Chapter 83: Chapter 80: Encountering the Martial Marquis_1
"Alright, I’ll depend on you. If my family is saved, even if you ask me to climb the mountain of swords or dive into the sea of flames, I’ll not hesitate,"
After saying this, Wang Lin bowed deeply.
Lu Yan nodded and was about to go towards the mountain, but he spotted a familiar face not far away.
It was Zhang Jun.
At this moment, Zhang Jun was covered in blood, charging towards the mountaintop. Behind him, the Wu Family’s martial artists were in hot pursuit.
"I must save Xuan and the others, I must..."
With determination fixed in his face, Zhang Jun, who had been struck in the back, was bleeding profusely. However, he kept going as if he didn’t even feel it. In his eyes, there was only the mountaintop, or rather, his sole intention was to rescue his family.
What plunged him into despair was that he kept losing strength from his body. His pace gradually slowed down while the Wu Family’s martial artists were closing in.
Whoosh!
A War Knife cut through the air. A martial artist of the Wu Family leapt up high and swung his sword at Zhang Jun.
"Am I going to die? I can’t die. If I die, what will happen to Xuan and the others?"
Zhang Jun roared internally.
In this era, if his family lost him, their pillar of strength, their situation would be miserable.
The wealth he had accumulated would be quickly taken away.
His wife would be targeted by predators.
His son and daughter would be left helpless.
Thinking about this, he mustered up a force from nowhere, turned around abruptly, and swung his sword in defense.
Clang!
Zhang Jun had only achieved the third Limit Breaking while his opponent had achieved the fourth. His war knife was flung out of his hand, and he stumbled backward.
"Die!"
The Wu Family’s martial artist had a murderous look on his face as he swung his sword again.
Zhang Jun’s eyes were wide open, filled with stubborn resistance, but he had no strength left to resist.
Splatter!
The flash of a blade. A head was sent flying away, splattering blood on Zhang Jun’s face.
Zhang Jun felt dazed and instinctively looked to his right.
A burly figure, wielding a war knife, looked like a demon against the dark night. He was charging towards the remaining Wu Family martial artists.
One slash for each, carried out swiftly, leaving those seemingly unbeatable Limit Breaking masters dead on the ground with just a few slashes.
The figure turned around, grinned, and said, "Jun, are you alright?"
It was Lu Yan!
Zhang Jun was shaken. He hadn’t expected this overwhelmingly powerful person to be Lu Yan.
He couldn’t help but recall the moment over four years ago when he brought Lu Yan into the Red-clad Guard.
Back then, Lu Yan was just a naive young boy.
He hadn’t expected...
"I’m fine, just got a slash, it’s not fatal,"
Zhang Jun replied.
"This battle is not meant for us. You and Wang Lin, go back, or find a place to hide at the foot of the mountain,"
Lu Yan suggested.
But Zhang Jun shook his head, looking towards the top of the mountain, and said, "My wife and children are still on this Blood Land Vein, I have to save them."
"In your current state, who can you save? If you die before you get up the mountain, your family’s situation will worsen,"
Lu Yan remarked.
Zhang Jun’s eyes dimmed. Suddenly thinking about something, he said, "Lu Yan, you’re also going up the mountain to save your parents, right? I beg you, save my wife and children. I will spend the rest of my life indebted to you..."
But Lu Yan remained silent, suddenly smacked the back of Zhang Jun’s head, knocking him out.
"Brother Wang, take Zhang Jun and find a place to hide at the foot of the mountain. Dress his wounds and wait for me to regroup,"
Lu Yan told Wang Lin.
To promise Wang Lin to save his family based on their camaraderie was already pushing his limit.
He couldn’t possibly promise Zhang Jun.
The more people he brought, the higher the risk of exposure.
If things were not feasible, he wouldn’t even attempt to save Wang Lin’s family. He would only take Lu Qingshan and Wang Cui.
Rescuing people should only be done without putting oneself at risk.
After watching Wang Lin carry Zhang Jun away and find a hiding place, Lu Yan quickly made his way up the mountain.
Along the way, he would occasionally come across dead bodies, their deaths gruesome, belonging to both Great Feudal Lords, which indicated the severity of the battle.
"The Liu Family retreated so soon?"
Lu Yan pondered.
The Liu Family had originally deployed heavily fortified positions along the mountain. But now, there were no sounds of battle around the middle of the mountain, only the ear-deafening cries of war echoing from the mountaintop.
"Perhaps, the Liu Family intentionally retreated to save strength for defense. It seems that the Wu Family indeed came prepared this time, and they’re formidable."
Lu Yan speculated.
He continued towards the peak of the mountain, where he saw a large number of martial artists clashing.
Lu Yan skirted a battlefield and prepared to silently take down a Liu Clan member to find out where his parents were being held.
The Blood Land Vein had a wide area. There was no point in blindly searching.
He maintained distance from the primary battlefield and the surroundings quietened down gradually.
Suddenly, a figure appeared ahead. This person was...looting corpses.
One look at his clothes and Lu Yan knew he was part of Liu Clan’s main lineage. He was about forty years old and did not look particularly masculine, more effeminate instead.
He also noticed Lu Yan and cast a glance on Lu Yan’s attire.
"You are a Red-clad Guard, what are you doing wandering around? Shouldn’t you be fighting the enemy?"
The Liu Clan member reprimanded.
Lu Yan’s expression remained unchanged. He took a large stride towards the man and suddenly accelerated, dashing towards him like a gust of wind.
"Seeking death."
The Liu Clan member roared, his Qi-blood surging. His arms were covered in red scales and he swung a palm towards Lu Yan.
Fifth Breakthrough!
No wonder he was so confident.
Benefiting from top martial arts cultivation, a warrior with a fifth breakthrough is generally unstoppable, unless confronted by a Martial Marquis or besieged.
Lu Yan stretched out his hand to grab the man’s wrist, twisted hard, and twisted the man’s arm 180 degrees, while simultaneously slamming his left palm into the man’s face and onto the ground.
With a loud thud, a small pit was left in the ground, and the man started vomiting blood. He tried to scream, but Lu Yan clapped a hand over his mouth and nose.
"You would do well to answer my questions, or you will die."
Lu Yan’s voice was frigid, his killing intent bone-chilling.
The Liu Clan man nodded vigorously.
"Where have the families of the Red-clad Guards been taken?"
Lu Yan asked.
"The Beast Lair, they’re in an abandoned Beast Lair."
"Beast Lair?"
"It’s a resting place for alien beasts, though it’s abandoned now."
The Liu Clan member answered honestly.
"Lead the way."
Lu Yan released his grip, allowing the man to get up.
"Don’t try any tricks. I can kill you instantly," Lu Yan added.
"I can lead you there, but you have to promise to spare my life."
The Liu Clan member replied.
"Alright!"
Lu Yan pretended to ponder for a moment before nodding in agreement.
With the Liu Clan member leading, Lu Yan followed closely behind.
The mountaintop of the Blood Land Vein was quite broad, with numerous buildings, courtyards, and gardens built upon it.
There was a blood Wutong tree at the back, flourishing with lush, crimson leaves.
"That is..."
As they neared the blood Wutong tree, Lu Yan inexplicably felt his heart beat faster. He suddenly looked up to see a figure standing on a massive branch of the tree, holding a long spear.
This was a man in his sixties or seventies, round-faced with needle-like whiskers, watching Lu Yan and the Liu Clan member coldly.
This was undoubtedly a Martial Marquis.
A Martial Marquis of the Liu Clan was hiding here, presumably to ambush the Martial Marquis of the Wu Clan
"This is a trap."
Lu Yan sensed the danger.
The Liu Clan member was obviously aware of the Martial Marquis’ ambush. He had deliberately led Lu Yan here to be killed by the Marquis.
"Elder, this Red-clad Guard is astute and powerful..."
The Liu Clan member suddenly gathered his strength and ran towards the Liu’s Martial Marquis.
Clang!
Lu Yan drew his blade, swift and decisive. With a flash of the blade, the Liu Clan member’s head flew ten meters away. His body continued to run headless for over ten meters before it fell.
"What audacity, kill him!"
Killing intent burst in the eyes of Liu’s Martial Marquis. With a low grunt, he threw his long spear. Quicker than lightning, stronger than thunder, the spear aimed straight for Lu Yan’s forehead.
The spear was imbued with bone strength, creating a life-threatening crisis for Lu Yan.
After killing the Liu Clan member, Lu Yan quickly retreated. Regardless, he couldn’t avoid the spear thrust and could only muster all his strength, holding his knife with both hands and slashing at it.
With a loud clang, the spear flipped backward and stuck into the ground, while Lu Yan stumbled back six steps.
