Chapter 53: That Arrow, That Sword
Several muffled thuds!
It was as if a sharp metal spike had violently pierced through dozens of stacked sheets of wet paper—three consecutive First Grade Experts all collapsed, clutching their bleeding chests.
At the same moment,
a few more feathered arrows shot from various directions toward the three Innate Experts.
These arrows weren’t enough to kill these Innate Martial Artists,
but they could certainly wound them,
Faced with these arrows, the three had no choice but to withdraw their killing swords from Gu Chuan, turning back to evade the deadly volley.
Gu Chuan seized this brief window to catch his breath and swiftly retreated from the battle circle.
That instant,
the kill trap set for Gu Chuan was broken!
Luo Bingsheng and his companions’ faces changed dramatically.
"Embroidered Uniform Guard investigating a case—any who oppose, death without mercy!"
At that very moment, a tremendous roar echoed in the darkness, accompanied by several signal flares unique to the Embroidered Uniform Guard exploding in the sky—the flying fish emblem blossomed amidst the snowy night.
The pounding of hooves came in erratic waves,
even the ground began to quake faintly,
outside the Market, two or three hundred warhorses thundered forward, stirring a tempest of swirling snow,
Flying Fish Robe, Brocade Spring Saber,
All those rushing through the night bore these distinct marks.
"The Embroidered Uniform Guard... impossible!"
Luo Bingsheng and his group were utterly shocked.
But seeing the vast, surging ranks galloping toward them, they had to admit—it was reality.
And the only explanation for this scene was one,
Linjiang City had once again miscalculated.
Luo Bingsheng’s expression turned deadly grim. He gritted his teeth and growled, "Gu... Zhan!"
He knew it—this was the third time he’d been outplayed by Gu Zhan,
Once, again and again—always being outsmarted!
"Hahahahaha..."
Gu Chuan wiped the blood from his lips, then threw his head back and laughed aloud.
"Luo Bingsheng, you’ve lost!"
The faces of Luo Bingsheng’s party became even uglier.
The group exchanged glances, then shouted, "Use all your strength, kill him! Ignore the others—everyone, swarm Gu Chuan! He’s already badly wounded, nothing more than a trapped beast!"
Gu Chuan understood—Luo Bingsheng was ready for a last-ditch, death-defying struggle.
Gu Chuan knew this was not the time for reckless bravery. Now that the situation favored him, there was no need for solitary combat; should he fall carelessly, the good situation would collapse instantly.
"Protect Lord Gu!"
The warhorses drew closer; leading them was a Third Grade Martial Artist from the South City Embroidered Uniform Guard, who charged forth gripping his Brocade Spring Saber. At the same moment, dozens of horses surged behind him—a powerful force.
Gu Chuan saw this and immediately retreated swiftly.
"Kill him!"
Luo Bingsheng roared first, charging ahead.
The three Innate Experts plunged into the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s ranks, utterly unstoppable, and headed straight for Gu Chuan.
Yet just as they neared Gu Chuan, seven or eight feathered arrows suddenly appeared in the night sky, whistling sharply—the howling wind and snow vanished, replaced by sheer terror.
These arrows were uncanny, as if they had grown eyes,
Though the scene was so chaotic,
they always managed to perfectly avoid the Embroidered Uniform Guard,
And even stranger, these arrows appeared not to be fired from the same direction.
Luo Bingsheng and his men were stalled once more by this volley.
However, moments later, they fought their way forward again,
This time, exchanging glances, they changed their strategy—utilizing Lightweight Body Technique, weaving through the warhorses.
But then,
the arrows showed no signs of losing their aim,
Once more they soared from the darkness, targeting the group.
But at the very instant the volley appeared,
Luo Bingsheng suddenly pointed at an inconspicuous low building in the middle of the street and shouted, "The archers are hiding in that spot!"
As Luo Bingsheng spoke,
Celestial Water Gang Leader Yao Chen kicked over a warhorse and leapt airborne—his body paused midair, then streaked like a meteor directly for the low building.
Several more feathered arrows flashed in the night, but Yao Chen parried them all, none able to halt his charge.
At this moment,
on that low building,
Gu Zhan stood quietly by a window, gazing at Yao Chen who was storming forward.
He knew he’d been a bit impatient and careless just now,
This street was only so large. His arrows could shift direction to confuse the enemy, but the positions the enemy avoided could be controlled by them.
Just now, Luo Bingsheng’s group used body technique—not to evade, but to eliminate possible positions for the archers; when the angle of their dodging blocked several directions yet arrows still found them, they could pinpoint the archers’ location.
These were all seasoned fighters, battle-worn veterans, often able to think of solutions the moment a crisis appeared, adapting to sudden changes.
"Still a bit inexperienced!"
Gu Zhan slowly bent his bow and nocked an arrow, his eyes narrowing,
His emotions were calm, his face betraying no expression.
The icy tip aimed at Yao Chen.
Yet he did not fire at once,
He was waiting for the perfect moment.
In battle, the stronger the opponent, the less you can relax,
Especially when facing someone of higher cultivation—you must not drop your guard for even a moment.
Yao Chen was an Innate Martial Artist, not so easy to kill.
And at the speed of an Innate Martial Artist,
Gu Zhan would only get a single shot.
Now, Yao Chen’s figure darted like a phantom, weaving unpredictably along rooftops, streets, and through the crowds.
He knew well—perhaps he faced a group, perhaps just one, but undeniably, his opponent was a truly terrifying Divine Archer; even as an Innate Martial Artist, he dared not underestimate,
This was a battle of life and death,
The slightest slip could mean Dao eliminated and body destroyed,
So he maneuvered with body technique, making himself impossible to lock onto.
Finally,
As he reached the low building,
With the sharp senses of an Innate Martial Artist, he saw clearly—
Inside, there was only one archer.
The man’s hands gripped a bow,
It was none other than his good brother You Yangsheng’s hardwood bow!
In that instant, he realized his brother had been killed, but he couldn’t fathom how the enemy possessed such skill in archery,
But he gave it no further thought,
Because the enemy had locked onto him!
"Whuunng—"
With a vibrating hum, the feathered arrow wailed through the air—it seemed to cry, and roar; the swirling snow grew ever more fierce, vibrating in waves.
That arrow, released from the building, was meant to kill.
Yao Chen’s longsword flickered with light, True Qi surging forth, instantly enveloping the blade,
In a flash,
He flung the longsword, leaving a trail of light in the night.
"Clang!"
Arrow and sword—
Collided, emitting a sharp, mournful hum.
But Gu Zhan cared not for the outcome between arrow and sword,
Because,
In that instant,
He cast aside his bow and drew his saber,
With both hands gripping his blade, he plunged into the snow-filled night!