Chapter 44

After sincerely praying to the heavens three times, Huang Ying'er opened her eyes, only to see the lecherous and foul face of the leader of the bandits opposite her, his eyes filled with even more lust. It seemed he had grown impatient and, brandishing the single-edged sword in his hand, he shouted in a hoarse voice, "Little ones, it's not early anymore, and we don't have time to waste here. Since these few people don't know their place and refuse to drink the wine of respect, we don't need to be polite. Give them some punishment wine to taste, so they can understand the might of the heroes of Xiayun Ridge. Come on, everyone, join forces and cut down these two fools in front, and then we can enjoy the little beauty behind. Ha ha..."

The bandits all laughed lewdly and were about to charge forward with their knives and spears. The Yang family father and son, who were standing in front of Huang Ying'er, were also ready to fight to the death, brandishing their knives. Huang Ying'er, at this moment, was utterly despondent. She looked up at the gray sky one last time, shouting in her heart, "Heaven, you are truly unfair," and then closed her eyes, preparing to stab herself in the throat with the hairpin she had clutched in her hand. Just as she bit her lip and raised her arm to strike, a loud and authoritative male voice rang in her ears, "Bold bandits, how dare you commit violence in broad daylight? Are you not afraid of the retribution of heaven and the hell of A鼻?"

This voice was particularly clear in the silent forest, and to Huang Ying'er and the Yang family father and son, it was like a saving grace. Huang Ying'er, who had already given up hope, quickly opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the voice. She saw three men walking out from behind the bandits. The first was dressed in Daoist attire, tall and slender, with a sharp face and bright, though small, eyes. His black beard fluttered in the wind, and he held a gleaming sword in his right hand, giving him a distinctly immortal and Daoist appearance. The two men behind him were dressed in civilian clothes. The one on the left was tall and handsome, while the one on the right, though shorter and less striking, exuded a sense of vigor. Both of them also held swords and stared coldly at the bandits.

The sudden appearance of these men left the bandits, who were about to charge forward, stunned. They were momentarily confused about how someone could have appeared behind them without their notice. The situation paused briefly, and it was the bandit leader who reacted first. With a shout, he led the bandits to the side.

The leader sized up the newcomers and realized that today's trouble was more significant than he had anticipated. Although his martial arts were not high, he was quick-witted and had been in the underworld for a long time. His ability to read people was exceptional. He was certain that these three men were not to be trifled with. From their appearance and movements, their martial arts were undoubtedly formidable, far beyond what his group could handle. The situation had shifted from how to succeed to how to escape, or rather, how he could escape.

After a moment's thought, the bandit leader's eyes darted, and a plan formed in his mind. He decided that the only way out was to sacrifice some of his men to save himself. Without responding to the Daoist's question, he brandished his sword and shouted, "Brothers, join forces and take care of these meddlers first, then we can deal with this business."

With that, he charged forward. The other bandits, driven by their lust, followed without considering the disparity in strength. However, they failed to notice that their leader was not heading towards the three newcomers but was instead charging diagonally towards Yang Yongzhong, whom he considered the weakest.

Huang Ying'er, who had just experienced a rollercoaster of emotions, recognized that the three men who had saved her and her servants were members of the mysterious Daoists from Yuxu Palace. She had met Qingchen, Zeng Zhilin, and Wang Feng before, and although she did not know their martial arts skills, their confident demeanor reassured her. She did not expect the bandit leader to suddenly attack, charging towards them, and she cried out in alarm, "Uncle Yang, be careful."

Yang Yongzhong, though he reacted in time, was exhausted from the prolonged standoff. The arrival of reinforcements had lifted his spirits, but now that help had come, his last bit of energy was spent. He was physically and mentally drained. As the bandit leader approached, he found himself unable to raise his sword. At this critical moment, Yang Kefu, his adopted son, stepped in, brandishing his sword to block the bandit leader, and the two engaged in combat. The forest clearing soon turned into a battlefield, with the sounds of clashing weapons and shouts filling the air.

Although the bandits had a numerical advantage, their martial arts skills were far inferior, rendering their numbers ineffective. Qingchen and his two companions, each facing three bandits, were not at a disadvantage. Qingchen, the most skilled, handled the three bandits with ease, even taking the time to point out the flaws in the techniques of his two "junior uncles," encouraging them to use the rare opportunity to improve. Zeng Zhilin and Wang Feng, being a few years younger than Qingchen, did not act superior and humbly accepted his guidance, gradually becoming more proficient in their techniques, while their opponents grew increasingly strained.

On the other side, the battle between Yang Kefu and the bandit leader was at a stalemate. Yang Kefu, though he had learned some basic martial arts from his adoptive father Yang Yongzhong, was not well-trained. Yang Yongzhong's own skills were limited, and his health had been poor in recent years, so he could only teach his adoptive son some rudimentary techniques. Facing a bandit leader with similar but more experienced martial arts, Yang Kefu, who had never fought before, was initially at a disadvantage. He relied on his strength to balance the situation, which, though risky, kept him safe. As time passed, he gradually found his rhythm, and his sword movements became smoother, gradually tipping the scales in his favor.

Seeing his situation deteriorate, the bandit leader grew anxious. After dodging several powerful strikes from Yang Kefu, he hoarsely shouted to his two trusted subordinates, "Tie Tou, Xiao Qi, come and help me."

The outcome of his call was predictable. His subordinates, already struggling to defend themselves, had no spare capacity to assist him. Moreover, his shout distracted them, and they were quickly taken down by Qingchen and Wang Feng, who seized the opportunity to strike. Their cries of pain further demoralized the other bandits, causing their morale to collapse. Qingchen and his companions seized the opportunity, their swords moving faster and faster, and the cries of pain grew more frequent. Soon, only four of the nine bandits remained, and the outcome was no longer in doubt.

What no one expected was that the bandits' cries of pain not only affected their own morale but also impacted Yang Kefu, who was new to combat. The shrill and piercing cries made him nervous, and his movements became sluggish. The bandit leader, though surprised by the losses caused by his call, seized the opportunity presented by Yang Kefu's hesitation. Recognizing the change in his opponent's demeanor, he knew his chance had come. Seizing the moment, he used his three life-saving techniques, which he had learned from a skilled martial artist and practiced diligently, to launch a fierce counterattack against Yang Kefu.

These three techniques were designed for use in desperate situations to escape. They were far more powerful than the ordinary techniques he had used earlier, and they caught Yang Kefu, who had just regained his composure, off guard. Faced with the sharp and powerful strikes, Yang Kefu struggled to defend himself, retreating to reduce the pressure.

Seeing Yang Kefu forced to retreat, the bandit leader knew his chance to escape was near. Taking advantage of the moment when Yang Kefu was unable to launch a counterattack, he switched his sword to his left hand, reached into his chest, and pulled out an object, which he threw at Yang Kefu.

Yang Kefu, having just steadied himself, was caught off guard by the black object flying towards his face. He instinctively raised his sword to block it. There was a "pu!" sound, and the object shattered, releasing a cloud of white smoke that covered his face and caused intense pain in his eyes, blinding him. Realizing that the object was not a weapon but a bag of lime, Yang Kefu, now blinded, fought like a cornered animal, swinging his sword in a wheel-like motion to prevent the bandit leader from getting close.

Huang Ying'er and Yang Yongzhong, watching from the side, both exclaimed, "Oh no!" Yang Yongzhong, despite his exhaustion, rushed forward with his sword to protect his adoptive son. However, their efforts were in vain. The bandit leader, not intending to kill Yang Kefu but to escape, ignored the now defenseless Yang Kefu and quickly turned, using his third life-saving technique to flee into the forest.

Qingchen and his companions, engaged in battle with the other bandits, were also anxious. They did not want Yang Kefu to be injured and did not want the bandit leader to escape. They increased the speed of their sword movements, but by the time they had dealt with their opponents, the bandit leader had already disappeared into the forest. The scene was left with Yang Kefu, still swinging his sword wildly, and Yang Yongzhong, trying to calm his adoptive son while defending him.

Qingchen was frustrated, feeling that he had been too complacent. He had thought the young man could hold off the bandit leader long enough for him to finish off the other bandits and then deal with the leader. However, the bandit leader's cunning and deceit had allowed him to escape using such despicable means. Qingchen, unwilling to let the bandit leader get away, ran to the edge of the forest, climbed a tree, and looked in the direction the bandit leader had fled. But all he saw were bare branches swaying in the cold wind, with no sign of the bandit leader.

When Qingchen came down from the tree, Yang Yongzhong, with the help of Zeng Zhilin and Wang Feng, had finally managed to stop Yang Kefu from swinging his sword. Although they had many questions and mysteries to unravel, they knew that Yang Kefu's eyes, injured by the lime, needed immediate attention to prevent serious consequences. Without further ado, they supported Yang Kefu and quickly left the forest.

Zhang Weixin and his companions, who had been waiting by the road, breathed a sigh of relief when they saw their people emerge unharmed from the forest. However, their relief turned to concern when they saw the man being supported, his face covered in white powder and seemingly unable to see. Zhang Weixin, seeing Huang Ying'er's anxious and pale face, felt a mix of emotions, unable to describe his feelings.

From her expression, it was clear that she was deeply worried about the man with the white face. Could he be her beloved? The thought made Zhang Weixin uneasy, as if he had discovered that the woman he secretly admired already had someone else. This strange feeling surprised him, and he realized that, at some point, the mysterious Huang girl had taken a place in his heart.

He was both attracted to and instinctively resistant to this feeling. Not knowing what to do, he stared blankly at Huang Ying'er as she approached, not even responding when Zeng Zhilin came over to explain the situation. It was only when Zeng Zhilin patted his arm that he snapped out of it. Seeing Zeng Zhilin's curious look, he quickly changed the subject. Zeng Zhilin, eager to explain, did not think much of it and briefly recounted the battle in the forest, explaining that the young man was Huang Ying'er's servant and had been blinded by lime during the fight and needed immediate treatment to avoid going blind.

Hearing that the young man was just Huang Ying'er's servant, Zhang Weixin felt a sense of relief, as if the clouds had cleared and the sun had come out. His mood improved significantly. Knowing that lime in the eyes could not be treated with water but only with oil, he quickly instructed everyone to get into the carriage and head to the city to seek medical help.

The Yang family father and son, accompanied by Qingchen, took the carriage they had arrived in and headed to the city first to avoid delaying the treatment. The others followed in the carriages from Yuxu Palace, planning to complete the transaction with the Qi family and then meet at the Yuelai Inn. After the arrangements were made, Qingchen personally drove the carriage, carrying the Yang family father and son, and sped off. The rest of the group followed shortly after.

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