The First Sage of Military Strategists

Chapter 117 Robbery and Killing
The letter mainly contained three points. First, it introduced the Nine Elders of the Crimson Dragon, mentioning that these nine people were completely trustworthy and could contend with the Martial Saint if they joined forces.

Secondly, he mentioned that Han Qing is now in the eye of the storm, and many forces such as the Chen family and the Luo family may send people to secretly take action. He advised Han Qing to be careful and not to leave the camp unless necessary.

Thirdly, he mentioned that a top martial artist would soon arrive at the Yinshan camp. This person was Liu Yue's confidant and was very powerful. He would also come to protect Han Qing.

After reading the letter, Han Qing felt much more at ease.

If he were alone, facing so many powerful forces, he would indeed feel some pressure.

However, now that he has Liu Yue and Qi Wufeng behind him, the pressure will be much less.

"No matter how strong a genius is, he still needs someone to protect him before he truly grows up."

Throughout history, countless geniuses have died young.

Although I possess the Seven Killings Stele, I cannot be arrogant and aloof. If I had to choose again, I would still side with Liu Yue.

Han Qing pondered for a moment, then glanced around and said loudly, "Nine of you, please get up. I have been in the eye of the storm recently, and countless people want to take my life. It is not impossible that even a Martial Saint would make a move. I will have to rely on you to protect me."

"Young master, rest assured, we are here to protect you. If a Martial Saint really arrives, we may die, but you cannot die." Yan Chilong, the leader of the Nine Elders of Chilong, bowed and said.

Han Qing nodded slightly, said no more, and mounted his horse.

"Let's go back to camp first. I want to see who's trying to take my life!"

"Yes!"

...

Half an hour later.

Han Qing had already led his men back to the central courtyard of the Tiger Might Camp.

Chen Ming and the others were practicing martial arts when they saw Han Ren return. They all stopped what they were doing and greeted him loudly.

Then, everyone's attention was drawn to the Nine Elders of the Crimson Dragon. Their expressions varied, some were deep in thought, while others had a look of awe in their eyes.

Han Qing was extremely good at reading people's expressions; with a single glance, he could see all their expressions clearly.

He did not explain the origins of the Nine Red Dragon Elders, but instead instructed Daolin Yueqiu to prepare several empty rooms for them in the courtyard.

Han Qing and his large group of confidants all lived in this courtyard, which was fortunately spacious enough.

Qi Wufeng said that the Luo and Chen families might send people to assassinate him, but he was not afraid at all.

With so many experts in this courtyard, unless the Martial Saint himself comes, anyone who comes will die.

Back inside.

Han Qing sat down in the chair, drank a cup of tea, and calmed down.

With a thought, the Seven Killings Stele appeared in his mind, and the soul points of the five assassins floated up and down.

He then chose to absorb one of the points of light, and numerous images appeared before his eyes.

In a moment, these images vanished, and Han Qing opened his eyes, a cold glint flickering within them.

"Luohan Hill!"

He murmured to himself.

He did indeed obtain a lot of valuable information from these fragments of the assassin's memories.

First, these five assassins were indeed from the Black Sparrow Alliance, and they were complete strangers to Han Qing. They were simply doing what they were paid to do.

Secondly, the client behind these five assassins is named Luo Hanqiu, who is also in the Northern Camp, but he doesn't know which camp he is in.

This person was clearly a member of the Luo family, but Han Qing did not find any further valuable information.

He thought for a moment, then stood up and said, "Yue Xiaobiao!"

"Little is here!"

Someone in the courtyard responded quickly, and Yue Xiaobiao strode into the house, looking obedient.

"Go to the Yinshan camp immediately and see Lord Cao. Ask him to inquire about someone for me. His name is Luo Hanqiu," Han Qing instructed.

He usually delegated errands and messenger duties to Yue Xiaobiao.

Firstly, Yue Xiaobiao possesses top-tier lightness skills, allowing him to make a round trip in minimal time.

Secondly, Yue Xiaobiao was extremely skilled at dealing with people and was also adept at disguising himself, making him a natural-born scout.

"Alright, young master, please wait a moment, Xiao Biao will be right back!" Yue Xiao Biao said with a smile, turned around and left quickly.

Han Qing sat in the chair, calmly pondering the recent events.

Lin Yueqiu asked from the side, "Young Master, the Luo family's ghost is still haunting you. What are your plans?"

Han Qing sneered: "Am I, Han Qing, someone who will stand by and do nothing? I can't control other places, but in Yinshan, I have discovered the whereabouts of the Luo family, and I will definitely take the initiative to kill them."

Lin Yueqiu nodded slightly: "It is not gentlemanly to leave a grudge unavenged. The Luo family has attacked us time and time again, and we do need to retaliate and make the Luo family pay the price."

Han Qing got up and paced around the room: "The Luo family is indeed a behemoth, but we'll cut them down one by one."

Moreover, in just two short years, I have gone from a penniless minor official in Baiyun County to a martial arts grandmaster, and I have so many experts to help me. Give me another twenty years, no, give me ten years, and I will definitely be able to sweep across the world and look down on all heroes. So what if they are ancient families? I, Han Qing, will tell them that provoking me was the worst decision they ever made.

As for my father, he is a heartless and ungrateful man. If he spares me out of filial piety, I will not seek him out. But if anyone from the Han family attacks me, I will wipe out the entire Han family as well!

Lin Yueqiu's expression changed. Han Qing's words exuded an astonishing confidence. Just ask yourself, how many people in the world wouldn't be afraid of behemoths like the Luo and Han families? How many people could utter such bold words as to wipe out a thousand-year-old family? Leaving aside whether they could actually do it, having such confidence was already extraordinary.

"Young Master is truly a dragon among men. I have a premonition that the Luo family will regret everything they have done today!"

Han Qing turned around and sat down in the chair: "You can go out first, I need to be alone for a while!"

"Yes!"

Lin Yueqiu turned and walked out of the room.

Han Qing closed his eyes slightly, and many martial arts techniques appeared before him.

He first chose a path of spiritual refinement through piercing, and then transferred his proficiency to the sixth chapter of the Zhige Jing (止戈经).

As he became a Grandmaster of Martial Arts, the task of breaking through to the Body Reincarnation Realm was put on the agenda.

On the panel, the sixth chapter of the Zhige Jing has been entered.

He had already memorized all the details of this visualization in his mind.

Compared to the fifth picture, the sixth picture is more delicate and vivid in style. Just one glance will give you the illusion that the black-armored warrior wielding two swords is about to jump out of the picture.

This picture is inanimate, yet at first glance it seems to be alive; it is truly lifelike.

Several hours later, Han Qing opened his eyes. The proficiency of this Spirit Refining Technique had dropped to zero, while the proficiency of the sixth chapter of the Ceasefire Scripture had increased by 3%.

"Not enough! Even if I absorb and transform all five Refining Spirit Techniques from five people, I'm afraid it still won't be enough for me to enter the Body Reincarnation Realm," Han Qingxin thought.

However, he also knew that one should not rush things, as the more hasty one is, the more likely problems will arise.

The next morning.

After Han Qing finished inspecting the camp, he returned to the courtyard, where Lin Yueqiu and his men had already prepared a pot of medicinal soup.

A unique and sweet fragrance permeated the courtyard. Lin Yueqiu and the others had become accustomed to it, but the Nine Elders of the Crimson Dragon all had their eyes shining.

Although they didn't know what the medicinal soup was, the aroma made their blood and energy surge, and they guessed that it must be something extraordinary.

Han Qing certainly couldn't treat these nine people unfairly. They were nine martial arts grandmasters. If a martial saint really attacked, he would still have to rely on these nine people.

Therefore, he took the initiative to send someone to serve nine bowls of medicinal soup.

Yan Chilong and the others were quite grateful.

"Young master, we cannot touch this medicinal soup!"

"Since you nine were sent by Lord Qi to protect me, you are now my people. I, Han Qing, have always been extremely generous to my own people. Take these!" Han Qing shouted.

The nine people looked at each other and stopped making excuses.

"Don't worry, young master. I have nine men protecting you. No one can do anything to you."

"If you need anything in the future, just let me know!" Yan Chilong took the bowl of medicine and drank it all in one gulp.

Han Qing nodded slightly. "You have to be willing to give up something in order to gain something. Knowing how to share benefits is the key to uniting people's hearts."

If the Nine Elders of the Crimson Dragon Sect only came to protect him because of Qi Wufeng before, now there is an added layer of affection between them.

This small act of kindness might just save your life in a critical moment.

The nine people then drank the medicinal soup in one gulp, all showing expressions of surprise. They could feel the medicinal power surging within their bodies, their thinking becoming smoother than ever before, as if their comprehension had also greatly increased.

"It truly is a precious medicine for replenishing qi and blood!" Yan Chilong exclaimed in amazement.

"Everyone, you should hurry up and practice your martial arts, so as not to waste the medicinal effects!"

Han Qing smiled, turned around and went to the cauldron. He took a white porcelain bowl from Lin Yueqiu and gulped down three large bowls of water. Instantly, he felt a warm sensation all over his body.

"Practice martial arts!"

Han Qing turned around and went back to his room, absorbing another soul light point and choosing a piercing spirit refining technique.

This spirit-refining technique is called Black Light, corresponding to the Harmony Realm, and its proficiency has reached the Great Perfection.

Han Qing closed his eyes, and with the combined help of the medicine and the Seven Killings Stele, he meditated and focused his mind, rapidly increasing his proficiency in the Zhige Jing.

Three days later, at dawn, the sunlight was hazy.

Han Qing finished his night of arduous cultivation and slowly exhaled a breath of fresh air.

On the panel, the proficiency level of the third chapter of the Zhige Jing has reached 11%.

All five soul light spots have been digested and absorbed, and with the help of the medicinal soup brewed from the Creation Blood Crystal, Han Qing was able to achieve such speed.

"Without the Seven Killings Stele, the speed will slow down again. I need to find a way to kill a few Refining Gods, but Refining Gods are few in number, and I don't know where to find them," Han Qingxin thought to himself.

Just as I was pondering this, I heard footsteps outside.

"Young Master, Yue Xiaobiao is back!" Lin Yueqiu shouted.

Immediately afterwards, Yue Xiaobiao appeared at the door.

"Young master, I've missed you dearly for three days. Hmm, you seem different to me now. Could it be that your strength has improved? Have you broken through again?" Yue Xiaobiao started flattering him as soon as they met, acting all excited and surprised.

Han Qing was already used to this, and said calmly, "Let's get down to business."

Yue Xiaobiao immediately suppressed his smile, took out a letter from his pocket, and respectfully presented it with both hands.

"This is a secret letter that Lord Cao gave to you."

Han Qing took the letter, opened it slowly, and read it from beginning to end. Cao Zhen seemed to have guessed Han Qing's thoughts. In the letter, he not only gave a detailed introduction to Luo Hanqiu's personal information, but also introduced his confidants and followers.

"Luo Hanqiu, aged forty-nine, is the commander of the Mangcun Mountain camp in the North, and is suspected to be a master of the Parasitic Realm."

"The Mangcun Mountain Camp is one of the four major camps in the north, located in the northern part of Yinshan Mountain."

"Luo Hanqiu had four great masters by his side, namely Pang Shanxiu, Wen Feiruo, Long Xiuming and Nan Jinbei."

"Among them, Pang Shanxiu and Nan Jinbei are martial arts grandmasters, one specializing in external martial arts and the other in archery!"

"The other two are both practitioners of the Taoist school of spiritual cultivation, and their strength is unknown."

The letter also mentioned Luo Hanqiu's recent whereabouts. He had stepped down as the commander of the main camp and was about to leave Mangcun Mountain and take Fangcun Road to Taiyang City, which was nearby.

After reading the letter, Han Qing glanced at it and asked, "Yue Xiaobiao, did Commander Cao ask you why I inquired about this person's whereabouts?"

Yue Xiaobiao shook his head: "No."

After a moment's thought, Han Qing realized that Cao Zhen had guessed that he was going to take action against this person.

However, this is quite simple. Cao Zhen must know that he has a lot of grudges with the Luo family, and given that the Luo family has recently launched several assassination attempts against him, it is normal for him to take revenge.

“Cao Zhen is trustworthy, and I’m not worried that he will deceive me,” Han Qingxin said.

After a moment's thought, he decided to make a move. Fangcundao was not far from Huwei Camp; at a fast pace, he could make a round trip within five days.

"If I kill these people, I'll be absolutely certain of reaching the Body Reincarnation Realm!"

"As for whether I can win? Although Luo Hanqiu is a master of the Possession Realm, I am not afraid of him. I also want to see just how high my current combat power ceiling really is."

With this in mind, Han Qing stood up and said, "Go and call the Nine Elders of the Crimson Dragon over here!"

"Yes!"

A moment later, the Nine Elders of the Crimson Dragon stepped into the house.

"Come with me to kill someone, Yue Xiaobiao, you come with me."

"Yes!" the ten men shouted in unison.

"Lin Yueqiu, you are in charge of all matters, big and small, in the camp. I will be back in three to five days!" Han Qing turned around and gave the order.

"Don't worry, young master, I will handle all matters, big and small, in the camp properly!" Lin Yueqiu said solemnly.

Han Qing nodded slightly. Ten martial arts grandmasters should be enough combat power.

If the Nine Elders of the Crimson Dragon hadn't come, he might not have dared to go out so boldly, after all, there were countless people secretly watching from the outside world.

As for Yue Xiaobiao, he possesses the art of deception, enabling him to impersonate his group and facilitate their ambush and murder.

After making up their minds, a few hours later, Han Qing and his eleven companions, riding eleven fast horses, sped out of a side gate of the camp under the cover of night and disappeared into the mountains and forests in no time.

Two days later.

The Way of the Square Inch.

This is an official road leading from the north to Liangzhou. The road is wide, but tonight a heavy rain has fallen. Large raindrops are hitting the road, and the sound of the rain echoes between heaven and earth, making the road very muddy.

at this time.

On the official road, a caravan was moving slowly forward, carrying the banner of the Changtai Escort Agency, and totaling two hundred people.

"Sir, the road is muddy, the sky is dark, and we still have to pass through a mountain forest ahead, which may not be easy to travel."

A round-faced martial monk, dressed in a light gray robe and with his chest exposed, strode through the mud to the middle of the group. Raindrops pelted him, splashing and turning into mist, but he seemed unconcerned. In front of him was a carriage. A gust of wind blew, slightly lifting the curtain to reveal a middle-aged man with a square face, dressed in brocade robes. He sat cross-legged inside, his eyes slightly closed, his face pale, radiating a faint chill.

This man was Luo Hanqiu, and the fat monk was one of the four most powerful warriors among his followers, named Pang Shanlin.

Upon hearing Pang Shanlin's words, Luo Hanqiu slightly opened his eyes, glanced at the muddy road, and said in a deep voice, "You must reach Taiyang County within half a day. A Martial Saint from the Han family in the capital has arrived to discuss important matters with me. If you miss the deadline and ruin this important matter, all of you will die!"

Luo Hanqiu spoke slowly and deliberately, even somewhat weakly, but no one present was not afraid of him.

Because Luo Hanqiu was cold-blooded and ruthless, any servant who dared to provoke him would lose their life in an instant.

"In that case, let's continue on our way. Although the road is muddy, it's not impossible to travel!"

A figure flashed out from behind Pang Shanlin. He held an umbrella in one hand, wore a dark robe, and had a vortex of stars slowly rotating in his eyes. He was half male and half female, and it was difficult to tell his gender.

This person is the second greatest master, named Wen Feiruo.

"Master Long, the roads are muddy and the rain is torrential. It is really difficult for you to reach Taiyang County within half a day at this pace. Why don't you take action to disperse this dampness?"

Not far away, a man riding a chestnut horse turned his gaze to a middle-aged Taoist priest beside him, who was wearing a red robe and holding a whisk.

The man was dressed in heavy black armor, held a longbow, had disheveled hair, and exuded a fierce aura. He was clearly a warrior from the Western Wilderness.

This person's name is Nan Jinbei, and he is also one of the four great masters.

Among the four masters, the last one is this middle-aged Taoist, named Long Xiuming.

Upon hearing the burly man's words, Long Xiuming pondered for a moment, then suddenly waved his whisk, and a ball of flame appeared out of thin air, bursting open above everyone's heads. Rolling heat waves filled the sky and earth, clashing with the raindrops falling from the sky, directly baking them into steaming water vapor. Along with the muddy road, the heat waves also baked it, and the silt solidified, no longer as difficult to walk on as before.

"Hurry up! Once we get past this mountain path, the latter half of Fangcun Road will be much easier," Long Xiuming said in a deep, hoarse voice.

"Mr. Long is indeed amazing! Let's go!" Nan Jinbei shouted, his voice booming and echoing in all directions.

"go!"

The convoy suddenly accelerated, taking advantage of the heat wave, trying to speed through the muddy path.

"Mr. Long, do you know why the Han family has a Martial Saint in the North?" Fat Monk Pang Shanlin suddenly asked.

“I do know a thing or two. I’ve heard that a genius young man named Han Qing has emerged in Shu. He is suspected of killing Luo Ding, the number one young man of my Luo family. Even the Illusory Soul Suppressing Chain was taken by this person. Patriarch Han and Madam Luo will certainly not let this go!” Long Xiuming pondered.

"So that's how it is. This kid is truly audacious, daring to even touch the young master of the Luo family. The Luo family is now very powerful. Unless he has an extraordinary backer, his end will surely be tragic." Pang Shanlin sneered.

“I have a feeling this child won’t live past the end of the month!” Long Xiuming nodded slightly.

Suddenly, a soft, feminine voice drifted from the side.

"Gentlemen, the master dislikes his subordinates discussing matters related to him the most. Are you looking for death?" Wen Feiruo held up her umbrella and coldly swept her gaze across the room.

Pang Shanlin smiled and said, "Miss Wen is right. We were just being nosy."

"stop!"

Just then, Nan Jinbei shouted loudly, and the entire convoy immediately stopped on the official road, not daring to move forward even half a step.

Through the mist, everyone's gaze fell on the hillside ahead, where eleven people and eleven horses stood in a line, completely blocking the road.

"Who goes there? Make way at once!" Nan Jinbei shouted sternly.

His gaze swept back and forth, and he saw that the eleven people looked ordinary and their clothes were messy, making them look like bandits from the nearby mountains.

But he had a vague feeling that something was wrong, because with his eyesight, he could tell the strength of ordinary bandits at a glance, but these eleven people had fluctuating auras, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, which was extremely strange.

"We are bandits from Tieyaozhai. If you want to pass through here, leave behind a thousand taels of gold, or you will all die!"

Yue Xiaobiao shouted at the top of his lungs.

With the help of his deceptive techniques, the appearances of the eleven people changed drastically. They were so unremarkable that they could be easily lost in a crowd.

This is exactly what Han Qing wants. Regardless of whether the assassination succeeds or not, he should still disguise his identity if possible, as it might save him a lot of trouble.

As soon as Yue Xiaobiao finished speaking, a burst of laughter erupted from the front.

The guards all wore mocking expressions. Although they were operating under the guise of a security escort agency, they were actually highly skilled individuals carefully trained by the Luo family. In terms of combat strength, they were far superior to ordinary security escort agency guards, and they didn't take mere mountain bandits seriously at all.

"My lord, among these people are Taoist practitioners who cultivate their spirit. Many of the guards are extremely strong and their movements are measured and controlled. They have probably undergone rigorous training. They don't seem to be from a security escort agency, but rather guards trained by a powerful force."

Hearing the laughter coming from ahead, Yan Chilong tightened his grip on his spear, his gaze sweeping over the hundreds of guards one by one. He turned to the side and lowered his voice to remind them.

Han Qing hadn't told him who he was going to kill, but at this moment he couldn't help but speak up to remind him, worried that Han Qing might misjudge.

"Elder Yan, there's no need to worry. Since I dared to come and rob you, I must have my reasons." Han Qing stared coldly ahead.

"Fire arrows!"

Suddenly, a loud voice came from the rain and mist ahead.

Han Qing's gaze sharpened as he locked onto the source of the voice. The voice was powerful and clearly belonged to a powerful figure.

He saw a man in heavy armor, with disheveled hair, a belt around his forehead, and a longbow slung over his shoulder; he was a warrior with a distinct Yunmeng style.

As soon as he finished speaking, hundreds of arrows pierced the rain and flew towards the crowd.

In such heavy rain, arrows fired from ordinary bows and crossbows would be knocked down in an instant.

However, Han Qing noticed that these people were all carrying powerful crossbows, which were strong enough to pierce through the rain. Although they would be somewhat affected, they would not be knocked to the ground.

However, these arrows could easily pierce through ordinary soldiers, posing no threat to Han Qing and his men.

The next instant, the eleven people were surrounded by a hazy light.

The force enveloped his body, making him impervious to swords and spears. Many arrows were shot at him, but they were all blocked by the force and fell to the ground one after another.

Long Xiuming, the Taoist priest, narrowed his eyes slightly. Seeing this scene, a sense of crisis rose in his heart.

He felt something was wrong from the start. If they were bandits, how could eleven people dare to block the road and rob people? They must be crazy or there must be another reason.

"kill!"

Nan Jinbei shouted again. As the commander of this team, all the accompanying guards obeyed his orders.

As soon as he finished speaking, hundreds of guards drew their swords, spurred their horses forward, and charged towards Han Qing and his group like a black dragon, shattering the rain.

The earth trembled violently, and a murderous aura filled the air. Ordinary mountain bandits would likely feel fear if they faced these hundreds of elite warriors.

However, Han Qing and the others had seen many big scenes, so their expressions remained calm and composed.

"Yue Xiaobiao!" Han Qing said softly.

"understand!"

Yue Xiaobiao responded, and in the next instant, a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from his body, directly enveloping the hundreds of guards who were rushing forward at high speed.

In an instant, the hundreds of guards felt as if a mountain was pressing down on them, their blood circulation seemed to stop, and an unprecedented sense of fear rose in their hearts. Even their warhorses were affected and stopped moving.

This immediately caused chaos, with many horses colliding and people falling over.

Without Han Qing and his men even slashing once, over a hundred people had already completely lost their fighting ability.

Many martial artists lay sprawled on the ground, their bodies soaked in mud and water, looking extremely disheveled.

"A bunch of useless trash!" Nan Jinbei's face turned ashen upon seeing this.

Long Xiuming's eyes flashed with a cold light: "There is indeed something fishy going on. There are cultivators among these people. I'm afraid someone heard the news and came here disguised as a bandit to ambush and kill us."

“Mr. Long is right. In that case, we don’t need to hide our strength anymore. The other side probably already knows our identities.” The androgynous Wen Feiruo said in a low voice, which was quite feminine yet had a unique magnetism.

"Pang Shanlin, test their mettle!" Luo Hanqiu's icy voice drifted from the carriage.

Pang Shanlin's expression changed. The enemy's strength and identity were unknown, making this situation extremely dangerous. Naturally, he did not want to be the first to make a move.

However, he is a grandmaster of martial arts, possessing a first-class external martial art and the Immovable Rock King Body, making him the strongest in terms of survival among the four.

Normally, he is responsible for leading the charge, not for killing enemies, but for figuring out the enemy's strength and weaknesses, and this time is no exception.

Pang Shanlin quickly suppressed his unease and a sinister smile appeared on his face.

Although he was dressed as a monk, he was actually a ruthless person. No matter who the enemy was, whether strong or weak, old or young, he would kill them without hesitation as long as Luo Hanqiu gave the word.

At that moment, he leaped off his horse, wielding a golden vajra, and suddenly galloped forward, charging towards Han Qing and the others through the heavy rain.

As he ran, his skin turned grayish-white all over, as if it were made of rock.

Each step it takes on the ground splashes up water and shakes the earth, conveying a powerful sense of strength.

Just as Yan Chilong was about to draw his spear and attack, Han Qing reached out and stopped him.

"Elder Yan, I am the main force in this battle. Without my orders, none of the nine of you need to take action. Just stand by and support me," Han Qing said calmly.

He made breakthroughs one after another, and with the help of the Seven Killings Stele and the Creation Blood Crystal, his growth rate was indeed incredibly fast.

However, this also has drawbacks. If it's too fast, there's a lack of real combat experience, and the body can't be fully adapted to and controlled, which will reduce combat effectiveness.

Therefore, Han Qing longed to have a life-or-death battle with these martial arts grandmasters to improve his combat skills.

Secondly, he possesses the Seven Killing Tablets, which he must personally kill to plunder their soul points. If he were to die at the hands of the Nine Elders of the Crimson Dragon, it would be a huge loss.

When Han Qing spoke, he did not make any effort to conceal his voice. Pang Shanlin, who was rushing over from a distance, was a martial arts grandmaster and his voice was very sharp.

Upon hearing Han Qing's words, a surge of anger erupted within him.

"Arrogant and conceited! I've traveled the world for so many years, and countless masters have died at my hands. Today, I've been looked down upon by a bunch of bandits. In a moment, I'll smash your head with this vajra and show you what it means to be outmatched and to be in a world beyond your understanding!"

Pang Shanlin's loud voice drifted through the rain. Han Qing ignored it, leaped off his horse, drew his sword, and charged forward.

Initially.

The two ran at roughly the same speed, but when the distance closed to thirty steps, Han Qing suddenly accelerated, using his light footwork to move with the grace of a startled swan. A surge of magical power flowed into the Liuyun Blade, and his entire body instantly became blurred, with countless shadows overlapping together, and his speed increased dramatically once again.

This sudden acceleration caused Pang Shanlin to misjudge the distance and timing.

"not good!"

His pupils contracted; with such speed and explosive power, he realized he had encountered a terrifying figure.

He suddenly saw Han Qing rushing towards him, swinging his sword, and a bright flash of light spread out in front of him, with countless sword shadows intertwining, like a huge wave crashing in.

He couldn't tell which was real and which was fake.

I felt blinded and disoriented by the chaotic blades; the speed was so fast that it was impossible to defend myself.

He had just raised the vajra to his chest, and before he could even swing it to block, a sharp pain shot through his neck.

The blade easily sliced ​​through his protective energy, then broke through his proudly trained body, and finally severed his neck.

Two figures passed each other, and a burst of blood spurted from Pang Shanlin's body, mixing with the raindrops and turning into a cloud of blood mist that drifted into the air.

The next instant, Pang Shanlin fell forward to the ground, his head rolling down and into a muddy puddle.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

In his dying moments, he had only one thought in his mind: how could this knife be so fast and so sharp?

The entire arena fell silent. Han Qing flicked his finger lightly on the Liuyun Blade, and a buzzing sound, the blade vibrating in the rain, echoed through the air.

"Good knife!"

He murmured to himself.

He wasn't surprised at all that Pang Shanlin had been killed in a single strike.

First, his own strength far surpasses that of a martial arts grandmaster; second, the Liuyun Blade is a magical treasure, with a sharpness far exceeding that of ordinary weapons, making it a true divine weapon.

Pang Shanlin's external martial arts skills were indeed formidable, but they couldn't withstand a first-class sword technique combined with a divine weapon, and he would naturally be killed instantly by a single strike.

Han Qing's astonishing performance completely stunned everyone in front of him.

Long Xiuming frowned, Wen Feiru remained silent, and Nan Jinbei stared at him intently, his eyes filled with apprehension.

None of the three of them could kill a martial arts grandmaster with a single strike.

Long Xiuming spoke first: "Who exactly are you? If I'm not mistaken, you just used the first-class lightness skill, moving with the grace of a startled swan, and you used the Chen family's ancestral sword technique, the Cloud-Leaving Illusionary Wind Blade!"

The knife in your hand is imbued with a powerful magical energy; it's probably no ordinary weapon. Such a magical treasure is not something bandits could possess.

"You certainly have considerable knowledge. Is that Luohanqiu in the carriage?" Han Qing said loudly.

"As expected, they've come for my master," Nan Jinbei said in a deep voice.

"it's me."

A cold, icy voice came from inside the carriage. The curtain was suddenly lifted, and Luo Jiaqiu stepped out, his eyes scrutinizing Han Qing from head to toe.

"You knew it was me, yet you still dared to bring men to ambush and kill me. You must have come prepared. What? Do you think your group can kill me?" Luo Hanqiu raised an eyebrow.

"Whether we can kill him or not, we'll only know after we start!" Han Qing casually twirled his sword.

"It seems this matter can't be resolved peacefully, so let's take action," Luo Hanqiu said unhurriedly.

As soon as he finished speaking, Nan Jinbei took the lead, took off his precious bow, and suddenly pulled the bowstring, making the bow as full as a full moon, accompanied by a series of creaking sounds.

"go with!"

The bowstring vibrated, and with a whoosh, five arrows transformed into streaks of light, heading straight for Han Qing. The arrows were also flashing with powerful light.

"Little tricks!"

Han Qing suddenly swung his sword, and with a flash of light, all five arrows were cut down and fell to the ground almost simultaneously.

This arrow was extremely fast and lethal to ordinary martial artists, but in Han Qing's eyes it was incredibly slow and posed no threat whatsoever.

Nan Jinbei frowned, momentarily at a loss as Han Qing handled the situation with such ease.

Archery was useless; close combat was the only option. The image of Pang Shanlin being killed with a single blow was still vivid in his mind, and he didn't have the courage to step forward.

At this moment, Wen Feiruo made a move, suddenly throwing the oil-paper umbrella into the air and rushing forward. It was unclear what kind of lightness skill he used, but his figure became elusive in the rain, like a dragonfly skimming the water. His toes touched a puddle, creating ripples, as if his body had no weight.

He had two dark blue, gleaming short daggers at his waist, which were suddenly drawn out and swiftly attacked Han Qing from the left and right.

(End of this chapter)