"I thought your usual talk was all you had, but it turns out you've taken a fancy to the girl. Those underhanded tactics of yours can only fool that imbecile next to you," Kuang San said, stroking his bald head. "Girl, don't you follow the wrong person. I'm much more useful than Chang Yan, I guarantee you..."
"Seeking death!" Chang Yan's weapon was his smoking pipe. He drew it and swung it down towards Kuang San. Kuang San blocked with his saber, but Chang Yan flipped his pipe, and the ash from the bowl fell out, pouring onto Kuang San. What should have been mere ash ignited as soon as it touched Kuang San's clothes. Kuang San quickly shed his outer garment and threw it away, frantically patting out the flames on his body!
"You scoundrel, you dare to ambush me! Brothers, attack! Kill him for me first!"
Chang Yan sneered, "Attack! Either they die, or we die!"
The two groups, who had been in peace until moments ago, now fought like sworn enemies, each determined to kill the other.
Qiu Niang, with her people, hid behind a distant sand dune, watching the two factions fight fiercely, and Xiao Man's group, who sat serenely as if in control, a faint puzzlement in her eyes.
"Boss lady, aren't we going to join in?"
Qiu Niang poked the waiter's head with her finger. "Join, join, join. How many heads do you have, how many lives? You still want to join? You'll be chopped like a watermelon the moment you step out!"
The waiter rubbed his head. "Didn't you say we should go and watch the fun?"
"I originally wanted to watch the fun, but now I don't dare," Qiu Niang said mournfully, her gaze falling on Xiao Man. Xiao Man, as if sensing it, looked in Qiu Niang's direction, startling Qiu Niang into quickly retracting her head.
The waiter tried to peek, but Qiu Niang pulled him back. "Stop looking. Kuang San is doomed today."
"Boss lady, didn't you say Chang Yan isn't Kuang San's match?"
"That depends on whether Chang Yan is willing to fight him to the death!" Qiu Niang had lived in Xing Tang Road for many years. When she arrived, Chang Yan hadn't come yet. She knew the people and affairs here best. "I'm a little curious about that person."
"Which one?" the waiter asked cautiously, glancing sideways. "The man wearing a mask?"
Qiu Niang also glanced sideways. "Waiter, who do you think is the center of their group?"
The waiter watched for a long time. "The masked man?"
"Have you not washed your face for days, are your eyes glued shut with sleep? Didn't you see that they all revolve around that woman? Even Shangguan Jin is standing behind her."
"A grown man standing behind a woman, pfft... Ouch..." The waiter rubbed his head where he'd been hit. "Boss lady, did I say something wrong again?"
"You're going to die of stupidity!" Qiu Niang said resentfully. "Chang Yan rarely ventures out of his usual haunts and never fights to the death. He excels at trickery. Yet today, he's brought out the demons and monsters from outside his usual circle to fight. Do you think he has nothing better to do?"
"Isn't that so?"
The boss lady choked, grabbed the waiter's ear, and said, "Waiter, are you deliberately trying to annoy me?"
"It hurts, it hurts, boss lady, I was wrong, please let go."
The boss lady released him and continued to sneak a look. "I saw the Lord of the Trade Route back then. This person is definitely not the original Lord of the Trade Route, but she is very likely the current Lord of the Trade Route."
"Then where did the original Lord of the Trade Route go?" the waiter asked curiously.
"Dead," the boss lady said with certainty. Others might not know that the Lord of the Trade Route was the Empress Dowager of Yun Qi, but she knew that when the news of the young Empress Dowager of Yun Qi's death reached Xing Tang Road, she knew this path would fall into chaos. She just hadn't expected this day to come so soon.
"Boss lady, that young lady seems very young. Can she command the demons and monsters on this road?"
Qiu Niang did not answer. She still couldn't see through the young lady's cultivation, nor her thoughts. This person gave her an extremely dangerous feeling, making her instinctively want to distance herself. This feeling was very similar to the feeling she had when she saw Du Gu Man back then!
Shangguan Jin obeying her, and Chang Yan being forced to fight to the death, indicated that this person had a deep connection with the original Lord of the Trade Route. Even if Chang Yan hadn't been forced to fight, she would have had other moves. Chang Yan was fighting for his own survival!
Kuang San fought and cursed. It was agreed that they would not interfere with each other. Even when they had attacked Shangguan Jin, this person had remained a spectator. Yet now, he had jumped out to oppose him!
"Chang Yan, you scoundrel, what exactly do you want?"
"Your life!" Chang Yan's heart was filled with bitterness. He didn't want to fight to the death either. He just wanted to live well and leave this place. But now, leaving had become a luxury. Survival was what he needed to do. If he didn't decisively stand up now, tomorrow, there would be no more Dust Outside Dao, and no more Chang Yan!
The young woman beside Chang Yan wielded dual sabers with extreme speed. Ordinary people couldn't get close to her. However, no matter how good one's skills, they couldn't withstand sheer numbers. Soon, she was wounded. Chang Yan saw this and felt anxious, wanting to help, but he was also struggling to protect himself.
Xiao Man watched Chang Yan and his group fall into a disadvantage, unmoved. Chang Yan dared not ask for help, as he had broken the agreement first. The current predicament was his own doing.
Kuang San's face was full of excitement, his smile carrying a cruel edge. "Chang Yan, after I kill you, that mute girl beside you will also belong to me!" Sudan Novel Network
"Dream on!" Chang Yan was furious, his fighting style becoming more ferocious, completely disregarding his own safety. Kuang San, who had previously held the upper hand, was suddenly in a difficult situation.
"I'll show you, not only that mute girl but also that woman over there will belong to me!"
Xiao Man flicked her sleeves and said coldly, "Unclean and useless. Cut it off."
As soon as Xiao Man's words fell, two figures charged out, heading straight for Kuang San. They were as fast as lightning. Before Kuang San could react, he felt pain spread through his entire body. He wanted to cry out but couldn't make a sound, his mouth full of blood, and his lower body bleeding profusely.
Seeing this, Chang Yan drew a thin sword from his smoking pipe and instantly pierced Kuang San's throat. Kuang San never understood how he, who was on the verge of victory, could have lost.
"Thank you, Lord of Trade Route, for saving my life."
With Kuang San dead, the rabble he had gathered scattered like startled birds, trying to escape. However, a squadron of cavalry appeared not far away. White horses, red armor – it was the Crimson Feather Iron Cavalry.
"Leave no one alive," Xiao Man said, cleaning her fingernails. "Hang the bodies outside Xing Tang Road as a warning."
"Understood."
Chang Yan watched the Crimson Feather Iron Cavalry pursue the fleeing men, a chill creeping up his spine. He swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on Xiao Man. Although her appearance had changed, her innate dominance and coldness remained unchanged!