The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 42 Approaching Guangzhou, ambushed and falling into a coma

Luo Yifei drew his sword.

There were ten people on the other side, while they only had three.

The journey was too peaceful; they didn't see any enemies, or even any people. Several days of continuous rain restricted people's travel.

As we approached Guangzhou, the weather finally cleared up.

In the forest outside the city, they encountered ten people who had been lying in ambush.

Without further ado, they charged into battle.

The ten assassins lying in ambush were all dressed as swordsmen from the martial arts world, and they were trying to surround them.

However, Qi Yuan's speed far exceeded their expectations, always managing to break through their encirclement just as it was about to close in.

Soon, two of the assassins were stabbed by Qi Yuan's sword and fell to the ground, unable to get up.

Bi Li was surrounded and attacked by three of them, but the three did not gain any advantage. His martial arts training since childhood still gave Bi Li the upper hand.

Luo Yifei was fast, but he couldn't hurt the assassin in the slightest. Qi Yuan quickly came to help after taking care of the two assassins.

The assassins seemed to have realized that Luo Yifei was the weakest, and as a result, five of them attacked him simultaneously.

Seeing Qi Yuan charging towards them, they had no choice but to send three people to deal with him.

Therefore, only two people remained to besiege Luo Yifei.

Luo Yifei focused his mind and finally thrust his sword at the assassin in front of him. Another assassin behind him also struck at his back; it was too late for him to dodge.

At the critical moment, he threw the sword in his hand, which flew towards the assassin behind Luo Yifei.

Just then, Bili had dealt with the two assassins who were besieging him, threw his sword to Qi Yuan, and shouted, "Catch the sword!"

After shouting this, Bili rushed to Luo Yifei's side at top speed and pulled out the sword that Qi Yuan had stuck in the assassin's back. Then he turned around and struck the assassin who had been chasing him squarely in the abdomen.

The assassin who was fighting Luo Yifei had already been stabbed several times by Luo Yifei. Seeing this, he turned and ran.

Another one of the three surrounding Qi Yuan fell, and the remaining two turned and fled.

Qi Yuan had no intention of letting them go. He focused his mind and used the same trick again, throwing his sword at one of the men in the back. The man fell to the ground.

Bili used the same method to stab another person with his sword.

Now, only the person who had previously fought Luo Yifei remained, and seeing this, he ran even faster.

"Concentrate your inner energy into the sword and throw it forcefully," Qi Yuan said to Luo Yifei.

Without a moment's hesitation, Luo Yifei followed Qi Yuan's instructions and forcefully threw the sword in his hand.

However, whether the assassin ran too far or Luo Yifei's internal energy was too weak, the sword he threw fell behind the assassin.

Just as Luo Yi's sword fell, Qi Yuan picked up a sword from an assassin on the ground and threw it.

The running assassin fell to the ground with a thud.

"Get out of here immediately," Qi Yuan said to Luo Yifei and Bi Li.

"Go to Guangzhou?" Luo Yifei asked.

“Avoid it; the area around Guangzhou is probably already riddled with traps,” Qi Yuan replied.

Upon hearing this, Luo Yifei already knew Qi Yuan's true purpose in spreading rumors in Xuwen County.

……

Located in the southern sea area of ​​the eastern continent of the Floating Life Continent, south of the Tian Sha Islands.

On the empty sea, only a pirate ship was slowly sailing.

After several days of continuous rain and strong winds at sea, Captain Qin Changkai of the pirate ship had no choice but to steer the ship into the safe harbor of Wangjungui Island.

They went ashore and lived on the boats that the vanished fishermen had previously inhabited.

After witnessing three Nanzhao warships disappear before his eyes along with three plumes of light, Qin Changkai completely believed what Li Hongbo had said.

The continuous downpour forced Qin Changkai to suppress his excitement and lead his crew to seek shelter from the storm aboard the pirate ship.

Last night, Li Hongbo observed the celestial phenomena and told him that he could go to the place where the three warships of the Nanzhao Kingdom disappeared the next day.

Looking at Li Hongbo standing at the bow of the ship, Qin Changkai walked over and asked, "How is it? Our Grand Mage, have you discovered anything?"

“The timing was wrong; we missed our best opportunity.” Li Hong stared at the sea, closed his eyes, and after a moment continued, “But it’s okay, we still have a chance.”

Li Hongbo didn't open his eyes, but instead picked up the peach wood sword and pointed it at the sea.

Seeing that Li Hongbo was about to start casting a spell again, Qin Changkai silently left the bow of the ship.

However, with a wave of dizziness, Li Hongbo collapsed on the deck.

Upon seeing this, Qin Changkai immediately ordered his men to carry Li Hongbo back to the cabin.

"Li Hongbo, Li Hongbo..." In his unconscious state, Li Hongbo heard someone calling him.

In his dream, Li Hongbo opened his eyes and saw the shadowy figure of a hermit from the State of Chu.

Looking around, he knew he was near Mount Emei and was currently in his own memory.

……

“Li Hongbo, I think you’ve always known where those three books are. If there really was news, how could there be no word of it in the martial arts world? When you told those two lads that ‘The Libationer’ is in Emei,’ I saw ‘smugness’ in your eyes. It seems you’re quite satisfied with your own sorcery.” Shadow’s voice clearly reached Li Hongbo’s ears.

In the dream, Li Hongbo was in a third-person perspective, as if he were a ghost floating in the air. When he saw the shadow, he also saw himself on the other side of the shadow—but he was much younger than the current Li Hongbo. That was Li Hongbo four years ago.

“Shut up,” Li Hongbo, who was younger four years ago, stared at the shadow and said, word by word, “It’s not witchcraft, it’s magic. It’s a gift from heaven to our family. You’re just jealous that I have abilities that you don’t have.”

“To be honest, I’m not jealous of you at all.” Shadow’s tone was calm.

When these words reached the ears of Li Hongbo, who was younger four years ago, the previously "aggressive" glint in his eyes vanished abruptly. The tent those two boys had given him was too small, and its structure was unlike any tent he remembered. He had no idea how to set it up; it was Shadow who figured out the tent's structure first and then built it. Now he had no choice but to lie in this cramped space with Shadow.

silence.

“Yes, you have absolutely no reason to be jealous of me. You are a righteous person, living in anonymity, loyal to the royal family, and can sleep peacefully every night. But me, every night when I close my eyes, I see those bloody scenes, those people lying on the ground, children, women, all mangled and bloody, their eyes wide open, staring straight at me. I want to save them, but I can do nothing. ‘Magic’ is just a power we cannot understand now. Using it comes at a price, always has been. No one in our family has ever lived past 30. Ignorance will not destroy the world, but arrogance will.” Four years ago, Li Hongbo spoke his true feelings to someone for the first time.

“People mostly spread rumors, and I believed them just because I heard rumors about the mage. People are foolish, but you have never explained it to them.” Shadow tried to ease the tension.

People will only listen to what they want to hear.

“But I think you didn’t tell your monarch the location of those three books!” Shadow hadn’t forgotten his mission.

"Balance, I really want to know the secrets of those three books, but if the Nanzhao Kingdom gets even one of them, coupled with the royal family's ability to fabricate rumors, the Eastern Continent will definitely be in chaos. Moreover, Chang Tianming is just using me as a shield. He can blame all his mistakes on my 'magic power.' His ambition is too great, but which of the nine Eastern Kingdoms doesn't have an ambitious ruler? Chu Ji is no exception."

"We just want the land that was ceded back then." Although Shadow said this, he knew Chu Ji's ambition better than anyone else.