Chapter 62: Chapter 62: The Fall of Blackwind Stockade!_1
“`
This time, to completely eradicate this merchant convoy.
The Blackwind Tiger, Xiong Qi, brought with him almost every bandit he could.
Five thousand armored youths, as well as another five thousand unarmored but steel-knife wielding robust bandits.
“The Luo Family’s merchant convoy is right ahead.”
“Do you think we can succeed this time?”
Clad in a tiger skin coat and riding an unnamable horse of Skin Refinement Realm, the Blackwind Tiger, Xiong Qi,
asked with a rather solemn expression to Qu Yan, who was also riding an unnamable mount beside him.
“Boss, do we even have another choice?”
Qu Yan responded calmly.
“Indeed!”
Xiong Qi couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head, knowing they had already seriously offended the Luo Family of Qingshi Town.
Now, the only one they could rely on was the King of Huai Shui.
Even if the King of Huai Shui had treated their latest request somewhat perfunctorily.
“Since that’s the case, let’s make our move!”
With that, Xiong Qi tightened his grip on his steed.
He used the back of his Hundred-Forged Steel Knife, which he held tightly in his hand, to slap the behind of his mount below him.
The horse, pained by the blow, neighed twice.
And then, it charged forward.
As for the people of Blackwind Stockade, seeing their leader charging ahead,
they too brandished their steel knives and surged toward the direction of the merchant convoy like a dark wave.
All the while, their excited howling nose as they rushed forward betrayed their complete unawareness of what might happen next.
“So, is this yet another trap set by the Luo Family for us, or…”
“Am I simply overthinking it?”
Qu Yan, riding an unnamable mount, watched as the Blackwind Stockade bandits constantly rushed past him.
He looked at the panicked faces among the members of the merchant convoy.
He looked at the surroundings, which still seemed as calm as a tranquil sea.
He couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, and the slight furrow in his brow also relaxed.
It seemed like it really was just him overthinking.
Look, hadn’t nothing out of the ordinary happened?
Atop his unnamable mount, Qu Yan thought this and a trace of a smile gradually appeared on his calm face.
But just as he wanted to spur his mount,
to drive the horse beneath him forward,
a series of orderly footsteps suddenly rang out from every direction.
Dense clouds of dust rose from all around.
Getting closer, closer still.
As the footsteps drew nearer, Qu Yan’s mood shifted from the initial joy and relaxation to tension, unease, and a bit of bewilderment.
Was Qu Yan a wise man?
Yes, he was a wise man.
He was one of the many wise men in the world.
He could use his intelligence to solve countless troubles.
If this was a world of low martial arts or even without cultivators,
Qu Yan could certainly climb to the heights he aspired to, step by step, using his wisdom alone.
But unfortunately,
there is something in this world more important than wisdom – that is strength, absolute strength.
Under absolute strength, all wisdom becomes futile.
“It’s over…”
“Everything is over…”
Qu Yan looked around at the vast army that had now formed a siege around him and the people of Blackwind Stockade.
A bitter smile crept onto his lips.
…
What followed could be anticipated.
Under the siege of Luo Yong, who had reached Bone Refinement Perfection, and a host of elite house servants with varying cultivations in Skin and Bone Refinement, as well as ten thousand armored youths,
the poorly armored bandits of Blackwind Stockade were utterly overwhelmed.
“`
Naturally, not even a slight splash could be stirred.
“I, I am willing to submit.”
“I am willing to submit to the Luo Family…”
As the sky gradually brightened, almost all the thieves of Blackwind Stockade lay dead.
Bright red blood flowed across the land.
The rich scent of blood rushed towards the heavens.
After bodies had piled up into small hills,
Qu Yan, the strategist of Blackwind Stockade, was now silently kneeling before Luo Yong.
Qu Yan’s body trembled slightly.
His complexion was extremely pale.
Although he had had an estimate of the Luo Family’s strength in his heart for quite some time,
he was also clear that with Blackwind Stockade’s power,
it was impossible to confront the Luo Family of Qingshi Town head-on.
Just that, what he did not expect was…
the Luo Family’s true strength was even more terrifying than he had imagined.
“You wish to submit?”
Luo Qingshan, clad in iron armor, his face stained with blood, and emitting waves of blood-soaked air from his entire body,
looked at Qu Yan before him, then glanced at his own father beside him.
His gaze seemed to be asking his father,
What should be done with this man?
Should we keep him, or should I kill him?
“Why are you looking at me?”
Luo Yong extended his hand to wipe the blood from his face.
Then, he held the Hundred-Forged Steel Knife in his hand,
and silently walked towards Qu Yan.
Step, step, step…
The footsteps of Luo Yong weren’t loud, yet each step he took seemed to weigh heavily upon Qu Yan’s heart.
Making Qu Yan’s emotions grow increasingly oppressive.
“What use is there to keep someone like this?”
“Just kill him directly!”
…
In the end, Qu Yan still died.
His wisdom could not save him.
“Father, now that Blackwind Stockade’s matter has been resolved, shouldn’t we also be returning?”
Beside Qu Yan’s corpse,
Luo Qingshan calmly asked his father in a low voice.
“I’ll leave you a thousand men, follow the caravan,”
“A caravan carrying a large amount of goods always needs a strong protective force.”
“And you, Father?” Luo Qingshan asked again.
“I, of course, will go back first, then stop by Blackwind Stockade’s lair to see if there’s anything valuable left…”
As Luo Yong spoke, he reinserted the Hundred-Forged Steel Knife at his waist.
He then stretched out his right hand and patted Luo Qingshan’s shoulder before silently mounting a horse that was at the Skin Refinement Realm, heading back in the direction of the Luo Family Ancestral Land.
As the ten-thousand strong army, fully armored, saw their Family Head gradually departing,
the troops split into two groups, a thousand men and nine thousand men.
The nine-thousand-strong troop followed Luo Yong, while the thousand men quietly guarded near the caravan.
…
“Is it over just like that?”
“It seems I was a bit too worried.”
“Even without me, these youngsters often handle affairs quite well, it seems…”
Not far from the caravan, in a corner unknown to others,
Luo Changfeng saw Luo Yong leave, smiled, and shook his head, then also headed in the direction of the Luo Family Clan Land.
Of course, because of his cultivation and the enhancement of the Feng Ying step,
Luo Changfeng’s return to the Luo Family Clan Land was bound to be much faster than Luo Yong’s.