Chapter 1513: 【A Thousand Mountains, No Bird in Flight】(Lower)

Hu Xiaotian had everyone else rest while he alone stood guard on the giant rock; the moon rose slowly into the high sky, and with his keen eyesight aided by moonlight he could see far. The first half of the night remained calm, but wind began in the second half. Xia Zhangming rose to take over Hu Xiaotian's watch; Hu Xiaotian leapt down from the rock and saw Long Xi Yue step out of the tent, smiling: "What's wrong? Did I wake you?"

Long Xi Yue smiled gently: "I can't sleep; the mountain wind is too loud."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Want me to keep you company while you sleep?"

Long Xi Yue's cheeks flushed; she neither agreed nor objected, whispering: "You're not afraid people will gossip?"

Hu Xiaotian chuckled; Long Xi Yue raised her index finger to her lips in a hushing gesture. Not far off came continuous snoring—those already asleep warriors. Though sturdy, they could not match Hu Xiaotian and Xia Zhangming in stamina, which had been severely depleted.

Long Xi Yue said with concern: "You've gone two days without rest; you should rest too. Why don't you sleep while I keep watch?" Because she carried him, Long Xi Yue's strength had basically recovered.

Hu Xiaotian nodded, about to lead Long Xi Yue into the camp, when he felt the night suddenly darken—clouds had covered the moon. The night wind had ceased at some point; a chill touched his face as a drop of rain fell.

Long Xi Yue also felt the scattered raindrops and whispered: "It's raining."

Hu Xiaotian looked up; Xia Zhangming on the giant rock waved at him and called: "My lord!"

Hu Xiaotian hurriedly leapt onto the rock. Xia Zhangming pointed to the western woods; the treetops undulated like waves, swiftly approaching their mountaintop, yet there was no wind or waves. Hu Xiaotian instantly sensed something wrong. He shouted to wake the warriors below, ordering everyone to gather on the giant rock.

By the time everyone assembled on the rock, the rain had grown heavier; misty rain obscured vision, even affecting Hu Xiaotian's extraordinary eyesight. They drew weapons and stood ready. Hu Xiaotian heard a chirring sound drawing near from afar.

The sound mingled with the downpour, like a tide approaching. As distance closed it grew clearer; Xia Zhangming shouted: "Everyone ready! It's a monkey troop!" He drew a jade flute from his waist and said to Hu Xiaotian: "Please guard me, my lord."

Hu Xiaotian drew his Windbreaking Blade; Long Xi Yue took up her green bamboo staff. They stood left and right of Xia Zhangming, while the five warriors each guarded a side of the giant rock.

A clear, penetrating flute note tore through the night, cutting the rain‑mist. It floated far away; as soon as the flute sounded, a mournful, horn‑like wail echoed from the woods, grating on the nerves, feeling like a heart‑rending tear.

Hu Xiaotian heard a flapping sound from above drawing near—a flock of birds. For a day and a half they had seen no birds or beasts in Black‑Cool Mountain; the creatures seemed invisible, now suddenly all appearing at once, elusive and bizarre.

The monkey troop revealed itself first, but the bird flock arrived later, tens of thousands of birds darkening the sky like storm clouds, circling endlessly without attacking. Xia Zhangming tried to control them with his flute; normally he could easily bend them to his will, but today they were different—they formed attack arrays, circling overhead, and he struggled alone to turn the tide.

The flute pierced clouds and silk; Xia Zhangming gathered all his inner strength, aiming to awaken the lost birds above and bring them under his command.

A plaintive flute note floated down, seeming at first to answer Xia Zhangming's flute, but soon the two notes intertwined like two fighting serpents. The bird flock above grew denser, shielding wind and rain, crying nonstop, tangled in the dueling flutes, hesitating.

The eerie horn‑like wail drew nearer; the chirring reached the rocks below. Hu Xiaotian looked up and saw thousands of monkeys surging like a tide to engulf the rock. The leading monkeys scrambled up swiftly; Hu Xiaotian roared: "Show no mercy!"

At the point of life and death there was no room for hesitation. The five warriors gripped their longswords; as the monkeys scrambled up the rock together they struck simultaneously—swords flashed, blood sprayed, the monkeys' death cries rang out without cease.

Though the warriors fought bravely, they could not stop the monkeys' all‑out assault; some monkeys had already breached the outer ring and reached Hu Xiaotian. He kicked one away, swept his long blade horizontally, and cut four monkeys at the waist.

Several monkeys approached Long Xi Yue; she shook her green bamboo staff and unleashed the Dog Beating Staff Technique—green shadows flashed, and in an instant over a dozen monkeys were flung to the ground. Hu Xiaotian had worried she could not cope, but seeing her skillful moves he silently praised her; the Dog Beating Staff Technique truly is extraordinary, no wonder the Beggars' Sect lists it as a secret not to be passed on. Evolved from defending against vicious dogs, it proved equally adept against these monkeys—she parried and struck, not only protecting herself but also creating openings to shield Xia Zhangming.

Seeing Long Xi Yue safe for now, Hu Xiaotian brandished his Windbreaking Blade and charged outward. The five warriors moved in perfect sync; every strike found its mark, monkey corpses littered the ground.

Hu Xiaotian bellowed, stepped forward, and slashed; an invisible, domineering blade qi burst from the sword, slicing the air into a narrow slit. The rain‑mist was forced aside by the qi, parting like waves to either side. Where the blade qi flew, blood spattered and wails rose—every monkey was cleaved by the qi; this single strike killed at least thirty monkeys.

Hu Xiaotian roared: "Guard the princess, I'll be right back!" He soared into the air, employing the Art of Soaring to dive downward, his Windbreaking Blade flashing back and forth. In the crisis, he seemed aided by gods; his blade qi release succeeded eight or nine times out of ten. The best defense is offense—he swung his blade, and the monkey troop fell in great swaths. Moreover, the monkeys were packed tight around the rock, a huge target, with open ground and no trees to hide behind. Faced with Hu Xiaotian's sweeping blade qi, the monkeys could only bare their necks to die.

Worried for Long Xi Yue and the others' safety, Hu Xiaotian adopted a strategy of circling the rock, slashing back and forth without straying far, ensuring he could return instantly if danger arose above. With the Art of Soaring he could come and go freely; though the monkeys were numerous and agile, they had no answer to a Hu Xiaotian who moved like an aerial acrobat. Coupled with his suddenly heightened blade qi emission today, his killing power quickly routed the monkey troop.

Hu Xiaotian's proactive assault eased the pressure on the rock; Long Xi Yue and the five warriors shifted from defense to offense. Among the six, Long Xi Yue proved the most effective—her green bamboo staff fluttered like a chick pecking grain, tapping repeatedly on the monkeys' faces, dazing them, then she hooked their legs, sweeping more than a dozen monkeys off the rock.

Although Long Xi Yue's attacks were highly efficient, she had no killing move; the five warriors, unbound by any notion of protecting beasts, unleashed lethal strikes—these monkeys, merely driven by others, became ghosts under the blade in a daze.

While everyone was busy fighting the monkeys, Xia Zhangming kept blowing his flute, appearing relaxed but actually bearing the greatest pressure.

The bird flock above the rock grew ever thicker, forming a huge black vortex; the birds pressed lower, their wingbeats and cries shocking the heart.

Long Xi Yue and the five warriors felt a tremor of alarm, yet Xia Zhangming remained calm. The two flute notes, initially long and soft, grew sharp and piercing—what began as two soft whips fencing at a distance had become close‑quarters combat.

The flute notes grew excruciatingly sharp, making everyone want to clap their hands over their ears. By now the monkey troop had been utterly routed; not a single monkey remained on the rock. Long Xi Yue and the others hurriedly tore strips from their sleeves to plug their ears, guarding against the piercing flute's damage.

Hu Xiaotian returned safely to the rock, only to see Xia Zhangming emit a short, sharp note; the flute fell silent, and the other side likewise stopped blowing. The circling bird flock split in two; Xia Zhangming leapt up, the birds enveloping him like a tornado, lifting his body skyward.

The other half of the birds regrouped; a figure appeared amidst the flock, standing silently in the night sky supported by myriad birds—surely it was Feather Demon Li Chang'an. Strangely, his missing arm seemed restored to his body, yet his right hand flashed with a deep metallic gleam—he had been fitted with a metal arm.

The tornado‑like birds shifted shape; Xia Zhangming's body reappeared among them, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth—he had clearly suffered internal injury in the flute duel. Since hearing the first flute note, Xia Zhangming had already identified his opponent, yet deep down he refused to admit it; only when Li Chang'an appeared did he sever his last hope. Gazing at Li Chang'an opposite him, he exclaimed bewildered: "Senior brother! … Why are you doing this?" He simply could not understand why Li Chang'an, who once recommended him to Hu Xiaotian, now stood against Hu Xiaotian, his lifesaver.

Li Chang'an gazed at Xia Zhangming with a smile: "Everyone has their own choice; I need not explain to you. Considering we come from the same school, I give you a way out."

Xia Zhangming stared coldly at Li Chang'an: "Quite right! Everyone has their own choice; each serves his own master. I give you a chance—if you leave now, we still share the bond of fellow disciples; if you persist in opposing my lord, from now on we have nothing to do with each other!" His words were firm, leaving no room for retreat.

Happy Lantern Festival to all; today's fourth update is here. Zhangyu never rests on the Lantern Festival—after eating tangyuan, keep typing. If you have any Monthly Ticket in hand, please vote for Zhangyu. As the month's end approaches, the final sprint stage begins—craved support. (To be continued…~^~)