Three days later.
At the Qingchuan Chamber of Commerce.
A long caravan was assembled at the entrance. Dozens of carriages loaded with valuable goods were packed tight, and the flags of both Thunderfire Hall and the Qingchuan Chamber of Commerce fluttered atop the vehicles.
From Thunderfire Hall, five Grand Divine Ability Practitioners had arrived, with Lu Ming being one of them.
“Ming'er, this is Brother Lü Feng. He is the most senior member of our Thunderfire Hall. He has refined twenty-three Divine Ability Dharma Inscriptions and is quite well-known among the Grand Divine Ability Practitioners in Qingyuan Ward. He has led our caravan escort missions in previous years.” Lu Qingyan brought Lu Ming to a middle-aged man with slightly graying hair and a rugged face, who appeared quite a bit older than Lu Qingyan.
“Uncle Lü,” Lu Ming greeted, clasping his hands.
“So this is Thunderfire Hall's High-grade genius, the one they call the ‘Thunderfire Butcher,’ Lu Ming? Qingyan, you've raised a fine son. The future of Thunderfire Hall rests on his shoulders,” the middle-aged man named Lü Feng said. He sized up Lu Ming, then clapped a large hand onto his shoulder with a laugh.
Lu Ming's lips twitched. How was it that so much time had passed, yet the nickname “Thunderfire Butcher” was still spreading?
“Haha! Lu Ming is already the face of our Thunderfire Hall now. Possessing a High-grade Divine Ability Bone and becoming a Grand Divine Ability Practitioner in just a single month... such cultivation speed is even faster than that bastard Zhang Yue's back then. At this rate, our Thunderfire Hall will probably produce a second Divine Ability Master in a few years. When that time comes, we might actually become the first Grade 4 Divine Ability Hall in Qingyuan Ward!” The speaker was a burly, long-haired man named Lu Song. He was also a Grand Divine Ability Practitioner who had emerged from Thunderfire Hall and had recently been invited back by Lu Jin to serve as an instructor.
“If that day truly comes, those of us who came from Thunderfire Hall will also share in the glory,” Lü Feng said with a sigh of emotion.
“Brother Lü, Old Lu, we will have to trouble you both for this mission,” Lu Qingyan said, clasping his hands.
“Ah, we're family. No need to be so polite. Besides, we will benefit quite a bit once this job is done,” Lü Feng waved his hand.
Just then, Manager Xu of the Qingchuan Chamber of Commerce walked over to greet everyone. When he saw Lu Ming, his smile grew even warmer. “My, Thunderfire Hall has actually dispatched this High-grade genius. It seems this trip will surely be safe and sound.”
Lu Qingyan smiled and discussed a few caravan matters with him before sending him off. He then turned to exchange a look with Lu Ming.
They had not informed the Qingchuan Chamber of Commerce about the intelligence regarding the potential attack by the Peach Mountain Bandits. Otherwise, if the chamber of commerce knew of such a hidden threat, they would definitely prefer to postpone the caravan's departure, or more likely, choose to terminate their escort agreement with Thunderfire Hall.
That was not an outcome Thunderfire Hall wished to see.
The primary reason the Peach Mountain Bandits had run rampant for so many years was that after committing their robberies, they would retreat deep into the Peach Miasma Mountains, making it impossible to locate their stronghold. Thus, even though the medicinal garden had been plundered previously, everyone had been helpless, and not even Lu Jin had been able to pursue them.
This time, however, they had used Zhou Xuan's help to obtain this crucial intelligence in advance. They could use this opportunity to set a trap, lure out the Peach Mountain Bandits, sever their limbs, deal them a devastating blow, and resolve the threat once and for all.
After completing all preparations, the caravan set off, passing through the main streets of the ward city before exiting the city gates and heading west.
Lu Ming sat cross-legged on a cargo carriage, his gaze sweeping over the caravan. It was quite massive, with a large number of accompanying personnel. Aside from the five Grand Divine Ability Practitioners from Thunderfire Hall, the Qingchuan Chamber of Commerce had also sent two Grand Divine Ability Practitioners to accompany them.
Thus, in total, this caravan was guarded by seven Grand Divine Ability Practitioners.
Such a lineup was already extremely formidable, enough to deter the vast majority of bandit cultivators who coveted the goods.
“According to the map, the caravan should leave the borders of Qingyuan Ward tomorrow evening. After that is a lawless zone that takes about three shichen to cross, which would be the prime location for the Peach Mountain Bandits to strike.”
Lu Ming took a deep breath. Although this was his first time facing such a deadly ambush, not only was he not the least bit nervous or anxious, but a fierce glint actually flickered in the depths of his eyes.
If the Peach Mountain Bandits truly dared to attack...
Then he would truly live up to his title of the “Thunderfire Butcher.”
The caravan traveled along the road at a leisurely pace, and night soon began to shroud the earth.
Traveling at night was inconvenient, so the caravan naturally found a place to pitch camp. Clusters of campfires were lit in the darkness, dispersing the night.
Everyone washed down their dry rations with water to satisfy their hunger. Afterward, Lu Qingyan and the others began patrolling the caravan. As the night deepened, the camp gradually fell silent.
The night grew heavy, and at some point, mist began to rise.
Lu Ming, who was sleeping with his eyes closed, suddenly felt a faint, sweet, and metallic scent drift into his nose. In the next instant, however, Life's Flame inside his body emitted a gentle warmth, instantly vaporizing the toxic scent that had entered his system.
Lu Ming's eyes snapped open.
He then saw rolling black mist appearing around the camp at some unknown point. The black mist carried a foul, metallic odor, clearly a toxic miasma.
Lu Ming's heart tightened, and he instantly became alert. This mist was highly unusual!
It was... the Peach Mountain Bandits!
They actually hadn't waited for the caravan to leave the borders of Qingyuan Ward before striking. Instead, they had chosen to launch a surprise attack on the very first night!
What a lawless band of vicious thugs!
The signal arrow that Lu Ming kept gripped tightly in his hand was instantly ignited by his primordial energy. The arrow shot skyward in a brilliant flash, and in the next moment, a piercing explosion shattered the silence of the forest camp.
All the sleeping members of the caravan were startled awake. Instantly, roars and harsh shouts rang out one after another.
Utter chaos ensued.
Lu Qingyan, Lu Jinglei, and the others snapped awake, immediately gathering around Lu Ming. They stared coldly at the surrounding black mist. “How bold. To think they would attack directly on the first night! They truly are impatient.”
Everyone had assumed the Peach Mountain Bandits would only strike after the caravan left Qingyuan Ward's borders. Yet, the enemy had chosen to strike tonight, catching everyone completely guard.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
As chaos erupted in the camp, the black mist enveloping the perimeter was swept up by a violent gust of wind, rolling directly toward the camp.
The poison gas spread rapidly. Many caravan escorts felt a severe dizziness wash over their heads and collapsed to the ground one after another.
Only the Grand Divine Ability Practitioners immediately circulated their primordial energy, enveloping their bodies to prevent the miasma poison from invading.
But they quickly discovered that the toxic gas seemed to be constantly intensifying, growing increasingly dense. It even began to corrode their primordial energy, greatly accelerating its consumption.
“This is wrong. This poison gas is being constantly reinforced. They have laid down a ‘Divine Ability Restriction’ in this forest to strengthen the toxic gas!” Lü Feng, with his seasoned experience, spoke with a darkened expression and a tense voice.
“Hehe, you have decent eyes. Unfortunately, you followed the wrong person.”
“No prey targeted by our Peach Mountain Bandits has ever escaped.”
Just as Lü Feng's voice fell, a sinister laugh echoed from the black mist ahead.
The black mist churned, and footsteps resounded as figures radiating powerful primordial energy stepped out from the fog.
These figures were all dressed in black, blending seamlessly with the dark mist. However, their faces were covered with different beast-face masks. The masks were blood-red, swirling with a thick, metallic scent that added a touch of terror.
“The Peach Mountain Bandits?!”
The two Grand Divine Ability Practitioners from the Qingchuan Chamber of Commerce paled in shock, crying out in dismay. Clearly, they had not expected that the ones attacking them this time would be the notorious Peach Mountain Bandits.
However, the newly appeared bandits did not strike immediately. Instead, they raised their heads to look at the sky above the forest, their eyes behind the masks filled with deep reverence.
Lu Ming and the others felt their hearts tighten slightly.
They raised their gazes, following the bandits' eyes.
They saw a figure standing in the night sky like a ghostly owl, gazing down at them with cold, indifferent eyes.
Enveloping that figure's body was a primordial energy feather robe that fluttered in the wind like a black cloak, radiating a pungent toxic gas.
A terrifying pressure of primordial energy descended from the heavens, making everyone feel a faint sense of suffocation.
“Th-That is...”
The Grand Divine Ability Practitioners from the Qingchuan Chamber of Commerce instantly turned deathly pale. Their eyes filled with despair as they cried out in horror, “A Divine Ability Master! He is... he is Guo Kui, the leader of the Peach Mountain Bandits!”
“For this seat to personally send you on your way, your deaths cannot be considered in vain...” The cold, low murmur of the owl-like figure echoed through the night.
Boom!
Yet, in that very instant, the pitch-black night was suddenly torn apart by a dazzling, brilliant flash of lightning. A streak of thunder and fire shot through the air with unimaginable swiftness. The Thunderfire Whip, coiled with thick primordial energy, whipped toward Guo Kui's figure with a deafening sonic boom.
The violent Thunderfire Whip was reflected in Guo Kui's pupils. He swept his sleeve, and billowing black primordial energy roared out, transforming into a toxic black handprint several zhang in size that violently clashed with the Thunderfire Whip.
Boom! Boom!
Churning waves of primordial energy swept outward like a tempest.
Amidst the rumbling of primordial energy, Guo Kui's gloomy voice rang out piercingly in the dark night, his violent intent to kill adding an extra chill to the night air.
“Lu Jin, I knew it! How could you bear to let the High-grade genius of your family out of your sight!”
“So you were hiding in the shadows all along!”
“It is just as well that you came. You are nothing but an old bag of bones running on empty, barely holding on. Today, in this desolate wilderness, will be the perfect burial ground for your entire family!”
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