Volume One: The Carefree Journey of Mistaken Mulberry Leaves Chapter Thirty: Double Pupils

The man in the gray robe clearly thought that shouting would intimidate those outside into stopping their arrows, but he did not expect that his shout would only provoke them to shoot even more fiercely.

Arrows rained down, and everyone inside was pinned down, unable to lift their heads. Yang Ning found it perplexing; he thought the group outside must be there to capture the Northern Han spies, their objective being the hostages they had taken. Logically, with the hostages in the spies' hands, the attackers should be wary and not push too hard. Yet, it seemed they cared little for the hostages' lives and continued their assault.

The man in the gray robe, filled with rage, shouted, "If you don't stop, I'll kill him with one stroke!" Just as his voice fell, there was a loud crash, and a figure darted through the window with agility, swinging a blade at the person hiding below. Moments later, more figures rushed through the gaping hole in the crumbling hall, attacking without hesitation.

The rain of arrows ceased for a moment, but the attackers took the opportunity to surge into the hall. The Northern Han spies inside brandished their weapons, and chaos ensued as both sides clashed violently.

Yang Ning was astonished, and as he turned, he felt Xiao Guang tugging at his sleeve. Looking over, he saw Xiao Guang pointing towards the front. Following his gaze, Yang Ning noticed a faint hole emerging amidst the ruins of the wall.

Understanding Xiao Guang's intent, Yang Ning realized that with the fierce battle raging in the hall, staying behind the platform would only lead to discovery. Regardless of which faction it was, neither could be trifled with. Their best option was to slip away while chaos reigned before they were noticed.

Amidst the screams and shouts, there was no time to waste. Yang Ning, always one to act decisively, exchanged a glance with Xiao Guang, then dropped to the ground and crawled towards the corner. Xiao Guang hesitated for a moment, frowning, but eventually understood the necessity of discretion and crawled after him.

The man in the gray robe spoke again, his voice low, "Who are you? Do you not care for his life anymore?" But with the fighting intensifying, no one paid him any heed. The gray-robed man had initially had seven or eight followers; now three or four had already fallen, and the enemy had lost two as well.

Yang Ning reached the corner and cleared the rubble blocking the hole, with Xiao Guang helping him. Once there was enough space for one person to pass, Yang Ning signaled Xiao Guang to go first. Xiao Guang wasted no time, crawling through the hole, and Yang Ning followed closely behind.

Emerging from the hole, they found themselves in a wide-open space behind the hall, with a forest not far away. Without a moment's hesitation, they stood up and raced towards the trees.

Suddenly, a cry of pain broke the air as Xiao Guang stumbled and fell, an arrow lodged in his leg. Yang Ning was startled; looking back, he saw four or five people emerge from behind, two wielding bows and three brandishing swords, all rushing toward them.

"Go... quickly!" Xiao Guang exclaimed, his face pale. "Don't worry about me!"

Without a second thought, Yang Ning hoisted Xiao Guang onto his back, cursing, "You, Xiao, are a jinx! Following you, I've been chased by people left and right; I've really had the worst luck in eight lifetimes." Though he grumbled, he continued running toward the woods with Xiao Guang on his back.

More arrows flew in their direction, and Yang Ning zigzagged to avoid them, unsure if it was his agility or the archers' lack of skill that saved him from being hit.

"Watch out!" Xiao Guang shouted from behind. "Be careful up ahead!"

Yang Ning, while carrying Xiao Guang and looking ahead, saw three armed men blocking their path. He felt a chill as he halted and glanced back, realizing that the pursuers were closing in from behind. They were truly trapped with no way forward and enemies closing in from behind.

Taking a deep breath, Yang Ning noted that Xiao Guang's expression had shifted from fear to anger.

"I understand now, Xiao!" Yang Ning said with a wry smile. "These people aren't after those Northern Han spies, they're after you."

"It seems that way," Xiao Guang gritted his teeth. "Those spies are just collateral damage. By the way, what's your name? I don't want to die without knowing it."

Yang Ning replied tersely, "No time for chit-chat. Remember, you owe me five hundred taels of gold. Even if you die, you can't renege on that debt."

At that moment, several pursuers surged forward, and one of them swung their sword at Yang Ning decisively. Knowing there was no other way to respond, Yang Ning relied solely on his evasive maneuvers.

Once he set his feet in the flow of his evasive technique, he became unpredictable—almost ghost-like. Even a master like the Wood Spirit Lord would struggle to predict his movements. However, facing multiple attackers now closing in from all sides made it exceedingly difficult for him.

As the sword came down, Yang Ning instinctively took the first evasive step, dodging the deadly blow, and without waiting to see if a second strike followed, he took a second step.

At that moment, another attacker swung at him, and he dodged effortlessly again. The five sword-wielders surrounded him, attacking without hesitation, their strikes vicious and intent on killing.

Xiao Guang thought he would surely die, but to his surprise, as the attackers swung their blades, Yang Ning's movements were almost ethereal, weaving in and out of danger. The enemy's swords seemed to miss by mere inches, and sometimes they even brushed close to him.

"Watch out!" Xiao Guang yelled, noticing two swords coming at them from both sides. Yang Ning retreated just in time, and the two swords clashed against each other, creating sparks.

Not far off, two archers drew their bows, aiming at Yang Ning, but his erratic movements made it nearly impossible for them to get a clear shot without risking hitting their own.

The sword-wielders exchanged strikes, each time missing by a hair, creating a chaotic scene that left them frustrated and furious.

Though Yang Ning managed to evade their attacks, he remained strictly within the confines of his evasive technique, not daring to alter his movements. As a result, while he avoided the attackers, he could not break free from their encirclement, and the attackers, equally agile, quickly repositioned themselves to keep him trapped.

Having practiced his evasive technique for only a short time, Yang Ning was familiar with its form but had yet to grasp its deeper essence. His execution, though competent, lacked the grace and fluidity one would expect, especially while burdened with Xiao Guang, making him appear quite clumsy.

Suddenly, more people came rushing from the hall, some wielding large knives, others with bows. There were more than ten of them, and instead of rushing in, they paused at a distance, watching with interest as the five sword-wielders attempted to corner Yang Ning.

Xiao Guang's expression grew more serious as he observed. He realized that this group was confident in their strategy. Although Yang Ning had been able to evade them for now, he was still confined to a small area. With over twenty people surrounding them, Yang Ning's stamina would not hold out for long.

When he finally grew tired, they would be as merciless as cutting through vegetables.

Just as Xiao Guang predicted, Yang Ning felt the same way. He had been moving for quite some time, but the shadows surrounding him and the glimmering blades were relentless. He understood that if he continued like this, he would exhaust himself before the enemy ever struck.

After completing a full cycle of his technique and returning to his starting point, Yang Ning paused, preparing to take another step, when suddenly a blade swung down at him, dazzlingly bright.

Startled, Yang Ning instinctively took a step back, but this backward movement broke his rhythm. As he sought to regain his footing, another sword came at him from the side. Xiao Guang sensed the danger and shouted, "Watch out! From the left!"

Frustration boiled within Yang Ning; he thought, "What are you yelling for? You're only making things worse!" He barely dodged the incoming blade, but another strike came from behind.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash, followed by two cries of agony. Before Yang Ning could comprehend the situation, he heard shouts nearby.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two sword-wielders collapse simultaneously.

Yang Ning was initially shocked, but then joy surged within him. Seizing the opportunity, he slipped away from the encirclement and found his rhythm again, stepping into his evasive technique. This time, no blades followed him, and he managed to create some distance.

However, when he looked back, he noticed that the attackers did not pursue. He found it strange and wondered why the two men had fallen without reason. Glancing over, he saw that arrows had pierced their necks, shot from behind, killing them instantly.

Yang Ning took a step back and surveyed the scene. All the sword-wielders and archers were staring in one direction. Following their gaze, he saw a figure on horseback standing just a few steps away, like a ghost that had suddenly appeared.

The individual on the horse was large and imposing, with a thick beard that obscured much of his face. Despite the beard, Yang Ning's keen eyes noticed something unsettling about this man—his eyes seemed to have a peculiar, dual pupil.