RBCT Chapter 51 Rain Falls, Killing the Sky
Chapter 51 Rain Falls, Killing the Sky
In the south of Liquan Town, in a dilapidated and remote house, the tables and chairs that were originally covered in dust have been wiped clean, several quilts have been laid out, and the cold and desolate half-collapsed stove has been repaired with yellow mud, with a large, yellowed but sturdy iron pot placed on it. Some new charcoal ash has already accumulated in the firebox.
The townspeople nearby were not unfamiliar with the new family living in the house. As far as they knew, it was a family of four, itinerant performers who had only recently arrived in town and had temporarily found a rooftop for shelter from the wind and rain. They would set up their stall and perform every day at noon, bringing some liveliness to the town of Liquan.
The head of the household was a robust man with a full beard, while the mistress was a graceful young woman with a slender, pointed chin.
They had two children with them. The eldest daughter was fat and stupid. She had to eat every two hours. If she was hungry, she would curse loudly, her voice so loud that it seemed to shake the walls of the dilapidated house. Even the spider in the corner was so frightened that it fled at night, afraid that it would be eaten by the starving spider. It had seen with its own eyes the centipede family living under the earthenware pot being grabbed by a fat hand and chewed to pieces.
The youngest son was less than four feet tall, but his face looked very mature, almost like a weathered and disheveled man in his forties. He had a patch of bluish stubble on his face, and a scar extending from the corner of his eye into his hair, as if he had almost been ripped open by a sharp blade. His whole face was as ugly and fierce as a mangy dog. However, according to the family, the child was only eight years old this year.
This could not possibly be an eight-year-old child; in fact, it was a dwarf who never grew up and was older than the male head of the household. Therefore, this family could not possibly be low-level martial arts performers.
The chubby girl who was always hungry was named Lü Jiaojiao, also known as Pig Dragon. She once made a name for herself in the martial arts world as the Enchanting Blade, but then suddenly disappeared. Now she is an assassin in the Night Rain Pavilion of the Rain Blade Hall. Her appearance is completely different from before, and even acquaintances cannot recognize her.
The six branches of the Cangcheng Rain Blade Hall are all named with the character "blade." Outsiders have never heard of the Night Rain Pavilion. This is because martial arts sects always have a face and a substance. The six branches are the face they present to their peers, while the Night Rain Pavilion is the bloodstained substance behind the scenes, and it also has close ties with the Western Demonic Sect.
The dwarf's name was Mei Tianli. He was short in stature and skilled in using various mechanisms and hidden weapons, earning him the nickname "Hidden Sky in His Sleeves." He was also adept at using a pair of iron claws and loved to gouge out people's eyeballs to roast and eat, hence his nickname "Star-Picking Mouse."
The bearded strongman is the leader of this group, an elder of the Night Rain Pavilion, and a guardian Vajra of the Great Hero Demon Sect. His real name is Ma Cheng, and he was also given the name Sai Na Li Hei by his master. In the language of the Western Extremity, it means "able to cut off afflictions and possess supreme power". His skills surpass those of many leaders of small sects in the martial arts world.
The alluring woman is the guardian consort of the Great Hero Demonic Cult. Her parents died early, and she was never given a proper name, so she goes by the name Cui Luoyan. She is particularly skilled in poison and seductive arts, and is known as the Wasp Lady. Among the group, she is responsible for devising strategies.
This morning, the four men were still resting in the house, discussing how to kidnap Wei Xiaowan.
Suddenly, a subordinate reported that the remnant of the Tie family, using the alias Mu Xiaofan, had hurriedly left home with the woman. A while later, another assassin, who had been hiding in the city keeping watch, arrived to report that the Tie family remnant and Wei Xiaowan had gone to a mansion on the outskirts of town.
"Which family lives in there?" Cui Luoyan asked carefully.
"They were martial arts practitioners who arrived in town the day before yesterday. They brought men from the Martial Arts Alliance and wiped out Haoyi Manor."
"Oh, I remember the owner of Haoyi Manor is Dai Xianyong, the father of Dai Weixiong, the steward of Zhoudao Brigade. Dai Weixiong also has a sister in Piaodao Brigade, who is said to be quite skilled in martial arts and highly regarded by the brigade leader." Ma Cheng raised his hand to stroke his beard.
Mei Tianli chuckled to himself, while Lü Jiaojiao, who found him irritating, glared at him and snapped, "You short rat, what are you laughing at?"
"Hehe, I said Dai Xianyong's daughter's martial arts skills are not good, but she is quite pretty. The one who really values her is not the leader, but our boss."
Upon hearing this, Lü Jiaojiao started muttering to herself, but no one was willing to listen carefully to what she was saying.
Soon, the third assassin, who was keeping watch, knocked on the door with a coded signal and came in with new information: "The remnants of the Tie family went out. I couldn't keep up and they disappeared after taking a few detours."
Cui Luoyan let out a shrill, cold laugh, which frightened her assassins so much that they only dared to breathe through half of their nostrils.
"Good, good. It seems this kid has already sensed something's wrong and is on guard against us. Where exactly did he slip up? Like a cicada sensing the autumn wind before it even blows, this remnant of the Tie family—does he possess such meticulous thinking and sharp insight?"
Upon hearing this, Ma Cheng solemnly replied, "In that case, we must not let him live!"
Knock knock—knock, the code of two short knocks followed by one long knock sounded.
The assassin waiting behind the door opened it, looked up and saw the person who entered. His face showed surprise, but he pretended to be unaware and asked with a puzzled expression, "Young man, who are you looking for?"
"Damn it, who's here?" Mei Tianli shouted.
"I!"
The assassin took two steps back, revealing the figure of the person outside the door. Upon seeing the uninvited guest, the villains of Night Rain Pavilion immediately stood up, placed their hands on their weapons, and glared coldly.
Tie Yingjie didn't enter the room. Instead, he followed the instructions of the other players on the online platform and said, "You bunch of stray dogs have been stalking me for days. What, you still want to pretend you don't know me?"
Cui Luoyan smiled charmingly, "You've come at just the right time. Seeing you is like seeing someone I know."
Tie Yingjie snorted. "You mean 'saw a dead person,' right or wrong?"
These words left Wasp Lady speechless; she opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything more.
"This kid's courting death, let's finish him off right here!" Mei Tianli shouted urgently.
"Killing me here would be easy, but I'm afraid you'll accidentally harm civilians and be hunted down by the Righteousness Hall. I've been wanting to get rid of you anyway, so why don't we find a secluded place together and end it all?"
Ma Cheng narrowed his eyes. "On what grounds?"
"You don't have to come, but if I want to leave, you can't stop me. I tracked you all the way here, and the eight people you sent to keep watch didn't find me, did they? Since that's the case, once I leave Liquan Town, you'll never find me again."
Tie Yingjie followed the route map pointed out by the players to avoid being seen, but in the eyes of these assassins, he was indeed like an invisible man.
"...We'll decide on the location," Cui Luoyan said.
"No need for that. I'll tell you the truth: there are twelve of you in total, and I have three helpers—no, let's call it four. The fourth is a cat. These are the people. There's no ambush. I swear by the last swordsman of the Tie family, if I have any schemes or tricks, I will immediately sever my own heart meridian!"
The Night Rain Pavilion assassins, who had initially harbored some doubts, stopped pursuing the matter after hearing this oath. Even Mei Tianli offered no further objections.
The martial arts world still remembers the Tie family's reputation and the weight of their promises.
Tie Yingjie turned and left.
Behind them, the Rain Blade Hall assassins followed from a distance, the twelve of them gathered together.
One after the other, we traversed the streets and alleys of Liquan Town, passing through the joyful and bustling crowds, past noodle stalls, hearing the shouts of vendors, smelling the aroma of steamed cakes, rice cakes, and steamed wine lees, and also smelling the stench of chicken, dog, cow, and horse manure.
The sky was overcast, and soon it started to rain. Pedestrians on the street hurried to find shelter from the rain, while vendors grumbled as they packed up their goods and set up rain shelters. Rain chains hanging under the eaves of wealthy houses swayed gently, and as the wind blew, the small, cup-like water chimes on the chains made a light, crisp sound.
The rain was heavy and soaked his clothes. Tie Yingjie had seen the rain in Cangcheng before. In the Fengjian Tower of his childhood, it always seemed damp. The world outside the window was like a flood of seawater, and all the pavilions, towers, mountains and rivers were always shrouded in mist.
The rain in Liquan Town is not as good as that in Cangcheng. In Tie Yingjie's mind, there is no place in the world where the rain can surpass that in Cangcheng, even though he has not been back for many years.
On the outskirts of the town, by the Qingshui River, not far from where Tie Yingjie often bathed.
He stopped and clasped his hands in greeting to the three people and the cat in front of him.
Lin Zhuo, Shu Yuliu, and Qingde returned the greetings, and Jin Xiaohu struck his gong.
The twelve assassins from the Rain Blade Hall arrived under the cover of rain, resembling twelve weapons of different shapes, all exceptionally sharp.
The exaggerated makeup on the faces of the street performers was ruined by the rain, with the snow-white lead powder flowing sparsely. Mei Tianli and Lü Jiaojiao wiped away their wet makeup, revealing their true faces, which looked even more ferocious.
Looking around, the area was deserted and open, offering no hiding place for any ambush. With the flowing river, it was indeed a perfect place to kill and dispose of a body.
"The Tie family's son is really in high spirits, even choosing an auspicious burial site. Have you prepared the coffin yet?" Cui Luoyan asked with a sweet laugh.
Tie Yingjie remained silent, having nothing more to say.
Qingde slowly drew his sword from its sheath and held it up in front of him. The gleaming white blade was like a ray of sunlight piercing through the clouds.
Shu Yuliu rotated the drumsticks with his fingers, closed his eyes slightly, and breathed, just as he always adjusts his emotions before going on stage to perform.
The patterns on Jin Xiaohu's face glowed slightly, revealing a mask of demonic majesty and ferocity. It arched its back and emitted a soft hissing sound.
Lin Zhuo walked out slowly, the chain hammer wrapped around his arm moving like a living snake, the hammerhead swaying slightly in the rain, emitting a cold and deep ringing sound.
"The flowing river is just right to wash away your filthy bodies, saving you the trouble of wrapping your corpses in coffins."
"Are you determined to stand up for the Tie family?" Cui Luoyan asked, her face displeased. "Aren't you afraid that you'll be in deep trouble yourself?"
"Interesting. Can't you even tell you're half-dead?"
Ma Cheng burst into laughter, "You greenhorn, how many years have you been practicing? You can't even handle that good-for-nothing Dai Xianyong, yet you dare to spout such nonsense?"
"To kill pigs and dogs like you, a day of training would be enough. You're welcome to come up and try."
Ma Cheng's face was ashen. He pulled a short pestle from his pocket, holding it like a small hammer, and strode forward. "Then I'll test whether your mouth is as hard as your words. Die!"
With a short pestle thrusting through the air, this move employed the martial arts of the Western Demonic Sect, gathering powerful and destructive true energy while releasing mysterious true energy. The majestic and awe-inspiring image of the Dharma Protector Vajra was faintly manifested around the body, intimidating gods and ghosts and causing enemies to tremble in fear.
The rain around us suddenly intensified and became chaotic.
Only the mournful sound of that short pestle piercing the air could truly shock one's liver and gallbladder.
Faced with this opponent who had taken the initiative to approach him, Lin Zhuo simply assumed a fighting stance, remained steady, and slowly swung a palm forward.
Ma Cheng's pupils reflected the palm strike, as well as the sudden surge of rain around him. His face, hidden beneath the Vajra illusory image, instantly paled in horror.