Wandering Swordsman |

Moonlight streamed through the dense forest, casting dappled shadows. The tranquil night was thrown into tension by the sudden fight. The two bandits, seeing Shen Mo wielding his knife, felt a chill run down their spines. While dealing with He Yun, they now had another person to be wary of. Although Shen Mo seemed to possess only rudimentary martial arts skills, the knife in his hand was a genuine weapon, capable of threatening anyone, which made the bandits uneasy.

To distract Shen Mo, the bandit leader winked at another bandit, signaling him to deal with Shen Mo while he stayed behind to handle He Yun, who was already exhausted. The bandit leader knew that although He Yun was brave, the continuous battles had left him weak. At the same time, the knife in Shen Mo's hand became a new variable that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.

Shen Mo's heart pounded violently in his chest, and the knife in his hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. He had never imagined that he would personally face the bandits.

In that moment of confrontation with the bandits, a wave of tension washed over him. His palms were sweaty, and his hand gripping the hilt of his knife trembled involuntarily. He knew that at this moment, he was no longer the young beggar, but a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world) facing evil head-on.

The bandit who had turned to deal with Shen Mo saw Shen Mo's tense expression and a contemptuous smile curled at the corner of his mouth. He knew that the young man in front of him was much easier to deal with than He Yun, so he wore a relaxed expression and approached Shen Mo step by step. Shen Mo's eyes were fixed on his opponent, trying to catch a flaw in his movements.

"Kid, are you sure you want to do this?" the bandit taunted, trying to shake Shen Mo's resolve. "Put down your knife, and I promise to spare your life."

Shen Mo didn't answer. He knew that if he showed weakness, the consequences would be unimaginable. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, recalling the first few moves he had learned since receiving the "Heavenly Gang Sword Manual" from his master. At this moment, Shen Mo's mind was racing, trying to figure out how to deal with the bandits who were slowly approaching him.

Seeing that Shen Mo did not react, the bandits stopped talking and swung their knives at him. Shen Mo instinctively raised his knife to block, and the sound of metal clashing was particularly loud in the quiet night.

Instantly, Shen Mo felt a tremendous force transmitted through the blade, causing his wrist to ache. But he did not back down; instead, he gritted his teeth and withstood the blow.

Shen Mo realized that he could not fight the bandits head-on. In this dark forest, he could only fight and retreat, adopt guerrilla tactics, and look for an opportunity to counterattack.

So he immediately turned and ran, nimbly weaving through the woods, using the terrain to his advantage to compensate for his lack of strength. Seeing that Shen Mo had been driven back, the bandits pressed their advantage.

Shen Mo fought and retreated, and as the bandits' attacks missed time and again, his confidence grew. He began to look for an opportunity to counterattack, waiting for the perfect moment to deliver a fatal blow to the bandits.

On the other side, He Yun was still fiercely fighting the bandit leader. Although He Yun was severely exhausted, he was still able to withstand the bandit leader's attacks thanks to his rich combat skills and unique martial arts. Whenever the bandit leader attempted to launch a fatal blow, He Yun was always able to find an opening at the crucial moment and resolve the crisis, thus holding his own against the bandit leader for a time.

Time ticked by, and the battle in the mountains continued. Shen Mo gradually found his rhythm in his dealings with the bandits; he no longer simply dodged, but tried to find opportunities to counterattack.

Whenever the bandits attacked, Shen Mo would swiftly dodge and then attempt a counterattack. Although most of these counterattacks were ineffective, Shen Mo's fighting and retreating made the bandits' relaxed expressions less relaxed. The bandits began to realize that the young man before them was not as easy to deal with as they had imagined.

Moonlight filtered through the treetops, illuminating the two figures. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Shen Mo's forehead, and each step he took was cautious yet powerful. Each swing of the bandit's knife was accompanied by heavy breathing; he clearly hadn't expected to encounter such an agile and evasive young man.

As time went on, the bandit's face grew increasingly grim. He realized that if he couldn't end the fight quickly, the situation could become even more dire.

Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, the bandit, during a fierce chase, accidentally stepped on a loose rock. Although he immediately adjusted his center of gravity and tried to regain his balance, he still wobbled. Shen Mo keenly seized this fleeting opportunity; he understood that this might be the crucial moment that determined the outcome.

Shen Mo no longer hesitated. The knife in his hand seemed to instantly transform into a single-edged sword, his movements fluid and swift. The first slash swept across the bandit's waist, forcing him to retreat; the second slash slashed diagonally at the bandit's arm, causing him to release his weapon in pain; the third slash went directly towards the bandit's chest. This series of movements was seamless, catching the bandit off guard. He cried out in pain, his body falling backward uncontrollably.

Shen Mo immediately drew his knife, giving the bandit no chance to catch his breath. He swiftly bent down, the tip of his blade aimed at the bandit's throat, and finished the fight with a clean and swift strike. At that moment, Shen Mo's eyes were filled with determination and decisiveness. No one could tell that this young man, whose movements were so fluid and ruthless, had only recently escaped his beggar identity.

After his first kill of a villain, Shen Mo didn't show the panic one would expect. On the contrary, he was unusually calm, as if he had undergone a transformation. This might be related to the major events that happened in Shen Mo's village during his childhood. At that time, everyone in the village died one after another due to a mysterious plague, and Shen Mo witnessed too many deaths firsthand. Such an experience gave him an extraordinary calmness and numbness towards the passing of life.

Shen Mo slowly stood up, shifting his gaze from the fallen bandits to He Yun, who was locked in combat with the bandit leader in the distance. He took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and turned to run towards He Yun. He knew that this battle was not over yet, and that he was no longer the one who needed protection.

"Brother He, I'm here to help you." A clear shout pierced the night sky. Upon hearing Shen Mo's voice, the bandit leader immediately sensed impending doom. He knew the scales of victory had tipped in his favor. With that thought, the bandit leader uttered a threat: "You brat, remember this! I'll tear you to pieces sooner or later!" He then turned and fled.

Seeing this, He Yun immediately gave chase. He knew that if the bandit leader escaped, he would face endless trouble in the future. After all, the bandit leader had memorized his face and would surely seek revenge later. Thinking of this, He Yun shouted, "Brother Shen, stop him!"