Chapter 197 - 148: Ambush and Kill
When they heard Fang Yue say this, neither of them doubted him.
However, they couldn’t help but look at Fang Yue with a hint of envy.
After all, even though they were confident in their own strength, they wouldn’t dare to clash head-on with the Qi Sensing bandits from Tenglong Stronghold at a time like this.
If they were killed, there would be no justice to be had.
The leaders who had achieved Great Success in Marrow Transformation were no pushovers either, especially since several of them had already been ambushed and killed by some of the Martial Scholars. Now, they moved in groups with a large number of subordinates, rarely getting caught alone. What’s more, Qi Sensing Martial Masters were patrolling the forest.
It was extremely dangerous.
A Martial Artist doesn’t court disaster. You have to know when to fold.
Even if their gains were small, survival came first. They had to get out of the forest before planning their next move.
If they stayed here, they were bound to meet a bad end sooner or later.
But how were they to get out?
Did they have to brute-force their way out?
Just as the three of them were discussing whether to force their way out, another rustling sound arose. A moment later, about ten more Martial Scholars emerged from the dense forest.
"That’s Wang Teng. He was ranked third before the Prefecture Examination. I heard he was once hunted for a thousand li by a Qi Sensing Martial Master but managed to escape. The man must have the strength to face a Qi Sensing Martial Master head-on."
"Looks like they’re planning to leave too. Should we join them?"
Xiong Da’s eyes lit up when he saw the group of Martial Scholars, and a look of delight spread across his dark face.
Then, he enthusiastically said to Wang Mangzi and Fang Yue.
Although he was asking for their opinions, Xiong Da had clearly already made up his mind.
His question was merely a formality.
Neither Fang Yue nor Wang Mangzi objected. Charging the bandit checkpoint with this group of Martial Scholars would give them a much better chance of success.
With no objections, the three of them cautiously went over to join the others.
Wang Teng’s group was already large, but they had no reason to turn away Fang Yue’s trio.
At a time like this, every extra person increased their chances of success.
Only a fool would turn away able-bodied allies.
"Alright, everyone. The situation in the mountains is uncertain, the bandits are numerous, and we Martial Scholars are too spread out. The right move is for all of us to withdraw first and regroup."
Wang Teng briefly laid out the stakes. Of course, he had said this several times already, but it served as a reminder for the three newcomers, Fang Yue’s group.
Of course, while their skills varied, they were all proud and unruly Martial Artists. Wang Teng didn’t try to use his status or strength to boss anyone around.
"Right now, our only chance of escape is to work together in good faith. The checkpoint ahead will undoubtedly be heavily guarded; getting past it won’t be easy. I ask that none of you hold back. Give it your all."
Wang Teng continued. After a pause, he lowered his voice and said to those around him, "Who here scored an A+ in archery? I have some fire oil. We’ll use fire arrows to light up the checkpoint, and once the fire starts, we all rush them at once."
The plan was simple, crude even.
But given the current situation, it was the best they could do.
Fang Yue heard him out and privately agreed.
This was a hastily assembled group, and every member was a formidable fighter in their own right. While their Martial Arts skills varied, there was no hierarchy among them.
Besides, in a situation like this, no one was going to die for someone else.
Quite a few people had scored an A+ in archery during the Prefecture Examination, so two Martial Artists carrying bows quickly stepped forward.
Wang Teng wasted no time. He immediately handed a porcelain vial to the two men.
"Hm? This guy!"
Fang Yue had sharp eyes. He noticed that inside the bag in Wang Teng’s hand, there were about ten more porcelain vials and several packets of powder.
One of the paper packets was torn, and a fine white powder had spilled out.
Fang Yue didn’t even have to look closely to know it was lime powder.
He didn’t have to think hard to guess what the lime powder was for.
In fact, in that fleeting glimpse, Fang Yue had even seen a label with words like "Raging Dragon" or some such.
At that, Fang Yue glanced again at Wang Teng’s stern, righteous-looking face.
For a moment, he felt a strong urge to back out. ’Was following this seemingly righteous, heroic-looking man the wrong choice?’ he wondered.
But clearly, Wang Teng wasn’t going to give him a chance to have second thoughts.
In that short time, the two volunteers—the Martial Scholars with A+ archery—had already prepared the fire arrows.
Then, they drew their bows, nocked the arrows, and let them fly.
"SWOOSH!"
A sound of something slicing through the air was heard as a fire arrow streaked through the void, flying straight toward the checkpoint. It exploded on impact, erupting into a roaring blaze.
Flames surged into the sky, lighting up the horizon and bathing the checkpoint in an eerie, day-like glow.
"Everyone, with me! Charge!"
Immediately after, Wang Teng bellowed, and one after another, black shadows launched themselves from all directions, rushing toward the checkpoint.
~~~~~~~
As the flames swelled, the checkpoint, being a wooden structure, was immediately engulfed in a sea of fire.
Countless bandits were startled awake. Seeing the monstrous blaze, they screamed and scattered in all directions.
But many of the more skilled fighters also charged out of the inferno, roaring as they attacked the approaching Martial Scholars.
"Heh heh heh, I knew some of you insects wouldn’t be able to hold back. Since you’re here, you can all stay for good!"
With a cold roar, two Qi Sensing Martial Masters, along with a dozen or so Marrow Transformer Martial Artists, burst out from the sea of fire.
Fang Yue, who was hanging back slightly, saw this, and his eyes narrowed.