Chapter 624: Elbow Mountain

As night fell, the peddler, accompanied by Lu Qianjiao, and the coachman, with Hai Chi's old carriage, waited together at the border. Lu Qianjiao grew a little impatient: "Is Li Qi trustworthy? What if he couldn't do it and ran away?"

The peddler adjusted his cart. "He wouldn't run away, but it's certainly possible he failed. The Three Forks border is just too unique." Lu Qianjiao said, "If he can't pull this off, will you still trust him in the future?"

"Why wouldn't I trust him? Who doesn't make mistakes?" The peddler leaned against the cart and lit a cigarette. "It wasn't supposed to be him, but by a twist of fate, it became him. His success or failure is up to destiny, but after all this, he'll still be the one to succeed. Why wouldn't I trust such a reliable brother?"

"What do you mean, 'it wasn't him, then it became him'?" Lu Qianjiao didn't quite understand. "Didn't you pick him out a long time ago...?" As she spoke, two figures emerged from the night.

Li Qi dragged the Dark Bridge Cannon. Everyone recognized his figure, but who was the person behind him? Such a beautiful figure. Such a handsome face.

"Zhao Xiaowan!" Lu Qianjiao roared, pulling an arrow from behind her and throwing it at Li Banfeng and Zhao Xiaowan. The arrow split into two, then four, and by the time it was halfway there, it had already multiplied into over a hundred arrows.

Li Banfeng put the Dark Bridge Cannon aside, picked up his wife, and was about to dodge, when a figure blocked their path, grabbed a handful of arrows, broke them with one hand, and threw them to the ground. Lu Qianjiao chuckled inwardly.

The most unwise way to counter arrow techniques is to directly confront the arrows, because they are numerous, fast, and multiply exponentially. How long can one keep fighting them? The remaining arrows continued to multiply, and Lu Qianjiao was certain of victory. Unexpectedly, the person was so fast that they broke the arrows quicker than they could multiply. In the blink of an eye, the ground was littered with broken arrowheads; the arrow technique was neutralized, and the person stood before Lu Qianjiao, completely unharmed.

Who was this person? Not only did Lu Qianjiao not recognize them, but even Li Banfeng took a while to identify them.

The person was a woman with tied-up hair, clad in armor, holding a long spear in her right hand, and toying with a few arrowheads in her left. As Lu Qianjiao reached out, another arrow appeared in her palm. Before she could throw it, the woman opposite suddenly vanished. When she reappeared, a long spear was pressed against Lu Qianjiao's chest.

Lu Qianjiao looked at the woman's face but still couldn't recognize her; her face was too unusual. But seeing her footwork and spear skills, Lu Qianjiao recognized her: "Hong Ying, you wretch!"

Seeing Hong Ying's appearance, Lu Qianjiao didn't say much, as it was a matter of life and death. The peddler kept pressing his lips together very tightly, his chin trembling in spasms.

The coachman paid little attention to the two of them; he was stroking the shafts and the carriage, as if whispering to the old carriage.

Hong Ying glanced at the arrow in Lu Qianjiao's hand, lightly shifted her spear, and asked, "Are you trying to throw that arrow?" The arrow shaft moved between Lu Qianjiao's fingertips; she indeed had that intention.

Hong Ying nodded slightly: "Go on, throw it. Don't hesitate. I remember you're quite quick." Lu Qianjiao's fingertips twitched. Hong Ying remained very calm, her spear still pointed at Lu Qianjiao's face. "Throw it, I haven't seen you use your arrows in ages." The peddler called out, "Qianjiao, put the arrow down."

After speaking, the peddler looked at Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng called out, "Yingying, come back." Hong Ying returned to Li Banfeng's side.

Both sides remained silent for a long time before the coachman finally spoke: "Are you telling me you went to all this trouble to gather here just to fight a battle? If it's really about fighting, I'm not getting involved. I'm leaving!"

Hong Ying glanced at the coachman and suddenly exclaimed, "Well, who do we have here? Isn't this Che Wushang? You're actually still alive?" His wife chuckled, "Of course he's alive. With so many people on the battlefield, who could outlast him?"

Hong Ying nodded. "Exactly. The Crazy Craftsman was blind to make him a vanguard. He fought three battles with me and retreated over three hundred *li*, even the Crazy Craftsman couldn't keep up with him."

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Lu Qianjiao couldn't hold back and was the first to laugh aloud: "Back then, I thought he was luring the enemy deeper so I could rush to encircle them. But my cavalry couldn't outrun his infantry, and I had no idea where to find him."

Hong Ying laughed. "I sent cavalry to pursue him, but they couldn't catch him either. They say an incompetent general exhausts his army, but his army certainly followed the right person; every single one of them could outrun anyone." Laughter echoed through Clear Water Ditch.

Li Banfeng didn't laugh because he hadn't experienced the previous war.

The coachman also didn't laugh: "Are you here for business or a reunion? If you keep bringing up old stories, I'm not staying. I might as well go back to Yaowang Ditch to find work!"

This laughter eased the atmosphere considerably. The peddler said to Zhao Xiaowan and Hong Ying, "Today, we're doing business together, so let's put old grievances aside. I originally intended for Qianjiao to guard the entrance here, but since you two have arrived, I'll leave this to you. Qianjiao, you go with Li Qi and escort Che Wushang up Elbow Mountain!"

Li Banfeng looked at his wife. She opened the Dark Bridge Cannon, chose the right direction, and fired the first shot.

The shot was successful; a huge shadow covered the entire border. However, there was a problem with the subsequent operation. The Dark Bridge wasn't completely stable and disappeared after less than ten seconds. Lu Qianjiao snorted, "General Zhao, you're not trying to use this contraption to harm us, are you?"

Zhao Xiaowan scoffed, "It would serve you right if I did trick you, but I wouldn't dream of tricking my husband."

Lu Qianjiao looked at Li Banfeng. "Brother, you're so lucky. The most beautiful woman in the world actually chose you." Zhao Xiaowan seemed a little surprised. "General Lu, aren't you overdoing it? You actually called me the most beautiful woman in the world?"

Lu Qianjiao sighed, "I didn't want to say it, but so many men are blind and think someone like you is good-looking." Hong Ying spun her spear, looked at Lu Qianjiao, and said, "Wretch, still want to fight?"

Lu Qianjiao glared, "Why would I be afraid of you?"

Li Banfeng walked over to his wife, wanting to give her the key. "If I don't come back, remember to go home by yourself." His wife shook her head. "Husband, you keep the key. With the old man accompanying you, I'll be more at ease."

Li Banfeng stroked his wife's palm, preparing to lead everyone onto the bridge.

The peddler handed Lu Qianjiao a pair of shoes. "They're both fast, so make sure you keep up." Lu Qianjiao put on the shoes and touched the peddler's face.

The peddler took two bottles and gave them to Li Banfeng. "Once you cross the border, first apply the blue bottle of vanishing cream to your face. This cream can block the sky's light, but it's poisonous, so wash it off immediately after crossing. Near Elbow Mountain, at the right moment, apply the white bottle of vanishing cream to your face. This one is more toxic but can make you temporarily invisible. Remember to give some extra to the coachman; he also needs to take care of Hai Chi's old carriage. When ascending the mountain, don't rush. Wait for me to create a diversion to draw people away, then you can proceed. Try to avoid fighting along the way if possible, and ideally, make no sound at all to lead these ten thousand people out."

Zhao Xiaowan fired another shot, and this time the Dark Bridge stabilized.

Li Banfeng prepared to lead people onto the bridge. The peddler pushed his cart, walking out of the valley. "Aren't you coming onto the bridge?"

The peddler shook his head. "I have another way. Be extremely careful!"

Inside the Dark Bridge, Lu Qianjiao found it novel and looked around curiously. The coachman just focused on pulling the carriage and watching the road, ignoring everything else.

Li Banfeng constantly felt there were people outside the Dark Bridge, but he couldn't see any figures. Worried about the bridge's instability, he didn't dare to delay. Rushing forward, the three quickly exited the wormhole.

Lu Qianjiao looked back. The hundred-meter-wide border was already behind her. She exclaimed repeatedly, "This Zhao Xiaowan truly has some skills. But speaking of which, I heard she died at Hong Ying's hands. How did these two make up? Brother, I see them both standing by your side. You haven't married both of them, have you? Marrying Zhao Xiaowan is a blessing, but Hong Ying turned into that ghastly appearance, why would you marry her? Back in the military camp, I heard she spent all her time reading 'Discussions on Fragrance' and 'Embroidered Frost Collection.' I bet she tricked you with sweet talk. Don't be fooled by her eloquence; she has no real ability."

"Sister-in-law, can we focus on the main task first?" Li Banfeng applied the blue vanishing cream to his face, then some to the coachman, and handed the bottle to Lu Qianjiao. Lu Qianjiao looked at the bottle. "This stuff is too toxic. Don't use it unless you absolutely have to."

A strong light fell onto the open field, only about three to five *li* away from the three of them.

"Three Forks is truly too populated." Lu Qianjiao sighed helplessly and applied the vanishing cream herself.

Following the map, they reached the foot of Elbow Mountain. The mountain was shaped like a plump pig's elbow, living up to its name. The path wasn't steep, and the terrain was relatively smooth. The mountain was noisy. Li Banfeng activated his "Insight into Spiritual Sounds" technique, and through his Soul-Thread Earrings, he faintly heard the sound of rattles.

"Block him at the intersection!""This person isn't much of a fighter; he's not the real peddler!""Capture him alive and hand him over to the Border Defense Envoy!"

The peddler had already arrived, not fighting with full force, but attempting to draw the three-headed people away. Lu Qianjiao was a little worried and said to Li Banfeng, "Let's go up the mountain and see!"

"No rush." Li Banfeng led the two to hide in the woods at the foot of the mountain. Soon, about ten three-headed people entered the forest. "Search the forest carefully; don't miss anything!"

"I see carriage wheel marks over here."

The coachman clutched the shafts, ready to pull the carriage and flee. No matter the caliber of the opponent, even if they were just a group of ordinary soldiers, the coachman would absolutely not engage them in combat. Many heroes have met their downfall in unexpected ways; he was here to pull a carriage, and he was very clear about that.

The three-headed people kept approaching. Li Banfeng pondered whether to apply the white vanishing cream.

The peddler had warned them not to engage in combat when ascending the mountain. Lu Qianjiao also looked at the vanishing cream bottle, seemingly thinking that applying it now was the best option. But on second thought, the situation wasn't that simple.

If they applied the vanishing cream now, Li Banfeng and Lu Qianjiao could become invisible, and the coachman could make Hai Chi's old carriage invisible too, but the old carriage's tracks would remain visible. There was nothing they could do about it; Hai Chi's old carriage was different from others; its wheels couldn't stay off the ground for long.

If they left wheel marks, these three-headed people would definitely see them. In other words, being invisible or not was meaningless in this forest. There was another problem that couldn't be ignored: whether the ten thousand people on Elbow Mountain would be willing to get into the carriage.

They were fighting for their lives and now held hostility toward anyone ascending the mountain. In the forest, the three-headed people kept approaching. Lu Qianjiao looked at Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng extended his right hand, palm upward, and waved it horizontally.

Lu Qianjiao, seasoned in battle, naturally understood what this meant: not a single one of these dozen or so three-headed people could be left alive.

According to the peddler, these three-headed people were all Dark Energy users. Now, they had to see what kind of caliber they were.

Li Banfeng first used "Unimpeded Travel," moving through the forest to its edge to cut off the enemy's retreat. If they chose to fight, no one could be left alive; they absolutely could not let these people escape to report. The two took their positions, and Li Banfeng made the first move.

There was no need for elaborate or flashy techniques; no skills that would cause too much commotion should be used.

Li Banfeng floated in mid-air, swept his Tang blade horizontally, slitting three necks with one stroke. A three-headed person immediately fell to the ground.

Hearing a slight sound, Lu Qianjiao knew Li Banfeng was in position. She flicked her wrist, throwing three arrows. The three arrows flew in three different directions, multiplying as they flew. Three three-headed people were successively riddled with arrows, like sieves.

The other three-headed people in the forest noticed something was wrong. One of them took down the brass gong from his waist, intending to send a signal. Li Banfeng appeared behind him, using the "Closed Door and Shut Gates" boundary to pass through the three-headed person's body.

The severely wounded three-headed person had no time to resist and was thrown into the Portable Dwelling by Li Banfeng.

Five three-headed people had died in succession. It seemed like a smooth victory, but the remaining eight three-headed people were prepared, and the advantage of surprise was over. One three-headed person charged towards Lu Qianjiao. He was incredibly fast; he must have been a wanderer.

Lu Qianjiao threw an arrow, which split into two, then four. The four arrows locked onto the three-headed person. These arrows couldn't be dodged, because under Lu Qianjiao's control, they would pursue whoever tried to evade them. But to her surprise, the three-headed person didn't dodge; he charged straight into the arrows.

The four arrows were about to hit, and by all accounts, the three-headed person should have been killed. But unexpectedly, the arrows suddenly veered off course: two arrows pinned to a tree, and one nearly hit the coachman.

The last remaining arrow struck the three-headed person's chest, but it lacked power and only caused a superficial wound.

Lu Qianjiao's strength was that of an Arrow Master; this mistake was truly outlandish. The reason was that she hadn't understood the opponent's cultivation level.

The middle head of this three-headed person was indeed a Wanderer, with speed comparable to a Traveler. However, the head on his right was an Interceptor, with abilities similar to a Spirit Cultivator. When Lu Qianjiao tried to control her arrows, her thoughts suddenly became chaotic, causing the arrows to split only twice and their direction to go severely out of control.

In this exchange, Lu Qianjiao learned how formidable the three-headed people were. She leaped from behind a tree and pierced her own palm with an arrowhead. This was her experience in dealing with Spirit Cultivators: using pain to concentrate her mind.

The three-headed person quickly approached Lu Qianjiao. Lu Qianjiao turned and fired another arrow. The left head shouted, "Miss!"

The arrow split into dozens, but not a single one hit the three-headed person.

The left head was an Erudite, akin to a Scholar Cultivator. He used the "Word Made Real" technique.

Lu Qianjiao was surprised. What level was this three-headed person? Could his "Word Made Real" technique be effective against her? Did that mean his cultivation had reached the Cloud realm? This three-headed person's cultivation hadn't reached the Cloud realm; he was a Dark Energy user, not a cultivator. Dark Energy users' cultivation capped at the seventh layer of the Earth level.

The reason "Word Made Real" was effective was entirely because this head's technique was used with extreme focus. He didn't control the body; posture, movement, footwork, distance—none of these were considered.

He didn't even consider offensive or defensive forms; he focused solely on one thing: preparing the technique and unleashing it at the opportune moment.

After taking two hits, Lu Qianjiao became cautious. She changed positions three times and fired three arrows successively. She calculated that this three-headed person couldn't interfere with three arrows simultaneously."Miss!""Don't split!""Powerless!"

Two arrows did not split and missed their target. One arrow successfully split into eight, but all fell weakly to the ground.

Lu Qianjiao made a miscalculation, because there was more than one three-headed person here.

These three-headed people were warriors centrally trained from outer provinces. When facing a powerful enemy, once they found an effective tactic, the entire group would adopt and execute it, displaying astonishing consistency and coordination.

Lu Qianjiao, a veteran of countless battles, was truly bewildered by this. She was surrounded by eight three-headed people. Each three-headed person had only one head responsible for controlling the body, who was either a pugilist or a wanderer, and thus not at a disadvantage physically.

The other two heads had different professions. The three heads coordinated flawlessly, and the eight three-headed people moved in perfect sync. After several exchanges, Lu Qianjiao couldn't find a single weakness for a moment.

Seeing the unfavorable situation, the coachman turned the shafts, preparing to retreat to the border line.

A renowned general of her generation was not merely for show. Unable to find a reasonable tactic, Lu Qianjiao resorted to brute force. With a flick of her sleeve, thousands of arrows flew out from her body simultaneously. This move had only one characteristic: it ignored aiming and simply fired. Before long, six three-headed people were riddled with arrows like hedgehogs and fell to the ground.

The remaining two three-headed people tried to escape but were intercepted by Li Banfeng and sent into his Portable Dwelling.

This group of three-headed people was dealt with, but Lu Qianjiao had expended considerable energy. She truly hadn't expected eight three-headed people to force her to use that move.

Fortunately, the number of three-headed people wasn't too large. If there were one or two hundred, that previous move might not have worked. If hundreds of Scholar Cultivators had simultaneously used "Word Made Real," those thousands of arrows might not have even flown.

If she couldn't even handle one or two hundred enemy soldiers, Lu Qianjiao would truly be unworthy of her reputation on the battlefield.

Retrieving her arrows, Lu Qianjiao sighed, "The fighting style in the outer provinces is indeed different. I've been complacent these past years; I need to put more effort into training troops from now on." "Sister-in-law, take the coachman and check the situation outside the forest. Make sure he doesn't escape. I'll dispose of the bodies here."

"Make sure he doesn't escape?" Lu Qianjiao looked at the coachman and gave a wry smile. "That's actually quite difficult."

The two exited the forest. Li Banfeng alone collected all the three-headed people's bodies into his Portable Dwelling. His gloves and the wine gourd together cleaned the bloodstains from the snowy ground. At the foot of the mountain, the commotion was much quieter than before. Many of the Guiltless Army had been drawn to the east slope by the peddler, leaving few enemies on the south slope.

Li Banfeng handed the vanishing cream bottle to Lu Qianjiao. "Sister-in-law, you decide when to use it. I'll lead the way, and you follow closely behind." The coachman pulled the carriage and walked ahead. "Don't lead the way. Let me do it. I'll guide you."

Lu Qianjiao was startled. "Where did you get such nerve?"

"It's not about nerve. We're going up the mountain anyway, and you don't know what it's like up there. Just let me lead." The coachman walked ahead, and indeed, he made the right choice. His approach was completely different from Li Banfeng's.

Li Banfeng was thinking of using his undetectable talent as a House Cultivator to scout ahead, believing that even if he encountered three-headed people, he would likely not be discovered. But the coachman relied on his ability to avoid misfortune and seek fortune, a skill unmatched in all of Pro Province.

Li Banfeng's idea was to not be discovered if he met people. The coachman's idea was to avoid meeting people altogether.

He led the way, ascending the slope, going from the foot of the mountain to the mountainside, winding through the forest. He truly didn't encounter a single three-headed person! After walking further up the mountain, the coachman stopped the carriage. "We can't avoid them up ahead. There are many people, and they all bear ill will."

Were these still the Guiltless Army?

Judging by their location, they were not the Guiltless Army. They were likely the three-headed people trapped on the mountain peak, the very ones who needed to be rescued. They were fighting for their lives and now held hostility toward anyone ascending the mountain.

Li Banfeng warned the coachman and Lu Qianjiao, "You two shouldn't go up. I'll negotiate with them alone." "Don't worry, I wasn't planning on going up with you anyway." The coachman turned the shafts, ready to descend the mountain at any moment. Lu Qianjiao said, "I'll go with you."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Too many people will only complicate things. You stay here and watch the old carriage. I'll bring people down shortly."

Li Banfeng used his "Riding the Wind and Clouds" technique, flying up the mountain close to the snow. The three-headed sentry, hidden in the grass, was tired and hungry, almost asleep, but suddenly woke up. The middle head asked, "Did something just pass by?"

The left head said, "Looks like someone."

The right head hadn't even opened its eyes yet: "Really? I didn't see anyone." Li Banfeng said, "Yes, there's someone. Don't make a sound."

The three-headed person was startled and tried to beat the gong to alert.

Li Banfeng held down the three-headed person and explained, "Don't be afraid. If I wanted to kill you, I would have already. I'm here to save you. Do you recognize this?" As he spoke, Li Banfeng took a human head from his waist, one he had just severed in his Portable Dwelling.

The three-headed person looked at the head and found it unfamiliar.

Li Banfeng pulled out another head. "Do you recognize this one?" Judging by his expression, he didn't seem to recognize this one either.

Li Banfeng said helplessly, "How did you fight this war? You don't recognize a single enemy?"

After trying six heads in a row, the right three-headed person finally spoke: "I know this one! This is from the Guiltless Army!"

"You finally got it right. This is from the Guiltless Army, and these are all from the Guiltless Army," Li Banfeng placed the heads before the three-headed person. "The Guiltless Army are your enemies. I killed your enemies, so I am your benefactor. Now, take me to your leader, and I'll lead you down the mountain."

The three-headed person looked at Li Banfeng together and asked, "Are you truly our benefactor?" Li Banfeng shook the heads. "Solid proof!"

The three-headed person led Li Banfeng near the mountaintop, where he finally met the leader of the three-headed people.

The leader's three heads consisted of a woman in her thirties, a man in his early forties, and an old man around seventy. The man in his forties was named Tu Heng, his head was in the middle, and he was the one in charge among the three. He wasn't very trusting of this late-night visitor. "Where are you taking us? We're not going to Sinner City!"

"I didn't say I'm taking you to Sinner City. I'm taking you out of Three Forks."

Tu Heng sneered, "Tricking us again. Didn't the people from the outer provinces say they would let us leave Three Forks, only to go back on their word later?" "Who went back on their word?" Li Banfeng didn't understand.

The head on Tu Heng's left was named Tu Min, who had a somewhat milder temperament: "Where else can we go if we leave Three Forks? Li Qi originally intended to take us in, but then he changed his mind and didn't want us, insisting on sending us to Sinner City. Where else can we go, do you think?"

"Li Qi?" Li Banfeng paused for a moment. After a brief explanation from someone nearby, he understood the situation.

The reason these ten thousand-plus people were gathered was that Liao Zihui had initially chosen them to give to Li Qi. But later, for some reason, Liao Zihui swapped them for another group and gave them to Li Qi instead.

Liao Zihui feared that the previously chosen people would cause trouble, so he prepared to send them to Sinner City.

This group of three-headed people originally thought they could leave Three Forks and regain their freedom. Now, entering Sinner City was like falling into an abyss. The severe disappointment made them completely lose control. They ran to Elbow Mountain, ready to fight the Border Defense Office to the bitter end.

This matter, of course, could not be blamed on Li Qi, but Liao Zihui, to appease this group of three-headed people, placed the blame squarely on Li Qi. If this incident were to spread in Three Forks, Li Qi's reputation would become extremely bad.

"These ten thousand people, I should save them, but I cannot be forced to save them, because it's not my fault." Li Banfeng finally understood the meaning of these words.

He had indeed saved an extra ten thousand three-headed people, but he had also inadvertently harmed the ten thousand three-headed people before him. Originally, they could have continued living, but now their lives were hanging by a thread, though it truly wasn't his fault.

How should he tell them?

Tell them that Li Qi was right in front of them?

All their resentment was directed at Li Qi; telling them now would only make them lose trust.

Li Banfeng looked at Tu Heng, then at the group of three-headed people: "Follow me. I am Li Qi's friend. As long as you leave Three Forks, Li Qi will definitely take you in."

Tu Heng shook his head. "Then why didn't he take us in before?"

"Because Li Qi prefers to take in friends, and you weren't his friends back then."

The old man on Tu Heng's right, named Tu Mang, sighed, "We're not his friends now either. What kind of people are we? What kind of fate do we have? How could we ever reach such a high branch as him?"

"You are Li Qi's friends now," Li Banfeng patiently explained. "You are my friends, and I am Li Qi's friend. Friends of friends are all friends. Look down, walk down this slope, and we are all friends. Keep walking down this slope, and we can get out of Three Forks!"

The slope was smooth, and the people around him were successfully persuaded down. They all looked at their leader.

Tu Min and Tu Mang both looked at Tu Heng in the middle.

Tu Heng pondered for a long time before giving the command to gather.

At the border, Zhao Xiaowan continuously watched the opposite side, waiting for Li Banfeng's figure.

Hong Ying took a few deep breaths in the cold wind. "How many years has it been since I last saw snow? Perhaps I've been home too long. It's so cold today; I'm really not used to being out like this."

As she spoke, Hong Ying shivered.

Zhao Xiaowan was startled. "Is it that cold?"

Hong Ying looked at the Dark Bridge Cannon. "Can this thing be put away for a bit?"

"If we put away the cannon, how will my husband come out?"

Hong Ying looked around. "Enemies are coming, and quite a few of them."