The Inverted Dragon's Scale

Clip-clop—

The muffled noise of horses’ hooves pounding against the sand sounded rhythmic and hypnotising.

Lifting up and setting down simultaneously, they charged ahead like a storm.

The group was evidently a gang of bandits but from plundering and being on the battlefield for a long time, they looked as powerful, determined and courageous as regular troops

They were clad in tight black clothes with a black robe draped over.

Looking like a black tornado sweeping up dense clouds of smoke and dust.

There were neither disorganised yelling nor threatening cries, and even their hurried breathing was silent.

Sitting atop horses, they avoided creating any sounds as much as possible.

Only their slender sabres were raised high into the air, blatantly exposing the identity of the reapers of death.

They all showed extraordinary equestrian skill, their bodies rocking with the saddle motion. No hands but just their legs were required to steer the horse.

They approached from the distance in the twinkling of an eye.

The faded black figures moments ago became much clearer; right now every unfamiliar faces were visible, along with the ferocious look that accompanied each unfamiliar face——

More terrifying than Blood Wolf and more evil than the devil.

Gan Yang’s face looked grave and stern, constantly licking his chapped lips with his tongue. This was one of his habits; every time he encountered a dangerous situation or felt tense he would do this action naturally.

Desert bandits have devastated these lands for thousands of years. Their profession is the same as escorting guards in that it is inherited.

The saying goes if you live by the water, you profit from the water. If you live on a mountain, you live off the mountain. The people who lives in the desert, lives on nothing. It is only through robbing and killing that they could accumulate wealth for their future generations. As a result, robbing and murdering became a fair and essential means for them to earn a living.

For desert bandits to survive, they have to rob and kill.

Escort guards also have to survive, so they must protect the goods, must sacrifice themselves.

Since ancient times, these two groups have been rivals.

There is no enmity between them but they won’t give up until they die.

Gan Yang had encountered desert bandits a number of times before; many brothers of his have also been killed by bandits on their way of delivering goods. They were killed in front of his eyes——including Gan Liang’s father.

That kind of frustration and powerlessness he felt makes him cry his heart out at night over and over again.

However, those were small gangs of desert bandits before. Twenty or thirty people usually, and at most fifty people. They would charge ahead, kill, rob goods and then turn around to leave.

This time it was different, this time the bandits came in their hundreds.

He did not know what goods they were asked to escort, but he remembered the serious atmosphere during the conversation the herbal tycoon of Guanzhong, Bai Feng, had with their elderly leader. After that, the elderly leader invited him into his room to explain the seriousness of this matter and repeatedly said that the brothers must guarantee the safety of this batch of goods. When they return, the escorting establishment would be able to make an unexpected recovery and the families of the brothers who passed away could also live an easy and comfortable life.

It was obvious, this batch of goods is worth a lot of money. These bandits must have sniffed out the taste of blood so they gathered here to prepare for a big transaction.

This cargo cannot be lost, they can’t afford to, otherwise the escorting establishment would be over and also the livese of their brothers.

“Brothers, we came here for what?” Gan Yang’s deep sharp voice bellowed across the desert. He also does not know why his voice suddenly became like this. As if he was scalded. “We’re not doing this to defend the country nor to protect the goods—-we only want to earn a living for our families. If the cargo is safe, everything will be fine. If the goods are lost, the business is over and we are finished.”

Gan Yang drew out the sword hanging at his waist, hissing: “There’s nothing to say anymore, just as before—-attack.”

“Attack them.” The numerous guards gathered around Gan Yang drew their sword and cried raucously. Although they were lacking in numbers but the momentum was just as strong.

“Kill.” Gan Yang led the way, with a sword tight in his hand he charged ahead on horse.

“Kill.” Many escorting guards also commanded their horse to charge forth.

Blocking the road to wealth is the same as killing their parents. How could they not do their best to attack?

Of course, the desert bandits also felt the same way.

They showed no intention to slow down; the moment the team of escorting guards, led by Gan Yang, was charging forth, the bandits once again speeded up. Bringing out the horses’ potential to its fullest.

“Kill.” The leader’s face was biting-cold as he muttered between clenched teeth.

“Kill.” Grasping onto their sabres, the black-robed men charged towards Gan Yang and the others.

Sha—–

Gan Yang and the man in black lunged their sword at each other, missing only by inches.

Gan Yang felt the power of the tiger, his chest constricted. But the man in black had already rushed into their camp and consecutively beheaded Gan Chao and Wang Xiaode.

His opponent was a skilled master, his strength was not on the same level as him.

The other black-robed bandits also penetrated into the team of escort guards like wolves mauling a flock of sheep. The guards who only know a few basic martial moves or simply have a sturdy body hoping to rely on their strength to earn a bowl of rice were hacked to death and dropped from their horses one after the other.

Gan Yang’s eyes became blazing with anger. With a loud roar, he once again turned his horse towards the black-clad bandits.

Capture the leader first in order to capture all his followers. As long as he was able to decapitate the leader first, it will certainly destroy their morale and lead them to return back from where they came from empty-handed.

“Die.” Gan Yang clenched his teeth and hissed. The feeling of despair came once again, he exerted his utmost strength to kill the opponents but no matter how hard he tried he could never drive people into that hysterical state of madness.

Whoosh—

They once again staggered past each other.

Gan Yang thrust his crescent blade at the chest of the man in black, the sabre of the man in black also swung down at his head.

Fighting with their lives.

Gan Yang knows he is no match for the man in black, but he was willing to exchange his life for others. Hoping that it will give his people and his brothers the chance to live.

Screech—

Gan Yang flew into the air, he saw his horse and also saw his body.

His claret-coloured horse continued to gallop ahead, dragging along his huge body; it completely did not notice that something has fallen off.

Flying across the air was his head; his big head was severed off by the sabre and sent into the air.

He watched his horse galloped faster and farther and finally disappeared out of view.

Plop–

His head dropped to the ground, his eyes showing everlasting regret

“Uncle Gan—–” Gan Liang was still fighting with another bandit. Witnessing Gan Yang’s tragic death, he abruptly came to a standstill and yelled.

Only because of this stagnation, the desert bandits were able to take advantage to lunge a sword at his back.

As if he was being bitten by an ant he felt no pain at all.

“Uncle Gan—–uncle Gan—-” He was screaming and yelling as he turned his horse toward Gan Yang’s head. This simple and kind boy had forgotten the danger of the battlefield and the horror of the bloody fight. He only wanted to rush over, pick up his uncle’s head and burst into tears.

After his father died, uncle Gan was the hope of his family. He was the only shoulder he could lean on, he was the one closest to him. In his heart, he was the man who replaced his father.

But he died in front of his eyes, he was decapitated in one stroke—–

The expressions of the desert bandits, although covered with bloodstains, were cruel and ruthless. They thought that Gan Liang tried to run away, immediately clench tight onto their sabres that was still dripping with blood and gave chase on horses.

“Gan Liang, run—-hurry run—–” Li Muyang was worried to the point he almost turned crazy.

He leaped down from the carriage, then fumbled around on the ground.

He found the Understand Heaven Sword.

What’s strange was that no matter where he drops it, the Understand Heaven Sword was always at his side, tightly strapped just above his belt.

He drew his sword and dashed at full speed over to the bandit who was chasing Gan Liang without stopping.

It was only just one round, only a brief moment, but these damn desert bandits, these butchers who deserves to go to hell, nearly slaughtered the entire friendly escort guards.

That burly man said to him with a worried face: I rescued you from the Mangrove Forest so you owe me one. I don’t ask for anything else, just stay alive. Live for a long, long time.

That big brother covered with pimples on the face is called Huang Xuan, he gave him a tin kettle and said to him: Drink it to wet your throat, this pot of water is clean, I haven’t drank it——

That bright dark-eyed young man proudly said to him: one day I want to go to Jiangnan city, along with the team of escorting guards.

Also, there were some other people he talked to, when they did not know what to say to him they would just kindly smile at him.

They have a wife, children and families who need their care and support. They have flesh and blood; they’re living people.

However, they were hacked to death one by one by the devils of the desert, their body dismembered.

In the blink of an eye, also the time to drink a mouthful of water.

They were all dead.

Li Muyang felt he was going crazy.

Hate!

Hate!

Hate to the point that his blood was racing around his body, his body was trembling badly.

He ran with all his strength.

He ran faster and faster, faster than any horse.

As he caught up with the man in black, his body soared high into the air.

And then the Understand Heaven Sword in his hand lunged at his back.

The black-clad bandit felt the danger behind him, he twisted around with his face ashen with fear, wanting to repel the attack with his sabre.

Clang—-

His sabre was cut into two pieces, like a branch was being snapped.

Chi——

His body severed in half, like cutting a block of tofu.

Both sides of his face was the expression of fear, he finally understood the feeling of despair when death descends.