Chapter 167: Slay Huai

Wu Mu had no choice but to lower his head. "I, the subordinate, dare not!"

Tu Huai let out a cold snort and waved his big hand.

"Advance, entire army!"

The large army slowly entered the valley.

On both sides of the valley, the trees were dense, blocking out the sky and sun; the light inside the valley was dim, and the atmosphere oppressive.

Tu Huai rode on his horse, feeling a faint unease in his heart.

At that moment, halfway up the slope, Jiang Xiaomu coldly watched all of this.

He held a signal flare in his hand, and a cold smile curled the corner of his mouth.

"Tu Huai, you've taken the bait!"

He suddenly pulled the signal flare; a red signal flare sliced through the night sky, exploded in midair, forming a gaudy burst of sparks.

Almost simultaneously, from the forests on both sides of the valley, countless arrows rained down like raindrops.

Landing among the barbarian troops, they instantly set off flames shooting to the sky, and wails rose everywhere.

Immediately after, huge rocks rolled down from both sides of the valley, smashing into the barbarian army.

For a moment, men and horses were overturned, and flesh and blood flew everywhere.

The Wangzhou City soldiers lying in ambush in the valley also surged out from all directions, brandishing swords and spears, launching a fierce assault on the barbarian army.

Tu Huai stared at all this, instantly dumbfounded.

He never imagined that he himself had actually fallen into an ambush!

"General, we've been tricked! Quickly retreat!"

Wu Mu shouted in panic.

"What retreat! Kill them!"

However, it was already too late.

The Wangzhou City soldiers surged forward like a tide, completely encircling the barbarian army.

Tu Huai brandished his guandao, chopping left and right, sending sparks flying.

Arrows fell like rain; he was exhausted from dodging, in a sorry state.

Wu Mu loyally shielded his lord, raising his shield high to firmly protect Tu Huai behind him.

Arrowheads stuck into the shield, emitting a rapid "thud-thud" sound, like dense drumbeats striking the rhythm of death.

"General, go quickly! I, the subordinate, will hold the rear!"

Wu Mu shouted hoarsely, his voice torn apart by the valley's wind.

At this moment, Tu Huai felt both shock and anger, yet was helpless.

"Jiang Xiaomu! You despicable villain!"

Jiang Xiaomu leapt down from high above, like a hunting hawk swooping, straight toward Tu Huai.

"To capture the bandits, capture their leader first"—that is an unchanging truth.

Seeing this, Wu Mu roared, sacrificed himself to shove Tu Huai aside, and himself rushed toward Jiang Xiaomu.

The saber in his hand whistled as it sliced the wind, aiming straight for Jiang Xiaomu's throat.

"Overestimating your abilities!"

Jiang Xiaomu snorted coldly, flickered his body, and lightly dodged Wu Mu's attack.

Wu Mu's strike missed, and he was greatly alarmed in his heart.

He had thought his martial arts were strong enough that, even if he couldn't defeat Jiang Xiaomu, he could at least hold out for a while to buy Tu Huai time to escape.

But he hadn't expected Jiang Xiaomu's skill to be so terrifying, far beyond his imagination.

Jiang Xiaomu's speed was astonishingly fast; Wu Mu only felt a blur before his eyes, and Jiang Xiaomu's fist was already before his face.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, Wu Mu's chest took a solid punch.

He felt his five viscera and six bowels shift, his throat sweetened, and a mouthful of blood spurted out.

He staggered back several steps, seeing gold stars flash before his eyes, barely able to stay upright.

Jiang Xiaomu gave him no chance to breathe, then kicked him in the abdomen.

Wu Mu let out a miserable cry, flew off like a broken kite, and crashed heavily to the ground.

He swayed as he rose to his feet, his eyes showing no fear, only a resolve to face death.

With one hand gripping the shield and the other waving the saber, he charged at Jiang Xiaomu once again.

"Hmph, a dying struggle!"

Jiang Xiaomu's eyes flashed with contempt; his long blade sliced like lightning.

A head flew up; Wu Mu's burly body crashed to the ground, blood spurting out and staining the valley soil red.

Tu Huai's eyes nearly burst; he never imagined his most loyal subordinate would be so easily slain by Jiang Xiaomu.

Now the situation was lost, yet a frenzied fury ignited in his heart.

Better to die fighting than to linger in vain!

"Jiang Xiaomu! Give me your life!"

Tu Huai let out a heaven-shaking roar, raised his guandao high, and came down hard on Jiang Xiaomu.

The guandao carried a howling wind, as if it would cleave Jiang Xiaomu in two.

Jiang Xiaomu dared not hesitate, raising his long blade to meet the attack.

"Clang!" A huge roar, sparks flying everywhere. The two weapons collided, producing a deafening sound.

Tu Huai's strength was astonishing; with one blow, Jiang Xiaomu felt his tiger's mouth go numb, his arms almost shaken apart.

He involuntarily retreated several steps, his face turning slightly pale.

Tu Huai pressed his advantage, his halberd strikes coming faster and faster like a violent storm, lunging at Jiang Xiaomu.

Jiang Xiaomu could only barely parry, retreating step by step.

"Bang!" Tu Huai seized an opportunity, landing a heavy punch hard on Jiang Xiaomu's chest.

Jiang Xiaomu groaned, feeling a sharp pain in his chest as if his ribs might break.

Tu Huai's eyes flashed with killing intent; without hesitation he raised his halberd and swung at Jiang Xiaomu's neck.

In the nick of time, Jiang Xiaomu rolled aside, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.

He scrambled to his feet in a sorry state, chest pain flaring and his breathing growing ragged.

"You little brat, still pretty agile!"

Tu Huai gave a grim laugh and raised his halberd again.

Jiang Xiaomu drew a deep breath, gritted his teeth against the chest pain, and swung his blade to meet the attack again.

The two clashed again, blades flashing, murderous intent filling the air.

Tu Huai's strength and experience far surpassed Jiang Xiaomu's; Jiang Xiaomu could only barely hold on with his agile footwork and unusually quick reflexes.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!" The clash of weapons echoed through the valley, sparks flying.

Jiang Xiaomu's body now bore several wounds, blood staining his clothes.

Just then, Jiang Xiaomu suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head, his vision darkening as he nearly fainted.

He staggered, almost collapsing to the ground.

Seeing this, Tu Huai gave a grim laugh: "You little brat, you're done for!"

He raised his halberd high, preparing to deliver the final blow to Jiang Xiaomu.

Tu Huai was about to strike down when he suddenly felt a chill run down his back.

Almost instinctively, he jerked his head to the side.

A crossbow bolt whistled past, grazing his cheek before embedding itself in the tree behind him, its tail still vibrating.

"Who?!" Tu Huai roared, glancing around in surprise and uncertainty.

That arrow came too suddenly, at a tricky angle with great force—definitely not the work of an ordinary person.

In that split second of distraction, Jiang Xiaomu seized the opportunity, his long blade thrusting out like a snake's tongue straight for Tu Huai's throat.

Tu Huai hastily raised his blade to block, hearing only a loud "clang" as sparks flew.

Though he blocked the deadly strike, the immense force numbed his arm, split his tiger's mouth, and blood dripped down the hilt.

Jiang Xiaomu pressed his advantage, his long blade turning into flashes of cold light as his assault poured down like a violent storm.

Though wounded, Tu Huai, a veteran of countless battles, relied on his rich experience and tough physique to barely fend off Jiang Xiaomu's furious onslaught.

In the valley, blades flashed and figures crossed, the constant clang of weapons filling the air.

Jiang Xiaomu grew more astonished the longer they fought.

This Tu Huai, worthy of his title as Commander of the Barbarians, truly possessed formidable strength.

Even severely wounded, he remained extraordinarily ferocious, each strike carrying the force to split mountains and shatter stone.

He gritted his teeth against the chest pain, stubbornly holding on.

He needed to quickly find Tu Huai's opening, for once his stamina ran out, death would be certain.