ragginovel Chapter 20 Danger in the Back Mountain
Chapter 20 Danger in the Back Mountain
Xiao Xuan left the stone cave and returned to the valley where everyone had initially broken through the barrier.
As soon as they stopped, they heard shouts and sounds of fighting coming from afar.
Xiao Xuan looked up at the stone walls on both sides. If he could jump to a higher place to observe, he would definitely be able to obtain more information.
"Unfortunately, this level of skill isn't enough to ignore gravity."
Unless one is a master who has passed the ninth realm, very few martial artists can leap across valleys with such large gaps.
Left with no other choice, Xiao Xuan could only return the way he came and pass through the mountain pass.
But just as he was about to leave, two arrows suddenly appeared in front of him.
[←Back Mountain][Front Mountain→]
"Another notification?"
Xiao Xuan looked in the direction of the arrow. The front mountain was the direction they had come from, while the back mountain was a place he had not yet been to.
When they reached the stone statue, the group stopped, leaving the area unexplored except for the few who were searching for the jade pendant.
Xiao Xuan observed carefully and found that the valley behind the stone statue was still overgrown with weeds, and the folds of the weeds and branches had dried out, not like a path had just been cleared.
"I guess they were afraid of getting lost, since they were unfamiliar with the area."
After thinking for a moment, Xiao Xuan rushed towards the back mountain. For him, staying away from the crowd and waiting for an opportunity to act was the safest option at the moment.
Following the arrow in front of him, Xiao Xuan sped along, advancing through the valley with its numerous forks in the road.
After several turns, a steep slope a hundred meters long appeared in front of Xiao Xuan.
However, this did not stump him. The Tianshan Sect's Snow-Treading Skill was a remarkable lightness skill, and it was best at using leverage to move.
Furthermore, he had been using the Sighing Technique to regulate his breathing along the way, so his internal energy was abundant, and he rushed up in one breath without any effort.
After rushing up the steep slope, Xiao Xuan found a foothold. From here, he could clearly see the sea, but there was nothing on the sea in front of him.
"It seems I'm facing the rear of the island. If the Japanese pirates are stationed on the front of the island, won't they run into the Thunder Dragon's ship?"
As Xiao Xuan was wondering what would happen after the two sides met, a shout suddenly came from afar.
"stop!"
"Don't run!"
Xiao Xuan was unfamiliar with these voices, and they sounded somewhat awkward, with accents that didn't seem like those of people from the South.
Xiao Xuan slid down the hillside in the direction of the sound and saw the figures of several children in front of him.
These children were young, and judging from their clothes, they were islanders. Xiao Xuan had also seen the two people protecting them before: one was Shiwa, who had led everyone to the island, and the other was Wen Qingqing, whom he had met that night.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Just as the group was about to enter the mountains via a small path, a sandbag was shot from behind, exploding in the middle of the crowd and releasing thick gray smoke.
"Qingmei, quickly take them away!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Shiwa pushed Wen Qingqing and the children out of the thick smoke, and then immediately turned around to face the blade that emerged from the smoke.
Seeing him dodge to the side, he spread his arms and struck the assassin under the armpit, instantly sending him flying.
But soon a second knife came stabbing at him. Seeing that the second assassin was leaping up from a high place, Shiwa immediately steadied his lower body, turned his body sharply around his waist, and swung out a hand knife to strike the exposed ribs.
Xiao Xuan saw everything. The two Japanese pirate assassins who used samurai swords were both at the fourth level, but they were defeated in just a few moves by Shiwa, who was also at the fourth level but was empty-handed.
Shiwa's boxing style was truly interesting, and even seemed somewhat familiar to Xiao Xuan.
However, this fist technique lacks killing intent; even if the two are driven back, the opponent can immediately regroup and attack again.
Left with no other choice, Shiwa had to fight two opponents alone. Facing two knife-wielding assassins, Shiwa lost his advantage and could only dodge repeatedly.
At this moment, a third Japanese pirate suddenly attacked from the flank, his target being the children.
"We succeeded!"
The Japanese pirates were feeling smug, but little did they know that although Wen Qingqing was also mixed in with the children, she was no ordinary little girl.
Wen Qingqing leaped high into the air and kicked away the long sword in the Japanese pirate's hand, and the two faced off.
Meanwhile, Xiao Xuan slowly approached from a distance, waiting for the best opportunity to strike.
"The little girl is very flexible, I like her very much."
"Pah! You bastard, wait till I tear your mouth apart!"
The Japanese pirates made provocative remarks, and Wen Qingqing, as expected, fell for it and took the initiative to expose the children to everyone's view.
At that moment, a rustling sound came from the bushes, and the last Japanese pirate assassin darted out.
"What?!"
Neither Wen Qingqing nor Shiwa expected that there were people lying in ambush. The latter tried to protect the child and retreated repeatedly, but his moves revealed a flaw, and he was instantly injured on the shoulder by the assassin he was fighting with.
Just as the Japanese pirates were closing in on the children, at the critical moment, a flash of cold light appeared, and two figures landed in front of the children.
One was a gray-clad swordsman standing in front of everyone, while the other, lying on the ground, was a Japanese pirate assassin.
"Is it you?"
Wen Qingqing's eyes widened in surprise, but Xiao Xuan immediately interrupted her.
"Make the first move!"
After saying that, Xiao Xuan leaped up, his sword pointing directly at the Japanese pirate who was about to launch a sneak attack next to Wen Qingqing.
With a "clang," the cold steel sword and the samurai sword sparked.
Xiao Xuan flicked the samurai sword away with his wrist, pushed Wen Qingqing behind him with his other hand, and then launched a series of thrusting attacks.
The sword thrusts faster and faster, and each time Xiao Xuan makes a move, the afterimage of the previous sword strike has not yet dissipated.
The Japanese pirate tried to defend himself while retreating, but in less than ten rounds, Xiao Xuan pierced his throat with a single sword strike.
If this set of Cold Wave Swords were used at full power, there would be hundreds or even thousands of sword shadows in the end, and the sword momentum would pour down like rain. It's just a pity that the Japanese pirates were too weak and couldn't last until then.
Seeing that two of their companions had died, the remaining two Japanese pirates immediately exchanged a glance and prepared to flee.
However, the others wouldn't give them that chance.
"There's no one else around, don't let them go back."
After Xiao Xuan finished speaking, the three of them immediately gave chase and completely surrounded and killed the two Japanese pirates.
"Thank you so much, sir!"
Shiwa clasped his hands in thanks, but blood was still flowing from his shoulder, indicating that he was seriously injured.
"Quickly apply this to the wound to stop the bleeding."
Xiao Xuan took out a small bottle, about the size of a baby's fist, from the pocket at his waist. Inside was the wound medicine that every martial arts traveler needed.
Thank you.
Wen Qingqing took the medicine bottle, immediately tore open Shiwa's clothes, and left the strips of cloth aside for later use. It was clear that this was not the first time she had treated someone's injuries.
According to Wei Ziheng, the nameless island is frequently harassed by pirates and Japanese pirates. No wonder they are so familiar with the area, and even the children don't cry when they see adults fighting.
"These children are the future of our island. It's all thanks to your timely help. Were you the one who was there the night before last?"
Xiao Xuan nodded.
"My name is Xiao Xuan."
"My name is Wen Qingqing, and this is Brother Shiwa."
"Hello, sir... Ouch! Be gentle, young lady!"
Shiwa coughed twice in pain and patted Wen Qingqing's hand.
"Alright, quickly get the children into the cave to hide."
"Let's have Xiao the hero too."
Wen Qingqing and the other woman instantly trusted Xiao Xuan and led him over several large rocks that didn't even have a path, until they arrived at a cave.
He had never expected a good outcome, whether it was revealing intelligence or killing Japanese pirates to save his child.
He didn't even intend to explain why he waited until the very end to make his move if the other party asked.
Because Xiao Xuan was simply doing what he believed was right.
However, the islanders are simple and honest, unlike those scheming and treacherous people in the martial arts world.
The response to Xiao Xuan was devoid of any doubt, only a grateful look and a warm smile.
This made Xiao Xuan, who had spent several days crawling through a group of villains full of actors, feel somewhat ashamed.
"Don't you want to know why the Japanese pirates are here?"
Xiao Xuan asked the question first, and Wen Qingqing's answer surprised him even more.
"Grandma said that the Japanese pirates were provoked by that big bad guy, the one who was with that vixen. They are all bad people, but Grandma also said that you and that quiet guy are both good people."