Chapter 153: Mist-Locked Cold River
Chapter 153: Mist-Locked Cold River
When the blood flowed like a river outside the Poplar Grove, Mu Feng had already returned to the inn over thirty miles away with a bundle.
Amidst the frenzy of killing, with eyes bloodshot, neither the aggressive disciples of the Immortal Sword Sect nor the bloodthirsty Devil Leaders noticed his departure.
After returning to the inn, Mu Feng entered directly through the window and quickly woke Jing Wushuang and Old Man Li, who were sound asleep.
Seeing him covered in bloodstains, Jing Wushuang looked startled. Recalling the many White-robed Swordsmen she had seen along the way, her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately grew tense. “Brother Mu Feng, what happened? Have we been discovered?”
“No!”
Mu Feng denied it outright, letting the nervous Jing Wushuang and Old Man Li breathe a sigh of relief. He quickly took out two sets of attire for Sword Hall disciples from the bundle and said, “The situation has changed. Let’s go, we must leave this place immediately. Put on these clothes and come with me to the next ferry to board a boat. Hurry! If we’re any slower, it will be too late, and we’ll miss our chance!”
Board a boat at the next ferry?
Old Man Li rubbed his eyes, changing into the clothes Mu Feng handed him while saying doubtfully, “Young Master Mu, didn’t you say the nearby river routes were blocked by your enemies? Rushing to the next ferry to board a boat overnight—wouldn’t that be just…”
“The situation has changed. The Immortal Sword Sect and many Devil Leaders are fighting each other. The defenses are weak. Now is the best time to break through! I’ll go down first and catch you. Jump down quickly!”
Without time to say more, Mu Feng flipped over and jumped out the window.
Time was limited. A slight gap had finally appeared in the net laid by the Immortal Sword Sect and the Blind Master. If they didn’t seize this chance to break out now, they might never get another opportunity!
“Alright, I’ll jump first!”
Though filled with doubt, Jing Wushuang trusted Mu Feng completely. She threw her bundle down first. Climbing onto the windowsill, she glanced at the hard ground below and her legs went weak. The next moment, she closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and resolutely jumped. Even after Mu Feng caught her and set her steadily on the ground, her legs still trembled lightly.
“Young Master Mu, I’m coming!”
Compared to Jing Wushuang, Old Man Li wasn’t much better. After landing on his feet, his face remained pale. Before either of them could catch their breath, Mu Feng quickly led three tall horses from the inn’s stable and helped them mount.
Neigh, neigh, neigh…
Mu Feng spurred his horse and charged out of the inn’s gate first, with Jing Wushuang and Old Man Li close behind. The horses’ whinnies and the rapid clip-clop of hooves quickly pierced the quiet night sky.
Hearing the noise, a window on the second floor creaked open, revealing a plump, oily-faced merchant with a delicate, pretty figure clinging to his back. Rubbing his eyes, he shouted, “Hey, those are my horses! Mine! Someone is stealing horses, someone is stealing horses… Uh…”
Seeing his horses stolen, the plump merchant was both shocked and angry, distressed beyond measure. He instinctively yelled, about to order his attendants to give chase. Suddenly, a cold glint flashed before his eyes. Then, a hard object landed squarely in his wide-open mouth with astonishing force, nearly knocking out all his teeth. Spitting it out, he saw it was a heavy silver ingot.
Oh my goodness!
The plump merchant screamed in surprise, stumbling back several steps and collapsing onto the delicate figure behind him.
An expert!
Just by seeing the silver in his hand, he knew he had encountered a true master tonight!
Riding a tall horse, from over a hundred meters away, without even turning his head, he accurately threw a silver ingot. How terrifying the leading Mu Feng was could only be imagined. Luckily, it was just a silver ingot; if it had been a sharp throwing dagger, that would have been disastrous!
Holding the heavy silver ingot, the merchant’s right hand kept trembling. After scrambling up fearfully, he watched the retreating backs of Mu Feng and the other two, not daring to utter another sound!
Neigh, neigh, neigh…
Mu Feng and the other two urged their horses on, swiftly leaving the roadside inn far behind. But before they had gone far, they encountered several White-robed Swordsmen standing on the official road conducting checks. Seeing their cold eyes, Jing Wushuang couldn’t help but tense up, her right hand instinctively reaching for the sword hilt at her waist.
“Shuang’er, don’t be nervous. Don’t say a word!”
Mu Feng, without turning his head, quietly instructed.
Seeing the several White-robed Swordsmen blocking the road ahead, their faces icy, he not only didn’t slow down but instead gave his horse a sharp whip, accelerating again. He shouted sternly, “Make way! By the secret order of the Seventh Lord, all elites with Late Mortal Realm strength and above are to gather at the Poplar Grove ten miles from Hetian Village immediately, to fight the many evil demons and heretics to the death! Move aside!”
Secret order of the Seventh Lord?
Hearing this, the White-robed Swordsmen quickly stepped aside, bowing respectfully.
Titles like Sixth Lord and Seventh Lord for personal disciples were known only to Sword Hall disciples. Seeing Mu Feng and the other two in standard long robes and large bamboo hats, and hearing Mu Feng’s words, they had no reason to doubt.
“Eh, why is the leader covered in blood? Also, his voice sounds familiar, like I’ve heard it somewhere before?”
“Nonsense! Haven’t you heard? The Seventh Lord has ordered a decisive battle against the many Devil Leaders. Maybe he just fought one in a bloody battle. There are many ordinary disciples in the Sword Hall; plenty of people have shared drinks a few times and then forgotten each other. It’s perfectly normal for a voice to sound familiar!”
“Exactly, don’t be so jumpy that you see enemies everywhere. The Seventh Lord has ordered a decisive battle against the many Devil Leaders. Let’s go, we should hurry there too!”
“Alright, let’s go!”
…
Watching the retreating backs of Mu Feng and the other two, the White-robed Swordsmen discussed briefly, then broke into a run, following from a distance.
“Giddy up… Giddy up…”
Mu Feng and the other two urged their horses onward, passing groups of White-robed Swordsmen on foot. After about half an hour, they reached the Poplar Grove without major incident.
After a quick glance at the blood-soaked battlefield, the three pressed on without stopping, quickly rushing past the edge of the battlefield toward the ferry ten miles away. Along the way, they encountered several attacks and ambushes from Devil Leaders, but before Jing Wushuang and Old Man Li could react, Mu Feng, leading the way, had already slain them all. Sweeping through like a whirlwind, they reached the ferry and smoothly boarded a small wooden boat moored in the river bend.
“Young Master Mu, you go untie the mooring rope. I’ll pole the boat!”
Old Man Li, though old, was still nimble. He quickly picked up the long bamboo pole lying across the deck.
“Alright!”
Mu Feng swiftly drew the sword hanging at Jing Wushuang’s waist and cut the rope tying the wooden boat with a single stroke.
A cold wind blew, sweeping the large bamboo hat from his head into the water. Exposing his true appearance now might lead to recognition, but in this critical moment, he couldn’t worry about that. Moving like lightning, he quickly pierced the hulls of the other dozen or so wooden boats in the river bend. He acted decisively, without a moment’s hesitation.
The Immortal Sword Sect and the many Devil Leaders were locked in a fierce battle, but no one knew when they might come to their senses. Only by sinking all the other boats could they prevent a swift pursuit!
“Stop! Halt the boat!”
“Wait, that’s not someone from the Immortal Sword Sect—it’s Mu Feng, that scholar named Mu!”
“After them…”
A few Devil Leaders left on shore quickly noticed the commotion in the river bend. One sharp-eyed fellow even recognized Mu Feng from afar. While giving chase, he quickly shot a whistling arrow to signal. Unfortunately, before they could catch up, the small wooden boat had already sailed out of the river bend and was heading downstream.
Finally safe!
After leaving the ferry far behind, Mu Feng, who had been tense with his back to the bow, finally relaxed. Just as he was about to go into the cabin to rest, the downstream-bound wooden boat suddenly shook violently and turned sideways on the river. At the stern, Old Man Li, steering, turned pale, staring ahead in terror. Turning to follow his gaze, Mu Feng felt a chill run through his limbs.
There, on the river, stood a middle-aged man in a white robe. A long sword hung at his waist, his face was cold, and his eyes showed no trace of emotion. He floated motionlessly on the water’s surface. His arms were long, reaching past his knees, much longer than an ordinary person’s. At first glance, an overwhelming pressure emanated from him. Behind him, mist curled and spread across the entire river, so thick that one couldn’t see the end.
Yanyulou!
The unfathomably powerful, cold-hearted Yanyulou had arrived unnoticed, blocking the trio’s path!