Chapter 7

As the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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Erhu fought three men alone. Although he managed to wound one of the bandits, he himself was slashed twice, one of which was a severe wound on his back, causing blood to flow. However, he was a brave warrior, and his saber moved with great vigor, creating a fierce wind. Despite the danger, he remained calm, clearly a seasoned fighter.

The battle was intense, when suddenly, a noise came from the side of the ship. Soon after, a cry of alarm came from the stern: "Oh no, the bandits are on the ship, come quickly... Ouch...!" After a scream, there was silence, but the noise from the stern clearly indicated a commotion.

Wei Tianqing slashed several times, creating an opening, and approached Erhu, shouting, "Erhu, the bandits are on the ship. Go to the cabin and protect the lady with Heizi. I'll handle this!" As he spoke, he continued to swing his saber, cutting and slashing, ready to fight the bandits alone.

Chuhan squatted beside the injured boatman, making no move, only observing coldly. He could see that these bandits were not ordinary rabble; each of them was skilled with a saber. Fortunately, Wei Tianqing was a highly skilled warrior. If his skills were weaker, he would have been captured long ago.

Despite being outnumbered, the bandits could not defeat Wei Tianqing. Two of them were even wounded by him, which made them increasingly anxious. Some of them cursed, but Wei Tianqing grew even more fierce, shouting, "Rabble and scoundrels, I will kill all of you today!" His saber technique was not flashy but simple, each strike sharp and aimed at vital points.

Two more bandits climbed over the other side of the ship, also dressed in black and masked. They had just emerged from the water, their bodies still wet. They headed straight for the cabin. Wei Tianqing saw them and shouted again, swinging his saber to force them back, "Erhu, go quickly!"

Blood flowed from the wound on Erhu's back, but he roared and forced back the enemy in front of him, shouting, "Brats, come at me!" He rushed out from a gap and charged at the two bandits heading for the cabin.

The female bandit leader on the bandit ship had been watching coldly. Seeing her men unable to defeat Wei Tianqing and his growing ferocity, her crescent-shaped eyes showed impatience. She drew her saber, discarded the scabbard, and called out, "Stand back!" She took two steps forward, leaped lightly like a butterfly, landed on the ship's side, and then leaped again, swinging her saber at Wei Tianqing from the air.

The bandits surrounding Wei Tianqing quickly moved aside. Wei Tianqing felt the wind coming and shifted his feet, striking back with his saber. With a loud clang, the two sabers clashed, sparks flying.

Before striking, Wei Tianqing knew he was facing a formidable opponent. He used all his strength, drawing on decades of saber practice. He was confident that if the opponent tried to match his strength, they would likely drop their saber. Hearing the female leader's voice, he knew she was a woman and thought it impossible for her to hold her saber.

The female leader's attack was exactly what Wei Tianqing wanted. He had been thinking of capturing the leader but was held back by the bandits. Now that she came to him, it was like a fish falling into a trap.

However, to Wei Tianqing's surprise, the female leader not only held her saber but also followed up with another powerful strike.

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Erhu engaged the two bandits, preventing them from entering the cabin. But when the female leader joined the fight, the remaining five or six bandits, leaving two to guard, charged over. Erhu, already wounded, could not withstand the attack of seven or eight bandits. Despite his efforts, he was soon struck on the back of the head and fell to the ground. Two bandits immediately pinned him down and tied him with a rope they had prepared.

The other bandits ignored the unconscious ship owner and the beggar-like Chuhan, rushing into the cabin. Soon, screams and commotion came from inside.

Chuhan frowned, hearing the sounds of battle. He guessed that Heizi, who was guarding inside, had engaged the bandits.

It was undeniable that Wei Tianqing and his two companions were brave, but the bandits were not only numerous but also fierce. The passengers on the ship, though many, were too afraid to fight. Even if they all joined the battle, they would not stand a chance against the bandits.

Wei Tianqing and the female leader exchanged dozens of strikes, his face growing increasingly grim. The female leader's skills far exceeded his expectations. His dozens of strikes were the essence of his decades of practice, but she could counter each one and even strike back. This shocked Wei Tianqing and made him realize that these bandits were not ordinary rabble.

The female leader was not only skilled with a saber but also agile. Even Chuhan, who was observing from the side, was impressed. According to common sense, the female leader's slender and delicate figure was far from Wei Tianqing's robust build. At first glance, Wei Tianqing's strength should far surpass hers, but in actual combat, she seemed to match him in strength and even outdo him in agility.

The two bandits guarding the side held their sabers, seemingly confident in the female leader. They watched without joining the fight, their expressions relaxed.

Wei Tianqing grew more anxious as he fought. He saw Erhu being tied up and heard the screams and fighting sounds from the cabin. Although he knew he should not be distracted in a fight, he could not help but worry about the situation inside. The female leader, however, was determined to defeat Wei Tianqing, her strikes becoming more cunning and fierce.

Chuhan, watching from the side, his face turned cold. Seeing the female leader's increasingly strange saber technique, he muttered to himself, "This... is not the saber technique of the Great Qin!"

As he was puzzled, he noticed another person appearing on the bandit ship. This person was different from the other bandits, including the female leader, who were all dressed in black and masked. This new person wore a silver-white robe, was tall and slender, with long hair tied back with a band. On his face was a fierce mask of a demon, the bronze mask gleaming under the moonlight, looking extremely eerie.

The masked person carried a quiver on his back and held a longbow in his left hand. He walked calmly to the bow of the bandit ship, standing gracefully despite the frightening mask.

Although the female leader was slightly gaining the upper hand in the fight with Wei Tianqing, she could not defeat him quickly. The masked person slowly raised his bow, drew an arrow from his quiver, and aimed at the two fighters.

The female leader, noticing the masked person's action, shouted, "No need for your help! If you use the arrow, I will kill you!"

The masked person, clearly fearing the female leader, slowly lowered his bow.

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Suddenly, a loud thud came from the cabin, and a bandit flew out, a deep gash from his forehead to his neck, blood and flesh mixed, even the white bone visible, a truly horrific sight. He seemed to have been kicked out after being struck inside, landing heavily on the deck, struggling but unable to get up.

The two bandits beside the female leader were shocked. One quickly came over, taking out medicine to treat the injured bandit. The shouting and cursing from inside the cabin grew louder, and soon, a voice called out, "We hit his thigh, everyone attack, finish this scum!"

Wei Tianqing knew the situation inside the cabin was dire. He struck three times, forcing the female leader back two steps, and turned to rush towards the cabin. Just as he reached the cabin door, another person flew out. Wei Tianqing raised his saber to strike but, under the moonlight, saw it was Heizi. He retracted his saber and caught Heizi, who was covered in blood, with at least ten wounds, some of them severe, and was barely alive.

Wei Tianqing, filled with grief and anger, held Heizi in one hand and his saber in the other. Three or four more bandits rushed out of the cabin, surrounding him. Each had blood on their faces, but it was unclear if it was their own or Heizi's.

Wei Tianqing, enraged, laughed bitterly, turned, and pointed his saber at the female leader, shouting, "Who are you?"

The female leader's eyes were cold, and she sneered, "We rob the rich to help the poor!"

"Bullshit!" Wei Tianqing shouted. "Do you think I'm blind? How much wealth could be on this ship to warrant so many of you? You were lying in wait here tonight, clearly with a plan. What is your true intention?"

The female leader said calmly, "If you are Wei Tianqing, then you are not wrong!" She walked with a light sway, stopping beside the bound and unconscious Erhu, placing her foot on his head. Her crescent-shaped eyes fixed on Wei Tianqing, she said coldly, "If you want to fight, I'm happy to oblige. Otherwise, drop your saber and save yourself the humiliation!"

Wei Tianqing laughed wildly, "It seems you know my name, Wei Tianqing. Very well, since you know my name, you should also know that I have lived my life by the saber and have never put it down!"

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ps: The support from my fellow readers has made me incredibly excited. On the first day of the ranking, I received a lot of help from many brothers and sisters, which deeply moved me.

Two thousand red tickets, nearly two thousand more collections, and over ten thousand clicks...

We have the strength to secure a place. Brothers and sisters, let's continue to push forward, and I will do my best to write a good book for everyone, not letting you down.

Additionally, on May 28th, I will be interviewed by Perfect Dragon Radio. There is a pinned post in the book review section where you can leave any questions you have for me, and I will answer them seriously.

Thank you all, let's keep moving forward!