Chapter 167
Chapter 167: Du Wuchang
Quite a few people in Jianghu who hadn’t started to eat for various reasons threw their foods and drinks out as if they were avoiding snakes and scorpions. All of a sudden, the yard was filled with the smell of drink and meat.
“Du Wuchang!” Everyone including Lu Zhongqi shouted in unison except Meng Qi and Ruan Yushu. There was obvious fear in their voices, and each posed a posture of alertness.
A black dog was joyfully eating the foods on the ground like nothing strange had happened, but the brave men of Jianghu on the ground were bleeding from their Seven Apertures and unable to breath. How uncanny the scene was!
Upon hearing the sound, Lu Guan, Jiao Chong and Taoist Hu also rushed to the yard. With solemn expressions, they looked at the bodies on the ground.
After seeing no other changes for a long time, the people just started cleaning up and examining the dead bodies. However, they couldn’t conceal the fear and vigilance in their eyes.
“Brother Zhongqi, who is Du Wuchang?” Meng Qi asked in a cold voice after pondering for a moment.
Facing such an enemy, he didn’t care about the exposure of his ignorance.
Lu Zhongqi was not surprised. Little Meng and Miss Ruan were both young and their Kung Fu was quite superb. They were cold-natured and had devoted themselves to Kung Fu, so it was to be expected that they would know less about the affairs of Jianghu.
He sighed. “Du Wuchang is a famous Devil in the South of the Yangtze River. He’s good at using various strange and unpredictable methods to conceal and poison, which makes it difficult to guard against. For example, the black dog felt nothing wrong after eating the foods just now, but for people it was highly toxic. The live fish caught in the river were boiled with river water, but people were poisoned by eating them. He’s more formidable than many Heterodox Superiors who are more popular and stronger than him, but unexpectedly he has colluded with treacherous people!”
“Unknown is most terrifying…” Meng Qi gently nodded. His mid-brows had been swelling and he was Will-projecting. He still could not find the trail of Du Wuchang after sensing around, indicating that he was not nearby.
After introducing Du Wuchang, Lu Zhongqi casually said, “Royal Advisor and Devil Empress are world-class Great Grandmasters (no more than five people) who have perceived the Heaven Dao. Evil Prince, Ghost King, Ruyi Monk and Moon-bathing Taoist belong to the following level, which includes around ten people at most. Their strengths differ from each other and Evil Prince is expected to be the Great Grandmaster.”
“These people are enumerable and most of them are hard to come across. They can only get in touch with the renowned and Top Class Master Pros of each party. The fight could be easily affected by various factors, so realm isn’t equal to strength and the strength differs when someone fights with different people. In this way, the winner could only be roughly judged by the fighting results.”
“Du Wuchang is weak in his strength, so he may not be in the ranks of Top Class Master Pro. However, he’s superbly skilled in poisoning and concealing. He’s already so well-known in some regions that children would start crying at night when hearing his name. Everyone in the South of the Yangtze River is afraid of him because one would definitely be killed in despair and panic when fighting with him.”
“The strong toxicity could be easily perceived, while the poor toxicity would be forced out by the real masters with the inner force. Otherwise, Du Wuchang can be listed in the ranks of Ghost Kings and Evil Princes.”
He said a lot in one breath seemingly warning Meng Qi and Ruan Yushu to keep away from Du Wuchang, but Meng Qi realized that he was trying to vent his inner fear. Although he had prepared for blockages and dangers along the way, it was unexpected for him to come across such a terrifying enemy so soon!
Meng Qi slowly nodded. He turned around and looked at Ruan Yushu, then he said through Secret Voice-sending, “We have to get rid of Du Wuchang, otherwise we’ll be in danger.”
“Okay.” Ruan Yushu answered coolly with an unchanged expression.
After checking the bodies and foods, Taoist Hu found it to be a kind of odd toxin that had no effect on living creatures except human beings. Although the toxicity was not severe, it could kill more than enough ordinary people in Jianghu.
Nobody ate until the next morning for fear of being poisoned again.
Meng Qi meditated cross-legged and became extremely vigilant. By using Transformation Strategy, he didn’t miss any tiny movements. He intended to kill Du Wuchang with one shot as long as he showed up.
At midnight, he suddenly heard someone quietly get up, go out, and climb over the wall, leaving in haste.
Meng Qi was stunned. He sighed but didn’t stop him.
Then a second one, then a third… Around 20 people escaped over the wall within two hours.
The next morning, Meng Qi heard Lu Zhongqi’s angry words the moment he came out of the room. “These cowards! They aren’t chivalrous at all but run away at once when fighting with Du Wuchang!”
At this point, in addition to some servants and guards, only Taoist Hu, Jiao Chong and two or three brave men in Jianghu had been left together with Lu Guan.
Lu Guan looked calm. “It’s my great honor that you stay here to help me out of loyalty. Meanwhile, it’s reasonable for them to worry and leave by instinct. They did nothing wrong.”
He solemnly gave a salute to Meng Qi, Taoist Hu, and the other brave men. “In this dangerous trip, we’ll be barely able to escape death. Please consider carefully before following me.”
“Now that I’m here, my personal life and death are of no consideration!” Taoist Hu said with passion.
With his sword in hand, Meng Qi said firmly and briefly, “not afraid.”
Ruan Yushu didn’t speak, but just nodded, indicating that he would not leave.
Lu Guan was greatly touched and gave them another salute. “I’ll never forget your kindness.”
They set off again, but this time there was seventy to eighty percent fewer people than yesterday. It looked ineffably tragic.
On the way, Lu Zhongqi looked at Meng Qi and Ruan Yushu and sighed with emotion. “It’s unexpected that you two are so chivalrous at such a young age. I would bother you to protect General Lu to go to the capital city.”
Due to the sharp reduction of people, he had to attach great importance to Meng Qi and Ruan Yushu.
They dressed like businessmen to get out of the town, and soon came to the wild. There were more trees here and some still had fruit.
Having eaten nothing for half a day, several servants and brave men in Jianghu couldn’t bear it. They picked some fruit to fill their stomach. “These natural things couldn’t be poisoned, right?”
After checking the fruit, they tried one and took some back to Lu Guan, Meng Qi and the other people.
Suddenly, one by one they fell to the ground, frothing at the mouth. Then they twitched and died instantly.
Even the natural fruit was poisoned!
Jiao Chong rushed over, intending to save the man who was struggling with his good Inner Qi Force. But at this moment, three poison needles shot out from the forest toward his face.
Jiao Chong lurched forward to avoid the poison needles.
With a swoosh, a thread of faint blue light came from somewhere unknown and hit his left arm!
Jiao Chong drew his sword and cut off his left arm. The blood spewed out, until he tapped a few large acupoints to temporarily seal the wound.
“Du Wuchang is nearby!” Meng Qi’s mid-brows swelled. He ran the Transformation Strategy with all his strength and everything, including the place where the poison needles had come out, seemed to arise in his mind.
While he was sensing things, Ruan Yushu suddenly said through Secret Voice-sending, “No matter how he hides his breath and movement, there will always be a murderous look if he wants to kill someone.”
She was playing the zither faster and faster with one hand so that Meng Qi could not even help killing Du Wuchang to vent out.
At this time, a hillock moved slightly.
Meng Qi acted decisively and rushed up with his sword in hand.
A dirty old man suddenly appeared from the hillock. He revealed a murderous expression and was about to take out a poisonous needle and spill poisonous powder.
BOOM!
Suddenly, Meng Qi made a loud noise like a sudden thunder, making Lu Guan and his protector Taoist Hu feel dizzy. Jiao Chong and Lu Zhongqi who were injured, even felt humming in their ears and fell to the ground.
Du Wuchang rocked his body and revealed obvious dizziness in his dull eyes. The poisonous needle and powder in his hand fell to the ground.
Meng Qi lifted himself into the air as a swallow glided over the water. Then he drew his sword to the back of Du Wuchang.
Du Wuchang’s mid-brows bled substantially and he fell backward to the ground with a loud bang.
“I’m bound to kill someone if I draw my sword out…” Seeing this, Taoist Hu suddenly conjured up the words Meng Qi had said proudly yesterday.
His sword art really is better than his bladesmanship, considerably better!
With a clank, Meng Qi returned his sword to its scabbard and leisurely turned around, showing the graceful bearing of a swordsman.
As he was to walk towards Du Wuchang’s body, a white smoke came out from his body all of a sudden and faded into the woods nearby.
The body had become a pool of purulent blood, but when the white smoke disappeared, nothing remained.
“He’s really ruthless. He even turned himself into a poisonous person.” Meng Qi had learned from previous experience, not to rush to search for loot, so he was safe.
“Brother Meng, your sword art is better than what I imagined.” Lu Zhongqi stood up, staggering.
Lu Guan nodded and bent over to dig a big hole. He was burying the dead in sorrow.
“How’s my sword art?” Meng Qi quietly asked Ruan Yushu and wanted to speak for himself. “My sword art is so natural and unrestrained. Reckless Monk or Thunder Blade Furious are totally rumors!”
Ruan Yushu was still calm. “Good. Your roaring is also very powerful.”
“Powerful roaring…” Meng Qi decided not to talk to her for a while.
Lu Guan sprinkled some water after heaping the grave. He showed his determination again. “Let’s go.”
Jiao Chong was badly injured, so he stayed. He was going to go home and nurse himself back to health. Only Lu Guan, Lu Zhongqi, Taoist Hu, Meng Qi and Ruan Yushu remained. There had been twenty to thirty people in this team when they first set out. Some of the others had escaped or died.
This was only the first master they encountered and the first barrier on the way to the capital city!
Looking at the rest of the people, Lu Zhongqi felt not only tragic, but also quite confused. He could not help but look at Meng Qi and Ruan Yushu who were expressionless.
They might change the route but couldn’t depend on this completely. Are they reliable enough to break through the hindrance of numerous masters and make it to the capital city?