chapter 11 Missions and Combat (3)

Starting from the small town at the foot of the Sword Sect mountain, there is a straight road that is quite extraordinary. This road, once ordered to be constructed by Emperor himself to reward the Sword Sect disciples for their contributions in repelling invaders and maintaining peace, begins directly from the imperial capital. Along the way, it passes through five cities, three counties, and eight districts, culminating at the foot of the Sword Sect mountain.
Among these five cities, Celestia City stands out.
Former imperial envoys used to patrol this route, traveling to the heart of the Sword Sect to proclaim imperial decrees and reward Sword Sect disciples.
However...
The road used to be broader and more solid, but the once-prominent Sword Sect gradually declined.
Whether it's the currently influential Blade Sect, the relatively unknown Daoist Sect, or the mysterious Celestial Sect, all seem to exert a subtle pressure, overshadowing the Sword Sect...
But.
Regardless of the decline in its strength, the Sword Sect's past glory has deeply permeated the hearts of the empire's people. Even those who are oblivious to the martial world discuss the greatness of the Sword Sect during their leisure moments. On the roadside, at small stalls where stories are told, there is always a legend of the Sword Sect...
On the main road, the horse carriages unleash their speed.
Sonny rides on horseback, his body rhythmically moving with the horse's swaying. This method maximizes energy conservation and allows for extended periods of riding.
The guards of the convoy closely follow on both sides of the carriage, their faces expressionless, exuding a faint aura of ferocity.
"I feel something is amiss!"
Kailani urges his horse to come alongside Sonny, lowering his voice.
Sonny raises an eyebrow, looking at Kailani.
"Think about it, why did Mr. Messiah not bring his wife with him to worship his ancestors, and I feel like Mr. Messiah is trying to escape from this place, and look at these guards... All of them are skilled."
Kailani whispered again.
Sonny nodded and spoke softly, "Be cautious, don't be complacent. Mr. Messiah probably didn't tell us the truth, and this journey won't be peaceful."
There was a subtle change in Kailani's expression, and he nodded.
Silence prevailed as the convoy continued to advance at the fastest speed.
As the sun set, the eight spirited horses pulling four loaded carriages were already foaming at the mouth, sweating profusely. The other horses weren't faring much better, and the speed was gradually slowing down.
The pace of the convoy decelerated.
In the distance, a lush forest could be seen, adorned with the glow of the setting sun.
A tall and dark-skinned man on horseback approached Sonny, "Young master of the Sword Sect, after we enter Raven River Town, we'll switch horses without resting and continue the journey overnight. I wonder if you and your companion need a carriage."
The man's tone sounded polite, but the disdain in his eyes was unmistakable.
In his view, the presence of Sonny and Kailani was entirely superfluous.
"Continue the journey?"
Sonny furrowed his brow slightly. It was nothing to him, but Kailani might find it challenging to endure.
"Yes... Mr. Messiah is in a hurry."
The man spoke again.
Watching Kailani's determined expression, Sonny was moved, "Prepare a carriage for my companion, and get me a good horse."
The man glanced at Kailani, nodded and left in a hurry.
Soon, the two separated from the convoy, urging their horses forward forcefully. It was evident that they were taking the lead, making preparations.
Their figures quickly disappeared.
Riding ahead, Sonny suddenly raised his head and looked towards the dense forest. A large flock of crows rose into the air, continuously emitting piercing cries.
"Not good!"
Sonny's heart trembled.
Urging his horse quickly, he reached Mr. Messiah's carriage and blocked the way.
"Mr. Messiah, there might be danger ahead."
Sonny said softly.
"What!"
Mr. Messiah let out a cry of surprise, poking his head out of the carriage, his face turning pale.
Sonny turned to look at the sky above the dense forest. A group of crows was circling and flying, emitting continuous sharp cries.
"I'm afraid those two guards ahead, rushing on the road, are probably dead by now."
Sonny lowered his voice, audible only to Mr. Messiah.
Mr. Messiah's face turned deathly pale.
"Bitch..."
Mr. Messiah gritted his teeth and uttered one word, and in an instant, his expression became panicked, "Young hero, someone wants to kill me. Let's hurry and leave!"
Sonny narrowed his eyes slightly. The worrying situation he feared had indeed occurred. It seemed Mr. Messiah had concealed the true circumstances from him.
Suddenly, a slight tremor reached Sonny's ears, the earth was shaking.
Someone was chasing from behind, and it seemed like a large group.
"Go!"
"At the fastest speed, through that dense forest!"
Sonny shouted loudly.
"Hurry, go!"
The dark-skinned giant man also noticed something was amiss and urged them loudly.
The mournful neighs of the steeds echoed, and the drivers relentlessly whipped the horses, squeezing out their last bits of energy.
Soon, the convoy rushed into the dense forest.
Dust rose behind them, and the sound of whips cracking could be heard.
"Charge!"
Sonny let out a furious shout, leading the charge.
Suddenly, two shadows descended from the giant tree.
Without the slightest hesitation, he drew his sword and thrust.
In an instant, the long sword pierced through the bodies of the two individuals.
Looking up closely, they turned out to be two corpses, the ones who had left the group earlier.
Realizing the danger, Sonny swiftly swung the corpses off his sword towards the front.
A figure descended from the air, lightly tapping the ground, kicking the two corpses away. With a large knife in hand, the figure swung it towards Sonny.
In a swift motion, Sonny raised his sword to block.
Metallic clashes echoed as blade met sword, sparks flying.
The figure flipped backward, and with a powerful force on the tip of their foot, kicked towards the horse's head.
The steed, startled, retreated repeatedly.
Before Sonny could calm the horse, the figure leaped again, the large knife descending once more, this time fiercer and more ruthless.
With a quick movement, Sonny dismounted from the horse.
The fierce blade directly cleaved the steed in half, blood splattering.
"Quickly, let's get out of here."
Sonny exclaimed loudly.
Before the words could fully leave his mouth, Sonny slanted his sword and moved towards the approaching figure.
"Hurry up and die."
An angry shout echoed, and the figure once again attacked Sonny.
Sonny's expression changed slightly. The assassin lurking in the woods turned out to be the stout man he encountered at noon, and his current appearance was terrifying.
The long sword swung repeatedly.
Opting for a head-on confrontation, Sonny had to do so to buy time.
After a few rounds of clashes, Sonny had figured out the assassin's strength. At most, he was at the Complete Martial Master Realm. However, his attacks were extremely ruthless, aiming at fatal points.
The assassin's knife skills were swift and deadly, each strike carrying formidable killing power. However, precisely because of this, each of the assassin's strikes seemed a bit cumbersome, providing Sonny with enough time to counter.
Swish!
Swish!
…
Five consecutive thrusts, like lightning, left several blood holes in the middle-aged man's body.
With a swift turn, all of Sonny's strength converged onto the long sword.
Swish!
The long sword descended, cutting through the air.
The assassin's expression changed drastically. He raised his long knife, attempting to block Sonny's assault.
Crack!
A crisp sound echoed.
The long sword, like a knife through butter, broke the long knife. Following through, it cut through the assassin's head.
Blood spurted out instantly, and the fat killer fell to the ground with his eyes wide open.
The stout assassin was somewhat surprised, even a bit unwilling. No matter what, he couldn't have anticipated that Sonny's sword would be so sharp, so agile, easily ending his life.
As blood gushed out, a gradually cooling corpse, Sonny involuntarily stepped back.
This was his first time killing, and it made Sonny very uncomfortable. His hands trembled, almost letting go of the sword.
Due to the inability to dodge entirely, Sonny also got stained with quite a bit of blood. The nauseating, pungent smell made Sonny feel a bit queasy, wanting to vomit.
However.
Everything happened too quickly, not giving Sonny extra time to adapt to what killing really felt like. The horse carriage charging forward was once again obstructed, and Sonny could clearly hear the cries of agony.
He tightened his grip on the sword.