Chapter 348: Enemy Attack During the Long Journey

Chapter 348: Chapter 348: Enemy Attack During the Long Journey

Chu Fan never would have thought his plan would be disrupted by such an accident.

He had originally planned to incite a war between the Hanmo Clan and the Cage Race, which would have made it easier for him to obtain their two Profound Iron Orders.

Who would have thought that a group of people would suddenly appear in the Northern Domain, brazenly storming three clans and snatching away three Profound Iron Orders.

This created quite a bit of trouble for Chu Fan’s goal of collecting all eight Profound Iron Orders.

It didn’t take much thought to realize that this group was clearly also after the eight Profound Iron Orders.

But that wasn’t the main problem. The main problem was that the Lindi Clan was set to depart for their encampment first thing in the morning.

As soon as the sun rose, Li Haiqin came to his side room.

She informed Chu Fan of this news.

"Huo Er, your injuries are too severe. You’re not fit for a long journey. You should stay here in Han City and return to the clan’s territory once you’ve recovered."

There was no way Chu Fan would agree to be left behind.

"Princess, although I am injured, after two days of recuperation, I can’t fight, but it doesn’t affect my ability to walk. I am the captain of the Princess’s Personal Guard. Wherever you go, I go. How could I stay behind because of a minor injury?"

As he spoke, Chu Fan stood up and took a few steps in front of Li Haiqin.

"Are you sure you’re okay?" Li Haiqin asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Chu Fan nodded solemnly.

After breakfast, the old steward and a few guards were left to watch over Lindi Mansion. The rest mounted their Wind Chasing Beasts outside the mansion and rode out of Ukolok City together.

What Chu Fan hoped for now was that the mysterious group hadn’t yet made a move on the Lindi Clan’s Profound Iron Order by the time he reached their encampment. It would be even better if he could run into them there. He could then turn the tables and snatch the Orders they had already taken, which would save him a lot of trouble.

But Chu Fan was very curious. Where did this group come from, and why were they vying for the Profound Iron Orders at this particular time?

’Could it be that Zhen Yang Ascendant thought I couldn’t handle it, so he incited this group as well?’

As he traveled with the procession, Chu Fan discovered that four unassuming old men not far from Yilode had terrifyingly high cultivation.

Chu Fan judged that they had to be at least in the Mahayana Realm, and might even be Half-Saints.

In addition to these four, there were also six Martial Artists at the Void Realm Early Stage.

The moment they were out of Ukolok City, Yilode took the four old men and the six Void Realm cultivators and rushed ahead toward the encampment.

In Li Haiqin’s party, besides Chu Fan and the thirty-five other guards and eight maids, there were also two experts at the Void Realm, sixteen at the Divine Separation Realm, and four at the Integration Realm.

After all, Li Haiqin’s cultivation was not high—only at the Heartbeat Realm—so she couldn’t withstand the Wind Chasing Beasts’ prolonged high-speed travel. Meanwhile, Yilode’s group needed to hurry back to deal with the people plundering the Profound Iron Orders, so they had no choice but to split into two groups.

With so many guards, Li Haiqin’s group was already a formidable force.

Just like the Lindi Clan, the other seven Golden Families also left Han City at the crack of dawn, rushing back to their respective clan encampments.

Because of his "injuries," Chu Fan had to share a mount with Kemoqi.

Truthfully, Chu Fan was very reluctant to share a Wind Chasing Beast with such a crude man who reeked of sweat mixed with the gamey smell of sheep.

But he had no choice. He was "injured," after all. If he rode a Wind Chasing Beast by himself, someone might see through his act.

So, he could only endure it.

The Lindi Clan’s encampment was in a place called the Moon Sea, over seventy-six thousand li from Ukolok City.

A Wind Chasing Beast at full gallop could cover ten thousand li in a day, but because of Li Haiqin’s cultivation level, their group could travel at most five to six thousand li per day.

Therefore, the journey from Ukolok to the Moon Sea would take them at least half a month.

The Moon Sea, despite its name, was actually a crescent-shaped lake on the grassland.

On the grasslands, the grass grew lushest near lakes, making such areas ideal for grazing cattle, sheep, and horses.

In fact, most of the Eight Golden Families had established their encampments around one of the grassland lakes.

Previously, when Chu Fan had rushed from the South Garden Royal Court to Ukolok, he had been in too much of a hurry to pay attention to the scenery of the grassland.

Now, riding a Wind Chasing Beast across the boundless prairie, he had to admit that his spirits were soaring.

He felt as if his whole being had become more expansive and heroic.

The sky was a vast azure, the wilds stretching endlessly. Wind swept the low grass, revealing cattle and sheep. The heavens seemed like a great yurt covering the world.

Blue sky, white clouds, green grass...

"Huo Er, how are your injuries? If you can’t hold on, just say the word. We can stop and rest for a while."

After the group had traveled for more than two hours, Li Haiqin rode her Wind Chasing Beast alongside Chu Fan’s and asked with concern.

Chu Fan smiled and said, "I’m fine, Princess. I can still hold on. As vicious as the Fire Rope Whip is, it’s ultimately just an external injury."

Li Haiqin nodded and said no more.

Kemoqi watched Li Haiqin’s retreating back and whispered in Chu Fan’s ear, "Why has the Little Princess been so concerned about you lately?"

Chu Fan glanced at him and said, "I don’t know. Why don’t you go ask her?"

"Forget it, I’m not tired of living yet!"

"Then why are you asking so many questions?" Chu Fan rolled his eyes.

"I’m just warning you not to forget our station. The Princess is a skylark high above, while we’re just beasts of burden on the ground. We’re not from the same world. Don’t you dare get any ideas."

Chu Fan shot him a sideways glance. "Are you out of your mind? How old is the Princess? And how old are we? The Khan King has already betrothed her to Jisierk of the Hanmo Clan. Who in all of Han City doesn’t know that?"

"Heh heh, as long as you’re aware. The day I saw you being tortured, I gained true admiration for you. That’s why I don’t want to see you get ideas and end up in an unmarked grave."

"Can’t you wish me well for once?" Chu Fan spat.

The group would travel for three hours, then rest for one. Riding for a total of six hours a day, they covered a little over four thousand li.

This continued for several days.

Fortunately, the journey was peaceful, without any disturbances.

But on the night of the sixth day, a group of uninvited guests arrived.

That day, as usual, after traveling for six hours, they stopped to set up temporary tents and cook a meal.

After all, in their group of fifty to sixty people, very few had reached the Fasting realm.

Even if everyone else had reached the state of Fasting, Li Haiqin had not, so they still would have had to prepare a meal for her.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the guards took turns standing watch while the others rested.

Late at night, the sky was full of stars, but as it was the beginning of the month, the crescent moon cast only a faint light.

A dozen or so shadowy figures crept silently toward the temporary camp.

Chu Fan, who had been lying on a rug meditating on the Yin Yang Diagram from the Meditation Scroll, was first alerted by a surge of killing intent. He then extended his Spiritual Power and sensed more than ten people approaching the camp.

There were more than ten of them, and shockingly, four were at the Void Realm—and Late Stage at that. The rest were all at the Integration Realm.

If he didn’t intervene, their group of fifty to sixty people would most likely be annihilated.

’How can I make a move in a way that benefits me the most?’

’And what are my interests here? Without a doubt, it’s gaining the trust of the Lindi Clan and Li Haiqin.’

’Therefore, I can’t act too soon. And it can’t be a decisive victory. It has to be a pyrrhic one.’

As for the Lindi Clan’s guards, he could only apologize in his heart. ’Those not of my people are sure to have different loyalties.’ After all, Chu Fan himself had no great fondness for these Northern Domain people.

With a plan in mind, Chu Fan silently rose to his feet...