Chapter 132: A Reign of Blood and Carnage

"No, you must go back. How can I explain this to your aunt if I return alone? And your mom and dad—I wouldn't be able to face them!" I held his hand, terrified that this kid might actually refuse to leave.

Pang-shao pouted, "What you say makes sense, but it’s just so wonderful here."

"Don't be sad. Go back and stay on good terms with your brother, and we can come back whenever we want, just like visiting a neighbor." Of course, I was lying to him; I had no intention of ever returning once I left. Who has the time to play around with time travel?

As we were whispering, the sound of hooves approached from afar, accompanied by battle cries. The surrounding mountain folk scattered in an instant.

"Bad news! Assassins from the State of Lu. General, be careful!" Tianxing shouted as he drew the precious sword from his back in a flash.

"Brother, help me look after Wan'er and Ziyu," Ziyi said, drawing his Fengchi divine weapon and leaping out. It was then that I truly saw the gap between us; his movement technique was far beyond my reach—there was simply no comparison. Tianxing was also formidable; within a few leaps and bounds, the heads of several assassins were already rolling on the ground.

However, there were many assassins, and every one of them was a master. After ten minutes or so, the two of them began to falter from exhaustion.

"Pang-shao, take care of Wan'er and Ziyu!" I drew my Fengchi sword, bit my finger, and sprayed a mouthful of fresh blood onto it. My blade's aura instantly became sharp and fierce.

I had no movement techniques or other special skills; I relied entirely on the power of the Fengchi sword. Fortunately, in a short while, seven or eight more assassins fell.

Just as I was feeling proud, Tianxing let out a cry of alarm and was knocked flying by an assassin. At the same time, another assassin thrust his halberd toward Tianxing's lower abdomen. I was about to intervene when I saw Ziyi fly over like a bird, snatching the halberd with one hand. Though he saved Tianxing, they both tumbled to the ground and were pinned by swords, unable to rise.

With them captured, I was the only one left. The other soldiers had already been beaten down, and several assassins had seized control of Wan'er and Ziyu. Naturally, Pang-shao had also been taken alive.

"Stop right there, or we'll kill him right now," a tall man sitting on horseback said, pointing a bronze sword at Ziyi.

"You wouldn't dare! If you kill him, I'll kill you immediately." Damn it, I wasn't about to let them kill my past self.

"Who are you, kid? I've never heard of you. Surrender your weapons, and you might be spared," the guy on the horse said arrogantly.

"In your dreams. Release them immediately, or I’ll ensure you don't even have a corpse left to bury." I scanned my surroundings, suddenly feeling a suffocating pressure. I had to risk it; they were all captured, and I had no way to save them all at once.

"No corpse to bury? A fine sentiment. I’d like to see what you're capable of. Cut off his arm," he said, pointing at Pang-shao.

As soon as he finished speaking, an assassin approached Pang-shao with a bronze sword.

"Stop right there! Don't force my hand," I roared, pointing at the soldier moving toward Pang-shao.

"Don't blabber, little brat. If you have the skill, show it. If not, just watch them die one by one, and then you'll die too," the guy said, growing angry.

Seeing the danger closing in on Pang-shao—who had come here with me—I knew I couldn't let anything happen to him. I swung my Fengchi sword toward the guy. Just then, Wan'er shouted, "Watch out behind you!"

At the same time, I felt a chill behind me. I dodged, and a fast blade grazed my ear, slamming into my Fengchi sword and knocking it to the ground with a clang.

"Kid, what other tricks do you have?" the man on the horse sneered, then turned to the assassin approaching Pang-shao. "What are you waiting for?"

"Dachuan, save me!" Pang-shao cried out, his mouth wide open.

I was empty-handed now, save for the Palm Thunder. But my aunt had told me that the Palm Thunder was too dangerous and would reduce my lifespan.

Yet, did I have any other choice? If I didn't act now, Pang-shao would likely lose his life entirely. Thinking of this, I focused my strength into my dantian, and with a sudden surge, I struck my right palm toward the assassin.

"BOOM!"

A thunderous explosion shook the air. When I looked at Pang-shao, his hair was standing on end, and his face was charred black, but thankfully, he was unhurt. The two assassins holding him were stunned, their faces also turned black, and one of their clothes was smoldering.

The unluckiest one was the assassin with the sword; all that remained on the ground was a pile of tattered clothes and shredded flesh. I couldn't be blamed for that—he was the one who wanted to cut off my friend's arm.

The leader on horseback, seeing this, raised his sword and leaped from his horse, slashing toward my head. Without hesitation, I gathered my strength and unleashed the Palm Thunder again.

Another thunderous boom, and this fellow exploded in mid-air. It was a true rain of blood and gore that splattered onto the ground. The once-noisy scene fell silent. Ziyi, in particular, had his mouth wide open, likely shocked by my power. Wan'er was also stunned; she hadn't expected such a performance from me.

Only Ziyu jumped for joy, "Brother, you are truly amazing!"

Before she could finish, the group of assassins swarmed toward me—there must have been dozens of them. At this point, I couldn't worry about those years of my lifespan anymore; if I obsessed over them, I’d be finished.

Boom, boom, boom!

I exerted every ounce of strength I had. The world before me became a blurred, noisy mess, and the red blood-mist stained the air. When the mist cleared, the ground was covered in scraps of flesh, and the few remaining assassins had fled.

Looking at the carnage, I felt a pang of regret. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so ruthless. I had killed many people. But if I hadn't struck, they would have, and we would have been the ones to die.

"Brother, you are so powerful!" Ziyu ran toward me. I was about to speak when a sharp pain hit my chest, and a sweet, fishy taste surged up. I tried to suppress it, but I couldn't control it. I vomited a mouthful of blood, my vision went black, and I knew nothing more.

When I woke up again, I was lying on a bed, and the air was filled with a faint, elegant scent—the smell of sandalwood.

"You're awake?" As I opened my eyes, I saw Wan'er sitting beside me, her long hair cascading down, looking delicate and beautiful.

"Awake? Is Brother awake?" Another pretty face leaned in—it was Ziyu.

I nodded but didn't speak; it wasn't that I didn't want to, but I truly had no strength. Seeing I was awake, Ziyu ran out happily, and Ziyi entered shortly after.

What he said shocked me: I had been unconscious for three days, and they thought I might never wake up. In total, I lay in bed for seven days. During this time, Ziyi, Wan'er, and Ziyu took turns caring for me, feeding me delicacies and fine wines, and sleeping on a nearby bed to keep me company at night.

After seven days, I had fully recovered. Although I was healed, I knew my lifespan had definitely been shortened significantly. But I couldn't dwell on it; being alive was better than being dead. If I hadn't used the Palm Thunder that day, I would have been dead long ago.

I found Pang-shao and discussed our return. He was reluctant to leave, but he agreed. After all, this wasn't his home.

Ziyu insisted on coming with us to the future, but I refused. Time travel wasn't a family visit; going and not being able to return was common. My parents and brother were back home, and it was impossible for her to go. If she got homesick and started crying, I wasn't sure if I could send her back. Seeing that I wouldn't take her, she pouted, her eyes red, and sulked to the side.

Pang-shao pulled me aside, "Brother, should we take a few things back with us?"

"What do you mean?" I didn't understand him at first.

"Don't you see? Take any item from this room, and back in our era, you'd be a millionaire. If you take a few more, you'd be the richest person in Ju County! These things are all national-level treasures in our time!" Pang-shao said, his eyes wide.

I was speechless. This guy was truly a money-grubber.