[Free] Genuine Date Solicitation with Photos of Beautiful Women a “Hiss—!” Li Muzhan flicked his wrist, and a pebble sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, meeting a streak of dark light.
“Crack!” The stone struck the dark light, instantly turning to dust.
The light paused momentarily before its residual force continued, shooting straight toward Mei Ruolan.
Mei Ruolan, having been shoved aside by Li Muzhan to avoid an earlier dark streak, stood with her bright eyes flickering thoughtfully.
She mused to herself: her martial arts skill surpassed Zhan Ran's, so why hadn't she detected the danger that he did? It must be the profound mystery of the Buddhist dharma that granted him intuition beyond the ordinary.
She remained still.
Seeing the dark light coming, she suddenly snatched out, and the streak vanished.
She held an arrow with goose-feather fletching between her index and middle fingers.
Li Muzhan was beside her.
Knowing her formidable skill, and seeing she was now prepared, he felt reassured.
He didn't intervene when she caught the dark light; instead, he looked up.
Her fingers were delicate, moist, and ivory-white, tapering like young bamboo shoots.
In sharp contrast, the arrowhead was inky black, drawing the eye.
Under the sunlight, the shaft of the goose-feather arrow shimmered with a crimson glow; its material was strange—seeming like iron yet not, like wood yet not.
Mei Ruolan let out a soft scoff: “The Jade-Blood Arrow!” “Whoosh…” Another piercing cry sounded, and two streaks of dark light appeared simultaneously.
Li Muzhan frowned, gazing into the distance, and raised both hands.
Two more pebbles flew from his wide sleeves, colliding with the dark streaks and dissolving into powder.
The two dark lights immediately dimmed before landing in front of Mei Ruolan, the shafts vibrating intensely, as if unwilling to rest on the earth, straining to fly upward again.
“Be careful, the arrows might be poisoned!” Mei Ruolan warned.
Li Muzhan nodded.
He flicked his hand again; a pebble whistled sharply as it vanished into the woods.
He shook his head, feeling the gesture was wasted effort; a slight unease remained, as the archer had escaped unharmed.
After a moment of thought, he considered pursuing the assailant into the forest, but he worried about Mei Ruolan.
He looked up.
“Miss, shall we advance?” Mei Ruolan turned to him, her brow furrowed.
“Go kill that person?” Li Muzhan nodded.
“This individual is too great a threat; they must be eliminated.” It was fortunate the arrows had been aimed here.
Had they struck the Bronze-Armored or Silver-Armored guards, each shot would have been fatal without exception.
Such a talent was a constant thorn in their side, one that needed removal for true peace of mind.
“Agreed! Let’s go!” Mei Ruolan drifted forward, skimming past the others like a wisp of light smoke.
Li Muzhan followed closely; Gong Qingyun and Xiaoyuan were unable to divert their attention.
As the pair approached the woods, “Whoosh…” a dark streak drilled out from the trees, aimed at Mei Ruolan.
Mei Ruolan swayed her body, like a pole bracing a small boat, shifting sideways by a full foot, narrowly evading it.
Li Muzhan abruptly accelerated, placing himself in front of her, drawing his sword in one fluid motion, cleaving a path ahead.
His feet seemed to skim the tips of the grass; his speed was extraordinary.
“Whoosh…” Another sharp, mournful shriek, and a flash of dark light.
Li Muzhan swung his sword fiercely.
A silver torrent collided with the dark streak.
With a crisp ding, the streak vanished, and a goose-feather arrow clattered to the ground, broken in two.
Li Muzhan listened closely, frowned, and let out a cold snort before lunging sharply toward the south.
“Whoosh…” The dark light reappeared, heading straight for his face.
Li Muzhan severed it with his sword, his pace unwavering.
Mei Ruolan followed closely behind.
Their movements were incredibly swift, weaving through the sparse trees.
In moments, they had covered over a li, the sounds of distant clashing steel now faint and indistinct.
Throughout the chase, dark streaks kept arriving to impede Li Muzhan.
He wielded his sword like a practiced artisan, chopping through the goose-feather shafts, his movement completely unimpeded.
Yet, this archer’s footwork was superb, and his archery even more so.
Initially, it was a single arrow; later, two were fired simultaneously; and eventually, three followed in rapid succession.
This level of archery was unlike anything Li Muzhan had ever witnessed.
Unaware of the distance, they traveled over two li.
The surrounding trees grew steadily taller, transitioning from pines to poplars, towering into the clouds, their trunks thick enough to embrace.
They had penetrated deep into the forest.
Li Muzhan swung his sword powerfully; a waterfall of light descended, intercepting three dark streaks.
He suddenly stopped, straining his ears, his expression growing grave.
“What is it?” Mei Ruolan asked anxiously from behind him.
Li Muzhan shook his head, frowning.
“Something isn't right!” Mei Ruolan whispered, “This archer’s skill is too peculiar; he must be removed, or our convoy will never know peace.” Li Muzhan waved a dismissive hand, listening intently.
After a moment, he suddenly sheathed his sword and murmured, “Miss, please guard me!” Without waiting for her assent, he sat cross-legged, ignoring the damp earth, assuming the full lotus position (jiafu er zuo).
He slightly closed his eyes, formed a mudra with his hands, appearing ready to enter a meditative trance.
Mei Ruolan didn't know his intention but offered no objection, feeling an inexplicable trust in him.
She drew her Cold Moon Sword—gleaming, pure, and chillingly sharp—and stood guard before Li Muzhan.
Li Muzhan pressed his hands together in the Earth-Touching Seal (Chudi Yin).
His breathing grew slower, deeper, and more even, eventually ceasing entirely from his nose and mouth, evidenced only by the subtle rise and fall of his chest and abdomen.
Through the profound mystery of the Earth-Touching Seal, he could vaguely commune with the earth, extending his sensory perception far and wide.
“Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…” Three dark streaks flew toward them in a triangular formation.
Mei Ruolan lightly swept her sword, a simple, clean cut, and the three dark streaks instantly dimmed.
Three goose-feather arrows fell to the ground, now split into six pieces.
Li Muzhan remained utterly still, like a clay statue of a gālan in a temple.
“Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…” Four dark streaks shot in—two aiming for Mei Ruolan’s right side, two for her left.
These four streaks were remarkably cunning, forcing her to guard against multiple angles, making her sword light insufficient to intercept them all.
Mei Ruolan swung her sword again.
The Cold Moon Sword suddenly blurred, its image splitting into two swords that intercepted the streaks respectively.
The illusion was merely a result of the blade’s extreme velocity.
Li Muzhan suddenly leaped up, coldly sneering, “Miss, there’s an ambush ahead, waiting for us!” “Hmm—?” Mei Ruolan looked at him.
Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled faintly.
“Several people are ambushing ahead, waiting for us to walk into their net!” Mei Ruolan frowned, contemplating.
At that moment, a dark streak arrived instantly, its speed far surpassing the previous ones.
Li Muzhan stepped forward to stand beside her, swinging his sword to sever the projectile.
He murmured quietly, “Let’s head back!” Mei Ruolan nodded once and turned to retreat.
Li Muzhan followed closely.
In a blink, they had covered over ten zhang.
“Whoosh…” Two dark streaks caught up with them simultaneously.
Both twisted their bodies and sliced down the incoming arrows, their feet never stopping.
Li Muzhan suddenly halted.
Mei Ruolan, now ten zhang away, quickly stopped as well.
A subtle smile touched his lips.
He flicked his sleeve backward, and a pebble shot out with a soft “Chih!” followed instantly by a muffled grunt from behind.
The archer had pursued too eagerly.
Caught off guard by Li Muzhan’s sudden stop, the shot from Li Muzhan, whose aim was supremely precise, struck true.
Li Muzhan’s internal energy gave the throw immense power; one such impact was enough to shatter bones and tear ligaments; the archer would survive only as half a man, incapable of further shooting.
Li Muzhan rejoined Mei Ruolan, stopping abruptly, and flicked his hand again.
“Chih!” A pebble sliced through the air, drilling deep into the woods.
Another muffled grunt echoed—another archer struck down.
Mei Ruolan walked on, smiling, praising Li Muzhan’s skill.
Although this was his first time venturing out from the manor, his shrewdness was like that of a seasoned veteran; she admitted she was his inferior.
Li Muzhan suddenly yanked Mei Ruolan to a halt.
She turned to look at him.
Li Muzhan’s expression darkened.
He spoke in a low voice, “Bad news!… We’re surrounded!” Mei Ruolan frowned, her demeanor remaining calm.
She asked quietly, “Then we charge out?” Li Muzhan shook his head, sighing.
“I miscalculated! There are over a dozen of them, waiting for us to push forward!… Head further south!” In moments, he grasped their strategy and offered a wry, internal chuckle.
They had overestimated Mei Ruolan—they were employing a dragnet fishing technique.
Over a dozen individuals were positioned in the distance, using a single archer as bait to lure Mei Ruolan and himself deeper, allowing the others to slowly close in, tightening the net without the pair realizing it until it was too late.
The piercing whistle of the arrows was not only morale-shattering but also acted as a beacon, allowing the others to converge toward its sound as a center point.
Though Mei Ruolan’s internal force was profound, slightly surpassing Li Muzhan’s, her perceptiveness was weaker.
She trusted him and relied on him.
At this moment, Li Muzhan was filled with guilt and shame.
Despite his intelligence, he had failed to see through such a simple tactic.
His inadequacy had led Mei Ruolan into a desperate situation.
However, they must value Mei Ruolan highly indeed to expend such effort solely to deal with her: first, ambushing the escort guards; then, launching assassination attempts against Mei Ruolan; and finally, luring her into the forest.
The plan was a tightly linked chain, seemingly unbreakable, even if his own cultivation were deeper—upon sensing them, he would have had no choice but to fight his way into the woods regardless.
Otherwise, if these dozen archers had attacked the escorts, not a single guard would have survived! A perfect blend of the orthodox and the unorthodox, combining overt and covert schemes, a calculation so exquisitely refined it was seamless.
This was the Jade-Blood Sect; even as a second-rate faction, they were this tenacious.
If they were a first-rate power, how much more terrifying would they be? The Mei Manor was nothing more than an ant before them, ready to be crushed at any moment.
“Good, we charge south!” Mei Ruolan did not hesitate.
Her body swayed, and she sharply reversed direction, heading back.
They had pursued the archer southward; now, after a brief feint, she moved south again.
This zigzagging would surely confuse their pursuers.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…” As Mei Ruolan charged forward barely ten zhang, dark streaks rained down from all directions.
In that brief moment, the encirclement was complete.
Li Muzhan flickered behind Mei Ruolan, his sword flashing like lightning, forming a luminous screen before them.
“Ding, ding, ding, ding…” The dark streaks struck the screen, the clear chimes sounding continuously, like rain beating against banana leaves.
Li Muzhan stated gravely, “Don’t stop, charge straight ahead!” Now that they were surrounded, only a frontal breakthrough was possible.
Mei Ruolan continued to slash with her sword as she nodded, charging south.
Their backs were pressed together, moving as one shadow, with incredible speed, keeping the deluge of dark streaks outside their perimeter.
Mei Ruolan’s footwork was exceptionally fast, and Li Muzhan coordinated with flawless synchronicity.
Though his back was against hers, he kept perfectly in step.
He multitasked, his footwork and swordplay remaining undisturbed.
He even had a surplus of awareness, and with their backs touching, he felt the softness and resilience of her delicate body.
Even in this moment, his heart couldn't help but flutter.
He quickly collected his focus.
His expression shifted instantly, causing the sword screen to falter momentarily.
He immediately switched to his left hand to wield his sword, restoring the barrier to block the onslaught.
A moment ago, one dark streak had been exceptionally potent, imbued with vast power; even with his arm strength, his hand felt numb at the tiger's mouth.
It was fortunate he was ambidextrous.
He quickly warned, “Be careful! There’s an expert nearby!” “Mmm,” Mei Ruolan grunted low in her throat.
Li Muzhan, feeling her delicate frame tremble against him, immediately whispered, “Miss?” Mei Ruolan trembled several times in succession.
Li Muzhan sensed disaster.
He swiftly spun around to face her.
Five or six goose-feather arrows were embedded in her arm and chest.
Li Muzhan’s heart plunged, and a raging fury soared to the crown of his head.
“Moo…” He suddenly let out a tremendous roar, expelling the Great Illumination True Utterance (Da Ming Zhen Yan).
The sound made the trees tremble, and some birds tumbled stunned to the ground.
The sky full of dark streaks paused, as if a heavy rain had suddenly ceased.
After the roar, his complexion turned pale white like fine jade.
He swept his arm around, pulling Mei Ruolan into his embrace, letting her lean against him.
Taking advantage of the momentary lull in the arrows, he surged forward in the opposite direction, transforming into a single streak of light.
“Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…” The piercing whistle returned, and the endless dark streaks chased him, engulfing him.
Mei Ruolan leaned against Li Muzhan’s chest, breathing lightly, her eyes open, her expression calm, though her body felt limp.
She allowed Li Muzhan to hold her, the Cold Moon Sword having fallen somewhere.
Li Muzhan wove his sword into a light screen to block those coming from ahead, ignoring those striking from behind.
Arrow after arrow pierced him, yet he acted as if unaware, increasing his speed even further.
In this manner, moments later, he burst out of the forest and saw the assembled escort guards.
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