C14 He Was an Expert

"Young Master Shen, stay close to me!" Lee Daniu bellowed as he felled another attacker with his blade.

Time was slipping away, marked by the burning of an incense stick, and he was hard-pressed by the relentless assault of the bandits.

His strength was waning rapidly, demanding his full attention to fend off the continuous onslaught. Even a moment's distraction to glance back was a luxury he couldn't afford.

His vision was tinged red with fury, his body drenched in blood—some his own, but mostly that of his adversaries.

For his family, for Shen Feixue standing behind him, he had to fight with ferocity, he had to carve a path to survival.

Where to? That was a question for later. First, he had to fight his way out.

Bandits fell only to be replaced by others. One sprang at Lee Daniu from an angle, leaping high with a mace raised overhead, poised to strike with the force of a mountain cleaving blow.

Against such a formidable attack, Lee Daniu couldn't afford to take any chances. He lifted his blade with his left hand above his head, bracing to meet the strike.

Under normal circumstances, he could have simply stepped back to evade, but with Shen Feixue behind him, retreat was not an option.

Clang—

The heavy thud of metal on metal echoed as Lee Daniu's blade snapped. Reacting swiftly, he dropped the broken weapon and grappled the mace, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.

His hands were skewered by the mace's spikes, yet he felt a stroke of luck. Had he not absorbed much of the impact with his blade, he might not have been able to hold on at all.

But this move also left him in dire straits.

Three more bandits were upon him, their blades descending from all directions.

He couldn't defend against them all.

Despair gripped Lee Daniu. The blades of these three bandits were impossible to parry.

He had known since the day he chose this perilous life that an end like this might come.

But he hadn't anticipated it would be today, with Shen Feixue present, just when he had the chance to repay a debt of gratitude to his former master.

So he despaired, for he realized he might never fulfill the debt of honor he owed.

"Young Master Shen, run for it! And if possible, let my family know!" Lee Daniu gripped his mace even tighter and shut his eyes.

But in that moment, the sound of clashing weapons echoed in his ears. He could feel the end of his mace suddenly lose force. With a look of astonishment, he opened his eyes and warmth spread through his heart at the sight before him.

"Lee, what are you spacing out for? We're being ambushed!" Cui Yongran wiped the blood from his face and removed his blade from a bandit's neck.

"You guys..." Overwhelmed with emotion, Lee Daniu watched as five of his brothers formed a protective wall with their bodies between him and the bandits.

"Quit your yapping and retreat! Our people are that way," Cui Yongran directed, pointing. The Wandering Tiger members, realizing they were ambushed, stopped acting independently and began to coordinate their efforts. The bandits, already outmatched, suffered fewer losses as a result of this unity.

"Where's that kid?" someone bellowed.

At the sound, Lee Daniu's heart clenched, and he spun around. There was no trace of Shen Feixue. He hadn't looked back since the bandits showed up, so he had no idea when Shen Feixue had vanished.

"Search quickly!"

Easier said than done amidst the chaos. The six men had only taken a few steps back when they nearly got separated by the surging bandits. Lee Daniu had no choice but to stick with his brothers, searching for Shen Feixue as they moved toward the Wandering Tiger's position. Regrettably, they didn't find a single clue along the way.

Lee Daniu and his group eventually rejoined the main force. Back to back, they set aside their rivalries, united against a common enemy. The Wandering Tiger had sustained losses too, now down to just over thirty, many bearing wounds. The bandits had fared worse, their numbers reduced from over a hundred to a sparse circle barely containing the thirty-odd survivors. And they were well aware that these remaining few were the most formidable of the group, making any confrontation potentially lethal.

The bandits hesitated, surrounding the area but not daring to move in. Meanwhile, the Wandering Tiger showed no signs of advancing. A brief pause fell over the chaotic battle.

The Wandering Tiger, notably stronger than the rest, had members like Zhang Ershan. As a cultivator at Level 6 of the Acquired Stage, he had become the linchpin among the thirty-odd people, all of whom were waiting for him to devise a strategy.

Zhang Ershan lived up to their expectations. Energized by his success in dispatching bandits, he was eager to press on and attack Yellow Bamboo Village, which lay not far ahead, with the goal of claiming the bandit leader's head.

Lee Daniu, however, had different plans; he was intent on finding Shen Feixue. But for the six of them to break through the bandit encirclement was no small feat.

"Whether you come or not, brothers, follow me and let's capture that villain!" Zhang Ershan, paying no mind to the conflicted Lee Erniu, led his men in a charge.

"Lee, I get where you're coming from, but you've got your own family waiting for you to return. You've already done so much," Cui Yongran tried to reason with him.

"Exactly, Lee. Given the current situation, you might not even find him if you go back now. You'd only be risking your life for nothing."

"Life and death are in the hands of fate. Once we've settled this, I'll help you look for the lad. But right now, we need to follow Zhang Ershan's lead and charge!"

"Let's say, hypothetically, that the bandits have killed the young man. Even if we go now, we might not get the bandit leader's head. But we could still strike a few blows in revenge. If you leave to find him and then return, you'll have lost your chance for vengeance."

After much persuasion from his five comrades, Lee Daniu cast a longing glance in the direction they had come from and, with great reluctance, followed his brothers. They were right; his only option was to stick with the main force.

Under Zhang Ershan's leadership, the Wandering Tiger charged from the bamboo forest to the village, unstoppable as a force through bamboo. The remaining bandits were no match and soon scattered or fell. The once bustling village was now deserted.

"Why isn't the bandit leader showing himself?"

"Could he have run off?"

Zhang Ershan was equally baffled. By all accounts, the bandits should have been ready, and the bandit leader must have been in the know. Yet in this situation, he didn't show his face and allowed his underlings to be slaughtered.

Is that how a leader acts?

If so, his bandits would have likely fled by now.

But why?

There was no time to dwell on it, as heavy footsteps approached, resonating in their ears.

What was that noise?

Startled, they saw three enormous black shadows racing towards them from the direction of the sound, snapping bamboo in their path.

Could it be wild beasts?

The thought crossed their minds, but no warning whistle had sounded.

Despite their confusion, they had no choice but to brace for the beasts' charge.

The shadows drew nearer, and suddenly, one halted and reared its head.

In that instant, it seemed as if the sky brightened, illuminating their surroundings with stark clarity.

"It's fire! The beast breathes fire! Get out of the way!"

No one knew who yelled the warning, but they all scattered as the other two shadows barreled into the crowd, darting and crashing, sending several people flying.

The once unstoppable force of the Wandering Tiger was now dissipated.

...

Inside a room within the stronghold, Shen Feixue spoke calmly, "So you're the bandit leader?"

Across from her, a burly man with a deep scar running from his forehead to the corner of his mouth was straightening his clothes, ignoring Shen Feixue.

"Did they overestimate you or underestimate me by sending you?" the bandit leader scoffed.

"So, you're saying you planned that tunnel?"

Earlier, after separating from Lee Daniu, Shen Feixue had chosen a direction to search for him, but even after breaking free from the encirclement, Lee Daniu was nowhere to be found. Instead, she stumbled upon two bandits acting suspiciously.

While the rest of the bandits fought fiercely outside, these two seemed to be taking it easy.

Sensing something was amiss, Shen Feixue acted swiftly, subduing them both. Under duress, they confessed to guarding the tunnel entrance.

Following the tunnel, Shen Feixue arrived unobstructed at this very room.

Unexpectedly, the bandit leader inside the room blew his whistle without uttering a second word, leaving Shen Feixue at a loss for words.

With the bandit leader and five low-level Demonic Beasts before her, she knew she was outmatched.

"Fine, since you're the first to show up, I'll deal with you first!" The bandit leader, having adjusted his attire, grabbed the large knife by the bed and advanced towards Shen Feixue.

Without any superfluous talk, he gripped the knife with both hands and swept it horizontally at Shen Feixue, aiming to cleave her at the waist.

Her swordplay was nimble, his knife work weighty.

Shen Feixue, recognizing that the bandit leader's strength was in a different league, wisely chose not to block him directly.

Ducking low, she dodged the knife's edge and unsheathed her sword, thrusting it towards the bandit leader's abdomen.

The bandit leader, seeing the sword tip coming at him, displayed an ugly grin on his scarred face. As the knife was about to finish its arc over Shen Feixue's head, he forcefully redirected the blade's path.

From above, he brought the knife chopping down towards Shen Feixue's head.

The previous sweep had been a feint; the true lethal strike was this downward chop.

He wasn't concerned about Shen Feixue's sword aimed at his abdomen; he was confident it wouldn't harm him.

And with his knife strike, Shen Feixue would be left either dead or severely wounded.

With this in mind, his smile grew more maniacal.

But then, he noticed his opponent was also smiling.

The bandit leader paused, mistaking the smile for naivety, unaware of the impending danger, and continued his downward strike.

It must be acknowledged, his knife skills were formidable, certainly surpassing Ye Dongyun's swordsmanship.

But alas, he was facing Shen Feixue!

With a smile, Shen Feixue retorted, "You're not the only one skilled in deception!"

Mid-sentence, she rolled to the side and flicked her wrist, sending her sword flying from her grasp.

The sword, initially targeting the bandit leader's abdomen, changed trajectory, soaring upwards towards his throat.

Even though the sword's force might diminish once released, its keen edge would undoubtedly penetrate the bandit leader's throat without issue.

The swift and fluid motions of Shen Feixue took the bandit leader by surprise.

"This one is a master!"