This was originally a flawless plan, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
The assassins had chosen their moment precisely when Liang Xiao was unprotected and the secluded bamboo path, fully expecting to eliminate both Liang Xiao and his companion with a barrage of crossbow bolts, then retreat unseen!
Zuo Wushang had calculated everything, except for Liang Xiao himself, a scholar, the Grand Marshal of Da Qian, who could actually…
In that instant, Zuo Wushang’s inner world was thrown into turmoil: shock, resentment, and fury!
“Surround and kill, scatter shot!”
Despite his shock, Zuo Wushang quickly regained his composure and issued the command, jolting the twelve assassins back to attention.
The twelve assassins, following Zuo Wushang’s lead, re-strung their crossbows. They spread out, ready to draw the swords at their waists and mince Liang Xiao into pieces.
They were confident that Liang Xiao could not possibly withstand bolts fired from all directions!
“Young Master, run!” Yue Lian cried out in terror, collapsing onto the ground.
Her jade pendant, kept in a pouch at her waist, consequently rolled out.
Liang Xiao showed no hesitation. He pushed aside his outer robe, revealing a specially made leather armor.
This armor resembled a tool belt more, lined with rows of sheathed three-inch short swords.
In a flash, Liang Xiao casually drew a short sword and hurled it forward. A scream erupted ahead!
A barbaric assassin, struck in the throat by the dart-like short sword, staggered forward with inertia, knelt, his neck snapping backward, and died on the spot!
“What!” The remaining twelve enemies gasped in shock.
Before they could approach and re-string their crossbows, Liang Xiao had already drawn and thrown more swords.
The flying swords moved with the speed of lightning, piercing the air!
These barbaric assassins were no match for the twelve barbaric assassins who had perished under Liang Xiao’s blade previously.
In an instant, six barbaric assassins fell to Liang Xiao’s flying swords, either struck in the throat, the heart, or between the eyes!
Zuo Wushang was about to issue an order when his gaze accidentally fell upon the jade pendant by Yue Lian’s leg. His pupils contracted.
“Jade, jade…”
For a moment, Zuo Wushang, who had been calm for half a lifetime, was plunged into a brief state of daze!
The remaining barbaric assassins finally panicked and charged at Liang Xiao like madmen.
As screams continued to ring out, nine of the twelve barbaric assassins perished!
The remaining three, receiving no orders from Zuo Wushang for a prolonged period, became fearful and instinctively took a step back.
“Shrieking! Shrieking! Shrieking!”
With astonishing speed, Liang Xiao fired three consecutive flying swords, dispatching the last three assassins one by one.
The brief engagement lasted mere moments!
After dealing with the remaining attackers, Liang Xiao finally turned his attention to Zuo Wushang at the rear and drew a sword from his right chest—
Another sword whistled through the air!
With his keen intuition, Zuo Wushang snapped back to reality. He hastily retreated, but it was too late to evade completely, and he was struck in the left arm!
Zuo Wushang made a decisive move. Facing Liang Xiao, he retreated rapidly into the dense forest behind him. As he fled, his eyes remained fixed on the jade pendant by Yue Lian’s leg, tears streaming down his face!
“Young Master…”
When Yue Lian came to her senses, she felt as if she were dreaming.
Her Young Master could use hidden weapons?
And deflect over a dozen crossbow bolts with a sword? Such a preposterous thing had never happened before!
“Yue Lian, hurry back with me to find the Medical Sage. I fear more enemies may have infiltrated the mountain.” Liang Xiao quickly knelt, scooped up the terrified Yue Lian, whose legs had gone weak, and helped her secure her jade pendant.
With Ding Wu Yi and the Tianshan Swordsmen in the courtyard, he did not need to worry about Luo Qingxue’s safety.
Yue Lian finally regained her composure and sobbed into Liang Xiao’s arms, “Young Master, if you ever encounter such danger again, just run. Don’t worry about me anymore!”
She believed Liang Xiao had stayed only because he couldn’t bear to abandon her and had stayed to contend with the assassins.
“Silly girl, if I can’t even protect you, then my life is lived in vain!” Liang Xiao smiled with affection.
“Your fate is tied to the destiny of Da Qian. If you were to die because of my burden, I would be a sinner for all eternity!” Yue Lian cried even harder.
Liang Xiao rubbed Yue Lian’s head, comforting her, “That’s not true! Yue Lian is Young Master’s Yue Lian, and Young Master is Yue Lian’s Young Master. I will always protect you, and you are never allowed to leave me.”
Yue Lian finally sobbed uncontrollably, burying her face in Liang Xiao’s chest, her tears soaking his shirt.
In this world, where could she find more security than in her Young Master’s embrace!
Liang Xiao reminded her, “Cry all you want, little one, but remember this. Later, don’t say a word. If the Medical Sage questions you, just say a masked swordsman in white appeared and used flying swords to kill the assassins…”
Yue Lian finally came to, her face flushed, and obediently replied, “I’ll do as you say, Young Master…”
She wanted to ask Liang Xiao to put her down, but then she realized that with her weak legs, she would slow him down, potentially leading to Liang Xiao being pursued by hidden enemies again.
Besides, she was reluctant to let go…
Carrying Yue Lian back to the bamboo forest, Liang Xiao immediately roared, “Assassins!”
As soon as he spoke, dozens of Tianshan Swordsmen rushed from all directions of the bamboo forest, looking at Liang Xiao with confusion.
The boy had no visible wounds; he didn’t look like he had encountered any assassins!
Mu Xueqin and Jian Qinwan rushed out of their rooms upon hearing the commotion, cautiously observing the area outside the bamboo forest before finally emerging.
“What happened?”
Liang Xiao said gravely, “Just now, thirteen assassins emerged to assassinate Yue Lian and me. Fortunately, a masked swordsman in white, seeing injustice, intervened. He used flying swords to kill twelve of them, but the ringleader escaped!”
The mother and daughter exchanged confused glances. Mu Xueqin immediately dispatched ten disciples to search along Liang Xiao’s route and then welcomed Liang Xiao into the house.
“A masked swordsman in white? Using flying swords?” Mu Xueqin’s voice trembled slightly.
Jian Qinwan mumbled, “Could it be my father has returned to Tianshan…”
It would be reasonable for Sword Saint Jian Nanfeng to secretly return to Tianshan to visit his wife and daughter.
Mu Xueqin narrowed her eyes and smiled, “I don’t believe that scoundrel would come back! Liang Xiao, you did it yourself, didn’t you? Or perhaps the Heavenly General has manifested again?”
Liang Xiao curled his lip, “My greatest failing in this life is that I never lie.”
Mu Xueqin, Jian Qinwan: …
Yue Lian, still nestled in Liang Xiao’s arms, couldn’t help but chuckle. She dared not look at Mu Xueqin, yet her unusual behavior was still noticed by Mu Xueqin.
“Yue Lian, my dear, tell us what happened,” Mu Xueqin asked in a coaxing tone.
Yue Lian quickly replied, “It’s just as my Young Master said~”
Mu Xueqin immediately lost her temper.
Jian Qinwan stared at Liang Xiao, who was patting Yue Lian’s back comfortingly, and shook her head helplessly.
A moment later, a disciple reported, “Mistress, there are indeed twelve bodies by the road near the forest. I’ve sent five fellow disciples to the courtyard to inform Senior Brother Du to dispatch men to search the mountain. We will surely find the assassins!”
“Very good…” Mu Xueqin nodded with satisfaction and led everyone to observe the bodies at the scene.
Looking at the twelve bodies, each killed with a single strike, Mu Xueqin trembled with rage, “It seems… it really was that scoundrel…”
Jian Qinwan and the others lowered their heads in silence, but their eyes held joy.
Her father had returned!
There were countless people in the world who could use hidden weapons, but only Sword Saint Jian Nanfeng possessed such peerless skill, killing with a single strike!
Liang Xiao was secretly astonished: he had simply fabricated a story based on Mu Xueqin’s description of the Sword Saint, and he had gotten it right by chance?
At this moment, Zuo Wushang, clutching his injured left arm, was fleeing through the mountains, tears pouring down his face.