novelSusiti Chapter 177 The leader of the Nujiang Gang has arrived!
Chapter 177 The leader of the Nujiang Gang has arrived!
At the crossroads, the air seemed to freeze.
As dusk fell, dust billowed like a dragon, rising from the end of the long street.
The sounds of horses' hooves and footsteps blended into a deep, rumbling thunder, approaching from afar and shaking every bluestone slab beneath our feet.
coming.
The dense crowd, like ink splashed into the setting sun, instantly blocked the other end of the street.
At a glance, there were no fewer than a hundred people, and their steps were orderly and their aura was fierce, far superior to the rabble that Hu Biao had led before.
Most of them wore similar dark brown short-sleeved shirts to the previous gang members, but the fabric was noticeably better.
A small wave pattern was embroidered on the chest with dark gold thread.
His eyes were sharp as knives, and the weapon in his hand gleamed coldly.
They were clearly all seasoned and well-trained elites from the gang.
The two riders were leading the way.
On the left, on horseback, is a middle-aged man who appears to be around forty years old.
He was tall and strong, with a ruddy complexion, thick eyebrows, and piercing eyes. His beard was thick and spiky, with each hair like a steel needle.
At this moment, it was slightly bulging due to extreme anger.
He was dressed in a dark purple brocade outfit, with a black cloak over it.
A wide leather belt inlaid with several pieces of beautiful jade was tied around his waist.
A menacing nine-ringed ghost-head broadsword hangs suspended in the air.
His eyes are the most striking feature.
Those eyes were now bloodshot, staring intently at Hu Biao's stiff, cold, and blood-stained corpse in the middle of the street.
His eyes were bloodshot.
The overwhelming anger and pain almost burst forth in a tangible form.
The veins on his hands, which were gripping the reins, bulged and his knuckles cracked.
He was like a volcano about to erupt.
This man was none other than Hu Zhenshan, the leader of the Nujiang Gang.
On the right, on horseback, was an old man.
The old man looked to be over sixty years old, with gray hair and beard, and a thin build.
He was wearing an inconspicuous gray cloth robe.
His face was deeply wrinkled, and his eyes were half-open, as if he hadn't woken up yet.
He held no weapon, simply placing it casually on the front of the saddle, even slightly hunching his back.
But it was this very person who made everyone present, including the fierce gang members, unconsciously keep a distance of more than half a step from him.
His eyes were filled with awe.
An invisible, chilling aura was slowly spreading out from him.
Like mist rising from a frozen pool in the depths of winter.
Cold and stagnant, as if it could freeze a person's blood and mind.
The source of the overwhelming sense of oppression that swept over us earlier was this seemingly ordinary old man.
Lu Wuming, known in the martial arts world as "Yin Sou" and worshipped by the Nujiang Gang.
A formidable master who has been famous for many years and is said to have already entered the Finger Profound Realm.
"Biao...Biao'er!!!"
Hu Zhenshan finally saw the face of the corpse on the ground.
It let out a heart-wrenching roar, like that of a wounded beast.
The roar contained indescribable pain and rage.
The vibrations caused the tiles on the eaves of nearby houses to rattle.
He suddenly leaped off the horse.
He rushed over to Hu Biao's body in a few strides.
His burly body trembled slightly with excitement.
He reached out, as if to touch his son's face, but froze before he could.
His fingers trembled violently.
He suddenly raised his head.
Those crimson eyes were like those of a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey.
They instantly locked onto the two most conspicuous figures in the arena.
Qin Mu, dressed in a moon-white robe, stood with his hands behind his back.
And Yunluan, who had just finished washing her hands and was slowly walking back to Qin Mu's side.
"It was you...it was you who killed my Biao'er?!"
Hu Zhenshan's voice was hoarse, like the friction of sand and gravel.
Every word seemed to be forced out of his throat, filled with overwhelming hatred.
"The...the leader! And Elder Lü! They've all arrived!"
The county magistrate trembled with fright, his face turning ashen.
Her lips trembled uncontrollably, and her voice was choked with sobs.
"It's over...it's really over...we can't leave, nobody can leave..."
The crowd of onlookers was as if they had been hit by an invisible giant wave, and with a whoosh, they retreated deeper into the sides of the street.
Many people had lost all color in their faces, and their eyes were filled with extreme fear.
The leader of the Nujiang Gang arrived in person, bringing with him the mysterious and terrifying Lu Gongfeng.
This was a devastating event in Nujiang Town!
Some of the more timid ones were trembling with fear, wishing they could disappear into the ground immediately.
They didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
The girl kneeling at Qin Mu's feet was now terrified.
Her heart, which had begun to calm down, started pounding wildly again.
Looking at the dark mass of people and the imposing presence of Hu Zhenshan and Lü Wuming.
The small body began to tremble violently and uncontrollably.
Tears welled up in my eyes again.
She suddenly raised her head and looked at Qin Mu and Yun Luan.
His clear eyes were filled with anxiety, fear, and a hint of reckless determination.
"Young master! Young lady!"
Her voice was hoarse and tearful as she urgently whispered.
"Run! Run now... maybe... maybe you still make it in time!"
"There are too many of them, and that old man... I heard he's really, really powerful!"
"Don't worry about me! Really! I'm the one who dragged you all into this!"
As she spoke, she even tried to push Qin Mu's clothes away, hoping he would leave quickly.
Qin Mu lowered his head slightly and looked at the girl at his feet, her eyes brimming with tears, her body trembling, yet still trying to urge them to "run faster."
Her face was still wet with tears, mixed with dust.
Her almond-shaped eyes were filled with genuine fear and worry.
And that almost instinctive kindness.
Even if they are in danger themselves, they should think of the safety of others first.
Qin Mu suddenly chuckled softly.
That smile stood out starkly against the twilight and the somber atmosphere, and it seemed all the more... composed.
He even looked at the girl's frightened face with great interest.
The tone was so gentle, as if asking about a trivial matter:
"You're so naive. You're terrified yourself, yet you're still thinking about making us run away?"
He paused, indicating that she shouldn't panic, and continued in a calm voice:
"Don't be afraid."
"Tell me first, where are you from? What's your name?"
"How...how did they bully you? Why did they single you out?"
The girl froze, tilting her small face up, tears still clinging to her eyelashes, momentarily forgetting to cry.
She never expected that in this critical moment when tensions were high, enemies were lurking all around, and bloodshed was imminent.
This extraordinary young man actually asked this question?
Shouldn't he immediately try to break through, or at least be on high alert?
She subconsciously glanced again at Hu Zhenshan, who exuded murderous intent, and the unfathomable Lü Gongfeng, who were not far away.
My heart was pounding in my throat.
Then, she looked at Yun Luan beside Qin Mu for help.
Yunluan met her gaze.
His face still wore that icy expression.
But perhaps it was because of the girl's earlier words, "Run!"
A barely perceptible hint of reassurance flashed across her eyes.
She nodded slightly.
The voice was clear and cool, yet possessed a strange calming power:
"Speak when your master tells you to."
"It's alright."
It seemed to be to confirm Yunluan's words, or perhaps to encourage the girl.
Qin Mu even reached out and gently brushed away a small piece of withered leaf that was stuck to the end of her hair.
His movements were casual and natural, completely disregarding the approaching crisis.
The girl was somewhat bewildered by the unusual calmness of the master and servant.
But Yunluan's words and Qin Mu's casual actions inexplicably gave her a faint sense of security.
She bit her lower lip.
He quickly stole another glance at Hu Zhenshan, who was almost consumed by anger.
He then took a deep breath.
He began to speak in a trembling, barely audible voice:
"I...I'm called Xiaoyu, and I'm from Luhua Village, about ten miles downstream from Nujiang Town..."
Her voice was low, but she spoke very quickly, as if she wanted to finish as soon as possible.
"My father was a fisherman in the village. My mother died early, and it was just my father and me who depended on each other for survival."
"A few days ago, Hu Biao... that villain, led a group of people to cruise around the section of the river outside our village in a boat."
"Look... I see you washing clothes by the river..."
As she spoke, a look of humiliation and fear crossed her face, and her voice lowered even further:
"He...he sent someone to my house and said he wanted to take me as his ninth concubine."
"My father refused, so they beat him severely, and he's still in bed..."
"I escaped when they weren't looking."
"I wanted to run to the town to complain to the county magistrate."
"I never expected... I never expected to be discovered by their people as soon as I entered the town, and they chased me all the way here..."
Although her words were brief, they clearly depicted the heinous act of forcibly abducting women and oppressing the people.
Although the surrounding people dared not speak out, many of them showed indignation and sympathy on their faces.
Upon hearing this, the county magistrate lowered his head in shame, not daring to look Xiaoyu in the eye.
And just as Xiaoyu began to tell her story...
Hu Zhenshan, sitting opposite him, had been completely driven to the brink of madness by the grief of losing his son and the arrogant attitude of the couple in front of him.
"Take it down!!!"
Hu Zhenshan suddenly swung the nine-ringed ghost-head broadsword in his hand.
The clanging of the blade rings produced a piercing metallic clang.
His beard and hair stood on end, and he roared:
"Shoot the man on the spot! Arrest the woman!"
"I'll make them suffer terribly, and they'll be buried with my Biao'er!!!"
"roar!!!"
Behind him, hundreds of elite gang members echoed in unison, their voices deafening.
The murderous aura suddenly surged to its peak.
The sounds of swords being drawn blended together, their cold gleam dazzling.
The dozens of people in the front row had already formed a simple formation.
Like a black tide, it surged towards Qin Mu and Yun Luan!
The horses' hooves thundered, their footsteps were thunderous, and their momentum was astonishing.
Xiao Yu gasped in fright, the rest of her words stuck in her throat.
His face turned deathly pale, and he instinctively closed his eyes, unable to bear looking any longer.
However, the expected brutal collision and shouts of killing did not immediately occur.
She only heard Qin Mu's calm, gentle voice beside her, even with a hint of encouragement:
"It's alright, ignore them, please continue."
"And then? After escaping, why did you decide to come to town to file a complaint?"
"Do you think... the local government can handle the Nujiang Gang's affairs?"
Xiao Yu opened her eyes in disbelief.
Qin Mu remained standing there, completely unperturbed.
He didn't even glance at the gang members charging towards him.
Instead, he focused intently on her, waiting for her answer.
And that cold, aloof woman in blue.
Yunluan was no longer by Qin Mu's side at some point.
A deep blue figure shot out like an arrow, or like a bolt of cold lightning tearing through the twilight.
At a speed too fast for the naked eye to perceive, it surged against the black tide!
There was no yelling, no nonsense.
Only a sudden, chilling, dark silver sword light appeared.
The sword light was initially just a tiny, cold star.
In an instant, it transformed into a vast, scattered web of death.
"Pfft!" "Hiss!" "Ah—!"
The dull thud of a sharp blade cutting through flesh, the crisp sound of bones snapping, and the short, piercing screams all erupted almost simultaneously!
The gang members at the very front only felt a blur before their eyes.
A sharp, cold pain then came from the throat, chest, or wrist.
All the power was instantly drained away.
Before he could even utter a sound, he collapsed to the ground.
Yunluan's figure had completely blended into the crowd.
She wasn't fighting; she was more like conducting a precise and efficient harvest.
The dark silver rapier seemed to come alive in her hands.
They transformed into streaks of deadly light.
Each flash inevitably brings forth a shower of blood, or leaves behind a body rendered incapable of movement.
Her gait was unpredictable and erratic.
They moved freely amidst the flashing swords and shadows.
Often, before the enemy's weapon could even fall, the tip of her sword had already struck their vital point.
Wherever it passed, men and horses fell, as if a whirlwind had swept through a wheat field.
But the elite of the Nujiang Gang are not the same as the previous rabble.
After the initial chaos, they quickly recovered.
Taking advantage of their superior numbers, they began to consciously coordinate their attack.
Several long swords slashed at Yunluan from different angles, attempting to block her escape route.
Several others, armed with unusual weapons such as fishing nets and chains, roamed the perimeter, waiting for an opportunity to entangle and bind them.
Yunluan's expression remained completely unchanged.
Her swordplay shifted; she no longer sought a fatal blow, but instead became more agile and unpredictable.
The sword tip was like a venomous snake spitting its tongue.
They specifically target openings in the enemy's attack patterns, such as the wrist joints and the back of the knee.
Then a series of crisp, ringing sounds rang out.
Several long swords that came slashing down were either deflected by skillful force or precisely struck at the weakest point of the blade, flying out of his hand.
Regarding the fishing nets and chains that were thrown in.
She either twisted her body strangely to let her pass.
Or you could gently flick or guide it with the tip of your sword.
This caused them to entangle their own people nearby, resulting in chaos.
Her killing efficiency may have decreased slightly due to the cooperation of her victims.
But that calm and unhurried, leisurely demeanor was even more chilling.
A dark blue figure darted in and out of the crowd.
Each flash of the dark silver sword light was like an invitation from the Grim Reaper.
It precisely deprives the opponent of their fighting ability.
Screams, curses, the sounds of weapons clashing, and bodies falling to the ground were all mixed together.
The scene was bloody and chaotic.
And from beginning to end.
Qin Mudu stood still.
The moon-white robes fluttered slightly in the rising evening breeze.
Not even a speck of dust or blood could be found on the hem of his clothes.
He even leaned down slightly, getting closer to Xiaoyu.
It was as if they were genuinely listening attentively to her interrupted story.
They were indifferent to the fierce fighting that was just inches away behind them.
"later……"
Xiao Yu was so shocked by the extremely incongruous scene before her that her mind went almost blank.
Looking at Qin Mu's calm profile.
Hearing screams coming from not far behind him.
Her voice was trembling violently.
But I forced myself to continue answering Qin Mu's question.
It was as if it were an instinctive obedience.
"I...I didn't think that much about it..."
"All I know is that they beat my dad up, and they're trying to arrest me..."
"In the town...in the town there is a county government office, and a just and upright official..."
"I...I thought someone had to do something about them..."
Her voice grew softer and softer, carrying a naive despair.
Even she herself knew how unconvinced she was of her words.
A just and upright official?
Just look at the county magistrate next to him, who is terrified and pale.
Qin Mu listened and nodded slightly.
His gaze swept thoughtfully over the county magistrate, whose face was flushed and pale.
It fell back onto Xiaoyu's face.
The tone remained calm:
"Okay, I understand."
"He's a dutiful child, and he's also quite courageous."
Just then, the battle situation suddenly changed!