Man from the Wild South

Chapter 8

Chapter 8 (Part 1)

The moment Li Yun Yi finishes talking, she turns back and thrusts her sword at Feng Jin. Shang Guan Jing quickly leaps into the air and lands between the 2 of them. Her sword is already in her hand, and she blocks the onslaught with all her might. The air vibrates with a sharp ‘clang!’ and Li Yun Yi is forced to back away 3 steps.

Shang Guan Jing grabs Feng Jin’s hand and tries to dash for the path between 2 trees. “Leave with me!”

Before they can however, several men appear and surround them. There are about 20 of them and they are all armed. With a roar, they start attacking and Shang Guan Jing has to focus all her attention on them.

Within a few strokes, Shang Guan Jing already knows that they are not her match in terms of skill,  but she is outnumbered and she is also has Feng Jin who doesn’t know martial arts. He is innocent and has nothing to do with her feud with her sect members. If he is hurt or harmed in any way, she will never forgive herself. In fact, her one and only thought now is getting Feng Jin to safety.

Taking a deep breath, she quickens her pace and strikes out like lightening. As if she has eyes at the back of her head, she blocks a sword aimed at her back and in her return swing, her sword has cut cleanly through the attacker at her back. As she moves to block another oncoming sword coming from her left, she spots a shadowy blur to her right. It looks like Yan Ying and…. it is Yan Ying, thank goodness! From the corner of her eyes, she sees him injuring 3 men with one swing of his sword and sends Feng Jin’s attackers sprawling to the ground.

Seeing that she has help, Bo Lan Zhou and Li Yun Yi joins in the fight. Their men can take care of the newcomer but they will need to tackle Shang Guan Jing.

As they start attacking her, Shang Guan Jing strikes out another 49 strokes in rapid succession. When her sharp eyes sees a gap on Bo Lan Zhou’s left, between his arm and waist, she slips her sword nimbly through the opening and cuts his side. He tries to block her upswing but she step-sides his countermove efficiently and nicks him in the neck. As Bo Lan Zhou presses a hand to his bleeding neck, she eyes him coldly. “You have never manage to win me yet in a duel.”

Li Yun Yi is incensed when she sees the blood and thrusts her sword at Shang Guan Jing. Because they are very close, Shang Guan Jing can see the fire and fear in her eyes and silently acknowledges to herself that Da Shi Jie must indeed love Er Shi Ge very much to be so concern over him. The force of her swordplay is testimony of her anger and unbidden, a thought crosses her mind. What about herself? Does she have someone whom she loves and wants to keep safe?

The answer is yes, she does.

With her minds preoccupied with protecting Feng Jin, she is a split second slower in swinging back her sword. Seeing his chance, Bo Lan Zhou swings and cuts her sword arm. His sword is very sharp and Shang Guan Jing almost never feels the sting until the sensation of warm liquid flowing down her arm cues her that she has been injured.

She did not break her rhythm and brings up her sword in the next split second before Bo Lan Zhou has opportunity to injure her. In the same move, she thrusts out her sword at Bo Lan Zhou and adds a second cut on his neck.

Li Yun Yi is furious what she has hurt Bo Lan Zhou a second time and turns around to glare at Feng Jin. Thinking a tit for a tat, she thrusts out her sword at the lanky man.

Since the Yan Ying has appeared, Feng Jin has not moved a muscle and merely observes the fight from beneath a tree. As Li Yun Yi swings her sword at him, he sees Shang Guan Jing leaping in the air towards him once more, hands outstretched to deflect the blow. She manages to block the woman a second time but her stance has left her back unguarded. Feng Jin stares on impassively as Bo Lan Zhou strikes his palm on her back.

Shang Guan Jing is unprepared for the hit and almost simultaneously, Li Yun Yi has moved and skewers her sword cleanly through her shoulder.