Chapter 92: Ambush
Chapter 92: Ambush
Midnight.
The night was dark and the wind howled outside.
At the three-way intersection in Willow Grove, several figures gathered silently, none other than Shang Qinglai and his men. Each wore plain civilian clothing, and their patrol swords were wrapped in coarse cloth, making them indistinguishable from ordinary blades.
Suddenly, the howling wind paused briefly.
In that moment of stillness, a figure appeared silently in the darkness ahead of them, startling Shang Qinglai and his group. They almost drew their swords, but quickly recognized the newcomer as Chen Mu.
"Sir."
Shang Qinglai and his men breathed a sigh of relief and whispered their greetings.
Chen Mu glanced at the six men and said, "Let's go."
"Yes, sir."
Shang Qinglai and his men responded and followed Chen Mu.
However, one of them soon looked around suspiciously, his eyes revealing a hint of strangeness. He nudged Shang Qinglai.
Shang Qinglai also noticed and, after a brief hesitation, approached Chen Mu and spoke quietly, "Sir, Zhang Tong hasn't arrived yet."
"We don't need him."
Chen Mu replied calmly.
Shang Qinglai's face changed slightly, sensing that something might have happened. He nodded in response to Chen Mu and retreated to join the other enforcers, signaling to the others with a shake of his head.
The others, upon seeing Shang Qinglai's reaction and hearing Chen Mu's words, felt a chill in their hearts.
"We don't need him."
Such a simple statement, yet it sent shivers down their spines.
For a moment, no one dared to speak. They quietly followed Chen Mu through the darkness, soon leaving Willow Grove and arriving at Riverbed Area, located southwest of Willow Grove.
Compared to Willow Grove, Riverbed Area was much more secluded. The small road they were on was overgrown with weeds, and many of the dilapidated alleyways had houses with broken doors, clearly uninhabited.
They were going to Riverbed Area to handle a case.
Shang Qinglai and his men couldn't help but take a deep breath.
They weren't fools. The City Guard Office in Willow Grove didn't have the authority to cross borders and handle cases in Riverbed Area without orders from the headquarters. Chen Mu's presence in Riverbed Area must have been sanctioned from above.
Everyone knew that the City Guard Headquarters was divided, with the He and Yu families engaged in a silent power struggle. Chen Mu was a follower of Xu Hongyu and a member of the Yu family, which was common knowledge. Tonight's operation was likely an attempt to bypass the He family, and it might even be related to the conflict between the two families.
Unfortunately, these enforcers, despite their status and influence, had no choice in such matters. They couldn't even pick sides; they could only obey orders.
Among the seven enforcers, only Zhang Tong was absent. Putting two and two together, it seemed he might have done something he shouldn't have.
...
Under the cover of night, a carriage slowly approached.
Surrounding the carriage were about a dozen figures, each holding a gleaming blade. Their footsteps were steady, their eyes downcast, and their aura was formidable, clearly not to be trifled with.
The carriage continued along the secluded alleyways, eventually crossing a bumpy road. In the darkness ahead, a figure appeared, blocking the carriage's path.
The carriage didn't stop but continued forward.
The man at the front of the carriage, without hesitation, addressed the figure in the darkness, "He family business."
"Get out of the way!"
However, this command didn't make the figure in the darkness back down. Instead, they stepped forward, blocking the carriage's path, and spoke in a calm voice, "Looks like luck is on our side. We've caught someone."
As they drew closer, the figure in the darkness revealed themselves. In their hand was a patrol sword, and it was none other than Chen Mu.
"You're asking for death!"
The leader of the He family's carriage didn't recognize Chen Mu, seeing only a man in coarse linen clothing, assuming he was a local gang member. A flash of malice appeared in his eyes, and without hesitation, he swung his saber at Chen Mu.
Who dares to block the He family's carriage?
Although there were only a dozen escorts, they were all elite swordsmen of the He family. Each of them was a force to be reckoned with in the outer city, capable of holding their own against the leader of the Sand Dunes Gang. Even if a hundred men from an ordinary gang confronted them, they would be cut down like vegetables.
However, the expected scene of Chen Mu being defeated with a single strike didn't unfold.
In the dim moonlight, a flash of sword light accompanied by a dull clang of metal on metal revealed Chen Mu firmly blocking the He family swordsman's saber with his patrol sword, creating a series of sparks and an ear-grating screech.
"Ahh!"
Blood splattered as the He family swordsman cried out in pain, his fingers gripping the sword all severed.
Swish!
Chen Mu swiftly countered with his patrol sword, beheading the swordsman. The beheaded man's face still held a mixture of shock and disbelief.
The two closest He family swordsmen, stunned by the swift killing of their comrade, finally reacted.
"Patrol sword? Who are you?"
"With such strength and swordsmanship... You must be the new patrol commander of Willow Grove who killed the leader of the Sand Dunes Gang with a single strike. Show yourself, and bring out the rest of your men!"
One of the He family swordsmen spoke coldly.
Who would dare attack the He Clan's carriage, especially with such formidable strength, capable of killing an elite swordsman in just two moves? The only ones capable of ambushing them in the outer city would be the Yu Clan's men.
"To kill you, we don't need anyone else."
Chen Mu calmly drew his sword and stepped forward.
"Just you alone? No wonder there was no prior warning. But even if you're a Sinew Transformation expert, trying to block us with your strength alone is a bit too arrogant."
A He Clan swordsman scoffed, and over a dozen of them simultaneously raised their swords.
"It's a bit tricky..."
Chen Mu's gaze swept across the group, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes. Suddenly, he burst into action, slashing his patrol sword towards the nearest He Clan swordsman. The combined force of Gale and Fierce Wind sword techniques sent a powerful gust of wind as the sword descended.
It was indeed a bit tricky... because he had to slightly restrain his strength, not wanting to easily defeat the dozen or so swordsmen in front of him, which might scare too many people. After all, the one who had taken action tonight was only the patrol commander Chen Mu.
Clang! Clang! Clang!!!
Chen Mu instantly engaged in battle with over a dozen He Clan swordsmen.
Despite being surrounded, these swordsmen, all elite and well-trained by the He Clan, couldn't suppress Chen Mu's offensive. He moved through the crowd, slashing and killing like a tiger in a flock of sheep.
"Damn it! This guy is a Sinew Transformation expert!"
"No, he hasn't reached Sinew Transformation yet, but his physique is extraordinary. He has a body of wrought iron... No wonder he could kill a character like Sha Xiangtian from the Sand Dunes Gang with a single strike."
Some of the He Clan swordsmen were shocked.
The result of his bronze steel skin and wrought iron flesh was a strength far surpassing that of a well-trained Meat Training Realm expert, almost comparable to a minor achiever in Sinew Transformation. In this chaotic battle, he even had an advantage over those in the Sinew Transformation Realm.
After all, even a powerful Sinew Transformation expert was still flesh and blood. In a one-against-many situation, a single careless strike could lead to a breach in defense or even severe injury. But Chen Mu's cross-training body made it difficult for ordinary attacks to penetrate his defenses.
"He can kill without reaching Sinew Transformation! Attack his lower body, throat, and eyes!"
Someone shouted.
The cross-training body had its weaknesses. No matter how well-trained, the lower body and eyes remained vulnerable. It was impossible to develop an iron-clad body, only slightly harder than ordinary people. Otherwise, some would train solely for this purpose.
"Hmph!"
Chen Mu coldly snorted, and his patrol sword suddenly spun, slashing towards the speaker. The man was nearly knocked to the ground, and Chen Mu swiftly changed his sword stance, drawing an arc and blocking several incoming sword lights before sweeping upwards.
The He Clan swordsman couldn't even scream and fell to the ground, convulsing.
Swish!
A sword slashed down on Chen Mu's shoulder, tearing his clothes and exposing his skin, leaving only a white mark on the surface.
Chen Mu retaliated with a backhand slash, causing the swordsman to grunt and stumble back, blood gushing from his lower back.
One,
Two,
Three,
...
Chen Mu, drenched in blood, continued his rampage, and in no time, seven or eight of the He Clan's dozen swordsmen lay dead on the spot. The remaining few were all injured, while Chen Mu, despite being covered in blood, showed no visible wounds.
Crack!
Chen Mu struck again, killing another.
The remaining He Clan swordsmen's eyes widened in horror, and fear finally rose in their eyes. After Chen Mu killed another, the last four exchanged glances and decided to flee.
"Attack!"
It was only then that Chen Mu finally snorted coldly, chasing after one of them with his sword.
As he spoke, six figures emerged from the darkness—none other than Shang Qinglai and the other five patrol leaders. They had been hiding nearby, observing the battle, and their eyes were filled with shock.
These elite He Clan swordsmen were no weaker than renowned figures like Sha Xiangtian from famous gangs. But in front of Chen Mu, even their combined efforts were no match!
"Don't run!"
"Stay!"
Shang Qinglai and the others shouted, each pair blocking one of the three who tried to escape.
The He Clan swordsmen were all strong, but now, injured, they couldn't quickly break through Shang Qinglai and the others' defense.
Meanwhile, Chen Mu had already caught up with the fourth one, killing him with a slash. He then turned back and, with a few more slashes, killed the three He Clan swordsmen who had been briefly stopped by Shang Qinglai and the others.
Finally.
Only the lone carriage frame and a pile of corpses remained.
Chen Mu slowly sheathed his sword, went to the carriage, and lifted the hemp cloth covering the goods, taking a quick glance at the cargo before his eyes flashed with a hint of understanding. He quickly covered it again and said in a deep voice, "Take it back."
"Yes."
Shang Qinglai and the others took a deep look at the pile of corpses.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
