Ultimate Path to Heaven

Chapter 31 Du Chun's Death

The wind whistled through the empty windows and crumbling doors, producing a long, low wail, like the collective sigh of countless lost souls.

The air was filled with a complex scent, a mixture of damp earth, rotting wood, and some unknown, slightly sweet wildflower fragrance, ancient and desolate.

Xiali Village, a village abandoned for several years after being massacred, has today welcomed uninvited guests.

At the village entrance, Li Mian, who was frequently glancing around, had a long scar on his cheek that twitched slightly as he frowned, adding to his ferocious appearance.

His gaze seemed to be trying to discern good or bad fortune in the distance. Each unconscious rubbing of his thick knuckles carried an uncontrollable force, revealing that his heart was being gnawed by some kind of anxiety.

Suddenly, a carrier pigeon flew in through the thin mist...

Looking at the letter in his hand, a relieved smile gradually appeared on Li Mian's lips, followed by a look of contentment and openness in his eyes, as if all his previous worries had been swept away at this moment.

Slowly turning around, Li Mian looked at the Blood Guards who had been displaying complex emotions before him and declared loudly, "The young master has given the order: swear to protect the villagers!" His tone softened, but his murderous aura intensified, "You Blood Guards have served for years. Today, are you willing to follow the young master and wreak havoc on all sides?"

"We swear to follow our young master to the death!"

Apart from the initial six, all the "fresh" Blood Guards were carefully selected. In addition to being warriors, each of them had an infuriating story behind them, not just death warriors.

But since joining the Blood Guard, they have been feeling stifled and depressed, and have doubted their choice several times—what about ideals and ambitions... just waiting to die?

Now, with the young master in such a state... their blood is slowly reigniting...

Qingxi Village is a very small village with only about two hundred people.

The gathering of people from Xiali Village in this area has created an atmosphere filled with the earthy, sweaty smell of the air, along with an invisible yet sharp sense of unease.

Amidst the panic, an uncontrollable sob escaped someone's lips, like a thin needle piercing the stillness of the room, only to be abruptly cut off by a look.

The villagers breathed softly and slowly, and every gaze into the distance carried the same fear and question. In the fog that seemed to indicate the approach of death, they trembled, awaiting the judgment of fate that might fall at any moment.

In this atmosphere... a secret guard suddenly reported:

"Coming from the southwest, three Class B Iron Slaughter Guards totaling 150 cavalry, with a maximum range of ten li."

Upon hearing this news, the villagers were in an uproar, and their already panicked eyes gradually turned to despair!

Li Mian's Blood Guards numbered only eleven, while the Iron Slaughter Guards, clad in heavy black iron armor, numbered a full one hundred and fifty riders. The villagers did not believe that there was any chance of survival given such a disparity in numbers.

At this moment, Du Chun glanced at Li Mian and his group of blood guards, a resolute glint in his eyes, then looked at the bewildered villagers beside him, and finally quietly walked towards the horses not far away.

No matter how the world changes, or how much sorrow and resentment the villagers feel, Qingxi Village is still the "home" where Du Chun grew up. With his mother gone and his wife unjustly killed, Du Chun, now all alone, is about to lose even his home.

What is the meaning of life...? What is there to fear in death...? Perhaps this is a true reflection of Du Chun's inner thoughts at this moment...

Suddenly, a neighing sound rang out, and Du Chun mounted his horse and cracked his whip!

Upon hearing this, before Li Mian could speak to stop him, he heard a voice say, "Please tell Brother Xiao that if there is an afterlife, I, Du Chun, will follow you to the death!"

"..."

The sound was like metal and stone, tearing silk and piercing the clouds, but Li Mian could only look on helplessly, for in his moment of stunned surprise, Du Chun had already whipped his horse and gone.

If one leaves alone at such a time, it is either to escape or to face death!

"Foolish!" Li Mian uttered these two words with a sigh as he watched Du Chun's retreating figure.

Before the letter arrived by carrier pigeon, Li Mian had discussed with the Blood Guard whether they could lead the Iron Slaughter Guard to detour elsewhere to avoid Xiali Village. In the end, however, he abandoned the idea, but Du Chun took it to heart.

As long as the Iron Slaughter Guard is still searching and hasn't locked onto Xiali Village, anything is possible... Perhaps that's what Du Chun was thinking.

.........

"What act is this Eighth Prince putting on now?"

Looking at the letter in his hand, Lin Yan, who was usually calm and composed, frowned for once.

A letter arrived reporting that Gou Erchui, Wang Hu, and Chen Ping each led one hundred elite troops to create chaos simultaneously in different locations as originally planned. However, Yamada Tie Tuwei directly avoided their attack and fled without regard for anything else.

In this way, Lin Yan's plan (to lure away the Iron Guard so that Xiao Jin could lead the villagers safely into the valley)... could be said to have failed.

After a moment's thought, Lin Yan snapped his fan shut, his eyes resolute as he looked at Qin Yan: "Send a message by carrier pigeon: if there is any indication of troop movement from Huizhou City, activate all hidden agents!"

"This..." Qin Huang, with his strong personality, was about to say something.

"Issuing the two brothers to immediately detour and provide support to Xiali Village!"

"..."

Making such a big fuss over a small village is definitely not the usual style of Lin Yan, the Valley Master.

Qin Shen couldn't hold back any longer: "If that's the case, what about the Northern Region?"

The so-called turmoil in the Northern Region was deliberately fabricated by Lin Yan and his group.

Qin Huang valued Lin Yan's overall interests so much in joining him in this valley, but today he seems to have acted impulsively...

With a gentle wave of his fan, Lin Yan appeared very calm: "The turmoil in the Northern Region was a last resort, but now that the Xiao family princess has appeared, it's a different story."

"The Xiao family?"

Qin Huang was aware of Xiao Dingtian's family, and they still had many former subordinates in the Northern Region, but the old man had been dead for many years... Qin Huang questioned this.

"But what about Xiao Muyu..."

Before Qin Yan could finish speaking, Lin Yan deliberately interrupted, "I'll handle persuading Xiao Muyu. Right now, we need to stir up trouble in the Southern Region!"

"This..." Qin Huang looked somewhat excited.

"Sister, you've got the same temperament as your second brother. When has Master Lin ever been rash?" Qin Shuang's voice gave people goosebumps, but it calmed Qin Shuang down.

"Our plans were only ignited by the Xiao family brat in a different way, which may not be a bad thing!" Lin Yan's words seemed to be reassuring Qin Huang.

But Qin Yan still seems to have many doubts.

"A small village with only about two hundred people, yet we have gone to such great lengths to protect it. Surely the people of the world are grateful. Our efforts to stop the bandits in the past month can be considered to have been effective ahead of schedule."

Upon hearing Lin Yan's words, Qin Huang seemed to understand the reason behind it, and clasped his hands in a fist salute. Lin Yan said no more.

Qin Shuang, however, could no longer contain herself: "May I ask, Valley Master, what should the three of us do?"

"Of course I must go and help that Xiao family brat." Before the words had even finished, Lin Yan had already spurred his horse forward. "While we're at it, let's see what else Chu Xiong has to offer—is he just a simple butcher, or a true hero!"

"Xiao Jin... I hope you won't disappoint me!"

At first, Lin Yan didn't take Xiao Jin seriously, but after learning that Xiao Jin had seriously injured Wang Suiyue, a ninth-rank warrior, with a single punch, everything changed.