Chapter 35: A Calamity for the Fish in the Pond

As the bandits approached, the guards raised their weapons, their faces filled with fear as they looked around at the masked figures on horseback.

Instinctively, they felt the terror rising within them. Fear led them to seek refuge, and soon, the soldiers clustered together, forming a small group, which made it all too easy for the bandits to surround them.

Huo Yuanzhen shook his head from a distance. With such military discipline, how could the country ever become strong?

In contrast, these bandits moved in perfect harmony, advancing and retreating with order—nothing like the typical chaotic rabble of mountain bandits.

At that moment, the door of the carriage lifted, and a young woman, around twenty years old, stepped out. She wore a water-blue palace gown, adorned with jingling jewelry, which seemed overly excessive. Her appearance was rather ordinary.

After stepping out of the carriage, she stood atop it and shouted angrily at the surrounding bandits, "You blind dogs! Dare to stop the royal carriage of this princess? If my father the Emperor or my husband hears of this, they will crush your bones and scatter your ashes!"

The bandit leader sneered. "Princess, what time do you think this is? You still think you can act so high and mighty? Let me tell you, you will never see your father or husband again."

The cold laughter from the bandit leader made the princess shiver. 

"You… you know I'm a princess?"

She had initially thought that if she encountered some ignorant bandits who wanted to take her life, they would be scared and kneel before her when she revealed her identity, begging for mercy. But now, it seemed like the bandits knew exactly who she was. This wasn't an accident—it was a premeditated assassination.

Although she wasn't very foolish, it was too late to realize this now. Her voice trembled, "You… you know I'm the princess, yet you dare to come for me? Who sent you?"

"This question, you can ask King Yama when you reach hell," the bandit leader replied coldly.

Not wanting to waste more time, he waved his hand. The bandits who had already surrounded the area lunged forward, their steel blades flashing with cold light as they attacked the guards.

In this moment of life and death, the soldiers fought back with all their might. As soon as the two sides clashed, blood splattered everywhere.

The bandits had the advantage of numbers and better coordination, and in the first clash, they killed more than ten soldiers while only suffering three casualties.

The remaining soldiers huddled together, ready to make a last stand.

The bandit leader, from behind, was directing his men to prepare for a second wave of attacks.

The princess, terrified by the brutal scene of battle, collapsed onto the carriage, her face pale, unable to speak.

At that moment, the coachman, who had been driving the carriage, stood up and whispered a few words in the princess's ear. She nodded repeatedly, her complexion improving slightly, and she retreated back into the carriage.

The coachman, after a quick motion, drew a soft sword from his waist.

As the bandits launched their second attack, the coachman leaped down from the carriage, brandishing his sword. A flash of sword light appeared out of nowhere, and in an instant, three bandits' heads flew into the air.

After the bodies fell to the ground, the coachman quickly swung his sword again, cutting down two more bandits from their horses.

"Sword Qi! This is Sword Qi!" Huo Yuanzhen's eyes lit up from a distance. To be able to execute such sword energy, this coachman was undoubtedly a martial artist of the late Post-Heaven stage.

Indeed, as the Emperor's daughter, the princess had skilled fighters by her side. The bandits would find it much harder to complete their mission now.

After slaying five bandits, the coachman paused to catch his breath. His previous attacks had been all-out, and his inner strength couldn't support such continued consumption.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

The bandit leader, watching from a distance, applauded and slowly rode toward him. "Good, good! The Invisible Sword, Yue Ying, one of the Seven of Mount Tian. You do have some fame in the martial world. How did you end up as a mere coachman?"

Yue Ying raised his head, his gaze cold. "You know me. Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that you have no way out now. Yue Ying, although your skills are good, you're still just in the late Post-Heaven stage, a step behind me. I suggest you surrender. Although I will kill the princess, I wouldn't mind taking you as my subordinate."

Huo Yuanzhen immediately understood. The bandit leader was clearly wary of Yue Ying's strength and wanted to stall him until the mission was over, planning to eliminate him afterward. He had overheard the bandit leader earlier—no one would be allowed to survive, not even the princess.

Killing the princess would have severe consequences, and Yue Ying had to die for that plan to succeed.

Yue Ying sneered after hearing the bandit leader's offer. "Since I entered the martial world, I have never surrendered without a fight. No need for more words. Come!"

"Yue Ying, I advise you to think carefully. These soldiers are weak. What can one iron man do against so many... Ah! What audacity!" 

Before the bandit leader could finish speaking, Yue Ying, taking advantage of the moment, had already regained his inner strength. He quickly unleashed two strikes with his sword, slaying three bandits in one go.

The bandit leader, enraged, roared and leapt off his horse. Two knives, one long and one short, appeared in his hands as if by magic. The long knife was held in his right hand for attacking, while the short knife was in his left for defense. The left-hand short knife, especially in the reverse grip, was the most difficult to defend against, making this a peculiar form of knife fighting known as "Reverse Blade Technique."

When experts clash, sword energy is often ineffective, as every movement counts, and there's little time to gather sword Qi. The biggest weakness is the preparation time required for such attacks.

Moreover, the bandit leader's Reverse Blade was difficult to guard against. Seeing this, Yue Ying's expression became serious.

The surrounding bandits and soldiers wisely made way for the two leaders to face off, as it was clear they were about to witness an intense duel.

Huo Yuanzhen, hidden in the forest, stood on his white horse, excited to watch the fight unfold. But after the two fighters clashed, he realized his expectations were mistaken.

It was dark, and from his distance, he couldn't make out the number of strikes. All he could hear were the sharp clangs of blades clashing, sparks flying, and it seemed lively enough.

However, even though he couldn't see the details, he could still make some inferences about the battle's progress.

The bandit leader's Reverse Blade was indeed superior to Yue Ying's soft sword. The long knife was useful for chopping, while the short knife was strange and concealed deadly intent, putting Yue Ying at a disadvantage.

Though the bandit leader claimed Yue Ying had just entered the late Post-Heaven stage, it seemed like he hadn't been at this level for long. Despite his weapon advantage, he couldn't immediately defeat Yue Ying.

Yue Ying was at a disadvantage but remained steady, guarding well while occasionally striking back with swift counters.

The bandit leader grew impatient as he couldn't land a decisive blow. His frustration led him to make a mistake.

Although his skills were superior, his temperament was lacking. He eventually made a reckless move. As he swung his long knife down, Yue Ying dodged and countered, his sword landing a blow to the bandit leader's chest.

With a loud clang, the soft sword struck the bandit leader's black clothing, revealing a Yin-Yang Fish-patterned heartguard underneath.

"Yin-Yang Fish heartguard... You're from the...!" 

The bandit leader sneered, "You know too much. Die!"

Yue Ying's sword strike failed to wound the bandit leader. Seizing the opportunity, the bandit leader's long knife came crashing down.

Yue Ying hastily dodged but was still struck, the blade cutting into his shoulder, blood flowing.

As the bandit leader closed in for the kill, his men swarmed in, finishing off the remaining soldiers with chaotic, fatal blows.

Seeing that all hope was lost, Yue Ying, despite his injuries, jumped up, reaching the princess's carriage. With a swift strike, he severed the ropes tying the horses, and with a powerful kick to the horse's rear, it bolted forward in fright.

Yue Ying pulled the frightened princess along, leaping behind the horse and charging through the encircling bandits.

This all happened in just a few seconds. The bandits hadn't even had time to react, and Yue Ying, carrying the princess, had already broken through and was heading toward the forest.

Once in the woods, it would be much harder to track them. The bandit leader whistled and his men fanned out in pursuit. Although Yue Ying had broken through, he hadn't gotten far, and with the princess in tow, the bandit leader knew he wouldn't escape.

Huo Yuanzhen, watching from the side, was stunned. How had the fight come this way?

The bandits were closing in fast, and while Huo Yuanzhen could have ridden away, he didn't want to leave any traces that could expose his position. He needed to act quickly to avoid any future complications.

His eyes scanned the area. It was an open space in the forest with a large piece of blue stone nearby.

Looking at the stone, then at his white horse, an idea sparked in his mind. He patted the horse's head and softly whispered, "Horse, it seems like you'll have to help me put on a little show."