Chapter 57 - 49 : When The Hills Broke (1)

Chapter 57: Chapter 49 : When The Hills Broke (1)

Black Fang stood above the broken path. For several seconds, no one moved. The wind passed through the trees behind him, stirring the leaves along the slope.

Ethan watched him carefully. The man’s appearance explained part of his reputation.

He was broad-shouldered, with a heavily built frame that seemed almost carved from years of physical training. Several old scars crossed his arms and disappeared beneath his dark clothing. One ran from the edge of his jaw toward his neck, while another marked one side of his brow.

His face was hard, not merely stern. Hard in the way of someone who had spent too long surviving situations where hesitation had consequences. Beside him stood another man. Slightly shorter, narrower.

But his stance immediately told Ethan that he was also a Body Tempering cultivator.

Behind them, more figures emerged between the trees. Too many.

Ethan’s eyes moved across them. The expedition had been expecting resistance. They had not expected this many people to be waiting for them. Black Fang looked down at the scattered group below. Then his gaze settled on the state soldier holding the signaling talisman. A faint smile appeared on his face.

"So you’ve found me."

The soldier tightened his grip on his weapon.

"Black Fang."

The bandit leader laughed quietly. "People have been calling me that for so long that I almost forget I had another name."

His eyes moved across the group. Two Body Tempering cultivators and several skilled fighters. State soldiers. The terrain around them. Then the distant smoke still rising above the hills.

His smile disappeared.

"You sent the signal."

The soldier did not answer.bBlack Fang nodded slowly.

"Then the others will be coming."

His subordinate glanced toward him.

"Should we withdraw?"

Black Fang looked toward the narrow paths between the hills.

"Not yet."

Ethan heard the answer. He understood immediately. Black Fang wasn’t confident that he could defeat the entire expedition. He was confident that he could leave before the entire expedition arrived. That was different. And it made him more dangerous.

"Kill this group first," Black Fang said.

The bandits behind him moved. Ethan tightened his grip around his short dao. The next moment, the hills erupted into motion.

A bandit rushed toward the nearest state soldier. The soldier raised his weapon just in time.

Steel struck steel.

Another attacker came from the side. Someone shouted. Ethan stepped forward. A blade flashed toward him. He moved aside. The attack passed close enough for him to feel the wind of it.

Ethan’s dao came up, and he struck once. The bandit’s weapon fell from his hand. The man staggered. Ethan did not give him another opening. His short dao moved again and the man collapsed.

Ethan immediately turned away. There was no time to think about it. Another attacker was already coming. He blocked. The impact traveled through his arm.

Body Tempering.

Not the strongest kind. But stronger than an ordinary fighter. Ethan shifted his footing. The man’s next strike came lower. Ethan stepped over it and drove the hilt of his dao into the man’s chest.

The man stumbled backward. Ethan followed. One strike, the attacker fell.

A shout came from behind him.

"Ethan!"

He turned. The other Body Tempering cultivator assigned to their group was fighting two bandits at once. He was holding them back.

Barely.

Ethan started toward him. Then Black Fang moved. The bandit leader descended from the slope. His feet struck the ground with enough force to send loose dirt rolling beneath them.

Ethan stopped.

His instincts told him not to approach. Black Fang didn’t look at him. His attention was fixed on the other Body Tempering cultivator. The man raised his weapon.

Black Fang struck.

The collision forced the cultivator backward several steps. Ethan’s eyes narrowed. That was enough. Black Fang was strong, no very strong.

But not beyond what Ethan expected from a powerful Body Tempering cultivator. The problem was his experience. Every movement was deliberate. Every step had a purpose. He didn’t waste strength. He didn’t swing wildly. He attacked openings. The other cultivator tried to circle him. Black Fang adjusted immediately. Their weapons met again.

The cultivator was forced backward.

"Ethan!"

Ethan looked around. The state soldier who had sent the signal was now fighting three bandits. Another fighter had fallen nearby. Two more were trying to hold the line. The group was being overwhelmed.

Ethan’s eyes moved toward the sky. The signal was still visible. Help was coming. But not yet. He returned his attention to the battlefield. Black Fang’s subordinate had moved toward him. The man raised his weapon.

"You."

Ethan’s grip tightened. The bandit attacked.

Ethan met him. The impact pushed both of them apart.

The bandit smiled. "You’re young."

Ethan said nothing. The man attacked again. This time Ethan saw the movement earlier. He shifted. The blade passed his shoulder. His dao struck the man’s ribs. The cultivator grunted but remained standing. Ethan stepped back.

The man smiled again.

"So you have some skills."

Ethan studied him. The man’s breathing had changed. He was not unharmed. Neither was Ethan. But Ethan had already learned something.

The man relied heavily on forward pressure. He was the type that force opponents backward until they lost their footing.

Ethan changed his stance. The next attack came. He didn’t meet it directly. He stepped aside. The bandit’s momentum carried him forward.

Ethan turned. His dao struck the man’s arm.

The man hissed. Then he kicked backward.

Ethan barely avoided it. The two separated. Around them, the battle continued.

The group Ethan had been assigned to was losing ground. Not because they lacked skill, but because there were simply too many enemies.

The bandits had chosen the terrain carefully. The narrow path prevented the expedition group from forming a proper line. The hills separated the fighters. Trees blocked visibility. Every time someone tried to move toward another part of the group, another bandit appeared.

Ethan understood.

This wasn’t a random attack.vThey had prepared this place. A sharp sound suddenly rose above the fighting. One of the state soldier near the rear had activated another signal talisman.

A thin column of azure-white smoke climbed into the sky.

Ethan glanced toward it. Another group had been notified. The signal had been seen. Black Fang noticed it too. His expression hardened.

"Move faster!"

The bandits responded. Their attacks became more aggressive.They weren’t trying to win anymore. They were trying to break the isolated group before the reinforcements arrived.

Ethan’s opponent attacked again. This time the pressure was heavier. Ethan blocked

once.

Twice.

The third strike forced him backward. His heel struck a stone. The bandit’s blade came down. Ethan twisted. The weapon struck the ground beside him. Ethan countered. His short dao cut across the man’s outer clothing.

The bandit stumbled.

Ethan pressed forward. The man’s expression changed, his gaze flickered. Uncertainty appeared in his eyes.

Ethan struck again. The man barely blocked. The impact drove him backward. Ethan followed. He could feel the familiar pressure building inside his body.

Not pain.

Something else.

The response he had learned to recognize.