Chapter 40: Within Ten Paces, the Gun is Faster!

Elder Zhiming truly lived up to his reputation as a man of celestial grace. His herbal ointment possessed miraculous efficacy for flesh and skin wounds, and Cai Fu's injuries healed better with each passing day.

Cai Fu and his companions stayed at Liquan Mountain for only three days before setting out once again for Zengtou Village.

This time, Cai Fu’s party was even larger.

Aside from the brothers Cai Fu and Cai Qing, along with the master and servant Lu Junyi and Yan Qing, there were also the brothers Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu, together with Shi Wengong, Jiao Ting, Bao Xuai, and a dozen or so horse-mounted bandits.

To avoid attracting attention, they split into two groups.

The first group consisted of the brothers Cai Fu and Cai Qing, the master and servant Lu Junyi and Yan Qing, and several horse-mounted bandits, with Bao Xuai acting as their guide.

The remaining men formed the second group, following a few miles behind.

After a few days of travel, a massive mountain suddenly loomed in the distance ahead.

Cai Fu cast his gaze upon the mountain and found it remarkably grim and perilous, covered entirely in withered trees and overgrown with reeds.

Had they been characters in Journey to the West, there would undoubtedly have been demons and evil spirits lurking within this mountain!

Bao Xuai’s expression shifted, but he remained silent, simply leading Cai Fu and the others down a fork in the road.

"Brother, wait a moment!"

Cai Fu called out to stop Bao Xuai, pointing toward the towering mountain ahead and asking:

"Why are we not taking this main road?"

Bao Xuai replied with deep apprehension:

"You may not know this, Elder Brother, but this mountain is called 'Withered Tree Mountain'!

"There is a chieftain on the mountain whose appearance is ferocious and who loves nothing more than taking lives in this world, which is why people in the jianghu call him the 'Ill-Omened Star' Bao Xu!

"He commands five to six hundred minor outlaws, occupying Withered Tree Mountain, committing murder, arson, and highway robbery!

"This fellow also has a peculiar hobby. Although he is a foot soldier and favors infantry combat, he has a penchant for collecting fine horses!

"I once returned from buying horses in the northern lands, and when I passed beneath Withered Tree Mountain, this scoundrel intercepted me and fought a ferocious battle with me!

"I fought him to a complete standstill; though I managed to protect my men, a few of my horses were still seized by him...

"Elder Brother, this fellow is not someone easy to deal with.

"We are heading to Zengtou Village and have no need to pick a fight with him.

"It is better for us to simply skirt around the mountain..."

The 'Ill-Omened Star' Bao Xu?

Cai Fu remembered his name.

After joining Mount Liang, Bao Xu, along with Li Kui, Xiang Chong, and Li Gun, formed the "Four-Man Killing Squad," serving as the most lethal death-defying vanguard among Mount Liang's infantry.

Li Kui, a maniacal killer who shed tears only twice in his entire life—
Once for his mother, and the other time was when weeping for Bao Xu.

"Why should we skirt around the mountain?"

Cai Fu said dismissively, leaving himself out of the equation for a moment; Lu Junyi was still following right behind them.

You merely fought him to a draw, and that makes me worthy of taking a detour around a mountain?

Bao Xuai smiled bitterly and said, "I know Elder Brother does not fear him.

"It is just that our primary enemy right now is Zengtou Village, and there is no need to expend our strength prematurely here at Withered Tree Mountain..."

"No matter."

Cai Fu waved his hand:

"Just lead the way. When we encounter this Bao Xu, your brother has his own ways of dealing with him."

Helpless, Bao Xuai had no choice but to continue leading the path.

As Cai Fu’s party arrived at the foot of Withered Tree Mountain, the sound of a gong echoed, and a band of bandits surged out from the forest!

The leading hero had a large face as dark as the bottom of a cooking pot, and a fierce appearance resembling a malevolent ghost!

A pair of huge, bulging eyeballs protruded like a goldfish, and his thick lips turned outward like those of a starving wolf, exposing a full mouth of tusks!

This ghostly ruffian held a broadsword as large as a door panel, blocked the main road, pointed at Cai Fu’s party, and roared:

"This road was opened by me, and these trees were planted by me!

"If you wish to pass this way, leave behind the toll... Bao Xuai?"

Bao Xuai’s towering, ten-foot-tall frame was simply too eye-catching. The ghostly ruffian spotted him instantly and burst into loud laughter:

"You scoundrel fled in a panic the last time I thrashed you, and those two hundred-odd fine horses of yours are now all up on my mountain!

"You still dare to come back?"

Good grief!

Upon hearing this, Cai Fu realized that those two or three hundred fine horses on Withered Tree Mountain were all charitable donations from you, Bao Xuai?

Bao Xuai’s large face flushed as red as a monkey’s backside:

"Bao Xu, do not be so arrogant!

"The last time, I had a bad stomachache and suffered from unbearable abdominal pain, which allowed you to take advantage of me!

"This time I will certainly show you no mercy!"

"Oh really?"

The 'Ill-Omened Star' Bao Xu cast a wild and arrogant glance at Cai Fu and Lu Junyi:

"You brought powerful backers, so now you feel emboldened?

"What I, Bao Xu, say I will do, I do! Every time you come, I will beat you!

"Even if the Jade Emperor himself descends, I will still beat you!"

"Second Brother!"

Cai Fu detested nothing more than people showing off in his presence. With a sharp shout, Lu Junyi instantly spurred his horse forward with his spear leveled to charge into battle!

"Clatter-clatter! Clatter-clatter!"

The Qilin beast’s hooves struck the ground with the force of thunder, and Lu Junyi, grasping a twelve-foot steel-tipped spear, rushed toward Bao Xu like a gust of wind!

"Wa-ha-ha-ha—"

Bao Xu burst into unbridled, wild laughter, suddenly dashing forward a few steps before spinning fiercely like a top!

His door-panel-sized broadsword swept around his waist like a jade belt, rotating as it slashed diagonally toward Lu Junyi!

Is this it? Is this really it?

Bao Xu’s self-proclaimed exquisite technique looked like nothing more than child's play in Lu Junyi's eyes.

I care nothing for your tricks!

Lu Junyi saw through all illusions; his twelve-foot steel-tipped spear was invincible and could pierce through anything!

Most importantly, speed alone was unbeatable!

"Swish—"

Lu Junyi’s spear thrust out later yet arrived first, as swift as lightning, aiming straight for Bao Xu’s chest!

You're done for!

At that moment, Bao Xu felt a chilling wave wash over his heart:

His broadsword was simply too slow to reach Lu Junyi’s shins in time!

Within ten paces, the spear is king!

Seeing that the twelve-foot steel-tipped spear was about to pierce clean through his chest, Cai Fu timely shouted:

"Spare his life!"

Lu Junyi had already anticipated such an order, and thus with effortless skill, he deflected the spearhead two inches to the side.

"Splrit!"

The spearhead struck unerringly into Bao Xu’s armpit, after which Lu Junyi jerked the great spear upward!

"Whoosh—"

Bao Xu’s robust frame was sent flying into the air!

"Ah—"

After performing several chaotic somersaults in mid-air, Bao Xu crashed heavily onto the ground!

The impact left Bao Xu with darkened vision and a spinning head, and he lay paralyzed on the ground for a long time, unable to catch his breath!

"Hiss—"

The minor outlaws brought by Bao Xu all involuntarily sucked in a breath of dust:

Could this fellow truly be this terrifying?

After standing in a daze for a long time, the minor outlaws finally remembered to swarm forward, surrounding Bao Xu to protect him in the center.

Although they gripped swords and spears in their hands, every one of their faces was pale, trembling with fear and utterly terrified.

Not a single one of them even dared to utter a harsh threat.

"Wa-ha-ha-ha—"

This time it was Bao Xuai’s turn to burst into unbridled, wild laughter:

"Hit me now! Go on, hit me now!"

Bao Xu shook his large head fiercely, feeling a burning sensation beneath his armpit, and instinctively reached out to touch it:

Blood!

As it turned out, the spearhead had carved two deep bloody trenches across the inner side of his arm and his pectoral muscle!

Had Lu Junyi not held back his hand, that single spear thrust would have pierced straight through his heart, and by now he would already be a corpse...

Bao Xu glared with his two bulging eyes and asked with utter resentment and disbelief:

"What heroes are you? Do you dare state your names?"

"Bao Xu, you blind fool!"

Bao Xuai introduced them triumphantly:

"Have you never heard of the great name of the 'Jade Qilin of Hebei', Lu Junyi?"

"It is actually him?"

Bao Xu was utterly shocked, only to hear Bao Xuai introduce Cai Fu next:

"Our eldest brother is even more formidable!

"In the jianghu, he is known as the 'Iron Arm', also called 'Second Liu Bei', and additionally known as the 'Sword King of the Northern Lands'..."

"Ah!"

Bao Xu turned pale with fright, scrambled instantly to his feet, and bowed repeatedly toward the horse heads of Cai Fu and Lu Junyi:

"So it was Sword King Cai and Master Lu standing before me!

"Your younger brother Bao Xu was blind and lacked eyes; I beg the two elder brothers to forgive my offense!"