Starting from the pharmacy, he grew into a martial saint among men.

Shi Yi spurred his horse forward and shouted loudly:

"Brothers of Black Wind Stronghold, I am Shi Yi from the Great Power Escort Agency. I am passing through your territory and hope you will grant me some assistance."

As he spoke, he tossed a cloth bag into the air.

The cloth bag slammed to the ground with a thud, scattering glints of silver light; it was quite heavy.

Shi Yi pretended not to know that Wuyou Sect was present, and simply dealt with Black Wind Village as usual.

He even seemed to have forgotten the old grudge of being ambushed last time.

The third leader of Black Wind Stronghold's eyes lit up, and he was about to speak.

But then the carefree sect deacon, dressed in black robes, snorted coldly and slowly stepped forward:

"Dawei Escort Agency, there is no Black Wind Stronghold here."

"This place is entirely populated by my Worry-Free Sect members; you've come to the wrong person."

What he said is not wrong.

The deacons of the Worry-Free Sect are only qualified to be experts at the Transformation Realm level, and should not appear in such a small county town.

However, due to the Holy One's prophecy, and the need to seize Huang'an County.

He and several deacons were specially dispatched, each responsible for a specific area.

He was in charge of the area near Yunxi County.

He had already forcefully subdued the bandits of Black Wind Stronghold and incorporated them into the Worry-Free Sect.

They haven't been completely disbanded yet, so they look like two separate forces.

Upon hearing this, Shi Yi's expression changed slightly. He looked at him carefully for a moment before returning to normal.

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and began to speak:

"I don't know which steward has come in person, but our escort agency has obtained the consent of Steward Bai Chen, who has granted us special permission to travel and transport goods within Huang'an County."

"I hope you will do me a favor, Deacon."

Shi Yi remained calm as he took out a wooden plaque from his pocket, the two characters "Bai Chen" clearly engraved on it.

The black-robed deacon glanced at the token, but instead of backing down, he coldly shouted:

"Hmph, who does Bai Chen think he is, daring to interfere in my affairs?"

Bai Chen was also one of the stewards who came to Huang'an County this time, but he was in charge of a different direction.

But he and Bai Chen had always been at odds, so how could he accept someone else's promise?

His gaze swept over the caravan, his words arrogant and cold:

"Don't beat around the bush, I've got my eye on this batch of your goods."

"I'm giving you a chance: either abandon the shipment and leave, or I'll leave you all here."

He waved his hand, and all the bandits and followers swarmed down, closing in on the caravan.

"What arrogance!" A loud shout came from the carriage behind Shi Yi.

Standing beside the carriage, Chu Hong felt a jolt in his ears and almost lost his hearing.

At this moment, an immense pressure poured out, forcing the cultists and bandits to prostrate themselves on the ground, trembling in fear.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Shi Potian, dressed in dark yellow clothes, slowly stepped out.

The deacon sneered, pointing his long sword at the enemy: "Hmph, Shi Potian, I knew you were here all along!"

He also unleashed a vast and powerful aura, confronting Shi Potian across the void.

The two were locked in a stalemate when Shi Potian said, "Let's find another place and have a real spar."

"good!"

As he was leaving, Deacon Guo Hao waved his hand and gave a stern order:

"Don't just stand there, kill! Leave no one alive!"

Shi Potian was taken aback, then calmly gave the order:

"Little Sanzi, hold the line, wait for me to come back!"

In an instant, arrows rained down on the ground, and hundreds or even thousands of bandit followers poured down like a tidal wave.

"Form ranks and prepare to meet the enemy!" Shi Yi shouted.

Chu Hong and his men acted swiftly, coordinating with the other镖师 (bodyguards/escorts), leaning against the镖车 (caravan) and forming a battle formation to confront the enemy.

The battlefield quickly escalated to a fever pitch, with blood splattering everywhere and limbs flying about.

Taking advantage of his agility, Chu Hong moved nimbly, his blade precisely slicing off the throats of each enemy.

But he dared not relax his guard, remaining vigilant against the hidden experts lurking in the crowd, as well as the three-eyed cat demon that had appeared the previous night.

The girl in green was already standing beside Xiao Yi, fighting side by side.

Although the old man said he wouldn't intervene, that doesn't mean the girl in green wouldn't help.

Thinking of this, he subconsciously turned his head to look at the old man.

The old man was sitting on a rock, casually exhaling smoke.

The fighting and bloodshed around him seemed to have nothing to do with him.

No matter how intense the fight was, they all unconsciously avoided his area.

There wasn't a single drop of blood on him.

This is a master!

Chu Hong thought to himself.

However, he did not approach that side, but instead remained in his own area, fighting bravely against the enemy.

No one noticed that a dark figure was lurking in the forest on the flank.

Suddenly, a dark figure burst out from the shadows.

This person's aura was restrained yet extremely refined. He held a short spear in his hand, the red tassel fluttering in the wind, yet carrying an extreme killing intent.

A master of internal energy! A leader-level figure!

Chu Hong felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively shifted his feet, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.

But while he was fast, the expert in internal energy was even faster.

The moment the pistol missed its mark, his left hand swung out, delivering a powerful punch straight to Chu Hong's back.

This punch, though seemingly weak, carried an extremely powerful destructive force.

A Ming Jin martial artist's punch is incredibly powerful, causing the air to explode; but an An Jin martial artist is different.

Their strength transforms from hard to soft, entering and concealing within the body, yet it can be concentrated into a single point and explode, penetrating the body to injure the enemy.

So even though this punch may seem insignificant, if it lands, Chu Hong's heart will instantly shatter on the spot.

Chu Hong broke out in a cold sweat, but remained calm despite the crisis.

The short knife spun rapidly in his hand, meeting the incoming fist.

Even a martial artist with internal strength is still a mortal. If he is determined to kill himself, then his hand will surely be crippled.

As expected, the martial artist with internal strength withdrew his left hand, avoiding the blade.

But his right hand, holding a short pistol, swung back again, aiming for Chu Hong's throat.

Chu Hong dared not take the blow head-on, and with a push of his foot, he instantly retreated two steps.

The martial artist with internal strength pursued relentlessly, using both fists and spears, each move potentially fatal.

Chu Hong remained calm, seized the opportunity, and with a swipe and a grab of his right hand, sprayed out a handful of black powder.

But the martial artist with hidden strength seemed to be prepared, instantly closing his eyes and even stopping his breathing.

But he quickened his pace even further, determined to kill Chu Hong on the spot.

Chu Hong was about to dodge again when he saw another powerful figure burst out from beside him.

Another hidden strength technique! Another altar master level expert!

Two internal energy masters joined forces to attack, and Chu Hong, a mere external energy master, had no chance to struggle.

They were disarmed in just two moves, and one of them grinned maliciously as he threw a punch.

It strikes straight at the heart.

"Junior Brother Chu!"

Seeing the situation, Xiao Yi shouted loudly.

However, he was powerless to provide assistance, as he too was under attack from a powerful expert in internal energy.

If it weren't for the girl in green protecting him, he would have died on the spot.

Faced with certain death, Chu Hong remained calm and composed, without panicking.

He stepped back, pulled out a powerful crossbow, and emptied it of all its bolts with a series of "rat-a-tat-tat".

However, against a well-prepared martial artist with hidden strength, this move only managed to block some attacks and achieved no other results.

He tried to run, but the two of them tacitly blocked his escape route.

"Damn it, so be it!"

Chu Hong used every trick in the book, but still couldn't do anything to the two of them.

I know that I have reached a dead end today.

He charged forward menacingly, his hands flashing out, his two fingers aimed at the eyes of the two men.

Even if it means death, I will cripple you all.

"Chu Hong!"

At the critical moment, a figure suddenly cut in and threw him far away.

Chu Hong was surprised and came to his senses, only to find that the person was actually Shi Yi!

In that instant, two fists landed on Shi Yi.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Two muffled thuds sounded, and Shi Yi suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale.

But his reaction was also extremely fast. He clenched his fists and, just as the two men were about to strike, threw a punch at each of them with hidden force.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

The two tried to escape but failed, and blood gushed from their chests as they staggered backward.

He coughed up blood and knelt on the ground.

"Team Leader Shi!"

Chu Hong's pupils shrank dramatically, and his whole body trembled.

As if hearing Chu Hong's call, Shi Yi stiffly turned his head and forced an ugly smile.

With a sense of relief, his body slumped to the ground.

Shi Yi is dead, but the great battle continues.

Chu Hong had no time to grieve and immediately rejoined the battle.

He wasn't crazy; his eyes were just incredibly sharp and cold, and every move he made would take down an enemy.

Even as fellow Ming Jin (a type of martial arts technique) enemies, they couldn't withstand more than three moves from him.

After an unknown amount of time, the number of bodyguards around him dwindled, and the number of enemies around him also decreased.

Chu Hong was exhausted, but he continued to act mechanically.

"boom!"

Suddenly, a powerful pressure suppressed the entire battlefield.

Everyone was suppressed and unable to move.

Chu Hong gasped for breath, staring at the spot where Shi Potian and the other man had left.

He knew that the battle over there had come to a conclusion.

The moment that would decide their fate was approaching.

Slowly, a figure in black robes appeared at the edge of the field of vision. Although he walked with faltering steps, he was full of domineering power that suppressed everything.

He appears to be holding a head in his hand.

All the surviving镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) were ashen-faced, and the swords in their hands clattered to the ground.