Chapter 109: Black Feathers, Red Crowns
The disciples of the Dragon Taming Sect had already been lying in wait ahead, ready to clean up any fish that slipped through the net!
The snake swarm surging across the mountains and fields to the sound of the flute was a scene that made one's hair stand on end. Wei Yong's face was pale as he muttered, "What's going on in the capital? All sorts of monsters and demons have broken loose—where are the capital's guards?"
Just then, a rumbling sound came from the direction of the capital. Qin Mu's heart stirred, and he quickly grabbed Fox Ling'er, stuffing her into the pack on his back. In a low voice, he said, "Fall back!"
Wei Yong hurriedly retreated. The two had barely moved a hundred zhang when suddenly the snake swarm grew restless, as if struck by immense terror. The frenzied snakes surged toward them. Not only the snakes, but the Dragon Taming Sect disciples as well, panicked and leaped onto the snake heads. The massive serpents slithered like lightning, charging straight at Qin Mu and the others!
"Back to back!"
Qin Mu shouted, and Wei Yong understood at once. He pressed his back against Qin Mu's, took the sword case from his back, and slammed it heavily onto the ground. He clasped his hands together, two fingers from each hand extended, forming a sword seal. The case opened with a clinking sound, and flying swords rose one by one, linking in sequence, their tips pointing downward.
Then, with a hum, the swords separated, circling around Qin Mu and him, spinning rapidly with their tips facing outward!
Qin Mu was surprised. Wei Yong's technique wasn't something taught at the academy; it was far more refined than the sword arts practiced by the academy's scholars. It must have been a family heirloom technique. Wei Yong had said his family was a major clan in Jiangling, and now it seemed he hadn't been boasting.
The snake swarm surged forward. Qin Mu's primal energy exploded, and golden rings appeared around him, both in front and behind. Beams of sword light shot out from them, stabbing toward the oncoming giant snakes and the Dragon Taming Sect disciples on their heads!
This was a technique he had gleaned from the statue in the ancient temple of Xianglong City. It was like a divine ability but not quite, yet its offensive power was considerable. The giant snakes struck by the golden sword light were wounded and would veer away, slithering past them. Meanwhile, the Dragon Taming Sect disciples on the snake heads were disrupted by his sword light and had no chance to counterattack.
These people and snakes didn't seem intent on attacking them—they looked more like they were fleeing for their lives. But the snake swarm was so vast that even Qin Mu couldn't fend them all off. The great serpents surged like a tide, threatening to engulf the two of them!
Wei Yong roared. The flying swords spun rapidly around them, slicing into the oncoming snake bodies. Sparks and flashes of light crackled, and massive snake scales were sent flying. Some snakes had their flesh torn open, a gruesome sight.
The pressure on Wei Yong mounted sharply, and he began to struggle. Qin Mu quickly changed tactics, crossing his palms. His primal energy surged like a mighty river, transforming into a torrent of water that slammed into the giant snake bodies. The fox in his pack also repeatedly cast spells, conjuring a massive tornado that swept up several great serpents.
The pressure on the two of them and the fox grew heavier and heavier. Just then, the rumbling sound drew closer. Huge birds with black feathers and vermilion combs sprinted through the forest like lightning. These giant birds were like moving hills, their beaks several zhang long. They moved through the woods as if through a patch of grass, their sharp claws shattering rocks. With a peck, they would seize a giant snake and thrash it around!
On the birds' backs stood five or six soldiers, quivers at their waists and longbows in hand. They repeatedly drew their bows and shot at the Dragon Taming Sect disciples flung into the air. Every disciple thrown from a snake head was instantly riddled with arrows!
Their quivers were tucked at their waists, so they didn't need to reach behind for arrows—just a quick dip of the hand to pull one out and shoot. This made their archery incredibly fast.
The flock of giant birds charged through, scattering the snake swarm. Their massive claws came down, grabbing the great serpents. The sharp talons dug deep into the snakes' bodies, tearing the red-combed serpents' flesh apart.
The bird flock chased the snake swarm straight toward Qin Mu and the others. Wei Yong exclaimed with joy, "They're the archer cavalry from the capital's guard!"
The flock soon reached them, charging in their direction. Several archers spotted Qin Mu and Wei Yong and were startled. They quickly tugged at the reins, steering the black-feathered, red-combed birds around them, shouting, "There are still scholars alive up ahead! Be careful not to trample them!"
With a series of swishes, large banners on the birds' backs, along with their poles, were shot down and planted in front of Qin Mu.
"Impressive skills!"
The soldiers on the birds praised the palm technique of Qin Mu and the sword art of Wei Yong, saying, "A scholar who can survive the siege of the Dragon Taming Sect's snake swarm truly has some ability!"
The birds charging from behind saw these banners and immediately veered to either side, avoiding Qin Mu and the others.
After a while, the bird flock and snake swarm had moved far away. Qin Mu let out a sigh of relief. Behind him, Wei Yong retracted his flying swords into the case and plopped down on the ground, panting heavily. Qin Mu looked back and saw giant beasts locked in battle in the forest. A colossal snake, like a dragon, thrashed through the woods, a terrifying sight. It must have been the Dragon Taming Sect's young mistress, Long Jiaonan, clashing with the archer cavalry, fighting fiercely.
A moment later, reinforcements from the capital arrived. This time, it was the sword guards. Sword pellets rose into the air, dazzling with light, and thousands of flying swords rained down, inflicting heavy casualties on the Dragon Taming Sect. Long Jiaonan retreated with the giant snake, and countless smaller great serpents slithered onto the massive snake's body. The Dragon Taming Sect disciples also leaped into the air, landing on the snake.
The giant snake spewed demonic clouds, rose into the sky, and rode the clouds away, lightning crackling within them. The sword guards pursued, growing farther and farther from Qin Mu.
"Are there any other scholars still alive?" a voice called out from the forest.
"Yes, we saw two scholars earlier!"
"Only two scholars?"
The voice fell silent.
"Where did the ship set sail from?"
"It should have been from Jiangling Commandery, the homeland of the Imperial Preceptor…"
"Damn it! The Dragon Taming Sect attacking the scholars' ship from Jiangling is clearly meant to undermine the Imperial Preceptor's prestige. And it's our fault for not guarding properly… Come with me to see those two scholars."
…
After a moment, several giant birds sprinted like the wind to where Qin Mu and the others stood. A fully armored general jumped down from one of the birds and looked at Qin Mu and Wei Yong. His voice boomed like a bell: "You two scholars, do you know how many people were on the ship?"
Qin Mu hadn't counted precisely and hesitated, saying, "Probably three to five hundred."
The general's eye twitched. "Three to five hundred scholars…"
Wei Yong quickly said, "General, many of the scholars were divine ability users who could fly. I saw many people fly out of the ship—they should have survived."
The general shook his head. "Not a single one of them survived either. They were eaten by the flying snakes of the Dragon Taming Sect midair. You two are the only ones left…"
Wei Yong was startled and looked at Qin Mu. If Qin Mu hadn't been clever enough to throw him off the ship early, he would have died on it too. After Qin Mu tossed him off, he had carried him, walking on the wind straight down into the forest. Wei Yong had been wondering why Qin Mu didn't run through the air, which would have been faster, but now he realized that everyone who flew in the air had died, leaving only the two of them alive.
"Brother Qin, you gave me this life! From now on, you're my blood brother…"
Fox Ling'er asked, puzzled, "Fat Wei, isn't your life given by your parents?"
Wei Yong quickly said, "Reborn parents, reborn parents! Little fox, don't always interrupt. I was about to pour out my heart, and you've made me forget everything!"
The general said in surprise, "You're surnamed Wei? The Wei of Jiangling's Wei family?"
Wei Yong nodded. "I'm from the Wei family of Jiangling."
The general breathed a sigh of relief. "So you're a member of Duke Wei's household. Young Master Wei, the Duke will be delighted that you're unharmed. And this young man, surnamed Qin? Could it be the Qin of the capital's Qin family?"
Qin Mu shook his head and smiled. "My Qin isn't that Qin family of the capital. I'm from Lizhou Prefecture."
The general said, "Ah, from Lizhou Prefecture. You two scholars, please enter the capital as soon as possible. The Dragon Taming Sect has considerable influence, and there may still be remnants. Someone, escort the two scholars to the capital!"
A giant bird approached, and the soldier on its back laughed, "Please, both scholars, mount the bird."
Qin Mu and Wei Yong leaped onto the bird's back. It was quite spacious, with a wide wooden platform fixed to the back for standing.
This black-feathered, red-combed giant bird broke into a run, heading swiftly toward the capital.
The general breathed a sigh of relief and muttered to himself, "Duke Wei is a first-rank official of the court. At least his family member is safe. Otherwise, my position would be in jeopardy… That other young man surnamed Qin—he's not from the Qin family? His clothes look quite fine, and his skills are remarkable. Only a major clan could raise such an outstanding youth. Could there be another Qin family in Lizhou Prefecture?"