Chapter 5: The Quick Blade Unsheathed, the Azure Dragon in the Sleeve

Chu Xiu shook his head and sighed, "Since I cannot buy my own life with money, I can only come to buy yours instead"

At that moment, a glimmer of brilliance appeared in Chu Xiu's eyes. After dodging a blade, he immediately lowered his body and suddenly closed in on the bandit leader. A flash of silver light shot out from his sleeve, directly aimed at the bandit leader's neck

However, the bandit leader then exerted force with his wrist, transforming the slash into a sweep, aiming to strike Chu Xiu at the waist. Yet, Chu Xiu rolled with the momentum, appearing somewhat disheveled, but successfully evaded the sweep.

The swift blade is unsheathed, the azure dragon lies within the sleeve

Although Chu Xiu has only just begun his journey in martial arts, he comes from a family with a rich martial arts heritage, which gives him a broader perspective compared to some practitioners from unorthodox backgrounds. From the way that yellow-faced man drags his sword while walking, Chu Xiu can tell that this person is definitely not like the bandit leader from the unorthodox path; he is a practitioner with authentic martial arts lineage

He was simply born with great strength; wielding a heavy weapon like the Tiger Head Gold Knife in his hands was as easy as play. With a single sweep of this blade, even someone in armor would be cleaved in two.

He is a martial artist from a humble background, having only learned some rudimentary external techniques to strengthen his muscles and bones, and he does not even know any proper swordsmanship

They are all ordinary servants of the Chu family, possessing some martial arts skills, barely reaching the Body Refinement stage. When facing these experienced bandits in one-on-one combat, they find it somewhat challenging, let alone now facing over a hundred opponents.

As the voice fell, Ma Kuo's giant sword came crashing down, executing a series of movements: stepping forward, dragging the sword, raising it, and then striking. Each action maximized the exertion of his strength to the utmost.

It is merely an ordinary vertical slash, yet the strength of one part can unleash the power of three parts, far surpassing that of the bandit leader from the backwoods.

As this sword fell, the bandit leader, having been injured in the shoulder by Chu Xiu, was unable to wield his knife with both hands. The golden knife, shaped like a tiger's head, was directly severed and sent flying. He attempted to escape, but that horse-like figure was incredibly agile, swiftly catching up and cleaving him in half with a single sword strike

Chu Xiu dismounted from the carriage and said calmly: "If you gentlemen are looking to rob me, I have a few thousand taels of silver here; feel free to take it if you wish. As for the rest, as you can see, I am not a merchant convoy and have nothing of value."

The bandit leader approached with a knife in hand, laughing loudly: "They all say that the second son of the Chu family is a coward, but now that I see him, he actually has some courage. It's a pity you spoke too late. Although I am a bandit, I value my word, so you can rest assured and continue on your journey!"

Several thousand taels of silver is quite a sum, but unfortunately, your life is worth much more than that, young man. Speak, how do you wish to die?

In front of so many subordinates, the fact that one is unable to deal with even a useless young master makes it seem as if one is even more useless than the useless person themselves

Even within the same realm of tempering the body, the gap between martial artists of the same rank is still quite significant

A fierce glint appeared in the eyes of the bandit leader as he swung the tiger-headed gold-claiming knife in his hand, the blade's momentum was domineering, and the sound of the wind howled angrily

Ma Kuo approached with a heavy sword, grinning menacingly: "Kid, aren't you afraid of me engaging in black-on-black violence?"

The bandit leader retreated, clutching his blood-soaked arm, his eyes revealing a look of terror. Had he not dodged quickly from that knife just now, a single strike would have cost him his life!

At this moment, Gao Bei appeared from somewhere and cautiously approached Chu Xiu, saying: "Young Master, I hope I am not late"

Chu Xiu raised his hands and said: "The master of the horse should know my identity. You have seen the conditions I promised you. If you kill me, you might get a few thousand taels of silver at most, but if you do not kill me, what you will obtain are various refined ores, enough for your subordinates to exchange all that scrap metal for something better."

Ma Kuo expressed some doubt, saying: "Are you really not deceiving me? As far as I know, the refined ores mined by your Chu family are quite limited; would you truly be willing to give them to me?"

One of the men in his thirties was their leader, with a waxy complexion. Although he was not short, he was quite thin. However, he was wielding a heavy sword in his hand, which was quite incongruous with his physique

Chuxiu gazed at Ma Kuo's retreating figure, a contemplative expression appearing in his eyes. Qilian? Bandits? Bandits with a legacy of martial arts?

However, the amount of silver on Chu Xiu was not substantial, so he promised those bandits some refined ores, which were the specialty of the Chu family in the Nanshan mining area and also the only meager power that Chu Xiu currently possessed

That group consisted of only a few dozen individuals, merely half the number of the bandit leader before them, yet each one was exceptionally ruthless, immediately cutting down a swath of people.

Moments later, Chu Xiu suddenly thought of something; it seemed he had already figured out the identity of the other party. Gao Bei, this fellow, was indeed fortunate, as he casually invited a group of bandits, and he ended up bringing in someone of considerable stature.

Thus, at the moment the blade struck, he suddenly halted his movement. The innate energy within his body circulated, albeit only a thin thread, which was of little effect, but still better than nothing. At the very least, Chu Xiu had only practiced for a few days, yet the total amount of true energy he possessed was already greater than that accumulated by him over several years of cultivating the Vast Sea Heart Method

However, Chu Xiu is not Li Tong. In the face of the powerful and forceful strike, Chu Xiu remains remarkably calm. His strength is inferior to that of the bandit leader, and against the might of the Tiger Head Gold Knife, he is likely unable to withstand even a single blow

The leader of the bandits was a giant with long, flowing hair, wielding a menacing tiger-headed gold-claiming knife. The broad blade dragged along the ground, and the copper-carved tiger head at the handle was covered in blood, clearly indicating that this knife had been stained with a considerable amount of blood

The bandit leader's eyes revealed a hint of surprise, as if he did not expect that this useless young master could actually evade his strike.

Chu Xiu said lightly: "Master Ma, you should know why these people have come to kill me today. There are those in the Chu family who want me dead outside; would I still care about the resources for the Chu family?"

Chu Xiu looked at the bandit leader, his expression unchanged, and said: "It is all about spending money to buy life. If someone is willing to spend money to take my life, then I can naturally spend money to buy my own life. You know my identity, so step aside now. In the future, if you want a certain amount of silver, just state it directly."

Previously, Li Tong was also at the Body Tempering Realm, and he was a collateral member of the Li family, practicing the internal skills of the Li family. However, his practical combat experience was quite weak.

After more than ten consecutive attempts without being able to gain the upper hand against the opponent, the bandit leader began to feel anxious, not out of fear of being unable to kill Chu Xiu, but rather because of the damage to his own pride

Having received the item, Ma Kuo nodded in satisfaction and muttered, "You big families have all sorts of nonsense going on, but you, young man, are quite straightforward. If there are such good things in the future, you can come find me. After all, it's all about killing. My people under Qilian... my subordinates are all very efficient."

Chu Xiu casually remarked while observing the battlefield, "Not bad, just right"

The bandit leader before me possesses no internal strength, yet his strikes are decisive and ruthless; if Li Tong were to engage him, he would likely be cut down in a single blow

Ma Kuo sneered coldly, "What are you doing? Of course, I am going to deal with you! Even you, the third one, relying on your seniority in the Shangmang Mountain, have snatched my business more than once or twice. This time, I will send you to meet Yan Wang!"

The expression on the bandit leader's face darkened, but before he could say anything, Chu Xiu unexpectedly charged directly at him, as if preparing to capture the king before the thief.

Speaking, Chu Xiu directly handed a piece of paper to Ma Kuodao: "This is my order, with my seal on it. You can send someone to the Nanshan mining area with it to obtain a batch of refined ore at a low price. Of course, the action must be swift; I am still in charge of the Nanshan mining area for now, but it may not be the case for long."

His heart in disarray, his movements became somewhat chaotic, resulting in a frenzied assault, having completely abandoned his own defense

The bandit leader, having experienced countless battles, felt a sudden chill run down his spine at the moment he saw the flash of the silver blade. A strong sense of crisis surged within him, and his body instinctively twisted as he retreated, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike.

However, unexpectedly, Chu Xiu changed the momentum of his blade, twisting like a swimming dragon, and struck downward, landing a blow on his shoulder that nearly severed his arm!

Therefore, previously, Chu Xiu had sent Gao Bei to make a trip to Shangmang Mountain. If his second mother could spend money to have bandits kill him, then Chu Xiu could also spend money to have bandits protect him, as it is all a matter of spending money.

Chu Xiu stood in place holding a short knife, feeling rather indifferent. He had not possessed this hidden green dragon for long, and his lack of practice was evident. If he were given a few more days to become more familiar with it, the bandit leader would undoubtedly be unable to evade this strike.

As soon as the word 'kill' was uttered, a chorus of cries for blood had already emerged, but it did not come from the bandit leader's side; rather, it was from another group of people

At that moment, the bandit leader, seeing this scene, could not help but shout angrily with red eyes: "Ma Kuo! What the hell do you want to do?"

After everyone, including Ma Kuo, had left, Chu Xiu finally turned his gaze towards the carriage, a chilling smile appearing at the corner of his mouth

Seek death!

Chu Xiu simply clasped his hands towards the broad-shouldered man and said: "Thank you very much for your assistance this time, good sir"

Previously, when Yue'er urged Chu Xiu to go to Yuanbao Town, he could already guess that his second mother was quite ruthless. Even towards a son like him, who had almost no chance of inheriting the position of family head, she showed no mercy at all, most likely not wanting him to return to the Chu family

The bandit leader's eyes glinted with a fierce light as he said: "Kill! Everyone, attack together and wipe them all out!"

Moreover, although the bandit leader fought fiercely and Chu Xiu was in a state of utter embarrassment while dodging, in reality, Chu Xiu did not suffer any significant injuries.

With a powerful punch, Chu Xiu's fist struck the broad blade, causing the Tiger Head Gold Blade to slightly deflect and narrowly graze past Chu Xiu's side

Shaking off the blood from his sword, Ma Kuo turned around and smiled at Chu Xiusen. Gao Bei, who was beside him, was already terrified by the scene where Ma Kuo had just cleaved a man in two with a single sword strike, and upon seeing that smile, he immediately shuddered.

After saying this, Ma Kuo directly dragged his giant sword, called back those who were still pursuing the bandits, and left without hesitation

To become a bandit, one naturally needs to be equipped. His subordinates are not lacking in weapons, but they are all ordinary swords and knives forged by common blacksmiths. In contrast, the refined ores produced by the Nanshan mine of the Chu family are the true treasures, used for forging sharp blades.

Outside the carriage, over a hundred fierce-looking bandits armed with weapons have surrounded the carriage completely, while the dozen or so subordinates of Chu Xiu display expressions of terror and despair.

This time, the reason he would take action, apart from the fact that his old rival was there to assassinate Chu Xiu, was also because the conditions proposed by Chu Xiu were indeed very enticing to him