The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 193: Escape Route - Crossing Cliffs and Entering a Secluded Valley

At dawn, sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, illuminating the forest on the western side of Azure Valley. A man and a woman moved with astonishing speed among the trees, their figures appearing and disappearing in the woods, as if they had become one with this ancient forest.

The man was strong and agile, each step firm and powerful, exuding an undeniable sense of strength; while the woman was as light as the wind, her figure graceful, moving nimbly through the woods like a skillful bird.

As time passed, darkness gradually fell, and night was approaching. The two took refuge in a natural cave, temporarily escaping the pursuers' sight. Inside the cave, faint light shone through the entrance, casting an eerie glow upon them.

“This won’t do. Sooner or later, those four brothers will catch up with us,” Wu Cheng said to Xiao Lian, his tone revealing a hint of anxiety. “I have some weapons and magical treasures here. Take them.”

Xiao Lian picked out a soft whip that suited her and said, "Brother Wu, there's an old bear ahead. Perhaps we can ask it to help hold off those four brothers. It's just that we don't have any talismans or magic treasures to conceal our presence, otherwise we could definitely hide our bodies and make it difficult for the enemy to detect us."

"You know quite a lot. Did your master teach you all of that?" Wu Cheng asked, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.

“My master comes from the Taicang Sect, and he has all kinds of talismans and magical treasures,” Xiao Lian replied, her tone tinged with helplessness. “I used the communication jade slip a long time ago, but I haven’t received a reply yet.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the jade slip that Xiaolian carried with her began to flash with a dazzling light. She hurriedly took out the jade slip and examined it carefully. The jade slip shimmered with light, and lines of text gradually appeared: "Xiaolian, hide it well, I'm on my way."

After reading the message, Xiaolian's face lit up with joy: "Brother Wu, my master has come to rescue us."

Upon hearing this, Wu Cheng breathed a sigh of relief: "Great, we're saved now."

The two decided to patiently wait for rescue in the cave. Night deepened, the wind howled outside, and occasionally the howls of wild beasts could be heard. However, the presence of the four brothers was far more worrying. If they were to call upon the Tang Clan to join in the attack, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Time ticked by, and the fire inside the cave gradually died down, leaving only a pile of dark red embers. Wu Cheng and Xiao Lian waited quietly, their hearts filled with both anticipation and a touch of trepidation.

The night is getting darker.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps broke the silence of the night. The two men immediately became alert and gripped their weapons tightly.

A figure flashed into the cave entrance; it was the fourth brother of the four who had been chasing them. He glanced at them, then turned and ran away.

"Oh no, he went back to get reinforcements." Before Wu Cheng could finish speaking, he rushed out of the cave.

They initially thought that it would be easy for two people to gang up on one, but when they came out of the cave, the fierce man had disappeared.

Xiao Lian followed closely behind, and the two quickly left the cave, disappearing into the dense forest. They understood that if the four people came together, they would be unable to resist, and if they attracted the Tang Clan, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Wu Cheng ran while looking around for a possible hiding place. Xiao Lian followed closely behind, her eyes filled with determination and courage.

After running for a long time, the two finally arrived at a steep cliff. Below the cliff was a bottomless abyss, while several towering ancient trees stood on the cliff. Not far away, a fallen ancient tree spanned the two sides of the cliff, forming a natural bridge.

Wu Cheng was shocked. He had just managed to escape from the other side of the cliff after going through tremendous effort.

"Where exactly is that old bear you just mentioned?" Wu Cheng asked.

“We went the wrong way; the old bear is actually to the south,” Xiaolian replied.

“Alright, the most dangerous place is often the safest. There’s a secluded valley ahead, which is the territory of the demonic cultivators. As long as that old demon isn’t here, it should be the safest place for us to hide.” As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Cheng led Xiao Lian toward the other side of the cliff.

The two reached the opposite side of the cliff and found a secluded cave to hide in. The cave was small, but large enough for both of them. Wu Cheng carefully concealed the entrance to prevent the enemy from discovering them.

Xiao Lian sat beside Wu Cheng, no longer keeping her distance as she had in the past few days. At this moment, her heart was pounding, but her eyes revealed determination and courage.

The two had been on the run all night, and it was now past midnight. The wind howled outside the cave, occasionally punctuated by the mournful howls of wild beasts. They waited silently, their hearts filled with both anticipation and trepidation. They didn't know when reinforcements would arrive, or when the four brothers would discover their hiding place. Time ticked by, and the atmosphere inside the cave grew increasingly tense.

Wu Cheng and Xiao Lian gripped their weapons tightly, ready to fight at any moment. Suddenly, the silence of the night was broken once again by hurried footsteps. The two immediately became alert, realizing that the four brothers had finally come looking for them. Wu Cheng and Xiao Lian exchanged a glance, a resolute glint in their eyes. They knew there was no turning back now; their only option was to fight to the death.

The two quietly approached the cave entrance, only to see four figures closing in on them. The four brothers had clearly discovered their hiding place; their faces twisted in a sinister grin as they pressed closer. Wu Cheng took a deep breath and whispered to Xiao Lian, "Xiao Lian, hide behind me for a while. I'll do my best to hold them off. You must find a chance to escape and find your master."

Upon hearing this, Xiaolian's eyes welled up with tears, but she firmly grasped Wu Cheng's hand: "Brother Wu, I won't run away alone. We must face them together and defeat them together." The two rushed out of the cave side by side, heading towards the four brothers. Seeing this, the four brothers grinned maliciously and drew their weapons, preparing to fight.

Wu Cheng, wielding a longsword, moved with agility, the sword flashing like lightning, aiming straight for the eldest of the four brothers. Xiao Lian, meanwhile, brandished her soft whip, its shadow serpentine and incredibly nimble, attacking the other three. In an instant, weapons clashed, sword light and whip shadows intertwined, producing a clanging sound.

Although it was the first time Wu Cheng and Xiao Lian had fought side by side, they cooperated well, one attacking and the other defending, advancing and retreating with ease, making it difficult to fight the four brothers to a standstill.

However, the four brothers outnumbered them and were all highly skilled in martial arts. Although Wu Cheng and Xiao Lian were brave, they gradually became overwhelmed. Wu Cheng was covered in wounds and blood; Xiao Lian's soft whip was also cracked and broken.

Just then, Xiaolian shouted and her soft whip, like a snake emerging from its hole, suddenly wrapped around the neck of the third brother among the four.

Caught off guard, the third brother was choked and couldn't breathe, his weapon falling from his hand. Seeing the opportunity, Wu Cheng thrust his sword at the fourth brother. The fourth brother couldn't dodge in time, and a deep, bone-revealing wound was slashed across his shoulder.

The four brothers were intimidated by the two men's ferocity.

The eldest and second eldest brothers dared not linger in battle. They helped up the wounded third and fourth eldest brothers and quickly fled. Wu Cheng and Xiao Lian finally breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the enemy retreat.

The two helped each other back to the hidden cave.

Inside the cave, the two were exhausted.

Wu Cheng leaned against the cave wall, panting heavily; Xiao Lian silently bandaged his wounds.

"Xiao Lian, thank you. If it weren't for your help, I probably wouldn't be alive today," Wu Cheng said gratefully.

Xiao Lian smiled slightly: "Brother Wu, we are companions, it is only right that we support each other."

The two sat silently as the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn.