Snow Forest Phantom

Black Pine Forest did not look very large, but with more than fifty people scattered throughout it, they soon vanished without a trace, like a mud ox thrown into a river.

"Boss Zhan, we searched from south to north and found nothing. Could they have fled back to Wolf Head Mountain?"

"The hidden sentries saw them enter the forest with their own eyes. They couldn't have slipped away right under our noses without making a sound."

"Could they really fly through the heavens and burrow into the earth?"

"Hmph. If the Wild Wolf Gang had that kind of ability, they wouldn't have fallen into their current state."

The Dragon Scale Society had sent a hundred disciples to lie in ambush throughout the forest. A hidden sentry had seen the Sixth Master of the Wild Wolf Gang enter Black Pine Forest with thirty men. After Peng Canghu received the news, he immediately ordered an encirclement, only to find nothing.

Having already startled the snake, they could only organize their men to search the snowy forest inch by inch while guarding the main route back to Wolf Head Mountain. As a result, their already insufficient manpower was spread even thinner.

Someone complained, "What rotten luck! These past few days, the Gang Leader has been taking the Fourth Miss of the Shennong Gang as his concubine. Everyone else is drinking and eating meat in Pingyang City, while we're freezing our asses off in the snow."

Someone was puzzled. "They're only wiping out the Wild Wolf Gang's remaining men. Couldn't they do it any day? Why insist on today?"

Someone else guessed in a low voice, "Could it be that the Gang Leader wants to save the silver for a few tables of food and wine?"

Zhan Laoshi glanced over this group of low-ranking gang members. The superiority of possessing inside information welled up in him, and he chuckled. "What do you know? The Gang Leader... is still hale and hearty. He wants two joyous events at once, one shot and two hits."

"Boss Zhan, I know what 'hale and hearty' means, but what does 'one shot and two hits' mean?"

"You don't understand? You're still a greenhorn. Take your time figuring it out."

Zhan Laoshi had a rather honest-looking face and wielded a simple saber. He wore a slightly worn sheepskin coat and a fox-tail hat popular beyond the frontier, which kept him exceptionally warm.

He had originally been a lone merchant traveling around Datong Prefecture. He had killed bandits beyond the frontier and possessed some martial ability.

Three years earlier, he had entered the Dragon Scale Society through a martial arts tournament to win a bride. Since he was over forty, becoming a son-in-law was unsuitable, and even Lin Kun, his foster son, thought him too old. He had merely been assigned a mid-ranking leadership position.

The people from the Dragon Scale Society entered the depths of the forest. They had previously discovered traces of the Wild Wolf Gang, which disappeared in this vicinity.

"...If you've got the guts, come out and fight us openly."

"Hiding like cowards—what kind of heroes are you? Weren't you looking for revenge? Zhao Laodao's head is in our hands. Come and take it."

"If you still don't come out, don't blame your grandpa for using him as a chamber pot. Hahahaha!"

"Every quarter-hour, we'll kill one of your captured brothers."

"Before nightfall, we'll kill every last one of you!"

Their throats were nearly raw from shouting, yet they still found no clues. It seemed that those thirty-odd people had truly flown through the heavens and burrowed into the earth.

As the sky gradually darkened, Zhan Laoshi grew increasingly anxious. He remembered the Young Master's words. If he delayed the Gang Leader's joyous occasion and the World's Renowned Treasures got away, he truly would have no future.

He stopped and raised his hand. "Searching like this won't work."

"Boss Zhan, what do you suggest?"

"We need to spread out."

Zhan Laoshi recalled how, beyond the frontier, he had watched Oirat cavalry hunt argali. They first spread out to track their prey, then gathered together to exterminate it.

Someone asked, "Spread out? Won't the Wild Wolf Gang pick us off one by one?"

Zhan Laoshi gave a scornful smile. "They're frightened birds and desperate sheep now. They don't have that ability."

"Five men to a team. If you find any tracks, fire a signal arrow. The Young Master will come to support you, and the other teams will immediately charge toward the signal arrow as well. This way, though the net may be wide, nothing will escape."

Zhan Laoshi was rather pleased with himself. This plan was truly brilliant. He thought that after earning merit this time, he ought to secure a seat in the Dragon Scale Hall.

Under his arrangements, ten teams searched in every direction, agreeing to return to camp around nightfall.

The sky grew increasingly dusky. White light gleamed across the snow, while messy footprints scattered through the forest.

Five Dragon Scale Society disciples in yellow cloth robes, each holding an iron sword, walked through the snowy forest.

They took every step with extreme caution.

When the more than fifty men had been gathered together earlier, it had not felt like much. Now that they were scattered, with the enemy hidden and themselves exposed, they could not help feeling three parts fear first.

Suddenly, one of them with sharp eyes saw a black pine ahead seem to sway.

"Who's there?"

A figure came around from behind the tree. Dressed in black robes and holding a long sword, he stood on the snow and nearly merged with the dark, straight pine forest behind him.

Someone cried out, "We found remnants of the Wild Wolf Gang! Fire the signal arrow!"

"Fire it!"

They could not determine the newcomer's identity, but anyone appearing in Black Pine Forest at such a time and place certainly had some connection to the Wild Wolf Gang.

The man's steps were light as he sprinted across the snow, drawing a black long sword at the same time.

He moved incredibly fast. The distance of six or seven meters vanished in the blink of an eye.

The long blade swept upward. The Dragon Scale Society disciple standing at the front let out a scream as his abdomen split open, a red flower blooming across the snow.

At the same time, the Dragon Scale Society disciples behind him reacted. They thrust out two iron swords, one using Azure Dragon Reaching for Its Claws to stab at the black-clad man's chest, the other using Divine Dragon Swishing Its Tail to slash across his legs. Their coordination was quite seamless.

The black-clad man tapped the snow with his left foot and vaulted into the air. At the same time, he raised his sword and knocked aside the iron sword stabbing toward his chest. Following the momentum, he swept past the two Dragon Scale Society disciples and attacked the small squad leader behind them.

"Stop him!"

The small squad leader standing in the middle had already taken a signal arrow from his robes and was about to fire it when he suddenly saw a severed hand fall to the ground. It quickly dyed the white snow red, the five fingers of the severed arm still gripping a signal arrow tightly.

It looked so familiar.

"Ah! My hand, my hand..."

At the very first exchange, two Dragon Scale Society disciples had lost their fighting ability.

Seeing this, the man at the very back turned and tried to flee, only for a Xuanhua Great Axe to cleave down onto his crown. Half his skull flew five or six meters away. Before he could even let out a scream, he had become a heap of red, yellow, white, and green.

"Kill!"

Zhao Xia swung her Xuanhua Axe and charged forward to meet the two Dragon Scale Society swordsmen working together. Under her overwhelming hatred, it took no more than a dozen exchanges for the two men to be hacked into four pieces.

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

She still did not stop. The axe fell again and again...

Zhang Yu broke through the five-man formation. After eliminating the small squad leader carrying the signal arrow, he sheathed his sword and stood quietly to the side, watching Zhao Xia fight the two men.

"Zhao Xia's axe technique can attack and defend, making it suitable for chaotic battles. It would be especially effective in a battlefield formation. But if she encountered an expert in a one-on-one fight among martial artists, she would probably suffer."

"The Dragon Scale Society's sword techniques are also common stuff. Compared with the Blackwood Cliff's Sun Chasing Saber Technique, they're far inferior."

"Flying Cloud Divine Skill emphasizes Internal Energy and movement techniques over swordsmanship. It seems I'll have to find an excellent sword technique to practice."

With Flowing Clouds and Water and the Green Jade Thumb Ring augmenting him, his speed, keen senses, and ability to adapt in battle were no weaker than those of an ordinary Mid-stage Armor Piercing martial artist. Thus, he could respond flexibly. For now, he did not care too much about sword techniques and forms, and could still handle matters with ease.

But this only applied to martial artists who had learned some unorthodox sword techniques and ordinary styles. If he encountered a direct disciple of a major sect, it would be an entirely different matter.

"Have you finished venting your emotions?"

Zhao Xia was drenched in blood. Coming back to herself, she said, "My lord..."

"It's fine to have emotions, but don't let them control your mind."

After saying this, Zhang Yu turned and headed in another direction.

The two walked east for several dozen steps. Before they found any Dragon Scale Society disciples, they suddenly heard a voice.

"Young Gang Leader, I'm over here!"

Zhang Yu was startled and hurriedly drew his sword.

Damn it!

He looked around. There were only black pine trees as straight as swords. He saw no sign of anyone.