Chapter 182: Chapter 121: The Little Princess of the Celestial Water Palace

What confused Fang Shuwen wasn’t that people dared to charge into the town to murder and pillage.

Such things were actually not uncommon in the Jianghu.

The problem was, this was within the jurisdiction of the Yuqing Pavilion.

’Have these people lost their minds? To do something like this in the Yuqing Pavilion’s territory... do they really think the Yuqing Pavilion wouldn’t kill them?’

As he picked off bandits in the places they gathered, he pondered why this group had suddenly gone berserk.

He hadn’t yet found the reason when he discovered that these attackers were not a unified group; their methods were strange and varied.

Some used very distinctive weapons, appearing to belong to their own unique schools.

Others were skilled with poisons, hiding in corners to launch sneak attacks with disorienting smoke.

Then there was a group of Lightweight Technique masters who wielded sharp claws and were also proficient in the Earth Travel Technique... The list went on, making it impossible to generalize.

’What kind of freak show is this? How did they all end up here together? Just to massacre a town in the Yuqing Pavilion’s territory?’

Fang Shuwen found himself even more baffled.

’Even if they succeeded, what would they gain?’

’They might get some money, but they’d soon be hunted down by the Yuqing Pavilion.’

’Whether they could even keep the money was one thing; it was uncertain if they could even keep their lives.’

But now wasn’t the time to solve this puzzle. Though Fang Shuwen’s Martial Arts were formidable, there were simply too many attackers.

If they were all gathered in one place, or if they all came at him at once...

...Fang Shuwen wouldn’t be afraid. Wiping them out would be a simple matter.

But this was a town, and the attackers were spread out. Even if none of them were a match for Fang Shuwen, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t turn on the innocent townspeople.

Even if Fang Shuwen managed to kill them all in the end, the death toll in the town would be horrifying.

Just as he was thinking, a loud thud echoed as a figure was smashed out of the air.

He turned to see Dongfang Wujiu, long spear in hand, staring into the distance with a deep frown. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

His eyes held the same worry as Fang Shuwen’s.

With his level of Martial Arts, he had no problem protecting himself against an assault of this magnitude.

But protecting the ordinary townspeople was another matter entirely.

Just then, the sound of marching footsteps arose. The two men turned to see a woman leading a troop of armored, weapon-wielding soldiers.

She called out:

"All citizens, do not panic! You may follow the soldiers to the Town Chief’s Mansion for shelter.

"If there are any fellow members of the Jianghu in town who know Martial Arts, you may also go to the Town Chief’s Mansion to leave your name and join the effort to eliminate these fiends.

"Afterward, both the Town Chief’s Mansion and the Yuqing Pavilion will be sure to reward you based on your contributions!!"

Hearing this, Fang Shuwen and Dongfang Wujiu glanced at each other, both breathing a sigh of relief.

Manpower is finite, and one person’s ability ultimately has its limits.

Saving everyone required a massive number of people. Otherwise, you might save one person, but you couldn’t save an entire town.

Now that the Town Chief’s Mansion had stepped in, at least many of the townspeople would survive.

Just then, a pungent odor wafted over. The townspeople who inhaled it turned pale and grew weak. The soldiers, however, seemed to fare better; though they were uncomfortable, they could still stand. The woman’s expression changed:

"There’s poison in the smoke!"

The people attacking the town tonight had been setting fires from the very beginning, filling the streets with swirling smoke.

The smoke hadn’t been unusual before, but now someone had clearly tampered with it.

Dongfang Wujiu’s gaze swept over the fires burning throughout the town.

The wind tonight was blowing from north to south, so the source of the poisoned smoke had to be in the north. Without a word to Fang Shuwen, he leaped up and shot northward.

Fang Shuwen, in a flash, appeared before the woman.

"The smoke covers such a wide area, so even if it’s poisonous, its potency must be limited.

"Have your men fetch water. Soak pieces of cloth and use them to cover your mouths and noses. See if that can block some of it."

The woman’s eyes lit up. Fang Shuwen’s method might not be a perfect solution, but even if it only helped a little, at a time like this, it could be a lifesaver.

She cupped her fists in a salute.

"Thank you, brave warrior!!"

"?"

’This was the first time in his life anyone had ever called him a "brave warrior"...’ Though the term was common enough in the Jianghu.

’He was used to being called "Young Hero," so the term "brave warrior" sounded strange.’

But this was no time to dwell on such trivialities. After giving his instructions, he took a step, executing [Soaring High], followed by a series of [Ascending the Clouds] steps across the empty air.

This [Cyan Cloud Step] technique already allowed him to step on empty air, but after receiving guidance from Miao Feichan three days ago, the Lightweight Technique had evolved.

Even when cultivated to Great Perfection, it only allowed for thirteen consecutive steps in the air, but the distance covered by each step was now much greater than before.

He executed the technique repeatedly, and in the blink of an eye, he reached the area shrouded in smoke.

He heard the CLANG CLANG of weapons. ’Has Dongfang Wujiu, who arrived earlier, been caught in a difficult battle?’

Fang Shuwen followed the sound and saw that it was indeed Dongfang Wujiu, fighting someone with his long spear.

His opponent was a woman in red, with several others standing by to support her.

The woman in red was strikingly beautiful, yet she also possessed a contradictory, bewitching aura.

Her techniques didn’t seem particularly special, but her Inner Strength was incredibly profound. In a direct confrontation, she was overpowering Dongfang Wujiu, leaving him with no choice but to parry.