174 Valuable Shipment II (1/2)

Lin Qingcheng stood up and sighed heavily. The battle had been more difficult than she expected. The burly steel fisted warrior was very crafty and if she did not have the Golden Serpent Robes she would have definitely lost. His moves were strange and she could not counter all of them. She had suffered quite a few blows that were all blocked by her armor. It even helped crush her opponent's weapon.

”Could Sister Ziyun win against him without assistance? Probably…” She muttered.

She was still disappointed by her most recent loss to Zhou Ziyun during training. Her progress in the Spirit Initiate Realm was stagnant and her sister had caught up. She was not the type to get jealous and she was sincerely happy for Zhou Ziyun. At the same time, she was also frustrated in herself. She was master's first disciple after all and she needed to work hard to make him proud of her.

These thoughts weighed on her mind. It was the main reason why she went out of her way to get involved in this mission tonight. Her disciples had overheard bits and pieces during their work and finally pieced together the intel on this valuable shipment. By rescuing the woman in the carriage, she would be able to make one of Moonlight City's high-class brothels take a heavy loss.

Lin Qingcheng grinned and focused her mind back on the task at hand. She grabbed the unconscious old man's leg and started dragging him back toward the carriage. The fog was getting thicker but she knew which way to go.

When she finally saw the outline of the horses and the carriage, she became alarmed. There were multiple figures moving around… she counted more than twenty! How could she let others steal her target after all the effort she put in?

Lin Qingcheng dropped the leg she was holding and dashed forward. As the fog cleared, she saw the glitter of armor, shields, and the weapons in their hands. A noble and elegant young man emerge from the carriage, carrying a limp body wrapped in a white cloth.

”Drop that woman!” She yelled and leaped towards the carriage.

”Guards!”

”Sir!”

”Stop!”

A chorus of yells met her advance. A squad of five armored soldiers immediately formed a wall of shields. They were all at the 1st or 2nd levels of the Spirit Initiate Realm and combined their spiritual energy to negate her attack.

Lin Qingcheng was blown backwards and landed in a heap on the forest floor. She immediately rolled to the side, avoiding a volley of throwing spears that landed where she was a moment before. She twirled and blocked with her legs and arms until the soldiers ran out of missiles.

She finally exhaled and glared at her new opponents, ”Bastards, hand me that woman or else suffer the consequences!”

She tried to be menacing but she was met with a bought of laughter. It came from the noble with a handsome and clean-cut face. He already on his horse, with the unconscious prize laying across his lap. He rode over confidently, flanked by ten riders and even more foot soldiers.

”It is a treat to finally meet the Golden Madam. You are every bit as impressive as the rumors.” The man said and bowed his head slightly.

”I don't want to be your enemy. I think we have a lot in common. We can be good friends.” He chuckled and winked at her.

Lin Qingcheng's temper flared and she charged straight at him, intent on punching his face into a bloody mess. How dare he mock her?

The wall of soldiers met her again but she was ready this time. With a powerful leap, she vaulted over the foot soldiers and landed in front of the cavalry. Another storm of blades stopped her advance and she suffered multiple blows and cuts that glanced off her armor. While she was distracted, the noble retreated to the rear. The foot soldiers also caught up and reformed their defensive line.

Her furious attack finally ran out of steam, unable to overcome to difference in numbers. They were all strong and well trained. Fighting against all of them was ten times tougher than fighting against Xia Kang alone. Her yellow robes were torn to shreds, revealing the glittering golden armor beneath. Thankfully, her mask was still intact but it was barely holding together.

Her opponents were still full of fighting spirit. She could also keep fighting but it would take a long time for her to beat these men. In that time, even more city guards might show up...

The noble seemed to sense what she was thinking and spoke up once more. ”My lady, please do not be angry with me. I am merely protecting my investment. You should understand, we are in the same business after all.”

”Don't rope me in with the likes of you.” Lin Qingcheng answered spitefully.

”Fine, fine, I'm sorry. But this woman, I absolutely must obtain. As compensation, I hereby formally invite you to the Full Moon Revelry.” The man said. ”I'm sure you've heard of it? It is the gathering of the foremost brothel owners in the whole kingdom.”

He extended a hand and a silvery badge floated forward.

Lin Qingcheng caught it and examined it. It was real!