Under One Person: Please Call Me Golden Flash

Chapter 174 Let's risk our lives

Lu Huizhong's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment.

She continued to gaze down at the full moon reflected in the water, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the cold stone railing.

Lu Huizhong did not answer immediately, but after a moment she slowly spoke in her slightly unsteady voice: "Yes... that madwoman... how did she die?"

Her tone lacked its usual flippancy and was filled with a genuine emptiness, as if she were asking herself, rather than Zhao Zhen, about the unpredictable nature of the world.

"When that guy drew a black card and went out to kill someone, he even came to me to show off, he was so smug. Now look at him..."

Lu Huizhong paused, her voice lowering to almost blend into the sound of flowing water.

Then came another long period of silence.

Suddenly, Lu Huizhong straightened up abruptly, left the stone railing, and took two steps forward, letting the night breeze brush against her face more directly.

She turned around, leaning against the bridge railing to face Zhao Zhen directly.

The moonlight illuminated the faintly ironic smile that had returned to Lu Huizhong's face.

"Sorry? Zhao Zhen, those words don't sound like you're trying to comfort someone at all when you say them."
You yourself are constantly dancing on the edge of a knife. In the years that you have been hunted down by the ninjas of Mount Hiei, the number of people you have killed is probably no less than that of any Tang Sect disciple.

From the day we started eating this rice bowl, we should have known that it would eventually fall apart. For us, life and death separations have long been commonplace.

Besides, what kind of logic is there in the Tang Clan asking their employer to apologize for a mission they're undertaking?

Her words remained sharp, but beneath that sharpness lay no longer scrutiny and calculation, but a kind of bloodthirsty, assassin-like tenacity and numbness.

Instead of getting upset here, you should think about tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be the same. Once we've climbed the mountain and crossed that line, whether it's us or you, we'll have to rely on our skills and luck to survive.

When someone dies, it's God's will that takes them away; you can't blame anyone else.

"Whether it's the sect leader or the magistrate, the men they've deployed, including those of us still standing here, haven't they all been prepared long ago?"

At this point, Lu Huizhong suddenly fixed her meaningful gaze on Zhao Zhen's face, as if confirming something.

So, are you really ready?

"Your Golden Escape Technique is definitely unusable. I heard the Japanese army's Void Array covers a huge area, and the brothers who were scouting the area suffered heavy losses before they managed to bring the news back."

This question was both a question about Zhao Zhen's fighting spirit and determination, and a subtle reminder of the danger he was about to face.

Zhao Zhen smiled slightly, then said calmly, "Isn't this good too? Now we're all truly in the same boat."

If I always leave myself a way out, then surely the members of the Tang Clan wouldn't dare entrust their backs to me with complete peace of mind?

Lu Huizhong was slightly taken aback, seemingly surprised by Zhao Zhen's calmness.

The tense atmosphere seemed to have eased a little with those words.

She said nothing more, but turned her head and looked again at the dark, imposing mountain outlines in the distance, which were about to be stained with blood and fire. Her eyes became unusually calm and sharp in the moonlight.

The night breeze blows, and the water flowing under the bridge remains unchanged.

"I'm leaving now. You should go back and get some rest too."

"Okay, take care, Sister Lu."
-
The next morning.

Early in the morning, the Tang Clan's team had already assembled.

This challenge was led by the Tang Clan leader, and the ten participants were Lu Huizhong, Yang Lie, Dong Chang, Xu Xin, Gao Yingcai, Lu Jin, Lü Ci, and Zhao Zhen.

Although Zhao Zhen and his group were not members of the Tang Clan, and it was against Tang Clan rules for outsiders to interfere during the mission.

However, this situation was special, and the Hieiyama ninja never intended to abide by the agreement, even going so far as to call in other supernatural forces and troops from the Japanese.

So, when faced with such a despicable opponent, the Tang Sect Master would naturally not be so rigid as to continue to stick to the old ways.

Moreover, during the recent reconnaissance mission, half of the Tang Clan disciples, including Tang Jiaren, the head of the Tang Clan, were injured. It was even rumored that "Laughing Yama" Tang Jiaren lost an arm as a result!
Even if the Tang Clan leader wanted to use their people, he lacked the resources. After all, the ten people openly present at the Tianming Mountain battle had little impact on the overall situation; the real battlefield lay outside of them!
"As usual, have you kept all the letters home?"

The Tang Sect Master spoke slowly.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"In that case, let's set off!"

Then, led by the Tang Clan leader, the group went up the mountain in a grand procession.

The agreed location was at the top of Tianming Mountain, which happened to be a large open space with enough room for both sides to fight.

Along the way, Zhao Zhen saw many corpses that had not yet been recovered.

There were members of the Tang Clan and members of the Japanese.

Their bodies were simply left lying there, the pungent, overwhelming stench of blood assaulting the nostrils.

Upon witnessing this scene, Lu Jin, Lü Ci, and the others all turned deathly pale.

The Tang Clan members merely glanced at the corpses before continuing their journey with expressionless faces, showing no other emotion whatsoever.

At the summit, when Zhao Zhen and his group reached the top, the Hieiyama ninja had been waiting for a long time.

In the open space of the stone platform, Zuo Jin's burly figure stood alone in the center of the area, taut like a fully drawn bow, with the desolate dense forest behind him.

"Zhao Zhen!!!"

Zuo Jin's gaze was fixed on Zhao Zhen, his gums clenched so tightly that they cracked, and the hilt of the knife was gripped so tightly in his palm that it left a pale mark.

"Today I will avenge Zhuang Bingwei and the others!"

"Revenge? Just you?"

A hint of disdain flashed in Zhao Zhen's eyes, and then he continued, "Why are there only a few of you? Where is that old bastard, Ono Noriyoshi?"

"Young man, being too sharp-tongued is not a good thing."

An aged, hoarse voice drifted from the woods, and Ono Noriyoshi's figure slowly emerged from the shadows of the trees.

"As your ancestors once said, 'The tallest tree in the forest will surely be felled by the wind...'"

"They've finally shown up..."

The moment Tang Sect Leader saw Ono Noriyoshi, his eyes narrowed slightly.

However, he cannot rush into action now. It will take some time for the personnel he has arranged to be in place, and he also needs to confirm that the identity of this "ninja leader" is indeed correct.

"Master Tang, I apologize for my rudeness."

"Hehe, now that everyone's here, let's stop with the small talk and get started."

The Tang Clan leader answered succinctly.

"Right on my mind."

Ono Noriyoshi nodded, then turned and retreated back into the dense forest without looking back, leaning on his cane.

"Be careful."

After saying this, Tang Sect Leader strode off into the dense forest.

Looking at the ten men the other side had sent out, Zhao Zhen took a deep breath.

"Everyone, from this moment on, risk your lives..."

(End of this chapter)