As a hunter, Lin Luochen keenly sensed the beast's hostility and, without hesitation, snapped off a dead branch and flung it out.
The dead branch, used with the Flying Star technique, pierced through the beast's head like an arrow.
The beast didn't expect its mere grin to provoke such a deadly attack from the opponent, dying an incredibly wrongful death.
After the beast fell, Lin Luochen heard footsteps and shouts from the forest.
He caught up to Murong Qiuzhi, who had turned to look back, wrapped an arm around her slender waist, and leaped towards the carriage.
This clearly indicated hostile intentions; staying put might lead to being surrounded by enemies.
"What's wrong?"
Murong Qiuzhi looked at him in surprise, but before she could finish speaking, Lin Luochen pushed her into the carriage compartment.
"Enemies! Hurry, go!"
Lin Luochen said, attaching the carriage shaft to the horse, and quickly drove away.
Upon hearing this, Murong Xiazhu quickly cast a spell, reducing the carriage's weight, while also guarding against archers.
Lin Luochen noticed the carriage's speed soaring and quickly said, "Teach me!"
Murong Xiazhu, not daring to hold back, taught him the incantations and spell formulas.
The two worked together to cast the spell, and the horse's hooves became wind-borne, running at an unprecedented speed.
"Stop, don't run!"
Sounds came from behind, and several figures quickly pursued them, their long blades gleaming with cold light.
Lin Luochen handed Murong Xiazhu several talismans, telling her to drive, and then activated several Thick Earth Talismans, sticking them around the carriage compartment.
He himself stood on top of the carriage, sword in hand, observing all directions, his ears alert to every sound, his robes flapping in the wind.
The wind howled all around, and the snow-covered ground surged, as if something was moving at extreme speed beneath the snow.
Lin Luochen threw out several Blasting Talismans, and the snow-covered ground immediately erupted with explosions.
Several strange beasts poked their heads out of the snow, suddenly opened their mouths, and spat out iron hooks, aiming to snag the carriage.
Lin Luochen then realized that these were actually several puppet beasts, resembling pangolins, covered in iron armor.
Although he knocked away two iron hooks, three iron chains still hooked onto the carriage.
The puppet beasts gripped the ground tightly with their four limbs, immediately slowing down the carriage.
"Die!"
Amidst the mournful wind, two green-robed men leaped down from the treetops, wielding large sabers and slashing towards Lin Luochen.
Lin Luochen met them with his sword, putting the Eight Trigrams Dragon Steps he had just learned into immediate use, and unleashing the Qingping Swordplay.
The three fought on the narrow carriage roof; for a time, blades and swords clashed, the situation extremely perilous.
Inside the carriage, Murong Qiuzhi only heard footsteps and the clang of weapons, and couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
But Murong Xiazhu, who was driving, looked as if she had seen a ghost, her eyes wide with astonishment!
Because Lin Luochen's movements were erratic and unpredictable, his footwork was more than just a little bit better than before.
She had only taught him the Wind Control Art, not some peerless divine skill, right?
What was going on?
The two men fighting Lin Luochen were even more inwardly shocked; this young man was as slippery as an eel, disappearing in an instant.
Lin Luochen, treading the Eight Trigrams Dragon Steps, appeared like a ghost behind one of them and, with a single sword stroke, cut him down from the carriage.
The other person was greatly alarmed, and soon followed in the footsteps of the first, being struck down to the ground, his fate unknown.
But the two had bought time; the carriage had been forcibly stopped, and figures from all directions surrounded it.
Qu Lingyin said with interest, "How interesting. A Puppet Master, no less. I wonder if you're lucky or unlucky."
Lin Luochen also noticed that among those surrounding them, aside from a few who looked like martial artists, most were armored puppets.
They carried crossbows and swords; although their movements were stiff, they advanced and retreated in an orderly fashion, clearly a small troop.
These six martial artists, along with a dozen or so puppets, completely surrounded Lin Luochen and the others, but did not attack, as if waiting for something.
With a series of footsteps, a young, handsome young master slowly walked out from the forest, followed by a hunchbacked old man.
Lin Luochen's eyes widened instantly, because this young master looked extremely similar to the deceased noble young master.
But he had clearly seen Murong Xiazhu burn that person, and his folding fan and other treasures were all with him.
The young master looked at Murong Xiazhu, who was driving, his eyes narrowing, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
"Murong Xiazhu, did you kill Wen Yu?"
Murong Xiazhu's expression changed slightly, not expecting the other party to catch up so quickly.
"Wei Wenxuan, don't talk nonsense. Wei Wenyu wasn't killed by me; everything needs evidence!"
Wei Wenxuan heard this and said calmly, "Evidence? Since when do people from your Lan Province talk about evidence?"
Murong Qiuzhi, unaware of Murong Xiazhu's involvement in this matter, poked her head out of the carriage compartment upon hearing this.
"Senior Brother Wenxuan, there must be a misunderstanding in this matter. How could Elder Sister kill Senior Brother Wen Yu?"
Wei Wenxuan glanced at her and said calmly, "Wen Yu is dead. Whether she killed him or not is not important."
"The important thing is that Wen Yu liked her very much when he was alive. I will send her down to accompany him; he will surely be very happy!"
Murong Xiazhu's pretty face turned pale with fright, and she said, feigning courage, "Wei Wenxuan, without proof, if you dare to kill me, aren't you afraid my Murong Family will come to settle accounts with you?"
Wei Wenxuan sneered, "A declining small family, what do I have to fear? Moreover, the Murong Family would be glad if you died!"
He waved his hand, "Attack! Kill the men, but leave the women with one breath. I want to take them back to offer sacrifices to Wen Yu."
"That Black Skirt Woman poses no threat, but she is very strange. Do not attack her; be careful not to bring trouble upon yourselves!"
"Yes!"
Upon hearing this, the subordinates and puppets immediately swarmed forward, and arrows rained down upon Lin Luochen.
Lin Luochen cursed inwardly, why were the men to be killed and the women left with one breath? Did men have no human rights?
He held his sword in one hand, casting spells with the other to deflect the arrows, while simultaneously repelling the approaching enemies.
Murong Xiazhu was not idle either, unleashing One by one wind blades that knocked back the approaching puppets.
But these puppets had copper heads and iron arms; her wind blades landing on their bodies truly had no effect.
If Murong Qiuzhi hadn't occasionally blocked in front of her, causing the martial artists and puppets to hesitate and hold back, she would have been captured long ago.
Lin Luochen also had a headache facing these iron lumps that felt no pain, relying entirely on the Eight Trigrams Dragon Steps to maneuver.
However, being forced like this, his Eight Trigrams Dragon Steps became more and more proficient!
Qu Lingyin reminded him, "The old man next to Wei Wenxuan is a Puppet Master; he should be a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
"However, a Puppet Master's entire skill lies in their puppets. If you can get close, it's not impossible!"
Lin Luochen wanted to capture the leader first, but the puppets formed a strange formation, making it impossible for him to break free.
He wielded his long sword, treading the Eight Trigrams Dragon Steps, and showed no signs of defeat for a while.
The Puppet Master, controlling numerous puppets, attacked both Lin Luochen and Murong Xiazhu at the same time, doing so with ease.
"Young Master, this young man's moves are quite skillful; he must come from a prominent background!"
He had painstakingly cultivated to the Foundation Establishment realm and did not want to offend any prominent young masters from noble families or heavenly prodigies from sects.
Wei Wenxuan nodded and said in a deep voice, "Young man, what is your name, and which family do you come from?"
Lin Luochen naturally understood his meaning, but he had no family to report.
"You are not qualified to know!"
Wei Wenxuan's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Capture him first, and see if any Dao Protectors make a move."
The hunchbacked old man nodded, his ten fingers moving slightly, and he flicked out a dozen or so round beads that flew into the air.
The dozen or so beads suddenly glowed, transforming into threads, pouring down like a waterfall.
Even with the Eight Trigrams Dragon Steps, Lin Luochen had nowhere to hide from these overwhelming threads.
The threads, dense like a spiderweb, stuck Lin Luochen and Murong Xiazhu, rendering them unable to move.
"Elder Sister, Lin Gongzi!"
Murong Qiuzhi was not attacked; at this moment, she continuously tugged at the threads on Murong Xiazhu's body, but she couldn't break them at all.
Lin Luochen also struggled with all his might, but the threads were extremely tough, and he couldn't break free.