Whittled Down

When their war cry was heard I turned back just in time to see something. Just next to Qiao An were the two Spirited sun disciples within our group. By the time I looked over I saw as the one on her right tried to put up a hastily prepared defense with his sword.

The enemies' own sword clashed against him with their full force. Of course his defenses couldn't hold as his guard broke immediately and he was slashed across his chest. Luckily for him his sect wore those dark red robes which concealed his obvious bleeding from others.

Though he had now gained a new wound across his body he still tried to counter swiping his sword at his green robed enemy. His retaliation hit, though only his opponents weapon, staggered the man a bit.

When the Spirited Sun Sect disciple saw this opportunity he took it intending to return the green robed man's favor; when suddenly another green robed man appeared and just barely redirected the man's strike away from his fellow disciple.

"Ahh!" Out of no where the cry of a high-pitched voice seemed to block out the rest of the noises. Quickly turning towards the direction I saw as Yao Ya was about to be bullied by two men.

One was already pressing their sword up against her while the other was moving over waving his sword in the air. This was unacceptable! How could I as a man watch as my first and only girlfriend be harassed and attacked by these men! If I didn't even try to help her, could I even call myself her boyfriend?!

Using everything I knew I rushed over as quick as I could to save her. It seems like now that I had a true reason, the movement technique I've been trying to understand finally reached the boost I needed. I held my sword in right hand and forcefully formed a fist with the other. Even though the left hand's nerves haven't completely healed I wouldn't let that hand do nothing when I probably needed all the advantage I could get.

As I rushed over I skewered the man closer to me; the one who was going over to turn it into a two on one. The man's chest went up the the mid-point of my sword and probably pierced his right lung. Before he could even respond to my attack I raised and pulled back my fist and quickly gave the man a left hook across his jaw. A mini ripple of his flesh went across his face as I redirect the momentum of that punch into my forearm. Using that momentum I pushed the man off my sword.

He lost the grip over his weapon before he even fell onto the ground. I took a hurried glance at the man to make sure he wouldn't get back up at least not so soon.

Seeing that he made no movement after a second I continued on towards Yao Ya. She seemed to be a worse shape that before. I could see that the man had started to gain an advantage over her as her she seemed to be shaking as her legs buckled under the pressure of this bastard. My Poor Yao Ya being bullied to this extent, I'll make you pay with your life!

I ran up behind the bastard and thrust my sword through his back. The blade of which almost all went through as it was only stopped by the hilt of my sword. Wrapping my left arm around the man's neck and clamping it between my upper arm and forearm. I wasn't trying to knock the man out so I didn't bother trying to cut off his oxygen, instead I just used it to hold him in place.

Pulling out my sword I changed it's destination before stabbing it through once again and again and again. Numerable wounds covered his back before I let go of the man who instantly just fell straight onto the floor, face first. Though considering the wounds I gave him it probably won't matter too much anyway.

"Yao Ya! Are you okay?!" In a second she came into my embrace and her hands wrapped around my neck.

"Thank you for saving me, Big Brother Ip!" Giving me a kiss on the cheek everything that was happening around us seemed to fade away for but a moment before a loud scream interrupted my own delusions.

"Ahh! What?! How did they get free? Help, help me!" Hearing another cry for assistance I turned to see Tang He surrounded by six people. Four of which were the bound members who've been trailing us the entire time. Yao Ya had already let go of me and I was about to rush directly over to help when another green robed man appeared in front of me, blocking my path.

When he raised his sword to deal a heavy blow I quickly slashed at him horizontally before sending an uppercut to his chin as he flinched from my previous strike. The fist sent him stumbling back a few steps, but with his sword still raised he finally felled it towards me once his eye sight slightly cleared.

"Ah, you made me bite my lip asshole!" The man yelled as he swung his sword down.

Considering it was a straight strike downward it was extremely easy to dodge, a simple side step and I was out of the way. Raising my left hand I readied for another left hook and sent it to the same place as the previous receiver, straight to the jaw. It seemed the punch was a bit much for him as a good portion of his upper body went the way I punched. He didn't fall though so with a clean cut I severed his tendon which connected his heel to his calf muscles. As soon as that was cut his body fell onto the side which the tendon was cut.

"Ah, my foot! Wha- why can't I stand anymore?!" While the man looked towards his foot to see what was wrong I stood next to him and plunged my sword in him.

When I pulled my sword out I realized how covered the blade was in the enemies' blood. There wasn't a single spot in which was still clean from the crimson liquid.

Remembering the original member who cried out, I ran over towards him. The man was encircled by the 6 men and could barely if even fend them off. I also saw the situations of the others while looking over.

Chen Huang and Qiao An both had already killed someone and their bodies laid near their feet and now they both had a one vs one, but they clearly had an overwhelming advantage over their opponents. One of the Spirited Sun Members were holding on while two people ganged up on him, but he also had a body wearing a set of green robes near him. The initial Spirited Sun disciple I saw when the fight started was on the ground and bleeding, probably dead. He did take one of them out though, the one who had first made his move and slashed open his chest.

I felt a little sad while looking at the dead disciple, but quickly recollected myself as I ran toward Tang He. On the way I gave a couple slashes to one of the green robed disciples who ganged up on the Spirited Sun disciple.

When I reached the six men I immediately tried to stab one of them in the back. The sword went through his back and I went for the same strategy as when I was saving Yao Ya. My arm went in the same place as my sword repeatedly entered and exited for a few moments. I stopped after my third stab as anymore and the others of the group might get too close.

As I pushed the man off my sword the rest of the group looked at me. When the body completely fell it reveal something behind it, the corpse of Tang He. It was mangled, broken and if he wasn't wearing our sect robes I would of had to think about who it was. His weapon now lay in one of the unbound men's hands.

Light foot steps could be heard behind me and Yao Ya soon appeared by my side.

"I'll take these three, can you take those two?" Yao Ya spoke without changing her focus.

"Yes"

"Good" Without saying much else she took action.

She moved and three of them followed after her as she gave them each a quick cut, which included both of the remaining green robed disciples and one of the newly unbound men. The remaining two were also prisoners who wore the some robe and one even had the sword which Tang He welded.

I watched as they mumbled into each others ears as they stared at me. Soon after they started to slowly split in two directions coming from both my left and right at the same time.