Chapter 125

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Chapter 125: Ambush and Killing (2)

Outside the tent, the raindrops formed a continuous curtain, hanging in the air, and all that could be seen was the blinding white of the rain. It was impossible to see into the distance.

However, the sound of the horse’s hooves was very orderly, shaking the ground slightly with each impact. Even though the scene was unclear, the sound had already reached them, growing louder by the moment.

Zhang Xiaohua didn’t fully understand what was happening, but he could sense the danger in the air. On the other hand, the experienced He Tianshu’s face had already changed drastically. He shouted at Zhang Xiaohua: “Zhang Xiaohua, quickly hide inside the tent, find a place to conceal yourself or escape out the side when you can. You don’t know martial arts, so you won’t be of much help here. You must survive and inform Sect Master Ou later.”

After saying this, he drew his sword and rushed out.

Zhang Xiaohua stood frozen in place, hide? Escape?

His mind was a whirl of confusion.

Zhang Xiaohua hadn’t grasped the severity of the situation. Just a few days ago, they had encountered mountain bandits and had easily driven them off. Why was it so serious now? Why did he have to run away?

In fact, he didn’t know that when He Tianshu heard the synchronized hoofbeats, he immediately realized this was a militarized group, likely targeting Ou Yan. Such a precise and organized attack could only be orchestrated by a major faction in the martial world. Since it was an ambush by a sect, it was bound to be well-planned, with the intent to leave no survivors. Although there were many people from Huanxi Villa, it was unlikely that anyone could escape. Except for a few who might be captured alive, the fate of the others was nearly sealed at this point. But Zhang Xiaohua was just a child, small in stature, and in the cover of night, there was a real chance he could escape. Firstly he could survive, and secondly, he could inform Ou Peng of what happened, preventing everyone from dying without closure. He Tianshu had initially thought of letting Zhang Xiaohua escape right away, but the situation was unclear. If it turned out to be a false alarm and the boy had already run away, wouldn’t it be a joke? Moreover, to be honest, the attackers must have done a lot of preparatory work, and it was likely that there were ambushes set around the camp. Running away at this moment would be like walking into a trap. Ironically, in the chaos of a battle, there might actually be a better chance of escaping.

How could Zhang Xiaohua possibly understand He Tianshu’s thinking?

Time was pressing, and there was no opportunity for detailed instructions. If He Tianshu had turned around and seen Zhang Xiaohua’s dazed and clueless expression, he would have been so infuriated that he might have spat blood!

Zhang Xiaohua looked at the torrential rain outside, hesitated for a moment, then walked back into the tent. He extinguished the light and carefully stood in the shadows at the entrance, poking his small head out to observe closely.

Meanwhile, He Tianshu dashed out of the tent into the rain and immediately used his lightness skill to rush toward the tent in the center, where Ou Yan was. Although there were only a few dozen steps between He Tianshu’s tent and Ou Yan’s, he didn’t dare to relax even for a second.

When He Tianshu reached the front of Ou Yan’s tent, he hadn’t even approached when a voice called out: “Who is it?”

He Tianshu quickly stopped and replied: “It’s me, He Tianshu.”

At that moment, the voice from inside the tent responded again: “Captain He, please come in quickly.”

As He Tianshu reached the tent’s entrance, the curtain was lifted, and he saw that it was Shi Niu.

Upon entering the tent, He Tianshu noticed that quite a few people were already inside, Great Aunt Qin, Ou Yan, Qiu Tong, Shi Niu, and several female disciples.

Without delay, He Tianshu addressed Shi Niu: “Senior Brother, did you hear the commotion?”

Shi Niu, with a stern expression, nodded without speaking. Knowing his temperament, He Tianshu didn’t mind and instead turned to ask Great Aunt Qin: “Hall Master Qin, what should we do?”

Great Aunt Qin responded: “When the soldiers come, send a general to resist; when the water comes, build a dam to stop it. At this point, it’s clear that we’ve been too careless. Changge, take a few disciples and prepare the horses. When the fight starts and chaos ensues, protect the Villa Master and break out. Return along the original route to the small town we passed a few days ago and find Lan Dong and the others.”

A female disciple in the tent acknowledged the order, took two others, and headed out into the rain.

Then, Great Aunt Qin instructed the remaining disciples to go to each tent, telling everyone to arm themselves and prepare for battle.

At that moment, the sound of hoofbeats, which had drowned out the noise of the rain, suddenly stopped. He Tianshu, sword in hand, stepped out of the tent. What he saw before him caused him to gasp in shock.

In the distance, a row of horses stood, their numbers indistinguishable in the darkness. The horses stood motionless in the wind and rain, clearly well-trained and majestic. The riders were dressed in night attire, their heads covered with black masks, making it impossible to discern their identities.

At this moment, Shi Niu, Great Aunt Qin, and the other male and female disciples, all armed, stepped out of the tent and stood tall in the rain, confronting the black-clad figures.

Seeing that the mounted figures remained motionless, He Tianshu glanced back at Shi Niu and the others before channeling his internal energy to shout: “Friends on the other side, why have you surrounded our camp? Do you have some business with us?”

The black-clad figures remained silent. He Tianshu frowned and was about to say something when suddenly, a new wave of rapid hoofbeats came from behind the black-clad figures, growing louder as they approached. The black-clad figures seemed to recognize their reinforcements and parted to make way for the incoming rider.

As the rider arrived before the group, in the darkness, they could only vaguely make out a small figure sitting upright on a magnificent horse, also dressed in black with a masked face. When the horse came to a halt, the black-clad figure let out a soft snort that pierced He Tianshu’s ears like needles, causing his blood to surge. It took He Tianshu a full cycle of internal energy to suppress the turbulent energy within him.

He Tianshu was horrified. The internal energy of this newcomer was top-tier in the martial world, yet he had no idea who this person was. Why would someone so formidable be here to ambush them tonight? Could it be…

Thinking this, He Tianshu gripped his sword, clasped his hands in salute, and channeled his internal energy to say: “You must be a senior master. I do not know what grievance you have with us lowly disciples of the Piaomiao Sect, but if we have offended you in some way, I, this He, will gladly bear the blame and offer my apologies after this.”

The black-clad figure finally spoke, their voice slightly raspy with a hint of age: “You are just a low-ranking disciple of the Piaomiao Sect, unworthy of speaking to me. There’s no need for pleasantries. You can see the situation clearly. If you are wise, lay down your weapons and surrender. Obey us, or don’t blame us for being ruthless.”

Before the words had fully settled, Great Aunt Qin’s crisp voice rang out: “Cowardly rats, if you dare to attack us, why hide your faces? You call yourselves part of the Jianghu, yet you’re too scared to reveal your name.”

The same elderly voice responded, calm and unhurried: “Great Aunt Qin, you still have that sharp tongue. You seemed to have enjoyed your leisurely life in the Piaomiao Sect and forgotten the hardships of wandering the martial world, haven’t you? Such provocations are useless. Are you trying to buy time? In this desolate wilderness, who could you possibly be waiting for? Enough idle talk, lay down your weapons quickly, or I will give the order to attack.”

After saying that, the black-clad figure raised his right hand.

At this point, there was nothing left to discuss. In fact, He Tianshu’s words were indeed meant to buy some time, but he knew deep down that this was just wishful thinking. Their side had limited strength, and judging by the formation of the black-clad figures, they had likely already assessed their situation thoroughly, confident in their advantage.

As the black-clad figure’s arm slowly fell bit by bit, He Tianshu hesitated no more. He glanced back at Great Aunt Qin and Shi Niu, only to see them exchange a look before both leaped towards the black-clad figures outside. Without further hesitation, He Tianshu also pushed off the ground, charging in a different direction.

The remaining disciples let out a loud battle cry, weapons in hand, as they dashed forward. Only a few female disciples stayed behind, standing guard with their long swords in front of Ou Yan’s tent.

The black-clad figure saw the Piaomiao Sect members charging and instantly dropped his arm. The leader spat out a single word: “Kill!” The command was so powerful it sent a shiver through everyone’s hearts.

All the black-clad figures dismounted simultaneously, their feet barely touching the ground as they flew toward the Piaomiao Sect members. In an instant, both sides were locked in combat.

As He Tianshu charged forward, a shadow suddenly swooped down from above with a sharp whistle. “He Tianshu, your opponent is me!” Before the words had fully left his mouth, a sword flashed like lightning, stabbing directly at He Tianshu’s chest. Startled, He Tianshu quickly sidestepped and dodged the attack. Once he regained his composure, he immediately took a sword stance and counterattacked. The two engaged in a fierce battle, with flashing swords exchanging blows. After dozens of moves, neither had gained the upper hand.

Shi Niu, too, encountered an opponent midway through his charge. His adversary wielded a staff as thick as a man’s brow, and as he swung it, it whistled through the air, scattering raindrops in its path. Although Shi Niu had no weapon, his Great Strength Vajra Palm technique was equally formidable. His moves were broad and aggressive, relentlessly targeting his opponent’s vital points. Despite this, he guarded his own vital areas tightly, allowing the staff to strike less critical parts of his body without flinching. Aside from a slight furrowing of his brow, the blows did little to harm him.

Under Shi Niu’s fearless onslaught, the black-clad figure gradually began to lose ground.

Great Aunt Qin, abandoning her usual Snake Fist today, brandished her weapon, a soft sword. Under her expert control, the sword moved like a viper leaving its nest, striking with lethal precision. Within moments of engaging the black-clad figures, she had already wounded several. As she became more engrossed in the fight, a crimson-tasseled spear suddenly thrust at her from an angle, aiming directly at her face with the force of a dragon in flight. Great Aunt Qin, however, remained unflustered. She planted her foot firmly and executed a nimble somersault, leaping into the air just as the spear passed beneath her. While airborne, she reversed her grip on the sword and stabbed toward the wrist of the spear-wielding assailant. The black-clad figure was no novice either. When his spear missed its mark and the soft sword aimed at him, he quickly crouched, dodging the blade, and used the opportunity to kick upwards at Great Aunt Qin’s abdomen. Recognizing the futility of her move, Great Aunt Qin immediately shifted her tactics, changing her stance to avoid the kick. The two quickly became locked in a fierce battle.

By now, all the black-clad figures, except the old leader, had dismounted and joined the fray. The old man in black, still seated firmly on his horse, observed the battlefield. Upon seeing that He Tianshu, Shi Niu, and Great Aunt Qin had each been engaged by his own people, he felt a surge of confidence. He then scanned the other skirmishes.

Although Ou Yan hadn’t brought many disciples from the sect on this trip, those who accompanied her had all been rigorously trained by the Piaomiao Sect. None were ordinary fighters. The black-clad figures, though greater in number, were limited in how many they could bring for a covert operation like this. They couldn’t afford to move overwhelming numbers without drawing attention. Moreover, to avoid giving away their affiliation, these attackers weren’t from their sect, so their martial arts skills were not on par with the disciples of Huanxi Villa. As a result, despite the disparity in numbers, the black-clad figures found themselves evenly matched, with two or three of them barely holding their own against each villa disciple.

Seeing this, the old leader felt assured. In his mind, the Lord had been overly cautious. If only a few elite fighters or one or two elders from their sect had been involved, the situation could have been resolved quickly and decisively. Even if the villa members recognized them, what could they do? They would soon be prisoners with no chance of escape, so what waves would they be able to create?

Nevertheless, knowing his Lord’s cautious nature, he decided to stick to the plan. After all, the situation remained under control. The key was to capture the leader and report back. The eyes of the old man in black then drifted toward the tent from which He Tianshu and the others had emerged. A few female disciples still guarded it, holding off several black-clad attackers trying to breach it.

Just as the elderly leader was plotting against Ou Yan, a sudden change occurred on He Tianshu’s side of the battlefield.

He Tianshu, observing the man in black for a while, suddenly felt that the sword technique seemed somewhat familiar. After thinking carefully, he suddenly exclaimed, “You… you’re that second-in-command from the robbery a few days ago? You’ve actually used a sword technique with a saber! No wonder this sword technique feels familiar.”

The man in black laughed: “Very good. The disciples of the Piaomiao Sect are indeed extraordinary if you can recognize me even with this. The last time I fought you with a saber, we ended in a draw. Today, let me show you my true prowess.”

After saying this, the sword technique changed once more, becoming fast and unpredictable. In the darkness of the night, He Tianshu was accidentally struck in the right arm. Luckily, he reacted quickly, withdrawing his sword to protect himself, which resulted in only a minor injury. Nevertheless, the blood flowed down his arm and mingled with the rainwater on the ground. Seeing the situation was dire, He Tianshu did not dare to hold back any longer. He lifted the tip of his sword and used the Piaomiao Sect’s secret sword technique, engaging in another fierce battle with the man.

Since the second-in-command was fighting He Tianshu, it was clear that the person fighting Shi Niu was the leader of the group that day. Unfortunately, the leader was using a staff today, and his moves had completely changed. Even though his figure hadn’t changed, Shi Niu couldn’t recognize him. Even if he was still using the same saber, Shi Niu was too lazy to think about it. Questions like “How could the person who was injured and coughing up blood now be standing here, with even higher skills?” were not as satisfying as simply smashing someone to death with his fist!

Although the leader had assessed Shi Niu’s martial arts, he still underestimated him. As it stands, he was always at a disadvantage, barely managing to hold his own. However, his mission was only to prevent Shi Niu from intervening. The old man in black, who was even more skilled than Shi Niu, was still on that horse, right?

Indeed, the old man in black remained on his horse, showing no sign of movement.

At this moment, the people from the Huanxi Villa were like pieces of meat on a chopping board, slowly being drawn out by the knife of the man in black, waiting for the final moment when the butcher’s knife would fall. The old man’s gaze was somewhat mocking as if playing a game of cat and mouse. It seemed he could almost hear the groans from his opponent’s heart, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

Meanwhile, the battle within the field had reached a fever pitch, with screams occasionally breaking out, whether from the men in black or the villa’s people. However, apart from the old man in black and, oh yes, Zhang Xiaohua hiding in the shadows of a tent, others were likely too preoccupied to care. In such a dark night, preserving one’s own life was more important than anything else.

And at this moment, our poor Zhang Xiaohua truly didn’t know what to do.

During his thirteen years of life, Zhang Xiaohua had experienced the battles in Lu Town and the skirmishes with the bandits from West Cui Mountain on the road to Guo Village. Although he participated in these fights, he initially played the role of a mere guinea pig with no real combat skills, often being knocked down with a single blow. Now that he had some ability to protect himself, he felt a growing urge to test his limits. On the other hand, the incidents in Lu Town were not life-threatening, and although the fight involving West Cui Mountain was bloody, Lu Yueming had controlled the situation well, so Zhang Xiaohua did not feel any real danger to his life. Today, however, was different. The ongoing battle in the field was intense, with people getting injured and losing their lives regularly. The brutal scene evoked a profound sense of oppression in Zhang Xiaohua, making it hard for him to breathe and increasing Zhang XIaohua’s desire to escape from the scene.

Moreover, hadn’t He Tianshu instructed him to find an opportunity to run away when the situation became chaotic?

But what about Sister Ou and Sister Qiu Tong?

In that moment, Zhang Xiaohua was torn by inner conflict.

Yet, he forgot to consider whether his presence would actually be of any help. He was merely acting out of a sense of conscience, neglecting his own abilities.

Fortunately, for now, the balance between the men in black and the disciples of Huanxi Villa was maintained. Although both sides had lost many combatants, the fight remained evenly matched. The men in black had not sent extra personnel into the tents, so Zhang Xiaohua was still safe.

The Huanxi Villa campsite had seven or eight tents, all arranged around the central tent of Ou Yan, with Zhang Xiaohua’s tent located on one side.

Just as Zhang Xiaohua hesitated, he suddenly saw a flash of sword light behind Ou Yan’s central tent. The tent was slashed open, and several figures emerged from the gap. Due to the darkness, he couldn’t see clearly, but they were presumably Ou Yan and her group.

Zhang Xiaohua was overjoyed and immediately was ready to run in that direction.

However, at that moment, the old man in black, sitting on his horse, shifted his gaze slightly. He exerted force with his legs, leaped from the horse’s back with a powerful thrust, and soared through the air like a large bird, heading straight for the central tent. Within a few jumps, he reached the front of the tent.
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