Chapter 96.2: A Remarkable Person Who Sent a Coffin a Thousand Li; Sudden Enlightenment Amid the Surging Tides of a Thousand Rivers! (II)

Clip-clop-clip!

Lu Changsheng heard the sound of a horse's hooves echoing behind him. When the horse caught up, Lu Changsheng saw that the rider was a guard from the caravan behind him.

In truth, Lu Changsheng was well aware that a caravan was following behind him. However, he didn't pay it any attention. The other party seemed to know their limits as well and did not follow him too closely, so he let it be.

Uncle Dong stepped forward and respectfully said, "Ahead is Eagle Mountain. The bandits led by Liu Qi are extremely fierce, especially Liu Qi himself. He has almost stepped into the Divine Strength Realm and has tremendous strength.

"Why not travel together with our caravan, sir? Our caravan can spend silver to buy us a safe passage. We can smoothly pass through Eagle Mountain together."

Uncle Dong was polite and sincere. He was here to warn Lu Changsheng and invite him to travel together, so that Lu Changsheng would not be killed by the bandits of Eagle Mountain.

Lu Changsheng smiled faintly and said nothing. He urged the horse forward and continued on his way. Uncle Dong was left momentarily stunned. After a moment of hesitation, he turned his horse around and returned to the caravan.

"Uncle Dong, how did it go?" the young lady asked.

Uncle Dong shook his head and said, "He seems confident in his abilities, and he doesn't think much of Liu Qi at all. He decided to go straight ahead toward Eagle Mountain. We should stop and rest for now. We shouldn't follow him too closely, lest Liu Qi go mad and settle the score with us."

Uncle Dong anticipated that Liu Qi would have a violent clash with the man. If the man were to die and they were that close to each other, Liu Qi could end up venting his anger on the caravan. With so many people around, they could not afford to gamble. They could only stop for now and wait quietly for the outcome.

Lu Changsheng drove the carriage at an unhurried pace. Soon, he arrived at Eagle Mountain. As expected, a group of bandits appeared ahead and immediately charged at him upon seeing him.

"Coffin?"

"Who uses a carriage to haul a coffin? That symbolizes bad luck."

"Not necessarily. In times like these, who still puts valuables in plain sight on a carriage? There might be something hidden inside the coffin. Hurry up and open the coffin!" the group of bandits shouted, demanding that Lu Changsheng open the coffin.

"Who is Liu Qi?" Lu Changsheng suddenly asked.

"

Hm

?" A black-clad man stepped out from among the bandits and coldly shouted, "I'm Liu Qi! Hand over some silver or die. Choose for yourself."

Lu Changsheng smirked slightly. He could not be bothered to say anything more as he casually drew his saber from its sheath.

Clang.

A streak of blood-colored light flashed past. Before the bandits could even react, a dull sound rang out. Liu Qi's head was severed in an instant by the saber emanating a blood-colored light. Liu Qi's blood sprayed to the ground as his headless corpse collapsed.

"The leader is dead?"

"Damn it, he killed the leader!"

"Kill him!"

These bandits were indeed fierce. Even after their leader's demise, they still dared to charge at Lu Changsheng. Lu Changsheng showed no mercy as the blood qi within him burst forth. In an instant, dense strands of silken thread swords shot out like torrential rain and flew straight toward the bandits.

In the span of a single breath, the ground was covered with the bandits' corpses. Lu Changsheng sheathed his saber. From beginning to end, he had not even stepped down from the carriage.

Now that it was over, he drove the carriage forward at an unhurried pace.

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

The caravan waited for a full six hours. It was not until the afternoon that they finally set off. Uncle Dong even prepared the silver, but when they arrived at Eagle Mountain, the scene that appeared before them left them utterly shaken.

Corpses covered the ground, and a thick stench of blood filled the air.

Uncle Dong's eyes widened, and he could not help but exclaim, "Liu Qi... Liu Qi is dead!"

Everyone also saw a head among the corpses. It was Liu Qi's head. He was clearly beheaded with a single strike. The saber technique was clean and decisive, leaving Liu Qi with no chance to resist at all.

Uncle Dong took a deep breath and said with a look of shock and uncertainty, "That man is most likely a Divine Strength martial artist. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to kill Liu Qi with a single strike. No wonder he dared to drive a carriage alone across prefectures..."

The young lady also gazed ahead and exclaimed, "That expert didn't seem very old, yet he's already a Divine Strength martial artist?! A man with one saber... escorting a coffin a thousand li across the world. He truly is a remarkable individual!"

The caravan continued onward. They were already not far from their destination, and after passing Eagle Mountain, they were basically safe. It was just that both Uncle Dong and the young lady felt some regret at the fact that they couldn't thank that man personally.

After traveling for half a month, Lu Changsheng finally arrived at Qianjiang City. Along the way, he crossed mountains when mountains blocked his path, crossed rivers when rivers lay ahead, and cut down bandits when he encountered them. It truly felt as though he was roaming the world with a saber in hand.

The world was vast and free for him to roam at will. The more Lu Changsheng traveled, the calmer his heart became.

The prefectural city of Qianjiang was called Qianjiang City. It was said to be the place where a thousand rivers converged. Of course, a thousand rivers was an exaggeration. Still, Qianjiang City truly was where three rivers met, with many other waterways converging into a dense network of water.

In theory, such a place ought to be wealthy, even if it wasn't a land of abundant food supply. What Lu Changsheng saw instead were refugees everywhere. Along the road, refugees could be seen at every turn. Even entering the city required paying silver. Without silver, entry was strictly forbidden. Most of those refugees had no money at all and could only remain stranded outside the city gates.

Lu Changsheng drove a carriage with a coffin on it, making it especially conspicuous and drawing many gazes. Some people harbored ill intentions and tried to rush the carriage, hoping to snatch some money amid the chaos.

In the end, Lu Changsheng revealed a bit of his strength, intimidating everyone.

When it came time to enter the city, Lu Changsheng also paid the required silver and passed through smoothly. However, he saw tens of thousands of refugees outside the city, barely clothed and with dull faces. Their numbers were still growing. At this rate, trouble would inevitably arise.

However, this had nothing to do with Lu Changsheng. He followed Wu Jing's instructions and sought out his younger brother. However, Wu Jing's brother had long since passed away. Hence, Lu Changsheng could only resort to Wu Jing's nephews.

These nephews knew that they had once had an uncle known as a "divine physician," but after so many years without contact, they had paid it little attention.

They had never imagined that their reunion would come in the form of a corpse.

At first, when Lu Changsheng suggested that Wu Jing's nephews choose a plot of land for burial, they hesitated and made excuses. When Lu Changsheng produced a large sum of silver, however, they immediately became warm and enthusiastic.

They acted fast, and just three days later, Wu Jing was buried. Wu Jing's grave was imposing. In this regard, Lu Changsheng did not begrudge spending silver.

After burying his master, Lu Changsheng originally intended to leave Qianjiang Prefecture immediately. However, while traveling through Qianjiang Prefecture, he heard people speak of the "Qianjiang Grand Tide," which was an annual spectacle.

When that tide arrived, it would roll endlessly, with towering waves reaching the heavens. It was one of Qianjiang Prefecture's great wonders.

Lu Changsheng thought of how his Wave Intent had seen little improvement lately. This very Grand Tide of Qianjiang could allow him to gain some insight. Thus, Lu Changsheng simply stayed temporarily in Qianjiang Prefecture and waited quietly.

Finally, the day of the Qianjiang Grand Tide arrived. Lu Changsheng immediately rushed to the viewing site. The Qianjiang Grand Tide took place within Qianjiang Prefecture, and countless people headed there to witness it.

Lu Changsheng spent silver to secure a room in an inn that allowed him to observe the Qianjiang Grand Tide from close range. From there, he could even take in a full view of the waves throughout the entire event.

Rumble! Rumble.

At last, the Qianjiang Grand Tide happened as scheduled. From the distant line where the sea and the sky met, the waves surged forth in a mighty torrent, accompanied by thunderous roars.

Even without experiencing it up close, Lu Changsheng gained insight simply by witnessing the entire scene from afar. He sat cross-legged on the ground as Wave Intent spread outward, gradually enveloping the entire room.

His Wave Intent seemed to be being influenced by the Qianjiang Grand Tide, faintly moving toward it. Within the inn, the roaring of massive waves grew louder and more distinct.

Even the inn attendants muttered among themselves, "Why does the Qianjiang Grand Tide sound so loud this year? You can hear it so clearly even through the rooms..."

The guests in the inn also found it strange. However, no one suspected that what they were hearing was not the actual sound of the Qianjiang Grand Tide's waves, but Lu Changsheng's Wave Intent.

Lu Changsheng's Wave Intent finally improved. His progress finally increased by a full two percent. At once, he now stood at the solid ten percent. A ten percent Wave Intent was undoubtedly far stronger.

With even a slight release, it made one feel as if they were truly standing before the overwhelming waves. Even when Lu Changsheng used any saber techniques, sword techniques, or fist techniques, they all became more powerful under the augmentation of the Wave Intent.

However, just as many people came to witness the Qianjiang Grand Tide, a sudden upheaval occurred. Shouts of killing suddenly rang through the city. Immediately afterward, squads of soldiers charged straight into Qianjiang City.

Someone even shouted, "Heavenly King Min is here! We only kill corrupt officials and wealthy tyrants, not the common people!"

Wave after wave of shouts spread throughout the entire Qianjiang City.

"Heavenly King Min?"

Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly. He quickly made his way to a spot not far from the city gates.

Sure enough, large groups of soldiers had already entered the city, all flying the banner of Heavenly King Min.

Clearly, Qianjiang Prefecture had fallen to this Heavenly King Min. This heavenly king was part of a rebel force. It was said that he was once a blacksmith who rose up after being driven to desperation by the authorities.

He was a rebel leader, but his actions were no different from those of roaming bandits. Wherever they passed, they would leave that place behind as if they were a swarm of locusts, and their reputation became terrible as a result of it.

Regardless, Heavenly King Min had already taken Qianjiang Prefecture and shut the city gates, allowing no one to leave.

Lu Changsheng looked at the large contingent of soldiers at the city gates. They were fully equipped, indicating that they were Heavenly King Min's elite troops.

They were also in a military formation. Hundreds upon thousands of soldiers stood in formation, creating a terrifying sight. Against such a formation, even a Divine Strength martial artist could be shot down.

Lu Changsheng did not want to be trapped in Qianjiang City, and soon, a bold idea flashed through his mind.

What if I just charge through the military formation and try to break out of the city?