Chapter 27

The vast desert stretches endlessly!

Ling Xiao's horse was inferior to those of Jia Gonggong and the others. He had set out later and did not want to tail them, so he had to take a detour. However, since he knew the destination was Yanmen Pass, he didn't need to follow the official road; a straight line would suffice.

But what Ling Xiao didn't know was that the warhorse Jia Jingzhong rode was a gift from the Prince of Qing in the northern border, and it was extremely familiar with the desert environment. By the time Ling Xiao reached Yanmen Pass, not only had he missed the fireworks, but the post station was also completely destroyed.

"Damn, will you guys die if you slow down a bit?" He turned his horse to head for the ancient city of Tianlang but suddenly realized he didn't know the way.

"Hey, do you have any maps for sale?"

"Five taels!"

"Are you from the Heavenly Eagle Gang too?"

The inn boy was startled, "How did you know?"

"Selling a map for five taels, who else but the Heavenly Eagle Gang would be so greedy!"

The inn boy was proud; it was the first time someone had praised his greed. "Sir, you really know your stuff! Rest assured, my map is absolutely the latest and most complete."

Ling Xiao laughed and didn't argue, paying the money and taking the map before leaving.

"Sir, your horse is too slow." The inn boy smiled at Ling Xiao, his eyes gleaming with a light similar to that of gold.

"Do you have a solution?"

"How could a fine horse from the Central Plains adapt to the northwest desert? I have a native desert breed here!"

"Speak up, how much?"

"Fifty taels."

"..."

This desert breed looked pitiful, with a bony frame, a withered yellow hide, and a frail appearance as if it were about to give up at any moment. But in terms of speed, it was worth the fifty taels!

Dust and sand rolled behind him as he galloped, his speed increasing by fifty percent. In the distance, the corner of the ancient city was visible, and a group of about thirty people were racing ahead. They wore curved sabers at their waists and many crossbow bolts hung from the sides of their horses. Their rough clothing and distinctive hairstyles, along with their fierce expressions, made them look like no good.

Ling Xiao thought for a moment, then covered his face with a piece of cloth and rode up to the group. Someone noticed the sound of his horse and turned to look, but upon seeing Ling Xiao's horse, they turned away, ignoring him. Ling Xiao nodded to himself; these must be members of the Heavenly Eagle Gang.

"Brother, where did the boss go earlier?" Ling Xiao asked casually.

"He said he went to help Qinglong," the man replied nonchalantly.

"Did he say where? I don't know when he'll be back, it's really worrying!"

"Isn't it! He didn't even say how many brothers to bring. That Qinglong has a problem too! Why run south, where there's nothing but barren forests and deserts, no cover, not even a place to hide a dog!" As the man complained, Ling Xiao turned his horse and raced south.

"Uh, is this guy going to help?" The man looked at Ling Xiao strangely, thinking this brother must be a die-hard fan of the boss.

...

"Qinglong tricked you to come here to die!" Tuo Tuo said mockingly, looking at Qiaohua.

Qiaohua got up from the ground, drew her saber, and her dusty face remained resolute. Tuo Tuo admired Qiaohua; not everyone could face death with such courage, like Xuanwu, who, despite his usual arrogance and brutality, would be the first to cower when faced with life and death.

Admiration aside, she still had to kill, and Tuo Tuo dismounted, her silver whip casually lashing out to wrap around Qiaohua's neck. Qiaohua did not resist but closed her eyes calmly, waiting for death. She was a trained killer, but her skills were not up to par. Qinglong had once told her about this female assassin, and even he had no confidence in defeating her, let alone Tuo Tuo.

Tuo Tuo suddenly felt a twinge of envy for Qiaohua. As a killer, the only light in her life, besides the cruel training, was the fatherly love of the Prince of Qing! Love? To her, it was like a beautiful flower in the desert, so beautiful, so desirable, yet unattainable! Perhaps a love willing to die for someone else was what every woman longed for!

Tuo Tuo slightly loosened her grip, not wanting to inflict too deep a wound, to let her die with some dignity. Suddenly, a clear whistle sounded, the sound of a projectile slicing through the air. Tuo Tuo sensed something amiss, her wrist flicked, and her silver whip returned to protect her as she dodged a streak of golden light. Thud! The golden light nailed into a dead tree, revealing a gold coin!

"The Heavenly Eagle Gang is here!"

A tall, handsome young man leaped forward, dressed in simple leather, a cross-star saber and a curved saber at his waist. He embodied the words 'cool, handsome, and dominant,' and his voice, which could rival the world's three greatest tenors, was like a lion's roar singing the most dazzling ethnic style. Even if you didn't understand Chinese, you knew it was impressive.

Tuo Tuo, standing still, saw through the young man's facade at a glance. His inner strength was surging, uncontrolled, clearly lacking guidance from a master, but to reach this level by talent alone was no small feat. If he were to be compared to someone, Baihu, who hadn't yet broken through to the innate realm, would be slightly stronger.

The Judge naturally let his inner strength surge, not because he didn't know it would put him at a disadvantage in a prolonged battle. But the fear that descended upon him when facing Tuo Tuo forced him to do so. She was a terrifying woman, and fighting her left no room for a prolonged battle, a feeling he detested.

The Heavenly Eagle Gang's creed: When you find something worth risking your life for, you become a thief with principles. The Judge's father had always taught him this. He had once asked his father if he had ever found something worth risking his life for. His father had smiled and replied, "Your mother was what I risked my life for!"

The Judge's mother came from the Central Plains, a lady of noble birth, but she had suffered internal injuries during pregnancy and died in childbirth. His father was a rough man, teaching him only martial arts and a fierce spirit.

He thought that having love meant having principles, but in his mind, women could be bought with money, so he only loved money. Money could buy houses, land, manpower, weapons, power, and even an eternal, unchanging love!

Until he met Qinglong, the man who didn't love money! He had a love that was astonishing and enviable, and the woman behind him was willing to draw away this killer who even Tuo Tuo feared! Faced with a thousand taels of gold, he didn't even glance at it. The Judge asked him, "What are you trying to steal?"

Dignity!

He didn't understand it before, but now he did. It turned out that even without money, one could have love and principles!

His father, his brothers in the gang, Qinglong, Qiaohua—familiar and unfamiliar faces flashed before his eyes. He didn't like this feeling; people said that only when death approached did the past flash before one's eyes.

Tuo Tuo's eyes suddenly narrowed. The young man in front of her had undergone some change; the surging inner strength was gradually converging. She was very familiar with this phenomenon; she had experienced it when she broke through to the innate realm. In simple terms, this young man had had an epiphany! Without a master's guidance or advanced techniques, he had, through talent and insight, reached a breakthrough at such a young age! This young man must not be left alive!

Killing intent filled the air, and her silver whip, infused with true energy, slowly rose. Realizing he couldn't match her, the Judge decided to end the fight quickly, drawing his curved saber and charging forward.

The Judge's saber was fast and dangerous. The blade flashed, and he attacked relentlessly, planning to engage in close combat. The Judge was smart; he had made his judgment based on Tuo Tuo's weapon. Just as Ling Xiao had deduced, Tuo Tuo was not skilled in swordsmanship and would only use a few limited moves to block the saber. But having a plan and executing it were two different things.

The Judge's lightness skills were too poor. Baihu could force Tuo Tuo to use the 'Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell' technique, but the Judge's curved saber could hardly even hit her! After a few rounds, the Judge understood the gap between them. A thief must be ruthless, and the Judge excelled in this. He deliberately left a gap, exposing his abdomen.

Tuo Tuo, without hesitation, lashed out with her whip. Compared to saber skills, the Judge's leg techniques were better, but they were also too slow. His poor lightness skills significantly reduced his overall strength.

The Judge's leg was fierce and heavy, the force slicing through the air making a sound that even exceeded Tuo Tuo's silver whip! Tuo Tuo was startled; if this move went through, both would be injured. But Tuo Tuo didn't think it was appropriate; why suffer mutual injuries when she had the upper hand? She calmly retreated before the attack reached her.

In contrast, the Judge, due to the excessive force and missing his target, lost his balance, creating a large opening. This was a true weakness, and Tuo Tuo's eyes gleamed as she left a wound on his forearm.

After a few rounds, they separated. "Are you okay?" Qiaohua, seeing blood slide down the Judge's arm, asked anxiously.

"Get out of here! Run!" The Judge, slightly panting, stared at Tuo Tuo.

Qiaohua looked at the Judge's resolute back and knew she would only be a burden. She bit her lip and turned to leave.

Tuo Tuo didn't rush to chase Qiaohua. The young man in front of her was already at the end of his strength, and once he was dealt with, there would still be time to kill Qiaohua. More importantly, it was Qinglong. Qiaohua must know Qinglong's whereabouts, and following her would lead to him. Thus, Tuo Tuo was even less in a hurry.

The intense battle had left the Judge's heart sinking to the bottom. He saw no hope. Perhaps his life was about to end, and all that remained was to buy time.

"Are you not going to attack? How will you buy time if you don't attack?" Tuo Tuo said with a playful smile.

"Fine, I'll attack!" The Judge roared, splitting his curved saber to reveal a thin, S-shaped blade. The blade spun rapidly in the air, forming a wheel.

Tuo Tuo raised an eyebrow, smiled mockingly, and leaped to avoid the blade wheel. The Judge then charged forward, his saber flashing dangerously, targeting Tuo Tuo's vital points. This time, the Judge had no defense, using all his strength with each strike! Tuo Tuo was familiar with this all-or-nothing tactic; anyone with a bit of courage and trapped like a beast would resort to it.

"Hmph!" Tuo Tuo's lightness skills created a flurry of afterimages, her silver whip turning into a white blur. The saber and whip clashed, ringing out. In just a few breaths, the Judge was covered in wounds, but he persisted, waiting for the blade wheel to return!

The Judge's performance was excellent, his eyes filled with despair and bloodlust. Even an Oscar-winning actor would find it hard to detect any abnormality. The thin blade circled in the air without making a sound, about to strike Tuo Tuo's back.

Victory was within reach, but the next moment was despair. Tuo Tuo simply jumped and rolled, easily stepping on the blade wheel. "What a pity. Your talent and insight are excellent, but you don't realize that at the innate realm, even the slightest air movement can be sensed. It seems the person who taught you martial arts was also a second-rate master. Your weapon has been flying in the air for so long; did you really think I wouldn't notice?"

"So you were just toying with me!" The Judge's eyes showed some reluctance but no great sorrow. The numerous wounds had already made him start panting, unsure how much more time he could buy for Qiaohua.

Seeing the Judge's movements slowing, Tuo Tuo said, "It seems you can only play with me until now. You are a promising talent, willing to go to such lengths for two strangers, which is quite admirable. I will give you a quick death!"

Again, that piercing scream. The Judge, startled, found Tuo Tuo three steps away when he regained his senses. "This might be our last exchange. The Judge, instead of retreating, advanced with a simple straight kick, hiding three hidden arrows within.

Tuo Tuo's silver whip aimed straight for the Judge's heart. Even if all three arrows hit, the Judge would still die! But he didn't know Tuo Tuo had the 'Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell' technique!

Just as they were about to cross paths, a thunderclap echoed, and countless desert vultures took flight. The Judge, startled, saw Tuo Tuo suddenly pull her whip across her chest.

Clang!

A spark flashed on the silver whip, the immense force bending it. As it was about to touch her body, Tuo Tuo turned into a blur, using the force to retreat, both easing the crisis and avoiding the Judge's three hidden arrows.

"The Heavenly Eagle Gang is here!"

The Judge was frustrated; this was his line. Ling Xiao's voice was no less powerful, and despite his not-so-imposing figure, he rode a scrawny horse with a certain air of authority. Hmm? That horse... it looks like it's from the Heavenly Eagle Gang! But who is this guy? And he's masked!

Ling Xiao leaped from his horse, trampling Tuo Tuo. Even a scrawny horse was a horse, and the strength of the animal was not to be underestimated, especially a desert horse used to running. Tuo Tuo continued to retreat, but unfortunately, the scrawny horse wasn't a bull chief, and the trampling wasn't that strong. But his purpose was achieved.

"Go!"

Ling Xiao grabbed the Judge and pulled him onto the horse, spurring it into a wild gallop.

"Again, it's you! Don't think you can escape!" A fierce roar, the silver whip, gleaming with cold light, lashed out, aiming for the horse's legs.

"Damn! You can even recognize me with this cover! Aim for her trigger!" Ling Xiao cursed, handing the pistol to the Judge behind him.

The Judge understood that to escape, they had to stop Tuo Tuo. Taking the pistol, he fired five consecutive shots at Tuo Tuo. "Damn, do you think it's a toilet? You flushed it all away at once, can't you save some for next time?" Ling Xiao slapped his forehead, annoyed.

The five bullets were fired almost simultaneously, simply blocking Tuo Tuo's path without precise aiming. Tuo Tuo simply sidestepped to avoid the bullets and quickly caught up again.

The scrawny horse's strength lay in endurance, not in burst speed, which couldn't compare to Tuo Tuo's bizarre lightness skills. As Tuo Tuo gradually caught up, "This woman is really persistent, but fortunately, I was prepared." He reached into his bag and pulled out a small, black, round object.

"I'll give you something with a bang!"

Tuo Tuo suddenly saw Ling Xiao throw a small, black, round object backward, with a fuse sizzling and sparking!

Under the Prince of Qing, there was a elite fire gun squad. Although their guns were technologically inferior to Ling Xiao's pistol, she recognized the bomb with the fuse.

Tuo Tuo dared not pursue further, quickly retreating and hiding behind a dead tree to avoid the explosion. Clang! The 'bomb' hit the ground with a clear sound, splitting into two halves! Upon closer inspection, it was a small wine flask covered in black mud.

Looking into the distance, Ling Xiao and the Judge were already out of sight. Although her eyes burned with killing intent, she had no plan. As a killer, two things were crucial: