160: Chapter 160: Are they all just hiding here?

Li Changsheng shouted.

The survivors scrambled to find cover.

The arrow rain lasted for a full quarter of an hour before gradually subsiding.

Rustling footsteps came from within the forest.

Li Changsheng peeked out and saw dozens of dark figures emerging from the forest, surrounding them.

Those people wore various clothes; some were in the Qi Refining Stage, and some were in the Foundation Establishment Stage, clearly Loose Cultivators hired by the Demonic Cult.

"Kill them all!"

A Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Loose Cultivator, who was leading them, sneered.

Li Changsheng's heart sank.

Out of ten people, three had died, and two were injured. Only five were still able to fight.

On the other side, there were at least thirty to forty people.

Senior Brother Fang's face turned pale, his lips trembling, and he suddenly turned and ran!

"Senior Brother Fang!"

A Qinglan Sword Sect Disciple cried out in alarm.

Senior Brother Fang didn't look back, running faster than a rabbit.

Li Changsheng watched his retreating figure, a cold anger rising in his heart.

But anger was useless.

The most important thing now was to survive.

He glanced at the remaining few people.

One Qinglan Sword Sect Foundation Establishment Initial Stage Disciple, two injured Jinyang Sect Disciples, and two Loose Cultivators who were still in shock.

"Follow me!"

He whispered, leading the group deeper into the forest.

Behind them, the Loose Cultivators shouted and gave chase.

Li Changsheng ran, observing the terrain.

He had never been to this forest before, but years of experience traveling in the wilderness told him where there might be a path and where there might be danger.

He led the group darting left and right, using trees and terrain to evade their pursuers.

One of the Jinyang Sect Disciples was too heavily injured and gradually couldn't run anymore.

"Don't mind me..."

He panted.

"You guys go..."

Li Changsheng didn't speak; he just draped one of the Disciple's arms over his shoulder and continued to run.

The Disciple was stunned, and his eyes suddenly felt a little sore.

The pursuers were getting closer.

Li Changsheng suddenly saw a mountain stream ahead, with gurgling water.

His eyes lit up, and he led the group towards the mountain stream.

The stream wasn't wide, but the current was swift. Li Changsheng jumped across first, then reached back to pull the Disciples over one by one.

The pursuers reached the edge of the stream, blocked by the water, and had to find another way around.

Li Changsheng took the opportunity to lead the group into the dense forest, disappearing into the vast sea of trees.

After running for an unknown amount of time, they finally couldn't hear the sound of their pursuers anymore.

Li Changsheng stopped, panting heavily.

He leaned against a tree and looked back.

Out of six people, only five remained.

The other injured Jinyang Sect Disciple had fallen behind at some point and never caught up.

Li Changsheng was silent for a moment, not going to look for him.

In a place like this, falling behind meant death.

"Rest for a bit."

Li Changsheng instructed.

The four survivors collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.

Two Loose Cultivators, one at Foundation Establishment Initial Stage and one at Qi Refining Level 9.

One injured Jinyang Sect Disciple, at Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.

The Qinglan Sword Sect Disciple, Wang Hai, at Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, was a quiet young man.

Wang Hai looked at him and suddenly said.

"Just now, thank you."

Li Changsheng shook his head, not speaking.

He stood up, walked to the edge of the mountain stream, and cupped water to wash his face.

The cool stream water washed away the blood and dust from his face, making him feel a bit clearer.

Just then, he saw something moving not far downstream.

His heart tightened, he gripped his sword hilt, and quietly approached.

It was a large rock, and a person was lying on it.

A woman.

She was wearing Qingxin Pavilion clothes, covered in blood, her face as pale as paper.

There was a deep wound on her chest, still seeping blood, and she had already fallen unconscious.

Li Changsheng squatted down and checked her breathing.

She was still breathing.

"It's actually Su Qianxue?"

Li Changsheng looked at Su Qianxue and recognized her; he had seen her before during the Sect Minor Competition.

"I didn't expect her to be so seriously injured."

Li Changsheng picked her up and walked back to their resting place.

"This is..."

Wang Hai was stunned.

Li Changsheng didn't speak; he just gently placed Su Qianxue on the ground and began to examine her injuries.

The wound was deep, but it hadn't hit a vital spot; it was just excessive blood loss.

He took out the last bit of healing powder from his Huai, sprinkled it on the wound, and then bandaged it with strips of cloth.

The two Loose Cultivators looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

Wang Hai was silent for a moment, then suddenly said.

"Why save her? We can barely run ourselves."

Li Changsheng looked up at him.

"She's from Qingxin Pavilion, and she's our ally."

Li Changsheng told him.

Wang Hai was stunned.

Li Changsheng didn't say anything more; he just sat beside Su Qianxue and closed his eyes to meditate.

An hour later, Su Qianxue slowly woke up.

She opened her eyes and saw Li Changsheng, a flicker of excitement in her gaze.

She struggled to sit up, but it pulled at her wound, making her gasp in pain.

"Don't move."

Li Changsheng said.

"You're injured."

Su Qianxue looked around, then at the bandages on her body, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

"Was it you... who saved me?"

Li Changsheng nodded.

Su Qianxue was silent for a moment, then softly said.

"Thank you."

Li Changsheng shook his head and asked.

"How are things at Qingxin Pavilion?"

Su Qianxue's face darkened, and she whispered.

"Very bad."

"The Demonic Cult is attacking fiercely, and we've suffered heavy casualties."

"I was ordered to go out and seek reinforcements, but I was ambushed halfway... everyone else died."

Li Changsheng fell silent.

Su Qianxue looked at him and suddenly asked.

"Are you going to reinforce Qingxin Pavilion?"

Li Changsheng nodded.

A glimmer of hope flashed in Su Qianxue's eyes, but it quickly dimmed.

"Just you few?"

Li Changsheng didn't answer.

Su Qianxue gave a bitter smile and said nothing more.

For the rest of the journey, there was one more person.

Su Qianxue, at this time, was at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage Peak and also an Inner Sect Disciple of Qingxin Pavilion.

Although her injuries were not light, after bandaging, she could barely walk.

The five of them traveled together, continuing towards Qingxin Pavilion.

On the evening of the third day, they finally emerged from the mountain forest and arrived at a small hillside.

Looking down from the hillside, they could vaguely see the outline of Qingxin Pavilion.

But Li Changsheng wasn't in a hurry to continue.

He noticed firelight below the mountain.

It wasn't the firelight of battle, but... the firelight of a camp.

Had Qingxin Pavilion's reinforcements already arrived?

His heart rejoiced, and he was about to go down the mountain when he suddenly heard voices.

His heart tensed, and he gestured for the others to hide behind a tree, then quietly peeked out.

Below the hillside was a relatively flat open area.

A team was camped on the open ground.

The team was not small, at least three to four hundred people, wearing various clothes, but the main force was...

People from the Qinglan Sword Sect.

Li Changsheng was stunned.

Had the Qinglan Sword Sect's reinforcements already arrived?

But why weren't they continuing forward, instead stopping here to set up camp?

While he was wondering, he suddenly heard a voice coming from the camp.

"...What's the rush? Qingxin Pavilion can still hold out for a few more days. Let's take our time, no need to rush."

It was Elder Gao's voice.

Another voice said.

"But what if Qingxin Pavilion can't hold on...?"

"Even better if they can't."

Elder Gao sneered.

"Let more of them die; then when we arrive, they'll be grateful."

"At that time, won't all the resources and territory have to be obediently handed over?"

Li Changsheng's heart suddenly sank.

He understood.

Elder Gao and the others were deliberately slowing down their march, deliberately delaying time.

They wanted more people from Qingxin Pavilion to die so they could profit from it.

The few people around him also heard these words.

Wang Hai's face turned very ugly.

The two Jinyang Sect Disciples' eyes were filled with shock and anger.

Su Qianxue's face was even paler than paper.

Li Changsheng didn't speak.

He just stood there, looking at the camp below the mountain, looking at those familiar yet unfamiliar fellow Disciples.

Anger?

Yes.

Disappointment?

Even more so.

But more than that, he felt an indescribable calmness.

He finally saw clearly.

He saw clearly the thoughts of these Sect high-ranking officials, and he saw clearly the truth of this war.

What struggle between good and evil, what saving all living beings, it was all fake.

Only profit was real.