Chapter 83: The Master?

The carriage rattled along the official road, swaying slightly. Yang Ze, Lu Qing, and Bai Lun sat inside, each leaning against a side, eyes closed, resting. They had left Yuyang City an hour ago, and by the look of the journey, they'd covered seventy or eighty miles already.

The ride was uneventful, but all three were martial artists and well accustomed to such monotony. It hardly bothered them.

“At this pace,” Lu Qing said, opening his eyes suddenly, “it’ll be quite some time before we reach Wuyang Martial Institute.”

“You know where it is?” Bai Lun asked, also opening his eyes.

“I don’t, but I’ve heard that our Yuyang City is thousands of miles from the heart of Quanyang Prefecture. That’s an enormous distance. Wuyang Martial Institute is one of our city’s top powers, so it must be in the very center of the prefecture. These horses are good stock, but even with their speed, covering five or six hundred miles a day is already impressive. We’ll need several days at least.”

Lu Qing, having traveled with Ouyang Xin, was indeed familiar with the world outside, more so than most.

“A few days isn’t much for us,” Bai Lun sighed. “But this tedious journey—cooped up in this cramped carriage, unable to do anything—drives me mad!” He was Bai Fei’s disciple and loved nothing more than practicing swordplay, but now he could not.

“Yes, those days roaming with my master were truly a joy,” Lu Qing said, his eyes filled with nostalgia. “We traveled through countless villages and towns, across famous mountains and great rivers within a thousand miles of Yuyang City. That life—I remember it fondly.”

“We’d best not dwell on it,” Yang Ze said quietly, opening his eyes. “Reaching Wuyang Martial Institute swiftly is what matters now. The world feels unsettled of late; if trouble finds us, we’ll be in real danger.”

At these words, Lu Qing and Bai Lun’s faces darkened. Lu Qing shot Yang Ze a glance and replied, “Don’t be so pessimistic. What trouble could possibly occur? Besides, we’re traveling with elders and experts from Wuyang Martial Institute. With them, what could possibly go wrong?”

“Don’t celebrate too soon—”

Yang Ze hadn’t finished when the carriage suddenly lurched violently. The three inside were thrown about, nearly falling.

Lu Qing braced himself, cursing, “Damn it, is this an earthquake?”

The carriage continued to shake violently. Yang Ze opened the window and looked out.

They were traveling along the official road and had now reached a plain, which seemed to be trembling as far as the eye could see.

Their carriage was near the rear of the convoy. Yang Ze could see that several people had already leapt from the carriages ahead.

In a flash, two figures appeared at either side of their carriage: Zhang Yongxu and Ye Yinling.

Zhang Yongxu stood at the front, his expression severe. He called out in a cold voice, “Everyone except core and outer disciples remain in your carriages!”

His gaze swept the surroundings like lightning, as if to pierce every secret of the land. Ye Yinling, too, was all seriousness.

Behind them, Wu Yong and the other outer disciples stepped out, forming a perimeter around the convoy. Elder Ma alone was nowhere to be seen.

Zhang Yongxu’s eyes grew colder. He muttered, “This is no ordinary earthquake. I felt a powerful force approaching rapidly—no mistake about it.”

Zhang Yongxu’s strength was far beyond that of Wu Yong; as a core disciple of Wuyang Martial Institute, his perception was keen beyond ordinary men. Gradually, the tremors began to subside.

But the lessening of the quake only made Zhang Yongxu and Ye Yinling more alert, their auras intensifying.

“Junior Sister Ye, stay here. I’ll go investigate,” Zhang Yongxu said abruptly.

“Senior Brother Zhang, will you be alright alone? Shouldn’t I go with you?” Ye Yinling asked, worried.

“No need to worry. Anywhere else in Quanyang Prefecture, perhaps I’d hesitate. But here on Yuyang City’s land, I’m confident there’s no match for me. I’ll return within the hour.”

With that, Zhang Yongxu departed swiftly, vanishing from sight in a few moments.

Yang Ze and his companions watched this unfold, exchanged glances, then sat back down.

“Yang, your words are prophetic,” Lu Qing laughed, utterly unconcerned. “The moment you predicted trouble, here it is. I can’t help but be impressed.”

“You’re too carefree,” Yang Ze replied, his face grave. “Those two core disciples are unsettled—this could be serious. We must be cautious and not rely solely on others for our safety.”

Yet Lu Qing continued to grin, but before he could speak again, a new sound came from outside.

Ye Yinling, standing nearby, suddenly flashed cold light in her eyes. With a swift step, she shot toward the left front.

A hundred paces away, she stopped. Her sword was in her hand, its tip pointed at a spot where a massive boulder stood.

With a thrust, a pulse of energy burst from her sword, shattering the stone and revealing a deep pit behind it.

Yang Ze’s eyes narrowed at her astonishing speed. With such swiftness, if she drew her sword, he’d lose his head before he could react.

“Show yourself!” Ye Yinling commanded sharply. Inside the pit, a man lay hidden—but only lying down, not dead.

Startled awake by her action, the man found a sword pointed at him. His expression changed dramatically, and with a thud, he threw himself to the ground.

“Master, master—three days and nights, three whole days and nights! At last you have come!”