Chapter 9: The Mysterious Man in Black

Li Xiuning was taken aback, glancing at Ma Sanbao behind her. Ma Sanbao was also startled and quickly rode off on his horse, cutting down a section of wood from the mountain and handing it to Li Xin

"Looking for death!" The expression of the man in black changed as he looked at Li Xin across from him, his face darkening. Suddenly, one of the men in black whispered something in his ear, and he let out a sinister laugh, saying: "So it's the fool from the Li family of Shouyang. Tsk tsk, truly a fool. Do you think you can stand against all of us by yourself? It doesn't matter if you die, but the entire Li family of Shouyang might face extermination because of your actions today. I heard you have an old mother; she has worked tirelessly over the years to raise you. Are you not afraid that after today, all her efforts will be in vain, and she might even lose her life because of you? You can still withdraw now, and we might spare your Li family."

With a loud bang, a surge of hot blood erupted, resembling a fountain as it gushed from the chest, mixed with fragments of internal organs, whistling outwards, accompanied by a piercing scream that reached the ears of those nearby

"Miss, are you alright!" Ma Sanbao hurried over, accompanied by several maidservants who closely guarded her sides, their eyes fixed on the opposite side, yet revealing an expression of excitement.

"Yes." Ma Sanbao was momentarily taken aback, but soon understood the situation. A mysterious smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he quickly urged his horse forward. Li Xin, not daring to lag behind, also galloped ahead, grabbing a handful of stones from the ground and throwing them with all his might at the black-clad men. A whistling sound filled the air, and several warhorses let out a mournful cry, blood gushing from their bodies. The black-clad men on them were caught off guard and fell from their horses one after another, subsequently killed by Li Xiuning and several of her subordinates. However, two black-clad men managed to escape.

"Those cowardly rats dare to speak so boldly here. What place is this? This is Shouyang, where the people of Shouyang live in peace and contentment. How can I allow people like you to appear here?" Li Xin gently urged his warhorse forward. He was not skilled at riding, but he still had the ability to maneuver the horse lightly. When he reached Li Xiuning's side, he extended his hand and said, "Wooden stick!"

Kill! Li Xiuning saw it clearly, her eyes brightening; how could she let such an opportunity slip away? Without a moment's hesitation, she commanded her subordinates to charge forward. Ma Sanbao's expression fluctuated between dark and light; in the end, he cast a glance at the advancing Li Xiuning and, along with several maidservants, rushed out to engage in battle with some men in black.

At that moment, several dark shadows flew in from the distance, and once again, a few figures in black fell from their horses. A shadow rushed down from the mountainside, as swift as thunder and lightning

The black-clad individuals across the way, upon witnessing their leader being killed, were filled with panic. No longer daring to continue the fight here, they hastily turned their horses around and fled. With such a formidable enemy present, who would still dare to linger? That would be tantamount to seeking death

Ma Sanbao fiercely struck the warhorse that was seated, quickly advancing forward with a fierce expression, desperately charging towards the two individuals in the distance, appearing intent on killing them. However, Li Xin's expression was grim, as he could see that although Ma Sanbao was putting in effort, he was showing considerable mercy during the fight. There were several instances where he could have killed one of the opponents, yet he allowed them to escape. Ultimately, the two sides fought further and further apart. Although Li Xiuning wanted to pursue them, the opponents had already traveled a great distance.

"It's nothing." Li Xiuning glanced around, carefully observing any slight changes in her surroundings. The newcomer could be an enemy or a friend, or perhaps it was difficult to distinguish between the two. Those who sought the evidence she possessed were not only from the Yuwen family but also from other prominent families in Guanzhong, as well as those from Hebei, Jiangnan, and Sichuan. Everyone wished to eliminate the Yuwen family, and it was even possible that they would take the opportunity to strike hard at Duke Tang.

They must not be allowed to escape. Li Xiuning also thought of something and commanded Ma Sanbao, saying: "Ma Sanbao, hurry, kill all these people. We cannot let them get away."

After a while, Ma Sanbao rode over on his warhorse. He glanced at Li Xin and then said to Li Xiuning: "Miss, I have already killed one, and the other is severely injured. Although it has escaped, it is unlikely to survive. I am concerned for your safety, so I returned first."

"Damn it." The leader of the men in black was momentarily taken aback, his figure swaying. Suddenly, he heard a piercing scream from behind; one of his subordinates had been pierced through the chest by a long knife, the immense force sending him flying off his horse, crashing to the ground beneath the horse, clearly on the brink of death. The surrounding men in black were thrown into chaos, their eyes flickering with a hint of panic, and the warhorses beneath them became restless.

Hmph! Li Xin unleashed a flurry of dark shadows, creating a whistling sound as he charged down the mountain. By the time he reached the bottom, there were very few black-clad individuals left mounted in the distance. With a wave of his right hand, he hurled the remaining stones at a black-clad man in front of him, knocking him off his horse. Seizing the reins, he mounted the horse himself. When he looked back, the black-clad man who had been struck down was covered in blood, with one eye injured by a stone. Most critically, there was a gaping wound in his throat, which was a fatal injury.

It is him! Ma Sanbao immediately recognized that the couple he encountered on the street was indeed the same pair. He did not expect to meet them here, and moreover, they possessed such high combat skills, able to kill so many people with just a few stones

"The young lady was killed by a stone," Ma Sanbao said cautiously to Li Xiuning, his voice tinged with a hint of shock. Although these men in black were dressed in dark clothing, Ma Sanbao could tell that they were wearing leather armor underneath. It is difficult for knives and guns to achieve a one-strike kill, yet the opponent managed to kill with a stone, demonstrating the incredible strength of this individual, capable of turning a stone into a flying arrow. Li Xiuning looked at the wounds on the black-clad man lying on the ground; they were irregular in shape, and there was a fist-sized stone lying a distance away. The fact that the opponent used a stone to kill him further highlighted the formidable wrist strength and power of this person, capable of transforming a stone into a projectile. Li Xiuning observed the wounds on the black-clad man on the ground, noting their irregular shape, while a fist-sized stone lay in the distance.

Kill!" Li Xiuning exclaimed with great joy, speaking loudly

"Li Xin, you are courting death." The leader of the black-clad men glanced at Li Xiuning, then fixed a vicious gaze on Li Xin, coldly snorting, "Not only will I kill you, but I will also annihilate your Li family."

Li Xiuning was stunned, Ma Sanbao was also taken aback, and the men in black were clearly shocked by the situation before them. The man in black holding a knife sat upright on his horse, looking down at his chest. At some point, a fist-sized hole had appeared in the man's chest, as if it had been pierced by some sharp weapon

Despicable! The leader of the black-clad men clearly did not expect Li Xin to employ such a tactic, nor did he anticipate the immense strength Li Xin possessed. A tremendous force struck the warhorse, causing it to whinny in distress. In the astonished gaze of the black-clad men, the warhorse seemed to be hit by an overwhelming force and fell to the ground. The leader of the black-clad men was caught off guard and fell to the ground, his left foot pinned under the warhorse. Just as he was about to struggle free, a wooden stick came at him, striking him squarely in the throat. The black-clad man felt as if his Adam's apple had been shattered by an immense force, rendering him unable to speak. He could only stare wide-eyed at Li Xin before him. He never expected that he would not even be able to withstand a single attack from his opponent before being killed. Had he known this would happen, he should have gathered all his men to eliminate Li Xin first.

How impressive! Li Xiuning observed clearly, her gaze revealing a look of astonishment. She never expected that this relatively unknown Li Xin could be so formidable. In such a small place as Shouyang, there was actually such a fierce warrior. Yet, this warrior appeared almost like a frail scholar. If it weren't for the overwhelming power he displayed at this moment, Li Xiuning would never have believed it.

Li Xiuning was momentarily taken aback by the words, then a smile blossomed on her face, akin to a flower blooming, bringing with it a breath of spring, as if the entire Dayan Mountain was stirred by her presence. However, Ma Sanbao beside her wore a sullen expression. Although Li Xin's words were not particularly significant in the present, during the late Sui Dynasty, even with a relatively open social atmosphere, Ma Sanbao perceived them as a form of teasing. Such words could only be uttered by his own young master, Chai Shao. What qualifications did Li Xin have? He was merely a herbalist, a lowly commoner, and although he possessed some martial prowess, he was not entitled to speak in such a manner. If it were not for Li Xin's slight usefulness, Ma Sanbao would have likely decided to teach him a harsh lesson long ago

"I fear you will be disappointed," Li Xin suddenly jumped down from his horse and took a step to strike at the thigh of the warhorse ridden by the leader of the black-clad men. He was not a fool; these individuals clearly had superior horsemanship. To defeat them, he could only rely on his strengths to exploit their weaknesses. Li Xin was confident that his foot combat skills would be absolutely no worse than theirs.

Come on!" Li Xin weighed the wooden stick in his hand and pointed at the man in black across from him, saying: "You can make your move. Although I don't know who you are, I can assume you are not a good person. Those who ambush beautiful women in black are all bad people.

"Kill them, not a single one can escape." Li Xin suddenly thought of something, let out a loud roar, picked up a long knife from the ground, and hurled it fiercely, piercing through a man in black. However, more people instantly fled.

"Young man, who are you? How dare you interfere in this matter? Are you not afraid of bringing disaster to your family?" The man in black rode out, his hoarse voice echoing. Beneath the mask, a pair of eyes glinted with a dark and murderous intent.

"Miss, we encountered him on the way to Shouyang this morning." Ma Sanbao quickly recounted the situation on the road and said in a low voice, "Fortunately, I did not take action; otherwise, I would definitely not be his match."

"Over there!" one of the men in black shouted angrily. Some of the men in black had already brandished their long knives and charged towards Li Xin.

"Do you know me?" Li Xin's eyes gleamed with a cold light as he tightened his grip on the wooden stick and said, "In that case, if I kill you, no one will know what happened today." As he spoke, he suddenly thrust the wooden stick downwards, sending a beam of cold light shooting across to the opposite side

"Who is it?" A hoarse voice came from one of the men in black. Looking around, he noticed that there were more than ten other men in black beside him, all armed and cautiously on guard.

"San Bao, do you know him?" Li Xiuning looked at Li Xin, feeling a hint of familiarity, and inquired about Ma San Bao: "His martial arts are astonishing; I cannot compare to him"