Crisis In The Dead Of Night [Pt 4]
Qiang, the fearsome leader of the Hundred Red Scarf Bandits, had always commanded attention.
His towering figure and piercing gaze had garnered notice since he was a child. Growing up in a harsh world, banditry was the only viable path for him. Becoming a leader, however, was a necessity.
"Now, then... where are the others..." Qiang muttered to himself, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed the frigid air.
Closing his eyes, he focused on sharpening his senses. Though he had failed as a martial artist due to his weak bones, he had picked up a few tricks during his training.
One of those was Sensory Arts - a technique that enhanced one's awareness of their surroundings. While his abilities were rudimentary, finding a few men would not pose much difficulty.
"Strange. I don't sense any of them in the houses. Are they further away?" Qiang was surprised, but his composure remained steady as he made his way through the grounds. "It's only a matter of time, anyway..."
Once he located them, they would pay the price for their defiance - just like the hapless fool from before. Qiang felt no remorse or regret for his actions, nor did he feel anything despite the blood that stained his hand. He simply moved on to his next victim.
It was their fault for being so incompetent, after all. And so, Qiang pressed on, his eyes ablaze with a menacing intensity, always searching for his next target.
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Liu's eyes widened as he felt an immense pressure approaching his house. It represented something - no, someone - incredibly powerful. All the hairs on his body stood on end as he shuddered in fear. The approaching presence emanated a bloodlust that he simply couldn't ignore. Yet, Liu feared that if he moved from his location, this entity would spot him.
"Even if they can't spot me... they're bound to sense them." Liu lifted his gaze to see the piled corpses of the six bandits he had already killed. Taking their lives one after the other had not been exceedingly difficult. The more he did it, the more he grew accustomed to using his small frame to eliminate the threats. Unfortunately, his young body had limits.
"Haa... haaa..." Liu panted, feeling a sense of desperation. If it was one other bandit, like the others he had killed, he knew he could still win as long as he used his element of surprise. However, this particular presence felt too powerful to even dream of doing something like that.
"What should I do?" Liu pondered his options. So far, his home turf had given him the advantage. However, with this new opponent - most likely their leader - Liu found himself seeking other alternatives.
"If we move outside, I'll have more room. I'm also familiar with the terrain..." Besides, his parents were in this house. If he could sense the presence of this enemy, then there was a high likelihood that the enemy would be able to detect his resting parents. Once that happened, it would be over for them.
Liu steeled himself, mustering every ounce of courage he had left. He knew the risks, but he also knew that he could not let his family fall victim to this ruthless bandit. With a deep breath, Liu prepared to make his move, determined to protect those he loved at all costs.
"I cannot allow that!" Liu exclaimed, his heart pounding with fear and determination. His parents were sleeping soundly, unaware of the imminent danger that threatened their safety. Liu knew that his only chance was to distract the incoming threat, to lead the fight away from their home and protect his family.
"But what then?" he thought, feeling the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. Liu wasn't sure if he could defeat an adversary with such immense power, but he was willing to use every means necessary to try. Perhaps he could set up a trap, but time was running out. The enemy was just a few meters from his doorstep, and Liu had to act quickly.
>WHOOOOSSSHHHH!!!<
Liu moved like a shadow, nimbly traversing the short distance to the door.
'NOW!'
He swiftly opened the door before the ominous figure could get any closer, throwing two daggers aimed at the vitals of his prey.
>WHOOOOSSSHHHH!!!<
As soon as he hurled the two daggers towards his foe, Liu's muscles tensed as he flung the butcher knife he had taken from home, adding a third weapon to the aerial onslaught. But to his dismay, the enemy's casual waves effortlessly deflected his attack.
"Hmmph!" Liu grunted in frustration. The towering man standing before him was a behemoth, with broad shoulders and bulging biceps that threatened to burst out of his skin-tight shirt. A red bandana tied to his shoulders only added to his menacing appearance.
"My muscles are too underdeveloped," Liu muttered to himself, berating his scrawny frame. "I need to conserve my weapons. I've only got four more daggers left."
Liu had been fortunate to ambush the bandits who had carried daggers as their weapons of choice. Anything larger, and he would have been in trouble.
"A little kid? This is surprising. Highly unexpected," the bandit spoke, his voice laced with an unfamiliar accent that made it hard for Liu to understand.
"Focus, Liu… you have a mission!" Liu reminded himself. He was not planning on sacrificing his life to save his parents, but he was not willing to save himself at the cost of their safety either. They had to live!
"Six of my men are in there, aren't they? I can smell their blood and lifeless flesh. Were you the one who killed them?" the bandit demanded, his eyes piercing into Liu's.
Liu stayed silent, scanning his surroundings for a possible escape route. He needed to think fast and find the safest and quickest way out, even if it meant navigating through a maze of obstacles.
"I should avoid the more open places. There should still be more bandits around, so they might be gathered there…" Liu's intuition whispered to him, urging him to be cautious.
He didn't know how and why he knew these things, but his instincts had never failed him before. He trusted his gut and prepared himself for what was to come.
"I just have to--" Liu's thoughts were cut short as he leaped into action, determined to survive at all costs.
"Or… could it be your parents? No, they're fast asleep in their room, are they not?" The bandit's words hit Liu like a thunderbolt, causing his bloodshot eyes to widen in shock and fury.
His careful planning had been in vain. He couldn't run, not with his parents behind him. If he fled, the bandit would easily catch up and finish them off before turning back to Liu.
Liu's mind raced as he weighed his options. Fighting the hulking man head-on was tantamount to suicide, but he couldn't just stand there and let his parents be slaughtered.
The odds were against him, and his chances of survival were bleak, but Liu refused to give up.
He tightened his grip on the remaining daggers, his knuckles turning white with determination. He may not have been the strongest, but he was fast and agile. He could outmaneuver his opponent and strike when he least expected it.
Liu took a deep breath, centering himself. The bandit may have been bigger, but he was not invincible. Liu had a plan, a risky one, but one he was willing to take.
His heart racing, Liu charged at the bandit, his daggers glinting in the moonlight. It was now or never.
Liu stood firm, defying his instincts that screamed at him to flee. In front of him, a menacing figure blocked his path, but Liu refused to budge. With a deep breath, he spoke, his voice wavering but resolute.
"I know the risk, but I cannot abandon them," Liu said, his eyes locked on his opponent. He wasn't thinking of escape or evasion, but of victory. His mind raced, calculating the best way to defeat the enemy standing before him.
Despite the fear gripping him, Liu gritted his teeth and readied himself for the fight. His parents' safety weighed heavily on his mind, and he couldn't bear the thought of leaving them to a gruesome fate.
"I won't allow it!" he declared, his fists clenched tightly by his side.
As the adrenaline surged through his body, Liu knew that this could be the fight of his life. But he was determined to emerge victorious, no matter the cost.