Chapter 30: A Favorable Wind Does Not Mean All Sails Should Be Hoisted

***

In the central courtyard, before the Lin Residence, Third Miss Lin Huaiyu held a sword in her hand. She had encircled both "Qing Jiao" and "Du Long", and it seemed only a matter of time before she would eliminate her opponents.

Meanwhile, Zhou Ping'an executed the "Draw Sword Slash," eliminating the traitor Wang Jizu.

With the "Looking Back at the Moon" maneuver from the "Nine Styles of the Jiao Dragon Turnover," he suddenly counterattacked, slaying Tan Qing, the Fifth Householder of the Black Mountain Stronghold, who was known as the Life-Seizing Scholar.

To everyone watching, his sword technique was enigmatic, his movements unpredictable, and he was without equal in his might for a moment.

The surrounding Guardian House Servants almost cheered out loud upon witnessing this scene.

They all let out a long sigh of relief.

It felt like tonight's sudden attack should be drawing to an end.

Even Xiao Xue, standing aside and gasping for breath with her hands supporting her waist, had a smile spreading across her face.

The little girl in her arms tried to get down on her feet, pushing up with her hands and feet.

She too felt that the danger was finally behind them.

But Zhou Ping'an didn't relax his grip; instead, he held her even tighter.

He didn't stop moving for a second.

He dragged his sword back, not even turning around. Planting his right foot firmly on the ground, he tilted his body at a forty-five-degree angle and flew backward in retreat.

Since he had set his goal, he would ensure Little Jiu Girl reached her sister.

Even if Zhou Ping'an couldn't see any danger, he would not let down his guard at the final moment.

Since the beginning, there was one question he hadn't figured out.

The attackers tonight, besides the traitor Wang Jizu at the front, loudly signaling their assault, were the Third and Fourth Householders from Black Mountain Stronghold, both Blood Replacement Martial Masters.

More than twenty black-clothed men followed the orders of "Qing Jiao" and "Du Long" and were leading the charge.

Clearly, these men were also from the Black Mountain Stronghold.

Moreover, those who attempted to sneak attack and kidnap the little one at Xiao Jiu's quarters were also led by the Fifth Householder from Black Mountain Stronghold.

So, the question arose.

This place was neither the wasteland outside the city nor the trade path below Black Mountain.

There's no reason to mention why the Black Mountain Bandits would attack the Lin Residence.

How could they enter the city in force?

And how could they locate the residences of the Lin Family so precisely, knowing both the front and back courtyards inside out?

It would be unreasonable to assume that there were no inside collaborators.

For wanted bandits to sneak into a city, generally, there are only two ways.

Either by a frontal assault.

Or with the secret cover of a powerful force within the city, allowing them to sneak in silently.

Since there was no frontal assault, nor any news of bandits entering the city, there can be only one possibility.

They had collaborators.

The night raid on the Lin Residence on the surface appeared to be a routine raid by mountain bandits on wealthy households.

Considering the recent incidents in the Lin Family's businesses and medicine shops pulling the attention of the family's Offering masters away on frequent occasions to maintain order...

The situation became quite clear.

The invasion by the Black Mountain Bandits was probably just a diversion for the eyes of the Qingyang Official Government.

They were the front for another power.

Who this power was, was actually rather obvious.

And Zhou Ping'an wasn't very concerned about it.

What he cared about was...

With the Black Mountain Stronghold's Household leaders having led the charge, would the hidden mastermind really just watch without taking action?

Assuming they would make a move,

the best opportunity to act,

other than right now,

would be when else...

At this moment, it was exactly when Lin Huaiyu was about to slay "Qing Jiao" and "Du Long."

It was also right after he had just rescued Little Jiu and killed a major enemy, a moment when his guard was down...

If things were as expected, it would also be the most dangerous moment.

Therefore, Zhou Ping'an didn't even allow himself time to turn and run.

Instead, he took advantage of his momentum to lean backward, shooting off in a rapid backflip.

...

He had just left his original position

when the rooftop of the central courtyard "boomingly" collapsed, leaving a huge hole.

Broken tiles and splinters fell like rain.

These fragments, carried by strong whistling winds, were so fast and powerful that they compared to arrows loosed from a bowstring.

"Pu pu pu..."

Tile shards and splintered wood collided into dust on the bluestone ground, scattering in every direction.

Zhou Ping'an, who quickly took a step back to evade in advance, felt his heart grow even heavier.

For any Strength-Training Martial Master, shards of wood and tile truly couldn't kill a person.

But what the enemy wanted was not to deliver a fatal blow but to pin him down on the spot.

This indirectly proved something.

The last assailant had the utmost confidence that within a few moves, before Lin Huaiyu could intervene, he could take Zhou Ping'an down...

Or even kidnap Little Jiu Girl.

His thoughts spinning, he retreated rapidly.

The enemy diving towards him did so with a speed faster even than an eagle hunting its prey, by at least a third.

The cloud-like tile and wood fragments had just hit the ground and burst into powder...

A figure in black with a masked face and flowing robes had already pounced in front of Zhou Ping'an.

One hand extended, its five fingers emitting a radiant red glow; before even touching Zhou Ping'an's face, the heat was like that from a furnace, whipping up the hot air to the point of making breathing difficult.

"I spin, keep spinning..."

Zhou Ping'an's gaze was icy as with a slight tremor of his left hand, he flung Little Jiu Girl out.

Directly into the path of Xiao Xue.

She stood rooted to the spot, fumbling in haste, clearly having yet to grasp what was happening.

Only when Little Jiu Girl was thrown towards her did she suddenly come to her senses, quickly catching her and retreating.

By then, Zhou Ping'an's body was practically gliding on the ground, spinning swiftly.

The sheath of his sword was already out of hand, the long blade nowhere to be seen.

The black-robed assailant, with his right palm enveloped in a fierce flame-like glow, kept pressing down but always fell just short of touching Zhou Ping'an.

The sound of finger strikes hitting their mark, sharp and clear.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, he had blocked seven sword strikes.

"Clever boy, you leave me no choice."

Even with the element of surprise and his cultivation realm at least two levels above the enemy's, he was still outmaneuvered by the cunning and treacherous swordplay.

The masked man grew so furious that his hair and beard seemed to whirl wildly around him.

He bellowed angrily and surged forward.

Hiss...

With one step forward, his right rib area was sliced by a sword.

The blade cut skin and flesh, broke a rib, and its force dissipated...

Taking advantage of the moment his waist muscles tensed around the sword, trapping it, the masked man in black howled in pain and struck sideways at the sword.

Clang...

The long sword in Zhou Ping'an's hand broke into three pieces, shattered by that glowing red palm.

The other hand, wreathed in black mist, silently struck at his chest.

"Such sturdy bones, such a strong physique."

Only now did Zhou Ping'an spring up from where he had lain against the ground, standing upright.

From the feedback through his long sword,

he felt the enemy's skin was as tough as old ox tendons and their bones as hard as metal.

The blade struggled to cut through, despite his nearly two thousand pounds of force in the strike.

What was more ridiculous was...

That the sword got stuck after cutting into the flesh and bone.

Stuck...

That was somewhat embarrassing.

Therefore, real combat experience, especially against skilled opponents, is essential.

Zhou Ping'an had never anticipated such a situation.

To try drawing his sword and retreating was already too late.

He could only watch helplessly as the enemy's left hand, which had not moved from his waist, silently struck out.

If the previous palm strike felt like being baked by a furnace, setting his eyebrows and whiskers as if to singe them,

then the palm that now approached, dark and gloomy, was entirely different.

Even before the palm arrived, the bone-penetrating chill had already made him involuntarily shiver.

Zhou Ping'an clenched his teeth.

In the face of danger, one must be bold.

The enemy was faster and had deeper cultivation; no matter how he might turn to run, he couldn't outrun them.

Moreover, with this resentful strike, if he could not block it, it would surely be followed by a relentless onslaught, beating him into a pulp.

The so-called "seeking life within death" was nothing more than a desperate struggle.

He clenched his teeth.

In an instant, he mobilized all the power within his muscles and bones, Qi-blood, and flesh, with a focused and sincere intent; his force, like a torrential tide, roared out as he too struck with a palm.