Why do I have so many masters?-Chapter 571 - 204: White-haired with Sword (2/2)

Gazing out into the mountain forest, all one could see was a dark mass. After Wang Anfeng had spoken, a long silence ensued. Just when even Yuchi Jie began to doubt if he had heard correctly, a laugh came from the darkness.

Now, they were walking on a mountain path that twisted up like a serpent. On one side was a rather steep cliff face, and on the other was a steep slope. A single misstep could send one tumbling down the mountain.

Without some skills, one would most likely end up with a battered and bleeding head, no better looking than a smashed egg.

The laughter came from the side of the steep slope. Accompanied by a whooshing sound, a muscular giant of a man with a thick beard unexpectedly descended from above, landing firmly five steps in front of Wang Anfeng and the others. He gripped an iron wind-splitting saber in his right hand, and his copper bell-like eyes had an intimidating presence.

With strange cries and whooshing sounds, more figures dropped from above, their movements quite agile—much more imposing and ferocious compared to the two Taoists they had just seen.

Soon, more than twenty burly men stood in front of Wang Anfeng and his party, crowding the already narrow path. Each man wore a black and blue cloth uniform and wielded a wide blade, their faces twisted in a ferocious grin.

It was obvious to any astute observer that these were the fierce robbers known for waylaying and robbing travelers in the mountain forests.

The leading burly man laughed loudly and said,

"The young master does have sharp eyes,"

"I'm impressed. I wonder from where does such a heroic and brilliant young man hail, so formidable!"

Though he said this, his eyes were not really on Wang Anfeng.

Having carelessly lost track of the Taoists just before, they had noticed many torches light up the mountain road and followed them here, hoping to easily make a profitable haul.

But the moment they landed, their eyes were glued to Gong Yu standing behind Wang Anfeng, unable to look away as their throats bobbed greedily and they swallowed hard.

Then their gaze shifted to Lin Qiaofu, who seemed timid behind Wang Anfeng, as well as the fierce-looking Lv Baiping, and their hearts stirred even more.

Having roamed the Jianghu for so long, he had never seen women of such beauty. And now, he saw three at once. Although each had a different demeanor, not a single one of them was less attractive than the Oirans standing pretentiously on the grand pleasure boats. Their fresh and tender charm was even more outstanding.

Especially the coldest looking one, her appearance nearly dazzled him; she was like the Immortal of the Nine Heavens descended to Earth, as described in books. Even a bandit accustomed to murder and robbery felt constrained at this moment.

A look of disgust flashed in Gong Yu's eyes.

Next to the muscular man was a middle-aged man whose eyes ruthlessly raked over Gong Yu's body before landing on the injured Taoists in the carriage, revealing a glint of pleasure. He then cautiously sized up the entire group.

A few young people, although they carried swords, they didn't pose much of a threat.

They were probably just Martial Artists who wanted to go to the mountain top to watch the sunrise. He had seen many of such individuals over the years. Besides them, the Coachman pulling the reins on the carriage was completely ignored.

What was there to fear from a white-haired old Coachman?

Would simply carrying a sword enable him to dismount and chop down his foes?

After a look, it seemed that only the big man standing behind the noble son appeared to be a threat; even if the others had some martial arts skills, it wasn't anything serious. This band of outlaws roamed the mountains, committing crimes with lives on their hands, so why would they fear these few youngsters?

They were accustomed to the business of bloodshed. Who could intimidate whom?

With a slight elevation of the wide blade in hand, he said:

"Young master, I really admire your audacity, strutting around these parts with torches lit. Do you look down on me, or do you look down on my brothers' Head-chopping Sabers?"

He waved his saber forcefully, his expression turning ferocious.

"Brothers, advance!"

"Chop those men to death, cripple those Taoists' three legs, and the remaining three girls—we'll share. After snagging the Silver, we'll go down the mountain for a good time!"

The outlaws shouted excitably.

They knew with the beauty of these three women, they stood no chance of getting a piece, but if they could pull off this deal, heading into town with money would lead them to Brothels where the courtesans only cared for Silver. With plenty of money to throw around, they would be attended to with carefree pleasure.

Even sharing the same bed wasn't a far-fetched dream.

Having waited on the mountain for these two Taoists for a long time, they had grown increasingly frustrated. Sometimes, even the glances they exchanged with their brothers seemed off. Now presented with this grand opportunity, how could they possibly let it slip away?

Moreover, if they could manage a sneaky grope, a small hand grasp, or a waist hug during the ensuing ruckus, they would have truly hit the jackpot in life.

Lin Qiaofu's complexion turned somewhat pale, which only added to their jubilant spirits.

As they raised their steel blades, the edges reflected a chilling light.

With rallying cries, they surged forward. The lead bandit hastily called out, "That Immortal in white revere her well for me; I plan to take her back to be my Fortress Leader's wife. Whoever dares to lay a finger on her, I'll hack it off!"

"Haha, Leader, this is already your third Fortress Leader's wife,"

"Don't end up wearing her out again."

Someone in the crowd jeered, and the calls from the bandits continued unabated. Wang Anfeng raised his hand to his forehead, noticing a chilling intent in Gong Yu's eyes as he glanced toward the middle-aged man next to the bandit chief. After considering, he said,

"Sir, you seem to be the most composed. If I'm to die, let me die knowing why."

"Exactly what is it that compels you to hunt down these two Taoists so relentlessly that you'd ally with bandits and spare no one else?"

The middle-aged man seemed briefly startled and then burst into laughter, saying,

"Hahaha, what a joke!"

"I'm a renowned bandit from the hills. With such an excellent opportunity presenting itself, it would be a shame not to take advantage of it."

"Brothers, enough talk, follow me!"

Wang Anfeng lowered his right hand and said calmly,

"To the two Taoists, it seems someone is indeed determined to make a move against you."

"If my speculation is correct, I fear that 'Candle Dragon's Nest' is already in danger. Among the surrounding sects and noble clans, is there anyone who has been plotting against you? This person is most likely from among them."

The two Taoists were momentarily stunned, then their expressions shifted.

The middle-aged man was taken aback for a moment, and then, seeing that Wang Anfeng's gaze was fixed upon his face, he quickly realized what was happening and became furious.

"You're trying to trick me into talking!"

Wang Anfeng smiled faintly, his right hand open and facing upward, his demeanor harmless to humans and animals.

"But you haven't said anything, have you?"

"I'll chop you to pieces!"

The middle-aged man strode forward several steps, his right arm raised, ready to viciously chop down towards Wang Anfeng's brow. The blade cleaved through the air, creating a visible swath of light as it came swiftly down.

Wang Anfeng calmly stepped aside.

This step was actually faster than the descent of the blade light!

The blade light narrowly missed his nose, slicing a deep, fierce crack in the ground. The explosive Vigorous Qi didn't even manage to tear Wang Anfeng's clothes.

Snap of the fingers, a light flick.

Thirteen movements in one flick, Hong Luoyu raised his eyebrows slightly and chuckled softly.

A clear ring of metal echoed, shifting from a low to a high pitch, abruptly piercing, then ceased. The Hundred-Refined Steel Blade directly shattered into dozens of pieces before the middle-aged man's eyes, falling to the ground.

In the next instant, even those fragments disintegrated into powder.

The middle-aged man's body stiffened, and he was about to retreat, but then he suddenly realized that the young man who had been in front of him had vanished, sending a chill through his heart.

Immediately after, he felt a cold sensation on his neck.

A finger had, unbeknownst to him, gently touched his neck. The middle-aged man's body became rigid, and after a few breaths, his hand weakly opened, letting the broken hilt of his blade clatter to the ground.

Meanwhile, the rest of the bandits had only taken a few steps forward, still unable to comprehend what had occurred.

Wang Anfeng's actions seemed entirely normal in the eyes of Lin Qiaofu and her group. As a disciple of the elder Hong, it was fitting for him to possess such movement techniques. Yuchi Jie subconsciously thought of Hong Luoyu's flick that shattered the Fish Intestine Sword and murmured to himself, realizing that these two indeed shared a master-disciple relationship.

The two Taoists, however, stood frozen in place.

They had fought with the middle-aged man before, so they were painfully aware of how powerful his martial arts were, and also knew the quality of the broad blade that had been so casually shattered.

To be so composed and effortlessly shatter the blade with a flick of the finger.

The elder Taoist couldn't help but suck in a breath.

At that moment, they saw the young man in green clothes who had lightly touched the middle-aged man's neck giving them a smile, appearing harmless like a naive young hero who had just entered Jianghu, yet seemingly harboring something beneath that harmlessness, indistinct and elusive.

Wang Anfeng then spoke softly,

"Elder Tai Shu."

The man in green, who had previously been mistaken by his brothers for an old coachman, stepped forward. He was already beside them and said warmly to the Taoist,

"Young friend, may I borrow your sword for a moment?"

The young Taoist had not yet reacted when he felt the sword in his right hand loosen, and it had changed owners. In an instant, sword light as cold as frost and snow swept across this stretch of heaven and earth before him, making him rigidly freeze where he stood.

After a brief moment, the sword light dissipated like the moon fading away.

Bodies lay everywhere, each dispatched by a single sword strike, and the chatty bandit leader had turned completely to ice, standing amidst the corpses, his presence colder than ever.

Gong Yu's expression remained indifferent.

Elder Tai Shu sheathed his sword and, with great care, took a white cloth from his chest to wipe the blood off the blade, then, unlike before, he walked slowly back to the carriage, step by careful step.

Carrying the ordinary longsword, he returned it to the young Taoist.

He voiced his thanks.

The Taoist still wore a puzzled expression.

His elder watched Elder Tai Shu's back, eyeing the great broadsword he carried. Sensing something, his demeanor became respectful, and he bowed, saying,

"Thank you, elder, for lending a hand."

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The young Taoist finally snapped back to reality, glanced at the longsword in his hand that had shone with moon-like brilliance, raised his eyes to Elder Tai Shu, and stammered,

"You, you, no, elder, who exactly are you…"

Elder Tai Shu smiled, saying, "The young master and the gentleman have given me the grace of saving my life and recreating it. If you want to thank someone, thank the young master, not me. Besides, it was the young master who spoke up just now."

"As for me…"

Carrying the Famous Sword Jue Que on his back, the white-haired elder who had just dispersed a sky full of sword light with an ordinary one tael Patterned Silver longsword smiled, his mind still reflecting the brilliant and vast scene unfolded by Qingfeng Edge.

Once in a lifetime.

He paused, then continued leisurely,

"I am nothing more than an old servant who manages the horses for the young master, burdened with a sword."

PS: The second update for today is here... 3,200 words.