Footsteps rustled through the bushes. About three or four people stepped out from behind a large tree.
All four wore green robes and had their faces covered. They had been hiding among the trees and shrubs.
“Wh-what…” Jiang Changsheng beside Xu Zimo was so shocked he couldn’t even speak.
“Heaven has a path, but you didn’t take it. Hell has no door, yet you walk right in. Looks like Young Master Lin didn’t learn his lesson last time,” one of the masked men said in a sinister tone.
“At least I’m not a coward who hides his face,” Xu Zimo replied calmly.
“If you want to die, don’t blame us,” the man in green snorted and attacked.
“Senior Brother, please protect me!” Jiang Changsheng yelled and immediately hid behind Xu Zimo.
Xu Zimo frowned slightly as one of the attackers charged at him with a blade.
He suddenly grabbed Jiang Changsheng and pulled him in front of him as a shield.
“What the hell, Senior Brother! You’re selling me out!” Jiang Changsheng screamed, terrified, and rolled to the side to dodge.
Meanwhile, Yelu Liang blocked one of the attackers, and the two started fighting evenly.
The remaining three masked men went straight for Xu Zimo.
Xu Zimo was dodging frantically under their combined assault.
Although their cultivation was only at the Yuanfu level, the attackers had clearly trained in a joint attack technique, working together seamlessly.
Xu Zimo’s defenses were barely holding up, and soon he had nowhere left to run.
One of the long blades was about to slice into his head, just a few centimeters away.
Suddenly, a large bronze-colored hand reached out and grabbed the blade mid-air.
It looked like it was made of iron, rock solid.
With a simple twist, the sword shattered into pieces, and the masked attacker was sent flying.
Everyone turned to look.
It was Jiang Changsheng, standing calmly.
“Kill him!” one of the other attackers shouted, and the remaining two charged toward Jiang Changsheng.
…
“Yin-Yang Cloud Hands,” Jiang Changsheng said quietly.
He slowly waved both hands in a circular motion in front of him, like the flow of tai-chi.
His moves were both soft and firm, neutralizing the attackers’ strikes and absorbing their momentum.
The two masked men felt like they had fallen into a swamp. They couldn’t control their own arms and were being dragged along by Jiang Changsheng’s movements.
“Soft and hard as one,” Jiang Changsheng said as he suddenly exerted force, blasting both enemies away.
The power in that strike was immense. Hidden strength exploded within their bodies, and they were blown apart midair.
Xu Zimo looked at Jiang Changsheng, surprised.
Yelu Liang, who had just subdued the last masked man, rushed over and asked Xu Zimo, “Junior Brother Lin, are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Xu Zimo nodded.
“That’s good. You scared me,” Yelu Liang sighed in relief and reached up to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
But suddenly, he struck with full force, his sword slashed toward Xu Zimo without warning.
Clang!
Before the sword could land, Jiang Changsheng caught it mid-air.
“How, how is that possible?” Yelu Liang stared at him, stunned.
“You really think those masked guys could stand around here 24/7? Hardly anyone knew we were leaving the sect. How else could they have known where to ambush us? I’ve been suspicious of a traitor from the beginning,” Jiang Changsheng said with a grin.
“See? It never hurts to stay alert.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Yelu Liang gave up on pulling the sword free, it was held too tightly.
He dropped the weapon and ran for his life.
But Jiang Changsheng held the sword like a snake, fast and agile.
He pinched the blade between two fingers, then flung it like a dart.
The sword turned into a streak of light and pierced Yelu Liang in the back, nailing him to a tree and straight through the heart.
…
The quiet forest fell silent again.
A few leaves drifted lazily to the ground.
Jiang Changsheng walked over to Yelu Liang’s corpse and began rummaging through his belongings.
He pocketed some rare herbs and pills.
“My real name is Jiang Nan. I grew up without parents. One snowy winter day, an old man found me and raised me as his grandson. I grew up eating meals from every household in the village, those villagers were like family. Then one day, a group of martial artists came. They were in a bad mood and decided to vent by massacring the village. My grandfather hid me, and that’s how I survived,” Jiang Changsheng said as he searched the bodies of the other masked attackers, smiling as he spoke.
“Before he died, my grandfather grabbed my sleeve and told me to run, run and never look back. He told me to live on, no matter what. Since then, I changed my name to Jiang Changsheng, just to survive.”
Xu Zimo quietly watched Jiang Changsheng, saying nothing.
Eventually, Jiang Changsheng finished looting the bodies and turned to Xu Zimo with a grin.
“The guy you used to know as Jiang Changsheng… well, standing in front of you now is Jiang Nan. Life’s like a play. Never trust just what your eyes see.”
Before Xu Zimo could reply, two figures walked toward them, it was Lin Feng and Murong Yan’er.
“Little brother?” Lin Feng called out in surprise. He looked around at the scene, and his expression changed. “What happened here?” he asked quickly.
“It’s exactly what it looks like. Yelu Liang and the others tried to kill me. And I killed them instead,” Xu Zimo said flatly.
“Yelu Liang? That’s impossible. He’s one of our fellow disciples,” Lin Feng said in disbelief. “And with your strength, how could you beat him?”
“That’s none of your concern. Just report the truth to Father,” Xu Zimo replied.
“Yelu Liang was the second elder’s direct disciple. You’ll have to explain this yourself,” Lin Feng said with a frown.
“Then don’t bother,” Xu Zimo waved his hand and turned to head down the mountain.
Lin Feng stared at his back, expression shifting. After a moment, he followed.
…
Bright Flame City wasn’t far from the base of Nine Heavens Imperial Sect.
Only about seven or eight kilometers away.