Xue Sha thought to himself that An Jiu wasn’t exactly normal herself at the moment.
“Didn’t you say she was an 8th-level martial arts master? How come she’s only 7th-level now?” An Jiu asked.
Xue Sha was surprised, “You even know other people’s cultivation levels?”
Earlier, when An Jiu was heading towards the prefect’s bedchamber, Xue Sha had thought the prefect was the expert until he saw Jade Beauty with the prefect and realized she was the true master. Seeing An Jiu’s tacit acknowledgment, he continued, “She’s pregnant. Perhaps she sustained some injuries in the past, so she’s carefully cultivating to maintain her strength.”
There was a vague sense of jealousy in Xue Sha’s heart, unsure whether he was jealous that the prefect had Jade Beauty, or that Jade Beauty had found the peaceful life they both yearned for. In his mind, his relationship with Jade Beauty had only gone as far as using each other’s bodies to briefly find warmth in the darkness, without any real feelings involved.
“Let’s go back,” An Jiu said.
“Women are truly powerful,” Xue Sha sighed.
Emotions permeated every nerve of a woman. The killing in the Crane Gathering Army could temporarily numb it, but never eradicate it. Once brought back into the light, it would quickly revive. But for men, once the blood turned cold, it would never boil again. The richness of emotions made women fragile, yet also indestructible.
Xue Sha had a gentle smile, but his heart remained cold. He wanted to ignite himself, but what would kindle him would not be love.
The two hurried back to Hexi that night.
The night was deep with heavy dew, the moonlight obscured by thick clouds, making visibility very poor. But An Jiu knew the path they took earlier clearly, able to avoid obstacles even in the darkness.
After about an hour and a half, An Jiu suddenly sensed people up ahead, all martial arts experts!
“Xue Sha, slow down,” An Jiu whispered.
The two gradually stopped, and those martial artists quickly approached them.
An Jiu realized the hoof sounds must have alerted them. Not knowing if they were friend or foe, she could only temporarily avoid them. “Dismount, hide!”
They were too far from those people for Xue Sha to have noticed. Hearing An Jiu’s cautious tone, he knew they were not easy to deal with.
They tied the horses in the nearby forest and hid. An Jiu didn’t tie the reins, so the horses could escape if something happened.
An Jiu crouched on a thick willow branch, peering through the dense foliage, barely able to see the horses’ shadows. Xue Sha hid in a tree about 10 feet across.
That group of people approached with astonishing speed, and even Xue Sha could feel the chilling murderous intent emanating from them.
In the shadows, a horse suddenly whinnied and began to gallop frantically. About 20-some people chased after the horses, swift and ruthless, like a pack of wolves hunting prey. In the blink of an eye, the two horses were killed, the group pouncing and tearing them apart. The dense scent of blood quickly permeated the forest.
After their bloody feast, the group suddenly turned and headed towards where Xue Sha was hiding.
Xue Sha had been discovered!
An Jiu quickly gripped the longbow on her back.
The group, still reeking of blood, approached. A slightly plump man in the lead raised his hand, and three people leaped up into the trees, swiftly pouncing towards Xue Sha’s hiding spot.
Xue Sha knew he was exposed. He quickly threw down a bottle of poison and grabbed his blade.
The poisonous fumes spread rapidly but did not slow the group’s advance at all.
Xue Sha’s pupils constricted as he swung his blade, actively attacking the three people closing in from the trees. Facing over 20 people with just two of them, Xue Sha thought he might meet his end here today. But after witnessing the horses being torn apart, he was determined not to suffer the same fate and unleashed his full strength in an attempt to break through.
An Jiu drew her bow.
Twang!
Her spiritual sense released the bowstring at the same time as the arrow, which accurately pierced a man’s chest. But he kept struggling for a long time before finally falling.
An Jiu’s heart sank. Her spiritual sense could conceal herself, but it seemed to have lost its offensive capacity against these people.
This greatly diminished her greatest advantage. An Jiu quickly changed positions, continuously firing arrows, each one seemingly precisely aimed, opening up an escape route for Xue Sha.
Xue Sha had rich combat experience. Seeing the opportunity, he risked taking a couple of arrows and charged out of the encirclement, running towards the official road.
An Jiu achieved her goal, so she hurried to catch up with him.
Originally, An Jiu had planned to ambush them using her advantages, but her spiritual sense had no offensive effect on these people, and her position had been discovered, so her situation was no better than Xue Sha’s.
After a moment of consideration, An Jiu decisively abandoned the confrontation and chose to flee.
These people were swift, but it seemed they had not initially targeted the two of them.
The two ran wildly, the group still relentlessly chasing behind them.
Xue Sha couldn’t help but ask, “What kind of people are these? Why are they so fixated on us?”
“You’re asking me? I’m asking who!” An Jiu replied impatiently.
It was truly an unexpected disaster. They hadn’t offended anyone, they were just simply traveling at night, yet they were being hunted down!
“Damn it all!” Xue Sha spat, gritting his teeth and increasing his speed.
They ran for over 10 miles, but the tail never loosened.
“Let’s fight!” An Jiu said as she ran.
“What? They outnumber and outpower us.” Xue Sha was incredulous.
An Jiu said, “We won’t make it to Hexi in time this way, and those people seem tireless. Rather than wait until we’re exhausted and caught, it’s better to make a decisive move now!”
Xue Sha saw the logic in that, “Alright!”
“Turn back!”
An Jiu and Xue Sha simultaneously halted their steps, drawing their blades and charging back.
The group didn’t expect the two to suddenly turn and attack caught off guard and having several of their members cut down.
The plump leader let out a long howl, and the rest began to organize their defense and offense, surrounding An Jiu and Xue Sha.
The two stood back-to-back, taking the opportunity to catch their breath.
“We have no grievances with you, nor any recent enmities. Why do you pursue us so relentlessly?” Xue Sha asked coldly.
No one answered.
“Don’t ask, look at their eyes,” An Jiu said.
Xue Sha looked closely and noticed the unusual redness of their eyelids, their white scleras filled with blood vessels, looking terrifying, no longer like normal people. Recalling how they had viciously torn apart the horses, he realized these people had likely lost their human consciousness.
“Kill that fat one,” Xue Sha said.
That plump man seemed to be their leader, his signals able to command the group.
“Cover me.” An Jiu quickly drew her bow and fired two arrows in quick succession, aiming at the fat man.
The fat man hadn’t expected An Jiu to move so swiftly, unable to dodge in time and being struck in the right chest by the arrows.
This shot enraged the fat man, who let out a furious roar, and the others pounced like mad wolves.