Chapter 16

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Chapter 16: Gathering

The blow Mu Xiaofeng had just landed on the treasury guard left the guard stunned. He hadn’t expected Mu Xiaofeng to be so strong, nor did he think Mu Xiaofeng would actually be so bold. The guard gripped his sword and shield tightly, watching Mu Xiaofeng seriously now. He no longer dared to underestimate the person in front of him.

Mu Xiaofeng noticed the guard had taken up a full defensive stance, clearly preparing to attack this time. Without turning around, Mu Xiaofeng said to Feng Xun and Yun Jie, “Yun Jie, Feng Xun, you two should protect Qiao Zi. Don’t let her get hurt. I’ll go ahead and hold him back.”

Feng Xun nodded, while Yun Jie frowned slightly and gently warned Mu Xiaofeng, “Be careful.” Mu Xiaofeng smiled faintly, then charged at the guard again, raising his sword with both hands.

Seeing Mu Xiaofeng rushing toward him again, the guard tightened his grip on his shield, ready to defend. When Mu Xiaofeng reached the guard, he slashed with his sword, but the guard blocked it with his shield. This time, Mu Xiaofeng didn’t use much force—he only made light contact between his heavy sword and the shield before smoothly cutting downward. The guard hadn’t expected the previous strike to be a feint, so he hurriedly swung his sword to block Mu Xiaofeng’s strike. But it seemed Mu Xiaofeng was holding back; both attacks had little force, and the weapons separated after a brief clash. Mu Xiaofeng leapt back, putting some distance between himself and the guard, a slight smile playing on his lips before he rushed forward again.

The guard, seeing that Mu Xiaofeng still seemed so confident, didn’t dare to relax. He used his sword and shield to block each of Mu Xiaofeng’s attacks. Though Mu Xiaofeng’s sword strokes were fluid and powerful, they still lacked the necessary force, and the guard’s defense remained solid, leaving no openings.

After a few rounds, the guard grew impatient with Mu Xiaofeng’s weak attacks. He struck hard with his sword, knocking Mu Xiaofeng back a dozen steps. Pointing his sword at Mu Xiaofeng, he sneered, “Kid, that first strike surprised me—I thought you had some real skill. But you’re not strong enough. Are you only good for three strikes? The rest of your attacks were just tickling me. I don’t have time to play fighting games with you.” With that, the guard raised his sword and charged at Mu Xiaofeng.

Seeing the guard angry and on the offensive, Mu Xiaofeng’s expression turned serious. He didn’t retreat but instead gripped his heavy sword, preparing to meet the guard’s attack. The guard moved incredibly fast, slashing down with his sword. Mu Xiaofeng dodged, but the guard quickly raised his shield and struck at Mu Xiaofeng. Knowing he couldn’t avoid this hit, Mu Xiaofeng raised his heavy sword to block it.

The guard then aimed a slash at Mu Xiaofeng’s waist, an attack he couldn’t dodge. Qiao Zi, witnessing this, closed her eyes in fear, and Yun Jie, in a panic, rushed toward Mu Xiaofeng. But it was too late.

With a loud “Boom,” Mu Xiaofeng was sent flying by the guard’s blow, but he wasn’t cut in half. Just as the sword was about to strike him, the guard flicked his wrist, turning the blade so that the flat side hit Mu Xiaofeng instead.

Mu Xiaofeng stabbed his sword into the ground to help himself stand. By then, Yun Jie had already reached him and was supporting him. Blood trickled from the corner of Mu Xiaofeng’s mouth, but he laughed, “Hahaha, I knew it! You’re not going to kill us because we’re students. You’ll only injure us, right?”

The guard, realizing Mu Xiaofeng had figured it out, nodded and said, “You’re right. Since you’re not intruders, there’s no need to kill you—just to knock you down and defeat you. But don’t think I’ll show you any mercy.” The guard pointed his sword at Mu Xiaofeng, his tone full of menace.

Mu Xiaofeng smiled, signaling to Yun Jie that he was fine and told her to return to Qiao Zi. Then he said to the guard, “If I can’t die, you can’t knock me down or defeat me, so you’re bound to lose.” With that, Mu Xiaofeng suddenly drew his heavy sword and charged at the guard again, moving much faster than before. The previous blow hadn’t done much damage—it had only fueled his fighting spirit.

The guard, shocked by Mu Xiaofeng’s resilience, had expected that blow to break him. But Mu Xiaofeng wasn’t an ordinary person; years of grueling training had hardened him. Mu Xiaofeng didn’t use his full strength, instead opting to harass the guard and circle around him.

Angered, the guard raised his sword to strike, but a voice suddenly called out from the woods, “Retreating Demon Arrow!” It was the voice of Shadow, Yun Jie’s companion.

A sharp arrow infused with Yuan Qi shot out of the forest, accompanied by a strong gust of wind, heading straight for the guard. Unable to dodge in time, the guard took the arrow to the chest. The Retreating Demon Arrow didn’t harm its target but pushed them back, forcing the guard to step away from Mu Xiaofeng.

Mu Xiaofeng looked in the direction of the arrow and saw Shadow standing not far away with his bow drawn, while Zhang Wenyu emerged from the forest, shouting, “Mu Xiaofeng, are you okay? We’re all here!” Behind him, Ximo, Li Yi, and Qin Bao Yi also stepped out of the woods.

It was then that Qiao Zi and the others realized Mu Xiaofeng’s earlier harassment of the guard wasn’t just random—it was to hold the guard back without wasting his own Yuan Qi, all while waiting for Zhang Wenyu and the others to arrive. Seeing Ximo, Qiao Zi remembered his injuries and grabbed her medicine bag to tend to him.

The guard, observing that only Mu Xiaofeng had been attacking while the others stayed back, realized that Qiao Zi was the Sacrificial Wine Priest. In battle, the Sacrificial Wine Priest was the key figure, responsible for healing and protecting the team. Taking out the priest would make it easier to defeat the others.

Zhang Wenyu and Yun Jie guarded Qiao Zi as she healed Ximo, while Li Yi and Qin Bao Yi stood on either side of the group, their staffs and books emitting a brown and red glow. Shadow, standing at the back, kept his bow drawn, arrows aimed at the guard. Meanwhile, Feng Xun joined Mu Xiaofeng at the front. Mu Xiaofeng smiled faintly at Feng Xun, then said, “Let’s stall him a bit longer until Yumo is ready.” Feng Xun nodded, then rushed at the guard alongside Mu Xiaofeng.

The guard tensed, seeing the two of them charging at him while others waited for the right moment to attack. Mu Xiaofeng slashed horizontally with his sword, which the guard blocked with his shield. On his left, Feng Xun also attacked with his sword, but the guard met it with his own sword, sending Feng Xun stumbling back dozens of steps.

The guard slashed at Mu Xiaofeng, who blocked with his heavy sword. But the guard unexpectedly raised his shield to strike Mu Xiaofeng again. From afar, Li Yi saw Mu Xiaofeng’s critical situation and quickly cast “Earth Shield Wall,” causing a thick wall of earth to rise beside Mu Xiaofeng, blocking the guard’s shield.

Realizing the guard was momentarily immobilized, Qin Bao Yi and Shadow acted quickly. Qin Bao Yi’s staff glowed with a red light as she summoned a flaming bomb—a fireball that hurtled toward the guard’s chest. Shadow also released his arrow, which caught the wind, intensifying the fire as both the arrow and fireball struck the guard’s chest. The guard roared in pain, stepping back and half-kneeling on the ground, using his hands for support.

Seeing the guard on his knees, Mu Xiaofeng smiled, confident that victory was near. But the guard quickly stood up, brushing the charred armor on his chest, and laughed, “Haha, it seems I underestimated you all. You do have some skill. Now let me show you mine.” With that, the guard channeled his Yuan Qi into his sword and rushed at Mu Xiaofeng.

Mu Xiaofeng saw the guard using his Yuan Qi and knew this wouldn’t be easy. He, too, focused his energy into his heavy sword and met the guard’s attack. But Mu Xiaofeng’s Yuan Qi was still weaker, and the guard knocked him to the ground. The guard then raised his shield to strike, but Feng Xun arrived just in time, raising his shield to block the blow. Despite managing to stop the attack, Feng Xun was still struck so hard that half his body sank into the ground.

The guard’s eyes glowed red as he stared down at Mu Xiaofeng. Sneering, he muttered, “Tiger Regent.” Locking eyes with the guard, Mu Xiaofeng suddenly found himself unable to move. Seeing Mu Xiaofeng in danger, Qin Bao Yi and Shadow desperately launched another Flame Bomb and Demon Retreat Arrow to save him.

But the guard’s Yuan Qi had condensed at the tip of his sword, and with

a single strike, he deflected their attacks. The guard pointed his sword at Mu Xiaofeng’s chest and was about to strike when a sword suddenly pierced through the guard’s chest from behind.

The guard froze, his eyes wide with disbelief. Turning slightly, he saw a young man standing behind him, holding the sword that had pierced him. The man twisted the blade, and the guard coughed up blood, his eyes still wide open as he collapsed to the ground. The young man then calmly pulled out the sword and watched the guard fall.

Stunned, Mu Xiaofeng looked at the young man. It was Yumo. Yumo stepped forward, offering his hand to Mu Xiaofeng with a smile. Taking his hand, Mu Xiaofeng was pulled to his feet, and Yumo said, “It’s over, Xiaofeng.”

Seeing the guard defeated, Zhang Wenyu, Yun Jie, and the others surrounded Yumo. Qin Bao Yi’s staff returned to its normal state as the red light faded. Ximo’s staff also reverted to its normal form. Shadow’s bow disappeared from his hand, and he smiled at Yumo, saying, “Not bad, Yumo. You showed up at the right time.”

Yumo smiled faintly, then said to Mu Xiaofeng, “Let’s move on.”

Mu Xiaofeng nodded. After a moment, they all made their way to the main hall.