NABC Chapter 44: The Deadly Intent of Eagle's Beak Gorge
Chapter 44: The Deadly Intent of Eagle's Beak Gorge
The group left Blackrock Town on the morning of the third day.
The sky was a washed, clear, crab-shell blue, with a few wisps of clouds lazily hanging on the horizon, tinged with a pale orange-gold by the rising sun. Along the mountain path, the tips of wild grasses still held dewdrops from the previous night, sparkling and shimmering in the morning light. The air was crisp with the scent of pine resin, mixed with the dampness of the earth; inhaling it was cool and refreshing, washing away the slight fatigue of days of travel. Occasionally, a mountain sparrow would flutter up from the woods, leaving a string of clear chirps, further emphasizing the tranquil peace of the surrounding mountains, as if the smoke of war and bloodshed of Blackstone Town a few days ago were nothing more than a hazy nightmare from a distant memory.
But beneath this tranquility, there's always an unsettling feeling that makes one's heart clench slightly.
Lin Yan walked at the head of the group, his footsteps silently treading on the mountain path covered with pine needles and fallen leaves. He wore a slightly worn dark gray cloth robe, with an ordinary cloth belt around his waist, looking no different from any other merchant guard. Only his eyes, illuminated by the morning light, were like deep pools, occasionally flashing with a very faint gray-black luster—a sign of his profound cultivation reaching its peak. He didn't deliberately release his divine sense, but his spiritual perception after the breakthrough far surpassed what it used to be. Within thirty feet, the arc of the wind blowing through the grass, the rustling of insects crawling underground, and even the slightest loosening of a pebble at a bend in the distant stream, were all clearly reflected in his heart like ripples on the water.
This is an extremely subtle yet extremely grand perception. In his eyes, the world has shed its rough and blurry outer shell, revealing a more delicate and treacherous inner texture.
Behind them, a long, loose yet orderly line of twenty people stretched out. Lu Ling led the way, scouting the path several dozen feet ahead. This man was originally a hunter, lean and wiry, yet as agile as a lynx, always flashing among the shadows of trees and rocks. Sometimes he would crouch down to examine the blurry hoofprints in the mud, sometimes he would listen intently to the strange sounds carried on the wind, and occasionally he would turn around and make a few simple hand gestures from afar—secret signals agreed upon before the journey, signifying "safe road ahead," "animal tracks," and "be vigilant."
Li Tie and Wang Dashan, two strongmen, guarded the middle of the group, one in front and one behind. Li Tie carried a newly forged iron-clad wooden shield, its surface rough but thick and heavy; Wang Dashan wielded an extended and thickened broadsword, its blade gleaming with a cold, hard blue light in the morning sun. Their steps were steady, their eyes scanning the forest on either side like hawks. Zhou Fu and several other attentive team members were scattered on either side of the group, equally vigilant. Bringing up the rear was a seasoned member designated by Lu Ling, who frequently looked back to ensure the rear was secure.
Su Qingyao walked two steps behind Lin Yan. She had changed into an indigo-blue, narrow-sleeved, close-fitting outfit, over which she wore a slightly worn dark blue vest. Her long hair was tightly tied up with an ebony hairpin, revealing her smooth forehead and a slender, fair neck. On her back was a small blue cloth bag, inside which, besides dry rations, a water pouch, and emergency medicine, the most important items were the repeatedly copied and carefully wrapped copy of the incriminating document, and the grayish-white bone fragment she kept close to her body. Her steps were light, but her gaze was calm as still water. As she walked, she paid attention to the subtle changes in the surrounding mountains and vegetation, occasionally exchanging a glance with Lin Yan, or whispering a few words about her speculations about the terrain ahead and the direction of the spiritual veins.
Around noon, as the sun rose to its zenith, the group reached a dangerous pass on the outskirts of Canglang Mountain—Eagle Beak Gorge.
Even before approaching, a damp, chilling aura swept over us. This was a natural fissure formed by the compression of two steep mountain ridges, its shape, as its name suggests, resembling the open beak of a giant eagle, poised to peck at something. At the bottom of the ravine was a streambed piled with boulders, the rushing water crashing and making a muffled rumbling sound. The rising steam made the rock walls on both sides slippery. The rock walls were grayish-brown, covered with wind-eroded holes and dark green moss, about seven or eight zhang high, almost vertical. The only passable path was an ancient plank road carved into the left rock wall. The plank road was based on thick wooden stakes wedged into the rock wall, covered with heavy wooden planks. After countless years of wind and rain, many of the stakes had rotted and tilted, and the planks had collapsed and broken in many places, revealing the dark, bottomless abyss below. It was only held together by some old vines hanging from the cracks in the rocks and wooden strips that had been loosely tied together by later generations. The mountain wind rushed in from the mouth of the ravine, making a mournful howl that made people's robes flutter, and the plank road groaned and creaked.
"stop."
Lin Yan raised his right hand, palm facing outward. The entire group stopped almost immediately; apart from the mountain wind and the sound of water, there was no other noise.
He stood at the entrance of the plank road, his gaze fixed. His profound spiritual sense detected a highly unusual "impurity" here—not demonic energy, but a faint emotional fluctuation belonging to humans, mixed with tension, anxiety, killing intent, and a trace of greed, like a few strands of filth mixed into clear stream water. Although perfectly masked by the sound of the great wind and rushing water, it could not escape his keen perception at this moment.
It was too quiet. Apart from the sounds of the wind and water, not a single bird or insect could be heard in the ravine, and even the lizards and reptiles that should have been active on the damp rock walls seemed to have vanished. This was illogical.
"Brother Lin?" Su Qingyao took a half step closer, her voice extremely low, and she could also feel the invisible oppression.
Lin Yan did not answer immediately, but instead closed his eyes slightly. The gray-black Devouring Spirit True Essence within his body flowed quietly, and the ancient mark on his chest emitted a warm and gentle heat, pushing his spiritual perception to its limit. Like invisible mercury, it slowly spread over the plank road, the rock wall, and even the jagged rocks above.
I can see it clearly now.
Midway along the plank road, beneath several seemingly decaying wooden planks, seven or eight figures huddled, their breathing strained and barely suppressed, yet they couldn't escape the keen senses of their surroundings. Above the left cliff face, in the shadows of several jarring boulders, a faint metallic glint shone—the cold glint of weapons. The right cliff face, though steep, also had several indentations large enough for a person to hide in, similarly concealing deadly intent. The group numbered around fifteen or sixteen, their ambush position extremely cunning, strategically placed at the narrowest point of the plank road, where even turning was difficult, creating a pincer movement, attacking from above and below. What made Lin Yan's gaze sharpen even more was that some of their auras carried a faint, familiar scent…
"There's an ambush." Lin Yan opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them. His voice was calm and even, yet every word was clear to each team member. "Retreat ten steps and form the 'Three Talents Linked Formation' in an open area. Lu Ling, nock your bow and find high ground. Li Tie, Wang Dashan, Zhou Fu, and Lu Ling, each lead your squad and take your positions according to the formation diagram, with shields in front and swords behind, and spears providing support. Miss Su, in the center."
The command was swift and decisive, without hesitation. Although the twenty Blackstone Iron Guards were shaken, the discipline and trust forged through days of training and bloodshed instantly overwhelmed their fear. The group moved with perfect coordination, slowly retreating from the entrance of the plank road and quickly deploying on a relatively open riverbank with scattered rocks outside the ravine.
Lu Ling leaped up like a monkey, scaling a nearby boulder about two people high. He retrieved a hard bow from his back, nocked an arrow, and drew the string. The arrowhead gleamed coldly, pointing towards the plank road. Li Tie, Wang Dashan, and Zhou Fu gave a low shout, each leading four of their men into position in their well-practiced "Three Talents Formation." Three ironwood shields formed a solid triangular defensive front, with broadswords and spears protruding menacingly from between them. Lu Ling's group of four positioned two on the flanks with bows, and two with swords and shields protecting Su Qingyao. The entire formation contracted like an iron hedgehog, yet remained interconnected, their auras subtly intertwined.
Su Qingyao stood slightly behind in the center of the formation, her delicate hand already resting on the hilt of the short sword at her waist. Her clear gaze swept across her surroundings. She wasn't flustered; instead, she was rapidly thinking—who were the enemies? Why were they able to ambush us here? What was their objective?
Just as the formation was about to take shape and the aura was about to solidify—
"Release the arrows!"
A hoarse, shrill roar, filled with deep-seated resentment and madness, suddenly exploded from the depths of the plank road!
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!"
A sharp whistling sound tore through the air! Not seven or eight, but more than a dozen rough yet powerful arrows shot out simultaneously from the shadows of the plank road, behind the rock wall above, and even from a recess in the rock wall to the right! The arrowheads gleamed with a cold, poisonous blue light in the dim light, like the forked tongues of venomous snakes, and most of them even bypassed the front shield formation, cunningly clashing towards Su Qingyao in the center of the formation, as well as the archers on the high flanks!
"Defend!" Li Tie, Wang Dashan, and Zhou Fu roared almost simultaneously! The three heavy wooden shields suddenly rose diagonally upwards, their surfaces overlapping like a suddenly rising iron wall! "Thud thud thud!" A dense, rain-like series of muffled thuds rang out as most of the poisoned arrows embedded themselves in the shields, penetrating an inch or so, their fletchings trembling violently! Several others grazed through the gaps in the shields or above them, heading straight for their targets!
"Watch out!" an archer on the flank cried out, but it was too late to draw his bow. In the nick of time, Lu Ling, who had been on high alert, slightly twanged his bowstring, and a white-feathered arrow, fired after the arrow, struck with a clang, precisely deflecting a poisoned arrow aimed at the archer's face! Almost simultaneously, a swordsman and shield bearer protecting Su Qingyao roared and slammed his shield upwards. With a thud, another poisoned arrow embedded itself deeply in the shield, just inches from his fingers!
As the rain of arrows subsided, chaotic yet rapid footsteps and shouts echoed through the plank road!
More than ten figures emerged from the shadows of the plank road! The one in the lead was none other than a face that Lin Yan and Su Qingyao both recognized—Qian Lu, the clerk of the Black Stone Town Mayor's Office!
The Qian Lu of today was a completely different person from the clerk of a month or so ago, who always wore neat silk robes, had a clean face, and spoke cautiously. His hair was disheveled, with a few strands of gray hair stuck to his forehead and cheeks by sweat and dust. His complexion was sallow, his eyes were sunken, and his cheekbones were high, as if he had aged ten years in a short time. The silk robe he wore, which was originally of good quality, was now covered with mud and grass clippings, and the cuffs and hem were torn in several places, revealing the dirty undergarment underneath. In his hand, he held an exquisitely crafted slender sword, its blade narrow and long, something that should have been worn by a scholar or gentleman. At this moment, the tip of the sword was trembling slightly, whether from excitement or fear, it was hard to tell. Most terrifying of all were his eyes, bloodshot, with a flame burning deep in his pupils—a flame of desperation, a mixture of deep-seated hatred and desperate madness—fixed on Lin Yan and Su Qingyao, like a vengeful ghost.
"Lin Yan—! Su Qingyao—!" Qian Lu's voice was shrill and distorted, still piercing amidst the howling wind and roaring water of the mountain stream. "You two ignorant fools! You ruined my master's important affairs, destroyed my future, and made me live like a stray dog, living in constant fear! Today, this Eagle's Beak Gorge will be the place where you are buried!"
Behind him followed three equally disheveled but fierce-looking servants, Chen Fuhai's trusted men who had narrowly escaped from the town magistrate's mansion that day. Further back were a dozen or so burly men dressed in haphazard leather armor, wielding heavy weapons such as broadswords, axes, and maces. Each had a face full of scars, eyes gleaming with malice, and an aura of menace, carrying the stench of blood from years of licking blades—these were the infamous Black Wind Stronghold bandits, active for hundreds of miles around Canglang Mountain!
"Master Qian, why waste words with these two dying men!" a burly man with a grotesque, centipede-like scar across his face, wielding a heavy, ghost-headed broadsword, roared. He was the second-in-command of Black Wind Stronghold. "According to the agreement, killing this pretty boy and that beautiful young woman will take all the loot from us brothers. You can keep the pretty boy's head for the reward! Brothers, let's do it! Quickly and decisively!"
With a shout, the bandits charged forward like jackals smelling blood, brandishing their weapons! They were clearly adept at teamwork, not rushing in all at once, but splitting into three groups: one group of four charged straight at the three shields of Li Tie, Wang Dashan, and Zhou Fu, attempting to break through the defenses with heavy weapons; another group of five flanked from the sides, targeting the relatively weaker flanks and archers; the remaining four or five followed Scarface and Qian Lu, forming a pincer movement towards Lin Yan at the front of the formation!
"Shift formation!" Lin Yan shouted, his figure already drifting out of the formation like a gray cloud, heading straight for Qian Lu and the scarred second-in-command! He saw clearly that to capture the thief, one must first capture the leader; these two were the core and source of courage for the ambush.
"Well done!" Scarface's eyes flashed with ferocity. He also had the cultivation of the late stage of Body Tempering. Confident in his superior strength, he wielded his Ghost Head Greatsword with a fierce whistling sound as he delivered a powerful cleaving blow! The sword strike was heavy and fierce, with a faint dark red blood light swirling around the blade, clearly indicating that it had drunk a lot of blood and was a vicious weapon.
Qian Lu was exceptionally cunning. He did not fight the second-in-command head-on, but instead moved to the side. His slender sword was like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, its light flashing as he targeted Lin Yan's vital points and joints. His swordsmanship was quite tricky and swift, carrying a sinister force. Clearly, he was not a mere scholar who was weak and powerless.
Faced with the combined attack of the two, one fierce and the other treacherous, Lin Yan remained calm and composed. He didn't even draw his sword.
Just as the demon-headed broadsword was about to strike, his footwork suddenly shifted. It seemed he only slid half a step to the left, but his figure blurred eerily for a moment, like willow catkins in the wind, effortlessly dodging the immensely heavy blade. Simultaneously, his left hand shot out like lightning, fingers slightly bent, not to meet the blow head-on, but like a nimble snake coiling around a branch, silently seizing the pulse point on the scarred second-in-command's wrist as he gripped the sword!
"Let go."
He uttered two words casually. Lin Yan suddenly exerted force with his five fingers, and a pure, condensed, yet domineering gray-black true essence penetrated through his fingers, like molten iron poured into an anthill, instantly shattering the blood and qi defense line at the opponent's wrist!
"Ah!" Scarface, the second-in-command, felt a piercing pain in his wrist, as if it had been clamped by a red-hot iron clamp. His entire arm instantly went numb and weak, his tiger's mouth split open, and blood spurted out. He could no longer hold onto the heavy ghost-head broadsword. With a loud clang, it flew out of his hand and crashed onto the gravel beach several feet away, sparks flying everywhere.
The second-in-command was terrified. His fighting instincts kicked in, and he instinctively clenched his other fist, channeling his remaining blood and energy into it, and slammed it towards Lin Yan's face, trying to force him back. But Lin Yan seemed to have anticipated this. His right hand, fingers together like a knife, struck first, drawing an extremely simple gray-black trajectory in the air, hitting the side of the second-in-command's elbow joint perfectly.
"Snap!"
The crisp sound of bones cracking could still be clearly heard amidst the clamor of battle and the sound of the wind. The second-in-command let out a miserable howl as the force of his punch instantly dissipated. His entire arm hung limply at an odd angle, his face turned deathly pale, cold sweat poured down his forehead, and he staggered backward.
All of this happened so fast it was almost unbelievable. Just as Lin Yan crippled the second-in-command, Qian Lu's slender sword had already silently pierced his heart! The tip of the sword was imbued with Qian Lu's desperate true energy, carrying a chilling sharpness as it silently arrived.