Over twenty swift horses burst from the small grove, the Zhong Hall Master spurring his mount at the front, charging headlong towards the village.
Rounding a bend, they spotted an ordinary village lying ahead in the distance. Yet, this hour meant for breakfast fires saw no smoke rising from any chimney. Even more unsettling, a small "pile of bodies" was faintly visible at the village entrance, casting an eerie pall over the scene.
Hall Master Zhong raised a hand, yelling back to the bandits, "Slow down now! Advance with caution! There might be traps—"
His warning died mid-sentence. A thick rope suddenly erupted from the earth, snapping taut instantly. The galloping horses had no time to react. The leading mounts crashed violently to the ground, their riders flung clear. Those behind desperately hauled on their reins, but one unfortunate soul was trampled on the chest by a horse unable to stop in time. He grunted once and fell still.
Simultaneously with the horses' fall, two figures exploded from the ditches flanking the road, plunging headlong into the chaotic mass of bandits.
As his horse collapsed beneath him, Hall Master Zhong slapped the saddle, propelling himself forward. He tumbled across the ground, skidding to a halt just as the first agonized screams erupted behind him.
Like wolves among sheep, the two newcomers tore through the disarrayed bandits. There was no mistaking them – Bai Yunfei and Li Chengfeng.
Li Chengfeng wielded twin daggers, a blur of slashing, stabbing fury. Before the surrounding bandits could react, most were bleeding, two already down with dagger wounds piercing their chests.
Bai Yunfei fought bare-handed, yet every punch and kick landed with sickening crunches of bone. Those he felled stayed down.
In the span of a few heartbeats, five or six men lay defeated!
Hall Master Zhong trembled with rage, veins bulging at his temples. With a furious roar, he brandished his large saber and charged straight at the pair.
Spotting the Hall Master's charge, a gleam flashed in Bai Yunfei's eyes. He sidestepped a savage downward cut, grabbed the attacking bandit, and hurled him bodily into the press of men, creating an opening. Darting through, he surged towards Zhong!
Zhong had taken only a few steps when he saw a figure hurtling towards him. A sneer twisting his face, he raised his saber to strike—only to see the man leap impossibly high, over a zhang into the air. Right hand flickering, a three-chi long saber materialized! Plummeting down, Bai Yunfei brought the blade whistling down!
"Spatial Ring! Soul Warrior!" Hall Master Zhong's expression shifted sharply. He raised his own hefty saber to meet the blow.
"CLANG!"
A sharp, clear ring of metal on metal echoed. Leveraging the force of his descent, Bai Yunfei slammed Zhong back several stumbling steps. Bai Yunfei landed firmly but didn't press the attack; his combat experience was limited, and a reckless assault could invite a deadly counter.
"Late-stage Soul Apprentice! Damn it! How could we run into a Soul Warrior out here! And one with a Spatial Ring!" Zhong staggered back, arm numb from the impact, his mind reeling. He'd expected warriors, even opponents of similar strength. But a Spatial Ring? He knew the entire Blackwood Stronghold possessed only one, belonging solely to the Chieftain himself! Not even the Vice-Chieftain had one! His eyes snapped to his own saber blade. A fresh notch marred its edge!
"Damn it! Damn it! Who are these people? My saber was forged from top-grade steel! Is his weapon a Soul Artifact? No… if it were, it wouldn't just leave a notch. But it's definitely superior!"
A rapid series of agonized shrieks tore Zhong from his shock. Glancing past Bai Yunfei, he saw over half of his twenty-strong contingent already down! Li Chengfeng had wounds on one arm and legs, bleeding but not crippling. Moving with raw ferocity rather than finesse – dodging blows, then thrusting his daggers – he felled bandit after bandit.
"That one's a Soul Warrior too! Not good!" Realization struck Zhong like lightning. He hesitated no longer, charging directly at Bai Yunfei.
Bai Yunfei's plan was simple: exploit the surprise. He would tie up the strongest foe, Zhong, while Li Chengfeng thinned the ranks of ordinary bandits. Then they would converge to finish Zhong off.
The ordinary bandits numbered twenty-two. Six had been downed in the initial ambush, another crushed by a horse. When Bai Yunfei intercepted Zhong, fifteen remained. Fueled by rage and vengeance, Li Chengfeng was fighting effectively. The bandits, caught off guard and seeing companions fall so swiftly, panicked. Momentum shifted, and Bai Yunfei estimated Li Chengfeng could finish the rest within ten minutes.
Zhong clearly understood this too. No time to waste! He attacked Bai Yunfei with everything he had. Bai Yunfei, however, focused on defense. Relying on the superior sharpness of his weapon, he met Zhong's strikes blow for blow. Soon, Zhong's saber was riddled with notches, resembling a jagged saw.
Bai Yunfei raised his saber to block another heavy chop from Zhong. But suddenly, immense force slammed into his abdomen! Zhong had kicked him! Yunfei, fixated on the weapon, had neglected his lower guard. The kick sent him stumbling back several steps.
Before he could steady himself, movement flickered behind him! Whirling around, he saw a bandit had somehow broken free from Li Chengfeng's fight and gotten behind him, swinging a sword!
Bai Yunfei blocked it instinctively, mimicking Zhong, and kicked the man savagely in the chest. The man flew backwards towards Li Chengfeng... and met a dagger thrust unhesitatingly into his heart.
As he kicked, Bai Yunfei inwardly cursed. He had no time to turn back before catching the glint of Zhong's blade slicing towards his right flank!
Impossible to parry! He threw himself desperately to the left. Not fast enough. Fiery pain ripped across his waist! Bai Yunfei scrambled sideways two meters, turning to face Zhong. His hand flew to his waist. Cool metal met his touch. No wound!
Zhong stared, dumbfounded, at Bai Yunfei's expression of profound relief. That waist-level cut should have cleaved him in two! Yet... he seemed merely pained, not bleeding at all!
Bai Yunfei's shirt hung open at the waist, revealing a grey soft armor beneath. A stark white line scored the armor's surface – the mark of Zhong's blade.
Bai Yunfei touched the armor in wonder. "Incredible! The defense of this +10 soft armor is astonishing! Close call... I thought I was done for…"
(Soft Armor Stats)
Equipment Grade: Common
Enhancement Level: +10
Defense: +31
Additional Defense: +43
+10 Effect: 2% chance to reflect damage when attacked.
"Impossible... Impossible! Could that soft armor be a Soul Artifact? Just who is this man?!" Zhong screamed inwardly, charging forward again.
Now aware of the soft armor's resilience, Bai Yunfei fought with less restraint. Against blows aimed at his body, he gritted his teeth, accepting the bruising impact to land his own strike.
Though Zhong also wore a sturdy soft armor, capable of blocking ordinary blades, it proved flimsy paper against Bai Yunfei's weapon. When Bai Yunfei's blade grazed Zhong's flank, luck deserted the bandit leader. A long, deep gash opened, blood pouring freely.
Facing another horizontal slash, Bai Yunfei pivoted, presenting his back. The blade struck! Yet, instead of searing pain, Bai Yunfei merely stepped forward, absorbing the force. He distinctly felt a small portion of his soul force vanish abruptly, seemingly absorbed... by the armor?
The instant Zhong's saber slammed into Bai Yunfei's back, a powerful, jarring force shuddered up Zhong's arm! His palms split, blood welling, almost ripping the weapon from his grip. Recoiling in horror, Zhong stared at his bleeding hands, stunned.
Soft Armor Effect: Damage Reflection!
Understanding dawned instantly on Bai Yunfei. He wouldn't waste this opening! Whirling around, he swept his long saber viciously towards Zhong's waist! Zhong gasped, jerking his saber up to block. He deflected the blow, but the violent impact, combined with his injured grip, tore the weapon from his hands!
Terror-stricken, Zhong scrambled backwards, putting a good ten meters between them before stopping, eyes wide with fear fixed on Bai Yunfei.
Bai Yunfei didn't pursue. He saw the fight behind him was over. Not one of the twenty-two bandits remained standing. Most were dead; the survivors lay moaning, utterly incapacitated.
Li Chengfeng bore cuts on his arms and legs, but his torso was unharmed. Through the tatters of his shirt, the grey soft armor gleamed – reinforced to +9, holding no special effect, yet sufficient to repel the bandits' mundane attacks.
Ignoring the wounded for now, Li Chengfeng strode towards Bai Yunfei, twin daggers dripping crimson – mostly bandit blood. His eyes burned with an endless, chilling hatred, locked onto Hall Master Zhong. Even the hardened killer felt a tremor of unease and looked away.
Zhong drew a deep, ragged breath, trying to calm his frantic mind, eyes darting warily between Bai Yunfei and Li Chengfeng, fearing a sudden assault. His right hand plunged into his tunic, pulling out a long, narrow wooden case. From it, he drew a weapon resembling an ice spike, shimmering with a cold blue light.
"I'm not adept with such tools, but it is a Soul Artifact! It should pierce that damned armor! Now... it's do or die!"
Bai Yunfei held his ground, buying Li Chengfeng precious moments to recover. The advantage was theirs. Caution now meant victory.
The dagger-sized ice-spike weapon Zhong held seemed ominous. Seeing Zhong charge again, Bai Yunfei snapped to Li Chengfeng, "Watch his weapon! I'll engage, you find your opening!"
He met Zhong's charge with another swift, clean overhead strike. Zhong unexpectedly crossed his arms, blocking the heavy saber with the short spike! Where blade met spike, a tiny chip flew from Bai Yunfei's steel edge!
Blocking Bai Yunfei's blow, Zhong attempted his old trick, lashing out with a kick. Bai Yunfei was ready. He kicked back! Their feet collided with a thud, both staggering half a step apart.
Zhong recovered faster. He lunged forward, driving the chilling Frost Spike straight at Bai Yunfei's heart!
Bai Yunfei's blood ran cold. He dared not trust the soft armor against this! He desperately whipped his saber horizontally across his chest. A faint clink sounded as spike met blade. Bai Yunfei staggered back several steps.
Zhong pressed forward, then suddenly jerked, spinning around. He raised the Frost Spike barely in time to deflect one of Li Chengfeng's thrusting daggers. Pain flared as the other dagger found its mark on his arm! Blocked one, missed the other! Li Chengfeng exploited the opening, slashing Zhong's arm before being kicked away.
Bai Yunfei steadied himself and looked down. Cold sweat beaded his brow. A small, perfectly round hole pierced the center of his saber blade! Worse, the Frost Spike's tip had penetrated halfway through the soft armor at his chest! Frost crystals rimmed the hole, chilling the metal.
"What kind of weapon is that?!" Bai Yunfei stared at the Frost Spike in Zhong's hand, a chill spreading through his veins.
Seeing Zhong pursue Li Chengfeng, Bai Yunfei pushed his dread aside, gripped his weapon, and charged back into the fray.
The sheer lethality of the Frost Spike forced both Bai Yunfei and Li Chengfeng onto the defensive, their attacks hesitant. Yet Zhong was equally wary of their weapons, particularly Li Chengfeng's debilitating daggers. The battle descended into a desperate, brutal stalemate.
Soon, all three combatants bore fresh wounds.
Bai Yunfei felt deep cold radiating from every spot Zhong's Frost Spike had touched. It seemed like invasive ice shards burrowed within, sapping his strength and slowing his movements. Li Chengfeng also labored, affected by the chilling aura.
Zhong was far from unscathed. Multiple cuts bled freely, mostly inflicted by Li Chengfeng's daggers. Worse, some wounds stubbornly refused to clot, blood flowing unchecked – the gruesome effect of one dagger's enchantment: "Slows the healing of inflicted wounds."
Anxiety gnawed at Zhong. At this rate, they'll bleed me dry! In his desperation, he made a fatal error. Forcing Bai Yunfei back, he failed to fully avoid Li Chengfeng's counter-lunge. A dagger plunged deep into his shoulder.
At the moment of penetration, an unnatural jolt ripped through Zhong's entire frame. A strange, alien sensation washed over him, impossible to define.
He instinctively tried to twist and stab Li Chengfeng beside him. Li Chengfeng should have been caught, but somehow twisted aside at the last instant. Zhong's eyes widened in abject terror. He realized the truth: he had slowed down!
His consciousness screamed the blow should have landed, but his body lagged, reacting a heartbeat too slow. The disconnect was jarring, unprecedented, leaving him momentarily paralyzed.
Bai Yunfei's eyes, however, blazed with sharp understanding. Within seconds, he confirmed his suspicion: the other dagger's hidden effect had manifested:
"Attack has a 2% chance to reduce target's speed. Duration: 10 seconds."
Triggered successfully!
This fleeting advantage couldn't be squandered! "Now!" Bai Yunfei roared, alerting Li Chengfeng, and launched a ferocious onslaught against Zhong.
Strike! Strike!