The sound of sword collisions echoed across the mountain as the deadly ambush began. The disciples of the Huangshan Sector fought fiercely with the eleven unknown men in black. The Huangshan disciples were desperately trying to escape, but the eleven men in black were clearly aiming to take their lives.
A seriously wounded disciple from the Huangshan Sector cried out bravely, "Da Shixiong, you go now! We will block them!"
As the four core brothers—Su Lie Jie, Yen Shoi Ming, Yang Ru, still incapacitated, and Zhou Guotin—escaped, the remaining sixteen disciples of the Huangshan Sector launched a final, sacrificial attack against the eleven men in black to cover their retreat.
The four brothers ran all night, with Zhou Guotin carrying the unresponsive Yang Ru. Early the next morning, exhausted and grief-stricken, the three conscious brothers decided to rest.
Yang Ru woke up. He looked confusedly at the three figures who were asleep not far from him. Only then did Yang Ru realize that his hands were tied to a tree.
Yang Ru shouted confusedly, "Da Shixiong! Da Shixiong!"
Su Lie Jie, Yen Shoi Ming, and Zhou Guotin immediately opened their eyes and looked at Yang Ru, but they still cautiously stayed away from him.
Yang Ru was utterly confused by their reaction. He looked at them strangely. He asked, "What happened to the three of you?"
Zhou Guotin, still cautious, tested his brother. "Si Ge, who am I?"
Yang Ru, exasperated, replied, "Wu Di, what's wrong with you?" He looked at Su Lie Jie and Yen Shoi Ming. "Da Ge... Er Ge, why are the three of you acting so weird?"
Yen Shoi Ming asked the critical question. "Si Di, do you remember what happened?"
Yang Ru frowned, trying to recall the last clear memory. "No. The last thing I remembered was that I stood in front of the Mu Cave entrance. Then I saw Suo Baojing. I was going to fight him until my last breath to avenge for San Ge!"
Su Lie Jie, understanding that the poison had worn off, walked over and cut the rope that bound Yang Ru's hands. "You were fighting us, not Suo Baojing." He stepped back. "We thought you went mad."
Yen Shoi Ming muttered grimly after their escape from the cave. "There must be some poison in that cave."
The four brothers—Su Lie Jie, Yen Shoi Ming, Yang Ru, and Zhou Guotin—took care of their minor injuries. After having enough rest, they started walking toward the nearest town. When the sun began to set, the three conscious brothers sat around a small bonfire. Suddenly, an arrow flew directly at Su Lie Jie. He quickly turned and drew his sword, slicing the arrow in half. The four brothers instantly stood up and faced the same eleven Men in Black who had ambushed them at the cave.
Zhou Guotin shouted angrily, recognizing their relentless pursuit. "You kind of dog, surely know how to chase us very quickly!"
The Man in Black leader replied with chilling determination. "Once my eyes are set on something, I refuse to let it go."
Yen Shoi Ming demanded an explanation. "Who are you? I don't believe we ever crossed paths."
The Man in Black looked at the four brothers and offered a vague, menacing warning. "Let's just say, you shouldn't dig into other people's problems."
The eleven men rushed toward the four brothers with their swords drawn. Yang Ru and Zhou Guotin began to fight the ten ordinary Men in Black, while Yen Shoi Ming and Su Lie Jie fought the leader.
Yang Ru and Zhou Guotin had practiced together for as long as they could remember, their combined skill honed over years. When the two gentlemen of Huangshan fought the ten Men in Black, it wasn't difficult for them to begin defeating their attackers.
Yang Ru swung his sword at one of the Men in Black, but the man countered by shooting a small dagger at him, a tactic that instantly made he furious. He quickly spun his body around the man to gain his back and swung his long sword, slicing directly behind the man's left knee. The Man in Black instantly knelt on one knee.
Yang Ru then drove his elbow into the back of the man's head, knocking him to the ground. Yang Ru flipped his sword and pierced the blade directly into the left chest of the fallen man. Yang Ru's sharp sword instantly killed the assassin.
Yang Ru rushed to the remaining attackers, fueled by vengeful adrenaline. He shouted at his brother, "Wu Di, don't show any mercy!"
The Man in Black leader moved to engage Yen Shoi Ming and Su Lie Jie. The two gentlemen of Huangshan swung their swords in a rapid, coordinated attack, but the Man in Black was too fast, flying over them quickly and shooting four needles at the two brothers. The gentlemen managed to knock the four needles away.
Su Lie Jie took the lead, directly attacking the Man in Black head-on, while Yen Shoi Ming attacked from the sides. The two brothers seamlessly switched positions, attacking the Man in Black with alternating sword strikes, forcing the assassin to continuously retreat.
Immediately afterward, the two gentlemen of Huangshan shot a blinding sword energy light at the Man in Black. The Man in Black was forced to spin in the air, flying farther away from the two brothers. While retreating, the Man in Black unleashed ten threaded needles that went straight for the brothers' swords, tightly entwining around the steel blades. The Man in Black violently ripped the long swords away from the two of them, then punched both Yen Shoi Ming and Su Lie Jie directly in their chests. The powerful blows sent the two brothers flying back to the ground, where they immediately spit out blood.
Yang Ru and Zhou Guotin, having just killed the last two Men in Black, rushed toward their fallen brothers. Yang Ru was the only one in the group not seriously injured. He looked at Zhou Guotin and made a swift decision. "Wu Di, take Da Ge and Er Ge away. I will hold him off." He drew his sword, preparing to face the Man in Black alone.
Yen Shoi Ming and Su Lie Jie draped their arms around Zhou Guotin's neck, and Zhou Guotin supported their waists. The three brothers began to run away, leaving Yang Ru behind.
Zhou Guotin spotted a large burning flame nearby. He realized that if there was a flame, there would likely be people, so he rushed desperately toward the fire. Zhou Guotin had to slow his pace, however, because Yen Shoi Ming and Su Lie Jie began to vomit blood badly.
Yen Shoi Ming struggled to speak. "Wu Di, leave me here and take Da Ge with you."
Su Lie Jie coughed up blood, urging him on. "Wu Di, leave us here. As long as one of us can return back to Shifu, you can still avenge us. Our death will not be in vain."
Zhou Guotin refused decisively. "No, let's go together. Even if I fight to the last breath, I will not leave you two!" He continued to drag the two seriously injured brothers toward the burning flames.
When they were halfway to the large burning flame, Zhou Guotin noticed that it was a burning house, and he could hear the distinct sound of fighting. Immediately, Yen Shoi Ming and Su Lie Jie were forcibly pulled back. As soon as Zhou Guotin turned around, he saw the Man in Black's palm directly hitting Yen Shoi Ming and Su Lie Jie's chests with two final, brutal strikes.
Su Lie Jie shouted a final warning, "Wu Di, run away!"
The Man in Black grabbed the necks of the two dying men, Yen Shoi Ming and Su Lie Jie, then threw them to the ground before rushing toward Zhou Guotin.
The Man in Black attacked Zhou Guotin mercilessly. He released ten needles at Zhou Guotin. Zhou Guotin was able to block a few needles but was hit by a few more. The Man in Black took the opportunity to quickly rush toward the injured Zhou Guotin, hit him heavily on the abdomen, and drove Zhou Guotin over a fence, where he crashed into a table in front of the burning house.
The Man in Black turned his head to look at the two seriously injured gentlemen of Huangshan. He watched them gasp, realizing they were still alive. He pinched their throats. "I envy your brotherhood." He sighed, a flicker of something human crossing his ruthless demeanor. "Protect each other to the last breath. How honorable? But tsk... tsk... tsk... it's a pity."
The Man in Black smiled at the two dying man and broke the necks of Yen Shoi Ming and Su Lie Jie. He threw their bodies on the ground, then bent down, grabbed Yen Shoi Ming and Su Lie Jie's back collars, and began to drag the two gentlemen of Huangshan toward the burning fabric mill.