PDLP Chapter 66 Xianxia Ridge - Yu Canghai Dies
Chapter 66 Xianxia Ridge - Yu Canghai Dies
Xianxia Ridge is not an isolated peak, but a natural barrier that stretches for two hundred miles.
The perilousness of this ridge is a product of nature.
Looking down from above, all you see are sheer cliffs and deep abysses. At its narrowest point, the ridge is less than five feet wide, truly a place where one man can hold off ten thousand.
Li Che left Fuzhou through the west gate and rode his horse at full speed for a day and a night, already nearing Pucheng.
From then on, they had to abandon their horses and walk, traversing forests and mountains.
After waiting for several days, the success or failure of the plan depends entirely on today.
He pondered all the way, thinking to himself, "It would be best if the man surnamed Yu hadn't been surrounded."
Otherwise, only a formidable opponent could relentlessly pursue this place.
To cause trouble right under everyone's noses while concealing one's identity, the timing of one's move is crucial!
It doesn't matter if the man surnamed Yu is captured; it will just mean a few more lives lost under the sword.
I fear he might die too quickly, otherwise my scheme would be much less effective.
After much deliberation, it all boils down to four words: adapt to changing circumstances!
Man proposes, God disposes; I only hope that Abbot Yu can hold on.
Too much killing?
Compared to the lives of hundreds of people in the Fuwei Escort Agency's headquarters and branches, it would be better to let these greedy villains of the martial arts world die!
The rumors about the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual have been circulating for nearly a month, and many people in the city's taverns and teahouses are still talking about it with great interest. Li Che, the instigator, is too lazy to care anymore. He paid the full amount of money, temporarily entrusted his horse to the innkeeper, and then left the city.
They changed their clothes when they reached a secluded spot in the woods.
He was dressed in a dark, close-fitting outfit, with a bamboo hat covering his face, and two long, pure black cloths tucked into his chest.
When you do bad things, you must be well-prepared.
After packing up and checking the items in his arms, he leaped up the mountain.
The mountain roads are difficult to travel, especially in the summer when the fog is quite heavy in the mountains early in the morning and late at night.
Even though Li Che had abundant internal energy and a stable lower body, he still moved quite cautiously.
Recalling the information Zhu Biaotou had gathered, it was truly a case of: "The Evil-Repelling Sword Manual wreaks havoc in the martial world, Mount Song is not to be trifled with, and every strike will fall upon Qingcheng!"
At this moment, a number of powerful figures dressed in black and wearing yellow belts have gathered at the foot of Mount Song.
Li Che devised a plan, which was then expanded upon by Ren and Xiang.
Mount Song may appear to be the eye of the storm, but in reality, everyone is tacitly waiting for news from the southeast.
Songshan Sect, Qingcheng Sect, Fuwei Escort Agency.
After going through two out of three, you will find the true sword manual.
Those who are unaware of the truth think this way.
Even Zuo Da, who knew the truth, was somewhat unsure.
In contrast, the Qingcheng Sect has faced numerous dangers along the way.
The monk Xibao, Taoist Yuling, and other unorthodox masters formed a team to intercept them.
The members of the evil cult relentlessly pursued him.
River bandits on the river, land bandits on the road.
Yu Guanzhu frequently used the Pine Breeze Sword Technique and the Heart-Shattering Palm, his sword was already dulled, and his palms were covered with thick calluses, a truly pitiful sight.
Before they even reached Jiangxi, half of the nearly thirty or forty disciples who accompanied them had already perished.
Of the four famous beasts of Qingcheng, only "Xiong" and "Ying" remain.
Master Yu was in a terrible predicament. He was now surrounded by enemies in front and pursuers behind, unable to advance or retreat. He had cursed the family tree of the person who spread the false information countless times in his heart.
He dared not enter the city, did not light a fire at night, and traveled eastward like a homeless dog.
Traveling by night and resting by day, evading pursuit, the remaining disciples were trembling with fear, their eyes sunken, while the quick-witted ones were already thinking of a way out.
The only thing that sustained Master Yu was his unwavering belief in the Fuwei Escort Agency.
He has explained the whole story several times, but now no one believes him anymore.
How could the "number one" person under the Five Sacred Mountains Sword Sect covet the family sword technique of a small escort agency thousands of miles away?
This is even more outrageous than the rumors circulating in taverns and teahouses!
The Qingcheng Sect was just one spark away from extinction, and that spark was in the hands of Li.
And he has already arrived!
Li Che tightened the black cloth covering his face and looked along the edge of his straw hat. About twenty or thirty feet to the northwest, a group of people were gathered on a relatively flat mountain path.
Several torches lit up the surrounding area, illuminating about ten figures within the encirclement.
Good heavens, they were all disheveled and dressed in tattered clothes. If you gave them a broken bowl, people would believe they were from the Beggars' Sect.
Li Che looked around and was immediately surprised.
The Beggars' Sect actually exists!
A group of people on the east side, dressed in patchwork clothes and carrying bamboo sticks, completely blocked the road.
He had never liked the Beggars' Sect, and seeing this only increased his evil intentions.
The group of more than twenty people heading north, dressed in black and wearing yellow belts, were likely members of the Demonic Cult.
The west and south sides were crowded with people of all kinds of weapons, but the most eye-catching were six strange people. Before anyone else could speak, the group jumped around and mumbled something incomprehensible.
Among those surrounded, the man in the front row was short, with his left hand forming a sword gesture and his right hand holding a sword; his two mustaches were stuck to his face.
It must be Yu Canghai.
Thankfully, the man surnamed Yu is still alive!
Li Che hid in the forest, silently channeling his Purple Cloud Inner Strength, intending to get closer.
However, just as he was about to lift his foot, he stopped, his ears twitched slightly, and his gaze turned to the southwest and northwest.
There are others hiding in the shadows!
That's a master!
Just then, Yu Canghai said loudly, "Gentlemen, I have said countless times that the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual was passed down from the ancestors of the Fuwei Escort Agency."
Mr. Yu's mentor was defeated by Lin Yuantu in his early years and died in despair.
To be honest, I came to Fuzhou to settle old scores, but some bastard spread rumors and caused trouble, resulting in heavy casualties among my Qingcheng Sect disciples.
Ladies and gentlemen…
Before he could finish speaking, someone shouted, "You old bastard, do you think we're all deaf or stupid?!"
Your explanation is so convoluted, you're just spouting nonsense!
"That's right! Abbot Yu, you are, after all, the head of a sect. If you have someone to take the blame, then you should choose someone with influence to make it convincing."
If you hand over the sword manual, we will not make things difficult for you.
Otherwise, the Songshan Sect has too many people and too much power for us to handle, but do you think the few remaining fish and shrimps of your Qingcheng Sect will survive tonight?!
A member of the Northern Demonic Sect sneered, "Master Yu, which is more important, the sword manual or your life? Even if you don't have the sword manual now, you'd better conjure one up!"
"good!"
The crowd echoed each other, their weapons clanging loudly, and the central open space shrank even further.
Unexpectedly, those six strange men jumped out and raised their voices:
"Hey, I have an idea! Let's strip him naked, then we'll know if he has a sword manual or not!"
"That won't do. What if he hides it somewhere else, or destroys the sword manual and memorizes it?"
"Then why don't we just crack his head open?"
"Fourth brother, if you rip his head open, he's dead. Where are we going to find the sword manual?"
"You haven't even opened it, how do you know the person is dead? What if they aren't?"
"No, no! Third brother, fourth brother, sixth brother, you're all wrong!"
"What's wrong?"
"What's the point of searching for the sword manual in his head if he's already swallowed it?"
"Brother, you're wrong too! If you swallowed it, wouldn't it have come out by now? I think it was sewn back into your stomach."
"How do you know it's the stomach and not the buttocks or thighs?"
"..."
The six eccentric individuals spoke incoherently and argued incessantly.
Everyone watched with amusement, but Yu Canghai's face had turned ashen.
The leader of a faction has been humiliated to this extent; this is intolerable!
but!
He endured it again and again, the three-foot sword trembling incessantly, but in the end he did not raise the sword to thrust it out.
A single hair can affect the whole situation; if he makes the first move now, he will surely be attacked by the whole group.
His enemies are from all sides; we must guard against him first, and then guard against those around him.
They talk the talk but don't walk the walk, simply because they are wary of each other. Whoever has the sword manual will be the target of everyone's attacks!
What's most hateful is that the damned sword manual is indeed not in the hands of Abbot Yu.
Just then, his disciple Hong Renxiong said in a trembling voice, "Master... Master, if you really have the sword manual, please hand it over, otherwise... otherwise we're all afraid we'll all die here."
Upon hearing this, Yu Canghai was furious. "Damn it! The rumors have spread so far that even my disciple believes them!"
Where am I supposed to find a sword manual in this short time? I can't even make one on the spot!
What's even more hateful is that Zuo Lengchan, that scoundrel, who stood by and watched someone die without offering any help. What a despicable dog he was, it's truly humiliating.
What to do?!
The six strange men laughed and joked, and no one around them interrupted, clearly all intending to be the "fishermen" (profiteers).
Just then, the six strange men suddenly leaped up without warning, instantly forming a six-pointed star, creating a circle within a circle.
Not only Yu Canghai, but everyone else's hearts skipped a beat; these six people had such impressive skills!
"Wait!" Yu Canghai shouted. "Gentlemen, don't make a move. I'll admit defeat. The sword manual is mine!"
Upon hearing this, everyone tensed up, slightly raising their weapons as they stepped forward, and their gazes, which had been fixed on Yu Canghai, shifted to scan their surroundings.
The leaders of the Demonic Sect and the Beggars' Sect were all whispering to each other, but no one knew what orders they were giving.
On the other hand, most of the scattered heretics were staring intently at Yu Canghai's every move, their eyes filled with greed.
Those who were still somewhat clear-headed took a small step back, waiting for their chance.
The Qingcheng disciples, on the contrary, breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, "So the rumors in the martial world were true; the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual really is in Master's hands!"
"Wait, wait! We can't take it out!"
"That's right! You surnamed Yu, you tell us brothers first, where do you hide the sword manual—in your head, your butt, or your leg?"
"That's right, just show it to us. How are we brothers supposed to know who's right and who's wrong?"
The group, who had just wanted them to be the first to stick their necks out, now secretly resented the six for causing trouble and glared at them angrily.
"You're all wrong!" Yu Canghai forced a smile. "Renxiong!"
"Master?"
"Hand over the sword manual!"
Hong Renxiong froze instantly, as countless piercing gazes shot towards him, their greed and killing intent locking onto him, causing his face to turn as white as paper, his lips to turn purple, and his throat to feel blocked, making it extremely difficult for him to utter, "Master... Master, what, what..."
"Traitor! Don't you have a death wish?!"
Yu Canghai suddenly swung his arm backward and slapped him across the face. In the darkness, no one noticed that his palm was slightly off-center and his little finger trembled slightly. Before Hong Renxiong could finish speaking, his acupoint for speech was sealed.
He grabbed his disciple by the collar and threw him and his sword westward. "The sword manual is on him. Go and take it if you want."
His move was very sudden and extremely powerful.
As soon as the ball was thrown, Yu Canghai leaped eastward, clearly no longer caring about the lives of his other disciples.
Both master and disciple were in mid-air. The disciple could not speak and could only flail his arms and legs without any leverage. The master had already swung his sword and rushed forward, trying to break through the gap and escape with his life.
This was an open scheme, but no one dared to gamble on it.
"I'll stop that guy surnamed Yu. You go and take him away. Don't let a single Qingcheng disciple escape!"
With a furious roar from the leader of the Demonic Sect, the Beggars' Sect members split into two groups, heading east and west respectively.
They were fast, but the six strange men were even faster. "Big brother, with the sword manual, we'll be number one, number two, number three, number four, number five, number six in the world!"
"That's exactly right!"
The six men pounced on Hong Renxiong with lightning speed, and before he even hit the ground, his limbs were already seized.
"Damn it, I've been wanting to get rid of these six monsters for ages! Let's kill them first!"
Upon hearing this, a hundred voices responded, and swords, spears, and clubs came flying at them. However, their target was not the six monsters' heads or chests, but rather the arms that they had seized from Hong Renxiong.
To everyone's surprise, the six men not only did not loosen their grip on Hung Jen-hung's hands, but also offered him palm strikes or caught his blade with bare hands.
Several muffled thuds were heard.
The crowd was instantly pushed back three or four feet. Several people had their chests caved in, their ribs broken, and blood gushing from their mouths. The weaker ones died instantly.
Such profound internal energy!
However, greed has taken hold, and chaos has ensued. They're all involved in the underworld; who doesn't have a ruthless streak of valuing money over life?
The six people were in the same situation as the Qingcheng disciples just now.
"Brother, the left leg is missing!"
"Not on the chest either!"
"The right arm is missing!"
"I don't have any either!"
"He might have carved the sword manual onto his body!"
"Sixth Brother is right!"
"Brother, there are too many of them! Let's divide them into four groups and take them back to search!"
"Excellent! Second brother, you're so clever."
......
In contrast, Yu Canghai was short in stature but quick in his steps.
Having just gained a slight advantage, they broke through the encirclement and sped eastward.
Several people were hot on their heels, especially the leader of the Demonic Sect, who stepped forward and had already pulled ahead of the Beggar Clan members by about ten feet.
Li Che, hidden in the forest, watched the whole spectacle unfold, never expecting that Yu Canghai would cut off his tail to save his life.
Besides Yu Canghai, I have heard that several masters hidden in the forest are heading east.
Don't miss this opportunity!
A streak of silver light pierced through the dark forest, swift as the wind and lightning, its sharpness intimidating.
Yu Canghai turned his head to observe the pursuing enemies behind him, thinking that running like this was not a solution, and that he should plunge into the mountains and forests to escape the pursuit.
But as soon as he started to think about it, his eyes suddenly widened and his heart pounded. A cold, sharp sword was already thrusting towards him from the left front, and in an instant it was within five feet of him.
Damn!
Yu Canghai cursed under his breath, flipped his hand, and drew a semicircle with his longsword, attempting to parry the attack.
The Qingcheng School's Pine Breeze Swordplay is powerful yet agile, as strong as a pine tree and as light as the wind.
However, the man surnamed Yu lost the initiative, and when he used his move now, he was more skillful than powerful.
"Clang!"
As the two swords clashed, Yu Canghai glanced over and saw only a pair of cold eyes. The enemy's strength was immense, and his sword-wielding arm was already numb from the impact.
Then came a piercing screech. The incoming sword changed from a thrust to a horizontal movement, sliding and swinging as if it were stuck to the spine of his sword. The blade then advanced another three inches, heading towards his neck.
Yu Canghai was suddenly startled. This person was not here for the sword manual, but to kill someone!
However, it is not only swordsmanship that is as firm and unyielding as a pine tree, but also the lower body that is as steadfast as a pine tree.
"Hey--!"
He pressed his breath to the ground, channeling his energy into the sword, and simultaneously leaned back and retreated rapidly.
At this moment, we can't worry about the pursuers behind us; we just need to get out of this mess first!
Li Che dared not reveal the Five Mountains Sword Techniques, but instead used the broken moves of the Demonic Sect elder on the Cliff of Contemplation.
He was already getting anxious after failing to defeat Yu Canghai in two moves.
Seeing that the pursuers were already two zhang away, Li Che suddenly gathered his strength in his dantian, stepped up from the ground, and changed his sliding sword into a falling sword, which was the Meteor Falling move from the Evil-Slaying Sword Technique.
This move was bland and tasteless when used by Lin Pingzhi, but it became swift and unpredictable in the hands of Li Che.
"How could you?!"
Yu Canghai was immediately thrown into disarray. The Lin family actually had such a master?!
"stop!"
"No!"
Before the words had even faded, the longsword had already pierced through his chest. Yu Canghai's eyes widened in fury. Before he died, he only saw a dark purple glimpse under his bamboo hat, but he did not notice that something had been added to his arms.
......