Young Hero

Fifth Master Liu managed only a startled cry and had turned halfway around when he saw a young swordsman in robes white as snow walk slowly out, carrying Mr. Zhang by the neck as he shouted for help.

"Gust of Wind is conducting business here, friend. Best not meddle in other people's affairs." Fifth Master Liu held his saber across his body and cupped his fists, announcing their name as he glared at the young swordsman.

He did not much care about the youth. A child of fourteen or fifteen was nothing to fear, even counting whatever skills he had brought out of the womb.

A few quick-witted underlings also sensed something was wrong. They put aside their killing intent and slowly edged around the young swordsman.

Fifth Master Liu carefully studied the youth who had come out of the doorway. His lips were red, his teeth white, and a natural heroic spirit showed between his brows.

He was even prettier than the stronghold chief's sweetheart in his hand. If they tied him up and took him back to the stronghold, he might well become another favorite of the chief.

One impatient underling, counting on the youth's age, stepped up behind him to the side and swung a great axe down at him.

The youth said nothing. He sidestepped the blow and lifted Mr. Zhang in front of him with his left hand as a shield.

The bandit swinging the axe was nearly scared out of his soul. He hurriedly checked his swing, but before he could rejoice, a feathered arrow pierced his throat.

The instant the bowstring twanged, the youth drew the saber from his back and slashed.

Sching! A streak of white light flashed from the scabbard. An underling standing to the youth's right could not dodge in time; half his wooden shield and half his head were sliced away.

"I don't care whose pack of beasts you are. Get out of the village, or he dies!" the youth shouted, holding his long saber across the neck of Mr. Zhang, whose legs had gone limp.

What ruthless saberwork! Fifth Master Liu's eyelid twitched in alarm. That move alone was a match for the lower-ranked chiefs in the stronghold.

Judging by his face, he was at most a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old at the Bone Refining Realm. What Martial Ancestor had trained such a junior? How had he appeared in an obscure backwater village like this?

"All right. Let Mr. Zhang go first, and we'll leave right away." Fifth Master Liu agreed aloud, but naturally had other plans in mind.

"Ah! Ah! Spare me, Young Hero! Spare me, Young Hero!" Mr. Zhang suddenly began begging at the top of his lungs. After hearing Fifth Master Liu's words, the youth had given his wrist a light turn and sliced a joint off Mr. Zhang's left pinky.

Ignoring Mr. Zhang's loud cries, he continued to look coldly at Fifth Master Liu. His meaning went without saying.

"We're leaving, we're leaving! Liu Sangou, fire the signal arrow! Withdraw from the village! Whoever disobeys, I'll flay him alive!" Fifth Master Liu had not expected the young swordsman to be so shrewd. Knowing he could not trick him, he hurriedly ordered his men out of the village.

Damn it! Even if I don't die this time, I'll lose a layer of skin!

Fifth Master Liu looked at Mr. Zhang's finger joint on the ground, bitterly wishing it had been his own instead.

He then led the empty-handed underlings, "Ma Zhe Niang," out through the village's battered gate. He and the white-robed swordsman on the wall stared at each other in silence for a long while, neither side saying anything more.

Only then did the surviving able-bodied villagers finally dare show themselves. With no time to grieve for their dead and injured friends and family, they steeled themselves and began patching and reinforcing the wall.

Fifth Master Liu paid them no mind. Having breached it once, they would naturally find it even easier the second time.

It hardly mattered whether they sacked this wretched village. In his eyes, the hundreds of lives here put together were worth less than Mr. Zhang's finger joint lying on the ground.

The old man in the scholar's headscarf was still alive. Hunching his head, he came over to the youth and said, "Young Hero Jin, thank goodness you came back in time. Otherwise, our Niuli Village... This old man kowtows in gratitude for your great kindness."

"I lack the ability and can only hold these bandits off for a while. You'll have to think of another way, old sir."

The white-robed youth shook his head. The bandit leader alone was no weaker than him, and he had only happened to stay here for a few days. He could not save everyone in the village.

Otherwise, should he go home and bring reinforcements? But he did not know whether there would still be time.

"This... alas, we'd only had a few days of peace." As the old man spoke, great cloudy tears rolled down his cheeks. He looked utterly pitiful.

A few of the more sensible young men knew the white-robed youth was right. Quick to act, they turned and went down from the wall to make preparations.

"Lame Tang, where's that brat you picked up in the village? Bring him out. If this kid won't release Mr. Zhang, we'll chop the brat up in front of him." A brutish-looking underling suddenly turned to a skinny one.

"Fuck your mother! That's my son, the one who'll carry on my family line!" The underling called Lame Tang bared his yellow teeth and cursed loudly, his face full of anger.

"What does an old mule like you need a son for?"

"Damn it, I'll chop you up, you dog-fucking bastard!"

"Fuck, you're really swinging at me!"

"Bring him here." Hearing the commotion, Fifth Master Liu thought the brutish underling had come up with a good idea.

He could only blame himself for letting concern throw him into confusion. When he saw Mr. Zhang's finger joint cut off, he had nearly pissed himself in fright.

If he had each of the underlings take a villager hostage, the youth would never dare take the risk.

He knew all too well what these so-called righteous champions were like: a bunch of fools with women's mercy, never destined for great things.

Lame Tang brought over a fair, plump baby boy, holding him in his arms with obvious reluctance.

By the look of him, the boy was probably not even a year old. Chubby and round, he was quite lovable. No wonder Lame Tang was reluctant to part with him.

"Get lost. Later, I can snatch ten of them for you if you like." Fifth Master Liu slapped Lame Tang to the ground, seized the baby's swaddling clothes and carried him upside down to the foot of the wall.

"Kid, I'll count to ten. Send Mr. Zhang out. When I reach ten, I'll slice this brat up right in front of you."

"Hah." The white-robed youth took a deep breath. He seemed not to have expected the bandits to be so depraved; his face was as still as dead water.

The old man in the scholar's headscarf did not know what to say either. Of course he wanted to urge the youth to ignore the baby below the wall, but if such inhuman words left his mouth, what would they do if the youth took a dislike to Niuli Village?

"Ten," Fifth Master Liu drawled. The white-robed youth's brows knitted tightly.

"Nine." Fifth Master Liu's voice was unhurried as he breathed on his gleaming steel saber. The white-robed youth glared at him, still saying nothing.

"Eight!" Fifth Master Liu called out, making the white-robed youth's body jerk. Seeing this, he burst out laughing, calmly took a wineskin from an underling and drank a great mouthful.

"Seven!" Fifth Master Liu raised his voice even higher this time. Fine beads of sweat appeared on the youth's forehead.

"Six!" His face cold, Fifth Master Liu waved the steel saber wildly at the baby.

The cold wind stung the baby's tender skin, and he began to wail. Lame Tang wore a woebegone face, clearly distressed. The white-robed youth clenched his teeth so hard he could have ground them to pieces.

"Five, Young Hero. Only four numbers left." Seeing the youth's expression, Fifth Master Liu knew his plan had most likely worked and was immensely pleased with himself. The old man in the scholar's headscarf wiped the cold sweat from his face, at a loss.

"Four-" Fifth Master Liu had only gotten halfway through the word when the white-robed youth interrupted him.

"Listen well, bandit chief down there. I've practiced martial arts for only five years. My bone age is thirteen, and I've already reached the Great Accomplishment of Bone Refining."

Fifth Master Liu's heart tightened. What a genius!

Then he heard the white-robed youth continue from above:

"But my abilities still fall short. There's nothing I can do to you beasts in human skin today, but I'll remember you! You're Gust of Wind from Pingrong County, Cloud Horn Prefecture, and you, the bandit chief, are surnamed Liu. To save the lives of everyone in this village today, I can't save this child. Go ahead and slice him up. That blood debt will naturally be on my head.

"Today, I swear a blood oath right here: 'Even if I can't save everyone in the village, I'll escape with my life. When I've mastered my skills and return to Pingrong County, I'll raze your Gust of Wind to the ground. However many cuts you give this baby today, however you slice him, I'll watch every one and remember them all clearly. Whether it takes five years, ten years, or twenty or thirty years, I'll repay every single cut on the families of you beasts.

"'If I break this oath, may heaven strike me with lightning!'"

"If I break this oath, may heaven strike me with lightning!" The words were like thunder exploding out of a clear sky, frightening the vicious bandits into a cold sweat.

The Niuli villagers nearby revered him as if he were a god. Even the old man in the scholar's headscarf, who had some experience of the world, was no exception.

Fifth Master Liu's archery was first-rate, and his eyesight was naturally excellent. When he recovered his senses and saw the two sharp eyes of the youth on the wall, he felt his legs tremble.

How could a true dragon emerge from a place like a stinking ditch?

The youth was no weakling, and they probably could not keep him here today. If Gust of Wind really made an enemy of such an extraordinarily gifted person...

Fifth Master Liu's heart went cold. Having made up his mind, he stuffed the bawling, plump baby back into Lame Tang's arms and cursed, "Hold on to that son you got for nothing!"

Then he stepped forward alone, cupped his fists and bowed toward the wall. "Young Hero, please send Mr. Zhang back. Gust of Wind admits defeat today. We hope you'll show mercy!"

"Spare me, Young Hero! Spare me, Young Hero!" Mr. Zhang was truly frightened too, weeping like a pear blossom in the rain.

"I don't trust you. Withdraw thirty li first, and someone will bring him to you." The white-robed young hero was blunt.

"Fine!" Fifth Master Liu was quick to back down. He waved to the underlings and was about to lead them away.

"Oh no!" The white-robed youth suddenly felt dizzy and faint. In the instant he lost focus, Mr. Zhang pulled a short dagger from his waistband and slashed at the youth's right hand, which held the saber.

Dizzy and unable to react in time, the youth failed to dodge. Pain shot through his injured hand, and the steel saber fell to the ground.

The nearby able-bodied Niuli villagers and the old man in the scholar's headscarf all grew dizzy and fell one after another.

Mr. Zhang seized the chance to break free and leap down from the wall.

He did have some martial arts training. He landed on his back and rolled several times.

Though he looked thoroughly bedraggled, he forced himself to his feet and ran toward the equally astonished bandits.

Laughing and shouting viciously, he cried, "Fifth Master, they've been poisoned with Spirit-Intoxicating Powder! The stronghold chief gave it to me! Sack this wretched village! Sack it!"

The white-robed youth had indeed not practiced martial arts for long. He had too little experience in the jianghu and had fallen for Mr. Zhang's trick!

Fifth Master Liu's face lit up with delight. He needed no urging from Mr. Zhang. Abandoning his bow, he grabbed a steel saber and led the bandits charging at the wall with a wild yell.

The white-robed youth's face filled with unwillingness. He slumped weakly to the ground, raised his head and let out a long sigh.