mercenary,” Lu Suifeng sincerely praised.
“You must have suffered significant losses, right?”