Chapter 13: Guarding the Alcove with a Broken Blade, A Promise Weighing a Thousand Pieces of Gold Shhk!
Shhk!
The blade sank deep into Xiao Ge's upper arm. Warm blood instantly soaked through his coarse combat suit, flowing down his forearm in a steady stream and dripping onto the freezing pebbles at his feet. A violent, searing pain slammed into his nerves. Xiao Ge's entire body trembled, his jaw clamped tight as he forced back the scream that had rushed to his throat. Using the momentum of his forward charge, he twisted his wrist and slashed his short blade upward, aiming straight for the gap beneath the assassin's ribs.
The assassin hadn't expected the young man to take a hit and still counterattack. Caught off guard, he hastily retreated, barely avoiding the fatal thrust, but the tip of the blade still grazed his side, quickly spreading a patch of dark crimson across his black clothes. Not daring to linger, he followed their set tactics, turning and quickly retreating back into the shadows of the stone ravine to rejoin his companions.
"Xiao Ge!" Lao Chai's heart tightened as he glanced at the boy's endlessly bleeding arm.
"I'm fine... I can still fight," Xiao Ge gasped for air. His left hand pressed hard against the wound to stop the bleeding, but blood continued to well up between his fingers. His face had visibly paled; that single hard block had consumed most of his remaining strength, and his right hand, gripping the blade, began to tremble uncontrollably. Gritting his teeth, the young man forced himself to stand tall and returned to his defensive position beside the entrance, refusing to retreat into the cave to rest.
Seeing this, the assassins outside the cave exchanged low whispers.
"Their injuries are worsening. They won't be able to hold out much longer. In the next round, two men will push forward together for a full assault. No more solo probing." The leading assassin's voice was calm and indifferent, as if discussing a trivial object. "Break through the entrance in one go and kill them all. The master ordered that the severely wounded Chen Yi must be taken alive. The rest are to be eliminated on the spot."
Hearing this, Lao Chai's heart sank. The enemy was preparing for a dual assault on the alcove's entrance. Although the narrow opening limited their numbers, the pressure would multiply if two men attacked in coordinated shifts. His thigh wound was bleeding heavily, and his legs were already beginning to feel weak. Between himself and the injured Xiao Ge, it would be nearly impossible to hold the entrance for long.
Lin Yan remained half-kneeling beside Chen Yi, his fingertips feeling the increasingly faint pulse at Chen Yi's wrist. Chen Yi's earlier outpouring had drained the little energy he had left. His breathing was now weak and shallow, and every rise and fall of his chest brought immense pain. He still gripped Lin Yan's wrist tightly, refusing to let go, his clouded eyes fixed firmly on Lin Yan, waiting for an answer.
"Promise me," Chen Yi whispered, his breath failing, each word requiring monumental effort. "If you can leave this place... never let that roster be buried. The injustice suffered by Secretary Su and his daughter must not remain hidden in the overgrown grass of twenty years ago."
Lin Yan looked into Chen Yi's dying yet unyielding eyes, his heart churning. He was merely a traveler from another world, drawn into this Jianghu slaughter entirely by accident. Yet, facing the heavy weight of Chen Yi's entrustment, the unseen pull in his heart became undeniably clear. This was the task the dimension had delivered to him.
"I promise you," Lin Yan replied in a deep, solemn voice. "As long as I survive this, I will safeguard the roster, uncover the truth of the old case, and find Secretary Su's daughter."
Hearing this vow, the tension that had gripped Chen Yi for years finally eased. A faint smile touched the corner of his mouth. The obsession that had weighed on him for twenty years had finally found someone to entrust it to. His fingers, still clutching Lin Yan's wrist, slowly relaxed. His head gently tilted to the side as he slipped into a semi-comatose state.
In that exact instant, two dark figures outside the entrance surged forward simultaneously. Two assassins, one on the left and one on the right, one in front and one behind, rushed into the narrow entrance of the stone alcove. One thrust his short blade straight at Lao Chai's face, while the other dropped low and slid forward, his target being the unconscious Chen Yi deeper inside.
"Not a chance!" Lao Chai roared. Enduring the searing pain in his thigh, he stepped forward and swung his short blade horizontally, forcibly blocking the strike aimed at his face. The deafening crash of metal echoed through the stone alcove. The other assassin had already bypassed Lao Chai, rushing straight toward Chen Yi.
Disregarding the severe injury to his arm, Xiao Ge lunged forward to intercept. His wounded arm threw off his balance, slowing his movement by a fraction of a second. The assassin's short blade thrust directly toward Xiao Ge's chest.
Seeing this, Lin Yan instantly sprang to his feet and hurled his dagger. The blade grazed the stone wall and sank viciously into the assassin's shoulder blade. Crying out in pain, the assassin's strike went wide; the tip of his blade merely grazed Xiao Ge's ribs, tearing open a shallow flesh wound.
With the dagger embedded in his shoulder blade, the assassin endured the pain and turned, raising his hand to pull the weapon free. Seizing the opening, Lao Chai rushed forward and drove his short blade straight into the assassin's throat. The man let out a muffled groan and collapsed heavily, his body crashing onto the rocky ground.
Seeing his companion fall, the remaining assassin's assault grew even more frenzied, desperately attacking Lao Chai. The four assassins left outside saw their comrade fall and began to converge toward the entrance, preparing to rush into the alcove at the first opportunity.
Lao Chai blocked several consecutive strikes, but his thigh wound tore open again. Blood gushed out, and his footing faltered; he nearly collapsed.
"Lao Chai!" Xiao Ge stepped forward to support him, but he too was at the end of his strength.
Lin Yan quickly scanned the surrounding rock walls. The alcove had no other exit. If they continued to defend this spot to the death, everyone would eventually collapse from exhaustion and be slaughtered. His gaze swept across the rear stone wall and locked onto a narrow crevice hidden behind a curtain of vines. He had noticed it during their earlier standoff. The crevice was extremely narrow, allowing only a single person to crawl through on their stomach. It was the only escape route in this stone alcove.
"There's a rock crevice in the back! We can crawl out!" Lin Yan shouted loudly. "We'll take Chen Yi and leave through there!"
Lao Chai clenched his teeth, quickly glancing at the rock wall behind him, and instantly made his decision. "Xiao Ge, take Chen Yi and crawl out first! Brother Lin and I will hold the rear and keep the assassins at bay!"
The assassins outside had already reached the entrance. Two dark figures stepped into the stone alcove, and the next wave of fierce assault was imminent. Inside the alcove, life and death hung by a single thread.
The blade sank deep into Xiao Ge's upper arm. Warm blood instantly soaked through his coarse combat suit, flowing down his forearm in a steady stream and dripping onto the freezing pebbles at his feet. A violent, searing pain slammed into his nerves. Xiao Ge's entire body trembled, his jaw clamped tight as he forced back the scream that had rushed to his throat. Using the momentum of his forward charge, he twisted his wrist and slashed his short blade upward, aiming straight for the gap beneath the assassin's ribs.
The assassin hadn't expected the young man to take a hit and still counterattack. Caught off guard, he hastily retreated, barely avoiding the fatal thrust, but the tip of the blade still grazed his side, quickly spreading a patch of dark crimson across his black clothes. Not daring to linger, he followed their set tactics, turning and quickly retreating back into the shadows of the stone ravine to rejoin his companions.
"Xiao Ge!" Lao Chai's heart tightened as he glanced at the boy's endlessly bleeding arm.
"I'm fine... I can still fight," Xiao Ge gasped for air. His left hand pressed hard against the wound to stop the bleeding, but blood continued to well up between his fingers. His face had visibly paled; that single hard block had consumed most of his remaining strength, and his right hand, gripping the blade, began to tremble uncontrollably. Gritting his teeth, the young man forced himself to stand tall and returned to his defensive position beside the entrance, refusing to retreat into the cave to rest.
Seeing this, the assassins outside the cave exchanged low whispers.
"Their injuries are worsening. They won't be able to hold out much longer. In the next round, two men will push forward together for a full assault. No more solo probing." The leading assassin's voice was calm and indifferent, as if discussing a trivial object. "Break through the entrance in one go and kill them all. The master ordered that the severely wounded Chen Yi must be taken alive. The rest are to be eliminated on the spot."
Hearing this, Lao Chai's heart sank. The enemy was preparing for a dual assault on the alcove's entrance. Although the narrow opening limited their numbers, the pressure would multiply if two men attacked in coordinated shifts. His thigh wound was bleeding heavily, and his legs were already beginning to feel weak. Between himself and the injured Xiao Ge, it would be nearly impossible to hold the entrance for long.
Lin Yan remained half-kneeling beside Chen Yi, his fingertips feeling the increasingly faint pulse at Chen Yi's wrist. Chen Yi's earlier outpouring had drained the little energy he had left. His breathing was now weak and shallow, and every rise and fall of his chest brought immense pain. He still gripped Lin Yan's wrist tightly, refusing to let go, his clouded eyes fixed firmly on Lin Yan, waiting for an answer.
"Promise me," Chen Yi whispered, his breath failing, each word requiring monumental effort. "If you can leave this place... never let that roster be buried. The injustice suffered by Secretary Su and his daughter must not remain hidden in the overgrown grass of twenty years ago."
Lin Yan looked into Chen Yi's dying yet unyielding eyes, his heart churning. He was merely a traveler from another world, drawn into this Jianghu slaughter entirely by accident. Yet, facing the heavy weight of Chen Yi's entrustment, the unseen pull in his heart became undeniably clear. This was the task the dimension had delivered to him.
"I promise you," Lin Yan replied in a deep, solemn voice. "As long as I survive this, I will safeguard the roster, uncover the truth of the old case, and find Secretary Su's daughter."
Hearing this vow, the tension that had gripped Chen Yi for years finally eased. A faint smile touched the corner of his mouth. The obsession that had weighed on him for twenty years had finally found someone to entrust it to. His fingers, still clutching Lin Yan's wrist, slowly relaxed. His head gently tilted to the side as he slipped into a semi-comatose state.
In that exact instant, two dark figures outside the entrance surged forward simultaneously. Two assassins, one on the left and one on the right, one in front and one behind, rushed into the narrow entrance of the stone alcove. One thrust his short blade straight at Lao Chai's face, while the other dropped low and slid forward, his target being the unconscious Chen Yi deeper inside.
"Not a chance!" Lao Chai roared. Enduring the searing pain in his thigh, he stepped forward and swung his short blade horizontally, forcibly blocking the strike aimed at his face. The deafening crash of metal echoed through the stone alcove. The other assassin had already bypassed Lao Chai, rushing straight toward Chen Yi.
Disregarding the severe injury to his arm, Xiao Ge lunged forward to intercept. His wounded arm threw off his balance, slowing his movement by a fraction of a second. The assassin's short blade thrust directly toward Xiao Ge's chest.
Seeing this, Lin Yan instantly sprang to his feet and hurled his dagger. The blade grazed the stone wall and sank viciously into the assassin's shoulder blade. Crying out in pain, the assassin's strike went wide; the tip of his blade merely grazed Xiao Ge's ribs, tearing open a shallow flesh wound.
With the dagger embedded in his shoulder blade, the assassin endured the pain and turned, raising his hand to pull the weapon free. Seizing the opening, Lao Chai rushed forward and drove his short blade straight into the assassin's throat. The man let out a muffled groan and collapsed heavily, his body crashing onto the rocky ground.
Seeing his companion fall, the remaining assassin's assault grew even more frenzied, desperately attacking Lao Chai. The four assassins left outside saw their comrade fall and began to converge toward the entrance, preparing to rush into the alcove at the first opportunity.
Lao Chai blocked several consecutive strikes, but his thigh wound tore open again. Blood gushed out, and his footing faltered; he nearly collapsed.
"Lao Chai!" Xiao Ge stepped forward to support him, but he too was at the end of his strength.
Lin Yan quickly scanned the surrounding rock walls. The alcove had no other exit. If they continued to defend this spot to the death, everyone would eventually collapse from exhaustion and be slaughtered. His gaze swept across the rear stone wall and locked onto a narrow crevice hidden behind a curtain of vines. He had noticed it during their earlier standoff. The crevice was extremely narrow, allowing only a single person to crawl through on their stomach. It was the only escape route in this stone alcove.
"There's a rock crevice in the back! We can crawl out!" Lin Yan shouted loudly. "We'll take Chen Yi and leave through there!"
Lao Chai clenched his teeth, quickly glancing at the rock wall behind him, and instantly made his decision. "Xiao Ge, take Chen Yi and crawl out first! Brother Lin and I will hold the rear and keep the assassins at bay!"
The assassins outside had already reached the entrance. Two dark figures stepped into the stone alcove, and the next wave of fierce assault was imminent. Inside the alcove, life and death hung by a single thread.