The world of martial arts, the immortal swordsman in the mortal realm.

Chapter 77, Page 92: The Songshan Sect's Extermination Task Force is in Big Trouble! [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]

evening.

In the courtyard where Lu Chen and Huang Rong lived, a beggar delivered a letter, saying that someone had offered ten copper coins to deliver the letter to Young Hero Lu.

Lu Chen took the letter, unfolded it, read it for a while, and a strange look appeared on his face.

Huang Rong also leaned over and read the letter, then smiled and said:
"A master swordsman is indignant at your arrogance and wants to challenge you to a duel? Tonight at midnight, ten miles east of the Xiang River... Brother Lu Chen, this hidden master swordsman seems to be plotting against you."

Lu Chen shook his head and smiled:
"The letter is full of provocative and sarcastic remarks. Although it's a bit childish, an ordinary young swordsman, full of youthful vigor and overconfidence in his martial arts, might actually fall for it. Rong'er, what do you think we should do in response to this challenge letter?"

"Judging from this challenge letter, you've been targeted. If we ignore it, the enemy will always be in the dark while we are in the light, and we can't be on guard against thieves for a thousand days. Since you've been targeted, we must find that person. Therefore..."

Huang Rong changed the subject:
“I remember you told me a story before. It was about two swordsmen who agreed to a duel in three days. One of them arrived at the duel site early at noon on the first day to find a suitable ambush spot. He found a large tree with a dense canopy, perfect for an ambush, so he jumped up into the tree. But as soon as he reached the top, he discovered that someone was already lurking in the canopy... It turned out that the other swordsman had arrived at the duel site overnight and was already lying in ambush there.”

Lu Chen smiled faintly:
"I remember when you first heard this story, you guessed that the two men were not honorable swordsmen, but rather assassins."

Huang Rong said with a smile:
"So today, we'll follow the example of the victorious assassin in the story. They've set the duel for midnight, so let's set off immediately, ambush them there, and see what tricks they have up their sleeves!"

Lu Chen naturally agreed with Huang Rong's decision.

The world of Swordsman is extremely dangerous. In this world, no matter how high your martial arts skills are, you must not be arrogant.

First, the ten masters of the Demonic Sect were trapped and died in the secret cave of Mount Hua. Then, Dongfang Bubai, the number one martial artist in the world, was besieged and killed on the top of Blackwood Cliff.

There were also those who died in the siege and ambush by the Songshan Sect, and those who died in the ambush by Yue Buqun...

In short, being cautious and prudent is never an overstatement when it comes to playing Swordsman Online.

……

The suburban manor was a hiding place for the members of the Songshan Sect.

"There may be a fierce battle tonight. Prepare plenty of meat for your disciples, let them eat their fill and replenish their strength before setting out to ambush them."

Will that young Lu go?

"That kid is a sword fanatic obsessed with discussing swordsmanship. He's young and overconfident in his martial arts skills, so he's definitely not going to be provoked. He'll probably go."

"If he could be a demonic member of the cult, then the 'sword fanatic' is probably just a disguise. He might not be on time for the appointment, but instead go ahead to scout the place."

"So we set off right after we finished eating. Even if that kid is cunning, he would never guess that we would be there so early!"

"What if he doesn't go?"

"Heh, if he's truly a sword fanatic, he'll be there on time. If he's a demonic cultist, after reading the letter, he'll suspect he's being secretly watched, and feeling uneasy, he'll definitely go and investigate! Of course, if he can really hold back, then we'll send a skilled martial artist to launch a hidden weapon and lure him out of the city."

……

Lu Chen and Huang Rong didn't even have dinner. After receiving the letter, they set off immediately, avoiding the crowded streets and choosing quiet alleys instead. They left the city without anyone around, and then used their lightness skills to quickly reach the agreed-upon location.

After traveling about ten miles, a dense forest appeared by the river ahead. The two came to the edge of the forest, listened intently for a while, and only stepped into the forest after confirming that no one was lurking there.

In fact, given Lu Chen's current skill level, unless someone's martial arts are a level higher than his, it would be impossible for them to ambush him.

Furthermore, the more people there are, the harder it is to ambush them, and they simply cannot hide it from his eyes and ears.

However, inanimate objects such as traps and mechanisms cannot be identified by hearing.

But didn't he have Huang Rong by his side?
Huang Rong had put in far more effort into miscellaneous studies than into martial arts.

Ordinary traps and schemes cannot be hidden from her.

The two carefully entered the forest. Huang Rong intently observed the forest environment, and after a while, she suddenly smiled:
"It seems that the mysterious expert was a bit careless; there were no traps or mechanisms set up in this forest. Or perhaps they outnumbered them and felt it unnecessary to bother setting up traps or mechanisms?"

Lu Chen nodded:
"This is best."

Huang Rong looked around for a moment, then walked to a large tree that was so thick it would take two people to hug it. She looked up at the lush canopy and smiled sweetly at Lu Chen:
"How about we hide in this tree?"

Lu Chen had no objection, and he and Huang Rong immediately leaped up into the tree and hid in the dense canopy.

Less than half an hour later.

A soft rustling of footsteps came from outside the woods.

Looking down through the gaps in the leaves, Lu Chen and Huang Rong saw dozens of masked men in black carrying long swords entering the forest.

There were three people in the group: a tall and strong fat man, an extremely tall and thin bamboo pole, and a thin man of medium build.

The three leaders were also dressed in black and masked. The tall, strong fat man and the tall, thin bamboo-like man were unarmed, while only the thin man of medium build carried a sword.

The three leaders moved with light steps, making no sound even as they walked through the forest full of fallen leaves.

His breathing was also long and deep, clearly indicating a profound mastery of internal energy.

Lu Chen was slightly surprised.

With his current martial arts skills, he can roughly judge a person's skill level just by looking at their footsteps and listening to their breathing.

In his view, the tall, strong fat man and the tall, thin bamboo pole, in terms of skill alone, were still above Feng Buping and the three Dings of Hengshan. The thin man of medium build, on the other hand, was about as skilled as Feng Buping, Dingxian, and Dingjing, and slightly stronger than Dingyi.

It's difficult to judge the exact strength of the three, since martial arts skills, experience, and even mentality are all important components of strength.

However, while profound skill does not necessarily mean absolute combat ability, sufficient skill does not necessarily mean weak strength.

Not only are these three highly skilled.

Those dozens of masked men in black were all skilled fighters. Judging from their footsteps and breathing, they were far superior to the most elite disciples of the Hengshan Sect.

So where did all these experts come from?
Why would they set up an ambush on me for no reason?

Just as I was wondering...

Then they heard the tall, burly fat man say in a low voice:
"Spread out and find positions to ambush!"

The masked men in black responded in hushed tones and dispersed, searching for ambush positions throughout the forest.

The three masked men in black, who were the leaders, stood together and discussed in hushed tones.

"Junior Brother Fei, as a master swordsman, go outside the forest to fight and find an opportunity to lure that brat Lu into an ambush."

"Yes."

“Junior Brother Lu, let’s each choose a place to ambush. When Junior Brother Fei leads the man in, you can make a move to attract his attention first, and then I will seize the opportunity to make my move and try to capture him alive.”

"Yes!"

After making arrangements, the thin, black-clad man of medium height, carrying a long sword and known as "Junior Brother Fei," turned and left the forest.

The tall, muscular fat man separated from the tall, thin bamboo pole and each found ambush positions.

The tall, muscular fat man looked around for a moment, then spotted a large tree that was so thick it would take two people to hug it, with lush branches and leaves. He came to the tree, glanced into the canopy, gathered his strength, and leaped upwards.

This man was 1.9 meters tall, covered in fat and muscle, and probably weighed over 200 kilograms. Yet, with a light leap, he could fly more than 20 feet high.

He then stepped onto a horizontal branch, climbed up about ten feet, and landed on a sufficiently thick branch. Just as he was about to lie in ambush there, he suddenly felt that something was amiss. Following his subtle intuition that something was wrong, he turned his head and saw two figures sitting side by side on the adjacent branch, nestled among a thicket of leaves. Their eyes were fixed intently on him through the gaps in the foliage.

"..."

The tall, muscular fat man was greatly startled. His body trembled, his pupils dilated, and he nearly fell headfirst from the tree.

However, he was a renowned master with a long history and a high reputation in the martial arts world. He quickly regained his composure and, without saying a word, raised his hand and shot out a steel needle.

It was nighttime, the light was dim, and the branches and leaves provided cover, so the tall, strong, and fat man couldn't really see the two figures clearly. He could only barely make out that they were a man and a woman.

However, at this time and in this place, who else could be the two people hiding furtively in the tree besides Lu Chen, the "Flat-Handed Swordsman," and the girl who was always inseparable from him?

This kid actually arrived even earlier than us, and he even cleverly hid in the tree trying to ambush us...

This boy is indeed a demonic figure from the evil cult!
Just as the tall, muscular fat man was having a sudden thought, something shot out from the opposite side with a whoosh, hitting the ground with a thud and deflecting the flying needle he had thrown.

Moreover, the force of the hidden weapon opposite was even greater. After deflecting his flying needle, it still had momentum and went straight for his face.

Without saying a word, the tall, burly fat man raised his hand and unleashed a violent palm strike, sending the hidden weapon flying with a loud bang.

His nickname is "Pagoda-Bearing Hand". His palm strength is unmatched in the entire martial arts world. How could mere hidden weapons possibly harm him?

That's right, this tall, strong, and fat man is none other than Ding Mian, the "Pagoda Bearer" among the Thirteen Protectors of Songshan.

The tall, thin bamboo pole from before was Lu Bai, known as "Crane Hand".

The thin man of medium build who was responsible for playing the role of a swordsman to lure Lu Chen into the ambush was Fei Bin, the "Great Songyang Hand".

The Songshan School is just that special.

Despite being one of the Five Mountains Sword Sects and the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance, the sect's top experts are all called this hand and that hand.

If you didn't know better, you'd think they were a sect that specialized in palm techniques.

Ding Mian deflected the hidden weapon with a single palm strike, and without hesitation, let out a sharp cry:

"Young Lu and his witch accomplice are here!"

With that, he thrust out both palms, fiercely striking at Lu Chen and Huang Rong.

When the palm struck, the air vibrated, producing a loud bang.

Before the palm strike even arrived, the fierce wind shattered all the branches and leaves that were concealing Lu Chen and Huang Rong, completely revealing their figures and appearances to Ding Mian.

"That palm strike was so powerful?"

Lu Chen was somewhat surprised.

Such ferocious palm strikes would likely be the work of someone no nobody, even among the many masters of the martial arts world.

This expert actually led dozens of people, all dressed in black and masked, to ambush them...

This kind of demeanor is even better than that of the villains in The Legend of the Condor Heroes.

The villains in the Legend of the Condor Heroes world, at least openly reveal their identities when they cause trouble, and seem to want everyone to know who they are...

The Smiling, Proud Wanderer...

All I can say is that this world is a complete mess.

With these thoughts in mind, Lu Chen raised his hand and pushed the tall, burly fat man's palms horizontally towards him.

He is not known for his palm techniques; in a palm fight or a contest of moves, he probably couldn't beat a master of palm techniques.

But his skills are profound.

He wasn't afraid of a direct clash of palm strikes.

Bang!
Amidst a dull thud, Lu Chen's horizontal palm strike clashed heavily with Ding Mian's double palms.

The air exploded with a deafening roar as the three palms collided, unleashing a powerful shockwave that swept across the surrounding area, breaking off large sections of branches and leaves, leaving scattered twigs and flying leaves.

Ding Mian felt an overwhelming force surge towards him, which shook him so badly that he fell heavily backward.

Ding Mian was startled and instinctively stepped down, trying to deflect the surging palm force and steady himself, but he forgot that the foot he was standing on was just a slightly thicker horizontal branch.

As he stepped on it, the horizontal branch beneath his feet snapped with a crack, and Ding Mian, caught off guard, fell erratically.

Lu Chen remained completely still, but the horizontal branch beneath him and Huang Rong, which they were sitting on, swayed slightly under the force of the palm strike.

Ding Mian was, after all, a renowned master of the Songshan Sect. Although his fall was somewhat embarrassing, he managed to adjust his posture in time, perform a somersault in the air, and land steadily on the ground.

At this moment, the Songshan Sect members who had been lying in ambush scattered all came out of their hiding places because of Ding Mian's reminder.

Lu Bai jumped down from a big tree, and Fei Bin ran in from outside the forest.

A group of masked men in black rushed to the big tree and surrounded it.

Lu Bai and Fei Bin rushed to Ding Mian's side and asked:
"Brother, are you okay?"

"It's nothing." Ding Mian's expression was a mixture of annoyance and shock.

Although he wasn't injured in that exchange of palms, he was standing while striking with both palms against one, and he had the upper hand, putting in more force. Unexpectedly, he couldn't defeat Lu Chen, who was sitting down, and was instead knocked off the tree, almost falling to the ground in a sorry state.

That "Flat-handed Swordsman" Lu Chen is not even twenty years old. It's one thing that his swordsmanship is unfathomable, but how come his palm power is also so fierce?

How did he develop such kung fu skills?

Could it really be the peerless genius carefully cultivated by the world's number one Dongfang Bubai?
Ding Mian pondered inwardly, but his face remained impassive as he coldly shouted:
"Lu Chen, you vixen, your identities have been exposed! Get down here and face your deaths!"

Lu Chen was taken aback: My and Rong'er's identities have been exposed? What identities of ours have been exposed?

Huang Rong pouted unhappily: What is this guy yelling about? Why does he call me a demoness?

Just as he was wondering, Ding Mian ripped off his mask—since he had already determined that the two children were demons from the Demonic Sect, there was no need to hide their identities any longer.

"I am Ding Mian, the Pagoda-Bearer of the Songshan School!"

Ding Mian, with an air of righteous indignation, shouted sternly:
"Lu Bai, the Crane Hand of the Thirteen Protectors of Songshan, and Fei Bin, the Great Songyang Hand, are also here, along with dozens of elite disciples of the Songshan Sect. Today, you two demonic cult brats have nowhere to escape. If you obediently surrender and truthfully confess your collusion with Liu Zhengfeng of the Hengshan Sect and Ding Yi of the Hengshan Sect, you will suffer less. If you dare to resist..."

He grinned maliciously:
"I'll make sure you two wish you were dead!"

"..."

Upon hearing Ding Mian announce his name, Lu Chen looked puzzled.
Ding Mian, Lu Bai, Fei Bin...

Isn't this the extermination task force of the Songshan Sect?
Why did you come to me before Liu Zhengfeng even retired from his criminal activities?

They even inexplicably accused Rong'er and me of being demonic sorcerers...

You've gotten yourself into big trouble!
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(End of this chapter)