Chapter 900: Blood Guard (Part 1)

Wang Chen had actually misunderstood something.

The scholar in the scholar’s cap had no regard for the so-called "tricks of storage," dismissing them as mere street tricks.

However, his intention to seize Wang Chen’s thoughts was as clear as day.

Having witnessed Wang Chen slay several interceptors firsthand, the scholar held a high opinion of his strength. Though he appeared aloof and superior, he did not underestimate Wang Chen.

“Bold move!”

Facing the long knife hurled by Wang Chen, the scholar bellowed in a deep voice. In the blink of an eye, he drew his long sword and instantly deflected the knife.

Clang!

The clash of blade and sword produced a sharp, resonant ring.

The scholar’s expression turned grave. His long sword gleamed like a pool of autumn water, radiating a cold, piercing aura that made it difficult to look directly at him.

The sword and the man seemed to merge into one!

Having studied both literature and swordsmanship since childhood, he had achieved a profound mastery of the blade, having defeated numerous martial artists of the same rank.

As Wang Chen lunged toward him, a faint smirk of mockery curled at the corner of the scholar’s lips.

He suspected that Wang Chen intended to close the distance and catch him off guard with some trickery.

But with his guard up, how could such street tricks possibly succeed?

Yet, in the next moment, the scholar’s smile froze.

For when the distance between them narrowed to about five steps, Wang Chen suddenly thrust out both palms.

An invisible surge of palm force, as mighty as a tidal wave, rushed toward the scholar!

How could this be possible?!

The scholar was utterly horrified.

He had thought highly of Wang Chen, but in reality, Wang Chen’s strength far surpassed his expectations.

With no time for regret, the scholar could only raise his sword to block Wang Chen’s ferocious palm strike.

Bang!

The long sword in the scholar’s hand bent violently, slamming into his own chest. The sound of cracking ribs echoed as he was sent flying like a kite with its string severed.

In truth, had the scholar fully utilized his swordsmanship and engaged Wang Chen in a prolonged duel, the outcome would not have been decided in a single move.

But he had underestimated Wang Chen—and paid the price of life for it!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two throwing spears, imbued with bloodshed wheel power, shot through the air, pinning the scholar to the ground before he could even land.

One spear pierced his chest, the other his lower abdomen, leaving his body twisted in a grotesque posture.

Yet, the scholar did not die immediately. Blood seeped from his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears. With his last breath, he gasped, “You… you’ll pay… I… my…”

Before he could finish, his head slumped, and he fell silent.

Wang Chen sneered and bent down to retrieve the long sword that had fallen to the ground.

With the sword in hand, he flicked his fingers, causing the blade to vibrate and emit a clear, melodious chime. The sword light burst forth, radiating a cold and intimidating aura.

“A fine sword!”

Wang Chen praised, then removed the sword sheath from the waist of the scholar in the scholar’s cap.

He sheathed the sword.

In gratitude for the gift of a sharp sword, Wang Chen extended a special courtesy to the scholar—burying him deep in the mountains.

Truth be told, Wang Chen didn’t even know the scholar’s name.

As for the others who had come before, he left their bodies exposed in the wilderness, leaving them to be dealt with by wild beasts or kind-hearted passersby.

Wang Chen continued along the long mountain path.

The rest of the journey was smooth, and he encountered no further obstacles or troubles until he caught sight of the county town nestled at the foot of the distant mountain.

Yan City was not large; judging by its layout, it could accommodate only tens of thousands of people. To avoid unnecessary complications, Wang Chen donned the human skin mask given to him by Zhang Weiran before entering the city.

The mask was intricately crafted, but wearing it was far from comfortable. As sweat gathered beneath it, the skin began to itch.

He couldn’t scratch it, as doing so risked tearing the mask.

The main issue was that Ling Zhiyuan’s face was far too recognizable, and since Wang Chen was no master of disguise, the mask was his only means of temporarily evading the risk of being hunted.

He spent a night resting in Yan City.

By the next day, he had spent nearly all the silver he carried.

He purchased two sets of new clothes and boots, as well as provisions and drink for the journey. The most costly item was a horse for transportation, which set Wang Chen back a hefty one hundred twenty-seven taels!

Jiangyuan City lay beyond the borders of Jingnan County, over a thousand miles from Yan City. Though there were official roads to follow, trekking such a distance on foot would have been sheer folly.

Wang Chen couldn’t be bothered to hitch a ride with a merchant caravan or a station carriage, so he chose instead to select a horse from a local mule and horse shop.

The horses were exorbitantly priced; even the poorest-quality ones cost thirty or forty taels. Moreover, Yan City was a small town, and the mule shop had only a limited selection of horses.

In the end, Wang Chen had no choice but to purchase the most expensive one.

The shopkeeper, thrilled to have such a significant customer, threw in a full set of horse gear and a map as a bonus.

This saved Wang Chen some trouble.

Mounted on his high-priced steed, Wang Chen set off toward Jiangyuan City, a thousand miles away.

As the horse’s hooves crossed the boundary marker of the county, he couldn’t resist glancing back.

The journey was long, and he had no idea when he might return.

But Wang Chen was determined to come back!

He traveled day and night, pushing his mount to the brink of exhaustion, and reached Jiangyuan City in just five days.

Such speed and efficiency made Wang Chen long for his flying ship and flying sword; it felt as though he had been thrust back into ancient times, where everything was inconvenient.

Fortunately, the journey was uneventful, though he nearly took a wrong turn a few times. In the end, he arrived safely at his destination.

Outside Jiangyuan City, Wang Chen removed the human skin mask.

He had come to Jiangyuan City to join the Blood Guard. Entering the Da Wei Yamen while wearing the mask would likely result in his arrest and torture.

The human skin mask might fool ordinary folk, but it would never deceive the skilled masters of the Blood Guard!

Before entering the city, Wang Chen sold his horse to a passing merchant caravan, recouping fifty taels of silver.

The low price was due to the horse’s worn condition, and, of course, the merchant needed to turn a profit.

Wang Chen simply wanted to avoid the hassle, so he sold it outright.

Jiangyuan City was the county capital of Taiping County, surpassing Anyang City—also a county capital—in both size and prosperity.

Wang Chen didn’t linger to enjoy the city’s bustling atmosphere. After entering, he hired a carriage and headed straight for the Da Wei Yamen.

The Da Wei Yamen was situated in the city’s core area, adjacent to the county governor’s office and across from the Jiangyuan County Prince’s mansion.

Its bright red gates were impossible to miss.

“If you wish to file a complaint, go to the county governor’s office over there!”

At the entrance, a guard stopped Wang Chen, gesturing expressionlessly to the side. “This place handles no such matters.”

“I’m here to enlist as a guard,” Wang Chen replied promptly, producing the copper token given to him by Zhang Weiran. “I hope you can make an exception.”

“Huh?”

The guard took the copper token, glanced at it, and his expression shifted to one of surprise. “Where did you get this token?”

His tone grew sharp!