Ling Tian Sword God

Chapter 93: Chapter 92: Storm_1

After Ling Chen and Bai Susu departed, the terrified Fire Blade Sect disciples hurriedly helped Duan Guiyun and Ouyang Lie, who had collapsed limply on the ground.

”Damn it! How could this happen?” Ouyang Lie’s face was etched with unwillingness and despair.

”Don’t worry, Junior Brother Ouyang. Ling Chen dared to cripple you so ruthlessly! Our Fire Blade Sect’s experts will certainly not let him off!”

Duan Guiyun also gritted his teeth, hating Ling Chen to the bone. Today, Ling Chen had made him lose face entirely. This matter could not just be overlooked.

He must find a way to kill Ling Chen to avenge this unbearable insult.

Even the Divine Intent Sect won’t be able to protect Ling Chen.

Their Fire Blade Sect was currently in ascendance, showing a trend of replacing the Divine Intent Sect as the dominant power in the Wind Country. Their Sect Leader had also recently visited the Thunder Country to discuss a joint effort against the Saint Witch Religion with other first-rate Righteous Path sects like Sky Void Palace and Myriad Dao Sect. The Divine Intent Sect, however, wasn’t even included in these discussions. This indicated that in the eyes of the Five Kingdoms’ Martial World, the Divine Intent Sect’s status and influence were now far inferior to that of their Fire Blade Sect.

”Senior Brother Duan, if we can’t kill Ling Chen, I won’t rest in peace even in death.”

Ouyang Lie wished he could skin Ling Chen alive and eat his flesh. Ling Chen had destroyed his Dantian. Even if it could be repaired, he would have to restart his cultivation from the very beginning, as a first realm warrior. His life was essentially ruined; he had basically bid farewell to the Martial Arts. All he had now was a single, insane belief: revenge.

「...」

After the matter in the Demon Forest came to an end, Ling Chen and Bai Susu left the small town and headed south.

Having spent a considerable amount of time in the small town, Ling Chen and Bai Susu had traveled nearly two hundred miles when darkness fell.

The night was starless. A waning moon hung high, and dense clouds drifted slowly across the horizon, blanketing the sky.

On the dimly lit path, the crisp sound of hooves approached from a distance. Riding his horse, Ling Chen turned to Bai Susu and suggested, ”I expect it will rain later tonight. We’d better find a place to rest for the night!”

”Alright! Let’s do as you say!” Bai Susu nodded. Traveling so late at night was indeed unsafe, especially with the mountainous terrain ahead, which could be infested with bandits.

After they traveled for a while, lights flickered in the distance.

A touch of joy appeared on Bai Susu’s face. ”It looks like we won’t have to brave the elements tonight.” Ahead of them was clearly a village.

The village wasn’t very large, and under the dim moonlight, they could make out some of its structures.

”There’s a villa on the west side of the village. It looks like it belongs to a wealthy family. We can seek lodging there,” Ling Chen said, pointing to the villa’s location before riding on. Generally, in the Five Country Territory, wealthier households practiced some martial arts and treated martial artists with great warmth. As Sect Disciples, they would be especially welcome.

The two dismounted. Ling Chen, holding the reins in one hand, walked to the main gate and knocked twice.

The main gate didn’t open, but a voice came from inside. ”Who’s there?”

”Hello, we are disciples from the Divine Intent Sect and the Medicine King Sect. We’re passing through and would like to request lodging for the night.”

Ling Chen wasn’t surprised. This villa has probably been troubled by bandits before, hence their vigilance, he thought.

The door creaked open, revealing a sturdily built attendant. Seeing only Ling Chen and Bai Susu, he visibly relaxed.

”Rest assured, we’re not bandits,” Ling Chen said with a smile, holding out his hands.

”You two are distinguished and well-matched; you don’t look like bandits at all,” the attendant said, shaking his head. ”Besides, bandits aren’t the worst of it. There are people far more fearsome than them.”

”People even more fearsome than bandits?” Ling Chen asked, surprised, as he followed the attendant into the inner courtyard.

”You two young heroes may not know this,” the attendant sighed. ”About a hundred miles from here is the Fire Blade Sect. Most of their disciples are overbearing and unruly. Our villa has suffered greatly at their hands.”

”Oh? Is that so?” Ling Chen and Bai Susu exchanged a look, surprised to encounter matters related to the Fire Blade Sect again.

”Yes, indeed. Some Fire Blade Sect disciples often come here to eat and drink for free. They even bully the men and harass the women. How are they any different from bandits? And they come far more often than actual bandits!”

This attendant was clearly disgusted with the Fire Blade Sect disciples. Normally, he dared not voice his anger, but the arrival of disciples from other sects today naturally led him to complain a little.

”Old Ding, you’re spouting nonsense again!” At that moment, several people emerged from an inner room. Leading them was an elderly man in a brocade robe, who looked at the attendant with a reproachful expression, clearly displeased by his outspokenness.

Behind him followed a middle-aged man and a youth. Judging by the elderly man’s attire, he was likely the Villa Owner. The middle-aged man and the youth were most likely his son and grandson.

”Rest assured, Villa Owner,” Old Ding said hastily. ”These two are disciples of the Divine Intent Sect and the Medicine King Sect. They have no connection to the Fire Blade Sect.”

”Indeed,” Ling Chen said, observing the expressions of the elderly man and the others. ”If the Fire Blade Sect disciples truly behave so outrageously, they would be despised by the entire Jianghu.” If it were just a few rotten apples like Duan Guiyun and Ouyang Lie, that would be one thing. But if many disciples act this way, then there’s a serious problem with the sect’s discipline.

”Sigh, he wasn’t wrong at all,” the brocade-robed Villa Owner said, no longer mincing words. ”I recently heard that the Fire Blade Sect’s Sect Leader joined some alliance of the Righteous Martial World against the Saint Witch Religion. Now they’re acting so high and mighty! Their disciples aren’t disciplined at all. I haven’t seen anyone from the Saint Witch Religion, but the Fire Blade Sect is growing stronger and more arrogant. In my opinion, they’re a much greater menace than the Saint Witch Religion!”

”Father, you tell others not to talk, yet you’re more agitated than anyone,” the middle-aged man at his side remarked with a helpless smile.

”I’m merely stating the facts,” the brocade-robed Villa Owner replied, then gestured for Ling Chen and Bai Susu to enter. ”Please, come in.”

Bai Susu clenched her fists, then cupped them politely. ”If we were to encounter such injustice, we would certainly beat those villains until they were searching for their teeth on the ground!”

”Please, come in, young heroes,” the middle-aged man said, also shaking his head. ”The Fire Blade Sect is currently in its ascendancy. We common people can only swallow our grievances and endure.”

Ling Chen also cupped his fists towards them. He could only feel sympathy and indignation regarding such matters, but he was powerless to intervene. The formidable Fire Blade Sect now even dared to provoke the Divine Intent Sect—a power far beyond his ability to challenge.

After dinner at the villa, Ling Chen and Bai Susu retired to their respective rooms.

Deep into the night, when all was quiet, the moonlight flowed like water, streaming across the courtyard.

Ling Chen was sleeping soundly when he suddenly heard a horse whinny outside.

WHOOSH!

Ling Chen’s eyes snapped open. His reactions were incredibly sharp. Such a significant commotion would not escape his notice.

Darting out the window, Ling Chen went to the horse manger in the backyard but found nothing unusual.

After checking the tether, Ling Chen took a large pile of hay from his storage ring and patted the dark brown horse. ”Rest well tonight. We have a long journey tomorrow.”

SNORT!

The dark brown horse blew two puffs of air from its nostrils and lowered its head to eat the hay.

Just as Ling Chen was about to leave, a dark figure flashed past in the corner of his eye.

”Hm?” Ling Chen focused his gaze, but the dark figure had already vanished from sight. He knew he hadn’t imagined it. His body flickered as he stealthily moved towards the direction where the shadow had disappeared.

That person was definitely an expert.