Proud Sword Soaring Clouds-Chapter 46 - 45: Battle in the Dense Forest (Part 1)

After applying the Disguise Herb, Ye Wen Ni transformed into a mature-looking woman. Her skin turned a wheat color, but it wasn’t unattractive; instead, it gave her an impression of health and vitality. If Ye Wen Ni could see her own reflection at that moment, she would surely have marveled at the herb’s magical properties.

After applying the herb to their hands and wrists as well, the two crept closer. Through the shade of the forest, they could see about seven or eight people surrounding and attacking a giant brown bear Magical Beast. The massive bear, about three meters tall, was likely between the second and third rank in strength. Though it moved slowly, its defensive and offensive capabilities were equally formidable.

The Sword Qi from the Great Sword Masters among them struck its body but might as well have been an itch, doing nothing more than kicking up a tuft of brown fur. Likewise, the brown bear Magical Beast was too slow; although each of its attacks felt immensely powerful, it couldn’t actually harm the humans.

The Adventurers seemed to be deliberately herding it in a specific direction. ’Probably a trap of some kind,’ Ling Xiao thought. To deal with such a large Magical Beast, it was generally difficult to inflict a fatal blow directly unless the party had an expert like a Demon Swordsman.

This party appeared to be composed entirely of Sword Masters and Great Sword Masters. Their teamwork was excellent, but their attire was not uniform, suggesting they were a temporary adventurer group.

"Nothing interesting here. Let’s go," Ling Xiao said after a single glance. Encountering an Adventurer party here meant the two of them were about to leave the Vendia Snow Mountain range. A group like this, without even a Mad Sword Master, generally wouldn’t venture too deep.

Ye Wen Ni nodded. Although she was eager to show off her skills, she had no reason to intervene without cause. She turned her head, somewhat dejected, and prepared to leave quietly with Ling Xiao.

However, someone over there noticed their movement. He seemed to say something to his companions, and several people immediately looked in their direction.

"They’ve spotted us," Ye Wen Ni said softly, though she was inwardly shocked. ’Ling Xiao is one thing; it’s like he was born and raised here. But as a thief, my own stealth abilities are beyond question. How could they possibly have discovered us? Could they be one of us?’ Ye Wen Ni wondered.

"Just keep walking," Ling Xiao said lightly. After this period of arduous training, Ling Xiao’s personal strength had reached the level of a Second or Third Rank Sword Master. If he were to use the Nine Swords of Dugu, his stamina could support him in a fight against a Great Sword Master below the third tier. Of course, it would have to be a quick battle. If it dragged on, his body, lacking the support of Inner Strength, was still much weaker than a true Great Sword Master’s.

"Stop!" A sharp cry suddenly came from their direction. A youngish man was staring at them coldly. "What are you friends doing skulking over there? Since you’re here, why don’t you come out and show yourselves!"

Just then, a loud BOOM! erupted, and the ground seemed to tremble under their feet. The brown bear Magical Beast let out an earth-shattering roar. With a great RUSTLE, all the birds in the forest took flight, their panicked chirps filling the air as they fled. Ling Xiao turned and gave the man who had spoken a detached glance.

Although he was dressed as an Adventurer, Ling Xiao could see clues in the man’s attire—this man was a nobleman. While the style was that of an Adventurer’s outfit, the craftsmanship was exquisite, with meticulous attention to detail. Even a single button appeared flawless. The young man’s face held a trace of arrogance as he stared coldly at Ling Xiao and Ye Wen Ni. Ye Wen Ni was turned sideways to him, and her graceful, enchanting figure made him swallow slightly.

’She’s a real beauty!’ A flicker of heat crossed the young man’s eyes. He then softened his tone and said, "My apologies. We were in the middle of hunting a Magical Beast. Since you friends happened upon us, why not come over and get acquainted? We can all look out for each other."

"That won’t be necessary." Ling Xiao had no interest in getting to know someone so full of himself and turned to leave.

The shrill roars of the brown bear Magical Beast echoed continuously from the woods. It clearly wasn’t dead yet, but it hadn’t escaped either. It was safe to say this group of Adventurers hadn’t made the trip for nothing; they were about to make a small fortune.

Seeing his offer rejected, the young nobleman’s face flashed with annoyance. He stared coldly at Ling Xiao, thinking, ’How can a poor brat in ragged clothes be with such a beautiful woman? Could they have eloped?’

In the Empire, there were many stories of noble ladies eloping with their servants. However, most endings were not romantic. If caught, not only would the lady’s reputation be ruined, but the servant would be burned at the stake.

For the nobility, such a thing was absolutely intolerable. Indeed, they needed to maintain the purity of their noble bloodlines.

"Stop!" The nobleman gave a sinister smile and said, "In such a hurry to leave? You must be hiding something. I suspect you’re a servant who has abducted a noble lady! Hmph. Beautiful lady, do not be afraid. Wulan Jiang will rescue you from your plight!"

Ling Xiao froze when he heard that. ’Wulan Jiang? Don’t tell me this guy is from the Wulan Clan. The Wulan Clan is massive, anyway, and Vendia Snow Mountain isn’t far from their fief in the Western Province. It’s very likely this fellow is one of them.’

He already had a bad impression of the clan, and after his duel with Wulan Tuo, he was sure any chance of reconciliation was gone. That being the case, Ling Xiao wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to kill a few members of the Wulan Clan if one presented itself. He glanced at their group—seven or eight men, four or five of them Great Sword Masters. Though none were as high-level as Ye Wen Ni, they were clearly far more experienced than she was.

After a moment’s thought, Ling Xiao whispered, "Play weak."

Ye Wen Ni was even sharper than Ling Xiao when it came to this sort of thing. She understood his meaning instantly, lowered her head, and said nothing. From a distance, she looked just like a noble lady being bullied by a wicked servant.

Seeing this, the young nobleman immediately hurried over. The men behind him exchanged glances and followed, forming a protective ring around Wulan Jiang.

"Wh-what do you want?" Ling Xiao stepped forward, shielding Ye Wen Ni behind him and putting on a brave but shaky front as he spoke to Wulan Jiang.

"Haha, you dog of a servant! If you don’t want to die, then get the hell out of my way!" Although Wulan Jiang wasn’t very strong, he could tell Ling Xiao’s stance was unsteady and that his cultivation was low—probably even lower than his own. Feeling confident, he turned to Ye Wen Ni with what he thought was a dashing smile.

"Beautiful lady, please don’t be afraid. I will rescue you." Wulan Jiang now saw Ye Wen Ni’s face. Her skin wasn’t fair, but it possessed a healthy beauty. Her long, enchanting eyes, as clear as autumn waters, were enough to steal one’s soul with a single glance.

’This woman... I have to have her!’ Wulan Jiang thought to himself.

Just then, one of the men beside him frowned slightly and advised, "Young Master Wulan, we’re out in the wilds. We must be cautious above all else. Beware of a trap!"

Wulan Jiang laughed confidently, curling his lip. "A trap? Haha, on the Wulan Family’s territory, do I need to be afraid of that?"

The man pressed, "This isn’t the Wulan Family’s territory..."

"It will be soon enough!" Wulan Jiang shot a fierce glare at the speaker, then sneered at Ling Xiao. "Brat, get lost already!"

Ling Xiao, pretending to be scared but still trying to stand his ground, said angrily, "On what grounds? This is what bandits would do!"

"Haha, you’re right! Today, your Young Master Wulan is going to be a bandit for once!" Wulan Jiang walked toward Ye Wen Ni with a lecherous grin. "Beautiful lady, don’t be afraid, I’m here to save you... Argh!" 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Before he could finish his sentence, a blinding flash of sword light suddenly erupted in front of him. Wulan Jiang instinctively shut his eyes and was shoved aside by someone next to him, sent tumbling a good distance away. The fall left him completely disoriented. He scrambled to his feet and roared, "Kill that brat for me! But I want the woman alive!"

The Great Sword Masters were startled when they saw Ye Wen Ni attack. They all drew their weapons and surrounded Ling Xiao and Ye Wen Ni.

"If your sword never draws blood, you will never improve!" Ling Xiao said to Ye Wen Ni calmly. A moment ago, she could have killed one of their Great Sword Masters, but her soft-heartedness allowed the man to leap away with ease.

Ye Wen Ni’s hand, gripping the hilt of her sword, trembled slightly. She asked in a low voice, "Do I really have to kill them?"

"Unless you’d rather be violated." Ling Xiao’s voice sounded somewhat cold.

The surrounding Great Sword Masters were enraged by the pair’s conversation, acting as if no one else was there. Their expressions turned ugly. One of them roared, "Arrogant brat! I’ll show you who draws blood first today!"

As he spoke, his longsword erupted with a faint line of Sword Qi, stabbing straight for Ling Xiao’s face.