Chapter 288: 264 Intersection, Part 2

The Ding family’s convoy moved slowly forward, as the sky was getting increasingly dim.

As the eldest son of the Ding family, Ding Luo was extraordinarily talented. At the age of just twenty-two, his martial arts skills had already reached the third grade level, making him the future hope of the entire Ding family.

This time, in order to protect his family’s migration, he not only put himself forward for protection but also brought along two members from his sect.

Senior Sister Mu Chunxiu and Master Changyun Daoist were both roped in by him to safeguard the convoy.

At this moment, watching his father and master happily chatting with a harmonious atmosphere. Senior Sister and his mother were also whispering privately.

Ding Luo’s worries about problems in their interactions were mostly alleviated.

“Speaking of which, Ding Luo, you are good in every way except for this nosy habit. You must remember to change it.”

Master Changyun Daoist, already sixty-seven years old, had only taken two apprentices in his lifetime. The elder one, Mu Chunxiu, was of average aptitude, achieving fifth grade by the age of thirty would be considered decent.

But the younger disciple, Ding Luo, held great promise. Perhaps in the future, his sect might truly see its first eighth-grade, even ninth-grade expert!

By then, although Changyun Daoist’s own skills were sparse, just barely touching the high-grade threshold.

But if his disciple was strong, it would also bring glory to the school’s reputation!

With that, he was satisfied.

However… this disciple was good in every way but had one flaw. His temper was impulsive, his eagerness for justice was high, he always loved to fight for fairness.

“Master, you know I just can’t stand some people and some things.” Ding Luo scratched his head with a silly smile.

“You…” Changyun Daoist sighed somewhat helplessly, wanting to say more.

Suddenly, a scream echoed from the forest not far away.

“Help!!”

Ding Luo furrowed his brow and looked over.

He quickly saw a herb collector, utterly disheveled and covered in blood, running out of the woods. A pitch-black beast lunged out of the woods, aiming to pounce on the herb collector’s back.

“How bold!! How dare this beast hurt a person!!” Ding Luo immediately drew his saber and rushed toward the black tiger.

Roar!

The black tiger let out a roar, looking up at Ding Luo and, without hesitation, turned to pounce toward him.

Without fear, Ding Luo held his saber ready and engaged in a fight with the black tiger.

Little did he notice, behind the black tiger, a gray-robed person wearing a ghost mask was slowly approaching him.

He spared the herb collector, not killing immediately, just to feed his pet some snacks.

Unexpectedly, in this desolate wilderness, he encountered some travelers.

“Consider yourself unlucky,” a hint of ruthlessness flashed in the ghost-mask person’s eyes.

The herb collector might know the general direction of the Celestial Extreme Cave, although this possibility was slim.

But to be safe, it was best to kill everyone around.

Only the dead are the best secret keepers.

This principle was always most believed by the ghost-mask person.

As a ninth-grade member in the sect, once he completes this task, he would be allowed to return to the sect to worship, extending his lifespan.

Thus, this time, success was the only option, with no permission for failure or the slightest mistake!

Looking at the convoy of wagons appearing along the way, the ghost-mask person’s leisurely mood gradually changed.

In such an isolated place, where normally cars wouldn’t pass for several days, yet by bad luck he encountered travelers. Truly…

He immediately changed his mind, no longer playing, quickly silencing them, then returning to pick the precious herbs, to avoid long nights with dreams.

*

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Roar!

A faint tiger roar came from afar.

Beside the campfire, Zhang Rongfang slightly raised his head, looking towards the direction of the sound.

“There are beasts in this area?”

“Yes, some, quite a few actually.” Nuban nodded, “Around Jiaolin Mountain, there are too few towns, and pests and miasmas occasionally occur in the woods, coupled with the many beasts like tigers.

So those who dare come here are mostly those with great courage. Or they have no choice but to come risking their lives for profits.”

“If ordinary people stay here too long, fear they would have no way of surviving.” Zhang Rongfang shook his head.

“Indeed. Without powerful martial artists for protection, ordinary families, even if they have some money, can’t think of going far away. This is the situation for most inland families.” Nuban agreed.

“And what about sea routes?” Zhang Rongfang asked, “Wouldn’t they be much better?”

“Sea routes fear the wind. The sea is endless, the biggest fear is being blown off course by winds and waves. If you go off course, adjusting requires very skilled navigators.” Nuban replied.

“Then what do navigators use to identify direction?”

“Reportedly through astronomy, star patterns, but I don’t understand these.” Nuban shook his head. “Although Great Spirit supposedly has observatories in many places? You can go see if you have time.”

“Observatory? Yes, indeed, if I have the chance, I should go and see.”

The more Zhang Rongfang understood Great Spirit, the more he felt this large empire grew increasingly mysterious.

“Here, take this.” At this point, Nuban handed the grilled lamb leg to Zhang Rongfang.

Their food was all prepared ahead of time, and upon arrival, it only needed to be reheated over the fire.

“Thanks.” The duo ate while chatting idly over pure milk tea with mint.

Roar!

Suddenly, a louder, more intense tiger roar came from afar.

This time, the tiger roar seemed to carry a trace of pain and anger.

“There really are lots of tigers here. They must be fighting.” Nuban chuckled. “Speaking of which, these tigers are indeed tough for ordinary people, but to us martial artists, a tiger is merely a third-grade opponent, using the same few moves repeatedly.

It’s an easy fight. Last time I was here, I nearly killed one….”

“Is that so? Perfect, once we get the treasure herbs, we can kill one or two before leaving, take them back as a local specialty.” Zhang Rongfang became interested.

“With your strength, sir, it will be a cinch.” Nuban complimented.

Splatter!

Blood splashed out in all directions.

The herb collector was slain by the black tiger’s pounce, hitting the ground heavily with head injuries.

Ding Luo, who had just attacked, was now completely frozen. He stood there rigidly, glaring at the ghost-mask gray-robed person slowly emerging from behind the black tiger.

“Who… who are you!?”

He sharply sensed an indescribable oppressive presence from the man before him.

That oppressive presence was even more immense than the Black Tiger in front of him.

Clearly, the Black Tiger’s body was far larger than the ghost-faced man’s.

But the two of them were on completely different levels of aura.

The feeling was like a flame compared to a furnace.

“Hehe.” The ghost-faced man glanced around the entire convoy. “I never thought feeding Xiaohui some food would attract so many people….”

“Xiao Luo, step back!!” Suddenly, a figure rushed forward, landing beside Ding Luo, and reached out to stop him.

It was his master, Changyun Daoist.

At this moment, his expression was grave, his eyes staring intently at the ghost-faced man without a blink.

As if he had encountered some terrible beast.

Yet clearly, the vicious beast, Black Tiger, was just a few meters in front of him, but he paid it no attention.

Instead, all his focus was on the ghost-faced man.

“Sir, we mean no offense, we just happened to pass by here, please show mercy. We’ll leave immediately!”

His voice was clear, and he cupped his hands in salute.

At this moment, the other people in the convoy also felt something was wrong.

The dark night, the mountains, a ghost-faced man who kept a Black Tiger as a pet… this kind of situation….

Would only be encountered in some chivalrous novels before.

But here….

Everyone’s nerves were on edge.

“Leaving right away?” The ghost-faced man laughed again twice.

“What a pity… what a pity….”

Suddenly, his figure flashed, rushing forward. He pointed at Changyun Daoist’s head.

Changyun Daoist had been fully tensed for a long time, and upon seeing this, immediately used the Limit-Breaking Skill, muscles in his arms rapidly swelling, closing in the center.

Bang!!

Finger and palms clashed together.

Changyun Daoist, though with both hands against a single finger, felt as if he was struck by a heavy hammer, his complexion reddening.

Poof!

A mouthful of reverse blood gushed out from his mouth.

“Master!!” Ding Luo shouted in urgency, raising his saber and striking out with a Limit-Breaking Skill at the ghost-faced man.

In the Nine Paths Spring and Autumn Saber Skill taught by Changyun Daoist, the most powerful Limit-Breaking Skill, My Yi Chunhan, brought forth a sheath of chilling saber light, charging toward the ghost-faced man.

Clang!

Yet the fierce saber light suddenly closed in mid-air, caught precisely by two slender fingers.

“Ah!!” Ding Luo’s muscles bulged, trying to pull the saber back, but the blade didn’t move an inch.

“Sister! Take everyone and leave first!” Ding Luo shouted desperately, knowing things were awry, he abandoned the saber, clenched his fists, and prepared to charge.

“Xiao Luo!!” Suddenly, a cry of alarm reached him.

Ding Luo felt a pain in his chest, his vision blurred, and he was lifted weightlessly into the air, falling into the distance.

He didn’t even know when he had been struck.

The inner armor he wore split open instantly, and a jade pendant inside shattered into countless pieces.

But the double cushioning only caused his breastbone to fracture slightly, as he crashed heavily to the ground.

“Hmm?” The ghost-faced man looked on in surprise, about to turn.

His master, Changyun Daoist, roared in anger, tossing out a cloud of sedative powder, charging forward.

“Xiao Luo, quickly, lead everyone to escape!!”

“Master!!” Ding Luo got up, furious and shocked, wanting to rush forward.

Only to see his master’s body pause, then soar up in the blink of an eye, smashing into the trunk of a large tree.

The crisp sound of a breaking spine spread out, Changyun Daoist’s eyes went vacant, and he rolled to the ground, gradually losing his breath.

“No!!!” Tears welled in Ding Luo’s eyes, and he rushed out madly.

Only to see the ghost-faced man’s figure flash as he attacked the convoy.

“No!!!”

Ding Luo screamed wildly.

But it was to no avail. The people in the convoy fell one after another like wheat.

The convoy guards were easily taken down one by one, killed with a single finger strike by the ghost-faced man.

“Xiao Luo, go first!! Everyone scatter and escape!!”

His father shouted in fury, shielding his wife and concubine, drawing his saber to let them escape quickly, but he hadn’t even stood firm when a flying knife embedded in his chest, causing him to fall upturned and motionless.

His mother ran in terror, carrying his five-year-old sister, but hadn’t gone far before a flying stone struck her forehead, and she fell into a pool of blood.

The remaining household servants scattered, only slightly delaying the ghost-faced man’s killing spree.

Tears in his eyes, Ding Luo was pulled along by his senior sister, running frantically through the forest.

The furious shout of his master before dying still echoed in his ears.

He had never imagined that just saving a medicine gatherer from a tiger chase could lead to such a situation!?

Why…..

Why would this happen!!?

His thoughts were boiling as if scalding his entire being.

He couldn’t understand!!

Wasn’t it said that good people are rewarded with good?

Why, having never done anything wrong and always saving and helping people since practicing martial arts.

Why would things end up like this??

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep