Qu Heng was very surprised, as he hadn't heard anything except the pouring rain outside. He had practiced martial arts for decades and, though he didn't specialize in internal energy cultivation, his years of accumulation had given him considerable internal power. Combined with his twenty-plus years of escort experience, his vigilance was exceptionally high.
Yet he hadn't detected anyone outside at all.
But he knew Xia Ci well and understood that he wasn't one to speak carelessly. Immediately gripping his sword, he signaled to the other escorts. Having worked under him for many years, these escorts coordinated perfectly with each other.
After seeing Qu Heng's warning gesture, they quietly drew their weapons and moved closer to their charge, Tang Buyi, positioning themselves to protect each other from all angles.
Tang Buyi, who had been sitting by the fire, also sensed the potential danger. He became alert, his hand tightly gripping the hilt of his sword.
Qu Heng gently drew his long sword and, facing the door, called out in a resonant voice, "Friends outside, are you passing by or seeking shelter? If passing by, I wish you a safe journey. If seeking shelter, please come in. When traveling, helping others is helping oneself. I am Qu Heng, escort leader of the Changfeng Escort Agency, at your service!"
After speaking, Qu Heng waited quietly,
But there was no response from outside, only the sound of heavy rain.
After waiting for quite some time with no movement, Qu Heng began to wonder if Xia Ci had made a mistake. He turned to Xia Ci and started to say, "Xia Ci..."
"The roof!" Xia Ci suddenly exclaimed.
Qu Heng was startled. Just then, with a loud "crash," a hole broke through the roof, and a figure descended from above. It was a monk wearing a kasaya robe, wielding a monk's staff, which he swung directly at Tang Buyi.
Qu Heng quickly raised his sword to block,
But the monk's skill was profound. After briefly engaging with Qu Heng, he immediately knocked him back, then quickly attacked Tang Buyi.
Fortunately, with Xia Ci's warning, Tang Buyi was prepared. He hurriedly raised his sword to defend himself, but this young master had clearly not taken his martial training seriously. Although his reaction was quick enough, his skill was mediocre. He was struck by the monk's staff and sent flying, immediately spitting blood and barely able to stand.
Seeing this, Qu Heng quickly thrust his sword forward again.
However, in that instant, the monk revealed a slight smile and suddenly threw a handful of lime powder at Qu Heng, disrupting his rhythm. Instead of continuing his attack on young Master Tang, the monk changed direction and swung his staff at Qu Heng.
Qu Heng hurriedly withdrew his sword to block,
With a loud "clang,"
The monk's strength was terrifying. Qu Heng was forced back several steps, his sword hand trembling violently.
"Protect Young Master Tang!"
Qu Heng shouted, and all the escorts quickly surrounded Tang Buyi. The young master had also recovered his senses, drawing his sword to confront the monk.
"Hehehe," the monk looked at Tang Buyi and said, "Who would have thought my luck would be so good? Coming here to escape the rain, I stumble upon such a fat sheep. Don't you agree? The great young master of the Tang family—a ransom of three to five thousand taels of silver wouldn't be excessive, would it?"
Inside the room, there had been two campfires burning,
But with the large hole in the roof, torrential rain poured down, extinguishing one of the fires. In the flickering light of the remaining fire, the monk could be seen clearly. He was extremely burly, with a centipede-like scar on his head that looked quite ferocious.
"You are Iron Arhat Xuanqi!" Qu Heng said gravely.
"Hehe," the big monk laughed and said, "Since you recognize me, you should leave on your own to avoid needlessly losing your life. I only want Young Master Tang. I won't kill him—just want some money. You are escort guards earning an honest living; there's no need to sacrifice your lives!"
Qu Heng's expression turned grim.
Iron Arhat Xuanqi was a notorious evil martial artist in the Linjiang Prefecture area. Originally a warrior monk, he had a verbal dispute with the temple abbot and, in a ruthless act, poisoned the kitchen, killing all forty-plus fellow disciples. He then stole the temple's secret manuals and fled into the martial world, falling into evil ways and committing many atrocities.
The man was infamous in the martial world but had always evaded justice, relying on his formidable martial arts skills.
As the saying goes, a man's reputation casts a shadow like a tree.
When Qu Heng first saw Xuanqi, he had his suspicions. Now that the other party had confirmed his identity, Qu Heng's heart sank. This was a cold-blooded killer, and today's encounter would likely not end well.
However, as escort guards, they believed in resolving matters peacefully whenever possible, avoiding combat when able. So Qu Heng still forced himself to say, "You should think this through carefully. My Changfeng Escort Agency is not to be trifled with, and the Tang family is a prestigious name in the martial world..."
Xuanqi waved his hand and said, "Escort Leader Qu, my patience is limited. If you don't leave now, don't blame me for the bloodbath that follows!"
Qu Heng said gravely, "No room for negotiation?"
"None..."
"Bang!"
Just then,
The door was kicked open, and a middle-aged nun entered, holding a long sword. She appeared to be in her forties, with a stout build, wrapped in a dull, coarse grey cassock with a hemp rope tied around her waist, from which hung a string of bright prayer beads.
As soon as she entered, the nun angrily said, "Big monk, why the hell are you wasting so much time talking? I've been waiting outside for ages! Are you going to fight or not? Why so much nonsense? Just kill them all and be done with it! What's this Changfeng Escort Agency anyway? They're nothing!"
"Abbess Kuye!"
Upon seeing this nun enter, Qu Heng's heart completely sank. Here was another notorious evil martial artist—a known partner of Iron Arhat Xuanqi. The monk and nun pair were quite distinctive in the martial world, often appearing together to commit acts of murder and arson.
One Iron Arhat was already difficult to deal with, and now Abbess Kuye had joined.
Qu Heng inwardly groaned at their bad luck, never expecting to encounter these two. But escorts had their code—they couldn't simply hand over their charge.
"Xia Ci, Xiayin, you two are no longer part of our escort agency. This matter doesn't concern you. Leave quickly!" Qu Heng looked toward Xuanqi and said, "Master, Abbess, you've seen those two—one is blind, the other is a young girl. Can you let them leave?"
Xuanqi grinned and said, "Escort Leader Qu, I'm sorry. I advised you to leave earlier, but you didn't. Now none of you can leave. As you can see, that nasty woman is angry. It's just your bad luck. Don't worry, after you die, I'll chant sutras to help your souls cross over..."
Before he finished speaking,
Xuanqi suddenly attacked, swinging his staff at Qu Heng.
Xuanqi's staff was very thick, about the size of a bowl's mouth. As he swung it, it whistled through the air with tremendous force, as if carrying a thousand pounds of power—truly terrifying.
Earlier, Qu Heng had briefly crossed weapons with Xuanqi.
Even then, Xuanqi had only casually struck, yet left Qu Heng's arm numb for quite some time. Now, seeing Xuanqi attack with full force, Qu Heng dared not meet him head-on. He hurriedly dodged, shouting to the other escorts, "Take Young Master Tang and go!" Then he looked toward the corner and yelled, "Xiayin, what are you waiting for? Take your brother and leave!"
"Better worry about yourself!"
Xuanqi sneered, attacking Qu Heng relentlessly.
Qu Heng was completely suppressed, continuously retreating out the door. Taking advantage of the more spacious area outside, he dodged back and forth, barely managing to evade Xuanqi. Inside the shed, Abbess Kuye had also joined the battle, fighting with the Changfeng Escort Agency guards and easily overpowering them.
"Brother!"
In the corner, Xia Xiayin gripped her sword and asked softly, "Should we help?"
"Yes!"
Xia Ci's response was decisive. Based on his relationship with Qu Heng alone, he couldn't stand by and watch Qu Heng be killed. Additionally, both Iron Arhat and Abbess Kuye were wanted criminals. Having encountered them, he couldn't let them escape.
[New Target Detected]
[Wanted Target—Iron Arhat Xuanqi]
[Mission Level—2★]
[Mission Reward—SSS-level Mastered Dragon Capturing Skill]
...
[New Target Detected]
[Wanted Target—Abbess Kuye]
[Mission Level—1★]
[Mission Reward—Minor Restoration Pill]