The moment Flat Rabbit made his move, it was a straight-up life-for-life exchange.
The four outlaws froze on the spot.
What the hell was this lunatic doing. Who opens a fight like that. Was this guy here to fight or to die.
None of them had the slightest interest in trading their lives with some random nobody who popped out of nowhere. Their blades, which had been swinging forward a moment ago, instinctively halted mid-air, then shifted into retreat. Attack turned into defense in the blink of an eye.
Clang, clang, clang, clang.
Flat Rabbit's sword smashed into four sabers in rapid succession, each collision ringing out sharp and clear in the night air.
In the very next instant, one of the outlaws recovered first. With a snarl, he reversed his grip and slashed back.
Pff.
The blade struck Flat Rabbit square on the shoulder.
A hit like that should have torn flesh and bone apart, but something strange happened. The cloth of his cotton robe split open, yet underneath, instead of blood, a piece of shoulder armor was revealed.
The outlaw blinked in disbelief. "This kid… he's wearing armor under his clothes."
Flat Rabbit did not care to explain fashion choices. He opened his mouth and roared at full volume, his voice tearing through the quiet courtyard.
"Night attack! Enemy attack! Zheng Gouzi! Get out here!"
That shout instantly set Dahonglang's group on edge.
"Kill him now!"
The four outlaws surged forward again, sabers flashing.
Flat Rabbit swung his ancestral sword wildly, no finesse, no elegance, just raw desperation.
Clang. Clang.
Two strikes were deflected cleanly.
The third slammed into armor and bounced off harmlessly.
But the fourth…
Pff.
It bit deep into his waist, right where there was no protection. Cloth split, flesh opened, and a long gash appeared, blood spraying out in a dark arc.
Flat Rabbit let out a muffled grunt.
He was wounded now, properly wounded, but his feet did not move. He planted himself in front of the door like a human barricade, still shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Someone get out here! Hurry!"
Bang.
A nearby door burst open.
Zheng Gouzi came charging out half-naked, gripping a saber, followed by several militia soldiers equally underdressed and thoroughly unprepared for polite society.
Dahonglang's expression darkened.
"Two of you, hold them off!"
Two of the outlaws broke away instantly, rushing toward Zheng Gouzi and the others.
The remaining two pressed forward, their blades raining down on Flat Rabbit in a relentless assault.
Left block. Right block. Armor takes one. Flesh takes another.
Blood splattered. Cuts multiplied.
Flat Rabbit was turning into a walking pincushion, yet he still refused to take a single step back from that door.
Dahonglang grew impatient. He drew his own saber, eyes narrowing as he waited for an opening.
Then he saw it.
With a fierce shout, he lunged in, his blade roaring through the air like a tiger descending the mountain. The strike was vicious, aimed straight at Flat Rabbit's neck.
Flat Rabbit had no idea how to dodge something like that.
At that exact moment, a sharp twang echoed behind him.
A bowstring.
An arrow streaked past Flat Rabbit's ear, so close it nearly shaved him, and shot straight toward Dahonglang's face.
Bai Yuan had made his move.
Among the Six Arts of a Gentleman, his skill in archery was no joke.
Dahonglang instantly realized the situation. If his blade landed, that arrow would also land, right in his face. No hesitation. He pulled back, twisting away.
The arrow grazed his cheek, slicing open a thin line of blood.
He avoided death, but barely.
Yet even as he retreated, the two remaining outlaws did not stop. Their sabers struck again.
Pff. Pff.
Two more hits landed on Flat Rabbit.
Now he was drenched in blood, wounds crisscrossing his body, pain exploding from every direction. Still, he stood firm, teeth clenched, voice hoarse but unyielding.
"You petty thieves… think you can pass… over my body… dream on…"
His sword continued to swing, left and right, messy and desperate, but stubborn as hell.
Dahonglang roared in anger, preparing to attack again.
At that moment, Bai Yuan unleashed a rapid volley.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Unlike Cheng Xu, who was a hero only when the wind favored him, Bai Yuan was the opposite. Normally his arrows would miss nine out of ten times. But under pressure, something snapped into place inside him. It was as if all his meridians suddenly aligned.
Every arrow was precise.
They shot past Flat Rabbit's head from both sides, threading impossible angles.
One outlaw hesitated for just a fraction of a second.
Pff.
An arrow buried itself into his shoulder. Blood burst out as he staggered back, clutching the wound.
Dahonglang tried to press forward again.
Another arrow came straight for his face, forcing him to jerk his head aside in a panicked dodge.
And in that fleeting moment when everyone's attention shifted…
Flat Rabbit suddenly roared at the top of his lungs.
"Heavenly Rabbit Severing Tyrant Sword!"
The last outlaw facing him froze in shock.
A big move. A finishing move. This guy was about to unleash something insane.
He hurriedly raised his saber, bracing to block the incoming ultimate strike.
But instead…
Flat Rabbit let go.
The sword dropped.
The outlaw stared blankly. "What?"
In that exact instant of confusion, Flat Rabbit lunged forward like an arrow, grabbing the man's wrist. His body twisted, hips turning, momentum flowing.
Ghostly divine fist technique.
Lock the arm. Turn the body. Flip and slam.
Boom.
The outlaw was smashed hard into the ground. Before he lost consciousness, one final thought drifted through his mind.
This… this is supposed to be swordsmanship?
That single move drained the last bit of strength from Flat Rabbit.
His body went limp, collapsing on top of the man he had just slammed. The two lay stacked together, blocking the doorway like a final barricade.
From his blood-stained lips came one last mutter.
"Heh… my Heavenly Rabbit Severing Tyrant Sword… unbeatable…"
His head tilted to the side.
Darkness took him.
At last, Bai Yuan and Dahonglang faced each other clearly.
One held a bow.
The other, a blade.
Both understood the situation perfectly.
Bai Yuan had only one shot.
If Dahonglang dodged it, he could leap over the fallen bodies, rush into the room, and that would be the end for Bai Yuan.
Silence stretched, heavy and tense.
Then suddenly, screams erupted behind Dahonglang.
He turned his head.
Zheng Gouzi and the militia had already overwhelmed the other two outlaws, cutting them down with ruthless efficiency.
Numbers mattered. Training mattered. This was no street brawl anymore.
Dahonglang let out a low chuckle.
Without hesitation, he broke sideways into a sprint, cutting across the courtyard in a flash.
How deep was the courtyard?
Thirteen chi and seven and a half cun.
To him, it might as well have been a single step.
He reached the wall in an instant, leaped up, grabbed the top, and vaulted over in one smooth motion. By the time Zheng Gouzi and the others reacted, he was already gone.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Bai Yuan shouted, releasing his arrow.
The shot flew like a falling star chasing the moon.
Then…
Thunk.
It buried itself neatly into a tree inside the courtyard.
Archery skill. Cross it out. Completely cross it out.
Zheng Gouzi and the others rushed over in a frenzy.
Some guarded Bai Yuan.
Some lifted the unconscious Flat Rabbit.
Others checked the fallen guards and militia sentries.
"Flat Rabbit is still alive!"
"The other four brothers are dead…"
"Damn it, who were these people? Why assassinate Bai Yuan?"
"The one Flat Rabbit slammed is still breathing!"
"Tie him up, quick. We'll question him later."
"Medicine! Where's the medicine? Get the wound powder, he's bleeding out!"
The courtyard descended into chaotic motion, people running in every direction.
Bai Yuan stood there, face dark, eyes fixed on the direction Dahonglang had escaped.
For a long time, he said nothing.