Fang Shaobai was the swiftest of them all. As his longsword darted out, a sword lotus burst into bloom. Twelve lotus petals shimmered with silver radiance, resembling a blossoming flower rippling the surface of clear water; yet wherever those petals swept, fresh blood sprayed in fountains.
Wang Yu was right beside him. Unfolding the Nine Bends of the Long River, his longsword carved nine sweeping arcs through the air. With every arc that skimmed past a foe, an enemy let out a bloodcurdling shriek and scrambled madly backward.
Meng Wei’s swordplay was vast and grand, bold and sweeping. Like ocean waves crashing one after another, his single frame held the line like a rampart.
Shen Zhijun advanced with leisurely strides, yet each thrust of his sword blossomed like a winter plum in the snow, vivid and scarlet.
After only a few clashes, the small band of Mount Qi bandits and Western Regions horse bandits who had been pressing the Loulan cavalry broke apart completely. They scattered in utter disarray, either fleeing far into the distance or ducking back into the ruins of the ancient city, daring not show their faces again.
Seeing these four powerful masters appear out of nowhere, the Loulan cavalry could not gauge the depth of their skill. They hastily gathered whatever spoils they could muster and galloped away into the distance.
In moments, the scene was left in ruins, with gold, silver, and jewels scattered across the sands.
Wang Yu used the tip of his sword to flick up a few clean trinkets and tucked them away. "How wonderful. Looks like we won’t need to spend our own coin along the way."
Fang Shaobai burst into laughter, picking up several pieces himself. "I was just fretting that I didn’t bring enough silver to buy Western Regions wine, but now there's no need to worry!"
Seeing that even the dignified Prince of Zhenxi was scavenging the battlefield, with Fang Shaobai taking the lead as well, Meng Wei and Shen Zhijun stood on no ceremony. Each scooped up a few pieces of jewelry and easily exchangeable gold and silver coins.
A moment later, Li Yunxiu and Qianqian rode up, driving their spare horses. "Hurry and mount up! Any more delay, and we won’t make it to Luohe Fair tonight."
The group vaulted onto their steeds and galloped toward the northwest.
Beyond Luohe Fair lay the two minor kingdoms of Quli and Yuli. Their royal capitals were much smaller than Loulan's, but they were home to far more foreigners. Having spent most of their lives in the Central Plains interior, Meng Wei and Shen Zhijun were leaving the frontier passes for the first time. They looked around in curiosity at every turn, finding everything novel and exotic.
Fang Shaobai, however, hailed from closer to the northwest, to say nothing of Wang Yu, who had already lived in Longshan Prefecture for more than half a year.
The party continued west, traversed the eastern territories of Kucha, and arrived at a border market town of the Kucha Kingdom: Bailong Fair.
Once past Bailong Fair, they would leave Kucha behind and enter their rendezvous destination, the Jushi Kingdom.
"I wonder if those four have arrived yet."
Entering Bailong Fair, Meng Wei dusted off his headscarf and surveyed his surroundings, finding the market town rather bustling. "They were coming up from the south, so they should pass through Bailong Fair as well. Why didn't we fix our meeting place here?"
"Because staying in the Cheshi royal capital is far more comfortable, of course," Shen Zhijun said, licking his chapped lips.
In truth, whether it was Loulan, Kucha, or Cheshi, these minor kingdoms relatively closer to the Central Plains had populations that were more than half Han Chinese. Even their kings possessed Han lineage, tracing back to the migrations during the previous dynasty's Protectorate of the Western Regions.
Mount Tianshan lay merely a thousand li from Yumen Pass, and the disciples accepted by its sect were entirely Han. Thus, the Tianshan Sect had always regarded itself as part of the Central Plains martial world rather than aligning with Western Regions champions or mingling with the steppe martial artists.
"If the previous dynasty's Protectorate of the Western Regions still stood, the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions would still be imperial territory," Shen Zhijun mused.
Meng Wei said blithely, "They'll be reclaimed sooner or later."
"Let's hope so." Noncommittal, Shen Zhijun pointed toward an inn at the center of the market. "We'll rest for the night and reach Cheshi tomorrow."
Wang Yu glanced up at the sign: Dragon Gate Inn!
Good heavens. What a pity it had been built inside a market town; if it were a lonely outpost standing alone in the desolate wilderness, that would have truly set the mood.
As the group stepped inside, they immediately sensed something amiss in the atmosphere.
A youth in hemp robes sat alone in the center of the common room, a travel bundle resting beside him. With an aloof expression, he quietly ate his noodles.
At the three tables surrounding him sat several individuals of varied attire. Though seemingly dining, they exchanged covert glances and darted frequent looks at the youth in hemp.
An ordinary onlooker might not have noticed anything, but Wang Yu and his companions were all seasoned experts. They spotted the abnormality in a single glance.
Meng Wei raised an eyebrow and looked at the others.
Wang Yu did not pay it any mind. He asked the innkeeper for several premium rooms, then led his companions to a table by the window, sitting far apart from the youth in hemp.
Since it had nothing to do with them, they might even get to enjoy a lively show. What was not to like?
The patrons at the surrounding tables naturally noticed Wang Yu’s party. Seeing their Central Plains attire and the longswords at their hips, glints of wariness flickered in their eyes. Yet seeing them sit down far away, the onlookers suppressed their suspicions.
Only the youth in hemp remained unmoved, paying no heed whatsoever to Wang Yu and the others who had just entered.
"That lad is from the Central Plains," Meng Wei murmured.
Shen Zhijun nodded. "I can tell."
Meng Wei chuckled softly. "I wonder if he committed a crime in the Central Plains and fled, only to have his enemies hunt him all the way to the Western Regions."
Right then, a man at the table to the left spoke up. "You there, Sun! You didn't expect us to chase you all the way from the Xingxiu Sea to the Western Regions, did you?"
A man at the right-hand table added coldly, "Hand over the Seven-Star Huang, or you won't leave here alive today!"
From the last table a little further back, someone suddenly piped up, "Gentlemen, this is Kucha territory, and there is an order of precedence. This man stole our king's Three-Leaf Dragon Whisker Ginseng. We must take it back."
The man at the left table let out a derisive sneer, showing no deference at all. "Couldn't cut it in the Central Plains, so you came to the Western Regions to play king?"
The Kucha kingdom man at the last table slammed the table in fury. "Just who do you think you are?"
The man at the left table smirked with an amused glint in his eye. "Wulan Fort of the Xingxiu Sea. Have you heard of it?"
Before the Kucha men could respond, the man at the right table chimed in, "I advise you to hold your tongues. The Wutou Powder from Wulan Fort shows no mercy to anyone."
The men at the last table fell silent instantly.
Wutou Powder was a lethal poison of equal renown to Cranesbill Red and Heartbreak Grass. While not entirely incurable, they certainly did not possess an antidote. Anyone who dabbled in poison was never an ordinary opponent.
Not daring to provoke Wulan Fort any further, the Kucha men turned to the table on the right. "And who might you be?"
This time, the man from Wulan Fort returned the courtesy. "Linfeng Stronghold of Feilong Gorge in the Xingxiu Sea. Their Feilong Saber Technique sweeps across Haixi, renowned far and wide."
The Kucha men exchanged glances, then cupped their hands. "Long have we heard your great names!"
In truth, they had never heard of either Wulan Fort or Linfeng Stronghold. They were originally Central Plains martial artists who, for various reasons, had traveled far to the Western Regions to serve the kingdom of Kucha; they had never been men of wide experience.
Although the Xingxiu Sea bordered the Hexi Circuit, it was situated high upon a plateau and had little contact with the Central Plains. Had it not been for Old Man Xingxiu shaking the realm decades ago, scarcely anyone would have paid attention to its martial arts world.
Even so, with decades having passed, the Central Plains martial world's impressions of the Xingxiu Sea were largely limited to Old Man Xingxiu roaming the realm and the duel ten years ago between Prince of Zhenxi Zhao Zheng and the Twin Stars of the Xingxiu Sea.
Ever since that battle, no news had emerged from the Xingxiu Sea for ten whole years.
Of course, just because the Xingxiu Sea maintained no contact with the Central Plains did not mean it was weak. After all, it was a region vast enough to rival an entire circuit. Back then, it had produced a Xiantian Great Grandmaster like Old Man Xingxiu, and the Twin Stars of the Xingxiu Sea had severely wounded Zhao Zheng.
Besides them, there were naturally other formidable experts. To the Central Plains martial world, both the Xingxiu Sea and the southwestern snow regions had always been synonymous with mystery.
Hearing the exchange, the members of Wang Yu's table reacted in different ways.
Leaving the others aside, Wang Yu looked upon the youth in hemp as though gazing upon a treasure hoard.
Seven-Star Huang?
Three-Leaf Dragon Whisker Ginseng?
Those sounded like spirit herbs brimming with energy!
He had just acquired the *Star-Plucking Hand* and *Star-Chasing Steps*. Was someone handing him a pillow the moment he grew drowsy?
On the other side of the room, seeing that the Kucha men had finally ceased their clamor, the leader of Linfeng Stronghold—a gaunt, middle-aged man with sinister eyes who had remained silent until now—turned toward the young leader of Wulan Fort. "Worthy Nephew Wu, please, go ahead."
Wu Changluo looked up and said flatly, "Then I shall not stand on ceremony."
When the onlookers looked at Wu Changluo, their hearts leaped into their throats. The young man's face was ghastly pale, and his pupils were a ring larger than normal, the blackness almost completely filling his eye sockets. He looked scarcely human.
Wu Changluo turned toward the youth in hemp. But before he could speak, a flurry of rapid hoofbeats echoed outside the inn, coming to an abrupt halt right at the entrance. The newcomer's horsemanship was clearly extraordinary.
The next instant, the inn patrons felt a sudden darkness before their eyes as a figure appeared abruptly within the room. With a predatory gaze that watched like a wolf and glared like an eagle, the sharpness in his eyes stung everyone who looked at him.
His gaze locked firmly onto the youth in hemp. "Were you the one who stole the King's Three-Leaf Dragon Whisker Ginseng?"
The Kucha men rose at once and hurried to his side. "Guard Captain!"
This guard captain arrived with astonishing momentum. Wu Changluo, who had just been about to rise, seated himself once more, prepared to sit atop the mountain and watch the tigers fight.
Faced with the interrogation, the youth in hemp finally raised his head. "I saved your king's consort. He promised me the Three-Leaf Dragon Whisker Ginseng as my reward. When he went back on his word afterward, I took it myself."
The man gave a cold snort. "The King already agreed to give you five hundred taels of silver. Are you still unsatisfied?"
The youth in hemp spoke no more. Further words were meaningless.
The man’s face darkened, and he drew the sword behind his back. "Out of respect for your saving the consort, hand over the Three-Leaf Dragon Whisker Ginseng, and I will spare your life."
Seeing that the sword's handguard was shaped like an eagle's wings, Fang Shaobai raised an eyebrow. Studying the man's features, realization dawned upon him. "Flying Eagle Pang Qingyun? He actually became the guard captain of Kucha?"
Shen Zhijun immediately picked up the thread. "I heard that years ago he shook the Hexi Circuit, defeating numerous renowned swordsmen. Yet seven years ago, he vanished without a trace. Some said he died, while others said he joined the Mount Qi bandits. Who would have thought he traveled out to the Western Regions?"
Meng Wei knew of him as well. "He was already a first-rate expert seven years ago. That lad in hemp is in for trouble."
"Judging by their words just now, the King of Kucha broke his promise, and Pang Qingyun didn't refute it." Having learned the truth of the matter, Fang Shaobai was not inclined to stand idly by.
Wang Yu watched the youth in hemp, analyzing the scene. "For this person to draw pursuit from three different factions and still remain unfazed, he is no simple character either."
Meng Wei nodded. "Let's watch a bit longer. Perhaps he can resolve it on his own."
The next moment, seeing the youth in hemp withdraw his gaze and refuse to even look at him, Pang Qingyun flew into a rage. With a flourish of his longsword, he lunged like a swooping eagle, swift and ferocious.
Yet the youth in hemp remained unmoved. He simply splashed the tea from his bowl toward Pang Qingyun. Paying it no heed, Pang Qingyun drove his blade straight through the spray of tea, aiming right for the youth's chest with lethal intent.
The youth snatched his bundle, and his entire body—along with the bench beneath him—shifted two feet to the side, neatly evading Pang Qingyun's thrust.
"Fine lightness skill!" Pang Qingyun barked. Tapping the tips of his toes, he pivoted to bring his sword back around. But midway through the turn, his legs went limp, and he collapsed forward onto the floor in an awkward heap.
The entire room was stunned!
Sprawled on the floor, Pang Qingyun felt his inner force vanish completely and his entire body grow limp and powerless. His pupils constricted in horror. "The tea was poisoned!"
Chapter 69