Chapter 399

Except for a few frail women, everyone simultaneously sprang to their feet and rushed toward Chen Zheng.

Our purpose was the same: to save Chen Zheng beneath the threat of that strange flying sword.

"Get out of my way"……

Unexpectedly, the tottering Chen Zheng erupted with an unprecedented aura under the threat of the flying sword.

He shoved everyone aside, his hunched body leaping up again like an enraged king of beasts, Chen Zheng threw another punch at the oncoming silver sword.

Again came a thunderous boom; after their clash, the flying sword fell once more, while Chen Zheng spat blood repeatedly, retreated dozens of steps, slammed into the stone wall, then rebounded and fell to the ground.

"Brother Zheng……" Fan Wuchang's eyes reddened as he struggled to run to Chen Zheng's side.

Blood-soaked Chen Zheng wiped the blood from his mouth corner, gave a wry smile: "I'm fine, as my adoptive father said, the people of Dongling, as long as we stand, will never be knocked down; as long as we stand, our blood all over will boil, fiercely cutting down any invading rabble with our fists…… Right now, I haven't fallen, I can still stand, I…… haven't lost".

Chen Zheng gritted his teeth; despite the difficulty, he still managed to rise, swaying as if about to collapse. His face was deathly pale, his body covered in blood, yet his eyes still shone with a striking brilliance; even in defeat…… he remained that man who stood tall between heaven and earth.

The situation is now dire; we are like fish and meat on a chopping board, like beasts trapped in a cage, and at any moment the broker's hand will place us on the board and mince us.

Despite the perilous situation, everyone present, including Silijing, showed not a trace of fear on their faces.

All that can be said is that Chen Zheng gave everyone the confidence to find life in desperation. Standing beside this blood-soaked man, everyone's heart filled with an intense sense of security.

The humming sound resonated again inside the secret passage; the barely audible noise made my complexion change.

"Hurry up, this flying sword is under someone's control; as long as the sorcerer doesn't die, this sword cannot be defeated." I hastily quick-stepped behind Chen Zheng and twisted the mechanism on the rock wall.

With a clatter, the heavy stone door slowly opened, letting light into the dark passage.

Everyone hurried without hesitation, helping Chen Zheng and Dong Yumin as they rushed out.

Pangzi was the last to come out; after everyone had left, he twisted the mechanism, then did a lazy donkey roll, barely escaping through the gap beneath the stone door.

Once the stone door was shut, the retreat of that strange flying sword was completely cut off; only then did everyone's hearts ease a little.

Outside the secret passage lay an unnamed small hill; not far away was a stream about two meters wide. Fan Wuchang and Yuan Qiu helped Chen Zheng along, while Pangzi, Silijing, and others each took a side to hold Dong Yumin, sitting on rocks to rest a bit.

"Ah Chang, are your injuries better?" The moment we escaped, Chen Zheng anxiously asked about Fan Wuchang's injuries.

At this moment, Fan Wuchang's clothes were in tatters, ripped piece after piece, looking exactly like a beggar by the roadside.

On his chest and back, faintly visible were wounds crisscrossing like tree roots; especially his shoulder, a two-centimeter scar faintly showed, deep enough that even the bone was vaguely visible.

Fan Wuchang forced his spirits, his pale face managing a sliver of a smile as he shook his head at Chen Zheng: "Brother Zheng, I'm fine, are you okay?"

Chen Zheng suddenly let out a desolate sigh, gazing at Fan Wuchang for a long while, patted his shoulder, and after a moment was left speechless, choking up.

"It's fine…… I'm fine! You forgot, how many battles we fought in the Golden Triangle and Vietnam, those foreign devils hearing the news would lose their courage, upon hearing the size of our Dongling characters they'd immediately retreat three feet! This little injury, to me…… what does it amount to." Chen Zheng suddenly burst into loud laughter, his laughter filled with the arrogance of looking down on the world.

Everyone fell silent; even though I had a thousand doubts in my heart, I uttered not a word at this moment. Even Yao Yirong, who always fears chaos, unusually fell silent. Everyone sat quietly aside, gazing at Chen Zheng and Fan Wuchang, that pair of brothers-in-arms, remaining speechless for a long time.

This is a play, in which two clumsy protagonists perform a false script with vivid liveliness, moving everyone. One is a half‑master of the underworld in Aomen, the other a dreaded night specter on the martial path. Both bear grievous wounds, yet they force out false smiles to comfort each other, saying: "I'm fine."

Speaking lies, what should have been a false smile instead moved people to tears.

"Don't leave me, don't abandon me; even if we die, we must die together. Please, don't let me live alone, I'm afraid……"

Dong Yumin merely clung to Chen Zheng, venting her panic and unease.

"Don't cry, don't cry, everything's over…… good, don't cry," Chen Zheng kept patting Dong Yumin's back to comfort her, but she was truly panicked, just repeatedly murmuring "Don't leave me, don't abandon me" and similar words.

Looking at Dong Yumin's panicked face, all my doubts were completely dispelled. Although I'm not usually suspicious, I trust my intuition; the sense of danger Dong Yumin gave me earlier had lingered like a dark cloud over my heart.

But at this moment, that trace of worry and doubt vanished the instant Dong Yumin flung herself into Chen Zheng's embrace; a person's expression can be feigned, but the eyes never lie.

The very first glance she gave Chen Zheng after waking from her coma, filled with panic and tension, already fully showed how important Chen Zheng was in her heart.

"Ah Min, this time we've fallen into a dead end. Everyone wants me dead, wants me to step down from the position of Dragon Head of Dongling." Chen Zheng tightly hugged Dong Yumin, regardless of whether she could hear his words, just muttering to himself: "Do you know? Actually I don't want to keep fighting with them, but they keep forcing me, again and again pushing me into a desperate situation. I keep strengthening myself, only wanting to protect my brothers well, to protect you well."

Then who, using every possible means, is trying to kill Chen Zheng? Is the mastermind truly only the Downhill Tiger of the Tiger Gang? Or did the Downhill Tiger reach some agreement with them? And what is the "thing" that Chen Zheng previously hinted at?

Clutching this lock of hair, half gray‑white, half jet‑black, I harbored a thousand doubts, yet after racking my brain I could not find a single clue.

"Sister‑in‑law, you and Brother Zheng, rest assured—we've escaped from outside the secret passage and are now safe." At that moment, Yuan Qiu stepped forward to comfort the bewildered Dong Yumin.

"Safe? I'm not so sure…" Pangzi's face grew grave as he drew from his bosom a copper‑coin sword only a few inches long, stood up, and stared warily at the empty, quiet hilltop; this petite sword was one of the magical implements he usually carried.

Everyone looked in the direction Pangzi was gazing, but saw nothing but trees and weeds.

But I, who knows Pangzi extremely well, knew he wasn't acting on a whim, so I also hurriedly rose and asked nervously: "Pangzi, what's happening? Is there some situation?"

Pangzi said nothing, merely pointing solemnly at the mountain ahead.

But at this moment, that trace of worry and doubt vanished in the instant Dong Yumin flung herself into Chen Zheng's embrace; a person's expression can be feigned, but the eyes never lie.

As Pangzi's words fell, a sudden tramping of footsteps rang out from a nearby hilltop, the grass and trees shaking continuously; the steps were resonant and powerful, like troops marching in orderly, rhythmic unison.

Everyone sprang to their feet, nervously gazing toward the hilltop; in an instant, one figure after another appeared in the dense forest.

Countless "Guan Erge"—no, they were countless paper men leaping down from the hilltop, with silkworm‑brow eyebrows, faces like deep red dates, resembling the martial saint Guan Di; each wielded a green‑dragon crescent blade, their steps uniform, murderous aura surging as they charged toward us.

Seeing the paper men surge forward like a swarm of insects, everyone's faces involuntarily changed, while I sucked in a breath of cold air.

"Elder sister-in-law, you and Brother Zheng, rest assured—we have already escaped from the secret passage and are now safe." At this moment, Yuan Qiu stepped forward, comforting the bewildered Dong Yumin.

"Safe? I'm not so sure……" Pangzi's expression grew grave as he pulled from his bosom a copper coin sword only a few inches long, rose to his feet, and gazed warily at the quiet, deserted hilltop; this petite sword was one of the magical implements Pangzi habitually carried on his person.

Everyone looked in the direction Pangzi was staring, but found nothing but trees and weeds.

But I, who knew Pangzi extremely well, knew he wasn't speaking without cause, so I also quickly stood up, nervously asking him: "Pangzi, what happened? Is there something going on?"

Pangzi didn't speak, just solemnly pointed toward the mountain ahead.

"There, something is coming."

As Pangzi's words fell, a sudden thud-thud of footsteps came from the hilltop not far away, the grass and trees swaying continuously; the footsteps were resonant and powerful, like soldiers marching, neat and rhythmic.

Everyone stood up, nervously looking toward the hilltop. In an instant, one after another figure appeared in the dense forest.

Countless Guan Erge. No, countless paper people leapt down from the hilltop, with silkworm-brow eyebrows, faces like dark dates, resembling the martial saint Guan Di. Each wielded a Qinglong yan yue dao, steps orderly, murderous aura surging as they rushed toward us.

Looking at the paper people surging up like a swarm of insects, everyone's faces changed involuntarily, and I even drew a sharp breath of cold air.

"This method, truly..."