xymnovel Chapter 12 Birthday Gifts
Chapter 12 Birthday Gifts
Huangnigang.
In July, the scorching sun beat down, baking the earth until it seemed to be smoking.
The leaves of the trees lining both sides of the official road were all curled up, and there wasn't a breath of wind.
The cicadas were chirping loudly in the trees, which was very annoying.
A team of fifteen people is struggling to walk along the mountain path.
More than a dozen handcarts were loaded with heavy loads, covered with thick tarpaulins.
The men pushing the carts were all shirtless, and sweat streamed down their bronze skin like streams.
The leading officer, who was about seven feet five or six inches tall, with a large blue birthmark on his face, rode on a horse with a furrowed brow.
It was none other than Yang Zhi, the Blue-Faced Beast.
"Commander, it's so hot outside, the brothers are really exhausted. Why don't we find a shady spot to rest before continuing?"
An old steward approached, his face covered in sweat, and pleaded.
Yang Zhi glanced back at the soldiers lying haphazardly behind him, feeling annoyed.
He certainly wanted to rest.
But throughout the journey, he felt uneasy, as if a pair of eyes were watching them from the shadows.
"What are you resting for! This is a dangerous place, with no village in sight and no shop in sight. What if thieves suddenly appear?"
He shouted sternly.
"Hurry up! Once we cross this yellow mud hill, there's a town ahead. We can rest there!"
Upon hearing this, the soldiers all complained bitterly.
The old steward looked even more mournful.
"Commander, even someone made of iron couldn't withstand this scorching sun! If we keep going, we might collapse before the thieves even arrive!"
Yang Zhi was furious.
Just as he was about to lash out, he saw that the soldiers had all thrown down their loads and run in twos and threes to the pine forest by the roadside, where they lay down on the ground.
"You've rebelled! You bunch of idiots! Do you all want to disobey orders?!"
Yang Zhi jumped off his horse and drew his broadsword from his waist.
But the soldiers just lay on the ground panting, and nobody paid any attention to him.
Yang Zhi was so angry that he trembled all over, but he was helpless.
He can't just kill all of them, can he?
Just then, a loud shout, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, exploded in the forest.
"Leave the birthday gifts, and I'll spare your lives!"
Before he finished speaking, shouts of battle suddenly erupted from the forest.
Seven fully armed men rushed out of the pine forest.
The man at the front, with sword-like eyebrows and fierce eyes, wielding a double-edged sword, was none other than Liu Bei.
Behind him, Liu Tang had shaved his red hair and had a full beard and eyebrows, making him look like a fierce and menacing monk.
Gongsun Sheng took off his Taoist robe and changed into a short-sleeved outfit. He lost his otherworldly demeanor and instead showed some of the ruthlessness of a江湖草莽 (jianghu grass-roots).
The three Nguyen brothers were shirtless, wielding broadswords, their eyes gleaming with ferocity.
Once Yang Zhi saw the seventh person, his gaze was fixed on him.
He would recognize that face, that figure, that aura even if he were reduced to ashes.
"Lin Chong, the Leopard Head!"
Yang Zhi squeezed out these words through gritted teeth.
Lin Chong pointed the tip of his spear diagonally at the ground and nodded slightly to Yang Zhi: "Commander Yang, it's you."
Yang Zhi was so angry that he laughed instead.
"Well done, Lin Chong! I thought you were a hero, but I never imagined you'd resort to highway robbery!"
Lin Chong's expression remained unchanged.
"Commander Yang, we each serve our own masters, please forgive us!"
Before he finished speaking, he exerted force with his feet, and his whole body shot out like a taut bow.
The eighteen-foot spear drew a sharp arc in the air, aiming straight for Yang Zhi's face.
Yang Zhi was prepared. He shouted and swung his broadsword upwards.
"when!"
The sound of metal clashing was so loud it hurt one's eardrums.
Sparks flew everywhere.
The two separated immediately upon contact, each taking three steps back.
Yang Zhi felt a numbness in his hand; the force from the opponent's spear seemed to be heavier than in their last encounter.
Lin Chong gave him no chance to catch his breath. With a flick of his spear, the tip of the spear emerged like a venomous snake, striking, stabbing, thrusting, and flicking, transforming into a sky full of spear shadows that covered all of Yang Zhi's vital points.
Yang Zhi dared not be negligent, wielding his broadsword like a shield, the clanging sounds ringing out incessantly, blocking all of Lin Chong's attacks.
The two fought fiercely, creating a chaotic scene of flying sand and stones, with neither side gaining the upper hand.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battle, the situation was completely one-sided.
A burly man with a thick beard, wielding two swords, did not join the battle to besiege Yang Zhi.
His target was the soldiers pushing carts.
"Form ranks! Form ranks!"
The old steward was so frightened that he screamed in a shrill voice.
But those soldiers were not elite troops to begin with. They could be arrogant and domineering in normal times, but when it came to fighting to the death, they were already in complete chaos.
Liu Bei's steps were extremely steady.
He didn't rush into battle; his eyes calmly observed the movements and positions of everyone.
A soldier, emboldened by his courage, brandished his saber and charged forward with a roar.
Liu Bei gently raised the sword in his left hand.
With a soft "ding," the opponent's powerful slash was deflected.
The soldier felt a sudden jolt in his wrist, a subtle force that left him wide open.
Before he could react, a cold glint flashed from the corner of his eye.
The sword in Liu Bei's right hand silently sliced across his throat.
Blood spurted out.
The soldier's expression froze. He clutched his neck, stared at Liu Bei in disbelief, and then collapsed limply to the ground.
The entire process was clean and efficient, without a single unnecessary movement.
The other soldiers saw it clearly, and with a startled cry, they turned and ran.
Liu Bei did not pursue them.
With a swift movement, he vanished like a ghost and plunged into another battle.
Gongsun Sheng was engaged in a fierce battle with two soldiers. His swordsmanship was elegant and skillful, but he was not a professional killer and could not defeat his opponent for the time being.
Liu Bei's figure swept past him.
Both swords were drawn simultaneously.
One sword to the throat, one sword to the heart.
Two more bodies fell.
Gongsun Sheng only felt a blur before his eyes, and when he looked again, the enemy in front of him was gone.
He stared at Liu Bei's retreating figure, his eyes filled with horror.
This Brother Chao Gai was usually gentle and kind, like an elder.
But once on the battlefield, he turned out to be such a terrifying killing god!
That wasn't the kind of fighting that people from the martial arts world did; it was a skill that existed purely for killing.
Every sword strike was fatal.
On the other side, Liu Tang and the three Ruan brothers, like tigers descending the mountain, slaughtered the soldiers, making them cry out in despair.
The four of them were already in a situation where they could easily overwhelm the remaining soldiers.
What's more, there's also Liu Bei watching over them.
He was like a seasoned hunter, striking occasionally to finish off a life that tried to resist or escape.
Screams, the clanging of weapons, and pleas for mercy filled the air.
Yang Zhi, who was engaged in a fierce battle with Lin Chong, caught a glimpse of the scene out of the corner of his eye and was terrified.
Of the fifteen men he brought, more than half had fallen in the blink of an eye.
The remaining people were fighting their own battles and were on the verge of being wiped out.
Apart from the one wielding two swords, the other opponents didn't even exert their full strength.
They were toying with their prey.
If we continue fighting, we will surely be wiped out!
No, I can't die here!
The birthday gifts have been lost; I must go back and report it immediately!
Thinking of this, Yang Zhi hardened his heart.
He roared and, ignoring Lin Chong's spear aimed at his left shoulder, swung his broadsword with all his might towards Lin Chong's waist and abdomen.
This is a lose-lose situation!
Lin Chong frowned; he hadn't expected Yang Zhi to be so fierce.
If he didn't put away his gun, he could certainly severely injure Yang Zhi, but he himself would inevitably be cut in half at the waist.
In a flash, Lin Chong lowered his wrist and pressed down with his spear, deflecting Yang Zhi's broadsword with a clang.
This is the gap!
Using the recoil from the clash of weapons, Yang Zhi retreated rapidly.
Without even looking behind him, he turned and ran back the way he came.
The remaining soldiers, seeing that their commander had fled, had lost all will to fight. They threw down their weapons and knelt down to beg for mercy.
"Hero, spare my life! Hero, spare my life!"
Liu Bei ignored them and simply said to everyone, "Take your loads and let's go!"
Liu Tang and the Ruan brothers responded and immediately stepped forward to gather the dozen or so handcarts together.
Gongsun Sheng looked at the corpses on the ground, then at the soldiers kneeling and begging for mercy, and hesitated, "Brother, these people..."
"We are thieves, not butchers."
After Liu Bei finished speaking, he turned and walked into the woods.
The group understood, pushed their carts, and quickly followed, soon disappearing into the depths of the pine forest.
All that remained was a scene of utter devastation, and a few soldiers who had survived the ordeal, their faces ashen.