Chapter 5, The Swordsman
The blade of the great sword is nearly as wide as an adult's palm, with the tip touching the ground and the hilt reaching the knight's heart. The blade shows some noticeable imperfections, as if its owner had used it to chop wood.
The Flying Eagle Gang is a small faction, consisting of only six members. Referring to it as a "gang" is quite a stretch, but after all, Flying Eagle is the leader and cannot act like a timid turtle
Gu Shenwei had never heard anyone speak of the Great Snow Mountain, but this did not affect his judgment of Long Feidu
A swordsman should not indiscriminately kill the innocent; only in the Golden Roc Castle is it permissible to kill at will
Feiying's complexion turned even paler, and several of his brothers in the gang anxiously gripped the handles of their knives. Ludong was the territory of the Jinpeng Fortress; as bandits, none of them could cross the boundary, nor could they expect any protection.
The eagle understood that it had fallen into a desperate situation, but as a battle-hardened bandit, it retained a stubborn ferocity from the "Golden Age" of banditry over a decade ago. When avoidance is not an option, one must confront it head-on; pleading for mercy is futile.
This statement provided reassurance to the other robbers; not only did no one step forward, but they also retreated a bit further, maintaining their distance from the "Flying Eagle Gang"
With this sword strike, I fear a string of heads will fall, yet the captives remain as motionless as the dead eagles, terrified and completely resigned to their fate
He did not anticipate how difficult this would be, and he believed that the emergence of the Snow Mountain Knight was also a part of the "divine will"
Gu Shen was perplexed, unable to understand how the Gu family, having had almost no contact with outsiders during these two years in the Western Regions, could have offended the "King of Assassins" in the Western Regions
Long Feidu held the sword with both hands, the tip of the sword still resting on the ground
Only Gu Shenwei showed no signs of fear; instead, he took a half step forward and looked at Long Feidu earnestly
Gu Shenwei stood at the back, nearly being knocked over by the people in front, but he still tiptoed to look ahead. He had never heard of the "Great Snow Mountain Swordsman" and did not understand what everyone was afraid of
Bold and audacious, the one wielding the sword must be a small reptile from the Great Snow Mountain
A black-clad knight approached from the mountain pass in the north, followed by two other knights, each holding a large flag in their arms. The flags had a black background with red edges, and in the center was embroidered a large golden-yellow roc.
At such a close distance, the long sword appeared increasingly broad and heavy; it did not require a blade at all, as its weight alone could easily kill anyone.
The knight's gray cloak swept by like a cloud, his right arm raised, holding a throwing knife, which he casually placed into a leather pouch, "Received."
After the masked intruder broke into the manor that night, the "butcher" frequently mentioned by my father and brothers was actually "Dubu." Gu Lun had long suspected that Jin Peng Fort intended to harm the estate, which is why he deliberately "drove away" his daughter and young son.
Whoosh, someone threw a throwing knife at the knight; while a person cannot cross the boundary, a weapon can.
The knight of the Great Snow Mountain let out a cold laugh, "The 'Tianshan Eleven Gang', what a grand title, I am quite afraid. However, I am only looking for the 'Flying Eagle Gang', and it has nothing to do with others"
"The Daxueshan Bullet Multi-Edge Dragon Feidu, those who seek revenge can find me, now and in the future, at any time."
However, the two young boys in front of him fell too violently, nearly pulling down those behind and in front. Gu Shenwei looked in astonishment at the trembling figures of the two, suddenly realizing that Long Feidu was coming for these two boys. Their panic, more intense than that of others, had already revealed everything.
You come from the Great Snow Mountain, so you must be a true hero
Members of the Flying Eagle Gang, step forward
Long Feidu's long sword slashed down at an angle towards the book, intending to sever not just one head. However, midway through, he changed his mind and turned back to deliver a strike.
To Gu Shenwei's surprise, the two boys were no longer afraid at this moment. They stood up straight together, even taller than the adults in front of them, and stared directly at the knight with the sword.
I must let you know who it is that will kill you
In the Western Regions, Gu Jia had no opportunity to become entangled with Jinpeng Fortress. Gu Shenwei quickly forgot about that fortress and that king, never imagining that it would resurface, linked to the vendetta of his family's extermination.
The eagle spat out a mouthful of phlegm, which was the last bit of filth expelled from its throat
Gu Shenwei made a powerful leap, soaring over the heads in front of him, and he saw Long Feidu holding his long sword high. Among the six members of the "Flying Eagle Gang," five had already fallen, leaving only the "Gang Leader" Flying Eagle standing dazed on the opposite side, his curved blade dropped to the ground, comically raising his left arm to shield his face, as if attempting to block the sharp blade's strike with his flesh.
The Gray Cloak Knight suddenly saw a group of fierce-looking individuals gathered by the roadside, yet he was neither surprised nor alarmed, urging his horse to trot forward.
At that moment, a thought suddenly formed in his mind: killing a person is surprisingly easy. The intricate maneuvers, the back-and-forth exchanges, and the clever techniques he had once practiced with great seriousness now seemed childish and utterly impractical.
However, the onlooking robbers and the captives all exclaimed in unison
The other bandits exchanged glances, but none spoke to each other. They were all small gangs, barely scraping by, and this was the first time they had heard of the "Eighty-One Gangs of Tianshan." They could not muster a sense of shared enmity, let alone feel the need to draw their swords in assistance.
Long Feidu's eyes narrowed even further, yet the expression on his face remained unchanged from that in the *illustration*. He raised his long sword with both hands
A sharp command echoed, though it was unclear who had issued it. The sound of weapons clanged twice, followed by an eerie silence. The scene did not seem intense at all; rather, it resembled a blacksmith idly striking his tools.
No one wanted to take revenge for the "Eagle Gang"; the robbers were only thinking of one thing: absolutely do not provoke the person in front of them. The Eagle must have been blinded by passion to have made an enemy of him
The sound of hooves approached, and from the mountain pass to the north came a brown horse, upon which sat a knight clad in a gray cloak. The bandits, upon seeing him, first felt joy, but then disappointment, for he was not the person they had been waiting for. Had it not been for the prohibition against crossing the border, someone would have long since approached the knight to demand a toll for passage.
An arrow broke in half and fell at his feet
"What does it matter to me what your name is? In any case, you are from the Great Snow Mountain, and we are destined to fight to the death." Flying Eagle, accompanied by five brothers, advanced slowly, gradually widening the distance to form an arc, surrounding the knight Long Feidu.
"The Falcon is here. This is the territory of Golden Roc Fortress; what do you dare to do?"
Feiying gritted his teeth and said loudly: "Brothers, are we the Eighty-One Clans of Tianshan really this disunited? Are we going to remain silent while others bully us?"
The Swordsman of the Great Snow Mountain
The captives in front stirred restlessly, and Gu Shenwei caught a glimpse through the gap of Long Feidu approaching in the direction of these people, his long sword still unsheathed, dripping blood onto the ground.
Does this person still intend to take action against the captives? Gu Shenwei was not afraid like the other captives; instead, he felt a sense of excitement. He wanted to reveal his background and deep-seated grievances to Long Feidu, and even sought to become his disciple, hoping to gain the assistance of the Great Snow Mountain.
No, I am merely a swordsman
In front of him were two boys of similar age, who, like the bandits, were evidently aware of the terror associated with the book "The Great Snow Mountain" and were keeping their heads down, hiding behind the adults
Gu Shen felt a surge of joy in his heart; it turned out that the "Lone Step King" also had enemies. He had always thought that the Jinpeng Fortress roamed the Western Regions unchallenged. With this revelation, the hope for revenge seemed much greater. He should find a way to join the faction of the Great Snow Mountain.
As the cloak was lifted, a long sword was revealed, hanging by the side of the horse
Gu Shenwei, however, had a great fondness for the knight named Long Feidu. He tried hard to tiptoe in order to see more clearly, but the two boys in front of him seemed terrified, constantly crouching down and hiding behind the adults. Connected by a rope, Gu Shenwei could not stand upright at all and was unable to see the situation outside.
The knight of the Great Snow Mountain revealed a satisfied smile, unfastened his cloak, and placed it on the saddle. He then dismounted and drew the long sword from the side of the horse.
His voice was not loud, nor did he speak with harshness, yet there was an irresistible power in it. Gu Shenwei observed that the scar-faced bandit known as "Flying Eagle" turned pale.
A glimmer of brilliance flashed in Long Feidu's eyes, as if he had truly been moved by these words. However, his weathered face quickly transformed into a cold hardness akin to a snow-capped mountain, his nostrils flaring as he held his breath, gripping the sword even tighter.
Gu Shenwei felt an overwhelming emptiness beneath his feet, as if his heart had also stopped beating. All because of a superfluous remark, he was to accompany those two unfamiliar youths to their demise.
Gu Shenwei only had time for a glance before being pulled down by the two boys in front of him. The boy closest to him glared at him, seemingly warning him not to move recklessly
Two years ago, as soon as Gu Shenwei arrived at the borders of the Central Plains, he heard numerous legends about Jinpeng Fortress and the Unrivaled King. At that time, he felt a strong admiration for this notorious assassin organization from the Western Regions. He inadvertently mentioned his desire to see the true face of the Unrivaled King and the related literature, and was even mocked by his second brother.
Long Feidu slowly approached, and wherever his gaze fell, everyone immediately shrank down a bit. Upon reaching the end of the line, he came to a stop
A voice called out from the crowd, and nearly a hundred robbers seemed to be under a spell, almost simultaneously urging their horses to step back two paces. Those who threw knives did not dare to make a sound. The captives on the ground, some understanding and some confused, were all influenced by this wave of fear and retreated together
In Gu Shenwei's eyes, Long Feidu resembled the legendary hero who aids the weak and punishes the strong. He found it quite perplexing why the two young men were so fearful.
The knight of the Great Snow Mountain revealed a faint smile, his cheeks flushed from the wind, snow, and sun, habitually squinting his eyes as if he were always searching for something
Why does Jinpeng Fortress want to annihilate the Gu family, why, what is the reason behind it
My name is Long Feidu
The six members of the "Flying Eagle Gang" advanced step by step, as they were not accustomed to registering before committing murder. The robbers were more familiar with the principles of Jinpeng Fortress: by any means necessary, kill first and discuss later
He jumped off the horse, drew his knife, and the other brothers followed suit. The six of them lined up in a row, their six curved blades gleaming brightly, the pristine white of the blades forming a stark contrast with their filthy attire
The Gray Cloak Knight glanced back at the vast desolate wilderness, "Just one more step. Moreover, when have you ever heard of a man from the Great Snow Mountain fearing the 'Butcher King'"
The hidden arrow strikes, it must be the lackey of the unparalleled king.
The dull sound of the sharp sword striking a blunt object was clearly heard by Gu Shen this time, and he also heard the sound of the body falling to the ground
Although it was just a glimpse, Gu Shenwei firmly remembered this scene, and many years later, he had not forgotten it. What left the deepest impression on him was not the dragon Feidu, who stood with a sword like a celestial being, but the flying eagle, who was trembling with fear and had completely lost the will to resist.