Mo Sang – CH 001

Chapter 1. Midnight

Midnight, a slender crescent moon.

At Pingji Wharf, in Beidong County.

A lone, worn merchant ship lay moored in the fine drizzle, its crew fast asleep.

Wen Cheng, awakened from a nightmare in the cabin, gripped the long sword beside his pillow and sat bolt upright.

The spring on the hilt snapped open, the low, crisp sound pulling Wen Cheng from the last vestiges of his dream.

Wen Cheng stared in astonishment at Li Sangrou, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, standing in the middle of the cabin, and instinctively stammered: “I had a nightmare…”

Before he could finish, Li Sangrou pressed a finger to his lips, stopping him.

Wen Cheng’s face paled; he was about to release the sword, but immediately gripped the hilt tightly again.

Li Sangrou gestured for Wen Cheng to put on his shoes, then silently moved to the cabin door, disappearing like a ghost behind the doorpost.

Outside the cabin, the drizzle continued.

On the other side of the cabin, Da Chang, half a head taller and half a head wider than average, was fastening the last strap of his leather armor.

Jin Mao and Hei Ma flanked him, swords in hand, protecting him.

Hei Ma met Wen Cheng’s gaze, grinning and greeting him. In the darkness, his dark eyes gleamed fiercely.

Da Chang finished fastening his armor and had just lifted the massive black iron mace when a series of short, agonizing screams erupted from the bow of the ship.

Almost simultaneously, Li Sangrou flung open the door, and Hei Ma and Jin Mao, one after the other, charged out, their swords flashing.

Da Chang, however, took two steps back, swung his mace, and swept it towards the stern.

A sharp, piercing sound of shattering planks drowned out the thud of iron striking flesh and a few suppressed, deathly groans.

“Follow me!”

Li Sangrou shouted without turning her head, ducking and leaping out of the collapsing cabin. She held a toy-like steel crossbow in her hand, the crossbow clicking incessantly, each shot followed by the dull thud of a heavy object crashing onto the deck.

Wen Cheng, slightly dazed, quickly gripped his blade, turned around to Li Sangrou, and followed closely behind.

The seamless, almost uncanny coordination between Li Sangrou and her three subordinates left him momentarily stunned.

Li Sangrou and her three subordinates were bodyguards he had hired at great expense after their ordeal in Jiangdu City, Southern Liang.

The journey from Jiangdu City to Beidong County had taken over a month, and they had traveled the entire way safely.

For the past month, sharing the ship with her, she had chopped vegetables, cooked, drunk wine, and tea—no different from any other woman.

But now, seeing this fierce and ruthless side of her and her brothers, he felt a sense of disorientation.

“Retreat!” Li Sangrou shouted sharply.

Da Chang roared, slamming his spiked club onto the aft deck. Using the force, he leaped to the foredeck, landing with a series of crisp, cracking sounds on the deck.

“Follow me!”

Amidst the cracking sounds, Li Sangrou, without turning her head, called to Wen Cheng, then leaped forward with her crossbow, landing right behind Da Chang.

Wen Cheng quickly followed.

Li Sangrou half-crouched, half-kneelt, hiding behind Da Chang, continuously firing stray arrows from her crossbow.

Almost simultaneously, Jin Mao and Hei Ma gathered, flanking Da Chang from the left and right.

Wen Cheng lagged half a step behind, signaling to Jin Mao and Hei Ma that he would cover their retreat.

Da Chang’s spiked club was devastating; with a few blows, the side of the ship closest to the deep water shattered into splinters. The black-clad assassins who had swarmed the ship were scattered and broken, their remains floating on the surface, creating a bloody, mushy mess around the boat.

Having swept away the swarm of assassins, Da Chang quickly crouched down, put down his club, grabbed the mooring rope, and with a muffled shout, pulled it with all his might.

The ship surged forward. Wen Cheng, facing away from the bow and poised to thrust his sword forward, was caught off guard and crashed into the oncoming assassin, sword and all.

Hei Ma grabbed him, pushed him, and followed Li Sangrou, jumping off the bow, which had already reached the shallows.

From Li Sangrou’s shout of “Retreat!” to the group gathering on the foredeck and jumping off the ship, only seven or eight breaths had passed.

After wading through the shallow water, Jin Mao and Li Sangrou led the charge, with Da Chang bringing up the rear with his spiked club and Hei Ma protecting Wen Cheng in the middle.

Wen Cheng glanced back at the water ghosts struggling to climb out of the water.

“Damn, they are really rich! They are all wearing fish-skin suits. Powerful in the water, but they cannot run fast on land!”

Hei Ma, covered in blood, not only had time to explain to Wen Cheng but also spat at the water ghosts—some charging forward in their fish-skin suits, others stopping to frantically rip them off.

Wen Cheng ignored him, rushing to Li Sangrou’s side and urgently warning her, “Watch out for ambushes!”

As soon as he finished speaking, several torches lit up in the dark woods ahead.

Li Sangrou and Jin Mao, running ahead of him, did not hesitate for a moment, slightly veering off into the woods east of the torches.

“Stop them from behind!”

Hei Ma leaped high, roaring, his voice and intonation identical to that of the natives of Beidong County!

It was the dead of night, the waning moon dim.

The soldiers at the front, torches in hand, could not distinguish one from another. Hearing the familiar dialect, they instinctively let go of Li Sangrou and her companions, brandishing their swords and charging back.

Hei Ma’s roar gave them a dozen breaths’ worth of time, enough for them to plunge into the grove and flee frantically through the woods.

The pursuers following into the grove were clearly two groups.

A group huddled around the torches, their swords and armor clanging, shouting deafeningly, running unhurriedly, their armor gleaming, their manners distinctive—this was one group.

Another group, scattered in the shadows, moved with ghostly speed, their demeanor exactly like those of the water ghosts—this was another group.

Gradually, the ghostly figures in black left the heavily armed soldiers far behind, clinging to Wen Cheng and his group like leeches.

The woods bordered a mountain range to the east.

Jin Mao, neck outstretched, leaped and bounded ahead, leading the group as they were about to plunge into the mountains when, behind them, several faint yet piercing bowstrings twanged.

“Duck!”

“Hide!”

Wen Cheng’s warning and Li Sangrou’s command were given simultaneously.

Jin Mao leaped and darted behind a giant tree, while Hei Ma tumbled face-first into the bushes to its side.

Da Chang rushed forward, shielding Li Sangrou with his mace, and followed closely behind, leaping to the giant tree where Jin Mao was hiding.

Wen Cheng, following Hei Ma, leaped into the bushes where Hei Ma was hiding.

Before Da Chang could even regain his footing, seven or eight long, dark arrows embedded themselves in the spot where the group had just been.

Li Sangrou’s heart pounded wildly.

Damn! He was almost pierced through!

The arrows nearly disappeared into the ground; such force came from a bow with a draw weight of at least one dan¹.

In the darkness, in the woods, to shoot so accurately—such skilled archers were one in a thousand, and yet seven or eight of them came at once!

Was this Wen Cheng really just a mere advisor to the Prince’s mansion?

Those hundred thousand taels of silver for bodyguarding were not so easy to earn after all.

“Kill them!”

Wen Cheng rolled to Li Sangrou’s side, kneeling warily, his suggestion sounding like a general’s command.

Li Sangrou hummed in agreement. With her powerful bow at her side, turning to ambush was the only option.

“Hide well and do not move.”

This was a caravan escort mission; the safety of the goods was paramount.

Li Sangrou had always been a shrewd businesswoman.

“No!”

A warm feeling welled up in Wen Cheng’s heart, but he resolutely rejected Li Sangrou’s suggestion, then instructed, “Da Chang will lure the enemy, Hei Ma will follow me to ambush them, and you and Jin Mao will provide backup!”

Wen Cheng’s arrangement was concise and clear. Da Chang and Jin Mao did not move, nor did Hei Ma, who only turned to look at Li Sangrou.

Li Sangrou softly instructed, “Da Chang, be careful.”

With Li Sangrou’s permission, Hei Ma quickly leaped up and stood beside Wen Cheng, licking his lips incessantly, his dark face glowing with excitement.

What an honor it was to fight alongside the Wen family of Northern Qi!

Jin Mao, gripping his thin, willow-leaf-shaped longsword, took a half-step forward, replacing Da Chang and standing beside Li Sangrou.

Da Chang, carrying his massive spiked club, crouched down and ran swiftly and silently along the bushes towards the direction from which the bowstring had sounded.

After watching Da Chang run a few steps, Li Sangrou bent down, picked up a stone, and hurled it forcefully in the direction Da Chang had gone. The sound of arrows piercing the air followed, and a cluster of seven or eight arrows landed where the stone had fallen.

Li Sangrou screamed, jumped up, and landed heavily on the ground, as if seriously wounded.

From where the bowstring had sounded, a rapid rustling sound grew closer.

Li Sangrou crouched behind a tree root, her crossbow raised horizontally, eyes narrowed as she stared ahead, her cries of pain echoing, “Master…do not worry about me; you must go!”

The rustling sound grew more urgent and rapid.

Wen Cheng raised his eyebrows, glancing at the old tree where Li Sangrou was hiding with an inscrutable expression.

Not far away, a dozen or so black-clad men darted forward, drawing ever closer.

Wen Cheng narrowed his eyes, watching the black-clad men.

“Not bad. I did not expect the Marquis of Yongping’s residence to be able to train such men. I underestimated them before.”

The first few black-clad men dodged past the stone Li Sangrou had thrown, and Da Chang suddenly sprang up, swinging his club with both hands with all his might.

After several cracking sounds of bones breaking and flesh shattering, the incredibly powerful spiked club was stopped by a tree as thick as a bowl. The tree snapped in two, its crown, carrying the club’s residual force, crashing down and disrupting the black-clad men’s formation.

Wen Cheng and Hei Ma charged out one after the other, swords in hand, while Jin Mao leaped forward.

Li Sangrou, still crouching behind the tree, held her crossbow level. With a soft click, two small, dark arrows flew out, and two black-clad men clutched their throats and staggered to the ground.

The forest was too dense; Da Chang’s mace had not even reached a tenth of its power.

Li Sangrou watched with regret. She loved watching Da Chang’s swift and decisive sweep.

If she had known these little black-clad men were so easily fooled, she should have lured them to the edge of the forest and let Da Chang swing it around a couple of times, turning them into a bloody pulp!

That would have been truly satisfying!

The men were locked in combat, and Li Sangrou, unable to find an opportunity to use her crossbow, focused her attention on Wen Cheng.

The Wen family’s martial arts were truly impressive!

Li Sangrou watched in astonishment.

Hei Ma and Jin Mao relied on their fearless ruthlessness and the agility honed from fighting among beggars since childhood. Facing these well-trained black-clad men head-on, the two of them, fighting one at a time, only had a slight advantage.

The forest was too dense, and Da Chang’s spiked club could not wield its full power; his rare strength was barely enough to hold off two men fighting together.

Wen Cheng, however, was surrounded and engaged in combat with three or four black-clad men. His long sword techniques were ruthless and unpredictable. Fighting multiple opponents, the black-clad men appeared flustered, while Wen Cheng remained calm and composed, almost as if strolling leisurely.

For the first time, she realized that Wen Cheng was exceptionally handsome, possessing boundless charisma in both killing and fighting.

After observing for a moment, Li Sangrou frowned.

This protracted fighting was extremely disadvantageous for their side. There were still those clearly visible pursuers behind them. Although they were not particularly effective, even ants could kill an elephant if there were enough of them.

They needed to find a way to end this quickly.

Li Sangrou shifted half her body out from behind the tree roots, her crossbow slightly lowered, and stealthily moved towards Wen Cheng.

Wen Cheng caught a glimpse of Li Sangrou out of the corner of his eye, vaguely guessing her intentions. With a horizontal slash, he forced one of the black-clad men to tumble backward.

Li Sangrou’s crossbow was much faster than the tumbling black-clad man. A tiny black arrow silently pierced the throat of the black-clad man, who fell face-up to the ground.

The other three had not seen Li Sangrou or the black arrow. Their companion’s sudden death threw them into a panic.

Wen Cheng, naturally, would not let this opportunity slip by. His blade slashed down viciously, and a black-clad man was sent flying, his left arm and half his body flying with the blade.

The other two black-clad men instinctively took two steps back. One lunged at Wen Cheng again, while the other stopped and charged towards Li Sangrou’s hiding place.

Da Chang caught sight of this at a glance, roared, and smashed one of the black-clad men, tree and all, completely ignoring the other black-clad man swinging his knife at him, charging fearlessly towards Li Sangrou.

Jin Mao also shrieked, leaping back towards Li Sangrou. Hei Ma, furthest from Li Sangrou, howled anxiously and pounced.

He too needed to save their leader.

The world was vast, but the boss was paramount.

Li Sangrou’s crossbow was strapped to her arm with a leather strap. She loosened her grip, clenched her fist, and swung the crossbow to meet the oncoming blade. With her other hand, she drew a long, narrow dagger, thrusting it like a snake’s tongue towards the black-clad man’s throat.

The black-clad man’s dagger clashed with the crossbow, sparks flying. Li Sangrou’s deadly dagger deftly sliced ​​open his throat, blood gushing forth like a fountain, the man collapsing like a sandbag.

Then, Da Chang arrived with his spiked club before he could, smashing the still-breathing black-clad man into the ground.

Jin Mao’s knife followed a fraction of a second later, striking the pile of flesh, the jagged blade landing on the carnage.

Some dug a hole; others filled it with soil. This was the only black-clad man who could be laid to rest.

Da Chang and his two companions, disregarding the danger, withdrew from the battle to rush to Li Sangrou’s aid. The remaining black-clad men immediately charged towards Wen Cheng.

Their mission was crystal clear:

Kill that man!

As for Li Sangrou and the others, they were just obstacles; as long as they were not a hindrance, they were unnecessary to bother with.

Several black-clad men, with a chilling resolve, lunged at Wen Cheng with their blades.

Kill him! Even if they themselves were pulverized!

Wen Cheng’s mind was momentarily disturbed by the terror of Da Chang and the other two. Faced with such chilling resolve, a moment’s distraction could lead to disaster.

Wen Cheng’s sword slashed and parried, killing two men. A third blade aimed at his back, but by the time Wen Cheng lunged forward, it was too late. The blade grazed his back, and Wen Cheng cried out in pain.

Hei Ma spotted this, turned, and pounced, cleaving the jubilant third black-clad man, who was about to deliver the finishing blow, in two at the waist.

Li Sangrou was so angry that she wanted to jump up and down and curse.

Despite their meticulous planning, a single oversight occurred. At the last moment, the goods were destroyed, and it seemed he would not survive.

“Take off the armor, throw away the spiked club, grab him, and run!” Li Sangrou instructed Da Chang.

Da Chang quickly discarded the leather armor and spiked club and scooped up Wen Cheng.

Li Sangrou, without checking Wen Cheng’s injuries, poured a handful of various colored pills from her purse and shoved them into Wen Cheng’s mouth, patting and pounding them down.

“These are all antidotes; swallow them!”

She then ripped off her own skirt, tore it into several pieces, and tightly wrapped it around Wen Cheng’s torn back.

The group, looking as if they had just been pulled from a pool of blood, did not care about anything else and ran frantically towards the small hill.