More than twenty li south of Qingshui Town, the Qingyun Army caught up with the Black Mountain Rebel Army outside a dense forest.
"The rebels are just ahead! Give chase!"
"Don't let them into the woods!"
The Black Mountain Rebel Army was made up of infantry. On open ground, cavalry would crush all but heavily armored troops and shield-bearers. Dozens of Qingyun Army cavalrymen spurred their horses onward, but as they closed in, the Qingyun officer leading them suddenly sensed something was wrong.
The rainy sky was a dreary gray. This area was mountainous, and even a drizzle sent mist swirling through the air, severely limiting visibility.
Without warning—
Water splashed half a man's height into the air as several thick hemp ropes sprang up from the ground and snapped taut.
"Damn it, trip ropes! It's a trap!"
The officer realized it too late. In an instant, dozens of riders and horses went tumbling, and the air rang with cries of pain and incessant whinnies. The trip ropes had brought their horses crashing down.
"Brothers, kill every last one of these lackeys for the damned officials! Follow me and butcher them!"
"Dismount! Wipe out those rebel scum!"
The Qingyun Army was well trained. Its soldiers dismounted one after another to meet the enemy, and fierce fighting erupted outside the forest. The din of battle soared into the sky.
"Rebel scum, die!"
On the Qingyun Army's side, a burly man with a thick, flowing beard charged at the forefront. His silver armor gleamed, and the long saber in his hand cut through the air. As its blade flashed, he cleaved an onrushing Black Mountain Army soldier in two at the waist.
"Officer Qian is mighty!"
"As expected of Officer Qian! A Bone Forging Realm Martial Artist is a humanoid monster. On the battlefield, he's a walking weapon of mass destruction."
Several Qingyun Army soldiers looked at him with respect. They drew the long sabers at their waists and rushed to his side. Together, they carved through the first wave of Black Mountain rebels like a sharp blade, buying the Qingyun Army soldiers behind them time to dismount and catch their breath.
The Qingyun Army was the government's army in Qingyun City. On this occasion, they had come at the Qingyun County Commandant's order to wipe out the Black Mountain rebels who had attacked the town. Soldiers had to pass a strict selection to join the Qingyun Army; the requirements for becoming a squad leader or an officer were even more exacting. Only those of rank with the appropriate experience could become squad leaders, while only an Eighth Rank Bone Forging expert could be promoted to a centurion.
The man in silver armor charging at the front was the officer in command of this Qingyun cavalry unit: Qian Wu. He had reached the Bone Forging Realm last year and had the strength of a thousand catties in one arm. He could snap sinews and break bones with a casual blow, and in his hand, a saber meant ordinary rebels couldn't survive even one strike.
After he cut down several rebels in succession, a thunderous roar suddenly rang out from among their ranks.
"Get out of my way! All of you, get the hell out of my way!"
A burly man, eight chi tall and clad in heavy black armor, charged out of the rebel ranks. His eyes were like a tiger's, a wolf's. The rebels surged aside like water, opening a path for him.
The black-armored man held a dark iron staff in his hands. With a roar, he swung it down through the air in a Force Splitting Mount Hua strike. The blow carried tremendous weight; the staff bent slightly as it cut through the air, unleashing a fierce whistling sound.
The sheer force of the strike made Qian Wu's expression turn grave. His opponent was an Eighth Rank Bone Forging expert too. He couldn't afford to underestimate him.
"Get back, all of you!"
He barked at the soldiers behind him, then raised his saber to block.
Clang!
The staff and saber crashed together with an ear-splitting explosion of metal. The force within the weapons burst outward, clearing the mist for ten feet around the two men in an instant.
Qian Wu let out a muffled groan and planted his left foot hard behind him, bending his knees. He had just been distracted by the soldiers behind him, and that exchange had left him at a disadvantage.
"Rebel scum, you've got guts! Take a strike from me!"
Qian Wu let out a furious roar of his own. His blood and force surged, and the bones beneath his flesh slowly tightened, growing ever more solid, harder than iron!
He shifted his grip from one hand to two and brought his saber down on the black-armored brute. The man showed no fear. A mocking, wild laugh burst from his lips.
"Hahaha! Come on, then! Let's see what the officials' lackey can do. An officer, are you? Today, I'll twist your head off and use it for a chamber pot!"
As the saber came slicing through the air, the black-armored brute casually twirled the iron staff in his hands. Forged entirely from iron, the staff was exceedingly heavy, yet in his hands it seemed weightless. The twirling flourish became an attack, and he drove it straight at the saber.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The ear-splitting clang of metal rang out again and again, sparks flying everywhere. The two men moved with astonishing speed, exchanging more than ten blows in a few breaths. Their surging force drove everyone away, lest they get caught in the crossfire.
Even so, one unlucky soul was struck. A Black Mountain rebel staggered as the aftershock of their force hit him, and then a flash of steel fell.
A head flew through the air. A Qingyun Army soldier had cut the bandit's head from his neck.
But soon, everyone realized that amid the two humanoid monsters' ferocious clash, Qian Wu was losing ground, forced back step by step.
"Hahaha! A lackey's a lackey—pathetic and no match for our Commander Hong!"
The Black Mountain rebels' morale soared, while the Qingyun Army soldiers looked grave, worry faintly showing between their brows.
Clang!
The two clashed again. The black-armored brute didn't budge an inch, while Qian Wu's arms went numb and he was forced to take another half-step back.
"Damn it. His realm is the same as mine—he's only at Bone Forging—but he's got monstrous strength. His iron armor is so thick I can't pierce it with a saber alone."
When Martial Artists were evenly matched in realm and skill, external factors became crucial. No matter how Qian Wu swung, he couldn't break through the brute's armor. As for Hidden Force, his opponent's was no weaker than Qian Wu's.
Qian Wu attacked with Hidden Force, and his opponent met it with Hidden Force of his own, either countering or deflecting the blows. With that heavy armor protecting him, the brute had nothing to lose. Qian Wu, meanwhile, had been attacking for so long without success; his first rush was fading, and soon his strength would be spent.
"He can afford to drag this out, but I can't!"
"After dismounting, our cavalry's advantage is gone. The rebels outnumber us by nearly two to one. As long as that bastard keeps me tied down, the rest of them will slaughter our soldiers. I won't be able to turn the tide alone—and I may even get surrounded and killed here!"
Qian Wu's thoughts raced, his face grave. An ominous feeling rose in his heart. The enemy had prepared trip ropes in advance; they had clearly come ready for them.
Even if he wanted to flee now, it wouldn't be easy. The enemy wouldn't let them break through, and without their horses it would be difficult to escape.
"How do I break this deadlock?"
Whoosh!
A fierce gust of staff wind swept toward him. The black-armored brute gave a cold snort and swung again. "You dare get distracted while fighting me?"
Qian Wu was pinned down again. He gritted his teeth and struggled to hold on. He knew what his opponent was planning, but he couldn't break free. If he failed to keep the black-armored brute occupied, his side would be defeated even faster!
Hm?
Behind the Black Mountain rebels, shadows stirred among the trees. Several rebels were startled, thinking they had been surrounded. But when they looked more closely and saw figures carrying medicine baskets, their faces twisted into savage grins.
There were many medicinal mountains in this area. It was no surprise to see herb gatherers here.
"Just a few herb gatherers. You two, go kill them."
"Yes, sir."
At the order, two soldiers immediately turned and charged into the dense forest. The herb gatherers were so frightened that their faces went deathly pale and their legs trembled.
Just then, a gale roared behind the herb gatherers. In their final moments, the two Black Mountain soldiers glimpsed a bloodthirsty tiger with bared fangs springing out of the woods.
Five Animal Tiger Play, Fierce Tiger Pounce.
Boom!
The attacker struck with both hands, his tiger claws slamming into the men's temples. Blood burst from their scalps, noses, and mouths. They didn't even have time to scream before their eyes rolled wide, their bodies went limp, and they crashed to the ground.
"Elders, take this path out of here. Hurry and leave."
The figure who emerged from the forest wasn't a tiger, but a masked man with a cloth covering his face. He lowered his voice as he warned them, then looked toward the battlefield where the two armies clashed. He quickly saw the Qingyun Army's desperate situation.
The Qingyun Army was in dire straits, and the scales of victory were steadily tipping toward the Black Mountain rebels.
But with the appearance of a ferocious tiger, the scales tipping toward the rebels were about to swing back!
The newcomer was none other than Su Mu. He knew this area like the back of his hand. After leaving Qingshui Town, he had pursued them along the small paths and, not long ago, successfully circled around to the dense forest behind the two armies.
After casually killing the two men and saving the herb gatherers, Su Mu's only visible feature—his eyes—gleamed with murderous intent as they swept over the Black Mountain Army soldiers.
"Don't get involved in those two men's fight. Kill the other rebels first, then join the Qingyun Army in surrounding the black-armored brute."
"Blood for blood... Today, I'll make you pay tenfold!"
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