Chapter 7

As the sun set and the sky gradually turned a dusky yellow, the cries of battle in the village slowly subsided, while the stench of blood began to rise, so thick it seemed almost tangible, even the howling north wind could not disperse it. The Huns had been slaughtering for half an hour, almost killing all the Jin soldiers. Now they divided into numerous small groups to search the entire village, cutting off the heads of every Jin soldier's corpse, taking their armor, weapons, and valuables. From the other end of the village came the maniacal laughter and a few piercing screams, as the Huns were torturing and killing captives for entertainment.

Lu Yao crouched and ran swiftly, darting through a narrow alley and jumping into a pile of ruins. This place, before it collapsed, might have been a large house, with wooden beams and bricks scattered everywhere. Lu Yao huddled in the shadow of a beam, observing carefully for a while before beckoning.

Xue Tong, He Yun, and two other soldiers crept in one by one. Fortunately, the ruins were large enough to accommodate them. These few people were the last remnants of the thirty thousand Jin soldiers.

They had been hiding and dodging in the village, encountering small groups of Huns several times. Thanks to the high martial skills and ruthless nature of Lu Yao and Xue Tong, and the Huns' scattered attention as they pursued the Jin soldiers, they managed to escape by luck. The broken walls and ruins of the village, like a maze, also helped them greatly.

At this moment, Lu Yao's helmet was nowhere to be found, and a deep wound on his left cheek, visible to the bone, made his originally handsome face look twisted and terrifying. His armor was shattered and barely hung on his body. He was covered in blood, not knowing if it was his own or the enemy's, and the silver spear in his hand was stained black and red. Xue Tong and the others were also in a wretched state, looking like demons.

The group lay in the ruins, peering through the cracks in the walls.

"That is the southern gate of the village. It was originally blocked with earth and stones, but the Huns just broke it open. Two miles outside the gate is the forest," Lu Yao whispered. "Although the Huns are in a killing frenzy, they won't continue forever. They will eventually camp outside the village. We only need to wait until night to slip away."

Everyone nodded, seeing a glimmer of hope and showing signs of relief.

He Yun chuckled softly, "This place is well hidden; the Huns won't easily find it. Let me rest for a moment..."

Before he finished speaking, a wooden door on the brick wall behind them was kicked open, and several Huns strode into the ruins.

Lu Yao and Xue Tong, both martial artists, should have had keen senses. However, they were caught off guard, and everyone was greatly alarmed. The Huns were only searching for loot and did not expect to suddenly encounter enemies. Both sides were momentarily stunned.

Xue Tong was the first to react, roaring as he charged forward and slashed one Hun in two. However, the second Hun was quite skilled, his strange curved blade whirling and shouting, matching Xue Tong blow for blow. By the time Lu Yao joined the fight and stabbed him, the third Hun had already run away, shouting.

Xue Tong started to chase, but Lu Yao dragged him back.

"No need to chase!" Lu Yao said sternly. "Even if we catch up, it's too late! There are no other defeated soldiers to distract the Huns; we will become their primary target!"

He pointed towards the southern gate, his eyes resolute, almost glowing. "Given the situation, we must fight for survival and seize the gate!"

Those who had survived in such a harsh environment were all decisive people, and they immediately agreed.

Lu Yao led the charge, with Xue Tong right behind him, and the five of them rushed towards the southern gate!

The Huns guarding the southern gate were originally led by a centurion. However, seeing the battle was over, he had already taken most of his capable men to sweep the battlefield. The remaining Huns were lazily sitting or lying by the gate, only standing up to observe when they heard the commotion from the ruins.

The ruins were about fifty steps from the southern gate, and Lu Yao, charging like a galloping horse, reached it in the blink of an eye. With Xue Tong, a fierce warrior, following, the two fought with all their might, cutting down several Huns like slicing through melons, and quickly broke through the narrow gate!

Once outside the village, Lu Yao was overjoyed.

He had already observed the situation at the southern gate and carefully planned several times. With his martial skills, he had at least a seventy percent chance of breaking through. However, how to avoid the pursuit of the Hun cavalry after escaping the village was a matter of life and death, and he had no solution, which is why he suggested waiting until night to sneak out. To his surprise, there were actually over ten well-equipped warhorses tied outside the southern gate!

The group mounted the horses and slashed the unused ones.

Just as they were doing this, arrows from the village walls began to rain down. One soldier grunted, hit by an arrow in the back, and fell still. The others deflected the arrows with their weapons and rode away.

The horses were rare and excellent steeds, neighing and galloping swiftly, quickly entering the forest. The trees on both sides flew past, and the sounds of the Huns in the village gradually faded.

Lu Yao let out a long breath, feeling a sense of relief after the ordeal. The last desperate attempt had gone so smoothly, it seemed like a dream. The excellent horses made their escape much faster, and by the time the Hun cavalry reacted, they would likely be dozens of miles away, deep in the mountains. The Huns would find it nearly impossible to locate Lu Yao and his group in the vast and dense forests of Bingzhou.

The forest path was rugged, revealing the varying levels of riding skills among the group. Lu Yao and Xue Tong were naturally unbothered, but He Yun's riding skills were truly poor, carefully holding the horse's neck and following at the back. Fortunately, they were now far from the village, and Lu Yao decided to stop and check the Huns' movements, so he reined in his horse and waved for Xue Tong and He Yun to go ahead.

At this moment, a strange sound of trees rustling came from the forest. It was as if a group of extremely agile beasts were moving through the forest at an unimaginable speed!

Someone was chasing them, and it was an extremely elite cavalry! How could the Huns react so quickly? Lu Yao was startled and spurred his horse to run.

Unfortunately, the path was difficult, and after a few steps, his horse's legs were entangled by some thorny branches. Lu Yao urged the horse, but it only neighed and wouldn't move. Lu Yao had no choice but to bend down to untangle the branches.

Just as he did, countless branches and leaves exploded around him, and a huge figure lunged forward. The black robe fluttered like a giant eagle in the air.

The attack was unstoppable. Lu Yao roared and rolled to the right, falling off his horse, and immediately raised his spear in front of his chest.

With a loud "bang," the spear was struck by a powerful force, almost flying out of his hands.

Lu Yao landed, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead, forming streams on his face, and finally cascading down his neck. The intense movements had aggravated several wounds, and his left waist and hip were almost numb, making his left leg move stiffly, barely supporting his body.

The attacker, missing his target, did not pursue further, but stood with his arms crossed, coldly watching Lu Yao.

Xue Tong and the others, having discovered Lu Yao was in trouble, galloped to his aid but were still far away.

Lu Yao panted heavily, pointing his spear at the terrifying enemy. He knew that in the just concluded exchange, he had been at a complete disadvantage, only surviving by instinct. Since the first year of Yongning, Lu Yao had fought in battles across the north and south, believing his martial skills were on par with the best in the world. But compared to this person, there was a vast difference.

Lu Yao narrowed his eyes and carefully observed the man. He was extremely tall and muscular, with long and powerful limbs, his eyes gleaming with a dark red light, like a fierce beast. His gaze was mocking and disdainful, like a beast looking at its prey. A white hair under his left ear shimmered with a luster, moving slightly with his breathing.

There was no doubt; this was Liu Cong, the Left Valley King of the Huns, considered an invincible symbol!

Lu Yao was greatly shaken.

Liu Cong's deep voice said, "Impressive skills, a true hero. If you surrender now, I will spare your life." His voice was slightly hoarse but unusually deep, making Lu Yao's eardrums throb.

Lu Yao took a deep breath and shook his head. "Thank you for your kindness. With the situation so dire, the survivors only seek to uphold righteousness and do not seek to live in disgrace."

Liu Cong laughed loudly, "Well said!" As he laughed, a gust of wind rose, and he lunged at Lu Yao!

Lu Yao was fully prepared, holding his spear with both hands and using all his strength to block.

With a loud "clang," Liu Cong's palm struck the steel spear, and Lu Yao was thrown back, breaking numerous branches before regaining his footing.

Lu Yao's spear moved swiftly, creating a forest of spear shadows and a rain of spear winds, trying to stop Liu Cong's pursuit. But it was in vain! Liu Cong moved through the spear shadows and winds! Lu Yao's body flashed, narrowly avoiding Liu Cong's punch. He felt a buzzing in his ears, and his hair was blown apart by the wind from the punch, scattering into fragments.

The two figures crossed and retreated a few steps.

Lu Yao, not daring to let Liu Cong take the initiative, roared and thrust his spear. He had trained with this spear for nearly ten years and received guidance from several masters. This time, he used all his strength, his body following his feet, his arms following his body, his wrists following his arms, and his entire body's strength burst forth. The spear moved like a snake emerging from a cave, with a formidable presence.

Liu Cong's lips curled into a cold smile, his body as immovable as a mountain.

The two were about ten feet apart, the ideal distance for long weapons. Lu Yao's spear reached halfway, and he exhaled, the tip of the spear creating a sharp whistle, the momentum increasing.

At this moment, Liu Cong suddenly leaped. His massive body moved like a swift swallow, and before Lu Yao could react, the distance between them was reduced to less than four feet. Liu Cong's body entered Lu Yao's inner circle, and his right palm, rising from under his ribs, seemed to carry the sound of thunder.

At such a close distance, the spear was useless unless Lu Yao immediately dropped it and retreated. Otherwise, he could only withstand Liu Cong's powerful punch.

Lu Yao did not retreat but instead raised his arm to block Liu Cong! The force of the impact was instantaneous, and Lu Yao grunted, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and he fell to the ground.

Liu Cong continued his pursuit, his fist, with prominent knuckles, rapidly expanding in Lu Yao's field of vision. Just a foot away from Lu Yao's face, the powerful wind from the punch already distorted his facial muscles. At this moment, Liu Cong was like a giant arrow, with his left fist as the arrowhead, unstoppable!

Lu Yao was in a desperate situation, his life hanging by a thread.

Xue Tong, galloping towards them, his eyes bloodshot, shouted loudly; He Yun, drawing his bow and arrow, could not save Lu Yao in time.

At this moment, Lu Yao's right hand flipped, and the spear split into two, falling to the ground. In his hand was a three-foot-long, ancient sword.

No one had expected that Lu Yao's spear, which he had carried for years, had a hidden secret.

The sword was ancient in style, its blade gleaming with a deep blue light, like a pool of clear water.

The sword light suddenly appeared, initially faint, but quickly became overwhelming, like a mighty river, pouring out from Lu Yao's hand.

The situation instantly reversed, and Liu Cong's originally fatal blow left him in a severely disadvantageous position.

Liu Cong roared, his punches and strikes powerful like a spear and halberd. Despite the sudden change, he still tried to counterattack, but with the sword in Lu Yao's hand, he was a different person.

In a moment, Lu Yao had delivered countless sword strikes, the dust and wind swirling around them. The two figures moved up and down, causing the forest to collapse and leaving a trail of destruction.

Xue Tong and the others arrived but were blocked by the two's sword and palm winds, unable to approach the battle.

After a moment, the two suddenly leaped apart, each standing on one side.

Liu Cong's eyes fixed on Lu Yao, "I wondered who it was, Lu Daoming, it's you!"

Lu Yao's face was cold as a blade, and he slowly said, "The young noble of Luoyang, Lu Daoming, is long gone. I am Lu Yao, the military leader of Bingzhou, and I greet you, Left Valley King."

Both felt an absurd sense of fate. Liu Cong, once a young adventurer in Luoyang, was now the Left Valley King of the Huns and a powerful figure in the Hun Han state. And Lu Yao, once his childhood friend, was now facing him on the battlefield, determined to fight to the death. The world was unpredictable, indeed.

Liu Cong shook his head, "We are old acquaintances from Luoyang. Even after ten years, the old friendship remains. Why must you be so distant, Daoming? If I had known you were in the army, it wouldn't have come to this."

Lu Yao sneered, "Left Valley King, don't put on a show! Since you and your father rebelled, how many comrades and old friends have you killed? Where is the old friendship then? Besides, would a Lu family member beg for mercy?"

"Enough, enough. The enmity between the Huns and the Han is too complex to explain," Liu Cong sighed. "We are childhood friends, different from others. You may go. These are fine horses from the Liaoxi Yuwen tribe, ride them... and don't neglect their feed."

Seeing Lu Yao silent, Liu Cong turned and walked away, and Xue Tong, He Yun, and the others, intimidated by Liu Cong's presence, did not dare to move.

Liu Cong took large steps, about to disappear into the forest, but suddenly raised his hand, "This sword, a gift from King Wu, is indeed a masterpiece. I will keep it for a few days and return it later." The ancient sword was already in his hand.

It turned out that in their dozens of exchanges, the first twenty moves had Lu Yao taking the upper hand, but Liu Cong quickly evened the score, and in the end, even took the sword. Liu Cong chased the galloping horse for several miles, then disarmed Lu Yao with his bare hands, stunning everyone. The first Hun martial artist, whose reputation echoed across the vast grasslands, was indeed worthy of his name!

After a while, Xue Tong, with a hint of suspicion, said, "Just like that? Hmm?"

But Lu Yao's body swayed, and he suddenly collapsed, blood trickling from his mouth. He had been fighting without rest for several days, already wounded in previous battles, and had been relying on sheer willpower. This battle with Liu Cong had severely shaken his internal organs, and he finally reached his limit, unable to hold on any longer.