Chapter 660: The Death of Po Jun

The sleds of the carriage convoy trudged through the fierce snowstorm, leaving long trails as they moved from the woods all the way to the back gate of Thunder-Shaking Fortress. Due to the strict defenses around Thunder-Shaking Fortress and the powerful influence of the northern clans in this area, no attacks had ever occurred before, so the guards at the back gate were relatively weak. Two disciples from the Sword Forging Hall leaned together lazily to shield themselves from the wind and snow, chatting about matters among men as they watched the convoys coming and going.

Whoosh!!
Amidst the bitter cold wind, the disciples of the Sword Forging Hall didn’t notice that a slight gap had opened in the curtains of one of the carriages… nor did they see the familiar convoy approaching, with faint footprints in the snow behind it.

A sharp glint, like snowflakes swirling in the air, flashed out from inside the first carriage in an instant!

At the same time!
“Go!”
A warning from Po Jun rang in Happy Ear’s ears.

The coachman, who had been curled up in the carriage like a spring, seemingly terrified, suddenly shook off the snow on his body. With a swift motion, he pushed off the carriage and leaped out at lightning speed!

Moving like lightning, his speed was so fast that even the disciples of the Sword Forging Hall and the Sword Sect were caught off guard. In an instant, a gray figure soared above the roofs of the front carriages and appeared right above the heads of the Sword Forging Hall disciples.

Two Sword Sect disciples at the Unformed stage happened to be in front of the Sword Forging Hall disciples. Without hesitation, they unleashed their sword lights, aiming to kill the opponents instantly!

But…
Another Sword Sect disciple at the Unformed stage on the first carriage wasn’t going to stand by.

Swish!!
Almost as soon as Happy leaped off the roof of the front carriage, a sword light shot out…

“Attack!”
Po Jun and Ma Xiao both sprang up from their seats simultaneously. One on the left, one on the right, their soft swords snapped straight out, emitting a cold glow as they crossed paths to block the attacker.

The gray figure flashed toward the gate!

Thud! Thud!
Two heads flew into the air.

In the blink of an eye…
The three groups seemed to have coordinated their moves. Almost at the same time, Happy, Po Jun, Ma Xiao, along with the three Sword Sect disciples at the Unformed stage, gathered at the back gate of Thunder-Shaking Fortress.

Desiring to kill their targets before the northern clans could alert or discover anything, the Sword Sect disciples acted with ruthless efficiency. After killing the guards at the back gate, they immediately turned their attention to Happy and the group of coachmen…

Thud! Thud!
Happy calmly sent out two streams of finger winds in the air…

Although they were masters of the Wuwei realm, in the face of Kai Xin, they were slightly inferior even to those renowned elders of the demonic sects; their strength was at the initial stage of Wuwei, and their sword techniques still had some flaws. The moment he arrived above the two of them, two precisely timed finger strikes were launched. At such close range, the Sword Sect disciples were struck like by lightning, letting out a muffled groan as they were disabled. It was only a brief pause before Kai Xin continued flying over their heads at full speed, making several quick descents before disappearing into the snowstorm. By the time the Sword Sect disciples realized the situation was dire, Kai Xin had already turned a corner and entered Han Tian Fort. His speed was so great that they felt ashamed and were unable to chase after him. “This is bad—we didn’t expect there to be experts in the caravan. He got away.” One of them said with a gloomy expression and a heavy tone. “Never mind that,” said another as he caught up, staring in the direction where the gray-clad man had disappeared. “He can’t be from any of the northern clans; otherwise, they would have warned us long ago and exposed our whereabouts.” The first person to speak’s eyes lit up. “My senior is right!” After a pause, he added, “Then let’s deal with these guys first.” The two turned around decisively, leaving Po Jun and Ma Xiao in a desperate situation. Ma Xiao let out a warning howl, but was instantly killed by Po Jun’s sword; his warning cry vanished into the snowstorm. Soon after, Po Jun too was pierced through the chest by a surprised Sword Sect disciple. With a resentful gaze, he stared fixedly at the surrounding Sword Sect disciples before, as if relieved, collapsing in the snow. Meanwhile, the drivers of the caravans behind them, due to their delayed reaction, were killed on the spot by the Sword Sect disciples inside the carriages once the attack began. The Sword Sect disciples clearly had meticulous plans and moved swiftly. After eliminating everyone, they quickly hid the bodies in the carriages and rushed them into Han Tian Fort. Two Sword Sect disciples changed into the clothes of the swordsmith apprentices from Han Tian Fort, swiftly covered the bloodstains on the ground, put on hats to cover most of their faces, and stood in positions that should have belonged to those apprentices. Whoosh! The bitter cold wind continued to blow, and the back door returned to calm. But inside Han Tian Fort, several unusual undercurrents had emerged… …With the Nine Yang Divine Skill, Kai Xin was not only unafraid of the cold snow but also highly sensitive to his surroundings. Within a hundred meters, he could clearly perceive the falling snowflakes, the howling wind, the servants moving around in Han Tian Fort, and the breathing of the people inside the buildings—all of which were vividly imprinted in his mind.

A safest route was identified, and happily, without any trouble, they avoided many spies inside the Fortress. Following the markers on the map, they wound their way into a small courtyard that seemed to be inhabited by servants. Everyone around was like Happy, wearing ordinary gray cotton coats. Seven or eight servants were busy in the kitchen, while in the courtyard, two people were braving the wind and snow to break ice for water… a bustling scene indeed. Happy observed from hiding for a while before quickly locking eyes with a man in gray robes who kept scanning the surroundings. His sharp gaze stood out from that of the other servants, clearly indicating he possessed remarkable martial skills. It was him! Po Qian! Hidden in the shadows, Happy’s gaze met Po Qian’s. The latter’s eyes lit up slightly before he cautiously glanced around. Realizing no one was paying attention to him, he picked up a basket that seemed to have been prepared for some time and headed toward the dark area where Happy was. “You’re here?” Po Qian pulled Happy to a secluded spot, then frowned: “Where’s my brother?” He finally realized something was wrong. Happy told him about being held captive by Sword Sect disciples along the way. His expression immediately turned furious and agitated. “These bastards! I’ll avenge Po Jun!” “The Sword Sect must be here for the Sky Crystal. If we take it, we can frame them, forcing them to fight against the northern clans and the Nan Gong family. That would also be an act of revenge for my brother Po Jun.” “Right!” Po Qian quickly turned his grief into determination. Gritting his teeth, he nodded, opened the basket, and took out some small items. “There are people waiting for us at the Sword Forging Hall. ‘Ten Thousand Swords’ will be there. This is your new identity.” A soft object in his hand made Happy happy: a human skin mask!