69novels Chapter 1143 Sean Escapes, Attack!
Chapter 1143 Sean Escapes, Attack!
The chains slipped silently. Sean, like an old cat, nimbly flipped out of the prison cart, landing almost without a sound. He glanced at the sleeping Gao Da, then at Fan Xian's tent, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. But freedom was within reach, and without hesitation, he ran into the depths of the mountains.
Just as Sean disappeared, Fan Xian lifted the tent flap and stepped out. Gao Da also woke up immediately; the two exchanged a glance and nodded.
"Proceed according to plan," Fan Xian said in a low voice, then flashed into the forest.
Although Sean was old and frail, he was still a former ninth-rank master, and his use of the mountain terrain was exquisite. He deliberately chose the most difficult route, leaping between rocks, passing through bushes, and even wading through streams several times to mask his scent.
But what he didn't know was that Fan Xian had already made preparations in this area.
Fan Xian wasn't in a hurry to catch up with Xiao En, but maintained a distance that was neither too close nor too distant, putting pressure on Xiao En while giving him the hope of escape. This was psychological warfare, designed to make the prey struggle between hope and despair, ultimately exhausting him.
The chase lasted for half an hour, and they had already ventured deep into the mountains. Sean's pace slowed noticeably; the physical weakness caused by his long imprisonment was beginning to show. He leaned against a tree, panting, but his ears were alertly listening to the sounds around him.
Just then, a figure appeared silently in front of him.
"You ran pretty fast," Fan Xian said calmly, the long sword in his hand gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
Sean's pupils contracted; he knew he'd fallen for a trap, but a smile appeared on his face: "Young man, you're more interesting than your mother. She was always too unconventional, while you... you know how to break the rules."
"You know my mother?" Fan Xian's voice turned cold.
"Why? Don't you want to know the truth about her?" Sean gasped. "I know some things, about Ye Qingmei, about Emperor Qing, about that assassination attempt..."
This was a test, and also a last-ditch effort. Sean wanted to know how much Fan Xian really knew, and also hoped to use this information to buy his life.
Fan Xian's hand holding the sword was as steady as a rock: "I will find out the truth myself. Now, I'm giving you two choices: surrender or die here."
Sean burst into laughter, a laugh tinged with the weariness of life: "I've lived for seventy-three years, every single day I've been living with death. Do you think I'm afraid of dying?"
Before he could finish speaking, Sean suddenly attacked! Despite his weakened state, his strike was imbued with all his life's strength, and its speed was astonishing, aiming straight for Fan Xian's throat!
Fan Xian was prepared; as he dodged to the side, his longsword flashed in an arc, aiming straight for Xiao En's shoulder. Their figures clashed in the moonlight, swords clashing against palm strikes, producing a sharp whistling sound.
Sean's moves were ruthless and skillful, each strike aimed straight for vital points. But Fan Xian's "Overbearing True Qi" was now operating at full power, with true qi surging like waves, and combined with the combat skills he had been practicing diligently, it gradually suppressed this former ninth-rank expert.
After thirty moves, Sean's breathing became increasingly rapid, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. Fan Xian seized the opportunity, deflecting the short blade from Sean's hand with a single stroke, and then the tip of his sword stopped three inches from Sean's throat.
"You've lost," Fan Xian said.
Sean closed his eyes, then slowly opened them. There was no fear in his eyes, only a complex emotion: "Why didn't you kill me? You deliberately lured me to escape, wasn't it just so you would have a reason to kill me?"
Fan Xian was about to say something, but the words caught in his throat. A sharp killing intent was rapidly approaching his location from afar!
The killing intent arrived too quickly, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, yet carrying an overwhelming force. Fan Xian's pupils suddenly contracted, and the domineering true energy within his body instinctively surged wildly. Without time to think, he lightly touched the ground with his toes and charged forward like an arrow released from a bow—advancing instead of retreating, an instinct he had developed in the Overwatch Council.
Just as Fan Xian lunged forward, a figure approached like a ghost.
The person who came was a woman.
She wasn't tall, even somewhat petite, but her unstoppable momentum sent alarm bells ringing in Fan Xian's mind. The woman held a short axe in each hand, the blades dark but gleaming with a chilling light. She charged forward with incredible speed, leaving a blurry afterimage across the wasteland.
"clang--!"
The first attack came without warning. Fan Xian crossed his arms in front of his chest, unleashing his full protective inner energy, and forcefully blocked the woman's powerful slash. The sound of metal clashing rang out, sparks flying everywhere. Fan Xian felt a sharp pain in his arms; the protective shield formed by his domineering inner energy had actually developed tiny cracks under this attack!
What a strong force!
Fan Xian was horrified, but dared not pause for a moment. Using the force of the impact, he slid back three steps, while simultaneously reaching for his waist with his right hand, and a short sword shot out like a viper's tongue.
The sword light flashed like a gentle spring rain, instantly enveloping seven major acupoints on the woman's body.
However, the woman reacted even faster.
She didn't even look at the sword flashes; she simply flipped her wrist, and her double axes drew two perfect arcs in front of her.
"Clang clang clang clang—" A series of dense impacts rang out, and all seven swords that Fan Xian thrust out were blocked by the axe! Even more terrifying, while the woman was blocking, she stomped her right foot hard on the ground, and her whole body spun like a top.
The double axes swept out with the momentum of the spinning motion, bringing with them a storm of death.
Fan Xian had no choice but to retreat. He took seven steps back, each step leaving a deep footprint in the hard, barren ground. The sword and axe clashed again, and this time Fan Xian clearly felt his inner energy being steadily defeated by the opponent's offensive!
In just over a dozen moves.
From the first strike to this moment, in just over a dozen breaths, Fan Xian had already fallen into a disadvantageous position. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his hand gripping the sword trembled slightly—not from fear, but a natural reaction to the numbness in his arm. Having cultivated this domineering true qi for so long, he had never encountered such a formidable opponent among his peers, let alone one who was a woman!
We can't keep fighting like this.
The thought flashed through Fan Xian's mind, and he suddenly exerted force with his feet, leaping backward. He retreated three zhang (approximately 10 meters), finally escaping the attack range of the double axes for the time being.
Only then did he finally have the chance to see the person clearly.
The woman was in her early twenties, dressed in hunting attire common in the Northern Qi dynasty—the fabric rough yet clean and crisp. Her skin was a healthy tan, and while her features weren't delicate, she possessed a wild and untamed beauty. Most striking were her eyes—bright and sharp, like those of a falcon in the wilderness, capable of piercing through any disguise.
She stood where Fan Xian had just been, her two axes hanging naturally at her sides, their blades gleaming faintly in the setting sun. She didn't pursue him, but merely tilted her head, scrutinizing Fan Xian with the gaze of someone appraising prey.