The one sitting beside the bushes happened to be Thunder-Striding Hand.
He had never imagined that a White-Browed Ape was hiding right behind him.
He hadn't heard a sound at all!
The fighters in the clearing abruptly stopped moving, their bodies stiff as they turned their heads.
Thunder-Striding Hand was so frightened that his face went white. He hurriedly tried to roll forward.
But in the end, he was no match for the White-Browed Ape's speed!
The White-Browed Ape's palm was just about to clamp around Thunder-Striding Hand's throat.
If that blow landed, Thunder-Striding Hand's neck bones would be crushed to powder in an instant.
He'd be dead as dead could be!
At that critical moment, a furious shout rang out:
"Beast, I've been waiting for you!"
Luo Houping's fist was even faster than the White-Browed Ape's arm.
Bang!
The force in his body traveled along his fist and straight into the White-Browed Ape's arm.
Awooo!
The White-Browed Ape let out a cry of pain.
Its right palm had been struck until it was a bloody, mangled mess, almost crushed to bits!
The White-Browed Ape didn't dare linger. Its figure vanished into the night in an instant.
"Everyone, get inside the cabin. I'll be right back!" Luo Houping let out a long howl and immediately pursued it.
Everyone hurried into the wooden cabin, without even having time to put out the bonfire.
Only after they had completely blocked the door did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Thunder-Striding Hand's face was deathly pale as he gasped for breath.
"That was close, that was close! I almost got crushed to death by that beast!"
Wang Youfang was still shaken, too.
"I heard White-Browed Apes hold grudges more than anything. It must be because Boss Luo nearly twisted its head off that day, so it's held a grudge ever since!"
Thunder-Striding Hand cursed angrily.
"It may be a beast, but it had to go and learn one of mankind's worst habits!"
Li Chuan cut them off, his voice calm.
"Make sure the door's blocked. Check for holes all around us, in case there are any other wild beasts nearby."
The earlier sparring match had established Li Chuan's standing.
The others accepted what he said and quickly got to work.
Thunder-Striding Hand checked around reluctantly, muttering under his breath.
"Boss Luo could've at least told me. He nearly scared me to death."
"Wait..." Thunder-Striding Hand rubbed his eyes. "Was there a hole here before?"
Li Chuan stepped closer and saw a hole of moderate size in the side of the wooden cabin.
He frowned, thinking carefully.
"I checked the surroundings earlier. If there'd been a hole like this, I would've spotted it."
At that thought, his heart suddenly went cold, and it began to pound wildly.
If the wooden cabin had a hole in it, that section would be far less sturdy.
No one would joke around with their own life.
That meant... there were still Monster Beasts nearby!
They had to retreat!
Bang!
A gray-white ape arm reached through the hole and grabbed at Li Chuan.
If that grab landed, Li Chuan would be dragged outside.
Alone against a Dark Force Monster Beast, he would surely be doomed.
In that life-or-death moment,
Li Chuan suddenly leaned back, bracing himself on the ground with both hands twisted behind him, his torso nearly parallel to the floor.
After dodging the White-Browed Ape's deadly strike,
he rolled along the ground and escaped by the skin of his teeth.
The White-Browed Ape missed its first strike and, in a fit of fury, smashed through the wooden cabin.
The hole had given it leverage.
With little effort, a two-meter-tall White-Browed Ape with bulging muscles stood before them.
Its arm was completely unharmed.
It was another White-Browed Ape!
Thunder-Striding Hand instinctively tried to run, but he wasn't nearly as nimble as Li Chuan.
Unable to dodge in time, he was seized by the White-Browed Ape.
Crack!
It sounded like a watermelon splitting apart.
Thunder-Striding Hand's head was crushed!
The White-Browed Ape didn't stop moving, swinging its arms left and right.
Its left arm shot out, reaching for Wang Youfang, who stood in its way!
Behind Wang Youfang were nine horse-drawn carriages.
If he died, the White-Browed Ape could charge straight in, spooking the horses and sending them bolting in every direction.
In that confined space, they would never be able to maintain a defensive formation. They could only let it rampage!
How far away had Luo Houping gone? How many of them would still be alive by the time he returned?
But how easy was it to stay alive against a White-Browed Ape with Dark Force?
Its blood and strength were overwhelming.
Wang Youfang tried to dodge, but he still wasn't fast enough to evade the White-Browed Ape.
Everyone's eyes widened in horror, as if they could already see their own impending deaths!
At the last possible instant, a hand yanked Wang Youfang aside!
He narrowly escaped the deadly claw.
"Don't run around! Use the wooden shields to block the hole. Stick to the formation if you want to live!"
Li Chuan, who had saved Wang Youfang, shouted urgently.
Whoosh!
Someone finally reacted, and an arrow struck the White-Browed Ape squarely in the eye.
While it was distracted by the pain, several long blades slashed at its arm.
The White-Browed Ape roared and tried to charge.
But two massive wooden shields held back its attack together.
Working in unison, the group actually drove the White-Browed Ape outside.
Just then, Luo Houping returned.
Seeing the scene, he burned with rage.
"You beast, die!"
The Dark Force expert's enraged blow struck the White-Browed Ape squarely in the head.
Bang!
The White-Browed Ape, as massive as a small mountain, crashed to the ground and fell silent.
The others didn't dare let their guard down. They hurriedly blocked the hole with wooden shields.
The horses were restless, but since none had been injured, they hadn't gone out of control.
They spent the night without sleep.
When the sun rose and its light spilled down, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief and went outside to deal with the aftermath.
"Thunder-Striding Hand, if you've died like this, what will happen to your wife and children?" His friend spoke with tears in his eyes.
Li Chuan looked at the headless corpse before him, his mood heavy.
Just a moment ago, the man had sparred with him. He'd been rude at first, but later he'd apologized in time.
He was a good man.
And now a man like that lay dead, right in front of him.
In fact, if Li Chuan hadn't trained in the Thunder Shadow Leg and been so nimble, he might not have escaped death either.
Life could be resilient at times, yet at others as fragile as a sheet of paper.
Without reaching Dark Force, a person didn't even have the right to protect their own life.
The others sighed, more or less.
No one could stay calm after seeing a living teammate die right before their eyes.
Wang Youfang walked up, knelt before Li Chuan, and knocked his head against the ground three times.
"A-Chuan, if you hadn't pulled me aside, I would've been dead.
"You gave me this life. If there's ever anything you need from me, just say the word!"
Li Chuan silently helped him back to his feet.
Luo Houping's face was full of remorse.
"Thunder-Striding Hand's death had everything to do with me. If I hadn't chased after it, if I... Ah."
Li Chuan consoled him.
"Uncle Luo, don't blame yourself too much. Who could've known there'd be two White-Browed Apes?"
The others chimed in as well.
Just as Luo Houping had said earlier,
accidents were impossible to avoid.
Luo Houping shook his head and said nothing.
Before setting out, they wrapped Thunder-Striding Hand's body in cloth and placed it on a carriage.
Luo Houping got down to walk with them, silent.
The return journey started out rather heavy, but they gradually relaxed as it went on.
Martial artists of humble origins like them had no family to prop them up. They had to earn the resources for their training themselves.
They took life and death lightly.
Besides, everyone understood that the danger of the journey was matched by the reward.
Delivering a shipment of precious medicinal herbs would earn every Bright Force martial artist at least six or seven taels of silver!
Someone like Li Chuan, who had contributed so much, would certainly receive even more.
The prospect of money swept away much of their gloom.
Outside the Luo Family Pharmacy,
Luo Houping said solemnly,
"I feel deeply guilty about Zhang Lei's death. I'm giving my share of the reward to Zhang Lei's wife and children."
Everyone was moved by his words.
To be honest, before setting out, they'd all signed contracts accepting responsibility for their own lives and deaths.
Even if Luo Houping didn't give them a single coin, it would've been perfectly reasonable.
At that moment, the Luo Family's flag snapped in the strong wind.
It was as if everyone could hear the echo of "benevolence and righteousness" in its rustling.
"The medicinal herbs we brought back this time are worth a great deal. You all worked together to hold off the White-Browed Ape, and not a single herb was lost.
"We made money on this trip thanks to you. The Luo Family isn't the sort to forget its principles for profit."
Everyone held their breath and strained to listen.
The most important part—rewarding everyone according to their contributions—was about to begin!
Before you continue