Radiant Blade of the Wilderness

Chapter 105: A Dressing-Down

The boat did not head straight the entire time. It drifted with the current downstream for a stretch to avoid the fords and checkpoints on the far bank.

Once the sky darkened, they drew near the northern bank at last, but there was no dock ahead or behind, making it difficult to land.

Xie Fengchao saw this, grabbed the mooring rope, tapped his toes against the boat, and vanished into the wind with a rush, crossing the remaining stretch of water like a bird in flight before landing steadily on solid ground.

He hauled on the rope and drew the boat to shore. Zheng Zhuxi, Ding Songyan, and the others hopped off lightly.

They quickly hid the boat among the reeds and looked up to survey their surroundings.

Xing Chang, unable to look up, pointed to the east and said, "The road to Xinfu City goes through the deep mountains. It’s roughly that way."

"Haven’t you never been north of the river before?" Ding Songyan asked, amused.

Xing Chang’s navel opened, producing a deep, resonant sound.

"We often simulate an advance onto the northern bank when drilling our troops. We know the checkpoints, towns, and terrain of this area well enough."

Right, it’s like coming home for him... Ding Songyan nodded with sudden understanding.

Zheng Zhuxi quietly let out a breath of relief.

At least they weren’t completely blind about conditions north of the river.

Xing Chang took the lead, following the terrain map in his memory to find the path into the mountains. Pan Yunzhou drew on his extensive jianghu experience to assist alongside him.

Ding Songyan and Zheng Zhuxi walked side by side at the rear, waiting for the sky to go fully dark and the stars to emerge.

Brightnight Sect disciples were all skilled at reading the stars to navigate.

Xie Fengchao alternated between resting in the middle of the group and scouting around with his movement technique, taking on the duty of keeping watch.

The sky grew darker and darker. The bright moon rose in the east and cast a clear light over everything. After considerable effort, the five of them finally entered the deep mountains.

They had only just started along the mountain path when Zheng Zhuxi, her eyes aglow with faint candlelight and flecks of starlight, pointed to the right.

"There are footprints over there, and some flattened grass and plants."

Xing Chang and Pan Yunzhou went to investigate and reached the same conclusion.

"Two sets of footprints, from different people. They passed less than half an hour ago."

"Entering the mountains at night means they have a purpose. Unlikely to be hunters or bandits returning to their stronghold," Xie Fengchao said in thought. "But if it’s the Three Fiends of Xiao City, why only two sets of prints?"

Ding Songyan said with an unhurried air, "According to the arrest warrant, Shen Wanli is skilled at using mountain terrain. Leaving no footprints is perfectly normal for him."

"You remember it that clearly, Young Hero Ding?" Xie Fengchao asked, surprised.

In the rush to give chase, he had not reviewed the Three Fiends’ details. Only a few fragments of the arrest warrant description remained in his memory.

"I just read them at noon." Ding Songyan smiled. "Besides, when my senior sister collected the passes, she also picked up three copies of the arrest warrants and handed them to me. Having high spirits, being bold and daring with a free-spirited manner are all fine things. It only gets better when you add knowing both yourself and your enemy to that."

"I didn’t know much about the Three Fiends myself, which is why I requested the arrest warrants and looked them over while you were borrowing the boat and gathering provisions," Zheng Zhuxi quickly added a modest word.

Junior Brother, if you want to praise me, please don’t do it like this.

It makes it look as though I’m more meticulous and thorough than Young Master Xie and Commander Xing.

This kind of thing can be said behind closed doors among ourselves, but saying it openly in front of everyone can easily affect the cooperation ahead. We’re in the border region of three kingdoms now, with dangers on every side. Everyone has to work together.

Xing Chang was momentarily stunned, then cupped his hands in a bow.

"We were overeager and reckless. Please, Heroine Zheng, Young Hero Ding, teach us."

He had some knowledge of the Three Fiends but had not looked into them in depth.

Xie Fengchao’s expression shifted several times, then he bowed as well.

"I was far too hasty."

These two actually have decent characters. I thought that with one being an imperial commander and the other from a powerful family, they’d inevitably be a little arrogant. After being sarcastically called out the way I did, even if they recognized their mistake, I expected them to hold a grudge. But they admitted fault directly, sincerely and without pretense... Ding Songyan had only meant to give the impetuous Xie Fengchao and Xing Chang a dressing-down, to keep them from acting recklessly and causing trouble for everyone.

This was no longer Zhao kingdom territory!

True cooperation was not about accommodating others and tolerating mistakes. You had to maintain boundaries, or the partnership was better off not happening at all.

Ding Songyan kept these thoughts to himself, planning to go through them with his senior sister once the matter was settled and help her grow from it.

By then, Ding Songyan had put on a harmless smile.

"Anyone entering the mountains at this hour is likely the Three Fiends of Xiao City. The mountain road is treacherous at night, and they were already pushing their movement technique the whole way here. They’ll need to find shelter and recover. We may be able to catch up before midnight.

"Along the way, I’ll brief everyone on what we know about them."

Hearing this, both Xie Fengchao and Xing Chang perked up.

They resumed their earlier formation, pressing quickly along the mountain path while watching for any traces the target might have left behind.

Ding Songyan took the opportunity to describe each of the Three Fiends’ physical features and martial abilities. Zheng Zhuxi filled in what he missed.

The Three Fiends were sworn brothers. Cao Yue was the eldest, around thirty-four, enormous in build and over 2.1 meters tall—comparable to Li Zhi back then. His facial skin was deep yellow, his head resembled a python’s, and his body was a dark blue-black. Currently ranked fourth-rank Mortal Surpassed, he reportedly already had the strength of third-rank Form Transfigured. He practiced the Molten Gold Dharma, which could dissolve an opponent’s true qi, weapons, and body, while making his own body nearly impervious to blades.

Lu Guangqing, thirty-two, had skin that was deep red all over, with coarse body hair that stood fully on end when he channeled his qi, each strand sharp and menacing, making him look like a hedgehog—capable of both wounding and defending. He was fourth-rank Mortal Surpassed and practiced the Six-Qi Heresy Secret Script. Every palm strike carried plague, every blade blow spread pestilence. Anyone who fought him could not afford a prolonged battle.

Shen Wanli, thirty, had a deer-like face with fish eyes. He was fifth-rank Profound Discerned but his cultivation art was unknown. He excelled at using mountain terrain, forests, and vegetation. His weapons were a pair of steel claws.

Combining their physical features and martial abilities, Ding Songyan, Zheng Zhuxi, and Pan Yunzhou had worked out the corresponding divine beasts during their wait outside the ford.

The Molten Gold Dharma likely derived from the Great Green Serpent—green-bodied with a yellow head. Consuming it made one insatiable, able to dissolve all forms of qi, and resistant to bladed weapons.

The Six-Qi Heresy Secret Script derived from the Li beast—resembling a hedgehog, red as cinnabar fire. Consuming it made one capable of piercing nearby foes and scorching those at range, while spreading pestilence that could empty a region for hundreds of miles.

Shen Wanli’s lineage most likely came from the Yuanhu—resembling a moose with fish eyes. Consuming it allowed one to move unseen through mountain forests and move as one with the vegetation.

After listening closely to everything, Xie Fengchao said with satisfaction, "It does seem likely those ahead of us are the Three Fiends of Xiao City."

They had just come across a few wild animals afflicted with a mild pestilence.

He looked out at the deep mountain forest slumbering in the darkness, recalled something, and lowered his voice.

"The rule against entering mountains at night refers to mountain spirits, wood demons, and long-cultivated monsters that come out after dark. They’re the locals here, more troublesome than many Great Proliferation Realm martial practitioners, and quite dangerous. Even bandits who keep strongholds in these mountains don’t venture out much at night.

"Everyone be careful. The moment anything seems off, alert the others at once."

"Agreed. I never normally dare take mountain paths at night," Pan Yunzhou echoed.

With me here, the chances of running into mountain spirits, wood demons, or long-cultivated monsters are rather slim... unless it’s some ferocious savage... Ding Songyan held Frostshade in his left hand and spread out his Chaos Realm, drawing everything within twenty meters into his awareness.

In a situation like this, he dared not be careless. If danger suddenly erupted, he himself might be fine, but it was hard to say the same for Zheng Zhuxi, Pan Yunzhou, and the others.

Those ahead apparently hadn’t anticipated pursuers pressing so hard and so close behind them. They had left plenty of signs, which Zheng Zhuxi and Ding Songyan with their Candle-Star Pupils spotted easily, using them to guide the way.

After a while, Xie Fengchao said with a puzzled look, "These mountains are unnaturally quiet."

Everything’s been frightened off. Of course it’s quiet... Ding Songyan muttered to himself.

Just then, Xing Chang said in his muffled, resonant voice,

"I practice the Heaven-Shattering Precious Record. My blood and qi are forceful enough to drive off ghosts and evil spirits."

"Why didn’t you say so earlier? I’ve been on edge this whole time." Xie Fengchao exhaled in relief.

Good, another one to take the credit. Whatever Banishing Demons and Warding Off Evil takes care of can be attributed to you from now on... Ding Songyan looked at the headless Xing Chang with affection.

They pressed on a while longer when they suddenly heard a shrill, terrified woman’s scream from the mountain forest not far ahead.

"Help! Help!"

"What decent person would be screaming for help deep in the mountains this late at night?" Xie Fengchao laughed despite his annoyance.

It was without a doubt a mountain spirit, wood demon, or cultivationally-advanced yao monster.

"If we went to rescue it, it might end up genuinely screaming for help," Ding Songyan deliberately glanced at Xing Chang and said with a smile.

The instinctive urge to help that had risen in Zheng Zhuxi vanished without a trace.

The "cry for help" fell silent for a moment, then changed its tune, switching to a man’s wailing.

Ding Songyan and the others turned a deaf ear to it, employed their movement techniques, and pressed on at a steady pace, following the trail ahead.

About a quarter of an hour later, they all slowed at once.

Faint firelight had appeared in the mountain forest to their side.

Using the trees for cover, the five of them crept carefully to the edge of a clearing.

Calling it a clearing was an overstatement; there were quite a lot of weeds. Had it not been deep autumn with the mountain air having grown cool, the tall grass would long since have withered. To reach the ruined temple deeper in the clearing would have been like wading through water.

The ruined temple was of common construction, abandoned for many years. Its plaque hung crooked, on the verge of falling, reading "Temple of the Mountain God of Yi."

Temples like this were typically built by mountain villagers and hunters, situated away from busy areas. They would enter the mountains once or twice a year to make offerings and pray for protection.

At this moment, firelight was leaking out through the cracks in the temple.

"I’ll slip over quietly and check whether it’s the Three Fiends of Xiao City inside." Zheng Zhuxi, with her Waxing Moon Phantom Form technique, kept her voice low.

Pan Yunzhou glanced at Xing Chang, then said softly, "No hurry, Junior Sister Zheng. Anyone spending the night in the mountains will have posted a hidden sentry outside the temple. Let’s locate the sentry first."

"If it really is the Three Fiends of Xiao City, the sentry will be Shen Wanli," Xing Chang added.

Zheng Zhuxi listened quietly, and she and Ding Songyan activated their Candle-Star Pupils at the same moment.

The darkness receded from their eyes, and the phantoms and illusions gradually faded from their sight.

In wordless coordination, one scanned left and the other right. In no more than a dozen breaths, Zheng Zhuxi pointed to a spot and said, "Someone’s there."

Ding Songyan followed his senior sister’s pointing finger and saw a figure leaning against the trunk of a tree. Without Candle-Star Pupils, the figure was indistinguishable from the branches and leaves around it.