Chapter 261: A Counterattack with Flavor

As he stood up, he discreetly tapped his father's back a few times, a coded message meaning, "Be extremely careful."

He Chunhua looked at the two of them but remained silent.

The restaurant owner also pointed the way, saying, "There's an outhouse in the back. Don't look down once you're inside."

Once they were out of the restaurant, Shan Youjun whispered, "Master, look at these horses. They are all excellent steeds, good at running."

He Lingchuan hadn't paid attention initially, as New Splendor wasn't short of livestock that day. But at Shan Youjun's reminder, he took a closer look. The three horses were sleek and well-groomed, with long legs, willow-leaf ears, broad chests, powerful muscles, and bright, piercing eyes.

These were clearly not draft horses.

One of them was pawing the ground. Shan Youjun glanced at it and said, "These three are warhorses. Their hooves and horseshoes have just been trimmed and replaced. I served as a ranger in the north; I can't be mistaken."

Did all three of those merchants have such fine horses?

Shan Youjun urgently added, "How many groups of merchants have we seen on our journey north so far? And as soon as we arrived in New Splendor, they were already here."

The central and northern parts of Xiazhou were desolate, and merchants couldn't make money there, so they generally avoided this route. He Lingchuan had indeed seen very few merchant caravans, or even individual travelers, on his journey north with the grain transport team.

He took a shallow breath and said, "Understood. Let's just walk around for a bit outside and then head back."

After they had walked a few steps, a light flickered behind them. He Lingchuan looked back and saw one of the three merchants emerge, clutching his stomach. "I need to use the outhouse too," he said. "Haven't you found it yet?"

He Lingchuan pointed behind the restaurant. "No, we haven't found it. Wasn't it supposed to be behind the noodle shop?"

"Follow me," the merchant said, then ducked into the alley behind the restaurant.

It was already dark, and residents weren't lighting lamps, so every alley was dim. This particular alley was bordered by low walls, less than seven feet tall, but the trees were very high. They cast shade even during the day, and at night, they blocked out light even more effectively.

The wind howled, leaves rustled, and the surroundings were so dark and gloomy it felt like a ghost movie.

In such a place, at such a time, something was bound to happen.

After two turns, He Lingchuan asked the swiftly walking merchant, "How much further? Why is this outhouse so far away?"

"Almost there, just ahead."

"You seem very familiar with this area?" He Lingchuan stopped and chuckled. "Do you often come here to use the outhouse?"

The merchant turned around as well. "Are you coming or not? I'm in a hurry."

He Lingchuan whispered something to Shan Youjun, too quietly for the merchant to hear. Then He Lingchuan spoke, "I don't think you're merchants. Even the army might not have horses as good as those."

The merchant scratched his head. "I don't think you are either. What merchant would be heading north at this time?" His expression then tightened, and he yelled, "Attack!"

His hand dropped from his head, but his wrist flicked, and with a soft *whoosh*, a sleeve arrow shot from a hidden compartment, aiming straight for He Lingchuan's face.

His eyesight was good; he could tell He Lingchuan was the higher-ranking of the two.

This sudden turn was completely without warning. In the pitch-black alley, who could have noticed that hidden arrow?

At the same time, a person vaulted over the low wall on each side, lunging at He Lingchuan and Shan Youjun from behind.

From the very beginning, their intention was to lure them in and ambush them.

He Lingchuan was already prepared. He dodged the hidden arrow by turning sideways, and the stinky bomb he had concealed in his left hand was already smashed onto the ground.

An indescribable stench instantly enveloped the narrow, dark alley.

Coincidentally, the wind died down at that moment, making the smell unbearably intense.

He Lingchuan and Shan Youjun both held their breath, but their three opponents were thrown into disarray by the sudden stink bomb. The merchant who had led He Lingchuan into the alley involuntarily bent over, dry-heaving, while the two who had jumped over the wall instinctively covered their mouths and noses before they had even fully landed.

It was a natural physiological reaction.

The whisper He Lingchuan had shared with Shan Youjun just moments ago had only two words: "Hold breath!"

If they wanted to trick them, He Lingchuan and Shan Youjun were certainly ready to trick them back.

The man dry-heaving realized his mistake as he bent over. Just as he was about to hold his breath and draw his sword, He Lingchuan raised his wrist, launching another hidden arrow.

He had only received the custom-made purple-gold sleeve arrow from Master Li Fubo the day before departure; today marked its debut.

Master Li's specially crafted weapon was in a completely different league from the common one used by this man. The moment the opponent straightened up, he felt a sudden chill and excruciating pain down below—

A direct hit to the groin!

He Lingchuan's diligent training was finally paying off; besides, at such close range, how could his aim be off?

The merchant couldn't stand. He instantly collapsed, writhing on the ground and screaming in agony.

But He Lingchuan's deviousness didn't stop there. The sleeve arrow also had a string attached to its back.

He gave it a gentle tug, and *snap*—

It broke off.

The man stopped screaming and immediately fainted.

This feeling of injuring someone with a hidden arrow was exhilarating; the Martial Arts Hall in Panlong City would never have allowed him to use such a lethal weapon. He Lingchuan exhaled, then turned to find his next opponent, the one grappling with Shan Youjun.

This opponent was not only incredibly quick-witted, immediately suppressing his discomfort from the foul smell to engage in battle, but also remarkably brave. He fiercely exchanged two blows with Shan Youjun, sparks flying in the darkness.

He Lingchuan immediately delivered a kick, spotting an opening as the man's sword technique faltered, and directly struck him under the ribs!

With his kicking power, even a copper plate would be flattened, let alone a human body.

The man felt a sharp pain in his ribs, his body went numb, his vision blurred, and he nearly lost consciousness.

Shan Youjun followed up with another strike, seizing the opportunity to decapitate him.

The last opponent had just rushed forward, raising his trident, when He Lingchuan effortlessly parried his attack. Seeing his two companions already fallen and their opponents unharmed, he had no desire to fight further and turned to flee.

Among the three, he wasn't the strongest in combat, but he was certainly the fastest runner. After two steps, he used one hand to brace himself against a wall, vaulted directly over a dirt courtyard, and turned into another alley.

He had arrived in New Splendor earlier than the other two, and thus was more familiar with the terrain.

He stole a glance back and saw no one pursuing him.

He needed to rush back and report; these guys were a bit thorny to deal with. Once the main force arrived, he vowed to cut off their heads and kick them around like balls.

However, just as he was about to resume his sprint, he felt a sudden gust of wind behind his head, and a blade, seemingly from nowhere, pierced directly through his chest.

It entered from his back and exited from his front, a clean strike through and through.

The man staggered forward two more steps before collapsing lifelessly.

He had already entered the alley; how could that greatsword have struck him? His face was filled with disbelief.

He Lingchuan first retrieved the purple-gold sleeve arrow, then followed to retrieve his blade.

The arrow was tainted and couldn't be used again for now. Shan Youjun, who had followed behind, was also somewhat surprised. He had clearly seen his master hurl the long blade, and the enemy had already vaulted over the wall, yet the blade had sharply veered in mid-air, changing direction to pursue the man on its own.

He had heard of arrows, flying daggers, or other magical artifacts that could pursue targets, but he had never heard of a long blade having such an effect.

He Lingchuan pulled the precious blade from the back of the enemy, who died with his eyes wide open in disbelief. He wiped the blood off on the man's clothes before sheathing the sword.

Naturally, the ability to pierce a fleeing enemy through the chest with a single throw came from the "Guaranteed Hit" characteristic of the Floating Life Blade. He Lingchuan thought it was far more effective than archery.

"Let's go back," He Lingchuan said. If the enemies wouldn't even spare two people using an outhouse, they certainly wouldn't spare He Chunhua.

However, He Lingchuan wasn't overly worried. His father also possessed cultivation and a multitude of protective artifacts, making him difficult to deal with.

The two hurried back. Just as they reached the alley entrance, a sudden, massive explosion erupted to the east, illuminating all of New Splendor!

The explosion was immensely powerful; the ground beneath their feet trembled violently.

He Lingchuan's face instantly changed. "The inn where the county magistrate is hosting Mo Zhe Jingxuan seems to be in that direction!"

Inside the noodle shop, He Chunhua and the two merchants were conversing desultorily, both sides somewhat preoccupied.

When the explosion abruptly occurred, the shop owner, who had just picked up a basin of water, spilled it immediately and had to grab a pillar to avoid falling.

He Chunhua, Mao Tao, and Jiao Tai instinctively turned their heads at the sound.

The two merchants immediately drew their weapons and launched their attack.

However, just as they attacked within three feet of He Chunhua, a thin, shimmering barrier of light suddenly appeared before him. Its surface bore delicate patterns, resembling snakeskin.

Their attacks immediately slowed, as if they were stuck in thick mud.

This was He Chunhua's protective artifact automatically activating.

Jiao Tai immediately realized something was wrong when he turned around. He yelled "How dare you!" and rushed forward to protect his master.

He Chunhua threw the intertwined red silk thread wrapped around his hand forward. It expanded into a net in mid-air, ensnaring one of the enemies.

Sun Fuping's artifact was always effective, no matter the situation.

At that moment, the wind-blocking cloth curtain suddenly flew up, startling everyone. He Lingchuan and Shan Youjun burst in, with He Lingchuan announcing, "We've dealt with three outside!"

After that, there was no suspense. With five people against one, they quickly overpowered him.

While Jiao Tai was beating the man half to death, He Chunhua picked up the net from the ground and said to the captive inside, "Explain clearly, what's going on outside?"

The man laughed loudly. "Your official is gone for good! My brothers have arrived, and they'll send you to join him!"

He Chunhua exchanged a glance with his son, then asked, "How did you know when the grain transport team would pass through here?" The team had only notified New Splendor to prepare one day in advance. These Xunzho rangers were patrolling the vast central and northern regions of Xiazhou; they shouldn't have received the news so quickly.

The man only sneered in response.

"He's trying to buy time," He Lingchuan said, seeing through his intention. "We need to get back to the camp quickly!"

Jiao Tai slit the captive's throat. Ignoring the trembling restaurant owner clinging to a pillar, He Lingchuan didn't forget to toss a dozen copper coins for their meal. The five rushed out of the restaurant, unhitched the three Xunzho scout's excellent steeds, and swiftly mounted them.

Five people on three horses galloped less than a hundred paces before hearing a thundering of hooves. A force was approaching from the south; by the sound of it, there were at least two to three hundred riders!

"Giddy up!" He Chunhua's face paled, and he urged his horse to go faster.

The horses turned off the main street and galloped straight toward the grain transport team's camp. He Lingchuan looked back and saw a vast swarm of cavalry behind them.

These men tore open their outer garments and cloaks, revealing military uniforms underneath. Even if He Lingchuan hadn't seen that particular style before, he was certain these were Xunzho rangers.

Clearly, these individuals had been lying in ambush outside New Splendor, waiting for the explosion in town as a signal to rush in, kill, and seize the grain!