Unparalleled Duo

Yingzhou, located to the north of the Huai River, featured flat terrain with converging rivers and distinct seasons, offering picturesque landscapes.

Sun Yixie and Huang Donglai had encountered bandits on mountains and thieves on ridges all along their journey. Only when they reached Yingzhou did they finally experience a period of peace without any incidents.

Of course, there was a reason for this...

Feng Manlou, one of the "Wind, Cloud, Water, Moon" top experts from the imperial court, was stationed in Yingzhou Wei. While other places might not be as safe, Yingzhou City itself was well-guarded. Even top martial artists from the jianghu wouldn't dare to cause trouble there, let alone those low-class scoundrels.

After resting in Yingzhou for three days, eating their fill of baked flatbread and spicy soup, and taking the time to practice their kung fu and stretch their limbs, Sun and Huang felt idle enough to take a leisurely stroll around West Lake in Yingzhou.

Three days later, both the men and the horses had shaken off much of the fatigue from their travels. They took to the road again, refreshed.

Leaving Yingzhou City and heading northwest meant an uphill journey, which typically would be challenging. However, their horses had rested for three days, so the trek was not as exhausting as expected. They were able to reach post houses before dusk each day.

Time passed as they traveled through the government's highways, passing two counties before arriving in Zhoukou.

From Lu Zhou to this place, by today's standards, it could be reached in under five hours on the highway.

But back in those days, due to the perils of the road, various incidents, and necessary rest, Sun and Huang had traveled for over ten days to get this far, which was no easy feat.

Unfortunately, the horses gifted by Mr. Zeng had almost run their course and needed a good rest before they could manage another long journey. Upon reaching Zhoukou, Sun Yixie traded for two fresh horses after some haggling with a horse dealer.

These new horses were spirited and well-rested, and should not need replacing all the way to Luoyang.

At this point, Huang Donglai and Sun Yixie also decided against taking carriages from the High-speed Train Gang for the remainder of the journey — after all, it was an adventure on its own to travel the road and gain experiences.

Leaving Zhoukou, their next stop would be Xuzhou, now known as Xuchang.

Upon reaching Xuzhou, they wouldn't be far from Luoyang.

If everything went well, they would arrive about half a month ahead of schedule.

Of course, any unforeseen events could cause delays... In that era, everything moved slowly. Information that could be conveyed in minutes via phone or text today could take hours to pass on back then. While you could drive to eight places and get eight things done in a day, it was considered efficient for people of that time to accomplish two tasks in a day.

Which is why, when undertaking important journeys, it was common to set off ten to fifteen days earlier than the meticulously calculated itinerary.

Sun Yixie and Huang Donglai had started their journey early, otherwise, they wouldn't have had the leisure to deal with so many side matters...

...

Let's return to Sun and Huang who had left Zhoukou, following the road along the banks of the Ying River upstream.

This route allowed them to gaze at the peaks across the Ying River, boasting its own unique allure.

That evening, they sought lodging in a village. There was an inn, though with only a few rooms. As both travelers were men, sharing a room was no problem.

After a game of rock-paper-scissors, "Spring-Hand" Sun Yixie won the right to the bed, leaving Huang Donglai to curse and set up his bedding on the floor.

The night passed without incident until the early hours...

Sssshhhh—Sssshhhh—

A strange noise suddenly began to sound outside their window.

Almost simultaneously, Sun and Huang both heard it and woke up at the same time. Their reactions were identical: they snapped their eyes open, sat up quietly, looked around, and then leaned their heads toward each other to whisper, "Did you hear that?"

"I did..." Huang Donglai replied, "And it doesn't sound like the wind..."

"No shit," said Sun Yixie. "The corridor of the inn is outside the door; there's no wind there."

"Then..." suggested Huang Donglai, "Brother Sun, why don't you go take a look, and I'll cover you with hidden weapons?"

"Balls!" retorted Sun Yixie. "I'm not going."

"Are you scared?" teased Huang Donglai.

"Who said that?" Sun Yixie clenched his jaw, fell for the taunt, and blurted out, "I'm not scared of anything! Facing danger is like breathing to me."

"Then why don't you go?" Huang Donglai pressed.

"I..." Sun Yixie was at a loss for a good excuse at that moment.

"Brother Sun, is there something troubling you?" Huang Donglai smirked slyly.

"I'm not troubled! What trouble could I possibly have?" Sun Yixie said, then suddenly thought of a retort, "Why don't you go?"

"I have my reasons," Huang Donglai admitted nonchalantly. "I have a weak heart. If it's something terrifying, what if it scares me to death?"

"You..." Sun Yixie was starting to regret his bravado. If only he had played it safe, like Huang, he wouldn't have been in such a bind. "Damn it... fine, I'll go!"

Their whispered conversation continued in hushed tones. Sun Yixie then tiptoed off the bed, grabbed a trident leaning against the wall, glanced down at his protective armor (which he invariably wore even in sleep), swallowed hard, and stepped toward the door...

Sssshhhh—Sssshhhh—Sssshhhh—

In those brief couple of minutes, the noise outside not only persisted but grew louder and more urgent. It seemed to be coming straight for them.

As Sun Yixie approached the door, Huang Donglai, too, was preparing. Rising from the ground, he positioned himself behind and to the side of Sun Yixie, clutching a pair of hidden weapons, ready to provide support.

Neither of them was foolish; they weren't about to light a candle. Doing so would clearly disadvantage them more in such circumstances.

Sun Yixie finally reached the door after a few more seconds, took another deep breath, mustered up his courage, lifted the latch, and pulled the door inward.

Eeeek...

The old door hinges let out a squeal as the door opened.

Then the door swung open.

Sun Yixie stepped back two paces, bracing the trident in front of him, only to find... nothing and no one, just the desolate corridor and the white wall opposite.

The bizarre noise had also ceased abruptly as the door opened.

Yet Sun Yixie didn't let his guard down. He held his breath and concentrated, peering into the darkened corridor, listening intently.

Soon he heard...

Drip, drip, drip...

Sounds on the outside floorboards — droplets of water hitting the ground.

As Sun Yixie realized what it was and looked up...

Suddenly! A mass of wet, black hair dropped down from above the door, ending in a pale, upside-down face.

"Aah!" That "ghost face" let out a bloodcurdling scream at the moment it appeared.

"Aahhh—" At the same time, Sun Yixie matched with a shriek of his own.

It should have been enough to frighten anyone given the ambiance and scene, especially paired with the startling cries from the ghostly visage.

Sun Yixie indeed jumped, throwing his trident aside and instinctively covering his cheeks with his hands, mimicking Munch's "The Scream" in an instant. He then stumbled backward and tripped over the bed, collapsing onto it.

Huang Donglai, who had also caught sight of the "ghost face" from the side, froze in terror.

However, seeing Sun Yixie's comically exaggerated reaction, Huang Donglai quickly snapped out of his stupor. With two swift flicks, his hidden weapons flew through the air.

Sadly, the figure outside was quick to react. Before the projectiles could reach her, she swiftly withdrew her head.

Bang, bang, bang...

Almost immediately, noises of footsteps on the roof were heard. Huang Donglai was tempted to give chase but then thought better of it; it all seemed too much like a trap.

As Huang Donglai hesitated, Sun Yixie had overcome his initial shock and, in a burst of fury-fueled ingenuity, picked up the trident again. Balancing on the bed, he thrust it toward where the noise seemed to come from on the roof...

The inn in this village, with its dilapidated thatched roof, was no match for Sun Yixie's weapon, a treasure capable of slicing through iron like mud. His thrust went through the roof with no resistance, akin to stabbing a knife through paper. The person on the roof had not expected an "attack through the wall" and was caught off-guard. Her entire left foot was skewered.

Her plan had been to lure them onto the roof and use the "Flowing Silk Soul-breaking Array" to ambush them. But now, before she could even act, she was already seriously injured and had to flee to avoid further confrontation.

Sun Yixie, however, was unaware of her plan. Sensing blood on his trident's tip after the first thrust, he knew he hit the mark. Emboldened, he jabbed it another seven or eight times in quick succession.

As Huang Donglai realized what was happening and tried to stop Sun Yixie... it was too late.

With a clatter of falling tiles, the roof collapsed.