Never give in
Wind and the valley floor.
The sounds of fighting at the valley entrance grew louder and louder. Jiao Niang listened to her subordinate's report and frowned slightly: "How could there be only so few people?" She felt that something was wrong, and her gaze turned again to the center of the valley entrance, to the figure who was still sitting upright on horseback, exuding an arrogant aura.
The corners of Tang Qi's mouth seemed to curve into a very faint arc the moment she looked over.
"Sorry, the deal is off." Tang Qi's voice rang out clearly through the chaotic sounds of battle: "I think I've found the person I wanted, and—my big gift for you has also arrived."
Jiao Niang's heart skipped a beat, a strong sense of unease instantly gripping her. She instinctively looked up at both sides of the valley, but in that instant—
"Boom!"
It was like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting open.
Countless massive boulders and thick, withered trees cascaded down from the towering cliffs behind Fenghe Domain with unstoppable force, exposing the location of Jiao Niang and the others in the center of the valley. The extremely narrow pass became their obstacle to survival.
"Oh no! The cliff top! They've reached the top of the cliff!" Zuo Ou, who was beside Jiao Niang, exclaimed in alarm.
Boulder tumbled and dead wood flew everywhere. Caught off guard, Jiao Niang and the others were instantly smashed to pieces, their flesh and blood flying everywhere. Their shrill screams echoed throughout the entire valley.
"Lin Zhengye!"
The young woman's eyes widened in horror as she dodged a boulder that brushed past her. She stared intently at the cliff face, her eyes revealing disbelief and rage for the first time.
How could anyone possibly breach such a place!
Ah Wu could no longer maintain a calm expression. She quickly pulled out her whistle and blew it fiercely. The death-dealing whistle once again resounded in everyone's ears.
However, at the same time, a gust of wind was also stirring up a storm in Tang Qi's heart.
—The mountain wind has changed.
The gentle breeze, which had been carrying moisture just moments before, seemed to be abruptly reversed by an invisible giant hand, its force increasing several times over. With a dry, howling sound, it swept in from the distant mountain valleys, heading straight for the heart of the Wind and Domain valley.
"The wind is coming," Tang Qi stood on high ground, his gaze sharp, his voice piercing through the howling wind and clearly reaching the ears of every lurker: "Light the fire!"
Almost the instant he finished speaking, dozens of ignition points, which had been placed in specific locations and soaked in kerosene, were simultaneously ignited. With the help of the east wind, the dry branches were greedily swept up and stretched by the flames, and then violently thrown towards the denser forest and the stunned young woman.
Fueled by the wind, the fire spread at an almost frenzied pace. Flames shot skyward, thick smoke billowed, and instantly engulfed a large area. Terrified and desperate screams echoed from the valley:
"Fire! Fire!"
"Run! Run upwind!"
Their instinct was to flee towards the depths of the valley above, where the fire had not yet reached. That place, untouched by the flames, seemed to be the only way to survive.
However, this was precisely the desperate situation Tang Qi had prepared for them.
When the first wave of panicked enemies rushed to the edge of the valley, they were met not with hope, but with an even more shocking sight—all the trees, regardless of size, had been cut down to the roots, and a shallow ditch had been dug around the entire core area of the valley. This was the life-or-death dividing line that Hu Xingche and his men had carved out right under the enemy's noses through their fierce attack, sparing no expense.
There was no fire outside the circle, but the flames were burning fiercely inside.
"What...what is this?!" The person at the front stared in disbelief at the chasm that had suddenly appeared before him, a chill instantly overshadowing the scorching heat behind him.
"Damn it! It's a firebreak!" one of their more experienced men roared hoarsely, "They're trying to trap us! Charge through!"
Driven by the will to survive, they began to frantically rush outside, but it was already too late.
The all-consuming flames and billowing smoke were already close at their feet.
The flames quickly engulfed the wooden stakes, instantly igniting the broken wood. The fire spread even more rapidly than it had in the dense forest, creating a massive, blazing ring of fire that scorched fiercely above the valley.
This ring of fire was both a prison and a coffin where they were buried.
Trapped atop the valley, the enemy was utterly desperate. Thick smoke choked them, making it hard to breathe, and scorching heat dried their skin. Screams, wails, and desperate curses rose and fell as they futilely fled and struggled in their ever-shrinking territory, ultimately being consumed by the merciless flames.
"We...we did it..." Looking at the rings of flames that were now burning fiercely, Lu Juezhen's voice trembled slightly, but more so with the excitement of the plan's success: "Ah Hu!! We did it!!"
Hu Xingche wiped the sweat from his face, suddenly feeling dizzy from being shaken so much. He couldn't help but glare at him, saying, "I can see."
Lu Juezhen's eyes were burning red from the flames, and his previous excitement slowly turned into worry: "This fire is burning so fast and so fiercely, can Brother Zhengye really escape?"
Hu Xingche looked over there and remained silent. The fire, carried by the wind, grew larger and larger. In the thick smoke that billowed into the sky, Hu Xingche couldn't see the situation inside at all. They knew nothing about Tang Qi's current situation.
but--
"I want to go in."
Tang Qi can't get out, but he can get in.
"I said that even if I die, I must die by his side."
The rest of the forest remained lush and green. The ring of broken wood that Hu Xingche and his men had cut down was like a burning collar around the mountain, firmly confining the man-made wildfire to the valley top. The flames raged within the broken circle but could not spread any further outward.
This fire burned fiercely yet precisely. The east wind rose, and life and death were extinguished; all ambition vanished in the flames.
Just as the young lady was shaken and all eyes were drawn to that side, Tang Qi, who had been standing still like a wooden statue, suddenly lowered his body and pressed himself against the horse's back.
He had been observing ever since his confrontation with Jiao Niang: Jiao Niang hadn't tied Wu Shunyi up here at all; if not here, then it could only be here—
Tang Qi suddenly spurred the horse, and the black lightning bolt galloped towards the valley floor on the other side of Fenghe Domain.
"Stop him!" Jiao Niang's sharp scream sounded so weak amidst the roar of the rolling stones.
Several bandits, realizing what was happening, tried to intercept him, but Tang Qi, wielding a longsword, galloped forward on his horse, blood spurting wherever his blade passed. He didn't engage in prolonged combat, but instead cleared away all obstacles in his path with the simplest and most lethal methods. Each swing of his sword aggravated his reopened wounds, the pain violently assaulting his nerves, yet Tang Qi persevered, each strike returning with an even stronger attack.
The man he was binding struggled violently behind him. Tang Qi's hand, which was holding the reins, was knocked off balance by the man's blow, and the horse immediately tilted to one side. In the nick of time, Tang Qi decisively cut the thick rope binding the man with his sword. Without a stable foothold, the man quickly fell off the galloping horse. Tang Qi did not stop.
"Want to die? I'll grant your wish."
Tang Qi sheathed his longsword, let out a long neigh to stop the horse that was about to go out of control, and then turned around and continued to charge in that direction.
"Mother! He's trying to save someone!" Jiao Niang screamed, her eyes quickly sweeping towards her mother, A Wu.
Awu's eyes turned cold, and she instantly drew her bow and nocked an arrow, the arrow once again locking onto the swiftly moving black figure.
The bowstring is taut like a full moon, ready to be released at any moment.
Just as A-Wu's fingers were about to loosen—
General Wu!
Just as Tang Qi had guessed, Wu Shunyi was tied to a wooden stake not far away.
"Lower your head!" Tang Qi roared.
Upon hearing his voice, Wu Shunyi's lowered head seemed to twitch slightly.
He used almost his last bit of strength to suddenly bury his head down.
At the same time, Tang Qi threw the dagger he had been holding tightly with all his might. The dagger flew straight up the wooden stake like a dart. Tang Qi imitated A Wu and threw the dagger straight at the thick rope binding Wu Shunyi's hands.
Almost at the same instant the dagger pierced the rope, A-Wu's arrow shot out suddenly, whistling through the air as it hurtled towards Tang Qi's back.
He suddenly pulled on the reins, and the horse reared up. Tang Qi used the momentum to leap off the horse and kicked the incoming arrow away.
Ah Wu's arrow missed its mark.
Tang Qi cut most of the ropes binding Wu Shunyi with his dagger, and his arms loosened, causing his body to slide downwards.
Before long, Tang Qi had rushed to the wooden stake, but he didn't have time to dismount. In the instant the horse swept past the stake, Tang Qi leaned and swooped down at an incredible angle, grabbing Wu Shunyi's slipping body with one hand like an iron clamp.
"Come on up!"
With a low growl, Tang Qi, relying on his powerful core strength and momentum, forcefully lifted Wu Shunyi's heavy body off the ground and tossed him onto his horse's back. The movement was swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
"Hold on tight!" Tang Qi yanked the reins hard, and the horse reared up, neighing in pain as it forced a turn under the weight of the two men.
"Don't even think about leaving!" Jiao Niang went completely mad. All their plans had been disrupted, and all of this happened right under her nose! She drew her soft sword from her waist without hesitation and swiftly pounced on Tang Qi on horseback. A Wu also nocked an arrow again, aiming straight at Wu Shunyi.
But then another huge rock crashed down not far in front of Jiao Niang and A Wu, and the flying debris forced them to retreat and dodge in a sorry state.
Tang Qi's horse was also hit by a flying stone, its body lurching forward and throwing both of its riders off its back.
Just as Wu Shunyi's body flew out, Tang Qi landed. Suppressing his surging blood and dizziness, he grabbed Wu Shunyi's collar, pulling his heavy body to his side.
The falling rocks rolling from afar were almost directly aimed at the two men's faces, but fortunately, they were deflected by the debris from earlier before they were thrown into the air.
These rolling stones, these dead trees, this density of falling rocks.
His hands must have been smoking from swinging them so much.
Tang Qi looked at the current situation and felt somewhat ashamed.
But there's no time to think about that now.
"Go!" Tang Qi roared, half-dragging and half-carrying the dazed Wu Shunyi as they staggered towards the bottom of the cliff, the direction where Cheng Junshi and the others were about to appear. He chose the moment when the rolling rocks from the top of the cliff caused the greatest chaos and the enemy's formation was completely shaken.
"Don't let them get away! Kill them!" Jiao Niang was furious and charged over herself, brandishing her short blade. Ju Yue, Zuo Ou, and the others beside her had finally escaped the threat of Rolling Stone and pounced on Tang Qi like demons.
Amidst the flashing blades, Tang Qi, with one hand supporting Wu Shunyi and the other wielding his sword to parry, moved with sluggishness due to his injuries and the weight, yet his swordplay remained cunning and even carried a fierce, life-or-death intensity. However, he was ultimately alone, and soon several deep, bone-revealing wounds appeared on his shoulder and arm, blood instantly staining half his body red. Each confrontation sent shivers down his spine, making his vision blur.
"Ugh!" With a muffled groan, Wu Shunyi seemed to be jolted a little more awake by the intense pain. In the moment he struggled to open his eyes, the only thing clear in his blurred vision was Tang Qi's blood-stained profile and those eyes that remained burning even in the face of dire straits.
We will never yield.
We will never back down.
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