The Nine Cauldrons
chapter-49

Teng Qingshan rushed down the mountain with flying speed.

“Qinghu, don’t blame me,” Teng Qingshan silently said in his mind.

Teng Qingshan could have rushed back and forth within the White Horse Gang’s mighty force. However……if he had attacked the White Horse Gang alone, they would be able to easily guess his identity. Moreover, inside the gang’s mighty forces, Teng Qingshan would be unable to protect Li Luoxiang, and she still might have died.

Teng Tengshan knew this very clearly.

Moreover, the White Horse Gang could definitely assume one thing: an ordinary girl like Li Luoxiang, which master would go all out for her?

It was impossible for her backing to be from the Great Li Village; therefore, it could only be the legendary master of Teng Jia Village: Teng Qingshan. In addition, many of their force’s soldiers had gone to Teng Jia Village and seen him. Teng Qingshan’s appearance could be recognized very easily.

Later on……

Disaster would fall upon Teng Jia Village!

To rescue a woman he had never met before and making the entire Teng Jia Village suffer a crisis was something that Teng Qingshan wouldn’t allow! Even if he did, he didn’t know if she could be rescued. Actually, the most important point ……He didn’t know how Li Luoxiang looked like. If he went to aid her, among all those captured women, how could he find out who Li Luoxiang was!

In fact, the extent of the suffering experienced by the other dead women had also been extremely cruel . If Teng Qingshan had arrived earlier, would have had to rescue all of those unfortunate people?

The number of people who suffered hardships and calamities under this heaven, including the women abducted by bandits, was innumerable. Teng Qingshan didn’t have the vanity to save all of the people who were suffering in this world. After all, this was the way of this world; a person alone was unable to change it.

“In this chaotic era, I can only try my hardest to protect my clansmen!” Teng Qingshan silently said to himself.

The Iron Mountain Gang and the White Horse Gang were madly killing each other. The arms of White Horse Gang’s men were all wearing a white cloth strip, and all the Iron Mountain Gang members were all wearing a red cloth strip! After all, inside this chaotic fighting with thousands of fighters, no one could tell who was who, so they could only look at the color of the cloth strip.

In the eyes of the Iron Mountain Gang member, everyone with a white cloth strip strapped on their arm needed to be killed. If someone didn’t have any cloth strip, kill nonetheless!

Just kill, kill ,kill!!!

“Whoosh!”

Teng Qingshan entered the stronghold of the Iron Mountain Gang and took the red cloth strip from the arm of a bandit’s corpse. After tying it on own his arm, Teng Qingshan looked for White Horse Gang members to kill within this chaos. “In the midst of this confusion, who would know if I silently kill Master Hong Si and that Young Master?”

The murderous intention that he had held in for so long was finally unleashed!

“He is spy.” A short bark could be heard from behind. An Iron Mountain Gang member holding a saber saw with his own eyes how Teng Qingshan disguised himself as one of his brothers.

Teng Qingshan turned his head and stared at him with cold eyes.

His body became an afterimage.

“Poof!”Teng Qingshan’s right hand became fast as lightning and slit the bandit’s throat. “Gulp, gulp”. The bandit stared with big eyes at his throat, where fresh blood spurted out, before crashing down. Teng Qingshan took the saber from the bandit’s hand. There weren’t many spear experts within Yi City, so using his own weapon would expose his identity.

Therefore, Teng Qingshan didn’t bring his Reincarnation Spear.

Holding this saber, Teng Qingshan rapidly advanced to the front lines where the battle was the most intense.

……

On a Treading in Snow Horse, a silver old fox, clad in a silver helmet and armor, looked at the distance and revealed a smiled on his face. “Even when those three Iron Mountain Brothers were extremely careful and on high alert, they still fell for this old man’s trap, haha…”

“Master.” Next to him was a tall man riding on a Scarlet Flame Horse and wearing a full armor. He laughed while saying, “Master has been ruling Yi City for dozens of years. While this Iron Mountain Gang was rapidly expanding, we planted some spies among their ranks……Humph, no matter how careful they put up their guard, they would be unavoidably be caught.”

With the aid of spies planted within the Iron Mountain Gang, breaking through the stronghold’s entrance became a much easier task.

“Zhenjie!” the silver old man shouted.

“Father.” A nearby man who was riding on a similar Treading in Snow Horse replied.

“Those three Wang Clan brothers have travelled the world and used ferocious techniques. You have too little experience fighting against experts. Today, you will sit at the rear of the army and prevent people from fleeing without a fight. Wang He, you will lead White Horse Battalion in your martial brother’s stead, and when time comes, you will assist this old man to kill the three Iron Mountain brothers in one fell swoop.” Master Hong Si gave the order in a calm manner.

“Yes, Master,” replied the man riding the Scarlet Flame Horse.

“Father, you need to be careful,” Hong Zhenjie said somewhat worriedly.

“Rest assured! Your father has diligently and painstakingly researched “Cold Moon Saber Technique” on White Horse Lake for dozens of years. In addition, I’ve advanced my saber arts to the next level. As long as I don’t rush in recklessly, those three Wang Clan brothers will never win against me. Wang He, take your White Horse Battalion on a rampage. Kill those three brothers of the Wang Clan first; afterwards, the Iron Mountain Gang will collapse!”

Hidden inside an attic of a cottage, Teng Qingshan observed in the distance.

“I disguised myself as an Iron Mountain Gang member and stormed into the camp of the White Horse Gang camp while slaughtered them nonstop. This is really troublesome.” On Teng Qingshan’s right hand was a saber covered in blood. He had already killed numerous of White Horse Gang troops a moment ago and hid in this attic afterwards.

Occasionally, a White Horse Gang member rushed in, but Teng Qingshan would swiftly send him to the afterlife.

“The most important thing right now is to find Master Hong Si and his son. However, I haven’t seen these two people yet!” Teng Qingshan scowled.

Master Hong Si was the head of Yi City’s White Horse Gang. He was a character from legends, and those who met him were very few.

As for his son ‘Hong Zhenjie’, many people only knew that there as a Young Master who was leading the White Horse Gang’s most elite force: the White Horse Battalion. As for his name, many people didn’t even know it, let alone his appearance.

When the White Horse Gang came out to collect their annual tribute, they normally sent their subordinates. Occasionally the Second Master or the Third Master would also come out.

After all, the highest position in the White Horse Gang was the First Master, followed the Young Master. Only then came the Second Master and Third Master.

“For now, I will closely observe the three brothers of the Wang Clan, and when the time comes, Master Hong Si will definitely come out! Master Hong Si should be very old, and his saber arts will no doubt be powerful! From these two points, I can determine who Master Hong Si is. As for the Young Master of the White Horse Gang, he should the second strongest expert and also be very powerful.” Teng Qingshan carefully observed the three brothers of the Wang Clan.

……

“Haha, geezer Hong! You can only resort to using cheap trick. If you dare, come and fight with us three brothers!” A bald brawny fellow looking like a demon held a pair of red copper hammers, brandishing them around madly while smashing the heads of White Horse Gang members. With each swing, bones were broken.

From the three brothers for the Wang Clan, the eldest brother, Wang Tieshan, wielded a saber that no one was able to block.

(TN: Tieshan = Iron Mountain in Chinese)

The second brother, Wang Tiefeng, brandished a pair of red copper hammers that reaped life with each swing.

The third brother, Wang Tiehai, used a long steel spear that resembled a Flood Dragon.

These three brothers led the Iron Mountain Gang’s elite troops while rushing forward, slaughtering their foes. Rushing forward like an irresistible force, they easily slaughtered their way through. A large number of White Horse Gang bandits were killed, increasing the Iron Mountain Gang’s morale greatly.

“Haha, third brother, you don’t need to shout anymore. This geezer Hong has been hiding on the White Horse Lake for decades and doesn’t have the balls anymore,” A big brawny bald man equipped with a saber said while laughing. Waving his saber, the White Horse Gang bandits and their horses rushing at him were immediately split in half. Seeing this, the White Horse Gang bandits were frightened to death.

Those three Wang Clan brothers all had imposing statures and were all bald. Their appearance looked extremely similar.

“Wang Clan’s third punk! Weren’t you looking for this old man?” A bold voice resounded between heaven and earth, easily heard by everyone on the battlefield. A silver haired old man, clad in full armor and holding a silver-edged long saber reflecting a cold light, sent countless bandits’ heads flying as he flew towards the three brothers in mid-air.

The White Horse Gang bandits immediately cheered.

“What a strong inner strength.” The Wang Clan’s third brother’s complexion slightly changed.

……

In the attic.

Teng Qingshan’s eyes suddenly shone as he stared at that old man displaying his Qing Gong. “Master Hong Si!”

……

Holding a long saber, Master Hong Si’s body resembled a phantom image continuously chopping away dozens of people’s heads. He flew across a distance of 100 Zhang (300m).

“Haha, you are courting death.” A big arrogant laughter could be heard.

Master Hong Si’s long saber turned into ten afterimages in his hand and simultaneously enveloped the three brothers of the Wang Clan. The three brothers could only hold their weapon to block the saber’s afterimages. The eldest brother Wang Tieshan’s strength was the strongest, and the second brother Wang Tiefeng used the two handle of his red copper hammers for protection. These two brothers were not injured.

Only the third brother Wang Tiehai received a big wound on his chest and abdomen.

In merely one exchange, Master Hong Si had already injured one of them.

“Your three, none of you will make it out here alive.”Master Hong Si landed on the ground and revealed an arrogant look.

“An expert!” In the attic, Teng Qingshan’s complexion slightly changed. “In only a moment, Master Hong Si could unexpectedly brandish his saber 18 times. How could he be so quick? Each of his saber chops was real and not only an empty afterimage.” Teng Qingshan knew very clearly that even if he were to display the same move with his current muscular strength, he estimated that he could only display the saber’s afterimage.

His speed couldn’t keep up with Master Hong Si.

However, Master Hong Si’s body absolutely couldn’t be compared to his.

“This is the power of a saber’s secret technique?” Teng Qingshan thought to himself.

Within the world’s Nine Prefectures innumerable history, there were countless experts generation after generation. Giving birth to a secret technique manual was not something uncommon. The secret technique “Crossing Worlds” that Teng Qingshan practiced used inner strength to display a speed that was way beyond what he could achieve with the speed of his body.

If Qing Gong had secret techniques, then sword arts, saber arts and spear arts also had their secret techniques.

He absolutely couldn’t underestimate secret techniques.

“His saber arts were indeed good, but my spear arts has evolved from the thousand year old Internal Martial Arts’s ‘Five Element Boxing’. I could easily block and kill him.” Teng Qingshan was proficient in the spear arts, after all. “They all ……riding all green-maned horse? And they are all wearing armor? This must be the legendary White Horse Battalion!”

……

Master Hong Si’s saber arts were relentless, but the three brother of Wang Clan worked together and weren’t far behind. Especially the eldest brother Wang Tieshan, whose saber had left a wound on Master Hong Si.

“Boom!” “Boom!”……

The earth made trembling sounds.

“Not good.” The faces of the Wang Clan’s three brothers became pale as they saw how the White Horse Gang surrounded them. The horses surrounded them, and the elite cavalry soldiers wearing armor rushed at them. The cavalry soldiers were holding sabers that were similar to Master Hong Si’s, and they seemed unstoppable as they wielded their sabers ferociously.

Protected by their armor, they rushed forward and easily knocked away the Iron Mountain Gang bandits and slaughtered them in groups.

Even when these bandits wanted to kill the opposite party, they couldn’t pierce through their enemies’ armor.

This elite cavalry, a total of 200 men, seemed like a mighty current of steel as they rushed towards the three brothers of the Wang Clan.

……

Inside the attic, Teng Qingshan could see that although the horses were protected by armor, he could see still the color of their coats.

“This troop was clad in full armor, but the horses all had green manes. This is the White Horse Battalion! There was one person riding a Scarlet Flame Horse! He is the leader of the White Horse Battalion, and furthermore, his saber skills were the same as Master Hong Si! This must be the White Horse Gang’s Young Master.” Teng Qingshan’s eyes flashed coldly while his hands picked up some stones.

……

The White Horse Battalion was definitely an elite troop. They were too frightening when rushing forward.

They weren’t afraid of arrows or being stabbed by the other side, since their armors could easily protect them.

They only focused on rushing forward!

“Second brother, third brother, hide.” Wang Tieshan’s face became pale as he shouted.

Facing a mighty steel current like this, the three brothers could only choose to hide since their bodies were made of flesh.

The White Horse Battalion rushed at them like a gust of wind and countless long spears stabbed at the three brothers of the Wang Clan. Being able to stay alive against this mighty force ……was something very difficult. At least, it was something that these three brothers couldn’t yet achieve.

“Puff! Puff!”

The wounded third brother Wang Tiehai couldn’t escape, and his body was continuously impaled by the long spears. His whole body resembled a beehive before being sent flying.

“Third brother!” Wang Tieshan and Wang Tiefeng, who were running away, paled after seeing their dying brother.

“Haha, you cannot escape.” Loud laughter could be heard from among the White Horse Battalion. Someone riding a Scarlet Flame Horse led the cavalry and madly charged towards Wang Tieshan and Wang Tiefeng.

Exactly at this time.

“Phew!”

Like a meteor, an projectile flew from the Iron Mountain Gang’s side and pierced across the sky.

“Puff!” It easily penetrated the armor of the White Horse Battalion’s leader. The leader of the White Horse Battalion widened his eyes before falling down from his horse. The cavalry soldiers who were following him immediately pulled back their reins and panicked. Disorder broke out.