Chapter 147: An Old Friend Arrives

"Hehe, our master would like to invite you to his residence as a guest. Please do not make things difficult for us."

At this moment upon the Luo River, about five or six miles away from the old boatman, a small mahogany boat was anchored. Surrounding the small boat were seven or eight swift sailing ships, faintly enclosing it in the center.

The person who had just spoken was a tall man aboard one of the fast boats.

Although he was dressed as a government bailiff, a fierce and ruthless aura lingered between his brows, giving him the ominous appearance of someone ready to kill at the slightest provocation.

Just then, a voice came from within the small boat, "Hmph, why bother with such pretense! If I truly go with you, I'm afraid it won't be as a guest, but rather to attend a Feast at Hong Gate."

The voice was crisp and melodious. As soon as the words fell, a man dressed in brocade stepped out from the cabin.

He was around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, clad in a cyan brocade robe tied with a jade belt. A pair of delicate, thin mustaches adorned his upper lip, and he held a carved folding fan in his hand. Though his features were refined, his eyes possessed a natural majesty that commanded respect without anger.

Behind the man followed four figures in black. Their faces were expressionless, showing not the slightest trace of anxiety despite being surrounded, and they kept close to the cyan-robed man in front.

The cyan-robed man continued, "You have chased me all the way here, and of my loyal, death-defying retainers, only these four remain before your eyes. Now that the river is completely deserted, what is there left to hesitate about?"

"Hehe, you may not realize it. Our master explicitly stated that a living man is far more useful than a dead one. If we can bring you back alive, it will be a great merit for us as well. Since circumstances dictate, General, please accompany us on this trip."

Upon hearing this, anger surged across the cyan-robed man's face as he shouted:

"Silence! The soldiers of Yue have only brave warriors who die on the battlefield, not cowards who surrender in disgrace!"

"Pity!" The tall man on the fast boat replied. It seemed he had anticipated this reaction, for he offered no further persuasion, only displaying a hint of regret as he said:

"Although I am merely an unrefined brute from the wilderness, I have long heard of the General's great name and hold his valor in the highest esteem. To think that I must now take the General's head with my own hands—it is truly a great pity!"

"Hehe, Li Zhantang! As a dignified grand swordsman of Zhao, to call yourself an unrefined brute is to sell yourself far too short, don't you think?" the cyan-robed man laughed coldly.

"Oh? The General actually recognizes humble me?" The tall man seemed rather excited.

"Not just you! And you, you, and you!" The cyan-robed man pointed at three others in succession, speaking with indignation: "Wang Renshen, Wu Zhengwang, Feng Chenchu! You are all martial artists of Yue, yet you collude with the Zhao authorities to murder your own compatriots!"

A fleeting trace of panic crossed the faces of the three named individuals, but it vanished a moment later, returning to normal. One of them let out a cold chuckle and said, "General, if you must blame someone, blame your own poor popularity in Yue. Someone in the capital paid a hefty sum for your life, and we merely went with the flow, making this deal together with the men of Zhao."

"So that's how it was!" the cyan-robed man said in sudden realization. "I was wondering how my movements could have been exposed when my journey was kept so secretive. It turns out someone from within leaked the news!"

"Feng Chenchu, watch your tongue!" the tall man named Li Zhantang barked.

"Hehe, it was Feng who spoke out of turn. But it doesn't matter; he is already a dead man anyway. Brother, stop wasting time; let's finish him off and send him on his way!"

Li Zhantang narrowed his eyes. He cautiously scanned his surroundings once more, and upon confirming that no one else was present on the boundless river, he swung his right arm in a slicing gesture across his throat.

"Do it!"

Seven or eight fast boats, carrying a total of more than twenty martial arts experts, launched their attack almost simultaneously, slashing toward the cyan-robed man on the mahogany boat.

"Young Master, catch the blade!"

One of the loyal retainers behind the cyan-robed man shouted, untying a long saber from his waist and tossing it over.

The man reached out and caught it. With a crisp *shing!*, the long saber cleared its scabbard, flashing with a chilling, murderous light. Unfazed by this pack of vicious and desperate martial artists, he instead surged forward, taking the initiative to attack Li Zhantang.

Meanwhile, the four retainers engaged the surrounding assassins in fierce combat. Each of their faces remained utterly calm, as though they had completely cast thoughts of life and death aside, firmly clustering around the cyan-robed man to shield him at the center.

"Hmph! Beasts cornered still fight!"

Li Zhantang felt not the slightest panic inwardly. In terms of one-on-one combat strength, he was indeed far inferior to the cyan-robed man. However, with three other martial experts of Yue assisting him, the four of them joining forces meant the cyan-robed man could only struggle to defend himself with no room to counterattack.

As for the four retainers by the cyan-robed man's side, they were even further outmatched. If not for the confined space of the small boats on the river, which prevented their numerical superiority from being fully utilized, those retainers would have perished long ago.

Even so, the defeat of the cyan-robed man and his faction was merely a matter of time.

Li Zhantang was already calculating in his mind how he would claim credit and seek rewards upon his return.

Yet at that very moment, a peculiar gleam caught the corner of his eye.

That gleam was silvery-white and smooth as jade, resembling nothing less than a full moon.

To see the moon in broad daylight! Such a bizarre phenomenon was something he had never witnessed in all his decades wandering the pugilistic world!

"Strange!"

Just as doubt and alarm stirred within his heart, that moonlight began to flow like water, and in the blink of an eye, it leaped from the horizon right before his eyes.

"What!"

Li Zhantang's expression shifted drastically in terror. As he turned to look, he saw that streak of lunar radiance cascading down from mid-air like heavenly splendor, seemingly brushing gently past him.

The more he looked, the more terrified he became, and a bizarre image imprinted itself deeply within his vision.

In the image, the cyan-robed man wore a look of profound shock. Around him were more than twenty people, some wielding sabers and others brandishing swords, all frozen in postures mid-combat.

Yet without a single exception, none of these twenty-some individuals possessed a head!

Li Zhantang stared at one of the tall, headless corpses, and a bizarre thought arose in his mind: "Whose body is that?"

"Ah! That is... my body!" That was Li Zhantang's final shred of consciousness.

*Plop, plop!*

Following a series of splashes as bodies fell into the water, only six people remained upon the vast river.

Aside from the cyan-robed man's faction, there was now a grey-robed youth with a sword scabbard at his waist.

The youth held one hand upright before his chest, forming a sword incantation. The silvery-white radiance in mid-air instantly dissipated, revealing a seven-foot-long sword that spun gracefully before returning smoothly into the scabbard at his waist.

To slay more than twenty martial arts experts with a single sword strike, yet remain as calm and unconcerned as if he had merely stepped on an ant—this sight caused even the cyan-robed man's heart to leap. He cupped his fists and said:

"This benefactor's grace in saving my life is an unforgettable kindness! May I ask your honored name? In the days to come, I shall surely repay this debt with utmost devotion until the day I die!"

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the grey-robed youth wore a strange expression and smiled, saying, "Aunt Qing, it has been many years, yet your elegance remains unchanged. How wonderful!"

"How do you know?" The cyan-robed person's expression changed drastically.

Staring at the youth on the small boat for a long time, the person suddenly blurted out in shock:

"You are that brat Liang Yan!"

"Haha, Aunt Qing, the mustache doesn't really suit you!"

The grey-robed youth opposite was naturally Liang Yan. With a smile curving the corners of his mouth, he looked at the cyan-robed person in gentle amusement.

The cyan-robed person rolled his eyes, reached up to peel off the two thin mustaches from his upper lip, and then tore away the artificial skin mask from his face, revealing a striking, spirited young woman's visage.

Astonishingly, it was none other than Lin Ziqing, the very person who had fought side by side with Liang Yan against enemies in an inn back when he had not yet embarked on the path of cultivation!