Chapter 26

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Chapter 26: Crisis in Every Direction

Mu Xiaofeng and his group had been walking through the forest for half a day. At this pace, they should be able to reach the center of the forest before nightfall. Suddenly, a sharp arrow shot out from the jungle, heading straight for Mu Xiaofeng.

The attack was obvious enough that Mu Xiaofeng immediately identified its direction, but he hadn’t expected it to come so swiftly. With a quick swing of his sword, he deflected the arrow and looked toward its origin. He saw a figure perched in a tree, drawing another arrow and preparing to continue the assault.

But Mu Xiaofeng realized this was just the beginning. At that moment, more than a dozen arrows were fired from various directions above them, indicating that the number of enemies was quite substantial.

Seeing the widespread attack, Ximo knew he could only protect himself and his comrades. He raised his twin shields and released his Yuan Qi to form a protective barrier around the four of them. Thanks to this Yuan Qi shield, they remained unharmed.

However, Ximo sensed that the attackers weren’t using their full strength; their assault seemed restrained. Of course, launching an all-out attack right from the start would be too aggressive. It’s better to begin with a probing attack to identify the other side’s main point of defense and speculate who their “king” is. Judging by the attack directions, it appeared their enemies were numerous.

At that moment, the assailants emerged from the woods—over twenty of them. More than half were bow-wielding Shadowsmen, while the rest were a mix of heavy sword fighters and dual-blade Shadowsmen.

The archer who had initiated the attack shouted, “Ximo, as expected from one of the top talents in our class, mastering a wide-range protection technique like the Yuan Qi shield so early. But with so many of us here, let’s see how long you can hold out.”

With that, another volley of attacks ensued. Ximo said to Zhang Wenyu, “Zhang Wenyu, to conserve Yuan Qi, take care of yourself. I’ll narrow down the protective shield a bit.” Zhang Wenyu nodded, his eyes fixed ahead as he prepared to dodge the incoming arrows. Ximo reinforced the Yuan Qi shield around Qiao Zi and Qin Bao Yi, while Mu Xiaofeng needed no protection; his heavy sword was more than capable of deflecting these attacks.

“I can’t believe we’ve exposed our weaknesses so quickly. It seems the ‘king’ must be one of those two women,” one of the dual-blade Shadowsmen said to his teammates before accelerating and charging directly at Qiao Zi.

Mu Xiaofeng was busy deflecting the flying arrows and had no time to protect Qiao Zi himself. As the dual-blade Shadowsman closed in on Qiao Zi, a figure suddenly flashed before him. With a swift swing of a heavy sword, the attacker couldn’t evade and was struck on his left shoulder.

“No matter what, even if this isn’t an exam, if any of you dare to lay a finger on her, I’ll take your lives. She’s the most important person to me,” Mu Xiaofeng declared, standing protectively in front of Qiao Zi. However, in his rush to save her, he had sustained several arrow wounds.

Seeing Mu Xiaofeng injured because of her, Qiao Zi’s eyes reddened, and tears began to flow. Mu Xiaofeng glanced at her and, while pulling the arrows out of his body, comforted her, “I promised to protect you. Don’t cry. We still have many enemies to deal with. Help me apply some medicine quickly.”

Hearing this, Qiao Zi immediately stopped crying and hurriedly took out some medicinal herbs to treat Mu Xiaofeng’s wounds.

“Damn it, we wanted to team up and take down the strongest group of four, but it’s turning out to be more troublesome than we thought,” the injured dual-blade Shadowsman complained.

Mu Xiaofeng and his group realized they had been targeted for a while now. These attackers were likely participants from nearby areas who had joined forces to eliminate Mu Xiaofeng’s group first. But who were the other three groups? Yun Jie’s team must also be in dire straits.

Mu Xiaofeng’s decisive strike had shocked the attackers. They had thought their superior numbers would make quick work of his group, but now, with one of them injured, they didn’t dare act rashly. The situation reached a stalemate.

Seeing that the attackers were deterred, Mu Xiaofeng understood their intentions. He stepped forward and shouted, “All of you, back off! There’s no benefit in exhausting yourselves like this!”

His words caused the attackers’ expressions to change; their plan was in danger of failing. Mu Xiaofeng continued, “You’re all agile and coordinated, which is how you managed to reach us so quickly. But your slower teammates are probably lagging behind. Besides, dividing these five cards among more than twenty of you, with only one being a ‘king,’ isn’t worthwhile. If I were you, I’d team up with a few more groups and ambush your straggling teammates. That would be a better deal.”

After Mu Xiaofeng’s words, the attackers fell silent. The forest was so quiet that even the sound of the breeze rustling through the leaves was clearly audible.

What Mu Xiaofeng said made sense. If they fought to the death here, the attackers would undoubtedly pay a price, and any subsequent infighting would only benefit others.

Mu Xiaofeng quietly instructed Zhang Wenyu and the others, “Try to memorize their faces as much as possible. Since they attacked us like this, the word behind them is most likely ‘Shi’.” Zhang Wenyu and the others nodded in agreement, carefully observing the group to memorize their features.

After a brief standoff, the attackers seemed to realize Mu Xiaofeng’s point. His words had shaken them, and they slowly retreated from the area. Mu Xiaofeng and his group breathed a sigh of relief.

“I didn’t expect we’d have so many enemies. We’ve been targeted for a while now,” Ximo said, punching the ground in frustration. The situation was unfavorable for them. He glanced at Qiao Zi, who was gazing at Mu Xiaofeng, which made Ximo purse his lips in displeasure.

Mu Xiaofeng remained vigilant, watching the surroundings in case the enemies were pretending to retreat and planning a surprise attack.

Qiao Zi slowly walked over to Mu Xiaofeng, grabbed his arm, and carefully examined his arrow wounds, which had almost healed.

After resting for a while, dusk began to settle in, and the forest remained quiet. It seemed the attackers had truly left.

The group didn’t dare to travel much at night. After a short walk, they found a small cave to rest in. Ximo and Mu Xiaofeng had expended a lot of Yuan Qi during the earlier battle and needed to recuperate.

Qin Bao Yi set up several magical traps around the cave, while Zhang Wenyu climbed a tree to keep watch over the surroundings in case of a nighttime attack. Qiao Zi took out the dry food and water she had brought and prepared a simple dinner for everyone.

Ximo and Mu Xiaofeng were instructed to stay put and rest. As he settled down, Ximo struck up a conversation with Mu Xiaofeng, “Hey, do you think we’re that famous? To be ambushed like this? Thinking about it, it’s quite an honor. Our abilities are recognized by so many people.” A proud smile played on Ximo’s lips.

Mu Xiaofeng, however, felt a deep sense of crisis. There was no trace of happiness on his face as he analyzed the situation seriously, “I didn’t expect us to be targeted, but it makes sense. What concerns me now is who the other three teams are. If Yun Jie’s team is one, that means there are two other strong teams we may not have encountered yet.”

Mu Xiaofeng wasn’t just worried about being targeted; he was more concerned about how they should respond if they encountered other strong teams. If another team showed up after they had been attacked and exhausted, that would be the worst-case scenario.

Once everything was prepared, everyone began eating dinner to replenish their energy. Zhang Wenyu refused to eat for now, remaining vigilant from his perch. It was essential that someone kept watch to prevent any surprises.

The forest was very quiet at night, with only the faint chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves in the wind. Zhang Wenyu had been on watch for half the night, and the moon still hung stubbornly in the sky. So far, it had been a peaceful night, with no signs of danger.

At this moment, Ximo quietly climbed up the tree and stood next to Zhang Wenyu. He whispered, “You go rest. I’ll take over the watch. I don’t want your tired body holding us back tomorrow.” Despite trying to sound tough, it was clear that Ximo cared about Zhang Wenyu.

Seeing Ximo come to relieve him, Zhang Wenyu glanced back at the sleeping trio of Mu Xiaofeng, Qiao Zi, and Qin Bao Yi. He nodded and agreed but didn’t go back to the cave. Instead, he leaned against a nearby tree trunk and closed his eyes to sleep.

Ximo noticed Zhang Wenyu sleeping beside him and chuckled bitterly. He thought to himself, “What’s with this Zhang Wenyu? Why are so many people paying attention to him?” However, this thought quickly faded, as what Ximo truly cared about was Mu Xiaofeng—the man who had declared that Qiao Zi was the most important person to him.