Chapter 03 Bloodbath Manor

Dong Shun and Dong Qinji left the Rao Manor and ran toward the open road. Because the Beixing disciples blocked their way, they have to stop. The two began to fight against the Beixing disciples. Just when Dong Shun was about to attack a Beixing disciple, a sharp pain suddenly came from his knees. He looked down at his knee and saw two big holes spurting blood. Dong Shun fell down to his knees.

Cao Fengge flew out from behind and hit Dong Shun's left shoulder blade fiercely, sending him down the cliff with the two-year-old boy.

Dong Qinji screamed, "Laogong…!"

An disciple stabbed Dong Qinji in the stomach.

A disciple hurriedly ran to Cao Fengge, "Master, there are two martial artists coming this way."

Cao Fengge, "Quickly leave."

It rained heavily the night before, so Xue Longwei and Xue Luxia stopped in an abandoned temple to take shelter. When the rain stopped in the early morning, they decided to go to town to meet Rao Qingsheng, and then went to the inn to rest. The steep road was a bit foggy, and the couple walked slowly along the hillside towards Rao Manor.

Xue Longwei complained, "I tell you not to follow me."

Xue Luxia, "You promised to take me wherever you go."

Xue Longwei said, "Only if you were not six months pregnant."

Xue Luxia, "I being pregnant, it has nothing to do with that promise."

Xue Longwei, "Be careful, the road ahead is steep."

Xue Luxia, "Laogong, since you and him are classmates of the same master, why bother to fight him."

Xue Longwei, "You don't understand, it's just because..."

Xue Luxia, "Shhh..." She closed her eyes. "Did you hear it?"

Xue Longwei asked, "What's the matter?"

Xue Luxia, "I seem to hear the cry of a baby."

Xue Longwei, "You may have heard it wrong." He walked ahead and saw a toddler sitting next to a woman lying on the ground, crying and crying. The mist was a bit thick, and he couldn't tell whether the woman was asleep or dead. He rushed towards the child quickly. He looked at the woman, and it seemed that the woman had just died. Her body was still warm to the touch.

Xue Luxia, "Is she dead?"

Xue Longwei, "Yes."

Xue Luxia, "Take the toddler with us. Someone in town might know this little girl."

Xue Longwei, "Go and see Rao Qingsheng first." Xue Longwei picked up the child with his right arm.

When Xue Longwei and Xue Luxia where closer enough, they saw dark smoke from the burning Rao Manor. The two quickly descended the mountain and ran towards the burning manor. When they approached, they noticed that it had rained last night, so the fire didn't spread throughout the Rao Manor.

Xue Longwei pushed the door to enter, but the door is locked from the inside. He transferred his internal strength to the palm of his right hand and hit the door. The door to the Rao Manor swung opened. The husband and wife were not prepared for the horrific scene inside the Rao Manor.

Entering the Rao Manor, they found Rao Qingsheng's body on the floor on the side of the door. The smell of blood is too strong, and the pregnant Xue Luxia has vomited several times.

Xue Luxia, "Who?...Who? Who would do such a thing?" She quickly followed her husband into the main guest hall.

Xue Longwei and Xue Luxia searched the entire manor, and it seemed that all the people inside had been killed. Xue Longwei suddenly realized that the longer they stayed, the more they exposes themselves to danger. He walked quickly into the guest hall and walked towards his wife. He felt a touch in his left ankle. Xue Longwei looked down and saw a little bloody hand holding his left ankle. He saw a child being pressed against by a dead woman, whose was shot in the neck. The pierced through arrow pierced the child's left shoulder.

Rao Zhengsheng raised his head to look at Xue Longwei, and said softly, "Shushu, please help me wake up my mother, she has been asleep for a long time."

Xue Longwei lifted Madam Rao's body up, but the child screamed in pain. He quickly dropped Madam Rao's body down. He looked closely, and it seemed that the arrow poking through Madam Rao's neck also pierced Rao Zhengsheng's left shoulder. He called, "Furen, come here."

Xue Luxia bent down and put the toddler girl on the floor.

Xue Longwei said, "Grasp the arrow, I want to pull her body up." He pulled Madam Rao's body high enough, drew out a butterfly sword, and cut off the arrow that bound the mother and child together. He put Madam Rao's body on the ground and quickly looked at Rao Zhengsheng. "How is he?"

Xue Luxia, "He will be fine."

Xue Longwei, "Let's leave here first, I don't know if the enemy is still there." He carried Rao Zhengsheng on his back, and they began to cross the yard full of corpses laying on top of each other.

Rao Zhengsheng looked at the dead people, and when he was about to leave the front door, he saw his father lying on his side by the door. His small fist was clenched tightly on Xue Longwei's shoulder. Cao Fengge is a name he will never forget. The man who massacred his family.

Rao Zhengsheng said, "My father's swords."

Xue Longwei grabbed the scabbard, and Xue Luxia grabbed the butterfly swords. She sheathed the swords into the scabbard on Xue Longwei's hand. Xue Longwei tucked the swords on his belt and they left the Rao Manor.

Rao Zhengsheng softly said, "His name is Cao Fengge."

Xue Longwei did not hear clearly, and asked, "What did you said?"

Rao Zhengsheng said, "The shushu who killed father is named Cao Fengge."

Xue Longwei knew from rumors that Cao Fengge was a resentful person. He knew very well why the Rao family was killed. Rao Qingsheng must have offended Cao Fengge, that is why Cao Fengge came seeking revenge. When the sun began to rise and the vendors owners started to set up their vendors, they walked on the street towards one of the inns.

Rao Zhengsheng looked at the toddler girl in Xue Luxia's arms. He said, "That is Lanying, Dong shushu's daughter."

Xue Luxia asked, "Xiao gege, what's your name?"

Rao Zhengsheng said, "Rao Zhengsheng."

Xue Longwei, "To avoid the enemy's pursuit, you have to lay low. Is there any place you want us to take you there?"

Rao Zhengsheng said sadly, "I have no home to go back." He began to cry.

Xue Luxia smiled and said, "Xiao gege, do you want to go to Butterfly Island with us? Anyway, your dad and the person who is carrying you now are fellow classmates."

Xue Longwei said, "You must endure it for now, as long as there are still trees, don't be afraid you will not have firewood."