Now that things are really urgent, we can't keep pretending any longer. At worst, we'll fight them to the death. Fortunately, he's not going to die anytime soon, and he should be able to hold out until reinforcements arrive.

"Lanxi, stand behind me."

Lanxi responded in a trembling voice and stood behind him.

The bandit leader roared, drew his broadsword, and turned to slash at Mu Anxiang with the force of a volcano erupting from the ground.

Mu Anxiang met the attack without blinking. With a bang, the sword broke in two, and the tip of the broadsword sliced ​​from his throat down to his stomach, leaving a long, bloody gash. Fortunately, he retreated quickly, and the cut wasn't deep.

Before Mu Anxiang could catch his breath, another knife came down. He had nothing left to defend himself, so he barely dodged to the side and fell to the ground.

The bandit leader strode forward, slashing incessantly with his broadsword. The blade grazed Mu Anxiang's rolling body, sending up clouds of yellow sand.

Mu Anxiang scrambled to his feet, grabbed a piece of wood from the side, braced himself against it, and swung it at the bandit leader's head.

The bandit leader charged forward in a rage, raising his broadsword to chop the wooden stick in two. Mu Anxiang hurriedly threw away the stick in his hand and looked for a new weapon, but he had only taken one step when he was shoved to the ground and kicked hard in the stomach.

Mu Anxiang spat out another mouthful of blood.

Lanxi ran over crying and hugged him, saying, "Stop fighting! Stop fighting! You're not allowed to fight!"

The bandit leader, seeing that she was about to become his woman, was still speaking up for another man, and what's worse, he was even hugging and cuddling her.

"You bitch, come here right now! Look closely, I'm your man!"

As he spoke, he grabbed Lanxi's hair and pulled her away from Mu Anxiang and to his side.

Mu Anxiang, with a sudden burst of strength, shoved aside the person who was still punching and kicking him, scrambled to his feet, and pulled Lan Xi behind him.

"Don't touch her!"

Mu Anxiang, his face swollen, stared at him with a sinister expression.

The bandit leader was completely enraged by Mu Anxiang and grabbed a large knife to slash at him.

Mu Anxiang turned around and hugged Lanxi in his arms. With a tearful sound, a bright red bloodstain appeared, staining Lanxi's tear-filled eyes.

The sharp pain in his back caused him to go into shock for a moment. He couldn't remember how many times he had been slashed, but all his strength was being drained away little by little, and even breathing became difficult.

All that could be heard was Lanxi calling her own name, louder and louder, and her panicked, heartbroken cries.

He must have bled a lot from his back, which is why the gray sand on the ground was stained red.

A sudden gust of wind swept across the sky, lifting Lanxi's bright red veil and dropping it onto the pool of blood behind Mu Anxiang.

"Master, if you keep chopping, you'll die. Today is your joyous day, so it's best not to cause any deaths."

A voice came from the crowd.

The bandit leader shook his hand holding the broadsword, seemingly in thought, when a surge of bloodlust welled up in his eyes. He roared, "I'll kill him!"

As he spoke, the blood-stained broadsword swept across the sky, carrying a strong stench of blood, and slashed directly at Mu Anxiang's neck.

Lanxi opened her eyes wide, unable to utter a sound. She suddenly tightened her grip on Mu Anxiang's hand, switching her position with hers. For the first time, a resolute look appeared amidst her panic.

Completely exhausted, Mu Anxiang could only watch helplessly as Lan Xi shielded him with her own body.

"Lanxi!"

A desperate roar, like that of a trapped beast, pierced the sky.