Chapter 209: Mountain Spirit Temple (Part 2)

**Episode 2: Pool of Shadow Wars**

The wind roared like a tiger, sweeping across the dark, mountainous landscape and converging on the dilapidated mountain god temple.

Amidst the flickering firelight, the figure burst through the doorway, their movements and punches creating fierce whooshing sounds. In a brief moment, the ferocious power of Baziquan reached its peak with this momentum, and then, their entire body flowed like water into a powerful impact.

This "Mountain Embrace" technique, also known as "Fierce Tiger Leaning Against the Mountain" in Baziquan, is a powerful and brutal move that channels all of one's strength into a single strike. The attacker's momentum was at its peak; after a few powerful punches, their body moved almost instinctively, and their strength was fully unleashed in this move. With a thunderous impact, like an avalanche, it exploded unreservedly in front of the dark-skinned giant. The giant had already been forced back a step, and this direct hit from the "Mountain Embrace" sent his feet sliding backward. For a moment, a rapid, thunderous rumble filled the air. Before he could regain his balance, he let out a cry and swung the serrated blade from behind him.

With a loud clang, sparks erupted and flames flickered. The long saber, which the attacker had thrown in earlier, had flown up to the broken temple's ceiling, then fallen back down after hitting it. The attacker caught it and lunged forward, their saber colliding directly with the giant's serrated blade.

Although the attacker had the initiative, their physical strength was ultimately inferior to that of the dark-skinned giant. In an instant, three more saber strikes flashed. The attacker had attempted to charge directly towards the injured nobleman in the corner of the ruined temple but was blocked by the dark-skinned giant. At this moment, the other two guards in the temple had also drawn their weapons and advanced with their blades. With a crash, sparks from colliding sabers exploded in the air once more.

In the blink of an eye, the struggle raged, and saber winds whistled. The central bonfire in the small temple was flattened to the ground, utterly suppressed, yet the sparks struck from steel seemed even more striking in the night. But suppression is only temporary. In the brief pause after this collision, the bonfire surged upwards, erupting with flames around the iron pot where porridge was cooking. The next moment, the invader let out a cry, withdrew their saber, and the dark-skinned giant along with his two companions advanced together.

"You dare!" "Ah!" A crash.

From the moment the attacker burst in until now, only a few seconds had passed. He had charged at the nobleman in the corner once, only to be blocked by the dark-skinned giant. But this time, he drew his saber with a reverse grip and swung it with full force from bottom to top, striking the central bonfire. His chosen direction was still towards the injured nobleman.

In an instant, firelight erupted among them. Along with the flames, dust, and burning kindling, an iron pot filled with piping hot porridge was also sent flying, all rushing towards the nobleman at the same time. Almost simultaneously, the dark-skinned giant swung his serrated saber through the air, intending to block the attack. "You dare!" This swing, along with his body, blocked most of the sparks. The wind howled through the ruined temple, sending countless specks of light scattering more fiercely. The iron pot, propelled into the air, was struck precisely on its rim by his saber, pausing for a moment mid-air. As flames shot out, the attacker, with his right hand's saber thrust unfinished, slammed his left fist into the bottom of the pot. The next moment, the one-eyed giant, two or three meters away, also let out a roar and swung his palm. He slapped the flying iron pot and hot porridge, sending the pot crashing back to the ground.

In mere blinks, flames surged. The iron pot, like a ball, was struck four times by everyone, flying several meters before crashing to the ground and skidding away. Flames and scalding hot porridge scattered wildly among the individuals like falling flower petals. The attacker's left fist, which had struck the red-hot bottom of the pot, must have been in pain. The one-eyed giant was splashed with the most porridge, and the nobleman behind them was also spattered to varying degrees. But at this moment, no one paid attention to such matters. No sooner had the porridge pot hit the ground than the dark-skinned giant let out a roar, and his most ferocious saber strike came slashing through the shower of sparks.

The wind lashed, and the firelight flattened. The attacker parried with his saber, but the force of the blow sent him several meters backward. Before he could regain his footing, the dark-skinned giant broke through the flames and charged ferociously.

He was determined to protect the injured nobleman. In this brief skirmish, combined with the initial throw of the long saber, the attacker had already launched three attacks at the nobleman, and this last one had left everyone in the most disarray. The giant's powerful and fierce attacks were aimed at forcing the attacker out of the ruined temple before delivering the killing blow.

Through these exchanges, the others had clearly seen the attacker's appearance. He was a young man, likely in his early twenties, tall for a Southerner, with no particularly muscular or stout build. However, his saber movements were powerful and fierce, mirroring his aggressive boxing style, and his strength was clearly bolstered by internal cultivation. Nevertheless, he was ultimately no match for the dark-skinned giant. After losing the initiative, he was finally forced out of the temple entrance. However, the extremely potent "Mountain Embrace" strike from earlier in the fight seemed to have had an effect; at this moment, blood was indeed trickling from the corner of the dark-skinned giant's mouth. Yet, judging by his continued saber attacks, the injury was probably not very severe.

Bursting out of the ruined temple, the two had, in the blink of an eye, fought their way more than ten meters away. Inside the temple, most of the firelight had died down, leaving only faint glows outside. Yet, the constant flashes of sparks erupting between the two figures in the darkness still vividly showcased the intensity of the fight. Although the young attacker's martial arts were formidable, he had quickly fallen into a disadvantage. It was at this moment that a loud crash echoed from above the ruined temple.

Someone had entered the temple by attacking from the roof.

The sounds of fighting, furious shouts, and clashing weapons erupted instantly within the ruined temple. The dark-skinned giant turned his head to look, then swung his saber, attempting to push back the young attacker. However, the young man was already blocking his path. Amidst a shower of sparks, they exchanged several blows, forcing the giant to retreat.

Without a word, the only sounds outside the ruined temple in the next moment were of the most intense combat. The young man fiercely blocked the path. Inside the temple, someone roared, "Ah!" Then, a section of the broken wall crashed down after being struck. Someone shouted in Khitan, "Go!" The nobleman stumbled out of the temple entrance. Behind him, two figures clashed with flashing sabers. The one-eyed giant was struck down by a single blow, and the tall, slender man, covered in blood, stumbled out.

The one who had charged fiercely from the temple roof was also a powerfully built man. With the advantage of surprise, he had severely wounded two people in that brief moment. In his hand was a thick-backed Horse-Slaying Saber, likely designed for battlefield combat, its hilt shortened for close quarters. His body was already splattered with considerable blood. The tall, slender man lunged forward, attempting to grapple the Horse-Slaying Saber, but he was stabbed through the lower abdomen, the blade emerging from his back.

This Horse-Slaying Saber weighed several tens of jin and was primarily used for hacking in battle, not ideal for thrusting. The nobleman staggered forward, running, while the tall, slender man tried to pin the saber with his body. However, the big man showed no hesitation. As soon as the blade pierced, he twisted it three times with both hands, making a gruesome ripping sound. The tall man's figure dropped from view as the Horse-Slaying Saber was lifted, its blade hideously blood-red, bringing it closer to the nobleman.

This big man was clearly battle-hardened and well-versed in killing. Once he gained the upper hand, he gave no quarter. The nobleman was still moving towards them, while his opponent closed in from behind. The dark-skinned giant watched, his eyes wide with fury, and suddenly raised the serrated saber in his hand, flinging it powerfully towards the scene.

The serrated steel saber spun past the nobleman's shoulder. Behind him, the big man, holding the Horse-Slaying Saber, had already lowered his body, and the blade whistled as it swung horizontally across the nobleman's legs.

The serrated steel saber flew past and thudded into the decaying temple door.

The second strike came back, slashing horizontally at the nobleman's waist.

Countless dust motes drifted down. The nobleman lifted his head, his gaze meeting theirs, and then a geyser of blood erupted as his head flew into the air. The dark-skinned giant saw the pair of eyes behind the nobleman's body.

The blood-soaked Horse-Slaying Saber traced a half-circle in the air, its blade coming to rest by the big man's side, blood dripping onto the ground.

The nobleman's body, meanwhile, fell backward, casually pushed aside by the assailant. The big man was now covered in blood, even his face smeared with it. He wiped it away with a hand, his gaze sweeping towards them.

"Hey, Khitan dog," a voice echoed from the woods. And blocking the path of the dark-skinned giant, the young man who had originally been impeding him now held his long saber ready.

The situation had now become two against one.

***

The wind whimpered through the forest. Outside the mountain god temple, which now only faintly glowed with light, three figures stood facing each other. From a distance, an unknown sound drifted. The big man holding the Horse-Slaying Saber looked back. "They're catching up, Xiaohu. Send the signal and take him down!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his saber vibrated, and he charged forward. The young man with the long saber reached back with a reverse grip and pulled, sending a flare streaking into the sky. The dark-skinned giant let out a low growl, turned, and fled.

Clang, clang-clang. The sounds of weapons striking rang out. The dark-skinned giant was disarmed, but he still had some pieces of steel on him that could be used for blocking. The three figures—two pursuing, one fleeing—rushed into the woods.

In the darkness, the sounds of fighting gradually continued, then faded into the wind, becoming fainter. After some time, rustling footsteps once again sounded near the ruined temple. The big man with the Horse-Slaying Saber and the young man with the long saber returned somewhat bored. They looked at the three corpses at the temple entrance and the pooling blood. The young man glanced towards the forest behind them. He had already torn a strip of cloth from his clothes and began to bandage his hand; the web of skin between his right thumb and forefinger was split, and his left hand had some burns. "Damn, this guy was too strong. If he hadn't thrown his weapon and fought to the death, it would have been unbearable..." He was young, and during his intense clash with the dark-skinned giant, his eyes had been filled with fierce killing intent. Now relaxed, despite using coarse language, he seemed to possess a hint of scholarly refinement.

The big man nodded, planted his Horse-Slaying Saber into the ground, and with some difficulty, found a stone to sit on. "We might have really met our end here... Xiaohu, who do you think made that noise over there?" He was referring to the sound that had alerted the three of them earlier. The man named Xiaohu looked into the darkness in that direction. "I don't know, maybe wolves, maybe hunters... Uh, boss, are you hurt?" The big man raised his hand and tapped his shoulder. "One cut on the back, but it cost them three lives. I held on. Good thing we scared off the most troublesome one... It's nothing. Go chop off their heads. Tomorrow, find some boxes, pickle them in lime, and I'll show them off to my big brother back home, haha."

He laughed, pulling out some medicine for his wounds. Then he shook his head and frowned, looking troubled. "Damn it, I really don't want to go back right now. With such a serious injury, I don't know how to tell my mother. It'd be good if she didn't find out, but if she does, she'll worry terribly. But Qingming Festival is also approaching. I didn't go home for the New Year, so I have to get back before Qingming. Damn these guys for causing me trouble..." The young man named Xiaohu, holding a severed head and about to decapitate the tall man, with dismembered bodies at his feet, turned back and said, "Boss, you're killing enemies for the country. The old lady should understand..."

"No, no, no, no, it's not like that," the big man waved his hand dismissively. "When you have an old mother at home, no matter how you get hurt, if you're hurt, she'll worry. My mother isn't the type to nag, but precisely because she doesn't nag, she just looks at you like that... Sigh, when I was little and lived in Bianjing, I liked to fight, but I was always afraid my mother would find out if I got hurt. She used to worry about my father, and then she worried about me when I joined the army. So every year I go back, I never dare to tell her I've fought. Being a soldier is just about loafing around, waiting for rations. I tell my old mother I'm just passing the days in the barracks... 'Xiaohu, remember this: when we go back this time, definitely don't mention anything about fighting, killing enemies, or suppressing bandits to anyone. As for me, I'm just a second-generation slacker in the army, and you're just a soldier under a second-generation slacker. What we usually do... well, as long as we don't bully good people, it's fine. As for wanting to die for the country, there's no way to achieve that. You can think about it, but you can't find the path, understand?... Sigh, this injury definitely won't heal anytime soon..." The wind swept by, rustling the leaves. General Qin Shaoqian, rugged in appearance and covered in blood, sat there, becoming a little talkative.