RMWDS -Chapter 256 You May Hurt the People, But Don’t Hurt the Horses

Hearing that, the Vice Sect Master actually relaxed a little and snorted coldly.

“Isn’t it obvious? That fellow must have offended the Princess. She’s sent people to kill him.”

And if that were true, then the situation was actually developing quite nicely.

The surnamed Liang would get what he deserved, the Princess would be blamed for attempting to murder an imperial official, and the Eighth Prince would certainly be pleased with that outcome.

The more he thought about it, the more brilliant the situation seemed. A smug smile spread across his face, and even the fear he had felt moments earlier faded considerably.

The Nameless Swordsman glanced sideways at him, taking in every bit of his self-satisfied, self-congratulatory expression. His thin shoulders shifted slightly, and he let out a quiet chuckle.

The laugh was extremely faint, blending into the sounds of the forest wind. It was cold and mocking, devoid of any warmth.

“I think you’re the sort of person people enjoy hating,” he said lightly. “Maybe you should suspect yourself for once.”

“Me?”

The one-eyed Vice Sect Master raised an eyebrow. Savage cruelty churned within his lone eye.

He slapped the heavy scabbard at his waist and said arrogantly:

“Anyone who has offended me has almost always had their entire family wiped out. When I do things, I remove the roots as well as the weeds. I never leave anyone alive to seek revenge.”

“That may not necessarily be true.”

The Nameless Swordsman lowered his gaze to the hand resting on his sword hilt.

His tone remained calm and indifferent, as though he were discussing something that had nothing to do with him.

“There are no absolutes in this world. Sometimes a fish slips through the net.”

The moment he finished speaking—

The wind in the mountains suddenly stopped.

The rustling leaves froze instantly.

Even the birds seemed to have fallen silent.

The entire mountain path sank into a dead stillness.

Even the air itself felt frozen.

The smile on the Vice Sect Master’s face stiffened.

A bone-chilling cold shot up from the soles of his feet.

Instinctively, he tightened his grip on his sword, every muscle in his body tensing like a fully drawn bow.

Then—

BOOM!

A deafening explosion erupted.

Dust billowed into the air.

Broken stones flew in every direction.

The tremendous blast shook the entire forest.

The horses pulling the carriages were startled and reared up, neighing wildly as they kicked and bucked.

Several drivers were thrown from their seats and crashed to the ground.

The entire convoy instantly descended into chaos.

Human screams, horse whinnies, and the rumbling of falling rocks mixed together into complete disorder.

“What happened?!”

The Vice Sect Master’s pupils contracted sharply.

He immediately leapt from his horse, roaring in anger as his wrist snapped forward and the sword at his waist flashed from its sheath.

Before he could even determine where the ambush was coming from—

A fierce, overbearing palm strike tore through the dust-filled air and came hurtling toward him.

The force of the strike distorted the surrounding currents, whipping fallen leaves into a spinning vortex.

Even the scattered pebbles on the ground were lifted and shaken into the air.

Sensing the murderous wind at his back, the Vice Sect Master reacted with remarkable speed.

He spun around violently and raised his sword horizontally before his chest.

All the internal energy in his dantian surged into the blade.

Bang!

Palm and sword collided.

The dull impact made everyone’s eardrums ring.

A terrifying force surged through the sword.

The Vice Sect Master staggered backward seven or eight steps.

His boots ground against the gravel, producing a harsh scraping sound.

Two deep tracks were carved into the earth behind him.

The tiger’s mouth of his hand split open from the shock, blood bursting forth.

Warm crimson drops ran down the sword hilt, soaking into the wooden grip.

His entire right arm went numb and stiff, nearly losing all sensation.

With difficulty, he raised his head.

Through the drifting dust, he finally saw the attacker standing before him.

It was a young man.

His features were sharp and cold.

His eyes burned with a deep crimson hue.

Within them churned a sea of blood-deep hatred that had been suppressed for many years.

A frigid aura surrounded him.

His killing intent was completely unrestrained.

Like a predator locking onto its prey, he stared unwaveringly at the enemy before him.

The one who had arrived was Wei Zijun.

Behind him stood five of the Princess’s handsome retainers.

Each possessed exceptional martial skills. Though they appeared refined and harmless, like noble young masters from prestigious families, they were in fact formidable fighters. Their movements were swift and deadly, and each wielded a different weapon—unusual and exotic instruments of combat rarely seen in the martial world.

One carried a hollowed-out folding fan made of cold iron. The fan ribs concealed razor-sharp edges. When closed, it could parry and redirect force; when snapped open, it became a deadly weapon capable of slicing throats and flesh.

Another concealed a soft sword beneath his sleeves. The blade was thin and flexible, gleaming with a chilling light. In close combat it moved like a venomous serpent, striking from unexpected angles and targeting every weakness in an opponent’s defense.

A third wielded a hooked chain. Long and durable, it could attack from afar or entangle enemies at close range. Whenever the chain sliced through the air, it emitted a shrill whistle, designed specifically to trap limbs and break joints.

If Miao Yunyou had been present, she would certainly have exclaimed:

“What a classic cast of male leads from a historical romance novel!”

And there were five of them at once!

Among them, Mu Zigui raised a long whip and called out loudly:

“Remember—injure the people if you must, but do not hurt the horses. The Princess specifically said these horses are a gift for Cult Leader Miao. Make absolutely sure they remain unharmed.”

Ever since Princess Ningyu learned that Cult Leader Miao was apparently a horse enthusiast, she had immediately ordered the eight finest horses in the Princess Manor to be prepared.

Together with the horses seized from this convoy, they would all be presented to Cult Leader Miao as gifts.

“Yes!”

everyone answered in unison.

The Vice Sect Master was dumbfounded.

“??????”

The situation had become so absurd that his already limited brain could barely process it.

His thoughts buzzed into complete chaos.

For a moment, the one-eyed Vice Sect Master genuinely wondered whether he was dreaming.

At this moment, Wei Zijun was not disguised.

He was using his true face to confront the enemy he had hated and remembered for many years.

The Vice Sect Master stared fixedly at the young man standing before him.

Something about that face seemed vaguely familiar, yet he could not place it.

An inexplicable unease rose within him.

Suppressing his growing panic, he shouted:

“Who are you?!”

Wei Zijun slowly clenched his fists.

His knuckles turned white.

His chest rose and fell violently.

The hatred that had been buried for years finally burst through its restraints.

His voice was hoarse and cold.

“I am the one survivor who slipped through your fingers all those years ago.”

The Vice Sect Master’s entire body trembled.

His remaining eye widened instantly.

The words escaped his mouth before he could stop them.

“Impossible! The only person I ever spared was—”

Wei Zijun stepped forward.

His shadow fell over the Vice Sect Master.

The crimson in his eyes deepened.

Word by word, he spoke with bone-chilling hatred.

“The half-blind little brat who couldn’t even see people clearly. Is that the one you’re talking about?”

“You are…”

At that very moment—

A strange, low humming sound suddenly echoed across the mountain forest.

A small black drone slowly rose from the dense canopy overhead and hovered above the center of the battlefield.

The machine itself was nearly silent.

Only the loudspeaker attached to it emitted a deep, heavy male voice.

Mixed with the echoes reverberating through the valley, the voice sounded hollow and eerie, like a ghost crawling up from the depths of the underworld.

Each word struck directly into the hearts of those present.

“Then do you remember Wei?”

“Do you remember the leg your brothers cut off?”

“And do you remember the family that was slaughtered by your hands?!”