chsdbacks Chapter 28: The Strange Reappears, the Power of the Spirit Fox!
Chapter 28: The Strange Reappears, the Power of the Spirit Fox!
As the sun began to set, Zhang Ping noticed that the sounds of fighting on the main battlefield had subsided.
He cautiously surveyed the area around his hiding place but found no trace of the spirit foxes. The corpses of those three spirit foxes from before… This thought had just crossed his mind when he suppressed it.
That's too risky.
The lingering stench of foxes was receding from the town, but the main battlefield remained shrouded in stagnation as no warriors returned.
A sense of unease crept into Zhang Ping's heart. The town was bait, and Madam Lu was still here... He shuddered, a chilling guess surfacing in his mind.
He whispered his guess to Lu Wanrou beside him.
Lu Wanrou pursed her lips and retorted, "Master Lu's loyalty to the Lu family is undeniable. If he has the ability to escape, he will definitely rush back to rescue them immediately... Perhaps there are still some unresolved issues over there?"
Zhang Ping didn't argue, he just nodded and patiently continued to wait.
As the setting sun, blood-red in the west, was about to sink below the mountain ridge, Chongxin led a large number of martial artists back to the town and wiped out the remaining scattered spirit foxes.
Zhang Ping waited a few more moments, making sure it was completely safe outside, before protecting Lu Wanrou as they left their hiding place and headed towards the meeting point in the town center.
"Hmm?" Chongxin's gaze fell on them, filled with undisguised surprise.
"Master!" Zhang Ping keenly noticed a fleeting stiffness on the other person's face and felt a little puzzled.
Almost simultaneously, Lu Qiang, who was standing next to Chongxin, rushed over with great joy: "Madam! Madam, are you alright?!"
Lu Wanrou smiled and nodded in response:
"I was able to survive entirely thanks to Zhang Ping of your martial arts school who risked his life to protect me. Thank you so much, Master Chong!" She solemnly thanked Chongxin.
Upon hearing that Zhang Ping had protected Lu Wanrou, Chongxin's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, before a gentle smile spread across his face.
"Yes, this child is naturally strong. It is no easy feat to protect the lady in such turmoil."
With the great battle over, countless matters remained unresolved. After a brief exchange, everyone dispersed to attend to their respective tasks.
Zhang Ping returned to the small courtyard where he was temporarily staying, but the strange expression on Chongxin's face that had just vanished lingered in his mind.
Just then, Quan Hongyan returned, and he couldn't help but ask, "Sister Yan, the master's expression didn't seem quite right just now. Was he injured in the battle?"
Quan Hongyan froze abruptly, and mumbled, "No... Master is perfectly fine."
After saying that, he hurriedly went into his room.
"Is everything... alright?" Zhang Ping frowned slightly as he watched her hurried departure.
The temporary encampment of the Lu family caravan.
The courtyard was completely unrecognizable after the fierce battle during the day.
Few of the Lu family warriors followed Lu Qiang to the outskirts of the town; most stayed behind to protect Lu Wanrou.
This was the result that Lu Qiang and Chong Xin negotiated. They originally thought that this method would reduce losses in battle and prevent the already weak Lu family from suffering further losses.
However, this backfired spectacularly, leaving the Lu family warriors in the town surrounded and slaughtered, suffering heavy casualties. Those who went out, on the other hand, largely survived.
"Master Lu, are you... alright?"
Lu Qiang had been back here for a while, but his face had changed from flushed to deathly pale, and now it was completely bloodless.
He paced back and forth in the wasteland of the small courtyard, seemingly searching for something.
Seeing that he was in very poor condition, Lu Wanrou asked with concern.
"Don't worry, Madam, I... will definitely ensure your safe return home." Lu Qiang's voice was deep, and his steps suddenly stopped at the corner of the courtyard wall.
He suddenly bent down, his five fingers like hooks digging deep into the scorched earth. When he pulled them out, he brought out a handful of dark red soil, and a strong, pungent smell of fox odor mixed with blood wafted out.
"Heh heh...heh heh heh..." Lu Qiang's laughter was dry and heavy. He looked up at the twilight sky, then closed his eyes in anguish.
"Universally recognized, with top-notch reputation... Sitong Martial Arts School, a place of unwavering integrity! What a reputable institution!"
Lu Wanrou sensed something was wrong and was about to step forward to ask when her gaze fell on the handful of soil in his hand, which was stained with dark red marks. Connecting this with his unusual behavior just now, she instantly understood the situation after experiencing all sorts of open and covert struggles during the two years she had been in charge of the Lu family!
"Master Chongwu... he's actually that kind of person?!" She exclaimed, covering her mouth in disbelief.
Lu Qiang smiled bitterly: "If he weren't ruthless, how could he have built such a foundation in Lingchuan in just a few decades and secured his position as the number one martial arts school? But... he even discarded the most fundamental integrity of the escort business like trash, which is truly chilling!"
"Then... what should we do? We'll still need their protection on the way back to the capital!" Lu Wanrou said worriedly.
"It's alright. Now that the lady is unharmed, he will certainly not dare to act rashly again. Otherwise, his Sitong Martial Arts School's escort service will have nowhere to stand in the entire city!"
Lu Qiang's tone was resolute, but he then fell silent for a moment, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"Besides..." His voice lowered, carrying a hint of barely perceptible weariness.
"Besides, with me here, I can definitely protect you and get you back to the city. As for what happens next... that's up to you to figure out for yourself..."
......
After a good night's rest, many people regained their spirits the next morning, and the team was ready to set off.
"We've killed so many spirit foxes, the bounty on our way back will definitely be substantial!" some martial arts school disciples discussed excitedly.
"Not only that! I heard that Master has renegotiated the payment with the Lu family and even increased the amount!" another disciple mysteriously revealed the inside story.
"Really? That's wonderful!"
……
"Are they leaving already? What a pity..."
As the caravan traveled down the street, an old yet familiar voice suddenly entered Zhang Ping's ears.
He turned around at the sound and saw the old woman from that day.
She leaned on her cane, still with that kind and gentle look, exactly the same as she had a few days ago, as if yesterday's bloody turmoil had never happened.
Zhang Ping was surprised and blurted out, "Grandpa, you're still alive?"
Although it may be presumptuous of me to say this, it is truly unbelievable that an old man with a cane could survive yesterday's turmoil, which nearly killed half of the town's population!
The old woman took a half-step forward, leaning on her cane, as if sighing, "Yesterday was a sorrowful day; so many members of our tribe passed away..."
Zhang Ping found it interesting; it was rare to see someone use "clan" to describe other people. He then ventured to ask:
"That little girl isn't dead, is she?"
Before he could finish speaking, a small white shadow suddenly darted out from the side and stomped hard on the back of his foot!
"Hmph! You're the one who's dead!" the little girl with two buns in her hair shouted angrily at him.
"Huh?" Zhang Ping chuckled. This little thing was incredibly bold, daring to step on the foot of a martial artist like him!
It's just that he has a relatively good temper. If it were someone with a bad temper, they would have beaten her so badly that her butt would have been bruised and battered!
He chuckled and dusted off his boots. The girl was quick; even he couldn't completely dodge her.
Thinking about this, he suddenly paused, instinctively feeling that something was wrong.
"Brother Zhang, let's go!" Qin Hu's shout came from afar.
"Coming!" Zhang Ping called out loudly, quickly kneading the little girl's two balls, grinning at the old woman, and then mounting his horse.
The little girl, whose hair was styled in a bun, bared her little fangs in anger and made as if to chase after the old woman, but was stopped by the old woman with a smile.
The old woman's kind expression finally faded. Watching the procession recede into the distance, a clear hint of regret flickered in her cloudy eyes: "So close..."
"Brother Zhang, what were you dawdling about just now?"
Zhang Ping rode up to Qin Hu at the back of the group.
"I met two interesting people and chatted for a bit," Zhang Ping replied casually.
Qin Hu winked mischievously: "Interesting? You're probably so captivated by some pretty girl that you can't tear yourself away, aren't you?"
"Haha, Brother Qin is joking. It's clearly an old man with a little girl, not a pretty young lady." Zhang Ping chuckled and shook his head, taking it as a joke.
"Oh? Really?" Qin Hu scratched his head, turning back in confusion.
"Why don't I remember anything? I was looking around for a while..." The place where the old woman and the little girl had been standing was now empty.
"Haha, Brother Qin, you're probably..." Zhang Ping was about to tease him back when his voice suddenly stopped.
The smile on his face gradually froze and disappeared.
No recollection? Meat-refining martial artists have excellent eyesight and a photographic memory is a basic skill. How could they possibly have no recollection of two people they just met?
unless……
The procession stretched out in a long line, slowly driving out of Lishan territory.
As the horse's hooves crossed the invisible boundary at the edge of the town, Zhang Ping, who was riding on horseback, felt as if he had been hit hard on the head by an invisible hammer, and a sharp pain suddenly exploded!
Countless overlooked details surge back like a tidal wave: the old woman's two untimely and mysterious appearances, her otherworldly calm demeanor, the little girl's ghostly speed...
All the odds suddenly made sense at that moment!
A chilling coldness instantly shot up my spine and up my scalp—
That is...
The power of the spirit fox!