A Journey Through the Martial World After Transforming into a Loli

Main Text: Chapter 208 Gloom

The once clear river surface was now covered with blood-red hues, and shattered planks and lifeless bodies drifted on the waves.

The Fujian ship did not stop, and there was nowhere to dock it, but the brutal battlefield cast a shadow over everyone's hearts.

Xin Qingluo, the leader of the Jade Spirit Sword Sect, lightly touched the ground with her toes and, amidst Lin Xueyi's surprised exclamation, instantly landed on a slightly larger plank of a boat not far away, with her sword on her back.

Lin Xueyi looked closely at Xin Qingluo and saw that her toes were touching the plank of the boat, and her body was floating up and down on the water with the plank to prevent herself from falling into the water.

He couldn't help but look at the sect leader's lightness skill with new respect. Despite his mediocre cultivation level, his lightness technique was quite impressive.

Xin Qingluo, who was floating on the water with the broken planks of the boat, had a solemn expression on her face. "These are all from the Luomu Sword Sect of Luomu Mountain in Qingzhou. This is a famous sword sect in Qingzhou. How could they be defeated here?"

Looking at the wrecked ship planks, the corpses, and the concentration of blood, Xin Qingluo could tell that the great battle had just ended not long ago. She looked up warily but found no enemy, nor any survivors.

Were they all murdered? This conclusion cast a shadow over Xin Qingluo's heart. She had expected the journey to be turbulent, but she hadn't anticipated it to be this dangerous.

The fact that the other side has deployed such a large force to annihilate them here alone shows just how much strength the Dragon Slayer Gang and the Netherworld Ghost Valley are hiding.

Lin Xueyi had witnessed quite a few scenes of carnage on the Fujian ship, and had even participated in them herself a few times, but this was the first time she had seen anything like it. It would be a lie to say she was completely calm, but her expression remained unchanged under the circumstances. On the contrary, the female disciples of the Jade Spirit Sword Sect couldn't contain themselves any longer.

"Senior Sister Ge, these people, these people just died like that?"

Looking at the horrific scene before her, Ge Xinyao was at a loss for words when faced with her fellow disciple's question. She had indeed left the sect to train before, but this was the first time she had ever seen such a scene.

"Junior sister, don't worry. With me here, with the senior brothers here, and with Master here, nothing will happen."

Following the sound, Lin Xueyi looked at the woman comforting her junior sister. The woman's expression was just as gentle as before, when she had let her lie on her lap. Lin Xueyi was a little confused. Was this kind of gentle girl really suitable for this martial arts world?

However, considering that this was being treated as an inside job, she could understand. She couldn't be cold and sarcastic to her junior sister, could she? With this thought in mind, Lin Xueyi looked at another ship. Although it was some distance away, she could still see that there was some commotion on the ship as well.

They were peacefully sailing on their boat, ready to make their mark in Zhongzhou. They probably never dreamed that their opponents would choose to ambush them here, before they even entered Zhongzhou territory.

After a thorough search, Xin Qingluo returned to the ship. However, to avoid worrying her disciples, she changed her serious expression to a smile the moment she boarded the ship.

"master."

"Master."

Looking at the layers of people standing there, Lin Xueyi could tell the difference in their relationships. Ge Xinyao and the junior sister she had comforted earlier were probably Xin Qingluo's personal disciples, while the others were probably disciples of other people.

However, she wasn't interested in what these people were saying. It was just a matter of preparation, and for her, it didn't make any difference whether she prepared or not.

However, she didn't need to prepare anything, nor did she care about such things, but others would. For example, right now, after Xin Qingluo finished arranging everything, Ge Xinyao immediately asked.

"Master, we're traveling to Zhongzhou on Young Master Ling's ship. If we fight the enemy, then Young Master Ling..."

The rest is self-explanatory. Xin Qingluo was also a little embarrassed. She originally thought it was a good thing that someone was taking her along, but now it seemed that they were the ones who had harmed her.

Originally, he was just a young master, and even the most ruthless evil forces wouldn't dare to harm him. But now, because of our group, they will definitely think that Young Master Ling is with them, and then they won't care about whether he is innocent or not.

"What should we do? No, we can't let them get hurt. It's too late to let them off the ship now. Here's what we'll do: Xinyao, you have the highest cultivation level on this ship. You will help Young Master Ling leave here. I'll hold off the enemy."

"Ah? Master, that won't do. Your cultivation level is the highest here. What if you..."

Before Ge Xinyao could finish speaking, Xin Qingluo interrupted her. This was not the time to make excuses. The enemy might have gone back to rest after defeating the enemy, but who knew if their next target would be them?

"Xinyu, you and your fellow disciples, after you see me go to fight, you all break out of the encirclement. Remember, you must break out. Do not linger in battle. Do you understand? You are the foundation of our Jade Spirit Sword Sect. As long as you are here, our Jade Spirit Sword Sect will not perish."

This time, they brought out almost all the remaining forces of the Jade Spirit Sword Sect. Apart from a few elders and some disciples with slightly lower cultivation levels, everyone else in the sect was brought out by her. If all of these people were to perish here, it would be a devastating blow to the Jade Spirit Sword Sect.

Seeing that Xin Yu was about to speak, Xin Qingluo raised her hand to stop her from saying what she was about to say, and then turned to look at Lin Xueyi, who had already disappeared into the cabin.

"Remember what I said. I'm going over there to talk to your Senior Brother Huo and the others about the arrangements. No matter what, we need to prepare in advance."

Han Xinyu watched her master's hurried departure, and could only open her mouth, unable to utter the words in her heart. She could say that she was not afraid of death, but what about her fellow disciples beside her? Would they make the same choice as her?

"Junior Sister Han, you can leave when the time comes. I will cover everyone's retreat together with the sect leader."

Just as Han Xinyu was feeling very lost, she heard a woman say firmly, "Back then, the sect leader picked me up from the river. If it weren't for the sect leader, I might have died long ago. But no one looked down on me because of this. Instead, they all helped me, whether it was practicing swordsmanship or making a living. Now that it's so dangerous, I have to come out and protect everyone."

The woman, whose face was somewhat sallow, spoke to the crowd without fear, her eyes showing no hesitation.

However, these words drew chuckles from the crowd. "Junior Sister Xuanyue, you make it sound like we're the ones leaving. Senior Sister Ge wants to see Young Master Ling off, which we can't do, but we can help Senior Sister Ge buy her time to break through."

"That's right, that's right. Stop acting like a hero. When has the Jade Spirit Sword Sect ever abandoned its sisters? Besides, as long as Senior Sister Ge goes out, we can stay here with Master."

Hearing what her fellow disciples said, Han Xinyu smiled with relief. She no longer needed to discuss it with them, and they had given her the best answer.

"Don't worry so much, everyone. What if those people don't come? What if they choose to ambush us in this area? We'll have already left by then."

With this thought in mind, everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief. Although they didn't know who the deceased were or where the murderers were, they could still see hope.

Main text: Chapter 209 The Four Bandits of Luoshui

Inside the cabin, Ge Xinyao quietly approached her master's room with a plate of prepared lunch in her hand, feeling somewhat worried about her master.

She didn't explicitly say anything while they were outside. Her master had been standing there for so long, she must have examined the wounds on the corpses, but she didn't mention it at all when discussing it with her fellow disciples, which was very unusual. It's likely that her master already knew the enemy's exact identity but was afraid of causing panic among the group, so she didn't reveal it.

Furthermore, the fact that the senior brothers deliberately made their ship move one berth faster than the Fujian ship was probably a way of protecting them, giving them a chance to escape should anything happen.

Alone in her room, Xin Qingluo looked at the two swords in her hands and sighed inwardly. She didn't know what to do about this calamity. After taking over the increasingly declining Jade Spirit Sword Sect from her master, she never wanted to make it flourish. But when she actually faced the reality, she found that it was really difficult to move forward.

The major powers outside have already divided up their territories, and both the righteous and evil factions are targeting various smaller forces. Their existence is like meat on a chopping board, either being cut up by one or torn apart by another.

Lacking strength in this world is a tragedy in itself, and her reputation back then only amplified that tragedy.

Jade Spirit Fairy, a title that once filled her with immense pride, later became a burden for her. Although she had not yet stepped into the Innate Realm, she was already a top figure in the Jade Spirit Sword Sect, but outside, in Qingzhou where experts were numerous, she was nothing.

Having been forced time and time again, she felt that the fairy she once was had become someone she once despised the most. Although she hadn't lost her virginity, so what? Who knew what the future held?

She could easily see through the thoughts of the Cangling Sect leader and the Wushuang Sword Sect master. The reason they weren't acting now was simply because they were concerned about their reputations in the martial arts world and their existence. But what would she do if someone withdrew or had other ideas?

Looking at the sword in her hand, she wondered if that time would truly come, would she still be able to leave the sect and venture out on her own, just like she did back then? The thought made her laugh. Impossible, impossible. Right now, she had too many concerns, too many things she wanted to protect.

She had hoped to go out and help the Holy Dragon Palace this time. Even if she didn't have any dealings with the Holy Dragon Palace itself, as long as she could have a major power to associate with them, it would serve as a protective shield for them, at least enough to protect her and the Jade Spirit Sword Sect for decades.

However, just now, the scene that resembled a demon had completely woken her up. She had only thought about success and hadn't considered whether the other party would make any moves. Perhaps she brought her disciples out to lead the Jade Spirit Sword Sect to its doom.

A sudden knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and then she heard the voice of her favorite apprentice, Ge Xinyao.

"Master, I noticed you didn't go to the restaurant for a meal, so I brought you some over."

"Come in."

Then, Ge Xinyao came in carrying a rectangular tray with a bowl of rice and a dish of vegetables. There was a hint of worry in her eyes, but she didn't say anything. She put down the tray and set out lunch for her.

"Master, please have your meal first."

"Xinyao, have you already guessed what's going on?" She was very satisfied with her clever disciple, and she could tell what her purpose was just from her eyes.

She didn't deny it directly, but silently sat down on the stool opposite her master, pursed her lips, and looked down, not daring to meet her master's gaze.

Seeing this scene, Xin Qingluo knew that this girl must have guessed something, but was not sure, which was why she came to find her. But could she really tell her?

"Go and check on Young Master Ling first. Protect him well and don't let us implicate him."

“Master, I know I will protect Young Master Ling with my life. But Master, you must have guessed who those people are. Can you tell me so I can know too?”

A firm yet worried voice came from Ge Xinyao's mouth, but she only received a soft sigh in response.

"Xinyao, there are some things you're better off not knowing. Your master only hopes that you can all be well."

"But Master, the enemy might still attack us. We can't just not even know who they are. Please... tell me."

Looking at her persistent disciple, Xin Qingluo took a deep breath. "The Yangtze River has ferocious crocodiles, and its swift currents can break people's hearts. There is no path to murder, but the boy can cut through people's schemes."

"Master, what is this?"

"These are the names of four notorious bandits on the Luo River when my master was traveling the world."

The four notorious bandits, the biggest bandits on the Luo River, were also the four most notorious villains in the area back then—the Four Bandits of Luo River.

Back then, on the Luo River, it was said that one would rather talk to the King of Hell face to face than see the four bandits. This shows how notorious the four bandits were in this area.

Among the four bandits, the eldest is the River-Turning Crocodile – Lu Renjia, the second is the Flying Feather Flowing Sword – Long Tao'er, the third is the Deep-Water Poisonous Python – Xi Beihuo, and the fourth is the Heart-Slaying Child – Da Zhonglian.

Lu Renjia, wielding an iron arm and a steel fork, once killed dozens of masters. He was like a giant crocodile dominating the river, running rampant without restraint.

Long Tao'er, once just an ordinary scholar, encountered a fortuitous event and obtained the inheritance of the Flying Feather Severing Flow Sword. However, instead of following the righteous path, he colluded with villains. When his marriage proposal to the young lady of the Changliu Escort Agency was rejected, he became enraged and murdered everyone in the agency, including the young lady herself, whom he brutally raped. He died with his eyes wide open in disbelief. Later, under the combined pursuit of righteous individuals, he managed to kill several people before hiding in the Luo River area.

Xi Beihuo was once a renowned physician in the martial arts world, but he was discovered to be experimenting on living people. After being discovered, he poisoned the entire village to death. While others used martial arts to kill, he used poison. Although he also possessed martial arts skills, they were insignificant compared to his fearsome poison techniques.

The last one is Da Zhonglian, known as the Heart-Slaying Child. His origins are unknown, but his methods are ruthless. Because he always looks like a child, he is called the Child. However, he is the most perverted of the four, not because of his cultivation level, but because he actually eats human hearts raw.

After seeing the corpses floating on the river, she noticed the obvious wounds, but she didn't know why the four people, who had disappeared from the martial arts world for many years, had suddenly reappeared.

He told Ge Xinyao what he knew and saw her expression change. However, what they were facing this time was indeed the biggest crisis since the founding of the Jade Spirit Sword Sect.

Main text: Chapter 210 Interception

The Fujian-style ship continued its journey forward on the calm Luo River, as if the blood-stained river had never existed. Only those on board knew how gruesome the scene had been.

Lin Xueyi stood at the bow of the boat, looking out at the blue sky and clear water. However, the scenery was no longer as stunning as before. No wonder, anyone would get tired of seeing the same scenery every day.

"Young Master Ling, please try some of my pastries."

It was a very gentle voice. The owner of this voice had been taking good care of her these past few days, especially after she was surrounded by that group of terrifying women; it was this voice that protected her.

It has to be said, it can be terrifying when women are too proactive. As someone who used to be a homebody, I really couldn't handle this, especially the onslaught of face wash from these young women – it was absolutely terrifying. It felt like I could be deprived of my very breath.

"Sister Ge, I already told you it doesn't need to be so complicated. You don't need to make any special desserts for me."

The past few days have been relatively peaceful, and everyone has relaxed from the initial tension. It seems that those people look down on them and therefore have no intention of harming them. Fortunately, this is the case, allowing everyone to return to normal life.

Although I'm still a bit wary, it's much better than before. In two more days, we'll be in Zhongzhou territory; things should be much better there.

While pondering something, he didn't stop. He took a pastry from the plate and carefully placed it near Lin Xueyi's mouth, watching as her lovely lips opened and she swallowed the pastry.

"Is it tasty."

"Mmm, delicious. The fluffy texture and slightly sweet taste are really good." Lin Xueyi had to admit that Ge Xinyao's cooking skills were really good. Putting aside everything else, the desserts she made for her these past few days were different every time, and each time they gave her a feeling of amazement.

A gentle smile bloomed on Ge Xinyao's face again after Lin Xueyi's voice rang out, adding an alluring charm to this gentle woman who shouldn't be a member of the martial arts world.

"I'm glad you like it. Here, take it and eat more."

Her hand naturally rested on Lin Xueyi's head. Ge Xinyao had done this many times before; she was incredibly skilled at it, and Lin Xueyi quite enjoyed being patted on the head by this gentle older sister. Ah, what man wouldn't like such an intimate gesture from a pretty young woman?

"Oh dear, Senior Sister Ge, you've run off again! We clearly agreed that everyone would take care of Young Master Ling, how can you keep doing this? Young Master Ling, please come with us, we still need to teach you swordsmanship."

Scratching her head, Lin Xueyi was really overwhelmed by these overly enthusiastic female warriors. They wanted to teach her every time, but she could easily knock them away with a single finger. It was neither good nor bad, and there was no need for them to do so. These women only wanted to demonstrate their swordsmanship in front of her; they didn't need to actually attack her.

"You guys, if Young Master Ling doesn't like it, don't force him. Your practice is over, so go and rest for a bit. You still have to patrol later, so don't overdo it."