Chapter Forty-Six: The Might of the Sword Satchel

Between Jingyang County and Qingcheng County lay a courier road built along the mountains. This road stretched over six hundred li, winding and twisting through the landscape, with dozens of relay stations established along its length, serving as the most vital connection between the two counties.

The horse Chen Jiu rented belonged to one such relay station; upon reaching a station, he could exchange it for a fresh mount or rest. Naturally, all this had been arranged by Anhua Yuan. After all, without official status, he had no right to race unhindered along the courier road.

...

In the distance, the setting sun hung at the horizon, clouds unfurling across the sky, dyeing half the heavens crimson. Chen Jiu led his horse along the courier road, which was strewn with yellowed, fallen leaves.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

The horse’s hooves struck the ground with crisp sounds. Intermittent bird calls echoed from the surrounding forests, and the rustling in the nearby grass made Chen Jiu pause.

“It seems I’ll have to travel through the night.”

He had been on the road for several days, already past Jingyang County, and now within the borders of Qingcheng County. In another day or two, he would reach the final relay station.

“They haven’t caught up yet,” Chen Jiu observed his surroundings constantly, alert at the slightest movement or disturbance.

The yellow-maned horse panted heavily, clearly exhausted from the lack of rest at a relay station.

“There seems to be water ahead; let’s rest there for a while.” Chen Jiu faintly heard the sound of running water from not far away.

He led his horse on for a bit longer and found a mountain stream—a brook cut across the courier road. Parched, the horse surged forward and drank greedily from the water.

The surroundings were bathed in the blood-red glow of the sunset.

Chen Jiu sat cross-legged on the ground, recovering his strength.

Suddenly, the drinking horse raised its head in alarm.

In an instant, two sword auras swept across from both sides of the mountain stream, swift as lightning!

Without a moment’s hesitation, Chen Jiu opened his mouth and spat forth a green lotus platform. It shot out and floated before his chest, radiating streams of green light that transformed into lotus petals, enveloping him in protection.

The yellow-maned horse, unable to react, let out a mournful cry. Blood spurted from its neck, and it collapsed with a thud into the stream, staining the water scarlet.

Chen Jiu, wrapped in the green lotus, blocked the ferocious sword auras entirely.

Protected within the lotus petals, Chen Jiu’s expression darkened, a fierce and ruthless glint in his brow.

Since it was a fight to the death, it would end here.

He moved his thoughts, took the wine gourd from his waist, and with a flick of his sleeve, a flash of green light summoned a small banner into his hand.

Pouring all the wine onto the banner, Chen Jiu waited for the right moment.

He knew that the “Suspended Eyes” must have concealed themselves; unless he broke their “Mist Garments,” he would be at their mercy.

Outside, the autumn wind rustled, and the trees swayed in the breeze.

The two “Suspended Eyes” who had come to assassinate him were hidden, poised to deliver a fatal blow.

Moments later, two sword beams appeared suddenly, slashing mercilessly at Chen Jiu’s green lotus!

With two metallic clangs, the lotus endured another round of attacks.

The green lotus shone brilliantly, its glow circulating, blocking the lethal force of the sword auras, preventing any advance.

---

“Hmph.”

A displeased snort echoed from the air above.

At first, Chen Jiu was anxious, fearing the lotus might not withstand the combined assault of two “Lesser Pill Embryos.” But now, he realized he had underestimated its defensive power.

In a flash, as the attack faded, Chen Jiu retracted the lotus and raised the small banner skyward.

“Rain!”

With his command, clouds gathered overhead in a rolling, stormy mass.

As the surroundings dimmed and chilled, Chen Jiu quickly summoned the lotus again.

The moment the lotus wrapped around him, the “Suspended Eyes” struck once more. Yet, they were a step too slow; their fearsome sword beams could not penetrate the lotus.

Outside, the sky’s clouds swirled chaotically.

Suddenly, gentle rain began to fall from the clouds.

Like a vast, delicate veil, the rain softly covered the ground.

Abruptly, two dark-robed figures appeared atop a tall, bare-branched tree nearby, revealed as the rain soaked them, rising steam into the air.

“Wine again… always wine.” The leader of the “Suspended Eyes” reached the peak of his murderous intent.

They had long targeted Chen Jiu, but he lingered in Jingyang County’s Civil Affairs Bureau, leaving no chance to strike.

Now, with Chen Jiu alone on the road, it should have been the perfect opportunity.

Yet, the lotus thwarted their attacks, and now the wine broke their “Mist Garments,” leaving these elite assassins utterly humiliated.

Their training in the “Suspended Eyes Hall” demanded that they kill with a single strike—this was their basic skill.

Hidden in the shadows, their sword drawn meant the prey’s death.

With the “Mist Garments” broken, Chen Jiu felt no joy, knowing the decisive moment was yet to come.

Moreover, the repeated use of the lotus had drained his power immensely; he could withstand only one more attack.

“Master, what should we do?”

The leader’s eyes flashed coldly beneath his straw hat. “Wait.”

“He’s exhausting his power with that lotus. We’ll wait him out.”

The other, sword slung over his back, nodded. “He’s improved a lot since we last saw him.”

Suddenly, the leader lowered his hat and said icily, “His aura is weakening.”

Moments later, Chen Jiu’s lotus seemed to falter, revealing a small gap.

“Now!” The leader’s sharp eyes caught the chance; he shot forward, crossing ten yards in an instant, appearing before Chen Jiu.

Sword in hand, he slashed down at Chen Jiu exposed through the gap!

The other “Suspended Eye” followed close behind, murderous aura surging.

It seemed Chen Jiu, unable to sustain the lotus, was doomed.

---

But when the leader saw the cold sneer in Chen Jiu’s eyes and the bloodstained pouch he held open, his heart trembled!

As his sword beam fell, a more terrifying sword aura surged skyward!

Swish, swish, swish, swish!

The “Suspended Eyes” attacks were dissolved. Chen Jiu, his expression icy, aimed the sword pouch at the two assassins, who had no time to retreat.

Sword energy raged, forming a long dragon, exuding a pungent scent of blood and chilling killing intent, and swallowed the leader in one gulp!

In a blink, the sword dragon devoured him. Not even a cry escaped before he was dismembered by the ferocious sword energy, his robe and hat reduced to a heap of flesh that spilled to the ground.

The other assassin, being slower, was only wounded and fell aside, escaping the sword dragon’s wrath by sheer luck.

Chen Jiu’s eyes widened in astonishment; he hastily tied the pouch shut, still shaken.

The sword dragon unleashed from the pouch was so powerful that a “Pill Embryo” was reduced to scattered flesh in a single exchange!

Chen Jiu’s heart pounded wildly, as if it would leap from his chest.

One “Suspended Eye” was dead; another survived.

Chen Jiu put away the small banner and sword pouch, then summoned his magic sword and approached the fallen black-robed man.

The surviving “Suspended Eye” saw Chen Jiu’s intent and, heart trembling, asked, “Do you dare kill me?”

He bit his lip, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

With his hat knocked off, Chen Jiu could see his face clearly—so ordinary as to be invisible in a crowd.

“If you kill me, your temple will suffer for it.”

Chen Jiu paused.

The man relaxed, thinking this young priest still feared implicating his brethren.

But as Chen Jiu's magic sword sang softly and severed his head with ease, the man stared wide-eyed, unable to comprehend as death claimed him...

Chen Jiu stood beside the headless corpse, silent.

He was not cold-blooded to the extreme, nor indifferent to his fellow disciples—after all, when he left the mountain, his brothers had pooled ten taels of silver for him. For that alone, Chen Jiu could not disregard their bond.

But he had to kill this “Suspended Eye,” even if it meant bringing disaster upon his temple.

Chen Jiu was never one to be soft-hearted or indecisive.

If you seek my life, you must be prepared to die in turn.

Chen Jiu moved, picked up the man's head, and placed it into the sword pouch.

Strangely, as the head entered, it was instantly dissolved by sword energy, not spraying blood and flesh, but transforming into a stream of sword aura...

He then summoned the small banner, called down thunder, and obliterated the bodies of both “Suspended Eye” assassins and the dead horse.

Only after all this, despite the exhaustion, did he call forth the lotus, step onto it, and speed away...

Having killed the “Suspended Eyes,” he was now locked in a death struggle with the Civil Affairs Bureau of Xinyang County.

Thus, Chen Jiu needed to reach the protection of Qingcheng County’s Bureau even faster.

He had stirred up another hornet’s nest, but Chen Jiu felt exhilarated.

Those who once humiliated him—today, their lives would repay the debt!