Slaughtering the Horde in the Mountains

"Hmph, I've been waiting for you. Since you're here, you're all staying." Qin Meng's roar was like thunder. He didn't stop, charging into the enemy ranks like a gale.

He barreled forward, neither dodging nor weaving. As he unleashed the evil-slaying blade-breaking saber technique, his zhanma dao transformed into a sheet of silver light, sending flesh and blood flying wherever he passed.

Chii! Chii!

In an instant, another man was cut down, his entrails spilling across the ground.

The stench of blood permeated the air instantly. The remaining masked men faltered, their eyes filled with terror—how could this be a hunter? He was clearly a god of slaughter!

Qin Meng was ruthless and his blade was fast; he had already moved to his next target.

However, the masked man leading them let out a roar and lunged forward.

This man was burly, his blood and qi surging. The heavy saber in his hand was wreathed in a bloody glow; he was actually a body forging realm martial artist.

"Die!" He slashed at Qin Meng's neck with a heavy, powerful strike, the wind of the blade whistling.

Qin Meng flicked his zhanma dao with one hand, meeting the strike head-on.

Clang—!

Metal clashed against metal, sparks flying. Qin Meng's arm went slightly numb, but his opponent was knocked back two steps.

"Kill!" the leader roared, lunging again regardless of the consequences. His blade technique was vicious, every move a desperate gamble, and he managed to stall Qin Meng for the moment.

Seeing this, the remaining five masked men immediately turned and pounced on Li Tiezhu and the others.

"Form up!" Li Tiezhu shouted. He, Wang Tieniu, and Qin Xiaoshan stood back-to-back in a small circle. Their bows were useless now, so they drew their hunting knives to face the enemy.

But they were few and weak, while their opponents were desperate killers. All five were martial artists, three of whom were in the blood changing realm, and the situation immediately became perilous.

Wang Tieniu took a slash to his arm, blood streaming down.

Qin Xiaoshan parried a blow aimed at his face, but the impact split the web of his thumb.

Qin Meng caught a glimpse of this from the corner of his eye, his heart tightening.

"Get lost!" he bellowed, his legs bending like a bow before he exerted all his strength!

He leaped over twenty feet in a single bound, pouncing through the air to the side of a bandit attacking Li Tiezhu. He brought the zhanma dao down with the weight of his entire body—

Under the effect of sharpness.

Where the blade passed, the bandit and his weapon were cleaved in two, the scene gruesome to the extreme.

"Your opponent is me!"

But the leader was like a shadow, and with a sinister grin, his heavy saber arrived once more.

"You are courting death." Qin Meng flew into a rage, his zhanma dao dancing like the wind.

At this moment, a new realization welled up in his heart. His blade technique grew faster and more ruthless, and on his panel, the proficiency stats began to jump.

Over there, Li Tiezhu and the other two were struggling against the fierce onslaught of four enemies, and it looked as though they were about to collapse.

Just then—

Wang Tieniu narrowly dodged a blade and roared in uncontrollable fury, "You scum from Leiming Martial Hall! You dare to ambush us and even impersonate bandits from Liangshan Marsh? My Luming Fort will never let this go; it will be a blood feud to the end!"

These words were like a stone cast into still water.

A fierce glint appeared in the eyes of the masked bandits, who prepared to silence them for good.

"What kind of thieves dare to commit murder in broad daylight?"

However, a thunderous shout erupted from the other side of the woods.

Immediately after, seven or eight men charged out. They were all martial artists, each armed with bows and blades, carrying pheasants and wild rabbits on their backs, looking every bit like a group of hunters.

The leader was a burly man with a thick beard and eyes that flashed with sharp light. Qin Meng recognized him at a glance—it was Zhao Tianhu, the leader of the Dawang Mountain bandits he had encountered while hunting the demon bear in the forest last time!

"Kill them!" Zhao Tianhu led his team in a charge, diving straight at the group of masked men.

Caught in a pincer attack, the situation reversed in an instant.

Puchi! Puchi!

The masked men, who had just held the advantage, were caught off guard. Two fell in the blink of an eye, and the rest fell into chaos.

"Damn it, retreat!" The leader of the masked men saw that the situation was dire and feinted with his blade, trying to escape.

How could Qin Meng give him the chance?

Taking advantage of the man's distraction, Qin Meng shifted his blade technique. His zhanma dao struck out like a viper emerging from its hole, piercing straight toward the man's ribs.

The leader scrambled to parry, but he was a fraction of a second too slow—

Crack!

The blade severed his arm, and without losing momentum, it pierced through his chest.

"Ah—" The leader's eyes widened. He looked down at the blade protruding from his chest in disbelief, his throat rattling, before he collapsed to the ground, limp.

[Life Source +16%]

A warm current flowed into his body, and Qin Meng felt his spirit soar.

The remaining two masked men saw their leader fall and immediately turned to flee. But facing the combined assault of Zhao Tianhu, Li Tiezhu, and the others, they were quickly cut down.

The battle ended, leaving the ground covered in blood.

[Life source +1.5%, +1.3%...]

Invisible energy was absorbed by Qin Meng. He scanned the battlefield. Including the two corpses in the woods, there were eleven masked men in this ambush.

"Many thanks to you heroes for your help!" Qin Meng led his men forward and cupped his hands in a salute.

Zhao Tianhu waved a hand, his gaze lingering on Qin Meng. "Young brother, you have impressive skills. These men don't look like mountain bandits."

Qin Meng remained calm. "We are hunters from Bian Fort, just coming out of Linshan Town. Perhaps someone had their eyes on the supplies we purchased."

"You brothers should be careful, too," Wang Tieniu added while bandaging his wounds.

"In these chaotic times," Zhao Tianhu spat. "I heard someone shout 'Leiming Martial Hall' just now?"

Wang Tieniu was about to speak, but Qin Meng cut in. "Brother, my friend here was just flustered from the fight and shouted nonsense. Leiming Martial Hall is a major hall in town that dominates the market; why would they stoop to such things?"

Zhao Tianhu gave Qin Meng a deep look. "That's true. It must have been a misunderstanding."

Qin Meng knew the truth clearly. That day in the forest, when he snatched food from the tiger's mouth, people from the martial hall had been lurking nearby. It was only because he had been pursued that he had been given such an opportunity.

It was no coincidence that Zhao Tianhu and his men appeared here disguised as hunters. It was likely the Leiming Martial Hall. The words Wang Tieniu shouted in his desperation had reminded them: the enemy of an enemy might become a temporary ally.

Qin Meng spoke the truth, serving as a veiled warning. "The town hasn't been peaceful lately. Leiming Martial Hall suffered a major loss, and they have people checking every checkpoint. If you gentlemen are heading into town to sell your game, you had best be careful."

A glint flashed in Zhao Tianhu's eyes. He cupped his hands. "Many thanks for the reminder, young brother. Shall we part ways here?"

"Farewell."

Zhao Tianhu led his team away quickly. He looked back at Qin Meng once and suddenly said, "Young brother, the mountains are high and the roads are long. We shall meet again."

Qin Meng nodded without a word.

Once the bandits were far away, Li Tiezhu whispered, "Brother Meng, they were..."

"People from Dawang Mountain," Qin Meng interrupted. "Let this matter rot in your stomachs."

"Understood," the others nodded.

The borderlands were chaotic and dangerous; some things were better left unsaid even if you saw through them.

"Alright, clean up the battlefield," Qin Meng ordered again. He skillfully searched the corpses for loose silver and took their weapons as well.

These masked men were all strangers.

However, Li Tiezhu took a few extra looks at the leader and recognized him. "I know him. Last year, when I went to the blacksmith shop in town with my father, I saw this guy... He is Sun Qing, a hall master of the Wild Wolf Gang in town."

"It must have been the scum from Leiming Martial Hall," Wang Tieniu said bitterly.

"If only we had left one alive," Qin Xiaoshan said, his face grim.

"Capturing one wouldn't have mattered. Lei Jun is arrogant, but he isn't stupid," Qin Meng shook his head. "As long as he spreads the word that we bought a large amount of supplements and are carrying a fortune, there will be no shortage of people coming to attack us."

"Without evidence, reporting to the authorities is useless. We'll settle the score once our strength improves." Qin Meng's train of thought was clear. He glanced at Li Tiezhu, Qin Xiaoshan, and the others who had fought by his side, offering an encouraging yet cold smile.

Thinking of the crisis they had just faced, everyone nodded heavily.

The bodies were dragged into the deep forest; within half a day, the wild beasts would clean them up.

After reorganizing their supplies, the group began their journey home.

The warm sun began to tilt westward, stretching the shadows of the old pine forest. At the edge of the woods, the bloodstains gradually seeped into the soil, as if nothing had ever happened.

Qin Meng walked at the front, pulling the sled with one hand. He checked on the injured Wang Tieniu, then looked back toward the direction of the market town, his eyes icy.

Lei Jun... this debt will be settled sooner or later.

Meanwhile, among the distant mountains, Zhao Tianhu stroked his chin and chuckled to his subordinates, "That kid doesn't blink when he kills; he's no simple character. I can't read him. The Leiming Martial Hall is going to be in trouble for provoking him."

"Boss, why did we help him?"

"Help him?" Zhao Tianhu scoffed. "I'm just causing trouble for the Leiming Martial Hall! I lost three brothers during the last hunt; I haven't forgotten that grudge!"

He gazed in the direction where Qin Meng and the others had departed, his eyes deep and thoughtful. "Besides... most of the people in Bian Fort are descendants of military families; we shouldn't underestimate them. They might actually amount to something. It's always better to have one more friend than one more enemy."

"Let's go. Head to the town and see if we can get a better sense of the Leiming Martial Hall's true strength."

At the thought of being intercepted that day, Zhao Tianhu's eyes turned cold. With a wave of his hand, he led his men toward Linshan Town.