Chapter Eight: The Zhao Siblings

"Let's go. This internal skill works wonders for healing injuries. Even if you're seriously wounded, as long as you have a moment to practice breathing exercises, you can quickly and naturally recover."

"It's even more powerful than the Dusk Technique of the Evening Glow Sect! Brother, you should have taught me sooner."

In the distance, the branches of the forest shook violently—the search party was drawing near.

This time, Ghostbane was not being carried by Bu Jingxian and ran with great enthusiasm. "Damn it, no matter how far I run, I don't seem to get tired at all!" Bu Jingxian tore a piece from his robe and hung it on a tree branch so the pursuers would know they'd passed through here.

Excited, Ghostbane hurried over to Bu Jingxian's side and leered, "Brother, now I know why the Moon Worship Sisters are all so willing to give themselves to you. With this internal strength, you never get tired—when you're with them, you must make them feel like they're in heaven. Which woman wouldn't fall for you..."

"Brother! We're running for our lives," Bu Jingxian snapped, unable to tolerate his lack of crisis awareness.

"What are you embarrassed about? It's just that kind of thing..."

Seeing Bu Jingxian glare coldly at him, Ghostbane finally shut up.

Now that Ghostbane had mastered the Fifth Stage Soul Technique, he couldn't run as fast as Bu Jingxian, but he could sprint tirelessly. He recovered faster than he expended energy, so he could keep running for a long time.

After running hard for over half an hour, Ghostbane was sweating and dehydrated, and he cried out that he was thirsty. Bu Jingxian tossed him his water pouch, which Ghostbane drained in one gulp, shouting in delight.

As they passed through a dense thicket, Bu Jingxian heard something unusual in the wind and quickly stopped Ghostbane, finding a thick patch of grass to hide in.

"There are people ahead. If it's Zheng soldiers and Immortal Sect members, we'll catch them off guard. If there are too many, we'll wait for them to pass before moving on."

"Got it!" Ghostbane gripped his twin blades, eager to test his strength.

Soon, sounds came from ahead—a rough voice, hoarse and desperate, shouted, "Captain, go! You all go! Leave me! Go—don't worry about me, just go!"

Moments later, the clash of metal drew near. Through a gap in the grass, Bu Jingxian and Ghostbane saw a man and a woman being forced back by Zheng soldiers. Between them was a burly man, tall as a wall and thick as a bear, swinging a giant axe with all his strength. But his body was pierced by seven spears and five swords.

In just these few moments, his leg was struck several more times, apparently wounding his tendons, and one foot gave out entirely. The man and woman he urged to flee were loyal to the end, supporting him on either side as they fought off the Zheng soldiers' blades and spears, retreating as best they could.

But the man's size was too much; after a few steps, he dragged the pair down with him. The Zheng soldiers surged forward, hacking wildly. Seeing this, the giant used his last strength to shove the pair away, still swinging his axe to kill. But he couldn't stand, and in an instant, the lower half of his body was hacked and stabbed into a bloody mess, his chest and belly bristling with spears.

"Go! Run—!"

"Bear!" the man and woman cried, their eyes red with rage, scrambling up and charging in to save him with swords drawn, but more Zheng soldiers surrounded them, cutting off their advance. The fallen giant was already silent, but the soldiers, fearing he might still live, continued hacking and stabbing him.

The pair seemed to have no knowledge of advanced internal skills and, once surrounded, could do nothing.

"Should we help?" Ghostbane, moved by the giant's tragic end, volunteered for once.

Bu Jingxian saw there were only about a hundred Zheng soldiers and said, "Very well. Take this chance to practice your blade, your courage, and get used to your Soul Technique's power."

Ghostbane, however, shrank behind him, chuckling, "You go first, I'll cover the rear!"

Bu Jingxian had no words for him. "Poor choice of words," he muttered, then charged straight into the Zheng soldiers. Using his brute strength, he grabbed them by the arms and hurled them left and right like sacks of grain. In moments, a dozen soldiers had been tossed far away. The man and woman, both freshly wounded, were heartened by this sudden savior.

Bu Jingxian pushed and shoved, breaking the encirclement, allowing the pair to take cover behind him.

Ghostbane saw a Zheng soldier thrown to the ground by Bu Jingxian and rushed over, slicing down with his blade. The soldier tried to parry, but Ghostbane's strength was overwhelming and his weapon a treasure. His blow split both the man's weapon and head in two. Stunned by his own power, Ghostbane's confidence soared.

He ignored the soldiers Bu Jingxian had scattered, instead focusing on picking out lone enemies and cleaving them in half with each swing.

"Ha! The mighty Ghostbane, slayer of ten thousand, has arrived!" Ghostbane boasted shamelessly, uncaring if he bit his tongue. He charged into the Zheng soldiers, blades flashing, his stamina and magical weapons far outclassing the ordinary troops. Every enemy he met fell before him, and for a time, he cut through them like a storm.

"The mighty Ghostbane is here! Which bastard son of a dog from that rabbit country dares block my way? Gods or immortals, I'll cut down anyone in my path..." Suddenly, he realized his words were disrespectful to the gods. There were many legends about immortals in the land, and common people half-believed them. Ghostbane, afraid of bringing divine wrath upon himself, hurriedly apologized in his heart, "No offense meant, heavenly ones..."

Bu Jingxian saw that Ghostbane was no coward and made sure the Zheng soldiers could not encircle them, snatching up a pair of long spears to sweep aside any who pressed in from the flanks.

The man and woman, driven by hatred for the Zheng soldiers, stood on either side of Ghostbane and hacked furiously with their swords. Despite their numbers, the Zheng soldiers could not form an effective encirclement, nor could they withstand Ghostbane's magical blades and extraordinary strength. One after another, they fell like wheat before the scythe. Before long, over half the enemy lay dead or dying. The centurion in command, seeing the carnage, hurriedly ordered a retreat, abandoning seven or eight soldiers who could not escape in time. The rest fled back the way they came.

When the enemy withdrew, the pair rushed to the giant, but he was already gone. Overwhelmed with grief, they threw themselves onto his body, weeping bitterly.

Ghostbane, still flushed with triumph, heard their sorrowful cries and gradually lost his joy. Remembering the giant's loyalty, he too felt admiration. He went over to offer comfort, and the pair slowly stifled their sobs, digging a grave on the spot to bury the giant. Bu Jingxian, though anxious about the pursuers behind them, was also moved by the giant's loyalty and the pair's devotion. He helped by collapsing a patch of earth with a single kick.

This show of strength left the man and woman stunned, and only after being reminded did they begin to dig into the loosened soil. The four of them worked together for a while before the giant was finally buried.

"I am Zhao Tian, and this is my sister, Zhao Ji. Thank you, heroes, for saving our lives!"

As they spoke, the two knelt and bowed their heads in thanks, but Ghostbane quickly helped them up.

"It was nothing. I'm being hunted by Zheng soldiers anyway—seeing those bastards just makes my blood boil! Killing a few to loosen up is just good fun."

Only now did they learn that the pair, the giant, and more than thirty others who had died along the road were all villagers from the border of Han. Oppressed and exploited by their own country, the entire village was forced to flee to Zheng. On the way, they were intercepted by Han soldiers, but refused to return and fought their way across the border.

After arriving in Zheng, they were left destitute. Soon, word came that Han and the Black Wolf Army had joined forces to attack Zheng, so they decided to enlist. Unexpectedly, shortly after joining, they encountered old enemies who accused them of being Han spies. Warned in advance, they fled, hoping to reach Chu and join the army there, but were discovered by a Zheng search party on the way. Recognized by someone among them, a fight broke out.

They had been running and fighting ever since, and of the thirty-plus villagers who set out together, only the two of them remained.