owlsbooks Chapter 7: One Step Too Late
Chapter 7: One Step Too Late
Throughout the journey, the Thousand-Handed Rakshasa was still in pain, and every movement was accompanied by unspeakable humiliation and bitterness.
But she suppressed it and didn't show it.
She did indeed have some information about the whereabouts of the golden-armored warrior, and the information was quite conclusive:
That invulnerable armor has become a coveted treasure in the martial arts world, and it is currently hidden in the baggage of Zhuge Lei, the head镖师 (chief镖师) of the Golden Lion Escort Agency, also known as "Swift Wind Sword".
Zhuge Lei, on this mission to escort goods beyond the Great Wall, somehow managed to get his hands on this hot potato without anyone noticing. He thought he had done it perfectly, but little did he know that there are no real secrets in the martial world.
Previously, Pan Xiaoan, Shi Yaoxian, and she had been lying in wait at the inn outside the pass, waiting for the Golden Lion Escort Agency to walk into their trap on their way back.
Unexpectedly, Zhuge Lei was not entirely reckless and actually bypassed that place.
But they always needed to rest during their long journey from the border to the Central Plains.
If they rest, then others will definitely have a chance.
"That's when we make our move. After you seize the Golden Silk Armor, you must protect me until the Plum Blossom Thieves are caught. The wealth and the beauty are mine; I've already paid the deposit!"
—These were the last words the Thousand-Armed Rakshasa said to him in the carriage.
The carriage stopped.
The wind has stopped, and the snow has ceased.
The sky remained heavy and oppressive, and the chill persisted.
This is a small town that can hardly be called prosperous. The official road runs through the town, and the old, white signboard of the inn by the roadside hangs lifelessly on a windless afternoon.
An unusual tension permeated the courtyard of the inn.
A dozen or so empty cargo wagons were haphazardly covered with straw mats and piled up in the corner, with unmelted snow still clinging to their wheels and shafts.
On one of the caravans, a gold-edged flag was stuck diagonally. The flag was frozen stiff, but you could still clearly see a lion with its head raised and ready to roar, embroidered in black thread.
The Thousand-Handed Rakshasa alighted from the carriage first.
Her veil had long been removed, revealing a stunning face that could captivate any man. However, a hint of weariness and gloom lingered between her brows, and her legs trembled as she walked.
But when her gaze fell on the golden lion flag, a sharp light suddenly flashed in her eyes, and all her previous discomfort seemed to be instantly suppressed by a burning desire.
"Golden Lion Escort Agency..."
She muttered to herself, and before Xue Bufeng could speak, she quickened her pace and headed straight for the inn's entrance, her eagerness evident.
Xue Bufeng got out of the car at a leisurely pace.
He was still dressed in a magnificent robe, with a blood-red sword hanging at his waist, and his left and right arms naturally wrapped around Yuanyuan and Bingbing's slender waists.
After a night's rest, the two women looked much better.
They nestled against Xue Bufu, as if he were the only source of warmth and support in this cold world.
As soon as the three stepped into the inn, a smell mixed with cheap liquor, sweat, and a faint stench of blood hit them.
There weren't many people in the inn's lobby, but it was filled with a deathly silence that followed a sense of panic.
Several men dressed in the uniforms of the Golden Lion Escort Agency sat around a table, their faces pale. In front of them were cold dishes and wine, but no one touched them.
The shopkeeper and two waiters behind the counter were hunched over, their faces pale, and their hands trembling as they wiped the table.
On the floor, near the stairs and counter, there were several dark red stains, which, although roughly wiped away, were still conspicuous.
Clearly, something had happened here not long ago.
The Thousand-Handed Rakshasa was already standing in front of the镖师 (bodyguards/escorts), his voice as cold as ice:
"Where is your chief镖头 (chief镖师, a high-ranking镖师, often referred to as 'Heroic Sword Zhuge Lei')?"
The bodyguards trembled. When they looked up and saw the Thousand-Handed Rakshasa's beautiful yet cold face, they felt none of the usual lustful thoughts they might have when seeing a beautiful woman. Instead, they were so frightened that they almost slipped off their stools.
One of the older men, his lips trembling, asked, "Miss... what business do you have with our chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort)?"
"Enough with the nonsense! You know perfectly well why I'm here!"
The Thousand-Armed Rakshasa asked impatiently, "Which room is he in? Or has he already left?"
The bodyguards exchanged terrified glances, stammering and hesitant to answer.
At this moment, Xue Bufeng walked over with two young women. His gaze swept over the faint bloodstains on the ground, and then looked at the disoriented appearance of the bodyguards. A knowing smile appeared on his lips.
"Looks like we're a step too late."
He said casually, "Zhuge Lei has already been killed."
The Thousand-Armed Rakshasa suddenly turned his head and glared at him:
"How can you be so sure it was Zhuge Lei who died?"
The Thousand-Handed Rakshasa was no naive newcomer; of course, she could tell that someone had died there.
But it wasn't necessarily Zhuge Lei who died.
She knew that if anyone in the martial arts world wanted to take the Golden Silk Armor, she would have to go all the way and not let anyone live to cause trouble for herself.
Nobody wants the whole martial arts world to know the next day that the hot potato that is the Golden Silk Armor has fallen into someone else's hands.
Xue Bufeng tapped the ground with his chin:
"The blood hasn't dried yet, and the smell is still fresh. You can tell that a battle has just taken place here. Moreover, judging from the angle and timing of the blood splatter, the weapons and techniques used are all different, indicating that it was not just one group of people, or even more than one battle."
"If the Golden Lion Escort Agency had won, why would its members be so distraught that they wouldn't even dare to glance at a beauty like you? Doesn't that mean that the Golden Lion Escort Agency not only lost, but their head镖师 (chief escort) Zhuge Lei is dead, and with no one backing them up, they naturally wouldn't dare to act recklessly?"
As he spoke, his gaze shifted to the older bodyguard, and he smiled:
Am I right?
The bodyguard was startled by his gaze, and seeing the Thousand-Handed Rakshasa's increasingly hostile expression, his mental defenses completely collapsed, and he said in a tearful voice:
"Yes...yes...the head镖师 (chief镖师, a term referring to a powerful镖师, a kind of镖师)...he's gone!"
"Explain yourself clearly what exactly happened!"
The Thousand-Handed Rakshasa roared.
Under the Thousand-Handed Rakshasa's interrogation, the bodyguard recounted what had happened in fits and starts.
Just like Xue Bufu knew, after they obtained that item from beyond the Great Wall, they also knew it was a hot potato. Therefore, Zhuge Lei carefully and stealthily made his way through, and even managed to avoid a lot of trouble by being vigilant.
But they are human beings, not livestock.
Even livestock need to rest and recuperate after traveling for a long time. Seeing that the people and horses were extremely tired, it was feared that if they continued to travel, they would not be able to deal with even ordinary bandits. They could only rest at the inn in this small town.
Unexpectedly, they were still targeted by the infamous Crimson Blood Twins in the underworld and cornered in the shop.
Those two snakes were extremely famous in the Yellow River area and were known for their formidable abilities.
This is a pointless statement.
After all, if a bandit isn't skilled enough, he would have been killed long ago. Those who survive are the ones with real skills.
The two men possessed bizarre and ruthless martial arts skills, and the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) Zhuge Lei's "Swift Wind Sword" was no match for them. It seemed that he was about to lose both his money and his life...
"Just then, a disheveled young man appeared out of nowhere! He looked ordinary, nothing special, but..."
A flicker of lingering fear, or perhaps disbelief, flashed in the bodyguard's eyes:
"But...but he killed the White Snake with a single sword strike! Just one strike! I couldn't even see how he pulled the sword out, no one could see it clearly! But the White Snake is dead!"