Volume One: The Supervisors and the Scholars Chapter 47: How Could It Be Them?

Huang Ming’s carriage, while not exceedingly grand, was certainly no small affair—carriage and horse together stretched nearly two or three fathoms in length. At this moment, attempting to turn around required maneuvering sideways, making the entire vehicle appear awkward and unwieldy.

Just then, with a shrill whinny, a panicked horse charged forward, dragging a cart piled with firewood, thundering straight into their path. The cart had burst unexpectedly from a nearby alley, right from the group’s blind spot, leaving them no chance to be on their guard.

In the chaos, the driver Huang An could not react in time. With a startled cry, he managed only to yank the reins to the front and side by instinct, but there was no way to avoid the collision.

Bang—bang!

First, the frantic horse slammed into the front corner of their carriage, then toppled over, crashing violently into the harness that joined horse to carriage. The firewood cart trailing behind struck the carriage’s side, overturning the already tilting cabin, and sent it rolling forward in a complete tumble.

Cries of alarm erupted from all around. Clearly, the few pedestrians on this street were all startled by the sudden accident, and many began to scatter, fearful of being caught in the chaos.

Only the carriage that had caught Huang Ming’s attention earlier suddenly accelerated, careening toward them. At the same time, the candied haw vendor and the shifty-eyed traveling merchant sprang into action, closing in from different directions with a speed rivaling the galloping horse—behavior at odds with their apparent identities.

As a veteran detective, Huang Ming’s keen eyes had already picked out these suspicious characters. Yet he had no time to congratulate himself; battered within the rolling carriage, his body was completely out of control—he could not even steady himself.

But then, someone moved even faster than the others. Bursting from the roadside shop that the carriage had smashed into, a burly figure flashed forward and, in a blink, appeared before the wrecked carriage.

With a flick and a shake of his hand, two dark streaks whistled through the air, thudding into the thick carriage wall. Only then did those nearby see what they were: two iron chains, each ending in a fearsome steel claw embedded in the carriage, the other ends affixed to the man’s powerful arms.

The burly man exhaled sharply and heaved with all his might. With a splintering crack, the carriage wall—crafted from premium tung wood by a master over the course of nearly a month—was ripped clean away, wrenched free by the steel claws.

The two figures still tangled within the wreckage—Huang Ming among them—were instantly exposed to their attacker’s view.

Damn!

Huang Ming had only time to curse. Who could have predicted the real assault would come from elsewhere—and with such brute force? Was this some martial arts film?

With another flick of his hand, the attacker flung the chunk of carriage wall, still clutched by his steel claws, high into the air.

Seizing the moment, he lunged forward, coming face-to-face with Huang Ming, who was still struggling to recover. The man grinned wide, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and reached out with his left hand to seize him.

Bang—whack—thud!

Behind the carriage, out of Huang Ming’s sight, the flying debris struck the two other suspicious assailants who had been rushing in. Taken by surprise, both were knocked to the ground, landing two or three fathoms from the scene.

That distance was enough. The burly man, having gained the advantage, grabbed Huang Ming, yanked him from the wreck, and flipped his hand to seize him by the throat.

Meanwhile, several dozen paces away, a handsome, dashing youth watched from the corner of an upper floor, a smile spreading across his face. “Success!”

But just as he spoke, the situation changed again.

Two things happened at once: Huang Ming, seemingly taken hostage, and the far end of the alley, more than ten fathoms away.

As Huang Ming appeared to fall fully into the attacker’s hands, his own hand flicked—a paper packet whipped into the air, striking the burly man squarely in the face.

With a soft crack, the packet burst, releasing a cloud of white powder that billowed into his opponent’s face and eyes.

The legendary lime attack—one of Lord Wei’s three killer moves!

Anticipating danger, and knowing his own weakness, Huang Ming had come prepared. For someone of lesser strength, lime powder is a handy weapon—it could catch an enemy off guard and create a chance to escape.

Sure enough, the attack landed perfectly. The man’s grip slackened, and Huang Ming seized the opportunity, struggling free and rolling away in an attempt to break clear.

But Huang Ming had still underestimated his attacker.

With a howl of pain, the man immediately roared in fury. His arms tensed, and the iron chains sprang to life, writhing like serpents and lashing out in all directions with a fierce, whistling sound.

Each chain was more than a fathom long—Huang Ming couldn’t possibly roll far enough to dodge them.

Just as the chains were about to strike him, the second development arrived.

At the alley’s mouth, more than ten fathoms away, a figure flashed into view as soon as the trouble began. His eyes were sharp as a hawk’s, and in his hands he carried a military crossbow.

As the burly man tore apart the carriage and seized his prey, the newcomer narrowed his eyes, raised his crossbow, and took aim.

In perfect synchronization with Huang Ming’s lime attack, a single bolt shot from the crossbow.

It was as if the three of them had practiced countless times—the moves aligned perfectly to produce this final outcome.

Blinded by lime, the attacker lost his calm and agility, falling into a frenzy and launching a reckless attack on Huang Ming. In his fury, he left himself open; unable to change his move, the arrow slipped neatly through the gap in the thrashing chains and buried itself in his throat.

His furious roar was abruptly silenced.

Yet the iron chains did not stop. They lashed out at Huang Ming with deadly force.

In his current state, if struck, Huang Ming would be lucky to escape with his life.

But at that instant, a dark figure leapt toward Huang Ming.

Smash!

The chains struck the black shadow, sending fragments scattering. At the same time, two hands seized Huang Ming’s ankles, dragging him with all their strength, just in time to pull him clear of danger before the chains could land.

Dazed, Huang Ming blinked until his vision cleared, and only then saw who his rescuers were—how could it be them?