Chapter 31

The rain fell heavily, like a river pouring down, the waterfalls descending from the sky, isolating everything around, creating a noisy silence that induced drowsiness and a darkness that made it hard to see.

In such a rainy night, a white-feathered arrow pierced through the layers of water, as if coming from the netherworld, its cold light piercing the heart.

Xiaozi, hovering in mid-air as if riding the clouds, had no support, and faced the white-feathered arrow, which seemed like a soul-snatching demon, with only wide, terrified eyes, having no way to defend herself.

Suddenly, in her despair, she felt her body become heavy, and she was pushed downward, narrowly avoiding the arrow.

She turned back in shock, and through the heavy rain and the dark, she vaguely saw a face with a "majestic and solemn" expression.

Meng Qi, who had been thrown, could not change his form, bit his teeth, pushed Xiaozi away with his left hand, and drew his saber with his right, blocking the arrow.

With a crisp sound, the arrow aimed at Meng Qi's throat was deflected by the saber, but another one, Meng Qi had no way to avoid, and could only lower his shoulders and contract his abdomen to avoid the vital points.

Thud, the arrow hit Meng Qi's right shoulder, piercing through layers of thick cloth with great force.

Fortunately, in the rain, not only did Meng Qi and the others have difficulty seeing, but the ambushers also had the same problem, and most of their arrows missed. Otherwise, even with the Iron Shirt technique, Meng Qi would not have been able to avoid the many vital points.

Thud, Meng Qi fell to the ground, then rolled to avoid the subsequent rain of arrows, and at the same time, extended his left hand to pull out the arrow from his right shoulder.

Blood spurted out, but fortunately, Meng Qi's Iron Shirt technique was somewhat effective, and the wound was not deep, not affecting his ability to wield the saber.

At this moment, figures rushed through the dark rain, some wielding long knives, others thick swords, surrounding Meng Qi, Qi Zhengyan, and the others.

The ambushers also realized the poor environment, making it difficult to hit their targets effectively.

Meng Qi stood up with a leap, swung his saber at the enemy, but the figures around him were too numerous to distinguish, and he felt that attacks could come from the rain at any moment.

In the darkness, every place seemed to hide an enemy!

It was a chaotic battle! Meng Qi gritted his teeth, moved forward quickly, and launched an attack instead of trying to escape.

At this moment, a thought in his mind was crystal clear: since he could not see the enemy clearly, the enemy should be the same!

Only by rushing into the enemy and making the situation more chaotic, using the "Eight Steps of the Divine Walker" and the "Iron Shirt" technique, could he survive!

If he fled, with the effect of the "Eight Steps of the Divine Walker," it would not be difficult to break out of the current encirclement, but Meng Qi was worried that there were still experts lurking in the dark. If he left the chaotic place, they could target him, and then he would be in great danger.

In a few steps, Meng Qi rushed into the enemy, his steps never stopping, his movements unpredictable, and with each flash of the saber, blood spurted and figures fell.

In this process, due to the chaos, Meng Qi could not completely dodge the attacks with the "Eight Steps of the Divine Walker," but he knew how to avoid vital points and use the Iron Shirt technique to withstand the attacks. After a while, although he had many cuts and wounds, he was never seriously injured and lost his fighting ability.

The surrounding enemies became more and more alarmed, as Meng Qi in the darkness seemed like a ghost, and every time he appeared, a companion would die or be seriously injured. Most of their attacks hit their own people, and they had to be cautious. When they finally managed to wound him, they felt the resistance of the saber and sword, making it hard to penetrate.

This is a monster!

They all knew about the Iron Shirt technique, but in such an environment, combined with the "Eight Steps of the Divine Walker," it gave them a strong sense of inhumanity!

However, even so, Meng Qi himself was not having an easy time. The endless enemies and the weapons that could attack from all directions put him under great pressure, and a moment of carelessness could result in a fatal hit.

The rain fell heavily, blood spurted, and the salty smell filled the air. Meng Qi fought on all sides, barely holding on, and more and more bodies fell around him, but more figures seemed to be closing in.

Xiaozi lay in the mud, using her waist and abdomen to try to stand, but her body was weak, and she failed. She could only watch helplessly as the ambushers surrounded her.

"Xiao Sang, Xiao Sang..." She muttered in fear and despair.

Suddenly, she froze, as the enemies who had surrounded her did not approach but joined the intense battle ahead.

The rain poured, and lightning flashed. Xiaozi vaguely saw a figure moving around, the saber flashing, drawing the nearby enemies to that spot.

This figure was small, but at this moment, it seemed so tall and reliable.

He was repeatedly wounded but remained silent, in stark contrast to the surrounding cries of pain.

Xiaozi stopped muttering, and the fear and panic on her face gradually subsided.

In the intense battle, Meng Qi did not know how long it had been, but just as he felt he could not hold on much longer, the enemies suddenly shouted and turned to flee.

Although they were brave, they knew their opponents were few, but facing nearly 50% casualties, they could not suppress their fear and finally broke down.

After all, they were not truly fearless!

With the first, naturally came the second, and soon, Meng Qi's pressure decreased, and he became more at ease, with the enemies falling or fleeing one after another.

Just as he was about to look around and help Qi Zhengyan, he suddenly saw a tall figure rush out from the forest, as fast as a galloping horse, wielding a long knife.

"A master with a fully developed Qi!" Meng Qi knew that with fewer enemies around him, he had been targeted by the hidden expert, but he was not afraid. This was not the time to panic and flee; he had no time to observe and could only passively take the hit.

Since he had already noticed, then... Meng Qi remembered Zhang Yuanshan's advice: if you encounter an enemy with a fully developed Qi, you must act quickly, trading minor injuries for major ones.

After the thought flashed through his mind, Meng Qi, after a brief moment of hesitation, became brave, dodged an enemy, and raised his saber to meet the opponent.

As they got closer, Meng Qi vaguely saw a stern-looking man.

The saber was about to meet the long knife when Meng Qi stepped with the "Eight Steps of the Divine Walker," slipped, and turned, appearing behind the expert and chopping at the back of his head.

The expert was not panicked, moved nimbly, and sidestepped, while the long knife swept back, aiming at Meng Qi's chest and abdomen, trying to force him to abandon his attack.

This was a cautious move.

Meng Qi gritted his teeth and lunged forward, facing the long knife without dodging!

The long knife cut a deep wound in Meng Qi's chest and abdomen, blood spurted, creating a red haze in front of the expert.

Oh no! When the long knife truly hit, the expert had a bad feeling and tried to roll to the side, but the shock from the blade made him slow down.

A flash of the saber, and the expert's shocked expression froze, his head flying off, and his headless body slowly falling to the ground.

Meng Qi did not have time to check the result, using his back to block a remaining enemy's saber, feeling intense pain in his chest and abdomen, his legs weakening, and his head spinning.

"Not a minor injury..." Meng Qi mocked himself internally. The opponent's strength was indeed remarkable, and this blow almost split his chest and abdomen, leaving him seriously injured.

However, he did not regret it. If the opponent had figured out his weaknesses and adopted a targeted strategy, his life would have been in danger.

This battle also made Meng Qi realize that the level of martial arts was only a key factor in determining the final outcome, not everything. The opponent was much stronger, but the fallen body was his, not Meng Qi's.

The remaining few enemies were fearless, and seeing their leader dead, they did not think of fleeing but moved closer, trying to take advantage of Meng Qi's injuries and take his life!

Since the battle, Meng Qi had been greatly exhausted, and he indeed felt weak, but he was not panicked. After killing the expert with a fully developed Qi, he had a strange confidence in the remaining enemies.

At this moment, a sword light appeared, ethereal and misty.

Several cold stars appeared in the mist, and the enemies in front of Meng Qi fell one after another.

"Are you okay?" Qi Zhengyan, covered in blood, appeared, but it was unclear if it was his or others'.

Meng Qi shook his head, tore off his monk's robe, and simply bandaged his chest and abdomen: "I'm fine, but I've lost a lot of blood and am very exhausted. What about you?"

"About the same. I encountered a sword expert with a fully developed Qi and was hit by a sword." Qi Zhengyan still had a serious expression, but his face was much paler. Although his strength was higher than Meng Qi's, in this chaotic battle, his martial arts were not as suitable, and he was seriously injured. If not for the unpredictable and versatile Cloud and Mist Thirteen Forms, he might not have survived.

"We need to get into the mountains quickly. Many enemies have escaped, and they might have reinforcements." Meng Qi looked around and sighed, "We should also look for them and bury their bodies."

He felt that in this situation, Xiang Hui and Xiaozi would find it hard to survive.

"Master, are you okay?" As soon as the words were spoken, Xiaozi wobbled and stood up, walking over to examine Meng Qi's wounds.

Meng Qi was surprised: "Xiaozi, are you okay?"

Xiaozi smiled, revealing a hint of charm, looking more beautiful than usual: "They all came to attack you, and I lay on the ground, so no one paid attention to me."

At this moment, Xiang Hui, covering his face, staggered over: "Divine monk, Great Hero Qi, are you well?"

"You're okay too?" Meng Qi was even more surprised.

Xiang Hui uncovered his hand, revealing a deep wound from his left forehead to his right cheek, looking particularly fierce: "I was hit by a saber and fainted on the ground. They didn't pay attention to me, perhaps thinking I was dead, but I owe my life to you and Great Hero Qi attracting the enemies."

Meng Qi pursed his lips and muttered: "If I had known, I would have pretended to be dead too."

However, he knew that if he and Qi Zhengyan had not attracted the enemies, pretending to be dead would have been ineffective.

Xiaozi searched the bodies for cleaner strips of cloth, tore them all off, and held them in her arms, ready to bandage Meng Qi.

Xiang Hui, on the other hand, angrily searched the bodies for valuables, but the enemies, being out to kill, did not carry secret manuals or valuables, only finding some hidden weapons.

...

Half a day later, as the sky just began to brighten, Meng Qi slowly woke up.

The four of them had traveled through the night, already crossing the mountain ridge, and after descending, they would reach the Shaolin temple gate.

However, both Meng Qi and Qi Zhengyan were seriously injured and could not hold on by midnight, so they found a cave to rest and recover, waiting for dawn.

After a short meditation, Meng Qi's wounds had closed, and his energy had recovered significantly. He got up, moved his limbs, and found Qi Zhengyan guarding outside the cave, Xiang Hui covering his face, and Xiaozi curled up, still asleep.

"Xiao Sang, don't come... Xiao Sang, don't get close to me..." Xiaozi mumbled in her sleep, suddenly sat up, and woke up.

"Master..." She looked at Meng Qi with a dazed expression, seemingly confused after waking up.

Meng Qi smiled: "We need to prepare to go down the mountain. Shaolin is at the foot of the neighboring mountain."

Xiaozi's confused expression disappeared, and she nodded lightly, then said with some unease: "Master, did I say anything in my sleep?"

"You were calling for Xiao Sang?" Meng Qi deliberately pointed out.

Xiaozi "ah"ed, her face changing rapidly, and she whispered: "Master, you must be very careful of a girl named Gu Xiaosang in the future. She is the worst, the worst villain in the world."

"Why?" Meng Qi's smile remained, but he felt that this seemingly ordinary girl, who could not even defend herself, might have some secrets, though everyone has secrets, and he did not know if she would survive this mission.

"... Um ... In short, very, very bad! She kills without blinking!" Xiaozi emphasized.

At this moment, Qi Zhengyan walked in, his blood now dark: "Let's go. We should aim to enter Shaolin before noon."

...