*A madman? The horse had gone crazy too, and so had the person blocking the road? This horse was the first one that, encountering someone making a move in front of it, not only didn't get scared but wanted to charge ahead. And the person blocking the road actually used their head to take on the madly charging horse, and won?*
There were no words to describe Hu Ma's shock at that moment. As the carriage capsized, he had already leaped up from it. Being a Shousui man, he was strong and more adept at his skills. This unexpected change of events was a perfect test of his abilities. Despite the horse rearing and the carriage flipping, causing a great commotion and sending the two baskets in the carriage flying, it didn't affect him. He twisted in the air and landed steadily on the ground.
He abruptly lifted his head and yelled angrily, "Do you not follow the rules, attacking my horse right away?"
"Follow the rules?" The man blocking the road was slightly dazed for a moment, then laughed strangely. "I'm about to kill you, and you're talking about rules? How come neither Dongzi Li nor Lady Han warned you to be careful of me before you set out?"
"..."
Hu Ma squinted, reaching for his waist and speaking softly, "No, I didn't hear anyone say I should take you seriously..."
"The little shopkeeper is not being honest." Ji Tang glanced at Hu Ma's hand and laughed. "I, Ji Tang, am not someone to be ignored. They must have warned you, so let's skip the nonsense."
While speaking, he spread his large hand and audaciously lunged at Hu Ma's head.
At that moment, Hu Ma felt an overwhelming pressure. The man merely reached out, yet the force was so immense and the stance so domineering it felt like the sky above him was obscured, as if night had suddenly fallen.
*He originally wanted to stall for a bit, waiting for Miss Red Wine to make a move, as he was merely the bait. Why should he act personally?*
But unexpectedly, the man made his move so decisively, leaving Hu Ma no time to think. Suddenly, the hand reaching for his waist came out. Quickly, he thrust it forward.
What he pulled out from his waist wasn't a knife, but a dark ruler.
This ruler was something he had picked up after clearing out some demon people on Pingnan Road. Other items he had picked up were damaged and useless, but this ruler was intact. So, Hu Ma carefully kept it and asked Miss Red Wine about its use.
The moment the ruler appeared, an incredibly eerie aura surrounded the area.
The man's hand coming at him felt swift and fierce, seemingly impossible to evade. But somehow, the man's hand grasped at nothing, missing by a few finger-widths, grabbing only air in front of Hu Ma.
Seizing the opportunity of the missed grab, Hu Ma swiftly retreated. Utilizing the momentum, his other hand drew the saw-toothed knife from his waist. Mustering all his strength, he charged forward, delivering a solid Mountain Opening move, putting all his effort into striking the man's chest.
BANG!
Despite putting all his might into the blow, astonishingly, it didn't penetrate. Instead, Hu Ma's hand throbbed with a faint pain.
*Impenetrable by swords and spears?*
Hu Ma's pupils contracted sharply.
He had encountered a Master Shou on Pingnan Road before who was impenetrable by swords and spears. That person was from the Siming Path, using some kind of Magic to make himself impervious. Little Hongtang had leaped onto his neck and immediately broken his Magic. But this current situation felt completely different. Hu Ma instantly recalled the sensation of a drought ba he had once eliminated; the touch was identical.
This man blocking the road, Ji Tang of the Beggar Gang, had a body even sturdier than that drought ba.
"Craftsman Li's ruler?"
At this moment, Ji Tang of the Beggar Gang, though struck, did not dodge. His gaze fell upon the black ruler in Hu Ma's hand.
Realizing the reason, he suddenly stomped. The ground trembled as if there were an earthquake, making Hu Ma momentarily unstable. His prepared second strike could not be executed.
Ji Tang, however, turned and picked up the overturned carriage. With a simple lift, the harness and reins snapped. He roared, hefting the carriage above his head, and prepared to smash it down on Hu Ma.
*Not good!*
Hu Ma's heart jumped in alarm.
Craftsman Li's ruler could mislead people, causing them to misjudge distance and dimension, making it impossible to strike accurately with a knife. Previously, Hu Ma had used the Five Thunders Golden Toad Roar to kill Craftsman Li directly.
But Ji Tang had directly lifted the carriage, ready to bring it crashing down. Both sides chose an all-out, overwhelming approach, unconcerned with misjudging by an inch or two.
The astonishing strength Ji Tang displayed made Hu Ma's scalp tingle. Though he was also a Shousui man, facing this other Shousui man felt like encountering a formidable opponent from a different Path.
*Ferocious and wild, his malice soared to the heavens. In such a direct confrontation, Hu Ma had never before faced someone who could exert such immense pressure on him. Was this the capability of a Shousui man after entering the Prefecture?*
SWISH!
But at this very moment, just as Ji Tang lifted the carriage, the lid of one of the two large baskets that had toppled beside him was unexpectedly flung open, and a red figure floated out.
This red figure stretched elegantly in mid-air, revealing a lithe and graceful form. She spun once in the air, her movements possessing an indescribable beauty, as she extended an arm and thrust a silver needle into Ji Tang's back.
*Miss Red Wine?*
Hu Ma was astonished. He knew Miss Red Wine was undoubtedly following him and would make her move at a critical moment. But he had never expected her to emerge from his basket... *Had she been hiding in my basket the entire way? Is the trick door really this shameless?*
However, before his surprise could fade, a silver needle pierced a major acupoint on Ji Tang's back, inciting his furious rage. Instead of smashing the carriage onto Hu Ma, he flung it sideways, twisting his body strangely as his left hand abruptly shot backward.
SSHH!
His hand plunged into Miss Red Wine's stomach, ripping out a handful of intestines as he pulled back.
"Huh?"
Hu Ma was startled by the sudden scene.
But in the next moment, his vision blurred. He suddenly realized it wasn't Miss Red Wine but a dummy made of straw wrapped in red cloth. What Ji Tang had pulled out wasn't intestines, just a bundle of straw.
Despite being "disemboweled," the dummy continued to move. It suddenly reached out, covering Ji Tang's eyes with its hands, while another shadow flickered into existence behind him.
SSHH!
A second silver needle pierced Ji Tang's side beneath his ribs, delivered by "Miss Red Wine" again. Of course, it was another fake.
Hu Ma had already understood: this was a shadow play technique from the trick door.
He had previously seen members of the Tan'er Sect use similar methods, though they used human skin, and their creations weren't as flexible. Miss Red Wine, however, had crafted these using red cloth and straw, and they were as nimble as living beings.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Red figures flickered as more "Miss Red Wines" emerged from the two large baskets that had fallen from the carriage. Each wielded a silver needle, striking at various major acupoints on Ji Tang's body. Their movements were nimble yet unsettlingly strange.
Watching this spectacle, Hu Ma was greatly astonished. *When did so many dummies get hidden in my baskets? More crucially...*
…Hu Ma felt a sudden jolt in his heart. *Wait, where's my Blood Food? My two baskets were originally filled to the brim with Blood Food, and not just ordinary Blood Food either—it was more precious than Blood Tai Sui! When did she swap my Blood Food with these items from the trick door?*
As he pondered, the continuous sound of needles piercing flesh filled the air. Ji Tang was surrounded by so many "Miss Red Wines," and countless silver needles had struck his body. Some needles struck true, others missed, but they opened numerous wounds on him, tearing away indeterminate amounts of skin and flesh. He, who had seemed impenetrable moments before, was now bloodied and mangled by these silver needles.
Yet, he let out a deep roar. The vibrations from his organs echoed powerfully—not like Hu Ma's refined techniques, but a raw, visceral sound fueled by rage. This roar violently shook off the lightweight puppets spinning around him.
Then, he crouched down, grabbed a handful of soil, and sprinkled it over his bleeding wounds. He scanned his surroundings, his gaze focused, and laughed in a low voice, "Lady Han?"
"Stop hiding. I knew you'd use this opportunity, provided by that little shopkeeper from Mingzhou, to try and kill me."
"You've always seen me as a thorn in your side; how could you pass up such a chance?"
"But have you considered this: since you're so eager to use this opportunity to take my life, don't you think I'd want to take yours too?"
"..."
*He guessed Miss Red Wine came with me. Did he also set a trap to kill her in return?*
Hu Ma's heart lurched, a realization dawning on him. He quickly scanned his surroundings but saw no one; there seemed to be no ambush.
SWISH!
However, at that same moment, before Ji Tang's laughter had faded, he whipped out his treasure sword from his waist. Its blade flashed brilliantly, instantly becoming a whirlwind of cold light.
Instantly, the red shadows scattered. Countless "Miss Red Wines" were slashed by his flashing treasure sword. Simultaneously, fine threads, almost invisible to the naked eye, snapped in the air.
Ji Tang, wielding his treasure sword, severed the threads. He then charged towards a large tree by the roadside, the aura of his treasure sword terrifyingly menacing.
Behind that tree stood the real Miss Red Wine.
Her ten fingers were spread, entwined with fine threads. It seemed she had been controlling the puppets that emerged from the baskets with these threads.
But Ji Tang, having severed the threads, had used that moment to pinpoint her location. He closed in, slashing with his treasure sword.
Hu Ma glanced over and suddenly understood. This madman, this lunatic, had indeed foreseen that Miss Red Wine would use this opportunity to try and kill him. And he, in turn, intended to kill her.
So, he had prepared a countermeasure. But it wasn't an ambush with numbers; he had simply brought his treasure sword.
To him, carrying his treasure sword *was* the countermeasure.