Chapter 56

"Something strange is happening."

"What is it?"

"Why did they abandon all the horses and go?"

In the direction Chou pointed, there were numerous scattered horses, and several government soldiers were running around trying to gather them in one place.

"Since the government soldiers are guarding them, aren't these their horses?"

"That's impossible. Looking around, the hoof prints of the Black Wind Gang that led here have disappeared. This means they abandoned their horses and started using lightness skills. And look at the black armor piled up there. The fact that they even took off their armor means they are now focusing more on escaping rather than a direct confrontation. Why did they change their strategy?"

"Could it be because they met the senior Mo Xiang we encountered before?"

"Yes. Given his martial arts level, he's definitely not a common thug. He might have been recruited by some organization. If so, they now have a destination, so they would rather quietly escape than engage in unnecessary battles."

"That could be. Be careful. There seem to be a few experts among the government soldiers."

"Understood."

Chou and his group sold their horses in the village and used lightness skills. It's better to use lightness skills on mountain paths than horses, so they could move quietly. However, it was a headache because of his younger sisters, whose martial arts were still lacking. Thinking that Mo Xiang might have gone ahead out of concern, Chou felt frustrated, but he couldn't abandon his younger sisters. After urging his sisters to hurry, they met the government soldiers guarding the horses the Black Wind Gang had abandoned that evening.

Chou sensed that the government soldiers' actions were unexpectedly fast, leading him to suspect that some martial arts experts were helping them. Therefore, he warned his sisters.

They ran for about an hour and a half in the dark, but the darkness made it impossible to follow any more traces, so they had to camp for the night. The next morning, they started the pursuit again. After about two hours, they saw something strange.

Eight dogs... They seemed to be military dogs raised by the government, all foaming at the mouth and covered in blood, dead. Since four dogs were still alive, they could easily understand what had happened. These dogs were also foaming at the mouth, with eyes full of madness, and they lunged at the people. There were several injured people, some of whom were being tended to by soldiers, while others were frantically killing the mad dogs in fear.

At this moment, three people caught Chou's attention. Unlike the government soldiers, they each had a sword and showed no change in expression amidst the chaos. They were likely martial arts experts assisting the government. It's common for some martial artists, who are often in need of money, to serve as lackeys for the government. Fortunately, among such people, there are no truly outstanding experts. However, there's always a chance, so caution is necessary.

"What are those dogs?"

"They're not stray dogs. Look, they have collars. They are military dogs used by the government. The Black Wind Gang must have sprinkled some kind of drug on the path."

"Would dogs go mad just because of a drug?"

"I don't know. Let's go quickly. Be careful not to leave any traces. Judging from the chaos, they seem to be the ones leading the pursuit."

"Understood."

Chou's younger sister, Chou Xi, answered obediently, but Chou Yan, who had some martial arts experience, expressed her concerns.

"Brother, why don't we follow them from behind? If there's a trap..."

"That could be. Let's follow them quietly."

Indeed, those three were experts in pursuit. After the dogs died, they led about 300 government soldiers, carefully following the subtle traces. The government soldiers followed behind, marking the path every 30 meters so that anyone could see. Behind them, the main force of the government soldiers might be following. Chou deliberately followed them, untying the red ribbons they had tied and leading them to a side path. After connecting about six of them, he returned and erased all the footprints on the side path, continuing to follow them while erasing all the marks.

After about two hours, suddenly, over ten arrows flew from the front, hitting the three martial artists and the soldiers following behind. They immediately fell, and the arrows protruded from their backs, indicating the power of the person who shot them. Everyone immediately hid behind trees or rocks, but no further action was taken. Only then did they cautiously get up to check the fallen people. From their expressions, it was clear that all those hit by the arrows were dead. At this moment, a voice came from the forest.

"If you continue to pursue, we will kill all of you. Get lost!"

The martial artists, who had hoped to survive, were all dead, and the Black Wind Gang, which had been the strongest in the government until recently, was now their opponent. With the opponent knowing their location but not vice versa, the soldiers began to panic. Eventually, one soldier fled, and the rest followed, running away in chaos.

After the government soldiers disappeared, Chou saw his opportunity. Using lightness skills, he rushed forward to where the bodies were, stopped, and said,

"I am Chou from the Chou family. Knowing that you are being pursued without fault, I have come to help. Please allow me to accompany you."

To his surprise, the response was straightforward.

"Alright. Bring your sisters along."

'Your sisters? Do they already know?'

Chou called his sisters, and in front of them were ten warriors in battle robes, all carrying bows, likely the ones who had just shot the arrows.

"Are you Chou? I am Lin Chong. I've heard about you from the leader. You're quite capable despite your young age... By the way, let's go to where Commander Guan is."

Chou, using lightness skills, followed Lin Chong and asked,

"Is Commander Guan the one leading the Black Wind Gang now?"

"Yes. You'll see when you meet him. He's an extraordinary person. We've been able to hold on this far thanks to him."

"Is Senior Mo Xiang here?"

"No, he left, saying he had some business. Damn, he was already great before, but now he's like a distant sky. Back then, I thought I could catch up if I worked hard enough..."

"Is he that great?"

"Yes. I might say he's my ideal... Not only is his martial arts strong, but he's also well-read and kind. He used to drink a lot..."

'Kind and gentle? Well-read? Not at all...'

"Have you read many of his books?"

"Yes, Commander Guan said he's the only person who has read all the books in the Imperial Library. The leader once assigned him a few excellent teachers, and he studied a wide range of subjects."

Chou, looking skeptical, asked,

"Really?"

"You've met him, so you should know. He's different from the narrow-minded martial artists, isn't he?"

"I don't have the discernment to tell."

"That could be. The leader has been busy, so I haven't had much chance to talk to him."

After about an hour and a half, they reached the main force of the Black Wind Gang. Some were resting against tree trunks, and others were gathered in small groups, chatting. Lin Chong led them to a person in a blue battle robe, a young warrior with neither a large nor small frame, sharp eyes, and an untrimmed beard from being on the run. He had a strong jawline, a tired complexion, a prominent nose, and eyes that exuded a strong spirit, ready to overcome any obstacle. At first glance, he was a charismatic and excellent warrior.

Realizing that his opponent was an extraordinary person, Chou bowed and greeted him. However, he noticed that his sisters were captivated by this impressive figure and poked them to get their attention.

"I am Chou from the Chou family. Meeting you in person, I see you are even more remarkable."

"Hehe, you flatter me... I've heard about you from Deputy Leader Mo Xiang."

"Deputy Leader?"

"Yes, he was a hundred-man commander in our gang, an outstanding martial artist. When I met him, I thought it was strange that someone with skills approaching the Transformation Realm was only a hundred-man commander."

Chou's eyes widened in surprise.

"You said the Transformation Realm?"

"Yes, the Transformation Realm. Unfortunately, he had lost all his previous memories. Therefore, he had forgotten all his martial arts. The leader sent him to the Imperial Library to learn martial arts, and I saw his skills during the Mongol battle. They were truly remarkable. Recently, he regained his memories. His original position was Deputy Leader of the Devil Sect, a martial arts organization. He asked me to help him with some tasks. Since we had nowhere to go, we decided to join him."

'This is getting strange.'

"Have you heard of the Devil Sect?"

"I don't know much. I grew up in the government and learned martial arts there. I'm not so narrow-minded as to judge someone based on rumors. The person I met, Mo Xiang, was no less than those who claimed to be righteous. He seems to have a complicated relationship with the Devil Sect and some bad memories. When you meet him, don't bring up anything related to the Devil Sect. It might put your life in danger..."

"Really?"

"After meeting him this time, I noticed he had changed a bit. But he's still honest and straightforward, so I trust him. His martial arts are at the Mystic Realm level. It's not good to provoke him."

"That's... incredible."

Chou was shocked. He had suspected it when Mo Xiang used his sword skills freely, but the shock didn't diminish. The Mystic Realm is not a level that can be achieved just by practicing martial arts. In the long history of martial arts, only one person has ever reached this level.

"Since Senior Mo Xiang is not here, where are we going?"

"There's a sect called the Black Dragon Sect near Mount Taibai, southwest of Zhongjing. We are to go there. Be careful."

Zhongjing, located in the south of Shaanxi Province, is a large city that was once known as Chang'an and served as the capital of many dynasties.

"By the way, we saw mad dogs on the way. How did you deal with them?"

"That was the mad dog powder given to us by Deputy Leader Mo Xiang. When sprinkled on the ground, the dogs smell it, it enters their noses, and the moisture in their noses causes it to dissolve, leading to convulsions. It might affect humans too, but humans don't sniff the ground. However, it dissolves easily in water, so it's ineffective if it rains."

* * *

Mo Xiang was not in a good mood. No one likes the feeling of being watched while traveling.

'What to do... I feel gloomy. Should I play around and beat someone up?'

He started feeling like he was being followed after parting ways with the Black Wind Gang and entering the city of Hongyuan. Hongyuan, located in northern Sichuan Province, is a large commercial city on the main road leading to Gansu Province, serving as the logistics center between Sichuan and Gansu.

Mo Xiang deliberately entered a secluded alley