It seemed Miejue hadn't expected Gu Shaoan's mind to work in such a peculiar way—or for him to react so quickly. He'd immediately realized that she had been hiding nearby, eavesdropping when he and Zhou Zhiruo had talked about killing someone that night.
Miejue was both exasperated and amused. She gently tapped Gu Shaoan on the head.
"It was just a coincidence. How could you call that eavesdropping?"
After replying to Gu Shaoan, Miejue walked a few steps toward the stronghold's gate. Her True Qi surged through her, and she suddenly struck out with her palm, blasting apart the gate, which was built from thick wooden logs. Dust billowed into the air.
After breaking down the gate, Miejue remained utterly composed. She turned to Ding Minjun with one hand clasped behind her back.
Ding Minjun handed her sword to Zhou Zhiruo, untied the goatskin water flask at her waist, then took a burning wooden stick from the brazier by the stronghold gate. She headed inside the stronghold.
Gu Shaoan and Zhou Zhiruo, who was standing on tiptoe, watched as Ding Minjun splashed the flask's contents over a house near the gate, then touched it with the burning stick. The house immediately burst into flames.
Only then did Zhou Zhiruo realize that the goatskin flask hadn't held water at all. It had been filled with Tung Oil to start a fire.
As she watched Ding Minjun set the place ablaze, Zhou Zhiruo nudged Gu Shaoan with her elbow and whispered, "Little Junior Brother, weren't we here for Bandit Suppression? Why are we setting fires?"
"Master probably wants to use the fire to draw the bandits and their three martial-arts-skilled leaders out," Gu Shaoan explained. "She can also use it to signal the other senior and junior sisters waiting in hiding."
"I see!"
Zhou Zhiruo looked enlightened. "Little Junior Brother, you're so clever. Master and Second Senior Sister didn't say anything, but you still figured out the reason behind it."
Gu Shaoan smiled. "You just haven't seen as much of the world yet, Senior Sister. Once you've been through more, you'll be able to see through these things too."
As they talked, Ding Minjun returned to Miejue and the others.
The buildings inside the stronghold were all wooden.
With the Tung Oil to feed the flames, the fire quickly grew fierce. Its hungry tongues licked at the connected wooden houses, lighting up the area around the gate as bright as day.
Thick smoke billowed upward, carrying sparks that carved a jagged, twisted path across the dark sky.
"Fire! Fire!"
"Put it out!"
The frantic shouts burst over the stronghold's quiet night like cold water thrown into boiling oil!
Shadows swarmed from every corner, rushing toward the gate.
Most of the bandits were hastily dressed. Some were even bare-chested, their faces lit with astonishment by the flames.
Once they'd recovered from their shock, they hurriedly shouted for tools they could use to carry water.
Like a hive of wasps with its nest disturbed, they buzzed toward the fiercest blaze.
But when they drew near and saw the figures standing tall before the shattered gate, their fierce momentum faltered.
Bandits might not have been particularly clever, but they certainly weren't fools.
The fire had started at a suspicious time, and several figures had suddenly appeared in front of the stronghold.
Ding Minjun, Gu Shaoan, and Zhou Zhiruo were all armed.
No one would look at the four of them—two adults and two children—and think they'd simply gotten lost in the middle of the night and stopped outside the stronghold.
Miejue said nothing to the bandits. She sprang into the air and plunged into their midst like an eagle.
Ding Minjun drew her sword and followed close behind.
Miejue had already transformed all her inner strength into True Qi, and had spent thirty years mastering Emei martial arts. It was easy to imagine how formidable she was.
As she charged into the bandits, she moved like a swimming dragon. Her hands blurred, casting palm shadows in every direction.
Her first move was the most lethal technique in Golden Summit Cotton Palm: "Immortal's Support."
In a single exchange, Miejue struck seven bandits on the crown of the head, shattering their skulls.
The bandits were vicious in their daily lives, but only toward ordinary people.
How could they have ever faced an expert like Miejue, who was so bloodthirsty and ruthless?
One quick-witted bandit called over three others. They circled around Miejue and charged at Gu Shaoan instead.
They had indeed set their sights on the two targets by the stronghold gate who looked weak, helpless, and pitiful: Gu Shaoan and Zhou Zhiruo.
But as the four bandits rushed toward Gu Shaoan and Zhou Zhiruo, Miejue only glanced at them from the corner of her eye and called out, "Shaoan, look after Zhiruo."
"Okay!"
Gu Shaoan answered without thinking.
"Keep up, Senior Sister!" His voice was clipped. Zhou Zhiruo's heart tightened. She took a deep breath, gripped her wooden sword, and followed close behind!
At the same time, Gu Shaoan circulated his inner strength once through the cultivation route of Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon. He tapped his foot against the ground and shot forward.
Though he was only a child, he was several times faster than the bandits.
Seeing Gu Shaoan make his move, Zhou Zhiruo felt a trace of fear, but still advanced with her wooden sword in hand.
Seeing Gu Shaoan and Zhou Zhiruo charge at them instead of retreating, the four bandits grinned viciously.
Their leader even raised his long saber and swung it down at Gu Shaoan.
The blade howled through the air! Gu Shaoan's expression remained composed, and he moved even faster.
At the last possible instant, he twisted his waist like a nimble serpent and raised his sword in one fluid motion.
The sword in his hand suddenly became a cold, sharp glimmer that skimmed close to the ground—precise and swift.
"Shhk!"
The icy blade plunged into the bandit's exposed right side beneath his ribs, where his saber swing had left him open.
Gu Shaoan flicked his wrist, turning the blade once inside the bandit's body before yanking it free.
"Pfft!"
Blood sprayed through the air!
The bandit's vicious grin froze, replaced by pain and bewilderment.
But before he could cry out, a flash of cold light swept across his throat.
[Congratulations, player, you have killed a bandit. Achievement Points +5.]
The blade had slit the bandit's throat, but Gu Shaoan didn't even look at the notification that had appeared before him.
He channeled his inner strength into his feet and stamped down hard. Like a whirlwind counterattacking, he lunged at the three bandits on his left who were charging toward Zhou Zhiruo!
The three men saw Gu Shaoan kill one bandit in an instant, then rush at them like a ghost. Their souls nearly fled their bodies.
One instinctively raised his saber to block, while another tried to retreat.
Those two movements left both men wide open.
Gu Shaoan had already reached them. He planted his feet like a mountain and swept his sword downward. In the glow of the surrounding flames, his blade split into several streaks of light, like overlapping mountain peaks.
It was "Thousand Peaks Receiving Radiance," a move from Sunset Swordplay designed to attack an opponent's knees and feet.
The two bandits saw a blur before their eyes, then felt a searing pain in their knees.
Overcome by pain, they both toppled sideways.
As soon as they hit the ground, two flashes of sword light swept across their throats in succession. The blades cut an inch into their flesh, leaving open wounds that spurted blood like fountains.
[Congratulations, player, you have killed a bandit. Achievement Points +5.]
[Congratulations, player, you have killed a bandit. Achievement Points +5.]
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