Chapter 101: Ambush in the Dense Forest

Fei Ying let out a cold snort, flipped off the carriage, and drew his long sword, its blade flashing with cold light. Fei Yan also appeared from nowhere, twin swords in hand gleaming with cold light; the two fought side by side, their forms ghostlike, and wherever the sword light struck, blood sprayed in all directions as the black-clad men fell one after another.

Jun Jun Zijin held a dagger in one hand and a tranquilizer gun in the other. Like an elegant leopard, he strolled through the battlefield with ease; his dagger rose and fell, slicing through enemies' throats with no wasted motion. His other hand fired the tranquilizer gun repeatedly, and before the opponents could react, they collapsed motionless.

Fei Ying had seen Jun Jun Zijin fight before, so he understood. Fei Yan and Guazi, however, were seeing it for the first time; they simply could not comprehend how Jun Jun Zijin's movements, which did not seem fast, still conveyed an indescribable pressure. How did she manage to make every strike lethal, ruthless yet elegant?

Seeing the two's astonished expressions, Fei Ying felt a surge of pride. He had once said that the girl's Wu Gong was extraordinary, but they had not believed him and insisted on betting with him. Now that they had seen it, should they not admit defeat? Fifty taels of silver, not a single coin less; he would happily accept it.

Jun Jun Zijin and Guazi worked in perfect harmony; in the clash of short weapons, enemies fell like wheat being reaped.

"Master, be careful!" Fei Yan suddenly shouted. A black-clad man was sneaking up from the side, his long sword aimed straight at Jun Jun Zijin's back.

Without turning his head, Jun Jun Zijin fired a shot backward; the tranquilizer needle struck the black-clad man squarely in the face. The man let out a muffled groan and collapsed limply.

The opponents silently cursed; they never imagined that dozens of men were being beaten down by the two men and two women before them.

In just a few short minutes, the ground was littered with the black-clad men's corpses. Just as the battle neared its end, Jun Jun Zijin and the others sensed a burst of killing intent erupting from the dense forest.

"Whoosh." Two sharp arrows shot out from the dense forest into the air; one aimed at Jun Jun Zijin, the other at Fei Ying, who was pinned down by several attackers nearby, both coming with fierce momentum.

Jun Jun Zijin frowned at the sight; it was a tracking Archery technique! But the skill level was still immature. The corners of his lips curled slightly; as he sidestepped, he raised his hand, and the dagger in his grip flew out. With a clang, the arrow aimed at Fei Ying was deflected and pinned into the carriage frame behind.

The arrow aimed at Jun Jun Zijin grazed the edge of his garment. As Jun Jun Zijin bent and dodged, he quickly drew another dagger strapped to his lower leg.

Fei Ying was entangled by several black-clad men and could not break free; seeing this, he felt a wave of relief and looked gratefully at Jun Jun Zijin. Jun Jun Zijin did not respond; he stood in the center of the battlefield, his gaze burning like fire, the dagger in his hand flashing with cold light under the sun. His eyes locked tightly on the depths of the dense forest, and a cold sneer curled his lips.

"If you dare show yourself, why hide your head and tail?" Jun Jun Zijin shouted loudly. His voice was clear, cold, and resolute, echoing through the dense forest.

Yet the forest remained silent, as if the arrows just now had been an illusion.

"Whoosh." Another sound of an arrow cutting through the air; two sharp arrows shot out from the dense forest again, aimed at Jun Jun Zijin, their speed so great it was hard to react. Jun Jun Zijin frowned slightly, flashed his body aside, and avoided the arrow aimed at him, leaving a shallow tear on his garment.

Deep in the dense forest, the wind swept away the clouds, and the leaves rustled.

Just then, the last black-clad man fell. Fei Yan's figure shot out like lightning, heading straight for the dense forest. Jun Jun Zijin's eyes widened; once again, he decided he must learn the Lightness Skill. There was no time for further thought; worried about Fei Yan's safety, he quickly cut the reins connecting the carriage, leaped, and mounted the horse steadily.

The horse's hooves beat urgently; Jun Jun Zijin urged the horse into a gallop, chasing Fei Yan closely. Fei Ying and Guazi followed right behind, protecting Jun Jun Zijin on the left and right as he galloped.

Fei Yan sprinted into the forest, where the silence was terrifying, the light dim, and the tree shadows swaying, as if countless eyes were peering from the darkness; a grim, killing atmosphere hung in the air.

Suddenly, his foot triggered a thin wire, and several sharp spikes shot out from the surroundings in an instant. Fei Yan, agile as ever, flipped in midair to dodge. At the same time, a black figure leaped down from a tree, thrusting a long arrow at Fei Yan. Fei Yan blocked with his sword horizontally, and sparks flew in all directions.

Suddenly, two more black figures leaped down from the trees, lunging straight at Fei Yan! Their moves were cunning and ruthless, making it hard for Fei Yan to dodge completely.

Fei Yan, fighting three opponents alone, found it somewhat difficult; clearly, these few, whether in skill or internal strength, were far beyond the dozens of black-clad men just now.

It was not that Fei Ying and Guazi refused to help Fei Yan; the dense forest held unknown dangers at every turn, and protecting Jun Jun Zijin was their primary duty. They could only hold their ground firmly; they had no other choice. Fei Yan naturally understood this, so unless absolutely necessary, he would not put them in a difficult position.

From afar, Jun Jun Zijin heard the fierce fighting ahead. He whipped the horse hard; the horse, as if sensing his master's desperate anxiety, let out a long neigh, reared, and galloped forward.

Seeing Fei Yan's movements slowing, Jun Jun Zijin's brows knitted tightly. One hundred paces from Fei Yan... fifty paces... thirty paces... twenty paces... Just then, a flash of blood appeared before Jun Jun Zijin's eyes; Fei Yan failed to dodge a sword thrust from a masked man, injuring his left arm and causing his movements to stall.

One masked man swung his blade at Fei Yan, while the other two turned and charged toward Jun Jun Zijin; Fei Ying and Guazi broke away to engage them.

Seeing that Fei Yan could not evade, Jun Jun Zijin whipped the rope he had casually torn from the carriage, wrapping it around the waist of the masked man attacking Fei Yan. Using the momentum, he pulled and flung; the masked man was thrown flying and crashed into a tree. Jun Jun Zijin barely saved Fei Yan. Fei Yan turned back, shock in his eyes, but he quickly calmed down and rejoined the fight.

In an instant, the masked man who had been thrown off abandoned Fei Yan and lunged at Jun Jun Zijin.

Jun Jun Zijin leaped off the horse without hesitation and joined the battle. His dagger flashed rapidly, sending cold light everywhere. Seeing the main target arrive, the three intensified their assault, every strike lethal.

Fei Yan, fighting three alone, was somewhat overwhelmed, but now it was four against three, clearly giving them the upper hand. The four worked with perfect harmony, as if they had been comrades for years. Although Jun Jun Zijin possessed no internal strength, his close-quarters combat was no match for theirs.

In that instant, the masked men, who had been at a disadvantage, showed no sign of retreat. Instead, their swords and blades all swung fiercely at Jun Jun Zijin. Clearly driven mad with rage, they chose this suicidal tactic, attempting to bet everything on one throw.

Jun Jun Zijin flashed backward, barely avoiding the attack. He knew that if she charged forward now, she would surely die, and the other three would also lose their heads for failing to protect their master.

Fei Ying, Fei Yan, and Guazi surrounded Jun Jun Zijin in the center; the battle grew even fiercer, with sword light and blade glints filling the dense forest, and killing intent hanging thick in the air.

In the midst of the three, Jun Jun Zijin seized opportunities to fire tranquilizer needles repeatedly.

The three masked men had to deal with sword and blade attacks while also dodging the tranquilizer needles; they had seen clearly in the forest how deadly the needles were—once stuck, one fell—so they had to guard against them. For a moment, the masked men were flustered and at a loss.

"Now!" Jun Jun Zijin shouted in a low voice, a cold smile curling his lips.