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The heavy rain continued, and the sky was dark. Search: \(¨End¨of¨Book¨Website¨) to read high-quality literature for free. At this time of day in the past, it should have been starting to get light, but as if it were a continuation of the last thunderstorm of summer, the whole world was still shrouded in the dimness of night. Ning Yi sat by the railing on the second floor, watching the people below busily preparing breakfast. When Zhu Hu came over, Ning Yi asked, "Second Brother Zhu, how much further is it, approximately?"
"If we're talking about the Anping County and Black Ox Ridge area, it would take about half a day's ride at full speed, but the weather like this makes the road difficult to travel. It's all mountain roads over there, and the roads are dilapidated. In this kind of heavy rain, if we get stuck halfway, it'll probably take even longer." Zhu Hu seemed to know his mood and added, "Besides, if only a dozen or twenty people ride ahead, even if they go now, I'm afraid it won't make much difference."
"That powerful?"
"This area has always been a gathering place for powerful figures, outlaws, and lone wolves. Around Zhuxi towards Anping, the surrounding villages are quite fierce. Escort services generally don't pass through here unless they have a background. The name of the Lone Dragon Ridge can be used here, but if there's a major dispute..."
Ning Yi frowned, "More powerful than Liangshan?"
"Uh, well..."
There was a certain air of authority in Ning Yi's voice at this moment, arising from his mood. Zhu Hu found it a little difficult to say, but then he saw Ning Yi shake his head and laugh, "Ha, just kidding, I was overthinking it..." He was concerned about Lu Hongti's situation, after all, he had raised his level of anxiety to the highest degree, but then he quickly turned it around.
Zhu Hu then laughed, "It's naturally not comparable to Liangshan, but with the army so far away, that area is a mixed bag. Moreover, the current situation is chaotic, and rushing over rashly might lead to unexpected events."
"Is two hundred people enough?"
"Hard to say." Zhu Hu shook his head. "The problem isn't that big, but once we get there, it's outlaw territory. The name of the Lone Dragon Ridge can be used, and Li Heng's reputation for scattering Liangshan and the officials can also be used. Among them, some are afraid, some aren't, but it's hard to say if there are any guys who want to make a name for themselves and don't value their lives. That 'Lone Wanderer' Swallowing Cloud Monk is wanted by the government, but in this area, he's still a high-profile figure, feared by everyone..."
Ning Yi nodded. After passing the Yunzhou boundary, the counties of Zhuxi and Anping were full of desolate mountains, also a gathering place for outlaws. However, these people were different from those of Liangshan, they were in small groups. The army couldn't wipe them out, but once they did, the other party scattered, and once the army left, they came back. If the short-term goal was to scatter these people, it would be meaningless and would only arouse public resentment. This was also a special ecology of the Shandong region. Even if Ning Yi led two hundred people in, he couldn't say that he could rampage, especially since the two hundred people hadn't gathered together because of the heavy rain.
But in such heavy rain, Shandong was not prosperous. His group could temporarily take shelter from the rain in this dilapidated post station, but where could the already injured Lu Hongti go to take shelter from the rain? She stirred up such a big storm in the outlaw world. When she chased and killed everyone before, she could indeed pick off the stragglers and kill them, which seemed impressive, but she was still alone. In order to avoid being found, how much vigilance did she have to maintain to be on guard at all times? Thinking like this, Ning Yi couldn't help but feel anxious about the heavy rain in front of him.
After a while, the sky behind the clouds slightly brightened, and the porridge and steamed buns in the post station were cooked. Ning Yi and the others ate in the post station hall, and then talked about the situation around Anping County with Zhu Hu, Zhu Biao, and others.
"Among these people, the most skilled in martial arts are probably Sun Li, Lin Chong, Shi Jin, Chen Jinxia, Lu Wenhu, and the Swallowing Cloud Monk. Let's not talk about Sun Li, Lin Chong, and others for now. Chen Jinxia and Lu Wenhu are big shots in the Qilu area, and they are also well-known in Daming Prefecture. Chen Jinxia is nicknamed 'Iron Fist.' I heard that his famous skill is in his hands, but he is also good at using a broadsword. Don't let his name fool you, he is actually tall and burly, with a balance of strength and softness in his martial arts. To have such a big name in this area, he is probably not much different from Instructor Luan."
Zhu Hu talked about his understanding of the Anping area, "As for Lu Wenhu, I heard that he knows all eighteen weapons and is quite skilled in everything. He used to make friends through martial arts in Shandong, earning a great reputation. He killed many people, but many also admired him. He and Chen Jinxia mainly have a good reputation and high martial arts skills in this area, and they have not been hated by the government. This time, he probably wants to take advantage of the destruction of Liangshan to do something. Honestly speaking, that Lu… Senior Lu has been able to escape repeatedly from these people's encirclement is already very remarkable."
"And the Swallowing Cloud Monk is notorious in this area. This person is highly skilled in martial arts and ruthless. He has made countless enemies in Shandong. In addition to the lives he has taken, he also often defiles women's chastity. Many daughters of wealthy merchants and officials in the Daming Prefecture area have been kidnapped and raped after he took a fancy to them. I don't know how many wanted posters have been issued, but he has killed no fewer than twenty constables. He has been committing evil for so many years and has not been caught, so few people dare to provoke him anymore..."
Ning Yi nodded, "Because of these people coming, all sorts of other outlaws have gathered..."
Zhu Hu said, "There are quite a few disciples of 'Quick Sword' Lin Qi, and many people know each other around here, like the green forest bandits from Qiyun Village, the people from Wuhua Village, and the Iron Sign Building and Fire Fist Gang from the Anping area are probably joining in the fun. They are not afraid of the government officials, but it is not easy to suppress them directly. Oh, there is also a head of the Iron Sign Building, called Yao Wuliu, who practices iron thread fist. His skills are strong, and the green forest calls him 'Mr. Five Willows.' He has the largest influence in the Anping area. Killing people in Anping is equivalent to not giving him face. After this person joins, it will also be a big trouble."
Ning Yi listened while finishing the coarse grain porridge in his hand, and thought with his hand on his forehead: "Okay, let's take things as they come. No matter what, she must be alright..."
"Should we send someone back to notify the others, and... the generals of the Wu Rui Army?" Qi Xinhan said.
"You can." Ning Yi nodded, then looked at the heavy rain outside again, "But no matter what, I don't want to wait any longer. If the rain doesn't lessen a bit later this morning, we'll ride ahead and should be able to reach Anping tonight. Let's just take a trip to the Jianghu and see how it goes, what do you think?"
Hearing his question, everyone laughed. In fact, among this group of people, Ning Yi is probably the one with the least Jianghu experience. Everyone's worries are naturally justified, but when it comes to taking risks, where would everyone say no? Zhu Biao didn't care: "Brother Ning, don't worry, I, Zhu Biao, am not afraid of those people. With everyone here, we will definitely protect you. Not to mention that a fight may not even break out, even if it does, we are not afraid of that rabble."
Ning Yi smiled and cupped his hands: "Then I'll be putting everyone at risk for me."
And so, after a while, the rain did not lessen, but the sky had brightened considerably. Everyone put on their rain capes, mounted their horses, and headed towards Anping. Around noon, they crossed a rising river on the official road, then turned onto a fork in the road and entered the rugged mountains leading to Anping.
The mountains stretched out, vast and continuous in the heavy rain. Anping County is located in the mountains, a barren small county. Unlike the relatively prosperous counties within the Jizhou boundary, it has not received as much attention. Always in a three-no-care position, it has a bit of a lively scene due to the gathering of outlaws and bandits. Leaving the county seat, the mountains became more desolate. In the dim sky, a hand was quietly probing out from a half-collapsed mud brick building in the middle of the mountain, feeling the falling raindrops.
This was originally an old small house, mostly made of mud. Without anyone to take care of it, half of it collapsed, and the other half was not very big. Rainwater poured in from one end and flowed out from the other opening. In the dark small space in the broken house, Lu Hongti curled up, holding her ancient sword and bundle, sitting on a pile of debris. But in fact, the few debris and soil were also soaked a little by the water. Water droplets dripped from the roof, falling on the cloak above her head, and then dripping from the edge of the cloak...
She sighed. Even a martial arts master could not resist the power of heaven and earth at this time. A feeling of hunger came from her stomach. She took out the last half of a hard cake from her arms and took a bite. It wasn't really tasty.
Her eyes passed through the rain curtain, landing on the trees not far outside. She thought for a while, tightened her raincoat, and trotted out wearing her hood, picked a few leaves from under the tree, broke the half of the hard cake in half again,夹着树叶 (jia zhe shu ye - sandwiched with leaves), put them in her mouth and took a bite.
The taste was a little better. These few days, she was busy escaping and killing people, but forgot to grab something to eat. It was also because she originally didn't have too many requirements for food quality. Who knew she would encounter this heavy rain, making it inconvenient to move around. Although the raincoat could block most of the raindrops, some water could always seep in. In fact, being outside didn't make people feel good. Just after eating half of the cake in her hand, her eyes suddenly sharpened. Not far in front of her, two men wearing raincoats and carrying weapons stopped there, looking at her, and then almost subconsciously drew their knives.
With a bang, the figure pierced through the rain curtain, breaking through the water, with steps like朵朵莲花 (duo duo lian hua - blossoming lotus flowers) suddenly blooming. In the air, with a booming fist, when the figure flew out, all the water splashes were forced away. Another person was knocked against the tree trunk, shaking off the water. However, after the woman's figure completed the two moves, she quickly ran back. She had rushed too fast just now, using too much force. Her hat and raincoat had already fallen on the ground behind her. The heavy rain fell directly on her. She took two steps, then quickly ran back, pulled off the hat and raincoat from the dead body and put them on herself. At this time, she was already quite embarrassed from being soaked. Then, she searched the bodies of the two corpses and found some copper coins and silver fragments, but no food. She stood there and sighed.
Looking back, the half-sided broken mud house also collapsed in the heavy rain.
"Oh heavens..." Hongti murmured in frustration, looking towards the mountains below and the county town in the distance. There was actually some softness in her eyes, but also a firmness that could not be changed. She tightened the small bundle tied to her chest, tidied up her raincoat, hugged her arms and walked into the woods and mountains, looking for a new place to shelter from the rain. In fact, the heavy rain was nothing. She remembered many such embarrassing days. Even more embarrassing days, in fact, she was already used to it. No matter how high her martial arts were, when she was hungry and alone, she would cry. Now it was much better.
Moreover, she also remembered such a rainy day, and the days she spent with that man in the old mountain temple. That dilapidated temple was a little bigger than the previous mud house, and it hadn't collapsed. They cooked in that temple with a broken pot. In fact, for him, those might have been relatively simple days, but for her, those days were her rare relaxed days. Without the burden of the mountain stronghold, after avenging her revenge, she wouldn't go hungry, and she could also... listen to stories.
Those people down the mountain have been scared witless by her, but the new few have high flames, and she has to kill them all over again to completely knock down their vigor, so that the name she left behind is enough... to protect his safety in the days to come.
Thinking like this, she walked in the rain, and her eyes settled down.
At the same time that she was thinking like this, Ning Yi and his party of twenty were leading their horses and carefully walking through a rugged bend in the mountains in the distance. It wasn't until the heavy rain weakened that evening that the party finally arrived in Anping and entered the largest inn in the county seat.
This hasty journey was also a risk for Ning Yi, but if Lu Hongti was already injured, this risk had to be taken. He had previously thought about keeping a low profile and seeing how things went after arriving. However, this time, shortly after entering Anping County, everything changed because of his arrival...
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The previous chapter should have been Chapter 438. I made a mistake at the time. Just wanted to clarify. Well, let’s just say that represents... my respect for female readers ^_^
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