Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Boarding the Ship (Part 2) "Splitting Mountain!" Lou Yi’s every muscle tightened, then released instantly, massive power concentrated in his fists, transforming fists into axes, and swung fiercely forward! At the same time, an intangible aura spread towards the black tiger. The black tiger’s body suddenly stiffened, and in the blink of an eye, Lou Yi landed four or five punches on it, knocking it to the ground. "Roar!" As the black tiger came to its senses, it let out an earth-shattering, furious roar. But Lou Yi had already flipped onto its back. Grabbing the soft skin on the back of the black tiger’s neck, his fist the size of a sandbag pounded relentlessly at the black tiger’s head! The black tiger tried to turn over, but was held down tightly by Lou Yi, its claws futilely digging hole after hole into the ground. This black tiger was much smaller than the previous fierce tiger, and Lou Yi’s strength was now comparable to it in magnitude. Coupled with the advantage of surprise, the black tiger was unable to break free for a while, only able to emit pained cries, scaring the nearby birds and rabbits in the forest into flight. The black tiger was naturally not in mortal danger, as Lou Yi was specifically targeting its head. The saying "Copper head, iron bones, tofu waist" was not for nothing. After beating it for a long time, Lou Yi’s fists turned red, and the black tiger ceased struggling, laying on the ground whimpering. Seeing the black tiger no longer struggling, Lou Yi stopped hitting it and just sat on its back to rest. The black tiger, noticing Lou Yi had stopped, dared not move at all. A strange tacit understanding formed between the two. After an unknown amount of time, Lou Yi jumped off the black tiger’s back. Seeing the black tiger was still unmoving, he shook his head and laughed, then turned around and left. The black tiger warily raised its head, looking confused. After Lou Yi distanced himself, the black tiger suddenly stood up and darted into the forest without a backward glance. Lou Yi’s purpose was achieved; having been in contact with the black tiger for so long, he must have absorbed much of its scent. He wasted no time and quickly headed back to the dock. As night fell, there were fewer people at the dock, but the archers were still diligently performing their duties, checking every passenger boarding a ship. Lou Yi approached a group of archers. "Take off your straw hat!... Where to?" "Jiang City." "For what purpose?" "Visiting relatives." An archer held a portrait, comparing it with Lou Yi’s appearance, then whistled, summoning a large black dog with a cold gaze from behind. "Woof!" It ran over to sniff at Lou Yi’s trousers, then jumped away as if electrocuted. Then, with its paws covering its nose, it lay on the ground with eyes suddenly clear and its tail wagging to show friendliness. "Stupid dog!" the archer beside scolded. The dog not attacking meant Lou Yi was okay, so he let Lou Yi pass. ’Success!’ Lou Yi felt joy in his heart, but didn’t show it on his face. As long as he left Tai City, there would be boundless opportunities ahead! He walked calmly towards the largest ship by the dock, over a hundred meters long. Heading to Jiang City, the journey was long, and who knew what creatures lurked beneath the water, a smaller ship wouldn’t make it across. Lou Yi boarded the ship, crossing the deck into the cabin, and suddenly froze. Inside the cabin stood several knife-wielding archers conducting thorough rechecks. Next to them, Lou Yi unexpectedly saw a familiar face, a man around forty, dressed in black cloth. It was Carpenter Xu from the same village! Lou Yi’s heart instantly chilled. ... To deal with him, the authorities truly spared no expense, layering security heavily, at great cost! Lou Yi was unaware of the status Qin Yun and the Heavy Sword Sect behind him held in the Tai City Main City. Of course, even if he knew, he would still resist, not waiting to die idly. At the scene. Passengers, like puppets, stepped forward one by one for body searches. The women suffered greatly. Older soldiers ignored them, but the younger ones took advantage of the situation, causing the women to cry. Carpenter Xu, as a successful person from Erhe Village, could only nod and bow to the soldiers, his expression ingratiating. One side of his face was swollen high, his left eye squinting into a slit. Yet he conscientiously helped the soldiers identify every suspicious person. "You, come here." A soldier noticed Lou Yi, who had just boarded, and called out. Lou Yi steeled himself and stepped forward. When he lifted his hat, Carpenter Xu stared, his eyes widened suddenly. "Well?" The leading soldier impatiently asked. Carpenter Xu swallowed hard, not answering immediately. His gaze on Lou Yi was complex, filled with apology and helplessness. In an instant, Lou Yi understood his meaning. ’Bang!’ Without a word, he lifted his right foot, and the nearby bench flew into the air, striking the two archers opposite. Then, turning, he fled. Only then did Carpenter Xu’s voice reach: "It’s him, he is Lou Yi!" Although Lou Yi had disguised himself, he might fool strangers. But fooling a neighbor known for over ten years like Carpenter Xu was practically dreaming. The other soldiers on the ship were shocked and rushed towards Lou Yi. One of them blew a sharp whistle, the sound spreading throughout the dock. In an instant, all the soldiers near the dock turned to look in the direction of the sound. "The criminal has been found!" They perked up, turning around. Someone blew a whistle, notifying soldiers patrolling the streets farther away. Thus link by link, all the soldiers in Longkou Town were alarmed. From a high vantage point, one could see the soldiers converging from all directions, like a large lotus flower closing rapidly, with the heart of the lotus at the ship’s bow. ’Quick, quick!’ Lou Yi knew he had to break through fast; if he waited for all the soldiers to gather, he would be doomed! He held an axe in his right hand while gripping a slingshot in his left, running and spinning it with a ’whoosh’ sound. ’Whoosh!’ A stone the size of a goose egg flew towards the cabin entrance, hitting a charging archer. "Ah!" The archer screamed as the stone penetrated his body, and the huge momentum sent him flying out of the cabin. Lou Yi quickly passed by him without sparing a glance, rushing towards the shore. On the deck above, seven or eight knife-wielding archers had gathered. Beyond the deck, there must be dozens if not hundreds more. "Get out!" Lou Yi pulled out the axe from his bosom, swinging it forward with force. ’Whoosh!’ He now had a strength of thousands of pounds; the dull and powerful sound of the axe cutting through the air was audible to all. The nearest archer, like tofu, was directly chopped in two at the waist! Intestines, innards, and blood spilled all over, and he lay on the ground howling, not dying immediately. The effect was immediate; the remaining people who hadn’t charged clearly slowed their actions. "Kill him!" From the shore came a powerful voice. A tall man, dressed in bright red armor and with an arrogant gaze, arrived at the scene. His attire was distinct from ordinary archers, clearly marking him as a leader or similarly high-ranking figure. ...