The strong prey on the weak

Liu Yong chuckled and raised his head to look at the dark mass of Turkic cavalry not far ahead.

There was no longer any fear in his expression, as though he truly were the winner.

"I won!"

The leader said nothing.

The eagle on his shoulder beat its wings and soared into the sky above the desert.

"Won? This was merely a game," the leader said indifferently. "You won, but only within the rules I set for you.

"Whether you win or lose ultimately comes down to a single whim of mine.

"That is how this world works. The strong prey on the weak.

"You people of the Central Plains love cricket fighting. I think it is quite a fine game.

"Insects that a man could crush with one hand are made to chase one another, fight, and decide a winner.

"They say a fine cricket can be worth several residences in the capital.

"But a cricket is still a cricket. Even the strongest of them can be crushed with a single finger."

Liu Yong suddenly laughed, an indescribable loneliness and desolation in his laughter.

He was like a lion on the brink of death, letting out one fearless roar.

Such was the sorrow of the small and insignificant.

They enjoyed neither the favorable timing nor the advantages of the powerful, yet they were unwilling to live without contention like ordinary people.

Some said the greatest tragedy of small men was that they did not know they were small.

So they kept struggling against fate, only for most of their stories to end in misery.

The leader laughed as well and said in the Turkic tongue, "Kill them."

The front rank of Turkic soldiers urged their horses forward, step by step.

More than fifty riders charged toward them in a fan formation, sealing off every avenue of retreat.

Their pace quickened, a slow advance becoming a headlong rush.

The rapid pounding of the horses' forehooves against the sand sounded like a death summons from the King of Hell.

There were no shouts, no horns.

Only a howl like death itself, whipping dust from the ground.

Liu Yong drew a deep breath and tightened his grip on his sword.

When he opened his eyes again, they blazed with fighting spirit and murderous intent.

Countless emotions surged and churned within him.

At last, they became a furious roar.

Whoosh!!

As though struck by an invisible iron chain, the horses crashed to the ground, one after another.

Dust billowed into the air, blurring everyone's vision.

"...Ah... ah..."

A scream, a horse's whinny.

The clamor drowned out everything, until no other sound could be heard.

"Huh?"

Liu Yong froze, bewildered.

Su Yun, who had been about to turn tail and flee, heard the commotion and looked back curiously.

This...

Could Liu Yong be a master hiding his true abilities?

The thought came naturally to Su Yun, who had read hundreds of novels.

Almost instantly, he pieced together the plot.

A mysterious power lay hidden within Liu Yong, finally erupting at the moment of life and death.

Yet as the haze of sand gradually cleared, a figure appeared before them.

Li Ping'an held a bamboo pole horizontally before him.

His fierce aura radiated an overwhelming might, like the depths of a prison and the vastness of the sea, making it hard to breathe.

Sensing danger, the horses cried out uneasily and slowly backed away.

"It's... it's you!"

Startled, Liu Yong recognized the blind man his brothers had robbed a few days earlier.

The leader frowned at the mysterious man who had suddenly appeared before him and spoke.

"And who might you be?"

"Just a passerby who watched a spectacle for free," Li Ping'an said in a low voice.

"I was already preparing to leave, but you broke your word, General, leaving me no choice but to intervene.

"If I have given offense, I hope you will forgive me."

The leader sneered. "Oh? So you have come to champion the wronged?"

"I would not presume. I merely hope you will honor your promise, General, and withdraw your troops."

The leader stared at Li Ping'an with eyes as savage as a wild beast's and jeered, "And if I refuse, what will you do?"

As he spoke, he glanced at the several soldiers Li Ping'an had knocked to the ground.

He admitted that this man had some ability, but an elite cavalry force stood behind him.

"How ridiculous! You think one man can stop my three hundred armored cavalry?!"

Liu Yong supported himself with his sword. Li Ping'an's arrival had not kindled any hope in his heart.

The strength Li Ping'an had just displayed had indeed shocked him.

But these were three hundred elite armored cavalry, and they were fighting on desert terrain.

Even one of the cultivators from the rumors would probably be powerless to turn the tide.

Unless he were an immortal.

Li Ping'an considered for a moment. "My abilities are inadequate. Naturally, I cannot contend with three hundred armored cavalry. However..."

Before his words faded, the wind rose.

His figure flashed away. No one could describe that uncanny sight.

It was like a bolt of lightning splitting the dark clouds.

The leader's throat tightened. A bamboo pole was pressed against his windpipe.

"Taking an enemy commander's head amid a hundred men is still effortless."

The voice sounded again, as unhurried as before.

The surrounding Turkic soldiers came to their senses and instinctively moved to charge forward.

"Stop!"

The leader shot a vicious glare at the other soldiers who were about to rush him.

A chill ran down their spines, as though a basin of cold water had been poured over their heads. None dared cross the line again.

The leader knew perfectly well that, at this distance, Li Ping'an could take his life at any moment.

An eerie silence fell over everyone.

What should have followed was a brutal massacre of the village by the Turkic soldiers, with nothing more than a few extra people dying miserable deaths.

Who could have expected the situation to turn on its head so abruptly?

"Impressive skill," the leader said in a low voice.

"Please honor your promise, General."

Li Ping'an withdrew the bamboo pole and stood openly in the midst of the armored cavalry.

After a moment's silence, the leader waved his hand and said something in the Turkic tongue.

The three hundred-odd Turkic soldiers turned their horses around in orderly formation.

"You have taught me a lesson today!"

The leader gave Li Ping'an one last look, then snapped his whip fiercely.

"Hyah!"

The Turkic soldiers receded swiftly like a tide, vanishing into the desert before long.

Li Ping'an did not linger either. His work done, he brushed off his robes and left.

Leading Old Ox and bringing along his prisoner, Pei Zhuxuan, he prepared to continue his journey.

"...Sir, please wait..."

Behind him, Liu Yong summoned his courage and called out.

Li Ping'an turned back and teased, "What else is it, brother? I do not have much silver left for you to rob."

Liu Yong was so embarrassed he wished the ground would swallow him. Only a few days ago, he had recklessly robbed this very man.

"I was blind to your worth and offended you before, sir. You were magnanimous enough not to hold it against me.

"Then you stepped in to save us. I have no way to repay you for saving our lives.

"But I still do not know your name, sir. If you would tell us, my brothers and I could repay you someday."

Li Ping'an smiled. "Even a chance meeting is a bond of fate. Besides, you have a chivalrous heart and a courageous spirit.

"You faced the strong despite your weakness, with unwavering courage. I truly admire that."

Liu Yong hurriedly cupped his hands. "Your words fill me with shame, sir. I was framed while serving in the army.

"I willingly sank into banditry and committed robbery. I truly do not deserve your praise."