Join forces

The young man in work attire shivered involuntarily. He had thought the man was a swift steed, only to realize he was a venomous wolf. Instantly, he fell silent, knowing this person could never be an ally; who could say if, in the next moment, he would betray him for a mouthful of spoiled rice gruel. Quietly, the young man tilted his head, feigning ignorance and saying nothing.

Yet just because he remained silent did not mean the other man would refrain from answering. The vigorous swordsman spoke coldly: “Sevenfold Cottage, Fang Haiding.”

The youth in work clothes pretended he hadn’t asked, acting as if the answer had come unprompted. He paused, then sneered: “Oh, so you’re a disciple of Sevenfold Cottage. No wonder your skills are so mediocre—just a few broken stones had you lost and bewildered. Truly disgraceful. Best to hurry back with those other useless fools.”

Fang Haiding’s gaze was venomous as he snapped, “And may I ask which esteemed school you hail from? Aside from your array of hidden weapons, your skills seem equally unimpressive.”

Though the young man disliked Fang Haiding’s demeanor, he had no fear. If Fang dared to send him probing ahead, he would not hesitate to bury him here; he was a scourge whether inside or out. He gripped a silver blade between two fingers, ready to strike at the throat, but then four more people arrived.

The remaining survivors stared in astonishment at the four newcomers, who appeared entirely unscathed. To reach this point, aside from the two who had been at odds, everyone else had nearly lost their lives. Now, seeing these four in high spirits, and comparing them to their own battered state, was an embarrassment.

The four who had just arrived were none other than Zhang Ling’s group. Zhang Ling surveyed the scene, noting the fierce fighting. He smiled, “How courteous of you all—waiting for me at the exit! I am truly moved by your consideration.”

A wave of contempt swept through some; how shameless could he be? Clearly, he was blocked from leaving, and no one was waiting for him. Who did he think he was?

A handsome young man, clad in a black jacket with gold embroidery and a long sword in an ink-black serpent sheath at his waist, stepped forward with a respectful gesture. “So it’s Brother Zhang and Brother Song. I am Xiao Yiyu. Earlier, my elder brother Xiao Yihan was defeated by Brother Song, and now he is diligently practicing his blade technique and did not come. I had wondered why men of your skills were not admitted to the academy—now I see you had a plan all along.”

Zhang Ling, who had been ready with a biting retort, swallowed his words. Were all young gentlemen this courteous now? He asked, “What’s the situation here? And who are those two? Their skills seem impressive.”

Xiao Yiyu pointed toward the exit and explained, “As you see, the exit is blocked by a group of stone monsters. No one can get through; if you approach within ten feet, one will rush out to chase you, while the rest continue to seal the exit. Even if everyone here approached together, there’s no chance of slipping through. The swordsman over there is Fang Haiding of Sevenfold Cottage. If you wish to cooperate, perhaps…”

He paused, leaving the rest unsaid. This man would stop at nothing to achieve his aim; he was not one to ally with. Xiao Yiyu continued, “As for the other, his name is unknown, but before you four arrived, he alone was able to destroy the stone monsters.”

Zhang Ling instinctively looked over and called out, “May I ask your name?”

The young man in work attire no longer sparred with Fang Haiding. Approaching the four newcomers, he spoke calmly, “Mo Family. I am Mo Li.”

Zhang Ling asked again, “Do you have any countermeasures?”

As Mo Li, the leader of the Mo Family, had earlier released a mechanical bird, he wore an expression of nonchalance and replied helplessly, “I’m afraid I’ve reached my limits as well. I was merely boasting just now. If any of you have a plan, please share it. If it works, I will do my part.”

Zhang Ling smiled; two cunning foxes exchanged glances, neither revealing their true intentions, though there was a sense of mutual understanding as if they lamented not meeting sooner.

Zhang Ling called to Song Linjie, “Give it a try.”

Forged Heaven remained sheathed, its hidden power surging within. Song Linjie’s energy spilled forth, exploding in the air as he dashed like lightning toward the stone monsters. A headless stone monster, larger than the others and trembling as it advanced, bore down on Song Linjie with tremendous force. Its lifeless stone fist fell, but Song Linjie stood firm. Forged Heaven stayed sheathed as inner strength enveloped his right fist. At the moment of contact, his powerful punch shattered instantly. Song Linjie retreated five steps, while the eight-hundred-pound headless stone monster staggered back one, nearly collapsing.

Regaining his stance, Song Linjie pressed forward, bowing low and kicking down. The headless stone monster crashed to the ground as Song Linjie planted a foot on its chest, fractures appearing. As the monster tried to roll over, Song Linjie used Forged Heaven’s sheath to sever a stone arm. The headless monster fell again in midair, and Song Linjie delivered a series of blows, piercing its chest.

The headless stone monster broke into pieces. Another stone monster, still vaguely humanoid, rushed at Song Linjie. Calmly, Song Linjie turned just in time, unleashing a powerful blade from Forged Heaven’s sheath to cleave the monster in half at the waist, barely an inch from his abdomen. Its stone surface was clean and smooth; the two halves twitched briefly before falling silent.

As the next stone monster prepared to move, Song Linjie withdrew swiftly, exiting their attack range.

Those who had arrived earlier were stunned, unable to comprehend the vast gulf between themselves and their peers. Though the stone monsters hadn’t forced them back, witnessing Song Linjie’s prowess now filled them with shame and a desire to retreat.

Xiao Yiyu was dumbfounded. “My brother’s loss was well deserved.”

Zhang Ling pressed, “Why did you come back? Not going to keep fighting?”

Song Linjie caught his breath, still shaken. “These damned stones are tough. It’s impossible to deal with them all at once.”

The other two by Zhang Ling stepped forward. Ye Yumi smiled, “Let us try.”

As they entered the stone circle, Zhang Ling looked up to see a strangely shaped bird, its wings flapping awkwardly, hovering in the air without landing. On closer inspection, it was clearly not a living creature, but a mechanical construct.

Zhang Ling glanced at Mo Li and grinned mischievously. “Mo Li, are you hungry? I just saw one of those birds on the tree over there—shall we catch it and roast it?”

Mo Li, showing his fox’s tail, feigned ignorance with a forced smile. “I don’t think that bird is fat enough; it’d stick in your teeth if roasted. Besides, we’re in a formation—maybe it’s not even real?”

Ignoring his words, Zhang Ling shoved him aside. In a sudden flash, Zhang Ling leapt onto a sturdy stone, climbed the strange tree, and sprang into the air, grabbing the mechanical bird.

Landing, Zhang Ling feigned amusement. “Oh, so it’s not a fat bird after all—just a pile of scrap metal. Should I break it open and see?”

Mo Li snatched it away, awkwardly smiling. Xiao Yiyu bluntly pointed out it was a mechanical bird, and among those present, only the Mo Family disciple could handle such devices. If it wasn’t his, whose could it be? Everyone looked at him with suspicion.

Zhang Ling spoke calmly, “So, Mo Li, you had a plan all along. Why not share it? With the four of us here, you won’t get away.”

Exposed, Mo Li spread his hands in genuine helplessness. “It’s no good. I’d planned to climb over the cliff there, but your delay ruined it. Now, not only can’t everyone get across—even I don’t have time.”

The two forced back steadied themselves and looked again at the two stone monsters, still largely intact. Clearly, they could not handle them. The situation was momentarily at an impasse.