Wandering Swordsman |

He Yun nodded, his eyes flashing with determination: "Brother Shen is absolutely right. Let's set up an ambush here." As he spoke, he scanned the surroundings, searching for the best spot.

Although Zhao Xue was a little scared, she knew she couldn't show any cowardice at this time. She tightened her clothes and followed Shen Mo and He Yun to find a suitable cover.

The three quickly dispersed, each choosing a concealed spot to hide. Shen Mo hid behind a thick old tree, clutching a branch he had picked up from the ground; He Yun hid behind a large rock, holding his short sword; Zhao Xue hid behind another tree, though she had no weapon, she wanted to use it at this crucial moment.

The dark forest was eerily quiet, broken only by the rustling of leaves in the breeze. Shen Mo kept his eyes fixed on the direction they had come from; he knew the bandits could appear at any moment. As time ticked by, Shen Mo's tension grew, but his gaze remained unwavering.

Finally, some movement came from afar, and several dark figures moved quickly in the moonlight—the pursuing bandits. Upon reaching this spot, the bandits naturally realized it was the very place where they had been captured by the two boys during the day, and thus paused briefly.

"Huh, where did they go?" one of the bandits said疑惑地, his voice echoing in the quiet night air with a hint of unease. Hearing this, the leader of the bandits immediately sensed something was wrong; his intuition told him that things were not simple.

"Retreat!" With that thought, the leader of the bandits shouted, his voice sounding particularly sharp in the night, breaking the original tranquility.

Although the bandit leader was fierce, he wasn't stupid. He realized that He Yun and his men might be lying in wait under the cover of night, ready to ambush him. At this moment, the surrounding trees seemed to have transformed into eerie shadows, and a sense of oppressive tension filled the air.

However, just as the bandit leader finished speaking, He Yun's figure suddenly appeared from the shadows.

He appeared suddenly and silently before the bandits, like a ghost.

Except for the leader of the bandits, who had anticipated the sudden appearance of the figure and was not frightened, the other two bandits were terrified, their expressions of fear clearly visible in the moonlight.

In the brief moment when the two bandits were terrified, they were full of openings. He Yun gave them no chance to recover. While the two bandits were still in shock, the short sword in He Yun's hand flashed through the air like lightning, the tip of the sword pointing straight at the throat of one of the bandits.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment, and every molecule in the air was filled with tension. He Yun's swordsmanship was swift and accurate, like a cheetah's final leap when hunting its prey.

The blade of the short sword touched the bandit's neck, the sound of skin tearing almost imperceptible, followed by a gush of warm liquid, the blood appearing exceptionally bright red in the moonlight.

In that instant, the bandit who had been struck was filled with terror and disbelief. He tried to scream, but his voice was muffled by the blood, and all that remained was a hoarse wail. His body staggered a few steps due to inertia before he fell heavily to the ground, his blood staining the ground red, a stark contrast to the night.

He Yun sheathed his sword, the tip drawing a perfect arc in the air, blood dripping down. The entire process was breathtaking. All of this happened in just a few seconds.

The bandit leader and another bandit witnessed their companion being killed by the young man before them. The leader's eyes were filled with cold indifference, yet a newfound hatred for He Yun grew within him. The other bandit, however, felt a flicker of fear. He wondered if, had he stood even slightly closer to He Yun, he might have been the one killed. Perhaps, if he hadn't specifically sought revenge against the young man and his companions, he wouldn't have lost his friend.

Seeing this, He Yun didn't hesitate at all. He raised his short sword again, aiming it directly at the terrified bandit. However, just as the sword was about to strike its target, the leader of the bandits swung his knife to block He Yun's attack. The blades clashed, sparks flew, and the air was filled with the metallic stench.

He Yun said coldly, "Yesterday I spared your lives and handed you over to the authorities, yet you still come to seek revenge. You truly deserve to die."

The bandit leader remained expressionless, gripping his knife tightly, seemingly weighing his next move. However, the bandit beside him could not bear the thought of his comrade's death and roared angrily, "I'll fight you to the death!" He then swung his knife fiercely at He Yun.

He Yun swiftly dodged, the blade grazing his ear, a near-death experience. He Yun was just a boy, and the difference in strength between him and the adult bandits was obvious. Although He Yun was highly skilled in martial arts, his stamina gradually waned after continuous running and fighting. His movements began to slow down, and each swing of his short sword became increasingly labored.

Shen Mo witnessed everything from the shadows, his heart filled with anxiety. He recalled his suggestion earlier that day to hand the bandits over to the authorities; if not for his naiveté, he might not be in this predicament now. Shen Mo steeled his resolve and decided to repeat the successful ambush from earlier that day. Holding a tree branch, he quietly emerged from his hiding place and circled behind the bandits locked in combat with He Yun.

However, the bandit leader was no ordinary person, and Shen Mo's sneak attack was quickly noticed by the bandit leader.

He immediately turned around and swung his knife to intercept Shen Mo's sneak attack. Shen Mo's attack missed, and the tree branch was easily knocked away. Shen Mo felt a chill in his heart, realizing that he had underestimated the enemy's strength.

Just as Shen Mo was at a loss because his sneak attack had failed, He Yun, who was also entangled with the bandits, noticed that Shen Mo's sneak attack had failed and he was at a loss. So He Yun fought and retreated, and when he saw an opportunity, he kicked the dead bandit's knife in front of Shen Mo.

He Yun, panting heavily, gestured to Shen Mo with his eyes to pick up the knife and attack.

Faced with the knife before him, Shen Mo was caught in a fierce internal struggle. He recalled his initial motivation for proposing to bring the bandits to justice—justice and order. However, reality was so cruel: the government colluded with the bandits, and his suggestion to hand them over to the authorities had only resulted in retaliation.

Thinking of this, Shen Mo's eyes gradually changed from confusion to determination. He realized that in such a world, one should not be soft-hearted when dealing with evil people.

So, he resolutely picked up the knife from the ground, his gaze towards the bandits now filled with determination and maturity. At that moment, Shen Mo seemed to have grown up considerably; he understood that in the martial world, justice needed to be upheld by one's own strength, and kindness needed to be protected with decisive action. This moment was not only a personal growth for Shen Mo, but also the fundamental principle guiding his attitude towards evil forces in the future.