Chapter 45

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Chapter 45: Predicament

Seeing the runaway carriage speeding off, Mu Xiaofeng became extremely anxious, knowing that Qiao Zi and Qin Baoyi were still inside. He quickly said to the others, “I’ll chase after that carriage, you all be careful dealing with the bandits.”

With that, Mu Xiaofeng dashed forward, heading straight for the out-of-control carriage. Zhang Wenyu followed closely behind, while the members of the Six Great Families, concerned that they might escape, sent a representative from the Chen family to follow them. This wasn’t just to monitor their movements but also to help control the carriage.

The bandit leaders, still hiding in the forest, continued their harassment without showing themselves, much to Mo Huaichou’s frustration. He infused his vitality into several iron boxes beside him. These boxes absorbed the energy and immediately transformed into several discs.

Mo Huaichou controlled the discs, sending them flying into the forest, shouting angrily, “You despicable cowards hiding in the shadows, now you’ll have nowhere to run!” As the discs sliced through the surrounding forest, a large area was cut down, revealing two bandit leaders standing before them.

One of the bandit leaders was short, dressed in dark green armor, holding a bronze-colored short-handled axe in one hand and a dark green round shield in the other. His thick eyebrows, bulging eyes, and a tuft of black beard made him appear particularly fierce.

The other leader was emaciated, as thin as a bamboo pole, with sunken eyes and a pale complexion, looking like a sickly person. He had a long beard reaching his chest and wielded a large hammer. Onlookers might even doubt whether he could lift such a heavy weapon.

But any concern was unnecessary, as this skeletal-looking leader swung the hammer with ease and charged directly at Wu Xiaoxing.

Wu Xiaoxing remained unfazed, raising his fists to meet the hammer head-on. The hammer-wielding leader seemed unprepared for such a bold strike and was forced back several steps by Wu Xiaoxing’s sudden punch.

Seeing this, the axe-wielding leader laughed at his companion, “Third Brother, are you out of strength today? Seems like skipping meals has affected you.” It turned out that the lanky leader was ranked third among them. Despite his frail appearance, he was actually the strongest in their group of five.

The third brother, clearly displeased by the teasing, responded defiantly, “Fourth Brother, don’t mock me. I was just testing him. I haven’t even shown my real strength yet.”

The fourth brother, holding the axe, looked strong himself, though not as powerful as the third. The third brother swung his hammer again, this time moving much faster, signaling that he was now serious.

Sensing the increased intensity, Wu Xiaoxing realized that this time, the attack wouldn’t be as easy to deflect. However, out of pride for being part of the Six Great Families, he chose not to dodge, standing his ground for a direct confrontation.

As the third brother swung his hammer, he shouted, “Come on, take this swing if you dare!” Clearly taunting Wu Xiaoxing, who stood ready, pulling out his throwing knives from his waist and gripping them tightly to brace for the impact.

The ground shook from the hammer’s force, causing Wu Xiaoxing’s feet to sink slightly into the earth. He was astonished by the sheer power of the third brother. Thinking quickly, Wu Xiaoxing kicked the side of the hammer, deflecting it away from him and into the ground.

The third brother, seeing that his attack had been blocked, grinned broadly, revealing two sharp fang-like teeth that made him look even more terrifying.

He swung the hammer once more, but this time Wu Xiaoxing easily evaded the blow by stepping back. He knew that the Chen family was the strongest in terms of brute strength among the Six Great Families, while the Wu family excelled in agility and stealth. Facing the third brother in terms of raw power was unwise.

Moreover, Wu Xiaoxing was only in his early twenties, while the third brother looked at least ten years older, possessing more experience and a larger reserve of vitality. No matter how strong the Six Great Families were, time was a hurdle that couldn’t be overcome with mere effort alone.

Meanwhile, Mu Xiaofeng, Zhang Wenyu, and the Chen family envoy were still chasing the runaway carriage when suddenly a shadowy figure appeared in front of the horses. A strong killing intent radiated from the figure, causing the frightened horses to stop dead in their tracks, trembling uncontrollably.

Mu Xiaofeng and the others quickly helped Qiao Zi and Qin Baoyi out of the carriage. Mu Xiaofeng then walked toward the shadowy figure and gratefully said, “Thank you. Without you, who knows how far we would have had to chase that runaway carriage. May I ask your name?”

By now, night had fallen, and Mu Xiaofeng couldn’t see the person’s face clearly. Even if he could, he wouldn’t have recognized him. However, a flash of lightning illuminated the scene, revealing a long scar across the man’s face, shocking Mu Xiaofeng.

The shadowy figure grinned wickedly and replied, “I’m the fifth-ranked bandit of Tiger Head Ridge. You can call me Fifth Brother.” He brandished a short knife and stared at the five of them with a murderous gaze.

This Fifth Brother was the older sibling of the bandit leader who had been killed earlier, which explained the intense hostility in his eyes. However, Mu Xiaofeng and the others were unaware that Fifth Brother had come seeking revenge for his younger brother.

Sensing danger, Mu Xiaofeng immediately took a step back and drew his heavy sword, preparing for battle. But Mu Xiaofeng was no match for Fifth Brother, who moved with astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind Mu Xiaofeng and stabbed him in the back, piercing his armor and injuring him severely. Then, in a flash, Fifth Brother returned to his original position, so fast that it seemed as though he had never moved.

Mu Xiaofeng and the others were shocked by Fifth Brother’s prowess, realizing that his strength likely surpassed that of Wu Xiaoxing. It seemed that his thirst for vengeance had only made him stronger.

Before they could react, Fifth Brother struck again, this time targeting the Chen family envoy. However, the envoy managed to turn around just in time, thrusting his spear straight through Fifth Brother’s body—only to discover that he had hit nothing but air.

Zhang Wenyu shouted in alarm, pointing out that the real Fifth Brother was now standing in front of him, while the one the envoy had attacked was merely a phantom. Fifth Brother once again returned to his original position, glaring menacingly at them.

The Chen family envoy, recognizing the similarity between Fifth Brother’s technique and the Chen family’s Phantom Spear technique, realized that Fifth Brother’s methods were even more ruthless.

He whispered to the group, “Remember, he can appear behind any of us at any time, so make sure to watch your backs.” Mu Xiaofeng and the others nodded silently, growing increasingly tense.

Suddenly, Fifth Brother vanished again. Everyone turned to watch their own backs, only for two Fifth Brothers to appear behind Mu Xiaofeng and the Chen family envoy. Both attacked furiously, hoping one of them would be the real Fifth Brother, but both phantoms dissolved into thin air.

Just then, Qiao Zi shouted a warning, and Mu Xiaofeng turned to see another Fifth Brother appear behind him. This time, Fifth Brother drove his dagger deep into Mu Xiaofeng’s body before quickly retreating.

Mu Xiaofeng collapsed to his knees in pain, struggling to stand. Qiao Zi rushed over to apply herbs to his wounds, trying to help him recover. The Chen family envoy stood frozen, realizing how thoroughly they had been outmatched by Fifth Brother’s speed and cunning.

Though he was a member of the prestigious Six Great Families, the envoy was still young and inexperienced in battle. Fifth Brother, on the other hand, was a seasoned killer, with countless lives already taken by his hands.

Seeing his opponents at his mercy, Fifth Brother burst into maniacal laughter, saying, “Despair, little ones! You will all die slowly at my hands. This is the price for killing my brother.”

Mu Xiaofeng and the others were momentarily stunned, finally understanding that the bandit leader killed by Mo Huaichou was Fifth Brother’s sibling, explaining why his mustache had seemed so familiar.

Fifth Brother charged at them once more, his figure splitting into over a dozen phantoms. Unable to tell which one was real, Mu Xiaofeng and the others could only attack each phantom in turn, but none of them hit their mark.

All the phantoms suddenly stopped in place, their lips moving in unison as they taunted, “I will slowly torment you, let’s see if you can find the real me.” Then, the phantoms surged forward again, relentlessly wearing down Mu Xiaofeng and the others.

Despite their best efforts, Mu Xiaofeng knew that without a solution, they wouldn’t last much longer. With Qiao Zi and Qin Baoyi already exhausted, he had to come up with a way to break through Fifth Brother’s illusions.