Guang Bai, in a moment of distraction, found the bandit's blade sweeping towards his neck. Xie Jiang appeared from nowhere, cleaving the bandit's head in two with a single strike.
Hot, sticky red and white splattered all over his face.
"Want to die?"
Xie Jiang dropped the words, then turned back to his frenzied attack.
Guang Bai no longer dared to be careless, fighting bravely by Xie Jiang's side.
Though he had to admit, Young Master Xie didn't need his protection at all.
But in the chaos, blades and spears flew indiscriminately, and even great martial skill couldn't guarantee one would emerge unscathed. He still had to do his duty.
The mansions of several wealthy families to the west of Gangshi Town had become a charnel house.
The battle intensified.
Everything tonight should have gone smoothly, but it was interrupted by the arrival of a group shortly after it began.
Initially, the opposing side wasn't numerous, and they didn't seem like government soldiers, so the bandits didn't take them seriously.
Who could have imagined that what followed would nearly shatter the confidence the bandits had built over their long occupation of Huanglan Mountain through countless victories.
After witnessing the opponent's formidable strength, the bandits went from casual indifference to utter dread.
Little did they know, something even more terrifying was yet to come.
These thirty-odd people clearly belonged to two different groups.
One part was as well-trained as regular troops, making them difficult to resist. However, their numbers were too few, and they could still be overcome if compensated for in quantity.
What truly terrified them was the other group.
There were old and young, tall and short, fat and thin, all sorts of appearances, looking like ordinary townspeople.
Unremarkable.
If one thought so, they would be gravely mistaken.
The combat prowess of these individuals was even stronger, fiercer, and more intense, decimating the bandits to the point where they could only await death!
The weapons these people wielded were also varied, some long, some short, even resembling farming tools or kitchenware.
What truly struck fear into the hearts of the bandits and broke their spirit were these very weapons.
Their fearsome sabers, which cut through people like vegetables, proved to be as fragile and laughable as tofu blocks against the bandits' motley collection of weapons.
Many bandits were cut down in pieces before they could even react.
Was this not like encountering a ghost?
But what was even more ghostly was yet to come.
If their weapons were inferior, they still had their numbers!
Yet, whenever they gathered, the opponents would throw hidden weapons at them.
These hidden weapons were even more bizarre; they exploded upon hitting the ground, possessing terrifying power!
Three to five people were instantly dismembered, torn limb from limb.
The bandits were petrified, their souls scattered.
Such powerful weapons and hidden projectiles were simply beyond the capacity of flesh and blood to withstand! Kuaishuge.
The terrified bandits dared not engage, nor did they think of the wealth and provisions. What use was money without life!
"Run—"
"Run!"
No bandit dared to linger, unable to fight.
To the Xie family guards, each bandit was worth a hundred taels of silver. How could they let their silver escape!
"Stop where you are!"
"What are you running for! Don't run!"
"Stand still if you dare!"
"Those who stand still will be granted a complete corpse!"
When Xu Hengyan arrived with over two hundred able-bodied men, he witnessed a scene of bandits fleeing in utter disarray, chased in every direction.
The spirited young men of the town were greatly reassured, realizing the Duke of Wei's heir had indeed not lied to them; the Huanglan Mountain bandits were not invincible!
"Charge—"
"Kill these brigands—"
There was no need for Xu Hengyan to say anything more. The young men, brandishing their assorted weapons, charged towards the fleeing bandits with roars.
If the Huanglan Mountain bandits were not defeated today, it would be they who perished! Their families! Friends! Neighbors!
...
Xu Hengyan paid no mind to what incredible events had transpired to cause such a strange and unbelievable reversal.
As he drew his long sword, cutting down five or six bandits who stumbled into his path in their panic, he searched for Xie Jiang's figure.
It couldn't be anyone else.
Xu Hengyan was certain that the one who turned the tide was Xie Jiang.
How had she managed it?
The terrified bandits fled for their lives, quickly spreading out from the area of the wealthy families where they had initially gathered.
The young men seized the opportunity and swarmed forward, killing a few in the process, which greatly boosted their confidence as they pursued the scattered bandits.
Xu Hengyan did not join the pursuit.
The bandits were so terrified that they had lost all will to fight, their only thought being to escape as far as possible. The united townsfolk were sufficient to deal with them.
Moreover, he saw several of Xie Jiang's guards fighting with blood in their eyes, seemingly addicted to the thrill, blocking the bandits and determined to kill them before stopping.
His own guards were not to be outdone, as if stimulated by something, their combat effectiveness had doubled.
Xu Hengyan looked at the scene before him, unable to help but wonder if Xie Jiang had given them some sort of drug.
One that could unlock potential in a short period?
"Where is Young Master Xie?"
Xu Hengyan stopped a guard passing by him.
"Inside."
With that, the guard ran off chasing two bandits.
Xu Hengyan cut his way through the alleys.
Suddenly, a figure rushed towards him.
"Hengyan!"
Xu Hengyan quickly lowered the long sword in his hand to his side. So reckless, not even afraid of being injured by him!
Guang Bai watched as the little tyrant, who had just moments ago been effortlessly dominating the battlefield, suddenly burrowed into his young lord's embrace like a wronged child.
"Hengyan..."
Xie Jiang rested her forehead against his chest, her fingers tightly gripping his sleeve, her voice filled with an unspeakable suppression.
"What's wrong? Are you injured?" Xu Hengyan did not push her away. Seeing her covered in blood, he asked with some nervousness, "Where are you hurt?"
As he spoke, he cast a grim look towards Guang Bai beside them.
Guang Bai inwardly cried out, "Unjust! Utterly unjust!"
Who was it that had been so powerful and mercilessly killing just moments ago!
What was this sudden fragility?
Deceiving his young lord right in front of him!
Did he think he was invisible!
Was his young lord so easily deceived!
Guang Bai was about to speak.
Just then, he saw Young Master Xie lift his head, and then his young lord withdrew his gaze, focusing solely on Young Master Xie, not even sparing him a sideways glance.
Guang Bai silently invoked the name of the little grass's mother.
"I'm fine, I just..."
Xie Jiang shook her head, her eyes red with sadness. Then, unable to hold back, she glanced back towards the gate behind her.
Xu Hengyan followed her gaze. There were no living souls left in the spacious mansion.
The master of the house, fallen by the corridor, the woman in the bedroom who met a tragic end and took her own life in despair, and the infant clutched tightly in her arms...
A look of compassion appeared in Xu Hengyan's eyes.
Combining this with the bandits lying dead on the ground, he could guess what had happened.
Witnessing all this, who could remain unmoved? Xu Hengyan reached out and put an arm around her shoulder, leading her away from the place that caused her such distress.
Xu Hengyan patted her shoulder, offering silent comfort.
The ground was littered with the corpses of bandits, and the remaining ones were scattered and fleeing. As Xu Hengyan looked at the scene along the way, his astonishment grew.
"I thought tonight would be fraught with danger, and driving off these bandits would be victory. I never expected to achieve a comeback, defeating over three hundred bandits with just over thirty people. How exactly did you do it?"