Gratitude

Gu Jingang looked at the corpses and severed limbs strewn across the ground, his tiger eyes wide with fury.

After hurling the boulder, his fists took on a deep blue-black hue. Like giant hammers, they smashed toward Wang Chong. The name Iron Fist King Kong was no exaggeration—his fleshy palms could withstand blades and swords head-on.

Wang Chong's expression changed. He had not expected Gu Jingang to arrive so quickly.

He swung his spiked club, smashing the boulder to pieces as he rapidly retreated.

But Gu Dajiang had already gone bloodshot with rage. With his only remaining right hand, he swung his broadsword, its chilling whistle cutting through the air as he charged at Wang Chong.

Two against one—and Gu Jingang's strength even seemed to surpass Wang Chong's slightly. The outcome was obvious.

Wang Chong was forced into a disadvantage almost instantly, his movements becoming utterly disheveled.

Without the Blood Boiling Pill, he would have been in an even worse state.

In the distance.

Agile figures came racing over and joined the battlefield.

Seeing this miserable scene, their hair stood on end with rage, and their eyes were filled with killing intent as they looked at the bandits.

With fresh reinforcements joining them, the situation completely tipped in Gu Family Village's favor.

The bandits fell one after another with screams.

With many against few, it was a complete rout. After all, the bandits had no divine archer like Gu Sheng threatening them from the shadows.

Wang Chong was being attacked from both sides by Gu Jingang and Gu Dajiang. Sensing the state of the battlefield, he immediately knew the tide had turned. Though furious, there was nothing he could do.

"Still letting your mind wander? You're courting death!"

Like an enraged lion, Gu Jingang threw a ferocious punch. Carrying a fierce gust of wind, it slammed into the spiked club with astonishing force, making the weapon ring with a metallic tremor and numbing Wang Chong's hand.

Gu Dajiang seized the opportunity and slashed upward, nearly splitting Wang Chong's head in two.

Fortunately, Wang Chong dodged quickly.

Even so, a long bloody gash across his face dyed it crimson, making him look exceptionally sinister.

Wang Chong's heart trembled. He knew that if he did not give something up, he would likely die here today!

Madness gradually crept into his eyes.

He swallowed the second-to-last Blood Boiling Pill between his teeth, and his aura surged again. His spiked club swept out violently, its terrifying howl making everyone's scalp tingle.

Gu Jingang met it with fists overflowing with blue-black light, but this time Wang Chong's immense force blasted him backward.

Wang Chong loosened his grip on the spiked club and used the recoil to leap back.

He shot Gu Jingang and Gu Dajiang a vicious glare. Having taken Blood Boiling Pills one after another, his foundation would inevitably be damaged.

His talent for martial arts had already been mediocre, and breaking through the bottleneck to minor accomplishment in Blood Refining had been exceedingly difficult. Now, his path forward was practically cut off. How could he not hate them?

Suppressing the turbulent blood and qi within him, he sprinted into the distance.

Gu Dajiang hurled his broadsword with all his strength, carving another wound into Wang Chong's right arm and nearly severing his forearm.

"Dajiang, clean up the rest. I'll pursue that bastard!"

Gu Jingang was beside himself with rage. After giving that instruction, he rushed into the distance.

If that man escaped, he would become a hidden danger in the future.

With Wang Chong, the bandit leader, fleeing, the remaining bandits' morale collapsed. Each of them only thought of escaping, with no will left to fight.

But under the pursuit of Gu Family Village's fresh forces, every last one of them was left behind.

Gu Sheng let out a long breath.

"It's finally over..."

His gaze was complicated. Gu Family Village might have ultimately wiped out the bandits, but there had been no true victor in this battle. Gu Family Village's losses had also been devastating.

Losing some of the purchased supplies was one thing.

The crucial loss was people.

Gu Renxu and one martial artist had died in particular, making the losses even more severe.

Once news of this reached the village, it would certainly cause another huge uproar. Several dozen lives might not sound like much, but for each individual family, it was a catastrophic blow.

The killing came to an end.

A martial artist from Gu Family Village shouted toward the forest.

Some of the villagers who had fled into the woods cautiously emerged. When they saw that Gu Family Village had truly won, they could not help showing wild joy. But when they saw familiar companions lying dead around them, they broke into sorrowful wails.

Gu Sheng supported Gu Erniu as they emerged from the forest.

Seeing this scene, neither of them felt good.

Gu Sheng walked over to Gu Renxu's body and gently closed his wide, astonished eyes.

This world was truly too cruel to ordinary people.

How difficult it was to struggle free from the shackles of this cage.

Even becoming a martial artist was merely the beginning.

An incomparably strong desire rose within Gu Sheng's heart—a desire to grow stronger. The feeling of having his fate beyond his control was simply awful.

The survivors began cleaning up the battlefield.

Gu Jingang appeared from the distance, his expression ugly.

"He got away."

He walked over to Gu Dajiang and spoke in a low voice.

Gu Dajiang was not surprised. Wang Chong had been decisive and had clearly taken some kind of medicine that temporarily enhanced his strength. Gu Jingang was not skilled in speed, so it was normal that he could not catch up.

"We can't just let him go. Otherwise, he'll become a future menace," Gu Jingang said gravely.

Gu Dajiang nodded coldly.

"Let's return to the village first. This matter won't end here."

His left hand was now tightly bandaged. But even if it healed, it would never be as capable as before.

Fortunately, after examining Gu Xiaojiang's injuries, he found they were not particularly serious. His muscles and bones had merely been damaged and would need time to recover. That allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief. Otherwise, if Gu Xiaojiang had become crippled from this, he truly would have gone mad.

"We were fortunate you arrived in time. But if not for Gu Sheng, we probably wouldn't have held out until you got here."

Following Gu Dajiang's grateful gaze, Gu Jingang could not help but freeze.

A calm-faced youth was leaning against a cart, resting.

"Him?"

"You know him?"

"Yes. I saw him once when wolves entered the village before. He killed the alpha wolf alone, so I remembered him."

"His archery is even more impressive, and he is exceptionally sharp-minded. If he hadn't supported us from the side, Gu Family Village would have lost far more people. Even Xiaojiang might have..."

Listening to Gu Dajiang's description, Gu Jingang's expression immediately turned astonished.

"He looks like promising material. We'll discuss the rest after returning to the village."

Both men nodded.

This was not the time to discuss such matters. Any rewards for merit would have to wait until they were safe.

Getting safely back to the village was what mattered most.

Gu Sheng and Gu Erniu rose to their feet and followed the convoy onward.

From time to time, astonished and admiring gazes fell upon them.

It was not difficult to learn that Gu Sheng was the divine archer hidden in the shadows. A little deduction would reveal it, and Gu Sheng had not intended to hide it anyway.

Gu Dajiang had personally thanked him earlier, and everyone had seen it.

But Gu Sheng remained calm.

Since things had come to this, he would make the best of it. Previously, he had only wanted to avoid being too conspicuous and attracting jealousy, but now that he had been exposed, he might as well strive for greater benefits for himself.

He had rendered considerable service this time. Given the Gu Family Village main family's way of doing things, they would not be stingy.

Gu Xiaojiang, lying on a cart, had the driver in front stop when he passed Gu Sheng.

Looking at Gu Sheng, who was about the same age as himself, Gu Xiaojiang struggled to prop himself up halfway and said:

"Gu Sheng, thank you for saving my life. I was wrong before. When traveling outside, one truly should put caution first."

Having gone through a life-and-death crisis, Gu Xiaojiang had changed somewhat.

His eyes were complicated, gratitude and admiration intertwined with shame. He had once looked down on this youth, only to find that the youth had ultimately saved him.

If Gu Sheng's two arrows had not delayed Zhang Da, Gu Dajiang would not have been able to save Gu Xiaojiang even at the cost of his life.

Gu Sheng nodded lightly.

"Focus on recovering."

He did not experience any emotional stir because of Gu Xiaojiang's gratitude, just as he had not become angry at Gu Xiaojiang's contempt before.

Still, his impression of Gu Xiaojiang had improved considerably.