The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 118 - 102 Who is the Winner?

Chapter 118: Chapter 102 Who is the Winner?

Flames, the flash of blades, the shouts of combat, the screams of agony...

Around the Changfeng Inn, the place had completely turned into a chaotic battlefield.

At this point, the merchants and people of the pugilistic world who were blocked here had no choice but to fight for their lives.

They teamed up with acquaintances, some backing against cliffs or hiding in the forests, wielding knives, spears, clubs, and sticks to fend off the bandit onslaught.

To be honest, the fighting strength of both sides was evenly matched.

Among the merchants and these jianghu people, most had a basic understanding of hand-to-hand combat, slightly stronger than the average person, and resorted to hacking wildly in desperation.

The bandits from the White Tiger Village were not much better; those who practiced martial arts year-round and were strong-bodied, and who could understand and exercise clear, overt strength, were able to lead a small team.

Stepping into the Hidden Energy would enable one to become one of the Four Beams and Eight Pillars.

As for the rest, they were fighting desperately on sheer ferocity.

However, the bandits ultimately had better coordination and, under the training of Bai Yanhu, knew some tactics.

Where some charged into battle, others stayed behind to shoot arrows coldly.

For a while, each group in the inn could only defend passively.

"Look out!"

Under the big tree, the escort martial artist Wu Mao pushed Yue Balian aside, and right after, an arrow whizzed by, embedding itself into the trunk right next to Yue Baliao.

Seeing their chance, a bandit picked up a long spear and thrust it towards Wu Mao.

Wu Mao, from the Xin Yi Liuhe Sect, hadn’t yet stepped into the Hidden Energy, but with years of escort experience, was not easily fooled.

With a sidestep, the spear passed under his arm, and with a quick clamp of his arm and a breath out, he snatched the spear away.

The ambushing bandit stumbled, and before he could recover, Sha Lifei had already slashed his throat with a knife.

With a spear in hand, Wu Mao’s combat ability surged.

He was skilled in the Liuhe Spear Skill.

This spear technique was widely known and came from a distinguished lineage, rumored to be a fusion of the essence of spear skills from six families, including Chu the Overlord, Zhao Changsheng, the Luo family spear, Yang Family spear, Gao Family spear...

Although it might be an exaggeration, its survival to this day as a fundamental spear technique for many sects attested to its extraordinary nature.

This spear technique emphasized the internal unity of "essence, qi, and spirit" and the external coordination of "waist, hand, and eye", focusing on blocking, grabbing, and stabbing. It was extremely practical.

With a spear in his hand, Wu Mao made three sneak attacks with his spear, successively killing two bandits before retreating and sweeping the spear to block two incoming knives.

"Die!"

Sha Lifei was even better at seizing opportunities, dealing a direct blow to the attackers.

The two cooperated, one leading the attack and the other following up with slashes, forming an unexpectedly effective partnership.

Of course, the most formidable among them was the boss, Zhou.

He had already stepped into the Hidden Energy, wielding two short knives, and practiced exquisite skills, easily handling these bandits.

However, at this moment, he dared not act rashly.

A bandit stood opposite him, chest bared, face covered in stubble, hair a tangled mess, almost indistinguishable from a beggar.

Holding a simple machete, he looked at Zhou with a mocking gleam in his eyes, "Old man, at your age, you still come out to stake your life. Aren’t you afraid of throwing your back out?"

The speaker was Bao Tie from White Tiger Village, known as the "Top Supporter".

The "Top Supporter" was the lead enforcer in the bandit stronghold, not only fierce but also fearless of death.

He could be said to be the second best fighter in White Tiger Village.

Though both were skilled in the Hidden Energy, the young have an advantage over the old, and Bao Tie was a battle-hardened bandit; Zhou knew that he would likely perish within a few moves if he made a stand.

Bao Tie also didn’t make any rash moves.

He was willing to stake his life, but that didn’t mean he wanted to. Glancing sideways around him, he shouted, "Everyone, back off!"

Instantly, the bandits retreated, bending their bows and setting their arrows.

Not just here, but those attacking other groups also stopped their assault, regrouped, and formed up with bows and arrows.

Bai Yanhu, with a grim expression, stepped out from the firelight.

He had received news that his Magician had been killed in the chaos, but at that moment, he had no time to dwell on it. Eyeing the wary crowd, he spoke in a hoarse voice, "Men die for money, birds die for food."

"You’re all seasoned jianghu people. I have pressing matters today. I can let you go, but you need to do one thing."

"Among you, there are those who are secretly carrying valuable items. Don’t shield them. Hand them over, and I’ll turn around and leave!"

This was his true intention, to attack them first and intimidate the jianghu people, so they wouldn’t interfere in his affairs later on.

As expected, someone from a driver’s group shouted, "Village Chief Bai, it’s not that we want to give you trouble, but we genuinely don’t know who’s carrying the secret goods."

"Yeah, I’m not stupid to risk my life for someone else."

"Damn it, whoever is carrying the valuables, hand them over quickly. Don’t treat us like fools!"

Dissatisfied voices grew among the crowd.

What Bai Yanhu said was not wrong; they were all struggling to earn their living, whether Lu Kang died or the valuables were stolen, it had nothing to do with them!

Wu Mao looked back at his companions and stepped forward helplessly, cupping his hands, "Village Chief Bai, I’ll hand over the items, hoping you will keep your word and spare these innocent fellow travelers."

As he spoke, he took off the three-string qin from his back, broke off the neck of the qin, and pearls the size of a thumb poured out, glittering under the firelight.

"Eastern pearls!"

Someone in the crowd exclaimed.

These high-quality pearls, coming from beyond the border, were incredibly valuable. They had worked hard for over a decade, and the silver they had earned might not even buy one.

The sight of wealth tempts many, and immediately, many eyes turned red with greed.

Sha Lifei too swallowed hard, cursing under his breath, well done, Mr. Wu, keeping such fine treasures hidden, if we had shared these, why would we bother wandering the pugilistic world...

Bai Yanhu nodded slightly, and immediately a bandit stepped forward, carefully picking up the eastern pearls from the ground and putting them into a leather pouch.

The jianghu guests looked on with envy but did not dare to snatch them, so they looked suspiciously at their own teams.