Li Shanhu was one of the four Hall Masters of Blackwood Stronghold, possessing late-stage Soul Apprentice strength. His name sounded fierce and imposing, yet his appearance leaned more towards that of a scholar. If he weren't holding a linked-ring greatsword but a folding fan instead, no one would ever guess he was a vicious bandit.
Despite his scholarly appearance, however, he was the most ruthless and cruel among the four Hall Masters. He often slaughtered indiscriminately over the slightest grievance, even wiping out entire villages and households – just like today.
The mission to escort the tribute back to the sect had been snatched by that Hall Master Zhong, leaving Li Shanhu thoroughly displeased. Today, he had taken his underlings down the mountain to find some women for amusement. Resistance in one village had enraged him so much that he destroyed the settlement, abducting seven or eight young women.
He had planned to rush back to the stronghold overnight, but feeling weary on the road, he decided to stop at a clearing to eat something and rest before continuing.
Watching his lecherous underlings preparing to violate the captured women, Li Shanhu drained the wine from his leather flask in one gulp. He roared at the group to his right, "Godd*mn it! Save that pretty, delicate one for me! You bunch of worthless brats, dare to get ahead of your master? And that one over there! That's the one I was planning to take back and offer to the Deputy Stronghold Master! You dare take her too?"
The groups he had berated sheepishly dispersed. The men on the right plastered ingratiating smiles on their faces, offering profuse apologies as they cleared a space, making way for their Hall Master to have the 'first taste'.
Li Shanhu stood up and took two steps forward. Suddenly, a sense of alarm made him whirl around, his gaze snapping towards the direction they had come from. A streak of crimson red was hurtling towards them at breakneck speed.
Focusing his eyes, he realized it wasn't a red line at all! It was a youth gripping a fiery red spear, his face a mask of murderous fury as he sprinted forward! Almost the instant Li Shanhu recognized the figure, the youth had closed to within a hundred meters of the group.
An enemy! And this aura... a Soul Master!
Li Shanhu was quick-witted. He instantly sensed the hostility radiating from the approaching figure. "Enemy attack!" he bellowed. "Prepare for battle!"
His shout jolted the bandits. They turned to look, seeing a single figure charging towards them, spear in hand. Confusion flickered across their faces: Just one man? Why was the Hall Master so alarmed?
The outermost bandits grabbed their weapons, ready to teach this reckless fool a brutal lesson – to show him the price of interrupting their pleasures: his life!
As the figure closed in, the bandit at the forefront bared his teeth in a savage grin, raising his weapon to strike down.
But his upraised arms froze above his head. Even the ferocious grin on his face seemed to solidify. He stared dumbly at the crimson spear that had pierced clean through his chest, his eyes gradually dimming. In the moment before death, his final thought was: It feels... so warm... in my chest...
He didn't know that not only him, but the bandit standing directly behind him had also been impaled by the same thrust!!
......
Bai Yunfei's eyes blazed with fury as he charged into the bandit group without pause. His spear shot out with lethal precision, its speed far beyond what these ordinary bandits could react to. It pierced through the bodies of two men effortlessly.
Yanking the spear back violently, he ignored the blood spraying onto him. Spinning around, he swept the spear in a blazing crimson arc. The spear tip sliced across the throats of three more bandits. Blood fountained out as they, still bewildered, slowly crumpled backwards.
"He's a Soul Master! All of you, attack together! Kill him!" Li Shanhu's roar jolted the remaining bandits from their stupor. Seeing their Hall Master charging forward, greatsword raised, they finally reacted. Though terrified by the opponent's status as a Soul Master, could they hang back when their leader was charging? Not unless they wanted to die later.
Fear and fury warred within Li Shanhu as he rushed forward, his mind racing. A Soul Master appearing out of nowhere? What's his aim? To take on over forty of us alone? He acknowledged the youth seemed slightly stronger, but with dozens of men at his back, overwhelming numbers would ensure this fool never returned!
Bai Yunfei shot a glance at the charging Li Shanhu but didn't slow his stride. He dodged a blade slicing down from behind him, kicked the man in front of him flying into the path of others rushing forward, then slammed the butt of his spear backward. The heavy end smashed through the throat of a pursuer; the man fell back, eyes bulging.
He swept his spear horizontally, blocking two blades hacking at him from the side. With a powerful shove, he forced the attackers off balance, then slashed the spear tip across their throats.
Finally, Li Shanhu reached him. Shocked by how swiftly Bai Yunfei had dispatched three more men, the Hall Master roared and leapt into the air, bringing his greatsword down in a devastating overhead chop.
Bai Yunfei had no time to bring his spear around. He could only raise it horizontally overhead to block. The impact drove him stumbling back several steps. As Li Shanhu pressed forward for a follow-up, Bai Yunfei swept his spear in a wide arc, forcing the Hall Master back.
Using the momentum, Bai Yunfei didn't press Li Shanhu. Instead, he twisted away, putting distance between them, and lunged towards another cluster of seven or eight bandits.
Every time Li Shanhu tried to close in, Bai Yunfei would parry or thrust him back, then disengage, continuing his relentless assault on the other bandits.
Bai Yunfei was like a tiger rampaging through a flock of sheep. His spear, fists, and feet became instruments of death for the bandits. One by one, they fell. The number still standing dwindled rapidly.
Just as Bai Yunfei thrust his spear into the chest of yet another bandit, Li Shanhu seized his chance. He accelerated, closing the gap instantly. His greatsword whistled horizontally towards Bai Yunfei's waist.
Bai Yunfei brought his spear down vertically beside him, blocking the slash. A flicker of triumph crossed Li Shanhu's eyes. He took another half-step forward, closing the distance until they were almost face to face. His left arm snapped up, swelling unnaturally as muscles bulged. He drove his fist with brutal force towards Bai Yunfei's chest!
He relies on that long spear; close combat must be his weakness! Li Shanhu thought fiercely. Now that I'm inside his reach, he can't wield that spear properly. Unleash a barrage of close-quarters strikes, let my men distract him with sneak attacks... he's finished!
Bai Yunfei showed no panic. His right foot slid half a step back, creating the barest sliver of space. Simultaneously, he gathered force into his own right fist and punched forward.
A sickeningly crisp sound of shattering bone echoed, not just in Li Shanhu's ears, but within his very soul. Utter disbelief filled his eyes as he was hurled backward uncontrollably. A colossal force erupted from his left fist, followed by a second wave, then a third! In an instant, three distinct surges of power traveled up his arm. He could feel the bones in his left arm shattering, starting from the fist, fragmenting relentlessly all the way to his shoulder!
Wave-Folding Art, Triple Wave Fist Force!
After sending his opponent flying, Bai Yunfei didn't immediately pursue. His right arm trembled slightly. Even using only the first level of the Wave-Folding Art – the Triple Wave – the backlash still strained his arm.
"Still not proficient enough..." Bai Yunfei shook his right hand. Soul force flowed through the limb, quickly soothing the ache. He lifted his gaze, surveying the bandits around him who had halted their attacks, their faces etched with terror upon seeing their Hall Master defeated.
It wasn't just the underlings. Li Shanhu himself lay sprawled, staring at Bai Yunfei with utter incredulity, his left arm hanging limp and useless. Seeing Bai Yunfei didn't immediately press the attack, he breathed a sigh of relief, though stark fear still dominated his expression.
"All of you, attack together!! All of..." The rest of his command died in his throat. Only now did Li Shanhu register with horror that the number of bandits still standing around him had dwindled to a mere handful!
Around Bai Yunfei's feet lay over thirty bandits, strewn haphazardly. Not a single one stirred.
Li Shanhu's shout also jolted the few surviving bandits awake. But instead of obeying their Hall Master and charging, they turned and fled in blind panic.
Are you kidding?! Their minds screamed. This guy just wiped out thirty of us without breaking a sweat! Even Hall Master Li, a Soul Master himself, is no match!
They only managed a few steps before two distant, agonized screams froze them in their tracks.
Two bandits had reacted faster, already sprinting dozens of meters away, nearly vanishing into the nearby woods. But suddenly, two daggers flew like striking vipers from ahead, burying themselves deep in their hearts. They collapsed, expressions frozen in shock.
Li Chengfeng stepped calmly from the trees. He retrieved his daggers from the two corpses, then began walking steadily towards the remaining four bandits. He glanced towards Bai Yunfei from afar, his voice low and grim. "The rest... leave them to me..."
The final four bandits had also intended to flee into the woods. Seeing Li Chengfeng appear and instantly kill their faster companions, his eyes burning with rage as he advanced, their courage shattered completely. They shrieked and scattered in different directions.
One, in his panic, actually stumbled towards Bai Yunfei! By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late to stop. Bai Yunfei's foot snapped out, kicking him backwards. Li Chengfeng intercepted him mid-air, a flash of his blade opening the bandit's throat.
Without pause, Li Chengfeng pursued the other three fleeing figures, catching them swiftly and delivering final justice.
Li Shanhu watched Li Chengfeng return to Bai Yunfei's side, his expression growing increasingly grim. The newcomer began methodically checking the bandits Bai Yunfei had downed earlier, ensuring the dead were truly dead, and delivering a swift knife thrust to any who still clung to life.
Another companion! Despair washed over Li Shanhu. And another Soul Master! Seeing their ruthless, exterminating stance, Li Shanhu abandoned any thought of begging for mercy. His eyes darted frantically, desperately seeking an escape route.
Suddenly, a spark of cruel hope ignited in Li Shanhu's eyes. His peripheral vision caught movement to his left, about two meters away. Three young women huddled together, their hands clamped over their mouths, eyes wide with abject terror, trembling violently.
A bloodcurdling scream ripped through the air – Li Chengfeng had discovered another bandit feigning death among the fallen. He ended the charade with a single, ruthless thrust.
In the instant that scream pierced the night, Li Shanhu's eyes flashed with savage intent. His right hand opened, letting go abruptly of his greatsword. He lunged sideways with explosive speed, his right arm snapping out like a striking serpent, fingers clawing towards one of the terrified girls!
He had guessed these women were likely the very people these attackers had come to rescue. Take a hostage! His mind screamed. It's the only chance to survive!