Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

Chapter 197: Chapter 169: The Peerless Fiend, Zhang Mountain

Lu the Third killed Yu Dalang. Straightening up, he said with some regret,

"Ah, what a handsome young man. A real waste."

As a horse bandit from the West Desert, he wasn’t picky about men or women; he’d experienced even more thrilling diversions. Now, with his desires stoked, he was thoroughly disappointed.

But the kid had a fierce spirit. Not wanting any more trouble, Lu the Third decided to just kill him and be on his way.

Just after leaving the Yu residence, he heard a commotion gradually rising behind him. Lu the Third fiddled with his belt, debating whether to find a brothel or a private home, when a sudden premonition of danger washed over him. He ducked low, dodging a flash of saber light that cut through the air like a bolt of silk.

He straightened up and saw a young Chief Constable standing at the other end of the street, long saber in hand, staring at him.

Lu the Third frowned and barked,

"Who are you? How dare you ambush me!"

"Su Xing of the Spring Rain Building."

Su Xing said coolly,

"You’re a horse bandit from the West Desert... Lu the Third, I presume."

"Su Xing!"

Lu the Third’s pupils contracted. His arrogant demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by a grave expression as he said,

"Shouldn’t you be in the Capital City? What are you doing all the way out here? I haven’t caused any trouble recently."

"Then who killed the people in that residence?"

Su Xing said coldly, and with a flick of his long saber, he brought it down on Lu the Third’s head.

"Since you’ve come to Yunzhou, you’re not leaving!"

Lu the Third swung his horse-slaying saber, clashing head-on with Su Xing’s attack. DING! Though he successfully parried the blow, a powerful shock ran through his entire body, and the web of his thumb went numb.

He was inwardly stunned. It might have looked like an even exchange, but despite his weapon’s significant advantage, he had still come out on the losing end. That single probe was enough to reveal the disparity in their strength.

’Damn it, is Yunzhou some kind of dragon’s lair or tiger’s den these days? Where did all these experts come from?!’

Lu the Third cursed his bad luck.

’Looks like I’ll have to get serious.’

His aura suddenly erupted. He raised his horse-slaying saber high and brought it down with a ferocious chop, the momentum threatening to split the very street in two.

Su Xing’s expression grew solemn. He gripped his saber with both hands as a faint, clear light emanated from the blade, meeting the unstoppable strike.

The moment their sabers connected, Su Xing’s expression flickered. Something was wrong. How could a strike like this feel so effortless to block?

Lu the Third’s horse-slaying saber pulled back the instant it made contact. Using the force from Su Xing’s blade, he shot backward and fled.

"Chief Su, I’ll see myself out!"

Su Xing hadn’t expected this formidable-looking bandit chief to be so cunning, ready to flee the moment an attack didn’t go his way. With a cold snort, Su Xing’s figure blurred, and he gave chase.

Over Yunzhao City, the thunderous CRACKS of clashing sabers echoed, startling the entire county from their dreams.

Those with keen eyesight could see blinding flashes of saber light and sparks erupting on the rooftops, like lightning, as two figures tangled and swiftly vanished into the distance.

"Wielding thunder and fire... It’s a battle between immortals!"

someone exclaimed, dumbfounded.

Ordinary people didn’t recognize experts of the Martial Dao. To them, a Grandmaster was no different from an immortal.

The two Grandmasters chased and fought for days, stopping and starting. They traveled a thousand li straight west from Yunzhao City, gradually approaching Yunzhou’s West Pass, Hulukou.

The northwest of Yunzhou was protected by the Beidu Mountain Range, unlike Yanzhou, which directly faced the West Desert. However, at the southern end of the Beidu Mountain Range, where it met the mountains of Shuzhou to the south, there was a pass that led directly to the Western Regions. This was West Pass, commonly known as Hulukou.

Although Lu the Third’s strength was no match for Su Xing’s, his Body Technique was incredibly fast and his reflexes were sharp. He had managed to flee all the way here without giving Su Xing an opening.

However, faced with Su Xing’s relentless tracking, Lu the Third could never pull away. Every ten or twenty li, Su Xing would corner him, forcing him into a fight before he could make another desperate escape.

Fighting and fleeing like this, they eventually left the Western Border, crossed into the West Desert, and continued for another hundred li, arriving just outside Oasis City, the closest oasis settlement to Great Li’s Yunzhou border.

Lu the Third stood atop a sand dune. Seeing Su Xing on another, he burst out laughing.

"What’s that saying? ’Even after escorting a friend for a thousand li, parting is inevitable.’ Su Xing, you’ve been seeing me off for so long, let’s just say our goodbyes here... ahem, ahem."

His laughter was cut short by a coughing fit. He shot Su Xing an aggrieved look before storming into Oasis City.

’What the hell is wrong with this Su Xing?’ he thought. ’Enough is enough, did he really have to chase me for this long? Now I know how Mu Chaoyun must have felt back then.’

He was covered in injuries, big and small. Even after entering Oasis City, he’d have to lie low. He had plenty of enemies in the West Desert, after all.

’I don’t know how I got so unlucky. I came to Yunzhou, chased Mu Chaoyun for ages, and got nothing for it. Instead, I keep running into ghosts, first Li Tai and now Su Xing...’

Su Xing stood on a towering sand dune, watching Lu the Third disappear into Oasis City. He didn’t move. Though he wasn’t badly injured, his condition had deteriorated after so many days of pursuit. He didn’t dare enter the chaotic Oasis City to continue the chase. This wasn’t the territory of Great Li.

Despite failing to capture Lu the Third, Su Xing’s expression showed no sign of discouragement. He simply watched the man’s retreating back, gazed at the sand-filled sky and the sprawling, disorderly Oasis City, and murmured in a low voice,

"A Grandmaster from the Mu family, Lu the Third, Xie Yuan..."

Now, he had a clear picture of the people who had been in contact with Deng Wan before his death.

He gave Oasis City one last look, then turned and headed back toward Hulukou.

...

On Cloud Mountain, Xie Yuan was peacefully chopping wood in the woodshed, completely unaware that a deadly chase had just unfolded between two Grandmasters who were both looking for him.

[Chopping Wood: (562/100,000)]

[Golden Bell Shield - 3rd Layer: (1,180/2,000)]

[Body-Nourishing Art - 4th Layer: (1,743/4,000)]

[Eight Trigrams Mountain-Shaking Fist - Mastery: (673/2,000)]

[Moon-Cutting Axe - Minor Success: (1/3,000)]

[Celestial Concealment Skill - Minor Success: (461/5,000)]

[Black Celestial Book: (85/200)]

[Rushing Wolf Saber Skill - Perfection]

[Cloud Mountain Sword Form - Adept: (25/300)]

Sitting in the woodshed, Xie Yuan’s gaze swept over the list. When he saw the [Cloud Mountain Sword Form] at the bottom, he noted that it had already reached the Adept stage despite not practicing it for long. He nodded slightly.

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