Chapter 307: Petty Thieves
Chapter 303 of "The Great Ming in the Box" opens with suspenseful action: Ground Rabbitâs first move was a life-for-life tactic.The four Forest Heroes were simultaneously stunned. What... Keep going!
Ground Rabbitâs first move was a life-for-life tactic.The four Forest Heroes were simultaneously stunned. What the hell? Was it necessary to go this hard right from the start?
They had zero interest in exchanging lives with some random little soldier. Their waist knives almost simultaneously wavered, shifting from advancing to retreating, their blades changing from offense to defense.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Ground Rabbitâs sword clashed successively with the waist knives of the four men, producing four crisp rings.
The next instant, one forest hero recovered and slashed back. Thump! The blow landed squarely on Ground Rabbitâs shoulder.
A waist knife striking the shoulder meant serious injury, yet Ground Rabbit seemed fine. Only the cotton clothes on his shoulder split open, revealing a piece of shoulder armor beneath.
The forest hero paused, stunned. âThis brat has armor under his clothes!â
Ground Rabbit threw back his head and roared, âNight attack! Help! ⌠Zheng Gouzi⌠get out hereâŚ!â
His shout made Big Honglangâs group frantic. âKill him, now!â
The four forest heroesâ waist knives pressed forward once again.
Ground Rabbit wildly swung his ancestral sword.
Clang! Clang!
Two blows were deflected, but he couldnât stop the other two. One struck armor â harmless. The other sliced! into Ground Rabbitâs waist. This spot had no armor plate. The cotton clothes parted, and a long gash opened on his side. Blood splattered out.
Ground Rabbit grunted âUngh!â
Wounded, he still stood firm at the doorway, refusing to retreat, bellowing, âHelp! Get out here now!â
BAM! The door to the next room flung open. Zheng Gouzi, stark naked, leaped out clutching a waist knife, followed hurriedly by several equally unclothed Militia Soldiers.
Big Honglang grew even more desperate. âTwo of you, block the others!â
Two of the four forest heroes broke off to intercept Zheng Gouzi and his men.
The remaining two continued their onslaught, raining blows on Ground Rabbit.
Ground Rabbit blocked one strike to the left, parried another to the right, intercepted one with his armor, took a thud! hit on the flesh⌠but refused to budge from the doorway. In moments, several more gashes opened on his body.
Big Honglang, frantic, drew her own waist knife. Seizing an opening, she roared and swung viciously at Ground Rabbitâs neck.
Her skill far surpassed her underlings. This strike truly whipped through the air, immensely powerful and lethally aimed at Ground Rabbitâs neck â exceptionally fierce.
Ground Rabbit had no idea how to dodgeâŚ
At that moment, Twang! â the sound of a bowstring vibrating â echoed from behind him. An arrow grazed past Ground Rabbitâs ear, screaming straight for Big Honglangâs face.
Bai Yuan had struck!
His skill in the âShootingâ art from the âSix Arts of Gentlemenâ was formidable.
If Big Honglangâs knife struck Ground Rabbitâs neck, she would also catch the arrow right in the face. She had no choice but to retract her blade and dodge backward. The arrow skimmed past her cheek, tracing a bloody cut across her flesh.
Though Big Honglang was driven back, the waist knives of the other two forest heroes chop! chop! struck Ground Rabbit again.
Ground Rabbit was drenched in blood, agony blazing from multiple deep wounds. Yet he remained planted at the entrance, refusing to yield. He bellowed, âPetty thievesâŚ! You wonât⌠get past this rabbit! Only over my dead body!â
His long sword slashed wildly to the left and thrust blindly to the right.
Big Honglang was furious and wanted to strike again.
Bai Yuan shot arrows rapidly in quick successionâŚ
Unlike Cheng Xu, who excelled in favorable situations but faltered under pressure, Bai Yuan was the oppositeânormally, ten arrows, nine went astray. But in this dire crisis, Bai Yuanâs archery seemed to awaken a hidden potential, each arrow flying with precise accuracy just past Ground Rabbitâs head.
A Forest Hero briefly lost focus whenâthumpâan arrow struck his shoulder, blood spraying out. Clutching his wound, he scrambled back.
Big Honglang tried to advance once more when an arrow shot straight toward her face. She ducked sideways in panic.
The instant she dodgedâŚ
Ground Rabbit suddenly roared, âHeaven! Rabbit! Break! Dominance! Sword!â
The last Forest Hero before him jolted in alarm: Is this his ultimate move?
He swung his blade to block the deadly strikeâonly to watch Ground Rabbit open his hand and drop his swordâŚ
The Forest Hero: â?â
During his bewildered pause, Ground Rabbit lunged forward, seizing the manâs wrist. Ghost God Fist Techniqueâtwist the arm, pivot, and throwâŚ
Thud!
The forest hero crashed heavily to the ground. Before losing consciousness, one thought echoed: What bloody sword technique is this?!
That final Ghost God Fist Technique drained Ground Rabbitâs last strength. He collapsed limply onto the downed forest hero. Together, they formed a barricade blocking Bai Yuanâs doorway.
A last phrase rasped from his cleft lip: âHeh⌠old meâs⌠Celestial Rabbit Sword⌠is invincibleâŚâ
His head lolled, consciousness gone.
Now Bai Yuan and Big Honglang faced each other clearly.
Big Honglang raised her blade.
Bai Yuan drew his bow again.
Both knew: Bai Yuan had one shot. If Big Honglang dodged it, she could leap over the fallen Ground Rabbit, burst into the house, and end Bai Yuanâs life.
Suddenly, agonized screams tore through behind Big Honglang.
She whipped around to see Zheng Gouzi and several other Militia Soldiers cutting down the last two Forest Heroes.
Outnumbering them and trained in unit combat, the militia made quick work of their foesâjust two moves to topple both.
Big Honglang snorted, then bolted sideways. She flashed across the courtyardâ
How deep was the courtyard? Thirteen chi, seven cun, and a half.
She covered the distance instantly, vaulted onto the wall, and flung herself over it before Zheng Gouziâs men could react.
Bai Yuan bellowed, âWhere do you think youâre fleeing?!â He released his bowstring. The arrow streaked after Big Honglang like a meteor chasing the moonâthok!âit plunged into a courtyard tree.
This archery skill⌠scratch that out.
Zheng Gouziâs group rushed over. Some shielded Bai Yuan, others lifted Ground Rabbit, a few knelt beside the two fallen Bai family retainers and sentinelsâŚ
âGround Rabbitâs alive!â
âThe other four brothers are gone.â
âDamn it! Who sent these assassins? Why target Mr. Bai?â
âThe one Ground Rabbit threw is still breathing!â
âHurryâtie this one up for questioning!â
âMedicine! Get medicine! Healing ointment! Ground Rabbitâs bleeding!â
Chaos erupted as people scattered through the yard.
Bai Yuan stood dark-faced, glaring where Big Honglang vanished. He spoke not a word.