Chapter 126

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Chapter 126: One Sword

Although Shi Niu, Great Aunt Qin, and He Tianshu were all fighting desperately, they were still keeping a portion of their attention on the old man in black.

Now, seeing the old man using his lightness skill to fly into the camp, their hearts tightened. Their attacks became more fierce as they tried to retreat and block the old man quickly, but how could their opponents be willing to let them succeed? They fought with all their strength and increased their attacks. Even Shi Niu’s opponent, who had previously been at a disadvantage, as he saw the old man moving quickly changed tactics and intensified his inner energy, causing Shi Niu to struggle and fall behind, unable to break free for a moment.

This must be the old man’s well-thought-out plan.

The old man in black arrived in front of the tent but did not enter directly. Instead, he slowly walked towards the back of the tent, seemingly aware that the people inside had torn the tent and escaped from the rear.

Ou Yan and Qiu Tong, covered by several female disciples, emerged from the tent. After walking a few steps, they saw the old man approaching them. They quickly covered their mouths, nearly crying out in alarm.

A female disciple named Chang Ge pointed to the tent next to Zhang Xiaohua’s and decisively said to Ou Yan: “Villa Owner, the horses are in the tent ahead. You and Qiu Tong should go there. We’ll stay here and block this old thief.”

After speaking, she waved her hand, and the other female disciples ran past Ou Yan, brandishing long swords and positioning themselves between the old man and Ou Yan.

Ou Yan looked at Chang Ge and the others’ retreating figures. She opened her mouth as if to say something but could not find the words. She only bit her lip in frustration and quickly moved towards the tent.

The old man, seeing Chang Ge and the others blocking his path, couldn’t help but smile coldly and said: “You few girls think you can stop me with just your efforts? Why not drop your long swords and I’ll spare you. I’m only interested in catching the one surnamed Ou. The others are of no interest to me.”

Chang Ge and the others did not respond. As the old man approached, they aimed their long swords from different angles at him.

However, unexpectedly, the old man did not fight back but continued to walk forward, letting the swords stab into his body. Chang Ge and the others were initially pleased but soon alarmed. The old man’s behavior clearly indicated he had something to rely on. Could their killing swords still be effective?

Indeed, as the swords pierced into the old man’s body, it felt to them as though they were stabbing into iron plates rather than flesh, with a hard, ringing sound. The long swords immediately began to bend under their inner energy.

The old man was quite satisfied with this outcome. He chuckled and struck the bent swords with a vigorous thrust of his arms. With several crisp sounds, some of the long swords snapped in half, and the remaining inner strength surged back toward the female disciples’ arms. The impact caused them to fall backward as if struck by heavy objects, with one even vomiting blood and collapsing.

After the fall, the remaining disciples quickly got back up, their faces pale and unsteady, holding their broken swords.

Chang Ge fared somewhat better, her long sword had not broken. She steadied herself and rushed towards the old man. At this point, the old man had already moved towards Ou Yan, leaving his back exposed. Chang Ge aimed her long sword at him but, seeing the large target, she dared not strike again. Instead, she concentrated all her strength and aimed for the back of the old man’s neck.

Meanwhile, as Chang Ge and the other female disciples were blocking the old man, Qiu Tong was helping Ou Yan make their way to the tent where the horses were kept. The rain continued to pour heavily, and the ground had turned into a muddy mess. The riverside terrain was uneven and waterlogged, making it hard to see where they were stepping. They accidentally stepped into a small puddle, and their shoes were lost when they tried to pull their feet out. But they paid no heed to these details, focusing only on their desperate escape.

Unfortunately, the two weak women who had no martial training could not run far in such a short time.

By the time Chang Ge’s long sword was aimed at the old man’s neck, Ou Yan and Qiu Tong had only managed to cover half the distance. At this moment, Ou Yan’s foot sunk into a deep pit, causing her right leg to become stuck halfway. Her body lost balance instantly, and she fell to the right. Qiu Tong, who was supporting Ou Yan, was caught off guard. Despite using all her strength to pull Ou Yan’s arm, she failed to support her properly and stumbled forward herself.

At this moment, a shout came from another tent: “Sister Ou, Sister Qiu Tong!”

A small figure ran from the distance towards the fallen Ou Yan and Qiu Tong. It was Zhang Xiaohua, who had been hiding in the tent!

Actually, Zhang Xiaohua had wanted to run over as soon as he saw Ou Yan and the others emerging from the tent. However, before he could get up, the old man in black used his lightness skill to approach. Although Zhang Xiaohua’s martial skills were lacking, his senses were keen. He quickly stopped his movement and watched as Chang Ge and the others attacked the old man. Zhang Xiaohua could see it and felt a chill in his heart. But when he saw Ou Yan and Qiu Tong fall, he could no longer hold back. He shouted and ran out, trying to help them to avoid their fall into the muddy ground.

However, Zhang Xiaohua did not know any lightness skills. Before he could reach them, Ou Yan and Qiu Tong had already fallen into the mud. Their already wet clothes and delicate faces were smeared with dark, filthy mud. After falling, Ou Yan struggled to get up but seemed too injured to rise immediately. On the other hand, Qiu Tong, though covered in mud, did not waste any time and quickly struggled to her feet.

Meanwhile, Chang Ge, who was holding the sword, channeled all her energy into the sword when Ou Yan stepped into the pit. She aimed precisely and fiercely at the old man’s neck. However, the old man seemed to have eyes on his back. Just as the sword, filled with internal energy, was about to pierce his neck, he suddenly turned around. His eyes locked onto the approaching sword tip as he extended his right palm to block it. The sword met his hand with a “Ding” as if striking against metal or stone, almost causing sparks. Then, the old man squeezed his hand and trapped the sword’s tip in his grip. With a slight twist of his wrist, he snapped the tip off with a sharp “crack”.

He then waved his hand, sending the sword tip flying towards Chang Ge’s chest like a projectile. Chang Ge was horrified and it was too late to strike with her sword. In her frantic attempt to dodge, she managed to turn her body slightly. Unfortunately, the sword tip was too fast, as Chang Ge barely moved, it struck her left shoulder with a “thud”, penetrating deeply. The sharp pain made Chang Ge let out a low growl, and the force behind the sword tip was so great that it caused her to stumble backward, falling into the mud with a loud thud.

Blood flowed from her shoulder like a stream, and Chang Ge fainted from the pain.

The old man in black stood still for a moment, watching Chang Ge lose consciousness. Only then did he take a step forward, moving towards Ou Yan.

At this point, Zhang Xiaohua had reached Ou Yan’s side and was trying to help her out of the muddy water. The old man walked slowly, looking at the scene before him with a smile. He had already noticed Zhang Xiaohua running out of the tent. However, seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s clumsy and heavy steps, his lack of basic lightness skills, and his youthful, undeveloped frame, the old man considered him nothing more than a mere child from Huanxi Villa. Naturally, he paid him no mind. Even a skilled disciple like Chang Ge from the Piaomiao Sect could be dealt with by a mere wave of his hand, let alone this child, who might be easily eliminated with just a finger.

When Zhang Xiaohua managed to lift Ou Yan out of the muddy water, Qiu Tong also got up from the ground. When two of them helped Ou Yan forward, one on the left and the other on the right, they discovered that Ou Yan’s right foot was injured and could not touch the ground. This was likely why Ou Yan had been unable to stand earlier. Zhang Xiaohua draped Ou Yan’s right arm over his own shoulder and took a step forward, bending slightly. He then took Ou Yan’s left arm from Qiu Tong and draped it over his shoulder as well. Qiu Tong, initially stunned, quickly understood the situation and assisted Zhang Xiaohua in placing Ou Yan onto his back. Though Zhang Xiaohua was still in the early stages of growth and slightly shorter than Ou Yan, and his thin frame made carrying Ou Yan seem a bit challenging, his strong arms made it manageable.

As Qiu Tong secured Ou Yan on Zhang Xiaohua’s back, the old man in black had already approached them. Seeing this, Zhang Xiaohua seemed to weigh nothing as he quickly started running. However, his direction was not towards the tent but towards the nearby small river. Qiu Tong followed closely behind.

The old man watched Zhang Xiaohua and Qiu Tong’s actions with a sense of detached amusement and did not interfere, but when Zhang Xiaohua headed towards the river, the old man frowned slightly. He was indifferent to Ou Yan and the others heading towards the tent to mount horses. With his lightness skill, he was confident he could catch up even if Ou Yan were galloping at full speed. However, with the river’s water level rising and the current becoming more turbulent, if Zhang Xiaohua were to jump into the water, it would be like a cooked duck escaping, something the old man could not allow.

As the old man in black was preparing to use his lightness skill to catch up, suddenly, a tall figure in black arrived on horseback. A loud voice echoed across the scene: “Brothers, there are more than a dozen fast horses coming from the distance. They are probably reinforcements from the Piaomiao Sect. Everyone, act quickly!”

The familiar voice was recognized by the people of the Huanxi Villa immediately. It was none other than the bandit who had made an appearance first during the recent highway robbery in the forest.

It was unclear whether this person was trying to alert his comrades or boost the morale of the Huanxi Villa’s people. Regardless, the moment the voice rang out, the morale of the villa’s side was greatly invigorated, while the black-clad bandits appeared somewhat disheartened. The long-standing balance was disrupted by this shout.

The instigator, however, showed no shame. He clapped his hands, turned his horse around, and headed back in the direction he came from, unsure whether he was going to continue scouting or make his escape.

The playful gaze of the old man in black immediately ceased, now had his demeanor changed drastically. He thought to himself: “Since that’s the case, don’t blame me for being ruthless, Ou girl.”

With this thought, he immediately quickened his pace, using his impressive lightness skill to swiftly catch up with Zhang Xiaohua and the others. In no time, he reached an equal pace with Qiu Tong and was about to catch up with Ou Yan. The old man in black no longer accelerated and crossed over Zhang Xiaohua to intercept his path. Instead, he maintained his speed, subtly channeling his inner energy, causing his hands to glow faintly gold. At this moment, Qiu Tong noticed the strange aura around the old man and shouted: “XIaohua, behind you!”

Zhang Xiaohua, sensitive as ever, had already sensed something was amiss behind him. Upon Qiu Tong’s warning, he immediately stopped, and his martial skills came into play. He stood firmly as he quickly turned around, while the old man in black did not slow down and continued charging towards Zhang Xiaohua and Ou Yan, his pale golden palm seeming ready to strike.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaohua had no time to set Ou Yan down. He simply loosened his grip and, regardless of whether Ou Yan could stand, he used his right foot to move towards the old man.

Zhang Xiaohua’s martial arts skills were well-known to both Ou Yan and Qiu Tong. He had never completely learned any martial arts techniques, nor had he even seen a single character of internal cultivation methods. His reckless charge was nothing more than an act of throwing himself into danger, like feeding a tiger with one’s child, intending only to buy a moment of time for Ou Yan.

Ou Yan and Qiu Tong both cried out in unison, their voices tinged with a sobbing quality:  “Zhang Xiaohua~”

In truth, while Zhang Xiaohua was carrying Ou Yan and running, he had already resolved in his heart that even though Ou Yan was the mistress of Huanxi Villa, she had always treated him exceptionally well. During his time at the villa, she had taken great care of him, much like Liu Qian had in the past. Not only had she arranged for He Tianshu to teach him martial arts, but she also allowed him to read her treasured books and had even wanted Ou Peng to provide him with internal energy cultivation methods. These were all favors he could never repay. In this dire situation, whether it was Liu Qian, Qiu Tong, or Ou Yan, he would stand in front of them without hesitation, even if it meant facing an unfathomable abyss!

As Zhang Xiaohua charged toward the old man in black, he was not blindly throwing himself into danger. His left hand deftly pulled out a small toy-like sword from his bosom. His left arm naturally performed the fifth variation of the sword technique taught by Elder Yu, a warm current from somewhere flowed along the length of his left arm. The small sword stabbed slowly at the old man’s throat.

The old man in black, seeing Zhang Xiaohua turn around, was not surprised. Although he was somewhat astonished that Zhang Xiaohua would actually leave Ou Yan and rush forward, he merely smirked. In his view, the world had seen many righteous people lose their lives, and today would simply add one more. For someone with no martial skills like this youth, facing him was akin to a moth flying to a flame.

When he saw Zhang Xiaohua pull out what looked like a toy, the smile in his eyes became even stronger. How could such a child’s toy possibly harm him?

He originally thought to ignore the small sword, believing that his decades of rigorous practice with the Iron Shirt technique was not just for show. However, seeing how steadily Zhang Xiaohua wielded the sword, despite its slow speed, and noting the precise angle and timing aimed at his throat, he became cautious. He raised his left hand to block in front of his throat, preparing to grab the toy sword just as he had done with Chang Ge’s sword, while simultaneously his right hand remained directed towards Ou Yan next to Zhang Xiaohua.

The old man’s current objective had shifted from capturing Ou Yan to ensuring her death under his pale golden palm.

As soon as Ou Yan and Qiu Tong’s cries fell, they saw the direction of his right hand and realized the old man’s intent, their faces turned ashen. If even seasoned female experts like Chang Ge couldn’t stop him, how could Zhang Xiaohua be his opponent?

How could he escape from his clutches?

In the midst of their despair, Zhang Xiaohua’s edgeless little sword struck the old man’s hand. At this moment, the warm current also flowed into the small sword. When the sword and palm hit each other, it didn’t produce the resonant “clang” like Chang Ge’s sword, nor did Zhang Xiaohua get knocked back as the old man in black imagined. Instead, there was a “puchi” sound, a true flesh-piercing noise. The edgeless little sword actually penetrated the palm filled with internal energy. Moreover, the force did not diminish, it passed through the palm and directly aimed at the black-clad old man’s throat.

At this moment, the black-clad old man was utterly terrified. The golden palm that was initially aimed at Ou Yan quickly changed direction midway, striking toward Zhang Xiaohua’s chest instead. Simultaneously, he channeled his internal energy to his throat, making it as hard as solid iron, ready for the little sword to clang off of it ineffectively.

However, something strange happened. When Zhang Xiaohua’s sword stabbed into the old man’s throat, it only paused momentarily before piercing through as if cutting through tofu, with no resistance at all.

The black-clad old man was horrified, his eyes wide open as if he had seen a ghost. He tried to speak but only managed to produce two hoarse “he-he” sounds. At the same time, his right palm had already struck Zhang Xiaohua’s chest. But with the little sword embedded in his throat, four-tenths of the strength in his palm had dissipated. However, how could Zhang XIaohua bear the remaining six-tenths?

Zhang Xiaohua was sent flying at an angle by the force of the old man’s strike. He passed out in mid-air, blood welling up in his mouth but not even have the time to spit it out. Even Ou Yan, who was beside him, was caught in the aftermath of the palm strike, coughing up blood and collapsing weakly to the ground.

The black-clad old man fared even worse. As he struck Zhang Xiaohua, the little sword was pulled out of his throat. Surprisingly, not much blood flowed from the wound, just a single drop of bright red blood.

Yet this single drop was enough to claim the old man’s life. He covered his throat with his bleeding left, staring in disbelief at Zhang Xiaohua, who was sent flying through the air. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. Even in death, his eyes remained wide open, filled with unresolved anguish.

With just one sword strike, only one, Zhang Xiaohua had killed the nearly invincible black-clad old man on the spot.

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