Chapter 7
The staircase is deeper than imagined, extending about two zhang into the ground, completely devoid of light. Only the flickering torches can illuminate the surroundings. The further one descends, the stronger the stench of decay becomes. Fortunately, the few individuals are seasoned veterans of the battlefield and have grown accustomed to such odors.
Roteng had dismounted and stood beside Lishuang, gazing at Jin'an, then he touched his neck and said, "Damn it... this little brat might really be able to kill me..."
"You stole my things," she said vaguely, and immediately turned around to dive down from the air
Qin Lan was taken aback: "You should be in the camp..." Before he could finish his words, the old woman suddenly grinned: "I found you." As she moved, soldiers immediately surrounded her, their swords and spears aimed at her. Some struck her, while others slashed at her body, but all the injuries seemed to have no effect on her. Instead, the attacks that obstructed her path only served to infuriate her.
All the exchanges of moves were laid bare before the public
Li Shuang, however, remained composed and simply instructed, "Bring me my bow"
Li Shuang sat atop the horse, holding her breath and focusing intently. The bowstring was drawn back, and she waited patiently for the right moment. Finally, as the old woman and Jin An were entangled in midair, with the old woman facing away from her, Li Shuang released the bowstring. The feathered arrow shot through the air, piercing directly into the old woman's back
The angle of the arrowhead was such that it could have pierced her heart from her back. However, while Li Shuang's arrow did strike the old woman's back, it was lodged precisely between two bones and did not penetrate her heart.
After she finished speaking, she no longer lingered, and with a swift movement, she immediately ran out of the woods
The woman kept sniffing: "Where are you, where are you?" She muttered to herself, while the soldiers continuously adjusted their positions in accordance with her turning direction.
Li Shuang glanced at the pack of wild wolves and recognized the largest one as the wolf king. With a swift motion, she kicked a small stone towards it, striking the wolf's nose directly. The wolf king yelped in pain, turned around, and scurried out through a hole in the dungeon on the other side, fleeing, followed by the other wolves in a single file.
A glance reveals that it is difficult to discern exactly how many people are present here
Injured yet not dead, the elderly woman with formidable martial skills and astonishing strength must have already rushed in, causing quite a commotion. What could her intentions be? Li Shuang pondered carefully in her mind, could it be that... what she is looking for is Jin An?
Li Shuang maintained a calm expression and said: "Cover your mouth and nose well, and go in to take a look."
Li Shuang and a few others stepped into the dungeon, and just as Luo Teng was about to move forward, Li Shuang pulled him back: "Wait, there is some noise inside." As soon as the words left her mouth, a pair of eerie green eyes flashed in the dark area not illuminated by the firelight, and the surroundings echoed with the low growl of wolves.
Qin Lan and Luo Teng were immediately taken aback and quickly shielded Li Shuang, exclaiming: "Protect the General!"
She issued an order, and several individuals covered their mouths with cloth. Luo Teng led the way, lighting a torch, and first illuminated the entrance before slowly descending step by step.
At that moment, as the door curtain was torn open, a child happened to be standing at the entrance. The old woman stared at him, smiling in a strange manner: "I have found you."
Seeing the wolf run away, several people remarked that there was nothing else in the dungeon. However, just as Li Shuang took the torch and was about to walk towards the center of the dungeon, a sudden gust of cold wind swept in, carrying a foul odor, rushing towards Li Shuang. The personal guard behind him shouted, "General, be careful!" The cold sword was drawn.
"Laozi's..." Luo Teng retched, "Can't these wolf cubs smell the stench? They can eat something like this."
As the torchlight illuminated the area, it revealed a pack of wild wolves gnawing at the bones outside the dungeon bars. The scene of devastation was enough to make Roteng feel nauseous.
Finally, upon reaching the end of the staircase, I entered a chamber measuring approximately 3 zhang in length and over 10 zhang in width. The scene before me was truly shocking. Inside the chamber, an iron fence enclosed a dungeon. The dungeon's large door was broken open, and the iron bars were bent, as if they had been struck by some wild beast. Within the dungeon, the ground was covered with dried blood, and scattered bones lay about—some still in the process of decaying, while others had already crumbled into a pile of desiccated remains.
"Where is he?" she asked, "Hand him over! Give him to me!" The wound on her side, inflicted by Luoteng's large knife, did not bleed at all, creating a scene so eerie that it sent chills down one's spine
The old woman summoned deadly intent, appearing as if she were about to kill Jin An. Jin An defended while attacking, and the commotion between the two was so great that it soon directly overturned the tents of the personal guard camp.
Not only he, but all the soldiers nearby were stunned. Several generals were aware that the child picked up by Li Shuang was extraordinary, yet no one had ever imagined that such a young child could possess such agility and profound internal strength. Looking at the situation, apart from Li Shuang, there were probably very few present who could match this child in a battle against the old woman.
Fortunately, the torch has not yet extinguished, casting light on the old woman's face from the side
Riding a horse, he charged into the gates of Changfeng Camp. The horse, named Lishuang, did not stop and headed straight for the quarters of the personal guards. As he approached the personal guard camp, it was indeed the case that soldiers surrounded a ragged, terrifying old woman with swords drawn.
Her chaotic eyes sharpened, and she raised her hand, sweeping away all the knives and guns that had come to injure her. With a loud shout, more than ten soldiers were unexpectedly thrown out by her, causing the entire military camp to erupt in cries of anguish and chaos
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Li Shuang kicked the old woman aside and shouted, "Go up." Then, he led several people to rush up the stairs
What is the background of this old woman ...? ... When I just entered the dungeon, I completely did not notice her presence. Has her martial arts skills reached such a high level?
This person had black hair covering their face, dressed in rags, yet possessed an oddly great strength: "The scent, ah... there is his scent..." She spoke, and it was surprisingly the voice of an old woman. Just as Li Shuang was taken aback, the torch that had been blocking her was suddenly pushed away by her, flying far off and crashing into the iron railing, then rolling on the ground.
Even in these past few days, Li Ting, who has been quite obedient, could not help but feel curious. He opened the door and took a glance outside, and this distant view left Li Ting utterly astonished: "My little master... so impressive..."
Before the words could reach anyone else's ears, the figure of the old woman vanished as if she had disappeared into thin air. By the time she reappeared, Li Shuang had already been forced down from her horse! The old woman grasped her neck with one hand, pressing her firmly to the ground
Li Shuang held the torch just enough to block the person rushing towards her
She walked briskly, directly tearing open the door of the guard camp, and stepped inside.
I know. Li Shuang asked, "What about Jin An?"
A soldier immediately went to retrieve Li Shuang's bow and presented it to her. Li Shuang drew the bow, aiming directly at the old woman, while the other soldiers watched in astonishment as the child and the old woman engaged in this terrifying battle. Only Li Shuang had been observant from the very beginning; no matter where the others struck the old woman, she showed no signs of pain. Even when Luo Teng's large blade pierced through her side, she merely paused for a moment. However, when Jin An kicked her in the chest, she staggered back three steps.
Everyone was focused on Li Shuang, so no one noticed Jin An, who had just stood there on the roof of the tent. Upon witnessing this scene, his pupils suddenly constricted sharply, and the mark on his chest surged, crawling up his neck and onto his cheeks, reaching the corners of his eyes, and then it flushed his entire pair of eyes red
The flames of the torches on the ground gradually dimmed, and the dungeon slowly became dark
The old woman reached out her hand, intending to grab Jin An's neck. Jin An was stunned as she caught hold of his neck, until Li Shuang suddenly called out, "Jin An." The child seemed to suddenly regain his senses, turning to glance at Li Shuang, his bewildered eyes clearing up as if the fog had been blown away by a strong wind.
Li Shuang did not delay any longer, instructing a personal guard to remain at the original location, while she and three others rode off in pursuit
Several individuals employed their lightness skills and pursued along the way, yet they still lagged behind the old woman by a considerable distance. ... When they finally burst out of the woods, they heard a horse neighing. Li Shuang looked up and saw that the old woman had stolen the military horses they had tied outside the woods and was riding away, heading in the direction of ... ! ... the direction of Changfeng Camp !
"General, do you want to go in?" Luo Teng asked
Jin An was also looking at her, but his expression was colder than usual, with an added hint of confusion
The old woman exerted force with her hands, attempting to crush Jin An's neck. However, Jin An executed a swift turn and a backflip, breaking free from her grasp, and in the process, delivered a fierce kick to the woman's chest. The old woman staggered back three steps, and then with a fierce glint in her eyes, she lunged forward: "You are mine, I will take you with me even in death..." After saying this, she pounced forward, clawing at Jin An's face. Jin An narrowly dodged, but still ended up with a gash on her face. The old woman staggered back three steps, and then with a fierce glint in her eyes, she lunged forward: "You are mine, I will take you with me even in death..." After saying this, she pounced forward, clawing at Jin An's face. Jin An narrowly dodged, but still ended up with a gash on her face.
This action, however, infuriated the old woman. Suddenly, she turned her head in the air, and her pair of dark, chaotic eyes instantly fixed on Li Shuang. She twisted her arm at a strange angle behind her back, pulled out the arrow, and hurled it fiercely at Jin An. Jin An jumped back and landed on the roof of the tent, dodging the arrow, yet the old woman did not pursue him.
The woman’s nose twitched slightly: "I smell..."
"General!" A shout came from behind. Li Shuang turned around and saw Qin Lan chasing after her. "General, this woman just barged in..."
Rushing forward, upon reaching outside the Changfeng Camp, Li Shuang could hear chaotic shouts coming from within the camp, even from several dozen zhang away.
Li Shuang was deep in thought when the old woman suddenly struck, attempting to choke Li Shuang by the neck. Li Shuang blocked the attack and dodged to the side.
Li Shuang's gaze sharpened: "Chase!"
Li Shuang's line of sight was obstructed, and her movements slowed down, while the old woman remained completely unaffected. Li Shuang knew that in this underground chamber, she would definitely not be able to defeat the old woman... Before this thought could settle in her mind, a large knife suddenly came slicing in from the side, piercing directly into the old woman's waist. The knife was withdrawn, and the old woman's movements came to a halt.
Reemerging into the light, having freed themselves from the stench that clung to their noses, a few had yet to catch their breath when they saw the old woman following them out. She paid no attention to anyone but fixed her gaze on Li Shuang, lunging forward to grasp her neck. This time, she was barely stopped by two personal guards. The old woman's eyes were entirely murky black, resembling those of a beast
What kind of witch is this?" Luo Teng asked in a rough voice, "After taking such a big blow from me, she is still alive and kicking!
Li Shuang herself did not know what kind of monster this was. Just at that moment of stalemate, the old woman suddenly paused her movements, and two of her personal guards swung their blades down, one from the left and one from the right, striking her shoulders. However, those sharp blades seemed to have struck steel, failing to injure the woman in the slightest
Li Shuang saw that behind the disheveled black hair was a face full of wrinkles, with even traces of blood mixed among the creases. On the cheeks and neck, there were faint signs of decay. Yet, this filthy and ugly old person was adorned in garments embedded with exquisite jewels.
The heart must be her weakness