Demons and the Beasts 1

The first
city of Bianzhou, near the Yellow River, was later called Bianliang, which is now Kaifeng, Henan.
Leaving the west gate of Bianzhou, an ancient road led directly to Luoyang, and then to Chang'an, the western capital. This ancient road, called Yiyang Road, existed since the early Western Han Dynasty. It was a major official road extending westward from Yizhou through Xuzhou to the capital.
Twenty li west of the city was a small town called Dongchang Bridge. Passing this bridge and traveling west for more than ten li, one reached Black Knife Ridge, the most treacherous section of the Yiyang Road. Merchants and travelers passing through this area always proceeded with extreme caution.
At this time, as dawn broke and the morning mist thinned, Black Knife Ridge appeared as a solitary ridge, stretching for three li. On one side was a dense, towering forest; on the other, a sheer, precipitous cliff hundreds of zhang deep.
From afar, Black Knife Ridge resembles a sharp, jet-black dagger, jutting diagonally into the azure sky, towering and imposing, standing alone.
Just then, the faint sound of horses' hooves approached from the east.
The hooves seemed to be galloping rapidly, and soon a swift rider arrived.
The rider was a girl of sixteen or seventeen, who tirelessly urged her horse on, undeterred by the perilous terrain, continuing to ride at breakneck speed.
Upon closer inspection, the girl on horseback was exceptionally beautiful, especially her bright, expressive eyes, which revealed her intelligence and cleverness—truly a captivating beauty.
This ancient road, winding and treacherous along its length, was fortunate to be shaded by lush trees near the mountains, where the rustling of the trees created a cool and tranquil atmosphere. The refreshing breeze, carrying the rich scent of leaves, was truly invigorating.
Just as the young woman spurred her horse onward, rounding a treacherous bend, she saw a large group of people ahead, two large yellow banners with black borders fluttering high in the wind.
Seeing them from afar, the young woman was overjoyed, thinking to herself, "The news was right! I've finally caught up!"
In an instant, she was close to the group, and what she saw before her became clearer.
It turned out that this group was a caravan, with more than thirty guards and escorts protecting five heavily laden carts, slowly moving forward.
The rumble of the carts echoed through the valley. Each cart carried a caravan flag, embroidered with the two large characters "Distant Mountains" in the center. The caravan was led by two head guards on horseback, and the guards were all burly and strong, their steps perfectly synchronized, demonstrating remarkable skill.
The rapid sound of hooves suddenly rose from behind the caravan, as swift as thunder and lightning. The two caravan leaders turned around simultaneously, their brows furrowed and eyes wide with suspicion as they stared intently at the approaching figures.
The young woman, however, paid them no further attention. Her white horse, its speed undiminished, its silver mane billowing in the wind, swept past the caravan like a gust of wind.
In no time, it had galloped more than two miles away from the caravan.
Ahead, the official road was still shaded by dense foliage on the left, the sunlight filtering through the thick canopy, casting dappled patterns on the ground.
As she rode, the young woman pondered, her bright eyes constantly scanning the surrounding terrain, searching for a place to strike.
Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly saw several silvery-white lights flashing in and out of the dense forest in the distance.
Upon seeing this, the young woman raised an eyebrow. She instinctively knew what was happening; the white light was clearly sunlight shining on swords! It seemed there were people hiding in the dense forest. Judging by the flashes of light, the young woman knew there were quite a few of them, and their purpose was obviously to steal the goods being transported!
Although she grumbled inwardly, she continued riding without stopping, secretly cursing, "Who are these blind fools who dare to steal my business?" Just as she had traveled half a mile, she suddenly pulled on the reins, turned her horse around, and slowly rode back the way she had come, walking slowly and lightly, lest the bandits notice her.
In a short while, she arrived not far from where the group was hiding.
The young woman dismounted, led her white horse into the woods, tied the reins to a large tree, and, with a swift movement, leaped onto another tree with a whoosh, silently crossing it. Soon she reached the bandits' hiding place. Holding
her breath, she crouched low in the tree, peering down. She saw more than ten burly men lurking around, each wielding a knife and spear, their appearance fierce.
Before long, the rumbling of a caravan could be faintly heard, and they were approaching.
The young woman had already devised a plan: she would observe from the sidelines and make her move later.
She remained motionless in the tree, waiting intently.
The rumbling of the caravan grew louder; they were finally drawing near.
Just then, a man's voice suddenly rang out softly above the girl's head: "I didn't expect you to be interested in this single shipment!"
Though the voice was soft, the girl heard it clearly. Her expression changed drastically; this shock was truly extraordinary! The girl abruptly looked up in the direction of the voice and saw a young man peeking out from among the leaves of a treetop, a smiling face on his lips, staring intently at her.
The girl's brow furrowed, she gripped her sword hilt tightly, and uttered a "You…" before she could finish. The man put a finger to his lips, glanced at the bandits below, and gestured for her to remain silent to avoid alerting them.
The girl immediately understood, stopped speaking, and stared intently at the man in the tree with her large, round eyes. He was handsome and dashing, with a refined and elegant demeanor; his appearance was indeed extraordinary, and she couldn't help but admire him inwardly.
After a moment's thought, the young woman quickly grasped the situation. Seeing the man's refined and handsome appearance, devoid of any hint of wickedness, she was certain he wasn't a member of the bandits' group.
However, upon further reflection, something seemed amiss. She inwardly cursed, "If he's unrelated to the bandits, is he planning a double-cross like me? Or is he helping those镖师 (bodyguards/escorts)? In other words, he's also a hindrance, an obstacle to my wealth. It seems I must eliminate him first."
Lost in thought, the young woman glanced outside and saw the caravan approaching with a noisy clamor.
Suddenly, a whistle rang out, and the bandits hidden in the woods shouted in unison. A deafening roar followed, and they charged out of the thicket, spears and knives in hand.
In an instant, the densely shady mountain path was teeming with bandits.
The young woman glanced closer and was immediately alarmed. The bandits numbered at least a hundred, their power and influence truly formidable.
She looked up at the man, eager to see his reaction, but there wasn't a trace of him in the tree. The man had vanished. She thought, "Could that man also be a bandit, and have already gone out?" She quickly looked towards the group of bandits.
She searched them one by one with wide eyes, but still couldn't find them. She had to give up, but her eyes were already drawn to the scene outside the woods.
The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), seeing the bandits surging from the woods, knew something was wrong. Having traveled the martial world many times, he had seen his share of battles. Seeing that the head镖师 remained calm and composed, he raised his hand and shouted, "Protect the caravan first! Everyone, don't panic!"
At his command, more than twenty镖师 and 趟子手 (escorts/bodyguards) immediately surrounded the caravan, each with a sword at their chest, ready and waiting without the slightest panic.
The bandits had already surrounded the caravan in layers. Seeing that the situation was not good, another caravan leader hurriedly rode up from behind and stood next to the leader. Then the two of them dismounted. The leader stepped forward, clasped his hands in a bow, and said loudly, "I am Gao Jinying from Yuanshan Escort Agency in Wuzhou. I am passing through your esteemed place but have not paid my respects. Please forgive me, heroes."
From the bandits, a man jumped out. He was dressed in gray clothes, black boots, and a black belt. He was about thirty years old, but had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a full beard. He held a thick-backed broadsword and looked extremely imposing. He chuckled and said, "Who cares if you're tall or short? Enough nonsense. Just leave your caravan and get out of here so we brothers can save some trouble."
Gao Jinying frowned deeply when he saw this man's striking appearance and arrogant words. The muscles in his face twitched and twitched. Having been a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) for over a decade, he knew he couldn't act rashly in this situation. He suppressed his anger and
clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Please forgive my unfamiliarity; I don't know which gang or stronghold you heroes belong to, where your treasure is located, or what your leader's title is." The burly man with thick eyebrows suddenly threw his head back and laughed wildly, "Good, I'll tell you! Just tell that corrupt official Huang that his cartloads of illicit money have already been taken over by the 'Shadow Gang,' hahaha..."
Upon hearing the words "Shadow Gang," Gao Jinying's heart skipped a beat, and he secretly cursed.
Having traveled all over the country, he was well aware of the Shadow Gang's reputation. He exchanged a glance with the镖师 beside him, their eyes filled with doubt.
It was said that since its establishment, the Shadow Gang had been entrenched in the Hailing area, a newly risen and powerful gang with over a thousand members. Even the government had to show them some leniency! I've heard that besides the four halls of Wind, Thunder, Rain, and Lightning, the gang also has nine temples scattered throughout the Central Plains, collectively known as the Nine Temples of the Dragon Hall.
I also know that the members of the Shadow Gang are all chivalrous and righteous heroes, specializing in robbing the rich to help the poor. They are a righteous and benevolent gang with a very good reputation in the martial arts world.
The girl hiding in the tree was taken aback when she heard the thieves call themselves the Shadow Gang. She had often heard about the Shadow Gang's deeds and knew that they never killed, burned, raped, or plundered; their actions were always acts of righteousness and courage, suppressing violence, and they were always praised.
It is said that the previous year, due to the Yellow River changing its course and the summer rainy season causing flooding, the Yellow River and Huai River plains were suddenly flooded, and the floods became uncontrollable. Seventeen prefectures in the north and south were devastated, and the land of fish and rice was turned into a vast expanse of water overnight.
Besides the banditry and chaos caused by famine, the two large counties of Suixian and Zhenqun in Hubei Province suffered even more severe damage due to the spread of plague.
The imperial court, facing a dire situation, allocated 300,000 taels of silver for disaster relief. However, only 100,000 taels reached the disaster victims, clearly indicating that some had embezzled the funds during the relief process.
At that time, the leader of the Shadow Gang, "Shadowless Flying Dragon," learned of the situation and discovered that the governors of the three prefectures were behind it. "Shadowless Flying Dragon" immediately dispatched his four top fighters—Wind, Thunder, Rain, and Lightning—along with his gang members, in three separate groups. That night, they bound the three governors in their homes, retrieved the original relief funds, and extorted an additional 200,000 taels of silver from the three men, bringing the total to 500,000 taels, which were then distributed to the disaster victims.
From then on, the Shadow Gang's reputation spread like wildfire, attracting many righteous figures in the martial arts world. At that time, the entire country knew of the gang; simply mentioning the name "Shadow Gang" was enough to elicit praise.
However, the Shadow Gang's leader, "Shadowless Flying Dragon," was a mysterious and enigmatic figure. His identity remained unknown, and no one had ever seen his true face. Speculation abounded in the martial arts world; some said he was an old, respected elder, others a burly, bearded man. No one could definitively say the truth, only that "Shadowless Flying Dragon" possessed extremely high martial arts skills and was an unfathomable figure.
Upon hearing that the other party was from the Shadow Gang, Gao Jinying couldn't help but think, "These people are using the Shadow Gang's name, but I don't know if it's true. If it's not, how come the Shadow Gang is acting like bandits?" He quickly thought of a question and said, "I see you are quite the hero, perhaps you are your gang leader, 'Shadowless Flying Dragon'?"
The burly man with thick eyebrows suddenly burst into laughter and said, "What kind of person is our gang leader? This mere petty transaction is not worth his attention. Not to mention having him do it himself, even a rough old man like me can handle it! Hahaha...!"
The burly man with thick eyebrows was very proud of himself, and the gang members behind him also laughed loudly with him.
Gao Jinying's brows furrowed in disbelief. The man with the thick eyebrows before her seemed utterly arrogant, and Gao Jinying felt a surge of anger. He had led his镖局 (escort agency) men all the way from Wuzhou to this place, and the journey had been uneventful. Even the notorious bandits of the Yangtze River Twin Whales Gang feared the reputation of the Yuanshan镖局 and gave way, daring not to covet their goods. She never expected them to cause trouble here. Was she really going to be defeated like this?!
Gao Jinying was naturally unwilling, but the Shadow Gang was a name he couldn't afford to offend. Helpless, he could only maintain a smile and ask, "Since you're not the leader of your gang, may I ask your esteemed name and address?"
The burly man with thick eyebrows raised slightly, slapped his chest with a loud "thump!", and arrogantly said, "You really are a scoundrel! You're supposed to be a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), yet you don't even know my name. You seem to have a really bad memory. Since that's the case, I'll tell you, so you'll be convinced and obediently leave your镖车 (cargo cart) here, and then..." "Get the hell out of here! You just listen up, I'm one of the 'Four Shadow Fiends' of Wind, Thunder, Rain, and Lightning, a master of fighting the strong and helping the weak, robbing the rich to aid the poor. Evil people tremble at my name, and when they see me, they all tuck their tails between their legs. I'm known in the martial arts world as 'Thunder Blade' Mo Dapeng. Now that you know my name, why don't you get out of my way? Or do you want me to take action?"
Gao Jinying only asked him for a name, but in return, he received a long, rambling string of words. He listened with furrowed brows, unsure whether to be angry or amused.
What was most infuriating was that his words were full of blatant disregard for him, a dignified head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), making him seem worthless and disrespectful. He even said something about tucking his tail between his legs, talking nonsense. How could he not be furious?
However, the title of "Four Fiends" was not fabricated. Those worthy of the word "fiend" possessed exceptional martial arts skills. Therefore, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and say with a smile, "I've heard so much about you! It's you, Master Mo! The Yuanshan Escort Agency has no prior conflict with your gang. This journey to Luoyang is at the request of Lord Huang of Wuzhou. I hope Master Mo will grant me passage for the sake of both myself and Lord Huang. I will
certainly repay your kindness in the future." Upon hearing this, Mo Dapeng burst into laughter, bending over backward with laughter. Pointing at him, he said, "Don't try to amuse me! Just based on your title, it's already far from enough for me to let you pass. Don't make me laugh my head off! Besides, these two cartloads of silver are the blood and sweat of the people, extracted by that old thief Huang!" "If you don't return this money to the people, where will I, Lei Sha, put my face? How will I explain this to my gang leader? Even if you kneel down and beg for mercy now, kowtowing a hundred times, I'm still going to take your money. Don't even think about wasting your breath now, unless you have the ability to get past me. But I don't think you have that ability. You might as well get out of here and avoid making a fool of yourself."
Although Gao Jinying knew that this batch of money was indeed dirty money, those who ran escort agencies only knew how to get by and never cared about the source of the goods. However, Mo Dapeng's last words made him furious. Even a clay figure has a temper. He was so angry that his eyes popped out and his chest cracked. He knew that today's matter would not be resolved with a few words.
The镖师 (bodyguard/escort) who had rushed forward earlier, who had been silent the whole time, was now seething with anger. He immediately said to Gao Jinying, "I'll deal with this madman and show him the power of our Yuanshan镖局 (Yuanshan Escort Agency)."
With that, he drew a crescent hook from his waist and said loudly, "What a boastful scoundrel! You surnamed Mo, today I'll experience your skills firsthand." With a flash, he charged forward.
Mo Dapeng's thick eyebrows furrowed. Before the man could get close, he shouted, "Stop! Who are you? Show me your name! I never fight with nobodys!"
The bodyguard's anger flared even more. He immediately stopped and shouted, "I am Sun Quanzhong, nicknamed 'Invincible Silver Hook'!"
Mo Dapeng shook his head, scratched his head, then frowned and thought for a moment before asking the man beside him, "Have you ever heard of this person? There's no Invincible Silver Hook. Why have I never heard of him? Strange, strange." He kept shaking his head as he spoke.
In fact, not only had Mo Dapeng heard of the name "Invincible Silver Hook," but most of his gang members also knew of him. However, they all pretended not to know, intending to dampen his arrogance. Naturally, none of them answered Mo Dapeng's question.
Although Sun Quanzhong wasn't a top-tier expert, since his debut, countless underworld figures had fallen to his Silver Hook in a few moves. He never took ordinary bandits seriously; in the underworld, the mere mention of "Invincible Silver Hook" commanded respect.
Seeing Mo Dapeng's arrogant attitude and contemptuous words, Sun Quanzhong couldn't swallow his anger. He roared, "Take this!" and charged forward.
The young woman, hidden in a tree, watched Sun Quanzhong's powerful attack intently, her eyes fixed on him, carefully observing how he would defeat him.
Sun Quanzhong leaped into the air, his crescent hook, wielding eighty percent of its power, aimed straight at Mo Dapeng's head.
Mo Dapeng roared, raising his sword in a backhand parry, his strength immense. A resounding clang echoed, and Sun Quanzhong's right hand, holding the hook, instantly went numb and went limp.
Sun Quanzhong hadn't expected Mo Dapeng's internal energy to be so formidable; his twenty-plus years of skill couldn't even withstand a casual block. He was startled. Unexpectedly
, while Mo Dapeng blocked the hook with his right hand, his left hand swiftly shot out, striking Sun Quanzhong's chest with a resounding thud. With a powerful push from his palm, Sun Quanzhong was sent flying through the air, letting out a cry of "Ah...yo..." as he was sent flying.
The words had barely left his lips when he was already three zhang away, tumbling several times before finally coming to a stop.
A bodyguard standing nearby rushed over and hurriedly helped him up.
Gao Jinying was also shocked when she saw this, thinking to herself, "This Electric Fiend is indeed formidable, his internal strength is extremely powerful. That one push he made was already showing mercy. If he hadn't first struck my chest and then used his internal energy to push out, but instead struck with a palm and a fist, I wouldn't be alive!"
At this moment, Mo Dapeng laughed loudly, "Such a useless fellow, he thought he was some kind of invincible silver hook, what a joke! He can't even withstand a single palm strike or a knife strike from me, and he's finished in one move. How boring, how boring...!"
The girl's eyes also lit up, and she thought bitterly to herself, "This big guy is really powerful."
Just based on Mo Dapeng's palm strike, the girl knew she was no match for him, and probably couldn't even withstand half a move. What talk of robbing a caravan? Her pretty face flushed red, and she secretly trembled.
At this moment, Gao Jinying strode forward, slowly drawing an iron whip from his waist, and said to Mo Dapeng, "Lei Sha is indeed worthy of his reputation. I know I am not talented, but I would like to learn from Master Mo's skills."
Mo Dapeng laughed loudly, "Good, good, good! But let me make this clear first, I am just a roughneck. I can't accept being called a great hero. If you want to fight, come at me. I'll take it. If you can get past me, I won't take a single tael of the escort fee. Is that fair enough?"
As soon as Mo Dapeng finished speaking, he raised his broadsword and shouted to the gang behind him, "Brothers, don't make a move yet. Let me deal with this guy surnamed Gao first, then we can take the escort fee. If I lose even a move to this scoundrel, then so be it."
The Shadow Gang members immediately raised their swords and shouted loudly, creating a deafening clamor.
At Gao Jinying's cry of "Please!", she darted forward with incredible speed. A whooshing sound filled the air as she appeared, a flash of silver light accompanying her as her iron whip swiftly struck Mo Dapeng's "Dai Mai" acupoint from the outside in.
Mo Dapeng roared "Good!", his right hand, holding a knife, swayed, the thick-backed broadsword falling horizontally. With a clang, the blade and whip clashed, Gao Jinying's whip jolting back an inch. Mo Dapeng then thrust his thick-backed sword forward, aiming for Gao Jinying's "Feng Shi" acupoint on her leg.
Despite Mo Dapeng's rough appearance, his fighting style was surprisingly skillful, his accuracy in identifying acupoints and his speed in changing moves were truly extraordinary. Gao Jinying was no ordinary fighter either; she had wielded the iron whip for decades, fighting her way across the country, rarely encountering a worthy opponent.
As Gao Jinying's iron whip was jolted upwards, she instantly shifted her body to dodge, extending her right arm horizontally, and the iron whip struck Mo Dapeng's left shoulder.
Mo Dapeng lowered his body, his foot slipped, and Gao Jinying's strike missed. The iron whip then sank downwards, and it seemed Mo Dapeng would have no chance to avoid it. However, halfway through the whip's trajectory, Gao Jinying suddenly retreated sharply. It turned out that as Mo Dapeng lowered his body, the tip of her knife was already pointing at the "Qimen" and "Shanzhong" acupoints below his shoulder.
Fortunately, Gao Jinying was exceptionally agile, managing to retreat quickly and pull the iron whip back, blocking it with her left shoulder. With a "clang," the iron whip was now resting on the thick-backed knife.
Gao Jinying felt the iron whip jolt again, her hand going numb. She quickly took a step to the side and swung the whip back, aiming straight for Mo Dapeng's "temple."
Mo Dapeng dodged to the side, seemingly determined to show off his skills. He immediately unleashed his thick-backed blade, striking again and again like a relentless storm. Gao Jinying was forced to parry, utterly powerless to retaliate. He retreated hastily, appearing extremely disheveled.
Gao Jinying was terrified, his mind reeling, realizing his life was over.
Mo Dapeng, having exchanged only two blows, knew his opponent's skill was far inferior. He ceased his deadly attacks, using only thirty percent of his strength, relying on arm strength and the weight of his blade to torment Gao Jinying. Even so, Gao Jinying was already struggling.
Just as Gao Jinying was sweating profusely, dodging and blocking, a creature suddenly flew out of the dense forest. It was a bright red bird, resembling a large, fiery red bird, suddenly spreading its wings and descending from the sky.
A crimson blur approached from afar with incredible speed, making it difficult to discern its nature.
As the red figure swept past the caravan, a series of clanging sounds rang out. The guards stood frozen, as straight as pillars, clearly their pressure points sealed.
The young girl stared in disbelief, letting out a soft "Ah!"
When the fiery object landed beside Mo Dapeng and Gao Jinying, it became clear that it was a woman in red. Gao Jinying immediately leaped back a good ten feet, took a steady look, and froze in shock.
Conversely, upon seeing the young woman, Mo Dapeng burst into laughter, exclaiming, "So it's Third Miss! What brings you here? Your 'Heavenly Rain Watering Flowers' technique was truly exquisite!"
At Mo Dapeng's words, the Shadow Gang members erupted in cheers, all jumping for joy, realizing that the woman in red was almost certainly one of their own.
This woman in red was none other than "Rain Fiend," one of the Shadow Four Fiends, and the third sister of the Shadow Gang leader, named Di Shanshan. Known in the martial arts world as the "Red-Clad Witch," her pressure point techniques were unparalleled.
Di Shanshan wore a crimson light robe, embroidered with silver thread, resplendent in gold, with a silver belt swaying at her waist.
She swayed her slender waist, slowly turning around to smile slightly at Gao Jinying.
Gao Jinying glanced at her, and his eyes instantly lit up with an unusual light. Having roamed the martial world for decades, he had witnessed countless extraordinary people and events, and seen many beautiful women, but never before had he seen such a beautiful woman, so breathtakingly beautiful that one dared not look directly at her; even a single glance was enough to leave an unforgettable impression.
Despite this, Gao Jinying did not forget his current predicament because of Di Shanshan's appearance; instead, a layer of worry deepened in his heart. He knew he could hardly handle Mo Dapeng alone, and now with another expert added, how could he not be alarmed and filled with unease!

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