I had no intention of entering the martial world.

Chapter 8 Sword Formation

The people from the shadow hall arrived on the third night.

There was no warning.

That afternoon, Lu Chenzhou practiced his sword as usual. He had practiced the "Spine Breaker" move over a thousand times, from initially only being able to barely imitate the movements to now being able to deliver that penetrating force. Lu Jinghong said that he was still lacking in refinement, but it was enough for him.

"What's enough?" Lu Chenzhou asked.

"Enough to kill," Lu Jinghong answered crisply.

As dusk fell, heavy, leaden-gray clouds gathered on the horizon, pressing down on the mountain ridges. The air was stifling, without a breath of wind; even the sound of the waterfall seemed to have been sucked away by the stagnant air, becoming muffled and distant.

Lu Jinghong called Lu Chenzhou into the house.

The hut was dimly lit by an oil lamp. On the table lay a yellowed map, its ink faded and its edges curled, clearly quite old. The map depicted the mountain ranges of the Zhongnan Mountains, with several locations marked in vermilion ink, one of which was in a valley three miles upstream from the waterfall.

"This was left to me by Old Yang of 'Tingtao Villa'," Lu Jinghong pointed to the valley. "He had a villa here in his younger days, but it was abandoned later. The terrain is secluded, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and there are secret passages inside that lead to the back mountain."

Lu Chenzhou looked at the map, then looked up at Lu Jinghong.

"Master means..."

"We're leaving tonight," Lu Jinghong said calmly. "The people from Yingtang aren't here to reason with us. The fact that they dared to come to Zhongnan Mountain means they've already determined the approximate location. In a head-on confrontation, neither you nor I are a match for them."

"Then why wait until now?"

Lu Jinghong glanced at him: "Because there are some things I need you to see with your own eyes."

Lu Chenzhou didn't understand. But he didn't ask again.

As night fell, the rain finally began to fall. It wasn't a gentle spring drizzle, but a torrential downpour, chilly and relentless. Raindrops pounded against the thatched roof, making a crackling sound like countless tiny drumbeats. The distant roar of the waterfall was drowned out by the rain; the whole world seemed to consist only of this boundless, violent rain.

Lu Jinghong asked Lu Chenzhou to turn off the lights, and the two sat in the dark.

"Listen," Lu Jinghong said.

Lu Chenzhou listened intently. At first, there was only the sound of rain, overwhelming everything. Gradually, he began to distinguish the layers—the rustling of raindrops hitting the leaves, the splashing of water dripping from the eaves, and the rushing sound of a swollen stream in the distance.

Then he heard other sounds.

It was very faint, almost drowned out by the sound of the rain. It was the extremely subtle friction of footsteps on wet, slippery rocks. It came from more than one place, from different directions below the mountain, fanning out towards the hut.

coming.

Lu Chenzhou's heartbeat was steady. He was even a little curious about what the people in the Shadow Hall looked like. Were they all like the man in blue he had seen that day, with cold eyes and cat-like movements?

Lu Jinghong stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open a crack.

The rain poured in immediately, bringing a chill. He glanced outside, then turned back and gestured to Lu Chenzhou: Let's go.

The two did not go through the door. Lu Jinghong lifted a loose piece of floorboard in the corner, revealing a dark hole underneath—a tunnel dug through, only wide enough for one person to pass through, leading to the forest behind the house.

"You go down first," Lu Jinghong said in a low voice.

Without hesitation, Lu Chenzhou crouched down and crawled inside. The tunnel was filled with the smells of earth and mildew; it was very narrow, requiring him to turn sideways to move forward. He felt his way along the damp earthen walls, inching forward step by step. Behind him, he heard the sound of Lu Jinghong slamming the floorboards shut and then pressing something down on them.

The tunnel was not long, about twenty zhang. The exit was behind a dense thicket of bushes, completely hidden by vines.

When Lu Chenzhou emerged, he was soaked to the bone. Rainwater streamed down his hair, blurring his vision. He wiped his face and looked towards the hut.

The rain fell thick and fast, obscuring the hut's silhouette in the darkness. But several dark figures could be seen silently creeping up to the base of the wall. Their movements were swift and coordinated: two guarded the windows, two guarded the door, and two others patrolled the perimeter as a watchful eye.

There were six. The same number as the number of people I met that day.

Lu Chenzhou held his breath.

The door to the cabin was gently pushed open.

There was no breaking down of the door, no shouting; it was as if the owner had simply forgotten to lock it when they left. A dark figure flashed inside, then retreated a moment later, shaking their head at the outside.

The person is not here.

Several dark figures gathered outside, seemingly discussing something. The rain was too loud to hear what they were saying, but their gestures were clear: they were splitting up to search.

Just then, the window of the cabin suddenly lit up.

It wasn't candlelight, but a dim, bluish light. The light shone through the window paper, spreading in the rain like some kind of eerie will-o'-the-wisp.

The shadowy figures, who were about to disperse, all stopped and looked towards the window.

Lu Chenzhou was also stunned. He remembered clearly that the headlights were off when he left.

The dim, bluish light flickered, like it was breathing.

Then, the door to the cabin creaked shut by itself.

It was very light, but in the quiet, rainy night, it was jarringly clear.

The figures in black exchanged glances. The one in the lead—the same man in blue they had seen that day—raised his hand and made a gesture. Two men in black immediately stepped forward and kicked the door open!

The moment the door opened, a brilliant blue light shone forth!

It didn't emanate from inside the house, but rather burst forth simultaneously from the doorframes, window sills, and even the thatched roof! Countless fine, hair-like rays of blue light intertwined, enveloping the entire hut. Wherever the light touched, rainwater evaporated into white mist, and vegetation instantly withered and turned yellow!

The two men in black at the forefront didn't even have time to scream before their bodies were sliced ​​to pieces as if by invisible blades! Blood mixed with rainwater splashed onto the muddy ground, only to be diluted by more rainwater, leaving behind a glaring red.

The remaining four shadowy figures retreated in terror.

The man in blue reacted the fastest. He grabbed someone next to him and retreated quickly. At the same time, he reached for his waist with his right hand and flicked out three streaks of dark light, which shot towards the hut!

It was a throwing knife. The blade was jet black, and under the bluish light, it showed no reflection, only a very thin, cold glint at the edge.

The throwing knives struck the light net, making three crisp "clanging" sounds, and were bounced back! One of them shot back, aiming straight for the man in blue's face! He turned his head to dodge, the throwing knife grazing his cheek and severing a lock of hair.

"Withdraw!" the man in blue roared, his voice hoarse, filled with barely suppressed shock and anger.

The four dark figures, without lingering in the fight, turned and dashed down the mountain. Their movements were as swift as leopards, disappearing into the depths of the rain in a few leaps.

The blue light slowly dimmed and finally went out.

The hut was restored to its original state, the door wide open, the inside pitch black, like a silent mouth waiting to devour.

Lu Chenzhou stood there, rain streaming down his forehead, the cold water biting at his bones. He stared at the two pools of blood and flesh on the ground, watching the red fading as the rain washed it away.

There was no nausea, no fear, and no pleasure.

There was only one cold, almost indifferent confirmation: this was murder. There were no techniques, no dialogue, and the process was barely visible. In just an instant, a living person was reduced to rotting flesh on the ground.

Like stepping on two ants.

"Did you see clearly?"

Lu Jinghong's voice sounded from behind. He had appeared sometime earlier and was standing next to Lu Chenzhou, his blue robe soaked through, clinging to his body and outlining his thin frame. His face was expressionless, only his eyes reflected the dark doorway of the small house in the distance.

"What is that?" Lu Chenzhou asked.

"A sword formation," Lu Jinghong said calmly. "It was set up many years ago, using the Azure Nether Sword Qi as a guide. It's kept hidden until it's activated when encountering an enemy. You've seen its power."

Lu Chenzhou recalled the hazy blue light, the instant the light sliced ​​through flesh. Was that the Azure Nether Sword Qi?

"They'll come again." Lu Jinghong turned and walked deeper into the forest. "Tonight was a test; next time, it'll be real. Let's go."

Lu Chenzhou took one last look at the cottage and followed.

Instead of taking the main road, the two ventured into the dense forest, climbing up a narrow path almost entirely overgrown with weeds. The rain intensified, making the mountain path muddy and slippery. Lu Chenzhou nearly fell several times, but Lu Jinghong always managed to catch him. The old man's hand was steady; though not strong, it always managed to steady him just right.

After climbing for about half an hour, the view suddenly opened up before us.

It is a platform hidden beneath a cliff, surrounded by walls on three sides, with a bottomless valley on the other. The platform is small, only about half an acre in size, with a few simple thatched huts built on it. They are dilapidated, but the main structure is still intact. There is a well in front of the huts, and the stone platform around the well is covered with moss.

"This is it." Lu Jinghong pushed open the door of a thatched hut. "Old Yang used to stay here to escape the summer heat in his younger days, but later he thought it was too secluded and abandoned it. I occasionally come here to stay for a few days."

The room was covered in a thick layer of dust and cobwebs. But there were signs that someone had cleaned it – there was a pile of firewood in the corner, half a bag of rice next to the stove, and even an oil lamp on the table.

Lu Jinghong lit the oil lamp, and its dim yellow light dispelled the darkness.

"I'll stay here for tonight," he said. "I'll pack up tomorrow."

Lu Chenzhou put down his bundle and looked around. The room was simple, but compared to the bloody scene just now, it was at least clean.

"Master," he suddenly asked, "did you know they would come?"

Lu Jinghong, who was starting a fire, paused upon hearing this and said, "I guessed."

"That sword formation..."

"It's been laid out for many years." Lu Jinghong added some firewood to the stove. "Originally, it was meant to keep out mountain bandits and wild animals, but unexpectedly, it ended up being used against Jin spies."

The flames leaped up, casting an orange-red light on his face, making his wrinkles appear even deeper.

Lu Chenzhou remained silent for a while.

Will they find this place?

"It's only a matter of time," Lu Jinghong said, poking at the fire. "But the terrain here is complicated, and they won't be able to find their way around in a short time. We need to hurry."

"What are we rushing to do?"

Lu Jinghong raised her head and looked at him. The firelight flickered in her eyes.

"I'll teach you one last thing."