Chapter 6: Blood-Stained Battlefield

Li Shuxiu embraced his robust body and repeatedly comforted him, saying: "As long as you are alive, that is enough. Let us first preserve our lives, and we can think about the rest later"

Li Linhong let out a long sigh and said, "I believe it is not that we are lucky, but rather that this group of Mongolian Tartars is unfortunate; nearly all the hyenas charged at them, which allowed us the opportunity to escape." After a slight pause, feeling somewhat uneasy, he sighed again, "It is a pity for those brave Kazakhs, as well as for that young gentleman Li Shuxiu."

Li Linhong responded with a sound, tightly embracing the young emperor, using his sturdy body to protect him, recklessly running along the wide mountain path into the depths of the valley

Li Linhong thought: The eagle brothers become strong when they encounter strength and weak when they encounter weakness; it is uncertain whether this is a benefit or a disadvantage for him

The hawk felt somewhat annoyed, thinking to itself: although this method is effective, it is rather dull and far less exhilarating than a direct clash with sword and blade.

The hawk let out a cry and charged in from outside, piercing the belly of one hyena with its sword. The hyena, quite fierce, turned around in an attempt to bite the hawk's arm. The hawk quickly withdrew the long sword, feeling a sharp pain in the back of its hand, and now had another wound. It struck the hyena on the jaw with a palm, causing the hyena to let out a miserable howl and collapse to the ground like a pile of mud

Both individuals harbored their own calculations in their minds, yet their faces remained impassive, which instead conveyed a sense of politeness. Throughout his life, the Cangying had seldom set foot in the martial arts world of the Central Plains, and was only vaguely aware of various rules of the Jianghu. However, at this moment, he effortlessly adopted the courteous hypocrisy characteristic of Jianghu individuals, displaying a natural and seamless mastery that was quite remarkable.

Li Linhong, having experienced countless battles, was already tempered through a thousand trials. What a shrewd individual he was! With a quick retraction of his head, he avoided the critical blow. All he heard was a hissing sound, and fresh blood splattered on the back of his head. Stealing a glance, he saw a falcon pierce the forehead of a hyena with its sword, causing the hyena to let out a mournful howl before it instantly breathed its last.

The falcon suppressed its nausea and hurried towards the sound of the ongoing fierce battle nearby

He smiled and replied, "Senior Xuanjing, there is no need for such formalities regarding the efforts of your predecessors. If one wishes to escape from a predicament, it is merely a matter of raising a hand. I am but a bystander, providing support and encouragement, merely to disrupt the enemy's morale."

Li Shuxiu happily said: "The jaw of a hyena is its vital point"

At this moment, six hyenas had surrounded the eagle, each one of a length similar to that of an average person, leaping like the wind, ferocious and unstoppable. The eagle was drenched in blood, with scratches all over its body, yet it inexplicably avoided fatal injuries. The long sword in its hand danced with impenetrable precision; although the moves appeared chaotic and disordered, they offered not the slightest opportunity for these beasts.

He was wholeheartedly engaged in a fierce battle with the hyenas, while Li Shuxiu, Xuanjing, and Tiande were not as enthusiastic as he was. The jaws of those hyenas were not only weak but also completely unguarded, making them easy targets. They employed their superior skills and quickly cleared away the hyenas that were surrounding them.

Li Linhong let out a loud shout, joyfully lying down by the lake, panting and cursing: "I am utterly exhausted, these beasts are so fierce, thinking they can feast on the fat on my body is nothing but a delusion."

Li Shuxiu turned around, grasped Lap's hand, and hurriedly asked: "Lap, are you alright?"

Li Shuxiu comforted her beloved, and only then did she remember Cang Ying. She clasped her hands and said: "Thank you, Brother Cang Ying, for saving my life. I am deeply grateful and will never forget this kindness for all eternity"

Tears welled up in Lap's eyes as he lamented, "The friends I brought, those brothers of mine, they have all perished, becoming food for the hyenas here. O God, O God, why do You treat these believers in such a manner!"

After repelling the formidable enemy, the eagle retreated towards Li Linhong, appearing reluctant to part, as if still somewhat unsatisfied.

Hearing him speak this way, Zhao Sheng and Li Linhong were utterly frightened and hurriedly shouted in unison to stop him. However, the hawk, overwhelmed by the fervor of battle, was unable to heed the advice of others. He foolishly laughed like a playful child and charged out, leaving the bewildered Li Linhong and Zhao Sheng staring at each other in confusion, at a loss for what to do

The eagle was overjoyed, calling out loudly, its long sword shining like light and flashing like lightning, showing no signs of weakness in the situation. Li Linhong watched for a while, becoming increasingly astonished, thinking to himself: Look at Brother Eagle, appearing to be on the verge of collapse, yet he is able to find an opportunity at a critical moment and navigate through danger.

Zhao Sheng, having narrowly escaped death, was extremely happy. He laughed and said, "Uncle Li, you previously said that I am blessed with great fortune, but you yourself are not lacking in blessings either."

Li Shuxiu nodded, helped up Lap, who was very dejected and listless, forcing himself to walk alongside Li Shuxiu

The Cangying laughed heartily, yet felt quite moved in his heart. He grasped Li Linhong's arm, performed lightness skill, and moved swiftly as if flying. In the blink of an eye, they had distanced themselves from the canyon, traversing a dreamlike meadow. After running for the duration of a tea break, they finally arrived at the shimmering lakeside.

The eagle fought with a hyena, sustaining numerous injuries from the hyena's attacks, but managed to stab its opponent to death with its chaotic strikes. Just as it dealt with one hyena, three larger ones suddenly sprang out from the sides. Li Linhong could not help but turn back to take a look, and upon seeing this scene, he felt a surge of anxiety and shouted: "Eagle, flee!"

At this moment, hyenas are rampant across the mountains and plains, coming in overwhelming numbers, truly resembling dark clouds pressing down, with a sudden torrential rain, instilling a sense of despair in the heart

Xuanjing and Tiande reacted in an instant, both employing the innate palm techniques of the Quanzhen Sect. Their moves were skillful, concealing internal energy, as they prompted the hyenas to leap and bite, taking the opportunity to strike at their jaws, achieving remarkable results in the blink of an eye

Xuanjing cupped his fist in salute and said humbly: "I am deeply grateful for your selfless act of saving me. Our previous grievances are hereby resolved. As for how we should proceed from here, I hope you will provide guidance."

The Cangying responded with a sound, turned around, and ran swiftly alongside Li Linhong, muttering, "Weren't you all supposed to leave me behind and run ahead?"

Li Shuxiu was originally wielding her sword to fend off the beasts when she was momentarily taken aback by the scene before her. At that moment, a hyena lunged at her, and seeing the urgent situation, Lap extended his hand to push her aside, but his wrist was bitten by the hyena, causing him to scream in pain. Li Shuxiu displayed an expression of extreme heartache and executed a move called "Rain of Roses," striking the hyena under its jaw. The hyena's skull shattered instantly, and it fell to the ground, lifeless. Taking advantage of the moment, Lap withdrew his wrist.

Lap sighed deeply, slumped down to the ground, dejected and disheartened, and began to cry quietly.

The hawk had a hard time taking down the hyena in front of it. Upon inspecting itself, it couldn't help but feel quite frustrated, as its battle attire had long been torn to shreds by the hyena, with even the copper plates of its armor now in tatters. After a moment of concentration, it gazed at the hyenas in the distance that were feasting heartily, contemplating a challenge, but was also worried about any issues on Zhao Sheng's side. After some inner turmoil, it concluded that it was more important to reunite with the emperor as soon as possible

The falcon gazed longingly into the distance, recalling that they were still engaged in a fierce battle at that moment. Memories of the recent deadly struggle flooded his mind, and he could not help but feel an overwhelming envy, his heart restless and yearning. He said, "Your Majesty, I have misplaced some important items over there earlier and would like to go look for them. I will return shortly."

Before long, he stabbed to death two hyenas, and the situation greatly eased. However, his sword strikes slowed down, far less fierce than before, thus he remained in a stalemate with the enemy, occasionally facing life-threatening dangers. After fighting for a while longer, he once again managed to gain the upper hand, reducing the number of hyenas to two. Yet, his movements became sluggish and difficult, as if he were utterly exhausted. The hyenas sensed the opportunity and frantically circled around him, launching fierce attacks. The hawk found itself in a difficult position, creating a scene of utter chaos, but nonetheless managed to fend off the enemies. After fighting for a while longer, he once again managed to gain the upper hand, reducing the number of hyenas to two. Yet, his movements became sluggish and difficult, as if he were utterly exhausted. The hyenas sensed the opportunity and frantically circled around him, launching fierce attacks. The hawk found itself in a difficult position, creating a scene of utter chaos, but nonetheless managed to fend off the enemies.

Upon approaching closely, it was discovered that there were still twenty hyenas surrounding the survivors. The eagle clearly saw among them Li Shuxiu, Lap, Xuanjing, and the two disciples Tian De, as well as Princess Jiuhe and two Mongolian soldiers

The falcon's body trembled up and down in a somewhat terrifying manner, whether out of fear or excitement was uncertain. He picked up Zhao Sheng and handed him over to Li Linhong, shouting: "Old Li, I will protect you, just charge forward without hesitation"

The hyena spotted a flaw and emitted a sneering sound from its throat, unhesitatingly pouncing down. The eagle skillfully turned, its sword tip piercing into the hyena's mouth, then deftly withdrawing it. With a kick, it sent the hyena flying, crashing into another hyena. The latter stumbled, momentarily dazed, and was swiftly pierced through the head by the eagle's sword, killing it cleanly.

After walking for a while, the eagle heard footsteps behind him. When he turned around, he couldn't help but lament, for it turned out that Xuanjing had followed him with his disciple and three Mongolians.

Zhao Sheng made a sound of acknowledgment and obediently nodded his head

The eagle pointed to the hyenas beside it and said, "We have not yet escaped from danger; let us hurry and flee, lest these hyenas fill their bellies and start nagging us again"

At a critical moment in the battle, the eagle turned its head to look at Li Linhong and exclaimed, "Why are you still here?"

Li Linhong locked eyes with the hyena for a moment, noticing its fierce expression, and suddenly felt a twinge of fear. The hyena seemed to sense his thoughts; as soon as it detected his trepidation, it charged at him fiercely. Li Linhong tightened his grip on the spiked club and executed the move "Snowy Silver Fox," aiming for the hyena's head. However, the hyena was already on guard, nimbly twisting its body and swiftly evading Li Linhong's spiked club, then opening its massive jaws to bite down towards his face.

Little did he know that the dark mirror was also contemplating: this young man is cunning and unpredictable during the competition, making him quite difficult to deal with, yet his true skills are far inferior to mine. Once I have healed from my injuries, I will certainly strike him down with a single palm, to relieve the hatred in my heart and to avenge the shame on my reputation

He glanced at Zhao Sheng in his arms and saw that although he was so frightened that he could not speak, his eyes were shining with joy, likely because he was overjoyed to see the return of the eagle. Li Linhong then said, "Even if I wanted to abandon you and escape, His Majesty would never agree to it, wouldn't you say, Your Majesty"

The falcon thought: One should not strike a smiling face. This old Taoist possesses exceptional martial skills, far surpassing my own. Once he has healed from his injuries and restored his strength, I will seek an opportunity to engage in a contest with him.

Li Linhong shouted anxiously: "Cangying, what are you making a fuss about? Hurry up, hurry up."

Returning to the canyon, one is met with a scene of utter carnage, with corpses strewn across the ground. It is evident that the onslaught of these hyenas has been devastating, easily overwhelming the treasure seekers. At this moment, most of the hyenas are engrossed in their meal, making a cacophony of sounds as they eat. Occasionally, they lift their heads to glance at the soaring eagle, with blood and flesh still hanging from their jaws, yet they show no interest in engaging in further conflict, returning instead to their feast.

Li Linhong scolded: "You are putting me in a position of being unkind and unjust. Although I am older, I will never abandon my comrades on the battlefield."