Chapter 138: The True Nature of the Master Thief

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…

Not long after everyone left, Plum Blossom Manor, still billowing with thick smoke, suddenly welcomed a group of uninvited guests.

With a series of whistling sounds through the air, cold-faced White-robed Swordsmen suddenly appeared on the surrounding tree branches. Each wore a Large Bamboo Hat and perched on the wind-swaying branches. They seemed to have no weight at all, lighter even than a sparrow. But their nimble bodies, icy eyes, and the sharp longswords hanging at their waists all gave off a heavy pressure and fierce killing intent!

Immortal Sword Sect!

As expected, the forces of the Immortal Sword Sect soon returned, arriving even faster than Fourth Lady Mei and the others had anticipated!

“Yanyulou, are you sure that scholar Mu Feng joined up with the Five Heroes of Jiannan?”

On the highest branch, an old man in a Taoist robe asked in a deep voice. He was surrounded by a group of swordsmen whose Spiritual Power fluctuations were unfathomable. Among them was the formidable Yanyulou.

“Absolutely correct!”

Yanyulou bowed as he answered. He carried a hint of cold arrogance even before the Flying Sky Bat, but before the old man in the Taoist robe, he was completely reverent.

“Hmph, the Five Heroes of Jiannan, just a few local bullies, do they not even have regard for our prestigious Sword Hall?” The old man in the Taoist robe snorted coldly, swept his eyes over the chaotic footprints around, and with a leap, led a team of Personal Guards to follow the carriage tracks. His figure quickly became a small black dot, and his voice came from far away in the darkness, “Chase them! Split up and search; don’t let a single trace escape!”

“Yes!”

Yanyulou bowed to receive the order, turned, and commanded the many White-robed Swordsmen to spread out and search. At first, his expression was calm, but upon closer inspection, his face gradually grew more and more serious.

The footprints around were chaotic, heading in every direction. More troublesome was that no matter which direction they pursued, after about a thousand meters, the traces almost vanished completely, all washed away or submerged by the rain. Except for the deep Carriage wheel ruts which still had some trace to follow, all other marks were washed away by the pouring rain. It was impossible to determine if Mu Feng had secretly left on foot, let alone figure out which direction he took.

Fourth Lady Mei was meticulous; before leaving, she deliberately set up a decoy, ordering her many disciples and maidservants to depart in various directions overnight. This way, even the most skilled hunter would find it difficult to track Mu Feng and Jing Wushuang’s true movements on this dark, rainy night!

“Shadowless, Windless, Heartless, you three each lead a team of death warriors and search along the different directions. The rest, follow me, chase!”

After searching for a while, Yanyulou gave the order and led the main force to follow the carriage tracks. Behind him, hundreds of White-robed Swordsmen scattered on the spot, gradually searching the periphery of Plum Blossom Manor, not letting a single clue escape!

Hoo…

The wind was strong, the rain heavy; the storm kept falling without end.

As the weather grew hot, the Southern Borderlands entered the rainy season, just like in previous years. Sometimes, storms came and went quickly; other times, it wasn’t unusual for it to rain for three days and nights straight.

While the many White-robed Swordsmen were carefully searching the outskirts of Plum Blossom Manor, Mu Feng and Jing Wushuang had already arrived at Hewei Village, ten li away.

This was a remote small mountain village nestled beside hills and water, with only about a dozen households. The night was deep and quiet. On this chilly, rainy night, even the guard dogs seemed to have found places to hide. Apart from the rustling sound of the heavy rain, no other noise could be heard; the small village was exceptionally quiet. A river meandered past the village. The river surface wasn’t very wide, but it was unfathomably deep, and the current was swift. If you threw a dead branch into it, a wave would roll over it, and it would disappear in the blink of an eye.

Following Fourth Lady Mei’s instructions, Mu Feng and Jing Wushuang quietly made their way to a small courtyard at the village entrance and gently knocked on the door. Soon, shuffling footsteps were heard from inside, followed by the wooden door creaking open, revealing the figure of a fisherman. He was hunched over, seeming quite aged, wearing a Large Bamboo Hat that covered most of his face, and draped in a thick straw raincoat.

“Young Master Mu?”

The old man’s voice was low, slightly hoarse. “Miss Mei is a great benefactor to my family. After receiving her messenger pigeon, I quickly prepared. Let’s go!”

“Indeed, venerable elder, thank you for your trouble!”

Mu Feng nodded, bowing and cupping his hands in salute. Just as he was about to turn, he suddenly sniffed lightly, catching a faint, elusive fishy smell, and his steps subconsciously paused.

“Young Master, you haven’t spent much time in the countryside near rivers, have you?”

The old man chuckled, turned to close the wooden door, and then continued, “Whenever it rains, the wind blowing from the river carries a smell unique to waterside areas. Right now, it’s the spring ploughing season, mixed with the scent of fresh soil, the smell is even stronger! It’s fishy. You city folk probably aren’t used to it at first.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Mu Feng’s nostrils twitched slightly. Hearing the old man say this, it seemed the air really did carry a hint of fresh soil. He glanced at the peaceful small village shrouded in night, didn’t probe further, and turned to leave with the old man.

The situation was critical. The forces of the Immortal Sword Sect and the Blind Master could catch up at any moment. They had to leave quickly by boat, the sooner the better!

Led by the old man, the two soon arrived at a river bend. A small wooden boat was moored by the bank, bobbing up and down with the waves. On the boat’s canopy stood a pure white pigeon, from who knew where.

“Shuang’er, be careful!”

Mu Feng helped Jing Wushuang carefully board the small wooden boat, and they sat down inside the cabin. They had been on edge the whole journey, fearing the pursuers would catch up overnight. Only now did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Seeing the old man jump aboard, they could immediately set off downstream and leave this place. Mu Feng’s tightly strung nerves finally began to relax. He wiped the rain from his face and lit an oil lamp inside the cabin. Remembering Feng Qianjin’s mysterious instructions before leaving, he had a thought, took out the cloth bundle Feng Qianjin had given him, and unwrapped it layer by layer. Soon, a small booklet appeared before his eyes. On the cover, the characters ‘Misty Rain Sword Manual’ were written in a flowing, vigorous script.

The Misty Rain Sword Manual, Yanyulou’s unique technique?

Mu Feng was startled, suddenly understanding.

At this moment, he finally realized why Feng Qianjin’s left hand had been bleeding after his brief encounter with the Misty Rain Sword. It turned out, this guy had seized the moment during his attack to stealthily snatch the manual from Yanyulou’s person. Even at a life-and-death juncture, he hadn’t changed his true nature as a master thief, fooling everyone.

“The Phantom-Fingered Divine Thief!”

Mu Feng shook his head with a bitter smile. He hadn’t expected Feng Qianjin to have such skill and spirit even in a critical moment. The man seemed short and stout, perhaps a bit clumsy, but his hands were remarkably agile.

“Young Masters, hold on tight!”

The old man picked up a long bamboo pole, preparing to set off overnight. Though old, his hands and feet were nimble. He pulled out a knife from somewhere, cut the rope mooring the boat to the shore with one slash, seeming even more anxious than Mu Feng and his companion. He pushed the bamboo pole hard into the river, just about to leave, when unexpectedly a figure rushed out of the darkness, shouting as it ran towards them.

“Boatman, wait! Wait for me!”

The figure in the darkness was screaming hoarsely. Its shape looked vaguely familiar from afar, as if they had seen it somewhere before. Mu Feng’s heart jolted, and he immediately grew wary.