Chapter 5: Killing the Thieves

In an instant, three people rushed up in front of Lu Li.

These three coordinated skillfully, with one of them holding a single-edged blade and slashing down directly at Lu Xingzhou.

The blade was sharp, much like the fangs of a wild wolf.

Another person rolled on the ground and pulled two sharp iron rings from their bosom.

Rolling while attacking, they used a ground-based technique to strike at Lu Xingzhou's legs.

The third person leaped up, flicked their clothes, and instantly drew three flying knives from their waist, sealing off Lu Xingzhou's paths to the left, right, and above with three consecutive throws, leaving Lu Xingzhou with nowhere to dodge.

These three coordinated seamlessly, clearly being veterans who had worked together for a long time.

In just an instant, they sealed off Lu Li's upper, middle, and lower paths, forming a lethal trap for Lu Xingzhou.

However, Lu Li's martial arts were more than a cut above theirs, and he had long since cultivated the Huashan Sect's sword techniques to the realm of Perfection.

In the world of the jianghu, he was also a standout among the younger generation of the major sects.

The only thing Lu Li lacked was combat experience.

Yet, having transmigrated here, Lu Li had seen Demon Beasts running rampant and harming people in his childhood, and had personally experienced the death of his parents; how could his mind not be resilient? Seeing the three surround him in an instant, he not only did not retreat but instead took a step forward.

A cold glint appeared in his eyes, and Lu Li thrust out three sword strikes in an instant.

The sword light was like an inverted silver moon, and also like drifting clouds and mist.

"What cannot be seen is called 'Yi', what cannot be heard is called 'Xi'."

What Lu Li used was precisely the Xiyi Sword Technique.

This Xiyi Sword Technique was an extremely profound martial art among the existing sword techniques of the Huashan Sect.

Executed by Lu Li at this moment, it was particularly exquisite; his long sword seemed to vanish, emitting a faint, elusive Sword Song.

Even Ning Zhongze, who was following far behind him, could not help but praise him.

Seeing Lu Li surrounded by the three, she had been anxious, fearing that Lu Li would not be able to handle it.

Yet she had not expected that Lu Li's sword technique would be this exquisite.

As Lu Li thrust out the three swords, he pierced through the two people who had rushed in front of him almost simultaneously, while the third sword turned in front of his chest, knocking down all three flying knives.

In the blink of an eye, two bandits were slain by Lu Li!

On the other side, Linghu Chong was entangled with three other bandits.

As Linghu Chong flicked his long sword, one of the bandits had nowhere left to dodge.

Suddenly, a person beside that bandit hurriedly pulled them away, but ended up being pierced through the chest by Linghu Chong's sword; clearly, they would not survive.

"Fifth Brother!"

Although the bandit who had been pulled away escaped a disaster, their eyes had already turned red.

"The mark is tough!

Old Eleven, run!"

"Hahaha!

What is Fifth Brother saying? How could I, Yan Shiyi, be someone who clings to life and fears death?"

Yan Shiyi looked up to the sky and roared: "Last month it was Fifth Brother who helped me, and I killed that thieving steward; I've already earned enough."

"Not bad!

Our Thirteen Wild Geese roam the jianghu; who among us is afraid of death? How could we abandon our brothers?"

Hearing the heroism in these three people's words, Linghu Chong's movements faltered.

Before, he had only felt that this group of people were heinous, but now they seemed like righteous men with deep bonds.

Because his movements faltered, two bandits lunged over with their blades.

Only then did Linghu Chong suddenly wake up, using the move 'Clear Breeze Arrives' to strike at the shoulders of the two.

He had been moved by the heroism of the bandits just now, so this sword strike had not been aimed at their vital throats.

As for this group of bandits, although they coordinated with tacit understanding, their own martial arts were not particularly brilliant.

Being able to run rampant in the countryside was merely due to their desperate momentum and their heartless, wolf-like nature that had abandoned all conscience.

In the blink of an eye, Lu Li and Linghu Chong had already subdued ten people.

It was just that Lu Li did not show mercy, slaying all six bandits.

While Linghu Chong had only killed the one from before, and for the remaining three, he had only stabbed their legs and arms.

Linghu Chong rushed to the village square and saw more than twenty corpses around.

Six of them were the corpses of the bandits, while the rest were the victimized villagers.

Lu Li's clothes were stained with blood as he stood holding his sword.

"Junior Brother, how is it!

Are you injured?"

Lu Li shook his head and said: "I only got some filth on me.

I asked, these Thirteen Wild Geese have thirteen people in total; I have already slain six, what about your side?"

"I subdued four,"

Linghu Chong said.

"Hmm, then only these three in front of us remain."

Lu Li turned his gaze toward the leader, Chou Yang.

Hearing that several of his brothers had been killed, Chou Yang's face turned pale, and he roared viciously: "A fine Huashan Sect!

A fine righteous sect, yet you only come to oppose poor people like us?"

"When I was bullied and driven to the point of my family being torn apart by that corrupt official and the one surnamed Yang, I didn't see your Huashan Sect come out to punish evil and promote good."

"The day I went up to Huashan, what did your Gentleman Sword say? You said the Huashan Sect had suffered a disaster and was closing the mountain, ignoring the affairs of the jianghu."

"Now I am leading my brothers to take revenge, yet you come here to do good deeds?!"

"Do you think these villagers are good people? Every one of them deserves to die."

Chou Yang's eyes were bloodshot as he roared at Lu Li and Linghu Chong.

As he spoke, Chou Yang grabbed the old village chief and smashed his head forcefully against the ground, covering his face in blood.

"Come, you tell me yourself, how did you all watch coldly from the sidelines that day?"

"What were you all saying? It takes two to tango, and flies don't bite seamless eggs!"

"Saying my wife was unchaste, seducing that man surnamed Yang!"

"Saying I deserved it."

"I want to return the bullying I suffered that day to you all, doubled."

The old village chief was pinned down by Chou Yang; he neither admitted nor denied it, only trembling as he kowtowed and begged for mercy.

"I, my granddaughter is still young, please..."

"You all deserve to die."

Chou Yang interrupted his words directly, his palm exerting sudden force, smashing his skull to pieces.

Seeing this scene, Lu Li and Linghu Chong guessed the past events with reasonable accuracy.

This Chou Yang was originally an innocent person, but after encountering disaster, he had turned into the cruel bandit he was today.

Linghu Chong only felt a sense of depression in his chest; this Chou Yang was originally a pitiful person, and the Thirteen Wild Geese were all men of deep loyalty and righteousness.

The sense of justice in his heart to eliminate villains vanished; looking at the tragic scene before him, he no longer knew how to conduct himself. Asking him to thrust his sword at this group of heroes made his heart unable to bear it, and he stood there in a daze.

Lu Li sneered: "If you were only seeking revenge against your own enemies, that would be a Jianghu vendetta; I might have spared your lives today and called you heroes."

"But now, you are slaughtering the innocent, not even sparing a young girl of a few years."

"Heh, wanting to survive at my hands is nothing but a delusion."

Having said that, Lu Li raised his sword and charged.

Even without Linghu Chong's help, Lu Li did not fear these three.

Among the Three Wild Geese, only the leader Chou Yang had learned some advanced techniques, and his Flying Goose Saber had some skill, but they were still no match for Lu Li.

"Big Brother!"

"Sixth Brother!"

"In the next life, we will still be brothers."

Yan Two clutched his chest, seeing blood pouring from it like a fountain, his body gradually going limp.

He let out a sudden, explosive shout, threw the iron hammer in his hand with all his might at Lu Li, and then collapsed to the ground, dead.

Lu Li shifted his feet and dodged the hammer.

He turned and thrust his sword, piercing Yan Six's throat.

Following closely, he exerted force with his feet, his body lunging out, and he arrived before Chou Yang in an instant.

With a loud 'Boom—', Chou Yang's body flew backward, and the weapon in his hand was also slashed into two pieces by Lu Li.

Chou Yang saw that Lu Li's martial arts were far superior to his own, and that even with the three brothers joining forces, they could not injure Lu Li in the slightest, instead losing their lives.

And he himself had been crippled by Lu Li, with no strength left to resist, so he laughed miserably and said: "Hahaha!"

"I have avenged my great grudge; this life has been worth it!"

"Having committed these acts, there is no chance of survival if caught by the government; come, please give me a quick end, sir."

Linghu Chong's expression was solemn as he cupped his hands and said: "You are indeed a hero; do you have any final wishes? I, Linghu Chong..."

But before his words could finish, Lu Li had already slashed the man's head off with one sword strike.

He interrupted Linghu Chong's words and sneered: "Raping, plundering, and slaughtering the innocent—does such a piece of filth deserve to be called a hero? Senior Brother, you are the first disciple of the Huashan Sect; how can you judge people only by their temperament when interacting with them? These people may seem forthright, but behind them are the bloody lives of innocent people!"

"If these words of yours were to spread today, who knows how others would view Huashan?"

Linghu Chong was choked by Lu Li's words, his mind in chaos, and he was unable to utter a word.