One strike! With just a single strike, the black tide of poisonous insects was completely annihilated. They were burned to nothingness by the blazing saber qi. Meng Hai’s eyes went wide. “Holy...! That’s insane!” He couldn’t help swearing outright, his expression full of shock. And it wasn’t just him, every person in the caravan reacted the same way. Among them were martial men skilled in various deadly techniques, yet Li Yanchu’s single saber strike was so earth-shattering. It was simply otherworldly! The most skilled fighter in the caravan, Master Xie, couldn’t help blurting out, “A grandmaster of the jianghu... at such a young age!?” That strike was so fierce and overwhelming, it had already far surpassed the level of a first-rate expert! In his younger days, he had once seen a roaming grandmaster of the jianghu make a move. His true qi transformed into a dragon, inspiring awe and reverence, like gazing up at an unscalable mountain. To him, that had been the pinnacle of martial cultivation. He never imagined that today, he would witness a young man possessing such mastery! Li Yanchu’s single saber strike had completely resolved the problem of the poisonous insects. He slowly slid the Jiaoslayer back into its sheath, his expression calm. He then turned to the still-dazed Meng Hai. “Mr. Meng, these camel corpses... they look to me like someone deliberately placed them here.” Li Yanchu frowned as he spoke. It took calling him several times before Meng Hai snapped out of it. After hearing Li Yanchu’s words clearly, Meng Hai couldn’t help saying, “That’s right, I thought the same. I didn’t expect Daoist Master Li to have such rich experience in the jianghu and this level of martial prowess, it’s truly an eye-opener.” Li Yanchu smiled lightly. “Mr. Meng, you flatter me...” Meng Hai laughed heartily. “Not at all! To have someone like Daoist Master Li traveling with us, I truly deserve the praise you gave me earlier about being blessed with great fortune.” At this point, his faith in Li Yanchu’s earlier face-reading had only grown stronger. As for his nervousness, it was far less than before. After all, with such an unparalleled martial master, a grandmaster of the jianghu, by his side, how could he not feel a great sense of security? And Li Yanchu was still a Daoist, and his Daoist arts had yet to even be revealed! The others crowded around to offer their thanks. Liu Fang couldn’t help saying, “I’ve really had my eyes opened today. Mr. Li, would you take a disciple?” This time, Liu Lin didn’t kick his nephew. Instead, he silently cheered him on. Unfortunately, Li Yanchu had no intention of taking on an apprentice and politely declined. Even so, it did nothing to dampen the group’s enthusiasm, especially among the wandering martial artists, whose eyes now shone with open admiration for Li Yanchu. Under ordinary circumstances, an encounter with corpse explosions and venomous swarms would have meant heavy losses for any caravan, perhaps even its complete destruction. But because Li Yanchu was there, these people had all survived. Naturally, their gratitude toward the young Daoist was immeasurable. Li Yanchu sought out Meng Hai alone and asked, “Mr. Meng, do you have any connection with that Que Mu caravan? Or anything you might have in common with them?” Hearing this, Meng Hai fell into thought and slowly said, “I’ve no dealings with Que Mu. He’s a Hu man, and I’ve never been particularly fond of Hu people. As for similarities...” Meng Hai thought hard, but nothing came to mind. The only thing was that they were both caravans, but saying that would make him seem witless... “Let me think about it carefully.” After the earlier incident, everyone had grown more fearful of the desert. They dared not stop along the way, quickening their pace instead. At last, before nightfall, they left the desert behind. The surroundings turned to soil; there were withered grasses and dead trees here and there, not just endless yellow sand. The most update n0vels are published on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱 Meng Hai raised his riding whip and pointed into the distance. “Daoist Master Li, that over there is Han Fortress. Almost every caravan stops there for resupply.” Then he lowered his voice, “If you want to inquire about your friend’s whereabouts, you might find leads in Han Fortress.” He was trying to repay Li Yanchu in some way. Earlier, when he’d offered money, Li Yanchu had refused, which only deepened Meng Hai’s impression that this young Daoist was far from ordinary. Li Yanchu gave a slight nod. “Thank you.” Meng Hai said, “No need for thanks, if it weren’t for you, we’d likely have all perished in that desert.” He had already decided that if he made it through this alive, he would wash his hands of this dangerous trade for good and go home to watch over his wife and children. The group hastened on toward Han Fortress. Finally, the fort came into view. It was built from stone rather than packed yellow earth. Han Fortress was not a large place, with a population of just over a thousand. But its location was special. The first fort master had been a man of great foresight, building it here to serve as a supply stronghold. It had become an important resupply point for passing trade, something like a service station along a highway. Because of this, life in Han Fortress was fairly comfortable. When they arrived, people naturally came forward to receive them. Lodging and meals for people, fodder for camels and horses... Here, as long as you paid, any service could be had. They even had that most ancient of professions, and many of the girls here had been purchased from the Jiangnan river towns. They were gentle, soft-spoken, with a unique charm. The group quickly checked in. Liu Fang was eager to go find a woman, but his second uncle, Liu Lin, stopped him. Liu Lin was a seasoned man of the jianghu, and after the day’s events in the desert, he was on high alert. He sternly warned his brawny but simple-minded nephew to keep control of what was in his pants. Hearing this, Li Yanchu couldn’t help but look at Liu Fang with newfound respect. How full of vitality must one be to still have such an appetite after going through something like that? This time, Li Yanchu was given a room to himself. Meng Hai even asked if he needed someone to attend to him, but Li Yanchu politely declined. That night, Meng Hai personally came to invite Li Yanchu over, saying there was an important matter to discuss. In the room were only three people: Meng Hai, Master Qi, who looked like an old scholar, and the grizzled veteran Liu Lin. Master Qi was the most skilled martial artist in the caravan, known to practice the “Bone Dislocating Hand,” a ruthless and vicious martial art. It was no surprise Meng Hai valued his counsel. But Liu Lin’s presence was unexpected. He was neither a martial expert of the jianghu nor a man of the mystic sects. It seemed likely he was here because of his rich worldly experience, which Meng Hai also valued. Thinking on it, Li Yanchu realized that when he’d been assigned to travel with Liu Lin and Liu Fang earlier, it was probably not without purpose. Liu Lin’s weathered eyes had likely been meant to size him up. Still, that was only natural, and Li Yanchu paid it no mind. Meng Hai spoke first, sharing the information he had just gathered from other caravan leaders. “Recently, we weren’t the only caravan to run into danger in the desert. Three other caravans have been attacked, and every victim had their chest cut open and their internal organs removed. There were also three more caravans that encountered strange incidents, suffering heavy casualties. They’re all here in Han Fortress now. I compared notes with the leaders of the other caravans, and we all came to the same conclusion: this is very likely connected to the Shaman Sect!” At this, Meng Hai’s gaze instinctively shifted toward Li Yanchu.