Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

In the southern border region of the Jin Dynasty, stretching from the south bank of the Yellow River to Tongguan, the once fertile plains had long since been transformed into a living hell. Civilian houses were forcibly seized by the Jin army and converted into military camps; tents were pitched amidst the ruins, and the air was thick with the stench of horse manure.

The autumn harvest was completely confiscated, and people who hid grain were slaughtered if it was found. The black market became the only way to survive. Half a coarse grain cake mixed with sand and stones could be exchanged for a emaciated child. People were forcibly conscripted to serve as local militia, and separation between fathers and sons and husbands and wives became commonplace. Anyone who resisted was beheaded on the spot, and their bodies were carelessly dumped by the roadside to be torn apart by wild dogs.

Trade was completely cut off, all industries came to a standstill, and only plunder and escape remained in the world; epidemics raged but there was a lack of medical care and medicine, and refugees died in the streets, the stench of decay spreading with the wind. The survivors had numb, lifeless eyes and lived like walking corpses in the face of despair.

Su Yan carried Xiao Nian'erba on his back and hurriedly walked through the mountains and fields. With the perfect enhancement of the Leap Technique, his figure was as swift as a raccoon, but he could not hide the fatigue between his brows and the melancholy in his eyes.

Three days after crossing the Yellow River, he followed his Uncle Chen's instructions to avoid official roads and bypass villages and towns, but the devastation he saw was still far greater than the journey from Taiyuan Prefecture to Hezhong Prefecture. In the burned-out villages, charred corpses curled up like charcoal, and the bones of children were dragged on the ground by wild dogs, leaving shallow bloodstains.

The field ridges were littered with withered bones, some with obvious knife marks on their necks, others with their abdomens brutally ripped open and their organs long gone, clearly victims of being used as "military rations." Occasionally, Mongol cavalry would be encountered, killing anyone they saw, their blood flowing like rivers and staining the withered grass red. Meanwhile, small groups of Jin soldiers would conscript men from all over the place, hacking them to death at the slightest resistance. Women and children were bound with ropes and abducted, their cries fading into the distance in the wilderness, their whereabouts unknown.

In the past three days, he has been attacked four times: twice by Mongol cavalry, once by a Jin army patrol, and once by a routed bandit. Although he narrowly escaped each attack, he still suffered many injuries.

He had been shot in the shoulder with an arrow, and although he had gritted his teeth and pulled out the bandage, dark red bloodstains still seeped under the bandage; a deep gash was cut open under his ribs, and every time he tried to catch his breath, it felt like his internal organs were being torn apart, causing him to break out in a cold sweat from the pain.

At that moment, the sound of horses' hooves was rapid and like the beating of drums behind them. Twenty Jin soldiers, clad in iron armor and wielding long swords, were relentlessly pursuing them. The centurion in charge had a sinister face like an owl, and his eyes were full of bloodthirsty glint.

The reason for the pursuit was that the Jin army had just raided a village the day before. Su Yan happened to be in the village asking for water. When they saw Su Yan, a young and strong man, they wanted to take him to serve in the army. Su Yan had nothing to say and killed three Jin soldiers, but he was also targeted by the centurion in charge.

This centurion, as stubborn as a bull, led his men in a chase that lasted a full day and night, determined to tear him to pieces.

"Boy, surrender! You killed my Great Jin soldiers, you will be torn to pieces!"

The centurion's roar echoed through the mountains and forests, his hooves crushing dry branches, and dust flying everywhere, blinding everyone.

Su Yan felt a sudden, sharp pain in his shoulder wound from the arrow. His breathing became increasingly heavy, like a bellows, and his chest burned with pain. Xiao Nianba clung tightly to his neck, her face as white as paper, but she dared not utter a sound. She simply pressed her cold little hands firmly against the bleeding wound under his ribs, her knuckles turning white from the force.

"Yan-ge'er, put me down and run by yourself!"

Xiao Nianba choked back sobs, her tears falling onto Su Yan's neck, burning hot.

"Don't do this for me..."

"Shut up, hold on tight!"

Su Yan let out a low shout, his voice hoarse as if it had been sanded, and suddenly accelerated, pushing his Leap Technique to its limit, his figure darting towards a steep mountain wall like a ghost.

He knew perfectly well that he couldn't force the issue.

Although the Jin cavalry were not agile in the mountains and forests, they were numerous and powerful. The Jin cavalry were wounded and exhausted, so they could only use the terrain to wear down the enemy.

The Jin army's long swords slashed down from behind, the wind howling like ghosts wailing. Su Yan dodged to the side, his shoulder wound being violently pulled, blood instantly soaking through the burlap and flowing down his back, wetting the arms of the little boy clinging to his back.

He drew his iron sword with a backhand motion, unleashing the full power of the Su family sword technique. The "Armor-Splitting Thrust" struck the throat of the nearest Jin soldier, the tip of the sword whistling through the air. Caught off guard, the Jin soldier died on the spot before he could even scream. Warm blood splattered on Su Yan's cheek, carrying a rusty, metallic smell.

"court death!"

The centurion roared and spurred his horse forward, thrusting his spear. The spear tip gleamed coldly, aimed directly at Su Yan's back.

Su Yan turned around abruptly, his iron sword blocking the attack. With a loud clang, the sound of metal clashing against metal made his hand go numb. Blood dripped from between his fingers onto the ground, and the wound under his ribs reopened, with blood gushing down his clothes and splashing onto the ground, leaving dark red spots.

He carried the little boy and moved about, his swordplay still fierce, but due to his severe injuries, it became somewhat sluggish. Every swing of the sword aggravated his wounds, causing him to feel dizzy and his vision to blur.

The Jin soldiers attacked in waves, slashing with long swords and thrusting with spears. Their dense offensive was like a large net, making it difficult for him to breathe. Su Yan's heart sank. He knew that he was outnumbered and that a direct confrontation would surely lead to his death. He immediately used a dead tree for cover, unleashed his full power of the Leap Technique, and his figure darted like a ghost into the dense forest on the hillside.

He wanted to wage guerrilla warfare, using the terrain to wear down this pack of hungry wolves of the Jin army.

Amidst the crisscrossing dead branches and deep ravines of the mountain forest, Su Yan swiftly traversed the rocky, steep slopes, sometimes dodging around trees, sometimes crouching and sliding, using the dense bushes to conceal his figure.

Little Nianba hugged his neck tightly, buried her face in his shoulder, trembling all over but not daring to make a sound, only clutching his clothes tightly, her knuckles turning white.

She was filled with fear, yet inexplicably trusted the boy on her back.

From Taiyuan to Hezhong, from fainting from hunger in front of the Su family's gate to being protected by him all the way, he never let her suffer any real harm. She knew he would protect her, and she trusted him.

"Don't run! Spare your life!"

The Jin soldiers roared as they chased after them, but the complex terrain limited their speed, and they gradually fell behind.

But the centurion was a skilled horseman, dodging obstacles and relentlessly pursuing her. Suddenly, he raised his hand and waved his hand, and two Jin soldiers flanked her from the left and right. Their long swords slashed at Su Yan's sides at the same time, the sharp sound of the blades cutting through the air was ear-piercing. Meanwhile, the other soldier aimed at the unsuspecting little girl on his back, the blade flashing straight at the back of her head, carrying a deadly chill.

Su Yan caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye, and his heart clenched as if doused with ice water. He had no time to think, nor could he parry three blades at the same time. He could only turn around abruptly, holding Xiao Nian'er tightly in his arms, his back braced against the long blade that was slashing down.

"Sizzle!"

The sound of the blade slicing through flesh was extremely piercing, and the deep wound that revealed bone instantly gushed out scalding blood, soaking through the coarse cloth clothes on his back and flowing down his spine, staining Xiao Nian'erba's sleeves bright red.

Su Yan was in so much pain that his vision went black and his veins bulged all over his body, but he gritted his teeth and didn't utter a sound. Using the force of his spinning body, he swept his iron sword horizontally and severed the leg of a Jin soldier next to him. The man screamed and rolled down the steep slope. At the same time, he kicked another soldier hard in the chest.

With a crisp "crack," the other person's sternum broke, and they flew backward.

The arrow wound in my shoulder throbbed with pain, my strength was rapidly draining away, and the blackouts in my vision became more and more frequent, until my eyes began to blur.

"We must finish this quickly!"

Su Yan steeled his resolve and poured all the remaining internal energy in his dantian into the sword. The Su family sword technique, which he had mastered in the past, suddenly became clear at this moment when he was on the verge of life and death.

Each move became increasingly fluid and harmonious. The "Chain Slash" swept across with a powerful wind, swirling up withered leaves and blood droplets. The "Shield Breaker" was incomparably fierce, causing the air to tremble. The "Ground Strike" was as fast as lightning, with sword moves seamlessly connected, as if completely integrated with one's own blood and internal energy, becoming one with it.

Host: Su Yan

Age: 16

Martial arts:

Rank E - Su Family Sword Technique (Perfect, 1/500) [Consumable -30%, Armor Penetration +30%, Pressure +40%]

Rank E - Leap Technique (Perfect, 486/500) [Consumer Cost -30%, Agility +40%, Evasion +40%]

Rank E - Monument Smasher (Mastery, 147/400) [Consumable Cost -25%, Critical Hit +30%, Fist Power +25%]

Realm: Third-rate martial artist.

The Lifting Technique was already at its peak, with little room for further improvement. However, the life-and-death battles and desperate struggles to survive these past few days have somehow managed to grind its proficiency to 486.

Every dodge was a life-or-death gamble, every instance of borrowing strength was done with all one's might. This was no training; it was paving the way with one's life.

As the Su family sword technique reached its peak, the sword's momentum suddenly surged. The iron sword hummed, and a cold light flashed like a bolt of lightning. Two Jin soldiers had their wrists severed at the same time, blood gushing out. They screamed and fell off their horses, writhing on the ground in pain.

Su Yan closed in on the centurion, his sword strikes raining down like a storm. The oppressive force made the centurion gasp for breath, his face turning deathly pale.

He tried to retaliate with his spear, but Su Yan knocked the spear away with a single sword strike. The spear shaft smashed into a tree trunk and broke in two. Immediately afterward, the "Armor-Splitting Thrust" pierced straight into his heart, the iron sword passing through his chest and bringing out a jet of scalding blood.

The centurion's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief and resentment, as he collapsed heavily from his horse, his body dragged away by the frightened steed.

The remaining Jin soldiers were terrified at the sight and dared not linger in battle. They turned and fled in a sorry state, not even daring to look back at the corpses of their comrades.

Su Yan felt his blood and qi boiling, but the extreme exhaustion completely drained him. His vision went black, and he took out the wild ginseng he had already nibbled on from his pocket, biting off a large piece. The bitter juice slid down his throat and into his stomach, barely managing to muster a little strength.

He dared not linger. With his last shred of consciousness, he staggered into the depths of the cave. His legs gave way, and he fell heavily onto the cold stone floor of the cave, clutching the little boy. The wound on his back scraped against the gravel, causing him to convulse in pain, and his vision went completely dark.

The iron sword clattered to the ground, its blade already chipped and damaged, covered in dark brown bloodstains that had congealed into a jelly-like consistency. The original patterns were now obscured by the blood and mud, revealing a gruesome appearance after being bathed in blood.

Little Nianba climbed out of Su Yan's arms, tears streaming down her face like broken beads. She knelt on the stone ground and carefully helped Su Yan up, her little hands trembling as she pressed on the wound on his back. Her fingertips touched the warm blood and the turned-out flesh, which startled her and made her flinch.

But she immediately bit her lip and pressed the wound firmly with the cleanest corner of her clothes, using just the right amount of force, afraid of hurting him and afraid of not being able to stop the bleeding.

"Yan-ge'er, please be alright..."

Xiao Nianba choked back sobs, tears dripping onto Su Yan's blood-stained face.

She knelt on the ground, head bowed, gently blowing on Su Yan's wound, tears already streaming down her young face.

But... it's completely useless.

Tears welled up in her eyes like an uncontrollable valve.

Until the tears seemed to have dried up, her breath was warm, carrying the unique innocence of a child, but the color in her eyes had quietly changed.

At one moment, her demeanor seemed to change drastically, yet it also seemed unchanged; she was still that small figure with a face covered in grime.

But what is not easily noticed is the cold hatred that is inconsistent with his age.

She remembered the village burned down by the Mongol soldiers, the girl abducted by the Jin army, the skeletons and wails she had seen along the way, and Su Yan's repeated injuries to save her—the arrow wound on his shoulder, the knife scar on his ribs, and now the deep, bone-revealing wound on his back—all to protect her.

Unbeknownst to her, Su Yan had long since become more than just a benefactor who had shown her immense kindness; calling him God or her second parents would be far too incomparable.

Like a mountain? That's too light. Like parents? They're not worthy of being compared to Brother Yan'er.

Brother Yan'er, you should be like a god! Like a Buddha! Like heaven! Like earth!

Su Yan, whom she held in such high regard, had been beaten so badly by these villains, bandits, and soldiers that her heart was already trembling with pain and numb.

She hates it.

She only regretted not having enough power to avenge Yan'er. She only regretted the injustice of this world, forcing her and Yan'er to wander everywhere. She only regretted those who treated the common people like straw dogs, yet sat comfortably on high platforms, wielding their power with impunity.

These seeds of hatred, which had taken root and sprouted amidst the hardships along the way, were now completely ignited by Su Yan's dying appearance. She bit her lip tightly until she tasted blood, her eyes filled with ruthlessness.

Her once handsome face was now contorted with grotesque rage, and her small body trembled slightly, consumed by hatred. It seemed that her young, weakened form could not bear the weight of her abyss-like, hellish hatred.

"Those soldiers, and those bastards... I'll remember them!"

She touched Su Yan's cold cheek, recalling how Su Yan shared coarse grain cakes with her, carried her on his back, and killed bandits in the black pine forest. Her heart ached and panicked, but she was more determined than ever before.

She let out a long breath, her trembling body regaining its composure, but the murderous intent in her eyes grew even more intense. She imitated Yan'er, tearing off the relatively clean strips of cloth from her clothes and clumsily trying to bandage herself using the methods she remembered from Yan'er.

I fed him some clean water that I found somewhere.

She no longer seems to be a girl who depends on others.