Chapter 8

A group of people walked through a deep cave. At the front were Shi Heilong and the young girl escorting him, followed by the treacherous bandit who had killed the old military advisor and Yang Qi, who was holding a knife to the bandit. After the high-ranking officials of Heilong Fort were all wiped out, this treacherous bandit seemed to be the new second-in-command, so he was better than nothing, and Yang Qi had also taken a hostage.

The key had already been obtained, and it just so happened to be in the "parlor" where Yang Qi and the young girl had just been. It was said that there was no second room in the entire Heilong Fort with a cabinet, so the key could only be there.

Now, with the key in hand, they headed to the far left branch of Heilong Fort, which was said to be an unexplored path. Even the bandits of Heilong Fort hadn't been to the depths.

"Listen, girl, I'm not being naggy, but I bet five cents that this Shi Heilong has definitely set up some kind of trap. A complex trap is probably beyond the capabilities of Heilong Fort, but things like sudden axe-wielding attackers or cold arrows from the shadows are not hard to arrange." Yang Qi said, using the treacherous bandit as a shield in front of him. "Whatever weirdness comes, we'll use the hostage as a shield, got it?"

The young girl thought for a moment and nodded. "Sister, you're right. We can't be too careful. But this Shi Heilong has already been stripped of his powers. If I release my palm strength, I can take his life instantly. I don't think he can do much."

As she spoke, she placed her palm on Shi Heilong's back, causing him to shudder and quickly exclaim, "I dare not play any tricks! I dare not!"

After making his statement, Shi Heilong obediently led the way.

In no time, they arrived at a large door. The door was on one side of the cave wall, and there were a few torches deeper inside, but beyond that, it was pitch black.

"Open the door!" "Yes." Shi Heilong obediently took out the key and fumbled with the lock.

Yang Qi, holding the treacherous bandit, took a few steps into the deeper part of the cave and reached out to feel the draft, which was coming from the depths.

"This map seems pretty big," Yang Qi muttered to himself. With a creak, the door finally opened, revealing the room where the women were held.

The young girl looked inside and huffed at Shi Heilong, "You've been honest, no tricks. Sisters inside, come out! We're here to save you, you're safe now, come home with me!"

Immediately, a cacophony of women's voices erupted, and many women rushed out. The young girl smiled proudly at Yang Qi, "What do you think, sister? No problem, right? Can't I handle one Shi Heilong?"

Just then, Yang Qi, with his keen eyes, noticed two people in women's clothing approaching the young girl quickly, their sleeves revealing a glint of cold steel!

"Be careful, it's a trick!"

The warning came just in time. Two glints of cold steel shot towards her face. The young girl instantly performed a perfect backbend, narrowly avoiding the attack, showing incredible flexibility. She struck back with a palm, sending one attacker flying. Just as she was about to deal with the other, she felt a pain in her back. Turning around, she saw Shi Heilong's sinister smile.

"Ha ha ha! I, Shi Heilong, have the Iron Shirt technique. How could I lose so easily? If I hadn't been caught off guard and injured my internal organs and meridians, I wouldn't have been defeated by you! Now, taste the power of my Vermilion Palm!" He swung his Vermilion Palm at the young girl.

The young girl endured two strikes, her face turning red, clearly affected by the poison. On the verge of defeat, she managed to say, "Sister—run!"

Shi Heilong grabbed the young girl, laughing maniacally, "Run? If you don't care about your maid's life, go ahead and run!"

Turning around, he saw only the treacherous bandit lying on the ground with blood gushing from his neck. The Peach Thief had already fled. The threat was obviously directed at the air.

"This, this despicable woman!" Yang Qi, acting decisively beyond Shi Heilong's expectations, shouted, "Help!"

Dozens of bandits rushed over in an instant, "Chief, we're here!"

"Charge! Pursue! Whoever captures the Peach Thief will get this beautiful maid, stripped of her powers, as a reward!"

Instantly, the bandits, full of enthusiasm, charged into the depths of the cave.

Shi Heilong pinched the young girl's cheek, his eyes wild, "Little girl, thanks to you, I can turn the tide. If it were as the Peach Thief said, I would be finished by now! Ha, a naive girl trying to kill me, Shi Heilong? Ha! Swearing to resist the Tartars? Ha! I'll make you wish you were dead, worse than a beast!"

The young girl, using all her strength to resist the poison, couldn't speak, but a tear of regret fell from her eye.

She regretted not listening to the sister. If she had, this wouldn't have happened! Now, both of them would likely suffer great humiliation!

Regardless of the young girl's regret, let's talk about Yang Qi.

Seeing the situation was dire, Yang Qi decisively killed the hostage and ran. If the young girl was captured, Yang Qi, if not present, could ensure her safety for a moment, as she was still a threat to Heilong Fort. If he were caught on the spot, it would be more difficult to handle.

So, Yang Qi ran decisively.

Running along the torch-lit path, Yang Qi was quick but not panicked. As he ran, he extinguished the torches, plunging the areas he passed into darkness. At the same time, he took out the medicine bottles tied to his waist, memorizing the contents of each bottle.

Soon, the cave forked, and the last torch was at the fork. Yang Qi unhesitatingly extinguished the torch, and instantly, everything was dark.

"Men left, women right!" he muttered, reinforcing his memory, and fearlessly charged into the dark passage on the right—well, in this dream, as the Peach Thief, Yang Qi was truly in character.

Soon, a group of bandits, holding torches, rushed to the fork. They looked left and right, eager for the reward, and no one wanted to miss the beautiful maid, so there was no time to hesitate!

"Split up, how far can a woman run!"

"Right, split up!"

Thus, the bandits entered unexplored areas.

The underground cave branched out, and the branches were interconnected. The bandits, in a hurry, split up again, and soon, they were in small groups, each on their own, unable to find each other.

One small group of three bandits, holding torches, ran forward in a hurry. In their haste, they didn't notice a rope lying on the ground. As they ran over, the rope was suddenly pulled taut, and the three immediately fell to the ground. Just as they tried to get up, a cloud of smoke hit them, and they immediately fell unconscious.

A hand emerged from the darkness, dragging away one of the taller bandits. Soon, a person reappeared, dressed in a bandit's clothes. The person, with a prominent chest, had to bend and lower their head to hide. A cloth was tied around their head, obscuring their hair and face.

After dispatching the other two unconscious bandits with a knife, the person tried out their voice, feeling satisfied, and picked up the torch, walking into the darkness.

Soon, another group of two bandits saw a flicker of light ahead. They couldn't see clearly from a distance, but it seemed urgent, as if signaling them.

Could they have found the woman? The two bandits looked at each other, immediately excited. The woman was beautiful, and finding her might allow them to secretly enjoy her before turning her over to the chief. If neither of them spoke, they could cut out her tongue afterward, and no one would know.

"Quick! Look, something's happening!"

The person waving seemed very anxious. The two bandits quickened their pace and turned the corner, only to see three Heilong Fort bandits lying in a pool of blood, one of them completely naked! The two were shocked—this woman's fighting ability seemed to exceed expectations!

But wait, one of them was naked, which means...

Before they could react, they felt a pain in their necks, and a gush of blood. They touched their necks and saw blood on their hands.

"Ah—! Ah—! Help!" The two bandits tumbled forward, their cries echoing through the cave. If they could calm down and apply pressure to stop the bleeding, they might have a chance to survive. But now, it only added to the panic.

"Hmph, five," the fake bandit, with a cloth tied around their head, coldly counted, their eyes gleaming with a cold light.