His body stiffened as an instinctive reaction, but his mind did not stop working.

What's going on?

Who exactly is this archer?

Why are you shooting at everyone you see?!

Shameless!!

The arrow grew larger and larger in Zhao Cheng's eyes, and just as it was about to touch the tip of Zhao Cheng's nose, a slender sword flew in and deflected the arrow.

Instead of landing beside Zhao Cheng, Yang Taozhi leaped directly into the bushes.

Then Zhao Cheng heard a series of snapping sounds.

Immediately afterwards, a dark shadow flew out and rolled several times on the ground.

The man was dressed in black, was thin, and held a large bow that seemed disproportionate to his size.

Only the lower half of her face was covered with a black cloth, so her features were not visible.

Zhao Cheng's eyes lit up, a hint of interest appearing on his face.

Yang Taozhi also leaped out, rolled on the ground, grabbed the rapier from the ground, and then thrust it at the archer.

Clang!

Another person dressed in black rushed forward with a sword, forcefully blocking Yang Taozhi's sword strike.

The sound of the two swords clashing and rubbing was jarring even from a distance for Zhao Cheng, but the two swordsmen seemed oblivious, exchanging several more blows and sparks.

The swordsman in the night clothes had long, flowing hair, sharp eyebrows, and bright eyes. His gaze towards Yang Taozhi was filled with not only shock but also intense desire.

So he attacked even more fiercely, his sword strikes even more ruthlessly, forcing Yang Taozhi back three steps in succession.

Yang Taozhi, however, used a retreat as a strategy to advance. The three steps she took back were actually to gather strength before she suddenly slashed with her sword!

Ping!

The swordsman in the night hummed as his longsword vibrated, causing the flesh on the back of his hand to tremble and slide backward.

The archer quickly stood up and used his body to shield the swordsman from the impact, causing both of them to fall backward.

Yang Taozhi tapped his toes and unleashed another sword strike!

Press the attack!

The archer, who was leaning backward, somehow managed to nock an arrow and shoot it at the starfruit branch at close range.

Yang Taozhi paused for a moment, then immediately stopped, turned around, and with a backhand stroke, split the arrow in two with her sword.

In that brief moment of hesitation, the swordsman grabbed the archer and ran.

None of the three expected that Zhao Cheng, who had been watching from the sidelines, would suddenly pounce on the two of them!

However, the two were extremely fast, and Zhao Cheng only managed to grab the hem of the archer's black veil.

The black cloth slipped off.

Zhao Cheng stared blankly at the archer's exposed face.

woman!

With an oval face, large eyes, and a spirited demeanor that rivals any man, her gaze sparkles with an untamed brilliance, like a wild horse that is difficult to subdue.

Four words came to Zhao Cheng's mind.

Heroes of the Jianghu!

The woman was surprised when the black cloth was torn off, and looked at Zhao Cheng with the same astonishment.

Watching the woman leave quickly, Zhao Cheng thought to himself, "Just as I expected!"

When Yang Taozhi knocked her out of the bushes, Zhao Cheng suspected she might be a woman, so his sudden attack was aimed at tearing off her black cloth.

Yang Taozhi did not give chase, but instead looked around warily, sensing whether there were any unknown dangers.

After a while, once she was sure everything was alright, Yang Taozhi looked at Zhao Cheng.

Zhao Cheng's gaze was still fixed on the direction the couple had left, his expression dazed and his eyes filled with infatuation.

"Captivated?"

"A chivalrous woman..." Zhao Cheng sighed.

"She almost killed you with an arrow."

"She's a heroine too!"

Yang Taozhi didn't continue discussing this with Zhao Cheng, but changed the subject, saying, "You were right. There were indeed no demons or monsters; it was all caused by bandits."

"That's obvious."

Zhao Cheng withdrew his gaze and said, "There are only a few ways that mountain bandits operate. One type is ruthless and loves to kidnap women and children and bring them up the mountain. The women are kept as tools and used when needed. The children are even worse off. They are brainwashed from a young age and raised to be the next generation of mountain bandits."

"How do you know this if you've never dealt with bandits?"

"This young master has read many books!"

"So, who do you think that couple was?"

Zhao Cheng pondered seriously, his eyes darting around, and said, "The bandit leader! He's highly skilled in martial arts and decisive in killing; he must be the leader of this group of mountain bandits!"

Yang Taozhi said, "That man is indeed highly skilled in swordsmanship, able to exchange blows with me for several rounds. But can you really judge him to be the leader of the bandits based on that alone?"

Zhao Cheng countered, "Then what do you call them?"

"I don't know," Yang Taozhi shook her head. "But she shouldn't be with these bandits. Otherwise... how do you explain killing the bandit you were chasing?"

"That was to kill them and silence them!"

Zhao Cheng jumped up and said, "That bandit was too weak. Keeping him around would only be a burden. Sooner or later, someone would catch up with them and expose the location of their hideout, so we might as well kill him!"

Yang Taozhi glanced at Zhao Cheng and said, "Do you even believe such a far-fetched reason?"

"I believe you! You don't believe me? Then let's make a bet!"

Yang Taozhi sneered and shook her head, saying, "Who was it that just praised her as a chivalrous woman?"

Zhao Cheng looked up at the sky.

By this time, it was completely bright. The leaves overhead were bathed in sunlight, creating a halo effect, and the ground beneath our feet was covered with dappled light and shadow.

"Alright, I know you're saying this on purpose so you'll get me to help you catch them."

"You've fallen for that female archer, haven't you?"

Zhao Cheng said without batting an eye, "This is just a side thing; our main goal is to find the old man."

Yang Taozhi also looked up at the sky and took the lead in walking forward.

"Then hurry up, it gets dark quickly on the mountain, let's make the most of the time."

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