Well, there was a power outage, you know how it is. And according to the reliable intel that Xiao Mo personally went downstairs to get from the electrician, the power will be out again tomorrow morning until noon. I'll try to set up auto-update, but if there's no post tomorrow morning, it's definitely QD's problem.
Also, regarding the Black Book — a lot of people have been asking. All I can say is it will appear when the time comes.
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These warriors bore the responsibility of guarding the caravan. There was no way they could have been so careless.
The only remaining explanation was that they had been drugged against their will!
Thinking back to how that middle-aged man had acted toward him at dinner, and the momentary relaxation of his expression, Yang Kai began to understand.
In the man's eyes, he was nothing more than an ordinary little beggar. And the evening meal must have been laced with something. If he had eaten it like the rest, he would have been knocked out in no time — after all, an ordinary person's resistance couldn't compare to that of a warrior.
If he had collapsed, it would certainly have aroused suspicion.
Though the reality was different, that was undoubtedly the middle-aged man's concern. That was why he had threatened him so menacingly, refusing to let him eat. And once Yang Kai had turned to leave, the man had relaxed.
Guarding against enemies day and night, yet the thief is inside the house. What was the middle-aged man after? Money? A beautiful woman? Or something else entirely?
Yang Kai hoped his deduction was wrong. The young lady of this household had a kind heart, and Cui'er had been good to him as well. Kind people should be rewarded!
But when he quietly glanced toward where the warriors were gathered, his heart went cold.
By the flickering campfire, several figures were creeping to their feet. They slowly drew the swords and blades from their waits and slit the throats of their companions — the very men they had been eating and sleeping alongside, now lying unconscious.
A faint sound. Blood sprayed into the air.
Silently, several lives were extinguered, their souls departing for the underworld.
Yang Kai didn't dare move. Though he had already reached the Qi Movement Realm, the bandits numbered quite a few, and that middle-aged man was a Zhenyuan Realm expert. Any rash move would cost him his life.
Moreover, he had no way of knowing whether there were more hidden among the group.
Could Old Wu be one of them? If so, with Old Wu's abilities, everyone here was doomed.
He narrowed his eyes and peered toward the carriage where Old Wu was. Yang Kai felt a brief moment of relief, only to tense up again.
He saw the middle-aged man creeping silently toward Old Wu, his footsteps making no sound, his aura suppressed to the extreme, the long sword held flat at his side. Under the moonless night, it gave off not a shred of reflection.
Old Wu wasn't one of them! But his life was equally in danger now.
Yang Kai's mind raced. Quietly, he groped along the ground and picked up a small pebble, pinched it between his fingers, and flicked it out.
He had aimed for Old Wu, hoping the impact might wake him. But Yang Kai didn't dare channel too much Yuan Qi for fear of revealing himself, and the pebble went wide — though by sheer luck it struck the middle-aged man's sword.
"Clang..." A crisp ring of steel cut through the silence. In this night of silent killing, the sound was jarringly out of place.
The middle-aged man clearly hadn't expected this. The instant the sound rang out, his expression turned ice-cold. Without another moment's hesitation, he whipped his sword toward Old Wu in a thrust.
In that critical instant, Old Wu's drowsy eyes snapped open. Almost on instinct, he twisted his body aside.
A spray of blood burst forth. Old Wu's shoulder was pierced clean through. The pain brought him fully awake in an instant. His horsewhip cracked through the air with a sharp snap and came smashing down toward the middle-aged man as he roared, "Zhang Ding! What in blazes are you doing?!"
Zhang Ding didn't answer. He pulled back his sword, his face grim, and engaged Old Wu in battle.
Yang Kai quietly scanned his surroundings. The warriors who had been asleep were now all stirring awake, and he felt a measure of relief. It seemed that when Zhang Ding had drugged them, he had been cautious — not daring to use any obviously lethal poison or too potent a sedative.
After all, a powerful drug would carry a strong smell and be easy to detect.
But his caution had all been undone by the ring of that sword.
If not for that single sound, every person here would have been silently slaughtered by Zhang Ding and his lackeys.
The awakened warriors looked around in confusion, unable to make sense of what was happening.
Before long, someone shouted, "Sun Jianming is dead! Who did this?!"
Before the words had even finished, the man felt a chill in his chest. He looked down to see the tip of a sword protruding through his body.
"Diao Hong, what are you doing?!"
The roar carried an incredulous accusation.
In moments like these, the greatest fear was being stabbed in the back by a trusted companion. The warriors had barely woken before Zhang Ding's men had efficiently dispatched several of them. Only now did the rest realize what was happening. With a furious roar, fueled by incalculable rage, they fought back.
The battle split into two fronts — a chaotic melee among the rank and file, and a one-on-one duel between Zhang Ding and Old Wu. Curses, fury, and accusations filled the air without end.
Yang Kai was at this moment using the cover of darkness to creep silently toward the third carriage.
He had originally intended to run. That would have been the safest and most reliable course of action. But thinking of how Cui'er had taken care of him these past few days, he couldn't bring himself to leave.
The three women inside the carriage had evidently been startled awake by the commotion outside. When Yang Kai crept close, he heard Cui'er's somewhat irritated voice from within: "What's all this racket in the middle of the night?"
Then came the rustling sound of clothes being pulled on.