"Father, do you think what I just did was right?" The girl, disguised as a man, rode her horse to Luo Wuxie, the Escort Chief, and rode alongside him.
"Qinghe!"
"The Jianghu is dangerous. It's good that you have a chivalrous heart, but..."
There was no praise as expected; Luo Wuxie merely showed a look of worry.
"Father, he's not a bad person," Luo Qinghe argued.
"Meeting him by chance, how could you know?"
"I just know!" Luo Qinghe retorted, raising her small Face stubbornly.
Just then, a commotion came from ahead.
"Sir, please let me pass. My wife is sick in bed, waiting for me to bring back silver to save her life."
A man knelt on the ground, pleading bitterly with a fierce-looking man sitting on a wooden stool, holding a pot of wine.
Around him, twenty young men, dressed similarly to the fierce-looking man, were checking passing pedestrians. A string of copper coins hung from their waists, jingling as they walked.
"Golden Money Gang!"
Luo Wuxie's eyes were grave. He only knew that Shouchun City was under martial law today, with something happening, but he hadn't expected to find Golden Money Gang Disciples blocking the mountain path outside the city.
"Your wife isn't mine. The Gang Leader has ordered that no one without a Golden Money Gang pass is allowed to cross here."
The fierce-looking man roared. He was a Golden Money Gang Head, in charge of dozens of people, known as Qian Duoduo, "Money-Grubber."
True to his name, he only had money in his eyes.
And the man happened to have money on him, but it was for his wife's medicine; he couldn't give it up.
Suddenly, his eyes hardened, he gritted his teeth, stood up, and rushed into the gap beside the Golden Money Gang members, attempting to force his way through.
Poof!
Without any surprise, an ordinary person was as fragile as an ant before a Martial Artist.
The man's body slowly fell, his hand still clutching the silver in his embrace.
Several quick-witted Golden Money Gang members stepped forward, pulled a pouch of broken silver from the man's embrace, and then tossed him a copper coin.
"Money hits the ground, heads don't stay!"
"That's a life-buying fee!"
Luo Wuxie, familiar with the Golden Money Gang's methods, said slowly.
Luo Qinghe frowned, "A single coin for a life?"
"Is there any Dao in this?"
Alas...
Luo Wuxie sighed softly.
The Golden Money Gang's influence almost dominated half of Shouchun City. Besides the Cao Gang, who dared to meddle in their affairs? Even the officials had to give them some Face.
Was this Dao reasonable? Who would uphold it?
However, Luo Wuxie noticed that these Golden Money Gang members seemed to be looking for someone. Seeing them holding a portrait and comparing it to each passing person, it was clear this person was very important to them.
"I hope nothing unexpected happens."
Luo Wuxie murmured.
Soon, the Golden Money Gang's people began to check their convoy.
At the same time, Lu Ming, who was late, also reached the back of the convoy.
He immediately noticed the portrait in the Golden Money Gang's hands.
"Ancient painters focused on artistic conception, not realism. They shouldn't recognize me, right?"
He muttered to himself, then strained his eyesight to glance at the portrait.
With just one look, he froze.
Because the person in the portrait and him, if not perfectly similar, were at least seventy to eighty percent alike; enough to completely identify him.
"Damn it, who said ancient paintings were more abstract?"
He secretly cursed those who liked to complain randomly.
However, he didn't turn and leave immediately. Leaving rashly at this moment would make him more likely to be exposed.
He needed to find a good opportunity. If it truly didn't work, then he could only force his way through.
With his current strength, if he really had to force his way, he truly didn't put these twenty-something Golden Money Gang minnows in his eyes.
It was just that if he did, his feint would be ruined.
Suddenly, a quarrel broke out at the front of the convoy.
"Friends of the Golden Money Gang, what is the meaning of this?"
Lu Ming recognized this as the voice of Luo Wuxie, the Hongyuan Escort Agency's Escort Chief.
"We bought a pass, so why can't we go through?"
"Heh..."
A Golden Money Gang member under Qian Duoduo let out a sneer.
"If you can't pass, you can't pass. Why so many questions?"
"You..."
Luo Wuxie was furious.
He had been an Escort on this Dao for thirty years. Although his martial arts were only at the Ninth-Grade Peak, he was still a notable figure. He hadn't expected to be ridiculed by a small minion today.
However, the Golden Money Gang was powerful, not something his Hongyuan Escort Agency could afford to provoke.
Even though the small minion in front of him was only at the Ninth-Grade Middle Stage, ordinarily, he wouldn't even catch Luo Wuxie's eye.
However, at this moment,
"What do you want? Please state it clearly."
Luo Wuxie suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice.
These people simply wanted more. Today, he would consider it a financial loss to avert disaster.
However, the small minion's gaze bypassed Luo Wuxie and settled on the refined-looking Escort not far behind him.
It was his daughter, Luo Qinghe, disguised as a man.
"Not good!"
Luo Wuxie thought, 'This is bad.'
Indeed, they had seen through Luo Qinghe's disguise.
No wonder they were deliberately making things difficult today!
"Leave her here, and you can go."
At this moment, Qian Duoduo also spoke.
His gaze roamed over Luo Qinghe in an oily manner, causing her to feel a chill and almost draw her sword.
Fortunately, Luo Wuxie shook his head at her.
"Brother Qian!"
He cupped his hands towards Qian Duoduo.
"The Jianghu has its rules. I, Luo Wuxie, have been in this Dao for so long, and I know a few Golden Money Gang figures."
"Today, all the Brothers have worked hard. How about I offer more money for the Brothers to buy wine and eat?"
"No way!"
Unexpectedly, Qian Duoduo flatly refused.
Luo Wuxie's Face twitched.
"Today, you either pay up and leave her, or you all die!"
Qian Duoduo stood up and walked towards Luo Wuxie step by step.
"You, don't go too far. If you act like this, aren't you afraid of being ridiculed by Jianghu friends?"
Luo Wuxie's hand rested on his sword hilt, and the atmosphere instantly became extremely tense.
"Heh heh..."
"The mountain path to Lu'an City has always been plagued by bandits. If you die today, I can completely say you were killed by bandits. I can even say you were killed by Lu Ming."
"In short, it won't be me, Qian Duoduo, who killed you."
Luo Wuxie frowned. He didn't know who Lu Ming was, but he knew that a battle today was unavoidable.
Whoosh!
Qian Duoduo's figure suddenly vanished.
In a blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Luo Wuxie, a nine-section whip lashing down fiercely.
Crack!
As the whip struck, a thunderous sound echoed in the air.
If this hit a person, it would probably break their tendons and bones immediately.
Clang!
Luo Wuxie's sword also suddenly unsheathed.
The sword light instantly burst into three points of cold light, directly enveloping Qian Duoduo's whip.
Clang, clang, clang!
In just a breath, the two had already exchanged ten moves.
Lu Ming shook his head slightly.
"If you harbor doubts, no matter how high your martial arts, you will not escape death."
"If you were to fight me, you would have died the moment you drew your first sword."
He could tell at a glance that Luo Wuxie wasn't using his full strength, and his sword moves were primarily defensive. Clearly, he was still afraid of offending the Golden Money Gang behind Qian Duoduo.
In contrast, Qian Duoduo had no reservations. The whip in his hand struck faster and faster, like a venomous snake dancing wildly, tearing and biting everywhere.
With such a fighting style, Luo Wuxie would be defeated within thirty moves.
Indeed, just as the two fought for another twenty moves, Qian Duoduo's whip struck Luo Wuxie's wrist.
Smack!
Luo Wuxie's long sword fell from his hand.
Thud!
Qian Duoduo pressed forward, kicking him in the chest.
Bang!
Luo Wuxie's body flew backward, crashing into a carriage and directly smashing the items on it.
"Father!"
"Escort Chief!"
Luo Qinghe and the other Escorts were greatly alarmed and rushed forward.
However, the Golden Money Gang Disciple who had been eyeing Luo Qinghe earlier suddenly blocked her way, a wicked smile on his Face.
Clang!
Luo Qinghe's long sword was unsheathed. She was at the Ninth-Grade Middle Stage, as was the person in front of her. She was confident that this person might not be able to stop her.
However.
Swish!
The minion slowly extended a hand, like an ox's tongue coiling grass, and directly grabbed the long sword in Luo Qinghe's hand.
"Let go of me!"
A huge force came, and the long sword in Luo Qinghe's hand immediately flew out.
Her eyes widened in horror, and she urgently tried to turn, but the minion's other hand had already quietly arrived, reaching directly for a certain part.
"Ah..."
A scream of extreme misery rang out.
At the same time, an arm was thrown high into the air.
A youth with ink-black hair stood with a saber in front of Luo Qinghe.
No one saw when this person appeared, nor how his saber was drawn.
"It's you!"
Luo Qinghe and the minion recognized Lu Ming simultaneously, speaking at the same time.
Puff!
A head flew into the sky.