Chapter 231: Jiang Fan Takes Action

The bandits surrounding them learned that all four were disciples of the Nine Sects.

Their eyes immediately lit up, and they let out a cruel, unrestrained laugh:

“Disciples of the Nine Sects carry valuable items.”

“I bet those three carriages are full of treasures, aren't they?”

“Hahaha! You blind fools, can any of these things compare to two lovely, vibrant female disciples?”

“You can share the treasures; I'll take the two beautiful female disciples!”

Qin Caihe and Chu Xingmeng’s faces paled slightly, and their hearts sank.

There was a difference:

Qin Caihe clung tightly behind Lu Xinghe.

Chu Xingmeng, however, hid behind Jiang Fan, feeling his powerful aura, which slightly calmed her heart.

Normally, Lu Xinghe would have been jealous.

But at the moment, he couldn't care less, gritting his teeth as he shouted:

“We are carrying out an escort mission under the command of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets!”

“Black Lotus, you’d better know what you’re doing.”

“If you provoke the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets, you’ll have nowhere to run, whether on heaven or earth!”

Jiang Fan heard this and internally cursed.

How could you lay out your trump card right from the start?

This way, there was no room for maneuver.

As expected!

Black Lotus, who had been smiling, slowly let her smile fade.

A dangerous glint spread in her eyes.

“You’ve reminded me: if I let you go, wouldn’t I be cutting off my own retreat?”

“Initially, I only planned to rob you of your possessions.”

“Unfortunately, for my sake, and for my brothers, we'll have to trouble the four of you.”

Lu Xinghe’s face instantly turned ashen.

It turned out Black Lotus and her gang initially had no intention of killing them.

His threat with the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets had ironically brought about a murderous disaster!

He was filled with regret but had no choice but to raise his sword, saying with a facade of courage but inner weakness:

“You want to kill us!”

“You’ll pay a price for it!”

As he spoke, he released his spiritual power at Foundation Establishment Level Seven.

Seeing this, Jiang Fan wanted to kick him flying.

Are you a pig?

Black Lotus is a bandit; she kills without batting an eye!

If she wanted to kill, she would have acted immediately. Why would she waste so many words with you?

The reason she hadn’t acted immediately was that she was unsure of the four’s strength and was wary.

And Lu Xinghe? He just revealed his trump card!

Truly a pig of a teammate!

Upon sensing his cultivation, Black Lotus realized he was only at Foundation Establishment Level Seven, and couldn't help but grin.

“So, you’re just a little guy at Foundation Establishment Level Seven.”

“Then I can rest easy.”

“Brothers who are above Foundation Establishment Level Seven, attack! Leave no one alive!”

Of the eight bandits surrounding them, four immediately charged forward.

The remaining four martial artists, whose strength was below Foundation Establishment Level Seven, retreated a few steps, holding crossbows and aiming precisely at them.

If they tried to escape the four's siege, crossbow bolts would cut off their retreat.

Their division of labor was skilled and seamless.

Only then did Lu Xinghe realize that Black Lotus had been intimidating him, forcing him to reveal his trump card.

He was filled with both regret and shame.

But he had no time for further thought.

A towering brute, wielding a long-handled *modao* saber, charged like a beast.

He leaped into the air, bringing his saber down on Lu Xinghe.

Lu Xinghe’s expression flickered; he quickly used his swordsmanship, attempting to withstand the blow.

However, as the weapons clashed, a feeling of immense pressure, like Mount Tai pressing down, overwhelmed him, forcing his longsword against his own shoulder.

The back of the saber dug deep into his flesh, making Lu Xinghe gasp in pain.

And that wasn't all.

The opponent twisted his *modao*, and its sharp blade swept towards Lu Xinghe's head!

Lu Xinghe's heart pounded. In that critical moment, he unleashed a burst of survival instinct, raising his sword to deflect the *modao*.

This allowed the *modao* to merely graze his scalp, shearing off a large section of his hair.

Though both were at Foundation Establishment Level Seven, Lu Xinghe, cultivated within a sect, was clearly not on the same level as his opponent, who lived by the blade.

After several consecutive exchanges, Lu Xinghe faced mortal danger multiple times.

The more he fought, the more panicked he became.

Moreover, there were three other Foundation Establishment Level Seven cultivators, and the most powerful Black Lotus, standing by.

A chill spread through his heart.

Seizing the moment when he repelled his opponent with a sword strike,

he decisively leaped like a leopard and darted into the dark, dense forest nearby.

He paid no mind to the dense thorns that tore at his face and neck, leaving him bloody and bruised, as he frantically fled for his life.

As for his junior sister, Qin Caihe,

he didn't even spare her a glance.

The *modao* bandit lifted his saber to give chase, but Black Lotus revealed a playful, cat-and-mouse expression:

“I’ll catch this one myself.”

“You deal with the rest.”

With that, she flicked her cloak and entered the dense forest.

The remaining four Foundation Establishment Level Seven bandits, with savage grins, surrounded Jiang Fan and the two female disciples.

The *modao* bandit’s burning gaze lingered on Chu Xingmeng’s captivating figure.

He licked his lips and excitedly declared, “Don’t any of you dare fight me for this woman!”

The remaining three Foundation Establishment Level Seven bandits stopped with evil smiles.

They watched, unhurried, as he stepped forward with his saber raised.

He strode purposefully towards Chu Xingmeng, and seeing Jiang Fan blocking her way, his eyes turned cold.

He raised his saber and swung it down: “You blind fool!”

“Die!”

However,

as the *modao* cut through the air, it gradually lost its power.

Finally, it clattered to the ground with a thud.

The three Foundation Establishment Level Seven bandits froze.

It wasn’t until the *modao* bandit collapsed, clutching his neck which spouted blood like a fountain, and writhed on the ground,

that their expressions drastically changed!

They saw Jiang Fan holding a blood-stained black sword, a hint of indifference on his face.

“So, they’re just a bunch of Foundation Establishment Level Seven bandits.”

“That makes things easier.”

It wasn't just Lu Xinghe who had revealed his trump card.

In Jiang Fan’s eyes, their strength was fully exposed the moment they made a move.

Currently, apart from Black Lotus whose strength was unknown, these bandits were no longer a concern.

Qin Caihe was stunned.

She looked at the fallen *modao* bandit, then at Jiang Fan, whom she had never truly regarded before.

She felt as if she were dreaming.

Chu Xingmeng, on the other hand, felt her uneasy heart settle completely the moment Jiang Fan drew his sword.

She knew she was safe.

The other three Foundation Establishment Level Seven bandits finally reacted, their faces changing repeatedly.

“He’s the true hidden master in this group!”

“Quick! Attack together, don’t give him a chance to defeat us one by one!”

Though flustered, the three still joined forces with great coordination.

From three directions, they simultaneously launched an attack on Jiang Fan.

Jiang Fan, with one person and one sword, employed his movement technique, nimbly moving among the three.

“Sword of Divided Light!”

“Sunrise Over the Vast Sea!”

“Stars Falling Upon Heaven and Earth!”

Each sword strike powerfully claimed a bandit’s life.

With the third sword strike, the last bandit screamed in terror, retreating wildly as he roared, “Quick! Shoot him dead!”

But before the peripheral bandits could even nock their crossbows,

the 'Stars Falling Upon Heaven and Earth' strike severed his body!

Seeing Jiang Fan’s terrifying prowess, the peripheral bandits dared not fight any longer.

They scattered and fled in all directions!

Jiang Fan’s eyes turned cold, and he pursued them with his sword drawn!

With his movement technique, how could these bandits, whose cultivation was below Foundation Establishment Level Seven, possibly escape?

In just a moment, bodies lay scattered all around.

After killing the last bandit,

Jiang Fan tore off their clothes, wiped the remaining blood from his sword, and sheathed it.

He expressionlessly jumped into the carriage and said, “Let’s go, continue on our way.”

Chu Xingmeng quickly jumped into another carriage and obediently took the reins.

Qin Caihe hesitated for a moment and asked, “Aren’t we looking for Senior Brother Lu?”

She looked at Jiang Fan, her gaze carrying a subtle plea.

Jiang Fan said indifferently, “Senior Sister Qin can go look for him herself.”

“Junior Sister Chu and I still have an escort mission to complete. Farewell.”

With a squeeze of his legs, the horse beneath him picked up pace, pulling the carriage forward.

Qin Caihe’s heart lurched.

How could she dare to go look for Lu Xinghe?

She didn’t even dare to stay in this place.

Otherwise, if Black Lotus returned, she would surely die.

So she quickly jumped onto her spiritual beast and swiftly gave chase.

She quietly thought to herself, “Senior Brother Lu, don’t blame us. Blame yourself for abandoning us first!”

Soon after,

the forest rustled.

Black Lotus returned, carrying a severely injured and blood-soaked Lu Xinghe in one hand.

“Brothers, are the tasks done?”

“Pack up the goods, and let’s retreat…”

Her words died in her throat as one corpse after another came into view.

She abruptly stopped speaking!