Three fine horses galloped southeast along the official road, leaving a trail of dust far behind. The riders were two men and one woman; though few in number, their speed exuded an unstoppable momentum. The horses were incredibly fast; by the time pedestrians on the roadside heard the hooves and scrambled to get out of the way, the three horses had already swept past like the wind. The astonished pedestrians standing by the roadside hadn't even gotten a clear look at the riders.
Not far ahead, dozens of local officials from Hedong County stood somewhat bored by the roadside. They were constables from the Guanle City County government. They had received orders early this morning to set up a roadblock here and intercept three suspicious individuals. The order had been personally given by the county magistrate; although it hadn't been explained in detail, the constables could tell from the magistrate's solemn face that the three wanted criminals were undoubtedly of considerable importance.
Guanle County was the second largest city in Hedong Prefecture, second only to Hedong City, the prefectural capital. These officials usually just patrolled the county town or arrested petty thieves. Setting up roadblocks outside the city to intercept wanted criminals was a first for them.
Furthermore, their private discussions led them to speculate that the three men might be ruthless bandits, so everyone was tense. They feared the three bandits were highly skilled and they couldn't stop them, and they also worried about how they would explain themselves to their superiors if the suspects escaped.
Liu Feng, the head constable of Guanle County, glanced at the four or five men in flying fish robes standing not far away. He thought to himself that it was fortunate they had these experts from the capital; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to trust his men, who only knew rudimentary martial arts. He stole glances at their clothes, feeling a pang of envy.
These flying fish robes were the distinctive attire of the imperial guards. Wearing this outfit, he could walk with impunity not only in the small county of Guanle, but even in the capital.
Liu Feng couldn't help but fantasize about himself wearing this dark red flying fish robe, a brocade crown, a straight sword at his waist, and a bright red cloak, strolling through the streets of Guanle County. Even the county magistrate would bow and scrape before him, and the widow Liu, whom he had long coveted but dared not pursue, would offer herself to him with a seductive smile. Just thinking about it made his heart itch unbearably. When he thought of the widow Liu, he couldn't help but imagine her fiery red lips and alluring figure, kneeling before him, her cherry-like lips gently caressing his groin.
Soft lips enveloping his sensitive spot, her delicate tongue gently swirling around it…
Just as he was picturing this, a sudden shout extinguished all his fantasies.
"Raise the roadblocks! Someone's charging!"
The one shouting was a centurion in a flying fish robe.
Liu Feng dared not disobey him. After all, in terms of rank, this centurion and the magistrate of Guanle County were both seventh-rank officials, but the centurion was from the capital and served in the Imperial Guard, making him far more prestigious than the magistrate.
Liu Feng immediately ordered his men to raise the roadblocks and place them across the official road. Just as they were set up, the three fine horses were already nearby. The three riders showed no sign of slowing down, seemingly intending to leap over the roadblocks.
"Fire!"
The centurion in the flying fish robe shouted, then took a repeating crossbow from his waist. This repeating crossbow was standard issue for the Sui army, capable of firing twelve bolts in succession. In mid-range combat, the repeating crossbow was an indispensable weapon for victory. Local government officials were not entitled to possess such a valuable item.
Four or five repeating crossbows were raised almost simultaneously, aimed at the three galloping riders. But when the first bolt was fired, the constables of Guanle County hadn't even raised their bows. Liu Feng was the quickest to react, grabbing a bow but struggling with all his might to draw it.
He cursed under his breath before realizing that the bow he'd casually taken from the county treasury was actually a two-stone bow. He'd only thought a larger one looked imposing, without considering whether he had the strength to draw it.
Even with only four or five repeating crossbows, blocking the road wouldn't be difficult. The crossbows fired extremely quickly; almost within two minutes, each crossbow's twelve bolts would be emptied.
When Fang Jie saw the men in flying fish robes raise their crossbows, he shouted, "You two imperial guards handle this, I'll take care of the officials!"
Mu Xiaoyao said, "You're quite the ladies' man."
Then, the red ribbon wrapped around her shoulders and waist flew out as if it had its own will. The ribbon billowed and danced in the air like a winding serpent, and not a single one of the dozens of crossbow bolts could pierce it.
"Death to those who block the way!"
Fang Jie shouted a domineering phrase, then spurred his horse and leaped over the roadblock. The crimson warhorse leaped as high as a man, clearing the roadblock with effortless speed. Protected by Mu Xiaoyao's red ribbon, the three of them charged forward almost without stopping.
But at that moment, the leading centurion in the flying fish robe flicked his wrist and hurled a chain spear straight at Fang Jie's back! ...
...
Just as the chain spear was about to pierce Fang Jie's back, Da Quan leaped from his horse, like a large bird swooping down, and forcefully grabbed the chain in mid-air. It was unclear what material his gloves were made of, but they seemed impervious to blades and spears.
Seeing Da Quan dismount, Mu Xiaoyao didn't hesitate to jump down as well. With a flick of her red silk, she blocked the other flying fish robes, and called out to Fang Jie, who had already charged more than ten meters away, "You go first!"
"Go my ass!"
Fang Jie reined in his horse and cursed under his breath, then leaped off, drew his sword from his back, and charged towards the crowd. Facing dozens of constables from Guanle County, he showed no fear whatsoever.
"Quickly finish this! The pursuers will catch up soon!"
He shouted, slapping a constable across the face with his blade, sending the constable flying horizontally. He used the blade to strike horizontally, not to slash; otherwise, half the constable's head would have been airborne. These constables, who usually swaggered around Guanle County, had never truly fought; they knew nothing of killing techniques, let alone the courage to die for their cause.
Fang Jie spun around, kicking the second constable to the ground. He spun like a top, bypassing two constables wielding their swords, and with another swift movement, struck one constable across the chest, sending him flying two or three meters before he landed with a thud.
Mu Xiaoyao used a red ribbon to wrap around a flying fish robe and send it into the air. The ribbon tightened suddenly like a python constricting its prey, with a snap. It was unclear how many ribs had broken, but when the ribbon released, the body fell straight down with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust. Looking again, the flying fish robe was folded in half, like a broken wooden stick.
Mu Xiaoyao used the red ribbon to block a horizontal sword, stealing a glance back at Fang Jie. She found the boy she had watched grow up somewhat unfamiliar. She had never seen such unwavering courage in Fang Jie, nor had she ever witnessed his speed and agility that surprised her.
When had this change begun? Mu Xiaoyao didn't know.
But she knew this change was definitely not a bad thing for Fang Jie. Not only did he appear more agile and nimble, but he had also become increasingly calm. Watching Fang Jie's attacks, she noticed that each strike was swift and direct, almost always the fastest way to eliminate the enemy before him.
Was this Fang Jie the same Fang Jie who dared not kill in Fangu City?
Mu Xiaoyao didn't have time to ponder this further, because while the flying fish robes weren't particularly strong, their diverse and troublesome techniques made them difficult to deal with. To reduce the pressure on Fang Jie, her red ribbons also had to periodically deflect any constables attempting to ambush him.
Daquan's attacks were always direct and effective; he preferred close combat, otherwise his weapon wouldn't be a pair of gloves.
Even Fang Jie sometimes couldn't understand why this seemingly thin and weak, even somewhat timid, Daquan was so ferocious in battle, making it unbearable to watch. He killed directly, but the more direct he was, the more bloody it was.
With hands clasped together in steel-spiked gloves, he thrust forward with a sharp, forceful motion, piercing the abdomen of a man in a flying fish robe with a resounding "thud." After inserting the hand, he twisted it outwards, tearing a bloody gash through the man's stomach. The large dog's mouth smirked, and he forcefully ripped his arms apart.
With a snap, the man's stomach was ripped open!
Intestines and unidentifiable entrails, mixed together, fell out in a large, muddy, grayish-black mass.
Mu Xiaoyao used one end of her red ribbon to knock away a constable, while the other end wrapped around the neck of a flying fish robe who was about to attack her. She gripped the ribbon and thrust it forward, instantly twisting the flying fish robe's neck 180 degrees, his face turned backwards, and as he looked down, he saw his own back and buttocks.
"Don't linger!"
Fang Jie punched a constable's nose, then lunged forward to dodge a slashing saber. He circled behind the constable with the crooked nose and slammed his saber into another man's shoulder; with a crack, the man's collarbone shattered instantly.
Liu Feng looked down at his saber, then at the young man who had charged into his men like a ferocious tiger. He swallowed hard, his gaze falling on two other, even more ferocious-looking suspects. Torn between running and fighting, he struggled violently, finally gritting his teeth and charging towards Fang Jie.
"Thieves! Surrender now!"
He wielded his saber with the speed and power of a whirlwind. This move, "Old Tree Roots," seemed to be used frequently, even displaying a hint of mastery.
"Get lost!"
Fang Jie coldly cursed, slashing out and sending Liu Feng's saber flying into the air.
In that instant, the centurion, whose cultivation was at least fourth rank and who had been hidden among the constables, seized the opportunity. He leaped from behind and thrust half of his chain spear at Fang Jie's back. The attack was so sudden that neither Da Quan nor Mu Xiaoyao could react. The centurion possessed fourth-rank cultivation, while Fang Jie was completely incapable of cultivation! Moreover, it was a sneak attack, and the chain spear had a greater range than a horizontal sword. It seemed... Fang Jie was doomed!
Da Quan and Mu Xiaoyao were helpless.
They only managed to shout "Be careful!" before rushing forward was clearly too late.
The next second, Da Quan and Mu Xiaoyao's eyes widened, their mouths gaped open, their faces filled with shock.
As if sensing the danger behind them, Fang Jie suddenly turned sharply to the side, his upper body lowered, his legs bent, crawling down like a cheetah poised to pounce! The instant the chain gun missed, his legs and hands simultaneously pushed off backward, his body shooting forward like a cannonball, reaching the centurion in the blink of an eye. The pounce, in a daze, truly resembled a cheetah catching its prey.
Fang Jie had a knife.
"You get out of here too!"
After a violent shout, the centurion's body stiffened abruptly. A moment later, a line of blood appeared on his body, followed by a torrent of blood gushing out; the centurion's body had been cleaved open from forehead to groin by Fang Jie's knife.
A backhand upward strike.
One strike.
Two pieces.
"Fourth-grade cultivation..."
Basked in a shower of blood, Fang Jie coldly snorted, his tone carrying a hint of arrogance.