Sword Aura to the Heavens
Chapter 73 - 72: Descending the Mountain

Chapter 73: Chapter 72: Descending the Mountain

Li Mountain Village.

Behind the village, there is a cemetery, where the ancestors of Li Mountain Village are buried through the generations.

At this moment, Li Fan came to this place, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed in front of a tombstone.

Inscribed on the tombstone were the words, "The Tomb of Butcher Lu Gang from Li Mountain Village."

In front of Li Fan were many pieces of roasted meat, placed in front of the tombstone. Li Fan said, "Uncle Lu, I grew up eating meat from your family, and I’m afraid I can never repay you. I could only personally roast some meat, feel free to have a bite."

"Rest assured, I will entrust Xiao Ya to my Second Senior Brother, who will take good care of her. Uncle Yang has also promised to look after Xiao Ya, and the people in the village will take care of her too."

"As for those enemies, leave them to me. Those who came to Li Mountain Village won’t be spared. They’ll join you underground, and you can slaughter them again, treating them as demons."

On that day of the great battle, many people fled quickly. He only managed to kill Governor Xu Bin and his men of Chuzhou. Many others had already run away before he could kill them, but he will settle this account one by one.

Beside him, the girl Xiao Ya was crying her heart out, while the blacksmith Yang Meng’s eyes were also red. He had lost an arm, which was cut off during that battle.

"When the battle erupted, your Uncle Lu rushed in the fiercest, killing the most people. When he died, he was covered in scars. He used his life to block their advance," Yang Meng said. He too, like Lu Gang, was at the forefront of the fight.

He was just a bit luckier, only losing one arm.

Yang Meng held a jug of wine with his single arm, bit off the cap with his mouth, took a swig, and then poured some in front of the tombstone.

"Uncle Yang, leave me a sip," Li Fan said.

Yang Meng handed the wine jug to Li Fan. Li Fan also took a big swig, allowing the strong liquor to drip down, soaking his clothes. He poured the rest on the burning fire in front, intensifying the blaze.

"Let’s go."

Li Fan stood up and turned away.

"When will you return?" Yang Meng asked.

"After I kill all those people," Li Fan replied.

"I’ll wait for you." Yang Meng turned his back to Li Fan.

"Brother Xiao Fan," Xiao Ya called out. Li Fan turned to look at her, saying, "Xiao Ya, Uncle Yang will take good care of you. If there’s anything, you can also find the Second Senior Brother."

Xiao Ya rushed forward and hugged Li Fan.

Li Fan hugged her back, patting her gently on the back.

After a long time, Xiao Ya let go of Li Fan, tears streaming as she said, "Brother Xiao Fan, take care."

"Take care," Li Fan nodded, turning away once again.

Not far away, Liu Ji was holding a horse, waiting for Li Fan.

She was a bystander to the events at Li Mountain, deeply moved by them.

Li Mountain did not perish in this catastrophe.

What will happen in the future?

She looked at Li Fan, who seemed to have matured a lot.

"Let’s go," Li Fan said, mounting the horse, riding toward the distance.

As he passed through the village, the villagers of Li Mountain Village came out, silently watching Li Fan, the boy they had watched grow up.

"Xiao Fan, be careful out there," Aunt Wang called out.

"I know, Aunt, you take care of yourself too," Li Fan turned back and shouted with a smile, seeing the villagers watching him, his eyes slightly red as he squeezed the horse’s belly, the steed galloping away.

"Take care," the villagers thought to themselves.

Miss Ye had left, and now Xiao Fan was leaving too.

The steed galloped out of the village, and Li Fan looked back once again.

This departure was different; this time, he was setting out to explore the world.

"Hyah!" Li Fan shouted, no longer looking back. Behind him, the towering green mountain stood tall.

That mountain was his support.

Several hundred miles away from Li Mountain, several streaks of sword light suddenly appeared in the sky, diving down from the sky, landing on a peak not far from Li Fan.

At the top of that peak, fresh blood flowed down the cliff, staining its walls red.

...

Ten days later, two steeds galloped along the official road, kicking up a cloud of dust.

It was approaching evening, and the sun was about to set.

"There are people ahead," Li Fan said.

"Hyah," Li Fan urged his horse forward, pulling the reins as he neared the group, slowing the horse’s hooves, and he began to observe the people in front of him.

A total of five people, the first three dressed in martial attire, two men and one woman, each on horseback.

Behind them were a pair of siblings, both sitting on the same horse, dressed quite extravagantly. The girl appeared to be fourteen or fifteen years old, while the boy was slightly younger, around twelve or thirteen.

The group reined in their horses, observing Li Fan.

The first three had seasoned looks, while the girl’s eyes held a vigilant expression.

"May I ask how far is it to Chuzhou City from here?" Li Fan cupped his hands towards the crowd and inquired.

This was his first time venturing far from home, and the previous trip to Lin’an County wasn’t too far. It didn’t take many days either, but that experience left a deep impression on Li Fan, giving him some understanding of the world.

His destination this time was Chuzhou. After the events in Lin’an County concluded, he had promised Li Hongyi to accompany her to find her mother. He wondered if Li Hongyi had gone to the Cui Family in Chuzhou by now.

Moreover, recalling Li Hongyi’s reaction that day felt a bit off to him. He sensed something amiss, but at the time, with his mind on Li Mountain, he didn’t accompany Li Hongyi.

This time, he would check out Chuzhou.

In addition, the Chen family and Jingang Temple were significant forces in Chuzhou.

"It’s over two hundred miles to Chuzhou City from here, about a day’s travel," said the leading man in a plain cloth of about thirty years of age, with rugged features and bronze skin, with a large knife strapped on his back, and muscular arms.

The two people beside him were slightly younger, appearing to be in their twenties. The man was dressed in a white robe, while the woman wore tight black clothing, accentuating her figure and exuding the charm of a woman of the martial world.

This woman glanced at Li Fan, noting how handsome the young man was. However, the woman following him was exceptionally beautiful, likely from a notable family.

"I am Han Zong," the leading man said to Li Fan, "Are you heading to Chuzhou City, young hero?"

"Yes," Li Fan nodded.

"We are also heading in that direction. As night falls, this area has become quite unsafe lately, with demons everywhere. Why not travel with us, and you’ll have company along the way?" Han Zong offered with a straightforward tone. Li Fan pondered a moment. He wasn’t afraid of demons, having encountered quite a few on his journey.

The woman beside Han Zong smiled and said, "Brother Han isn’t lying. The situation in Chuzhou has recently been chaotic. I heard the prefect of Chuzhou died some time ago. Though the court quickly replaced him, the power vacuum left the area in a mess."

From her tone, it seemed the chaos enabled the demons to run rampant?

"Uncle Han," the girl from behind called, seemingly cautious.

"It’s okay," Han Zong nodded slightly at the girl. He was well-versed in the ways of the world, having encountered many people. Observing Li Fan, his youth, clear eyes, and bearing three swords behind him, Han Zong didn’t deem him as someone of ill intent.

Outside the city, the danger posed by demons at night could multiply, and some company could help prevent encounters with demons.

Li Fan only had one woman with him, which posed considerable risk.

"Alright, in that case, I’ll trouble you," Li Fan cupped his hands and said. He was heading to Chuzhou City but was not familiar with it.

These people were from the martial world, surely they know more than him.

"May I know your name, young brother?" Han Zong asked.

"My surname is Li, given name Fan," Li Fan replied.

Han Zong nodded, then introduced the man and woman beside him: "This is my younger sister, Situ Chan, and my second brother, Yin Qing. We are wanderers in the martial world, traveling everywhere."

Li Fan looked towards the three behind Han Zong. He continued, "Recently, demons have been rampant in the area of Chuzhou. Not far from here is Qinghe Town, which suffered a demon attack, causing the people to flee, and these siblings are from the town. Their family met with misfortune, and we encountered them on the road, helping escort them to Chuzhou City."

"I see," Li Fan thought of the attack on Lin’an County earlier, which was due to human malice.

He wondered if Qinghe Town’s situation was a demon’s doing or caused by men.

But this did indicate how chaotic Chuzhou had become with demons, likely only a large city like Chuzhou City would be somewhat safe.

Li Fan glanced at the sibling pair. Both looked quite distinguished, especially the girl who was in her youthful prime, though her eyes bore a wary look, holding a bundle behind her. Her brother seemed more genuine.

These two likely held some significant status in Qinghe Town.

Naturally, Li Fan noticed the wariness in the girl’s eyes, which was natural given their family’s misfortune, making them vigilant around strangers.

"Brother Xiao Fan, it’s getting late. Let’s find a place to rest for the night, and continue the journey early tomorrow. By nightfall tomorrow, we should reach Chuzhou City," Han Zong suggested. "It should be safe there."

"Alight," Li Fan nodded, and they all continued on their way.

As darkness descended, with demons rampaging the wild, there were no inns available for lodging.

They found an abandoned house, settled in it, secured the doors and lit a fire.

Having traveled a long way, Li Fan was already used to living outdoors. He and Liu Ji, when outside, would sleep wherever they could.

As for demons... Liu Ji herself was a demon, so no one would disturb Li Fan’s cultivation.

Inside the broken house, the firelight illuminated their faces, Han Zong and his group sat together, while the siblings leaned against the wall behind them. Li Fan noticed the girl holding onto her bundle tightly, like she feared others might notice it, clearly lacking experience in the martial world.

Luckily, they encountered Han Zong, who seemed to be a righteous person. Otherwise, these siblings...

In these wilds, there was no guarantee of safety without guidance. Han Zong’s willingness to escort the siblings showed his character.

Yet the girl still seemed somewhat distrustful of Han Zong.

Han Zong’s group was roasting meat, from the game they hunted, its aroma wafting through the air.

Li Fan sat nearby with his eyes closed, cultivating. Liu Ji was beside him.

"Brother Xiao Fan," Han Zong called, and Li Fan opened his eyes to see Han Zong tossing a roasted leg to him, saying, "Catch."

"Thank you," Li Fan caught it.

"In the martial world, don’t be too rigid. Looking out for each other is expected, having an extra friend on the road reduces some danger. In the wild, demons are more united than humans," Han Zong said. "In the wild, demons are more united."

Li Fan nodded, acknowledging the truth.

Humans plot against each other, harboring their own schemes.

"Brother Xiao Fan, are you also a cultivator?" Situ Chan asked Li Fan, observing him and Liu Ji with curiosity. What was the relationship between the two?

Li Fan was remarkably handsome, while Liu Ji was alluring and seductive, emanating a tempting allure. Yet given her age was greater than Li Fan’s, she didn’t appear to be a companion.

"Yes," Li Fan nodded. "Sister Chan, are you too?"

"My sister is a Qi Cultivator, quite gifted. I am not as skilled as my sister or my second brother, merely a martial artist," Han Zong said.

"Brother, no need for modesty," Situ Chan said. Han Zong was a martial artist at the Innate Realm, quite powerful. She and Yin Qing were both cultivators at the Late Stage of God Refining, daring to roam the wild, living by the edge of the blade.

As long as they didn’t encounter a three-realm Great Demon, they could handle themselves.

Even against a three-realm demon, they could put up a fight.

"Brother Xiao Fan seems quite confident to travel at such a young age, his cultivation must be impressive?" Situ Chan seemed quite interested in Li Fan.

"Not bad," Li Fan responded.

Situ Chan smiled, finding the young man rather confident.