Bloody Pursuit, Tenfold Return!

Outside a dense forest about twenty li south of Qingshui Town, the Qingyun Army caught up with the Black Mountain Rebel Army.

"Those rebels are up ahead, chase them!"

"We can't let them get into the woods."

The Black Mountain Rebel Army consisted of infantry. In open terrain, cavalry would crush all but heavily armored or shield-bearing troops. Dozens of Qingyun Army cavalry galloped forward, but as they closed in, the leading Qingyun officer suddenly felt something was wrong.

The overcast, rainy day was a blur of gray. This area was mountainous, and a light rain brought swirling mist, severely limiting visibility.

Suddenly.

Water splashed up half a person's height from the ground, and several thick ropes sprang up from the earth, tightening taut.

"Damn it, it's a horse-tripping rope! It's a trap!"

By the time the officer realized it, it was too late. Instantly, dozens of riders and their mounts tumbled down, the field filled with cries of pain and the neighing of horses, their legs broken by the tripping ropes.

"Brothers, kill all these dog officials' lackeys! Charge with me!"

"Dismount and kill these rebels!"

The Qingyun Army was well-trained. One by one, Qingyun soldiers dismounted to meet the enemy. A fierce battle erupted outside the forest, the sounds of combat reaching the sky.

"Rebels, die!"

A burly man with a thick, long beard, charging at the forefront of the Qingyun Army, his silver armor gleaming. His long saber cut through the air, and in a flash of light, he sliced an attacking Black Mountain soldier in half at the waist.

"Officer Qian is mighty!"

"As expected of Officer Qian! A Bone Forging realm martial artist is like a human-shaped Demonic Beast, a killing weapon on the battlefield."

Several Qingyun soldiers looked on with respect, drawing their sabers and following him closely. Like a sharp blade, they scattered the first wave of attacking Black Mountain soldiers, buying time for the Qingyun soldiers behind them to dismount and catch their breath.

The Qingyun Army was the official army of Qingyun City. This time, they were acting under the orders of the Qingyun County Magistrate to suppress the Black Mountain Rebel Army that had attacked the town. Soldiers joining the Qingyun Army had to undergo strict selection. To become a Captain or Officer was even more demanding, requiring a rank and corresponding qualifications to be a Captain, and only those in the Eighth Rank Bone Forging realm could be promoted to a Centurion Officer.

This Qian Wu, clad in silver armor and charging at the very front, was the officer of this Qingyun cavalry unit. Qian Wu had been promoted to the Bone Forging realm last year. He possessed a strength of a thousand jin with one arm, capable of breaking bones with a mere touch. With a saber in hand, ordinary rebels couldn't last a single blow from him.

After successively killing several rebels, a thunderous roar suddenly erupted from within the rebel ranks.

"Get out of my way, all of you!"

A burly man, eight feet tall, clad in heavy black armor, with eyes like a wolf or tiger, suddenly charged out from the rebel ranks. The rebels parted like a tide, creating a path.

The black-armored man wielded a black iron cudgel. With a roar, he brought it down from the air in a "splitting the mountain" posture. The blow was incredibly powerful, the cudgel bending slightly as it cut through the air, whistling sharply.

The might of this blow caused Qian Wu's expression to turn grave. His opponent was also an Eighth Rank Bone Forging realm martial artist; he couldn't afford to be careless.

"You soldiers, retreat quickly."

He ordered his soldiers behind him in a low voice, then raised his saber to block.

Clang!

The cudgel and the saber collided fiercely, emitting an earth-shattering metallic roar. The Force emanating from both weapons dissipated, instantly clearing the mist within a few feet of them.

A muffled grunt came from Qian Wu's mouth. He took a heavy step back with his left foot, knees slightly bent. He had been distracted by his soldiers behind him, and in this exchange, Qian Wu was at a disadvantage.

"Rebel, you dare! Take this saber!"

Qian Wu let out a roar. His blood and Force surged within him. Beneath his flesh, his bones tightened, becoming even more solid, harder than iron!

He switched from a single hand to both hands, gripping his saber tightly as he slashed at the black-armored giant. The black-armored giant was unfazed, letting out a contemptuous laugh.

"Hahaha, come on! I want to see how capable you government lackeys are. An officer? Today, I'll twist your head off and use it as a chamber pot."

Facing the whistling saber strike, the black-armored giant casually swung his iron cudgel in a flourish. The cudgel, forged entirely from fine iron and incredibly heavy, seemed as light as nothing in the giant's hands. The flourish then transformed into an attack, directly meeting the saber.

Clang, clang, clang!

Deafening metallic clashes echoed repeatedly, sparks flying. The speed of the two was astonishing. In just a few breaths, they had exchanged over ten rounds. The surging Force forced everyone to distance themselves from the two, avoiding being caught in the crossfire.

Even so, some unlucky individuals were affected. A Black Mountain rebel staggered from the residual Force of their clash, and then a cold glint descended.

A head flew off, severed from the rebel's neck by a Qingyun soldier.

But soon, everyone realized that in the fierce battle between these two human-shaped Demonic Beasts, Qian Wu was at a disadvantage, being pushed back step by step.

"Hahaha, lackeys are just lackeys, completely unable to fight! You're no match for our Commander Hong!"

At once, the morale of the Black Mountain Rebel Army soared. Conversely, the faces of the Qingyun soldiers grew solemn, a hint of worry appearing in their brows.

Clang!

They clashed again. The black-armored giant didn't retreat a single step, while Qian Wu's arms went numb, and he took another half-step back.

"Damn it! This guy has the same martial arts realm as me, just one Bone Forging stage, but his brute strength is incredible. His armor is so thick that my saber can't break through it."

With the same martial arts realm and similar combat skills, external factors became crucial. No matter how Qian Wu slashed, he couldn't penetrate the giant's armor. As for Hidden Force, the opponent's Force was no weaker than his own.

When he attacked with Hidden Force, the opponent either countered or defended with Hidden Force. With that heavy armor, the opponent suffered no disadvantage. And as he couldn't break through the armor, his strength would wane.

"He can afford to drag this out, but I can't!"

"After dismounting, our cavalry's advantage is gone. The number of these rebels is almost twice ours. If this guy can just hold me off, the other rebels will slaughter my soldiers! I won't be able to turn the tide alone, and I might even be surrounded and killed on the spot!"

His mind raced. Qian Wu's expression was extremely solemn, and a bad premonition arose in his heart. The opponent had prepared horse-tripping ropes in advance, clearly having come prepared.

Now, even escaping wouldn't be easy. The enemy wouldn't let them break through so easily. Without their horses, it would be difficult for them to break out directly.

"How do we break this stalemate?"

Whoosh!

A fierce gust of wind from a staff attack swept over. The black-armored strongman let out a cold snort and swung his staff again. "You dare get distracted while fighting me?"

Qian Wu was once again held back. He gritted his teeth, struggling to hold on. He understood the opponent's intentions perfectly but couldn't break free. If he couldn't keep the black-armored strongman occupied, his side would fall even faster!

Hmm?

At this moment, the shadows in the forest behind the Black Mountain Rebel Army flickered. Several rebel soldiers were startled, thinking they were being surrounded. Upon closer inspection, they saw several figures carrying medicine baskets, their faces contorted in ferocity.

This area was rich in medicinal herbs, so the presence of herb gatherers wasn't unusual.

"It's just some herb gatherers. You two, go kill them."

"Yes."

Two soldiers received the order and immediately turned to attack the dense forest. The herb gatherers' faces turned deathly pale, their legs trembling in fear.

Just then, a sudden gust of wind roared from behind the herb gatherers. The two Black Mountain soldiers, in their final moments, had a fleeting vision as if a ferocious tiger, baring its teeth and licking its blood-stained lips, had leaped from the woods.

Five Animal Tiger Play, Fierce Tiger Pounce.

Boom!

Striking with both hands like tiger claws, he slammed them into the temples of the two soldiers. Blood gushed from their scalps, noses, and mouths. They didn't even have a chance to let out a scream before their eyes widened, their bodies went limp, and they crashed to the ground.

"Elders, if you follow this small path, you can leave this place. Hurry and go."

The figure emerging from the dense forest was not a ferocious tiger, but a masked individual with a face covering. He lowered his voice and reminded them, his gaze sweeping over the battlefield where the two armies clashed. He quickly discerned the Qingyun Army's predicament.

The Qingyun Army's situation was not good; the scales of victory were tipping heavily in favor of the Black Mountain Rebel Army.

However, with the appearance of a ferocious tiger, the scales tipping towards the rebels were about to be reversed!

The newcomer was none other than Su Mu. He was intimately familiar with this area. After leaving Qingshui Town, he had followed the small path, successfully flanking the battlefield and reaching the dense forest behind both sides.

After casually dispatching two soldiers and saving a few herb gatherers, the only visible eyes of Su Mu gleamed with ferocity, scanning the ranks of the Black Mountain soldiers.

"No need to engage with those two. Kill the other rebel soldiers first, then join forces with the Qingyun Army to surround and kill that black-armored strongman."

"Blood debt must be paid in blood... Today, I will make you pay tenfold!"