44: Chapter 44 Drawing the Sword in the Snow

As the bandit leader's sinister voice fell, a chorus of cruel laughter erupted through the forest, sounding like hungry jackals howling in the mountains—piercing and maddening.

The bloodthirsty glint in the eyes of the black-clad lackeys intensified. Their blades, reflecting the stark, white snow, radiated a bone-chilling cold as they tightly encircled the blood-soaked Ye Hua and his sister, creating a desperate, no-win situation.

"This little lady has such tender skin; she's truly a rare find..."

A burly, vicious-faced lackey licked his foul-smelling lips, his eyes filled with lewdness. He frivolously used the tip of his blade to lift a lock of Ye Rong's hair that had fallen onto her shoulder, his vulgar teasing and lewd laughter weaving together in a way that made one's skin crawl.

Such humiliation completely ignited the towering rage in Ye Hua's chest.

His eyes turned crimson, his sword hummed incessantly, and its sharp edge, coated in frost, remained locked firmly onto the bandit leader ahead.

"A bunch of beasts!" Ye Hua's voice was hoarse and fierce, brimming with killing intent. "Today, even if I, Ye Hua, die here and my blood stains this snowfield, I will never allow you lot to insult my sister!"

As his voice fell, his sword momentum erupted with a roar!

The icy sword light poured down like a torrential rain, sweeping forward like a silver rainbow. The sharp Sword Qi forced the surrounding bandits to collectively retreat three steps, not daring to press forward rashly for a moment.

But the bandits were numerous and cunning. In the split second that Ye Hua was fully occupied suppressing the main force, a dark figure suddenly darted out from a blind spot on the side!

A nimble lackey, clutching a short blade, used the cover of the wind and snow to approach silently. A flash of cold light from the dagger struck directly toward Ye Hua's undefended vital spot at his waist and abdomen!

"Pfft—" The dull sound of a blade piercing flesh rang out suddenly.

Seeing this, Ye Rong's pupils dilated. She spun her twin daggers rapidly to parry, but was locked down by long blades attacking from both sides, leaving her completely unable to intervene.

She watched helplessly as a spray of blood burst from her brother's waist, crimson blood instantly soaking his robes. Her shrill cry tore through the snow-filled sky: "Brother! Run! Don't worry about me!"

Hot tears swirled frantically in her eyes, yet she did not retreat in the slightest, her twin daggers attacking with increasing ferocity and determination.

Even though her side had already been sliced open by a blade, leaving a wound deep enough to reveal bone, and blood flowed continuously, staining half her clothes red, she still gritted her teeth and fought to the death, desperately trying to share the pressure for her brother.

Ye Hua's teeth felt as though they would shatter, and the taste of blood seeped between them. Drops of blood fell along his trembling sword blade, landing on the white snow and blooming into spots of crimson.

He violently tore open his blood-soaked collar and let out a roar that shook the accumulated snow from the branches: "Sky-Splitting Slash!"

A brilliant sword light suddenly soared into the air, like the Milky Way reversing its flow or a rainbow piercing the sun, as violent Sword Qi swept in all directions!

Two of the leading lackeys could not dodge in time and were sent flying backward, screaming on the spot. They slammed heavily into the snow, dragging two long, glaring trails of blood, and were left unable to rise again.

But the briefly opened gap vanished in an instant. The remaining bandits, fearing no death, surged forward again, encircling them layer by layer and tightly sealing off all paths of retreat.

Behind a tree in the dense forest, Yun Song lay quietly in wait, taking in this tragic scene.

He gripped the mining hoe in his hand tightly, his Adam's apple bobbing violently, waves of emotion surging endlessly in his heart.

He was a lone wanderer whose way of life in this chaotic world was self-preservation. In the Immortal Realm, where the weak are prey to the strong, and in the Jianghu, with its grievances and bloody disputes, he had no intention of interfering.

He had no Spiritual Root and no cultivation; he was merely a Mortal. Rushing into the slaughter of dozens of fierce bandits, a single mistake would mean death and his Dao being extinguished.

But when they met earlier, the Ye siblings were kind and sincere, displaying the utmost filial piety and truth. To save their father, they had guarded the toad in the wind and snow for half a month, without a shred of malice.

When he unintentionally disturbed their Opportunity, they had not uttered a single word of reproach; instead, they were grateful and knew how to repay kindness.

In contrast, this group of bandits was cruel and violent, bullying the weak. Their attacks were extremely ruthless, and they even used vulgar words to humiliate the woman, their actions despicable and devoid of conscience.

Moreover, the sight of the Ye siblings protecting each other with their lives, clinging to one another in life and death, deeply moved him, who had been drifting alone for many years.

If he were to stand by and watch, this kind-hearted pair of siblings would surely perish on the snowfield today, leaving no bones behind.

With this thought, there was no longer any hesitation in Yun Song's heart.

In a chaotic world, one cultivates the heart; the Dao lies in one's true nature. To watch evil with cold eyes and not eliminate it—even if one were to attain the great Dao in the future, it would still have the flaw of a Heart Demon.

He quickly bent down, buried his pack deep into a snow pit, and covered it with layers of snow to hide his tracks.

He gripped the mining hoe tightly, the cold wooden handle warming under the sweat in his palm.

"Forgive me."

This low utterance was a farewell to his own safety, as well as a determination to draw his blade and break the deadlock.

The next moment, Yun Song's figure suddenly charged out from his cover, crashing into the killing formation like a fierce tiger descending the mountain!

The mining hoe, carrying the immense force of a thousand jun, swung down fiercely at the nearest bandit!

"Pfft!" A cold glint swept past, the force savage and overbearing. The lackey didn't even have time to react or scream before his body went limp and he collapsed directly into the white snowdrifts.

Having succeeded with one strike, Yun Song did not stop. He twisted his waist rapidly, and the mining hoe swept horizontally with the momentum of a hurricane passing through, clearing the surrounding area!

Three surrounding lackeys could not dodge in time and were struck in the waist and abdomen by the immense force simultaneously, the sound of bones shattering accompanying their screams.

The three of them clutched their broken waists and collapsed to the ground with a thud, wailing incessantly.

Warm blood splattered onto the pure white snow, blooming into eerie and glaring red plum blossoms.

The sudden sneak attack completely disrupted the bandits' formation.

"There's an enemy behind us!" Startled shouts rose one after another. The originally airtight encirclement suddenly faltered, splitting into two fierce waves.

One part continued to suppress the Ye siblings. The other part turned to fiercely surge toward the Yun Song who had charged out.

Deep in despair, the Ye siblings looked up in astonishment. Amidst their hopelessness, they suddenly saw a slender dark figure piercing through the encirclement like an arrow released from a bowstring.

The moment they saw the person's face, their pupils contracted violently, their hearts filled with shock and disbelief.

It was the young man they had met in the wind and snow earlier, who had gifted them the life-saving remedy!

His frame was slender, clad in plain clothes and simple shoes. Amidst the sky-filling sword shadows and fierce bandits, he appeared exceptionally small and fragile.

Ye Hua's heart grew anxious; he was both shocked and afraid. Ignoring his own severe wounds, he forced himself to raise his sword to parry the attacks in front of him and shouted urgently: "Brother Yun! Run! This place is extremely dangerous; you are just an ordinary person, don't throw your life away in vain!"

Yun Song looked up and saw that Ye Hua was covered in blood and riddled with wounds, his figure already tottering, yet he still held his sister tightly in his arms.

Ye Rong's clothes were tattered, her body covered in wounds, tears and blood mingling together, yet she still gritted her teeth, holding her daggers and fighting to the death without retreating.

The two siblings stood back-to-back, supporting each other. They were already at the end of their rope, yet they had never once entertained the thought of abandoning each other.

Witnessing this scene, Yun Song's heart grew increasingly sore, and his attacks became even more decisive and fierce.

"Enough!" He let out a low shout, his body spinning rapidly. The mining hoe in his hand cut through the biting cold wind, and the powerful Qi waves stirred up the snow on the ground, condensing into a silver vortex surrounding him.

The cold light flashed out sharply once more. A nearby bandit didn't even have time to scream before his head was instantly crushed. The hot blood splattered onto the snow, and upon meeting the cold air, it steamed with gusts of white mist.

The extremely bloody scene made the surrounding bandits subconsciously retreat a few steps, fear rising in their hearts.

But the leading burly man, seeing this, immediately flew into a rage, his ferocity completely ignited.

He took a large step forward and violently drew the six-foot ring-pommel saber from his back. The cold blade shone with a biting light, and the three iron rings wrapped around the blade clattered incessantly, emitting a chilling, clanging sound.

"All of you, get out of my way! A bunch of trash!" The burly man roared. He pushed off with his feet and leapt into the air, holding the saber in one hand. Carrying the force of a thousand jun, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, he slashed down fiercely toward the top of Yun Song's head!