Chapter 840: Chapter 25 Pu Yan Hostility_2
Five hundred warriors stopped on a small hill in front of the Yan Tribe. It seemed that they had been expected; when Ah Dai and his companions disembarked from the carriage, about a thousand armor-clad Pu Yan Tribe warriors emerged from the tribe to greet them. They were all light cavalry, clad in leather armor and wielding long spears, their tips slanted towards the ground and glinting dazzlingly in the sunlight, creating a solemn atmosphere of imminent death across the formation. The Yan Tribe’s size far surpassed that of the tribe where Yan Shi resided. As far as one could see, there were stone houses of various sizes and shapes, akin to a major city. Among them stood some impressive tall stone buildings, the sheer size of the tribe’s territory made it nearly impossible to see its full extent from the hillock.
A thousand soldiers from the Yan Tribe spread out in a crane-wing formation, blocking the path of Ah Dai and his party. Yan Ju ordered all the warriors to halt and dismounted, calling out loudly, "I am Yan Ju, which brother is leading this troop?"
"It is Big Brother Yan Ju! Did you hear about the incident? The Clan Leader sent me to welcome you all," replied a deep voice. With that, a knight on a fast horse broke out from the rank of light cavalry, demonstrating exceptional equestrian skills. The tall black steed, like a streak of black lightning, rapidly closed the distance. Yan Ju did not react with surprise at the approach but showed a faint smile on his face.
The rider on the black horse seemed to become one with the animal, leaning slightly forward and gently swaying with each thundering hoofbeat. In a blink, he arrived in front of Yan Ju. When the black horse was about five meters away from Yan Ju’s tall steed, the knight yelled, yanked the reins sharply, and with a piercing neigh, the horse reared up. Under the knight’s control, it landed beside them and halted.
Yan Ju laughed heartily, saying, "Brother Yan Li, your horsemanship just keeps getting better and better!"
Addressed as Yan Li by Yan Ju, the warrior was short but exceptionally stocky, in his early twenties, with a fierce countenance. Bared arms bulged with muscles, their blue veins twisting like serpents—an undeniable sign of a warrior of great strength. His mount, a majestic black horse with a coat shining like satin under the sunlight, showed only slight signs of panting after the swift charge as if hardly affected by the exertion. "Big Brother Yan Ju, what exactly happened? Where is Big Brother Yan Shi? The messenger you sent said that Sister Yun Er..."
Yan Ju’s expression darkened, "Xiao Yun’s death was truly tragic. Let’s not talk about it now. Yan Shi and Xiao Yun’s bodies are in the carriage behind us. Let’s enter the tribe first and discuss everything later; all decisions must wait for the elder Clan Leader’s judgment."
Anger flashed in Yan Li’s eyes as he snorted heavily, "Who the hell did this? If I ever find out who’s responsible, I’ll crush him to ashes. Come, Big Brother Yan Ju, lead me to Yan Shi. He and Sister Yun Er were so deeply in love; he must be devastated."
Yan Ju sighed and said, "Yan Shi has taken a massive blow. Xiao Yun’s death has taken his heart with her. Ever since we set out, he hasn’t spoken a word, refuses to eat, and has lost a lot of weight. He seems to have lost his senses. Come, I’ll take you to see for yourself." With those words, he turned his horse around and led Yan Li towards the carriage. As the coach carrying Yan Shi was at the rear, Yan Ju and Yan Li had to pass by Ah Dai and the others to reach it. Upon seeing Ah Dai and his companions, Yan Li frowned and asked, "Big Brother Yan Ju, who are they? Why are they in your group?"
Yan Ju replied, "These foreigners are guests that Yan Shi brought back from outside on the day of the incident. They arrived at the tribe, and then Xiao Yun died. I suspected they might be involved, so I brought them here to the elder Clan Leader for judgment."
A chilling light gleamed in Yan Li’s eyes as he dismounted with a swing of his stirrup and strode towards Ah Dai and the others. Drawing nearer, Ah Dai noticed that Yan Li had two short-handled battle axes crossed behind his back. The axes had very short handles, less than a foot long, but the blades were large, nearly covering Yan Li’s broad back.
Without any politeness, Yan Li demanded, "Who are you? Did you harm Sister Yun Er?"
Moon Scar frowned. The thing he had worried about was happening. The Pu Yan Tribe’s habit of distrusting outsiders was bound to create misunderstandings! He hurriedly explained, "We are mercenaries, on our way to complete a mission in the Tian Yuan Clan. We met Brother Yan Shi on the road through the Noble Domain, fought together, and then became friends. Brother Yan Shi invited us to visit the tribe, but we never anticipated such an incident. We hold no ill will towards the Pu Yan Tribe. Moreover, we’ve been with Yan Shi the whole time; how could we have killed his wife?"
Yan Ju dismounted too and said, "Don’t try to clear yourselves just yet. When you arrived at the tribe, Xiao Yun had been dead for several hours already. Whether or not you are guilty, let the Clan Leader decide. While I also believe you, as the deputy leader of the Yan Shi Tribe, I cannot overlook any suspicions. Sorry for the inconvenience of bringing you here. I believe in justice, and the elder Clan Leader will surely come to a clear verdict."
With a flash of cold light, the two large axes were already in Yan Li’s hands. With a loud roar, he swung at Moon Scar. Two streaks of darkness reached Moon Scar in an instant. The sudden turn of events scared Moon Scar, who had no time to draw his sword and had to rely on his agile movement technique to dodge to one side. Yan Li pursued relentlessly, bellowing angrily and slashing his short axes at Moon Scar like a tempest. The hefty axes seemed weightless in Yan Li’s hands, their dark gleam crisscrossing with formidable might.
