Chapter 117: Xiao Wu

The first convoy passed through safely, and the second also passed without incident…

Li Qingfu, being experienced and cautious, had divided the large caravan into ten groups to cross the dangerous Green Kill Pass one by one. During the crossing, no matter what happened, they were not to stop but to rush through at top speed. Once safely reaching the other side of the canyon, they immediately fired a whistling arrow to signal the next group to set off.

Seeing several convoys pass through unharmed, the merchants and guards, who had been tense and anxious, finally relaxed. They busied themselves in an orderly manner, crossing the pass batch by batch.

Following Li Qingfu’s instructions, Xiao Wu hurried on horseback to the carriage where Mu Feng and Jing Wushuang were. From his saddle, he cupped his hands in salute and said, “Young master, Old Man Li requests that you travel with us through the Green Kill Pass ahead.”

“Oh, very well!”

Mu Feng did not refuse. He instructed the coachman to start moving and, escorted by the guard nicknamed Xiao Wu, followed Old Man Li’s convoy.

Without needing to ask, he knew that this was the experienced old man intentionally showing goodwill. Or rather, it was an indirect apology for last night’s rashness. When traveling, it was better to have one more friend than one more enemy—a truth the shrewd old man certainly understood.

“Brave warrior, where are you from, and what should I call you?” Mu Feng opened the curtain and asked Xiao Wu, who rode alongside the carriage.

“I’m from Jiangling. You can just call me Xiao Wu from now on, young master!”

Xiao Wu smiled. He was tall and sturdy, with skin bronzed from years of travel, but his smile was bright and cheerful, and he seemed quite young. Glancing at the smiling Mu Feng, he cautiously asked, “And you, young master? What should I call you, and where is your hometown?”

“Mu Feng, from Jianning!”

Mu Feng replied quickly. Compared to the worldly and experienced Old Man Li, the young Xiao Wu had a youthful energy and frankness that made him easy to like. “In a few months, I’ll be reporting to the Xiangshan Academy in Jiangling Prefecture. Since you’re from Jiangling, we might even run into each other on the streets!”

“Xiangshan Academy?”

Xiao Wu was surprised and saluted again with clasped hands. “So, young master is a Xiucai with an official title. I apologize for my rudeness. My home isn’t far from Xiangshan Academy—it’s under the tallest and oldest parasol tree at the foot of the mountain. When you come to Jiangling, feel free to visit me.”

Looking at the hospitable and sincere Xiao Wu, Mu Feng nodded. “Good, it’s a deal, brother Xiao Wu. When are you usually at home?”

“Well… I’m ashamed to say this.”

Xiao Wu gave a bitter smile and continued, “The old house has been around for decades, and a few years ago, it caught fire. Now, it leaks whenever it rains. For the past three years, I’ve been traveling nonstop, hoping to earn enough to go back and build a new house and get married. I’ve passed through Jiangling Prefecture countless times in these three years but never had the chance to go home. After this mission, I won’t travel anymore. I’ll listen to my mother, get married, and have children. This Protective Talisman around my neck—my fiancée went to a temple dozens of miles away to get it for me!”

Touching the Protective Talisman hanging around his neck, young Xiao Wu beamed with happiness.

“Hahaha, that’s truly enviable! When you get married, don’t forget to invite me for a drink!”

Mu Feng laughed heartily. The honest and straightforward Xiao Wu suddenly reminded him of his elder brother, Sky Splitting Tiger. He was about to chat more when suddenly, his brow twitched, and a strong sense of danger surged through him.

“Stop! Be careful!”

Mu Feng shouted loudly. As soon as the words left his mouth, massive rocks suddenly tumbled down from the cliffs on both sides. In an instant, people and horses were thrown into chaos; those who couldn’t dodge in time were crushed into pulp. The convoy, which had just been celebrating their safe passage through Green Kill Pass, was suddenly struck by disaster.

“Speed up! Charge through, hurry!”

Li Qingfu, who had narrowly escaped by hiding under a horse’s belly, shouted hoarsely. With the help of a guard, he leaped onto a tall horse and directed the remaining people to charge forward. However, before the survivors could advance more than a few steps, a thick black mist suddenly spread throughout the entire canyon. From both ends of the dark canyon came piercing screams—clearly, the people at the ends had also been ambushed mercilessly!

The shrill screams soon faded, leaving no sound behind. Not a single person had escaped.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…

In the next moment, accompanied by sharp whistling sounds, fierce masked men appeared all around, radiating murderous intent. At the same time, eerie balls of Ghost Fire floated up and down in the dark canyon, accompanied by wild, unrestrained laughter. The laughter came and went, drifting unpredictably—sometimes seeming to come from above the cliffs, other times from deep underground—making every surviving merchant and guard tremble with fear.

“Quick… quickly announce our name! Hurry!”

The experienced Li Qingfu trembled all over and forcefully pushed the flagman beside him.

The latter, pale-faced, nervously swallowed and shouted uneasily, “Jiangling… Wei… Wu Escort Agency… Who are our friends ahead?”

Cackle, cackle, cackle…

The response to the flagman was a burst of eerie laughter.

In the next moment, the flagman, who had been hiding behind a carriage, suddenly saw a shadow flash before his eyes. His arms and legs were grabbed by two dark figures on either side. With a fierce pull, they tore him in half, and the gushing blood drenched Li Qingfu beside him.

“Ah… devils! You… you’re not bandits—you’re two great Devil Leaders!”

Li Qingfu screamed in terror. Using his hands and feet, he desperately scrambled under the carriage.

Having traveled far and wide for so many years, he had never seen bandits this brutal. They didn’t even glance at the treasures on the carriages, instead killing indiscriminately. These weren’t bandits—they were murderous Devil Leaders, great Devil Leaders!

“Cackle, cackle, old man, you’re right! We are Devil Leaders, the kind who dig out hearts and livers to go with our wine, cackle, cackle!”

In the darkness, the unrestrained laughter sent chills down everyone’s spines.

North Flow Twin Ghosts?

Looking at the eerie Ghost Fire floating in the air and listening to their arrogant laughter, Mu Feng’s heart sank.

What was bound to come had finally arrived!

Choosing such a treacherous canyon showed they were well-prepared, aiming to kill with one strike!

The North Flow Twin Ghosts were both powerful fighters, each on the verge of breaking through to the Mortal Realm Peak. Their strength was formidable. Even Mu Feng turned pale at this sudden encounter. However, before he could act, seeing that the elderly Li Qingfu was about to meet his end, Xiao Wu beside him widened his eyes, clenched his teeth, and spurred his horse forward. “How dare you! What Devil Leaders are you, pretending to be ghosts and spirits! Brothers, charge together, kill them!”

“Brothers, attack!”

“If you don’t want to die, fight together! Grab your weapons, hurry!”

…

Led by Xiao Wu, the surviving guards and escorts rushed forward, charging at the murderous masked men in the darkness.

Since the enemy hadn’t spared anyone at either end of the canyon, it was clear they intended to wipe everyone out. If they didn’t unite and resist now, the only outcome would be total annihilation!

“Cackle, cackle, a bunch of ants! Your only value is to offer your hearts at this moment, cackle, cackle!”

Facing the crowd’s assault, the North Flow Twin Ghosts cackled, their bodies disappearing with a “Hu” sound, then leading the masked men in a fierce attack. In the next moment, the canyon echoed with sharp screams as guards and escorts fell one after another into pools of blood. Many were drenched in blood, with large holes torn in their chests—their hearts had vanished.

“Kill!”

Seeing a brother he had drunk with just last night fall before him, his heart ripped out, the young and fiery Xiao Wu was both shocked and enraged. He threw himself recklessly at the White Ghost nearby. But in a flash, not only did his strike miss, but the enemy closed in and slammed into him hard. Instantly, his ribs snapped with a “crack,” his internal organs ruptured, and blood seeped from his body. He watched helplessly as the enemy’s hands, sharp like daggers, stabbed down toward his chest!