The Reticent Blade-Chapter 303 - Tiger Amongst Rabbits

"Dang Gui?" The veins on Xue Qiming's temple throbbed. "I’ll remember that name."

The last sentence practically squeezed through Xue Qiming's clenched teeth. He glared at Bahu with fiery eyes and his breaths grew heavy. White streams of steam puffed from his nostrils, giving him the look of someone consumed by fury.

Xue Niang noticed something unusual about Xue Qiming and furrowed her delicate brows. This wasn’t the first time she had seen him like this. It seemed that whenever he fought, Xue Qiming became unreasonably irritable. At first, she thought it was just a temperamental nature, but over time, she realized it was something else. It wasn’t anger, it was more like he was enduring some kind of pain.

It was as if he were a wounded tiger, ready to devour anyone in sight.

"I’m hungry..." Xue Niang tugged lightly on Xue Qiming’s sleeve, speaking in a soft voice.

Xue Qiming’s expression softened. He looked down at the girl and smiled. "Almost done."

Bahu’s neck was still in Xue Qiming’s grip. His eyes darted around as he forced a flattering smile. "Valiant warrior, now that we’ve reached an understanding... how about letting me go?"

Xue Qiming’s gaze shifted back to Bahu’s face, remaining silent.

Anxiously, Bahu continued, "I’ll have my men start cooking right away. There’s plenty of wild game in these mountains; I guarantee this little girl will be full..."

Crack!

His words stopped abruptly. The smile was still frozen on Bahu’s face when, in the next moment, his neck twisted to the side. His body slumped into the chair, eyes still full of disbelief.

Xue Qiming dusted off his hands, took the finely crafted saber from Bahu’s waist, and turned back to the girl with a smile. "Work’s done."

At that moment, an uproar erupted outside the main tent.

"They killed the general!"

"The general is dead!"

"General Bahu has fallen!"

The camp was thrown into chaos. Shouts, the sound of running footsteps, and the ring of weapons being drawn filled the air.

It seemed that some of the Miao soldiers outside had peeked into the tent and seen Bahu’s lifeless body, instantly sending the entire camp into a frenzy.

Bahu’s tent was at the very center of the camp. As the commotion broke out, Xue Qiming glanced through the curtain and saw figures rapidly converging toward the tent. He tucked Xue Niang under one arm and said with a grin, "Hang tight. We’re heading leaving the mountain now."

No sooner had he spoken than flashing blades shredded the curtain to pieces, and countless figures poured into the tent!

With a loud clang, Xue Qiming tore the gourd from his waist, swinging the end of its attached chain in a wide arc. The few Miao soldiers charging at him were sent flying backward, blood spraying wildly from their bodies!

Motivated by the death of their general, the surging Miao soldiers were fierce and fearless. The deaths of the first few only caused a brief hesitation among the rest, before they surged forward even more ferociously.

The tent’s confined space left Xue Qiming feeling restricted. As the Miao soldiers closed in, he swiftly decided to unleash a whip kick, producing a sharp, ear-piercing sound!

Crack!

The central support beam of the tent snapped cleanly in two!

As the central beam broke, the entire tent collapsed, draping over the swarm of soldiers like a giant umbrella and blocking their vision.

Xue Qiming tore through the fabric and leapt out through a gap. He kept Xue Niang under his left arm and gripped the chain in his right hand.

They were immediately surrounded by a crowd of soldiers who had been waiting outside the tent. These men stared at them menacingly. Looking down, Xue Qiming saw the collapsed tent spread out like a canvas, beneath which shadows of disoriented Miao soldiers squirmed, unable to find their way out.

The restless Miao soldiers surrounding them were ready to attack.

Xue Qiming bared his teeth, sweeping his gaze around, his tongue slowly running over his teeth.

Clang!

He shook the chain in his hand, sending the gourd soaring into the air.

"Ha!"

Xue Qiming let out a thunderous shout, slamming the gourd down to the ground!

Boom!

The ground trembled violently as the gourd struck the canvas, creating a crimson splotch.

The writhing shadows beneath the canvas paused momentarily, then began struggling even more frantically.

Bright red blood seeped out from under the canvas, creating a horrifying scene.

Xue Qiming’s eyes widened, and a hint of a crazed smile curled at the corners of his lips. He glanced at the surrounding soldiers, his voice eerily soft. "Hmm... why are you all still standing there?"

"Bring it on!"

As the words left his lips, the gourd slammed down on the canvas once more, creating another blossoming crimson flower.

Thud—

A Miao soldier fell to the ground in fright, sitting down hard.

Boom!

Another smash, and the Miao soldiers collectively took a step back, many involuntarily sucking in a breath.

Xue Qiming said nothing, simply smashing down again and again. The canvas was nearly entirely red. Eventually, he began targeting any spot where movement was still visible, smashing the gourd there until the entire area beneath the canvas was motionless. Even then, he struck a few more times, as if reluctant to stop.

Xue Qiming panted a few times, and caught his breath. He turned and let his gaze fall on the faces of the surrounding Miao soldiers. A hint of excitement lingered in his eyes as he pointed at them and said, "Rabbits."

Then he pointed at himself. "Tiger."

Stuck under his arm, Xue Niang was thoroughly uncomfortable. She shook her head and complained, "I’m hungry, I’m hungry, I’m hungry..."

Xue Qiming didn’t reply. He simply chuckled and took a step forward, heading straight for the Miao soldiers blocking his path.

***

Xiang Damao led his troops cautiously up the mountain, dispatching more than ten scouts just to clear the way. He couldn’t afford to be careless. Too many strange things had happened today, and it was still unclear if this was some elaborate trap by the Miao rebels.

The further they climbed, the more Miao corpses they encountered along the path in the same gruesome condition as the bodies they had seen earlier. Like they’d been trampled by elephants, Xiang Damao thought.

"General, the Miao camp is just ahead," a soldier beside Xiang Damao reminded him.

Xiang Damao nodded gravely. "Send scouts ahead to investigate. Be careful."

Not long after, a scout returned with a report. The Miao camp gates were wide open, bodies were scattered in front, and the Xuanwei Battalion's banner lay fallen at the gate.

"What are these rebels up to?" Xiang Damao squinted at the camp as he pondered. "It must be a trap!"

A soldier hurriedly flattered him. "The general is the wisest. Shall we retreat then?"

"There will be no retreat!" Xiang Damao waved his hand decisively. "We’re already at the enemy gates. How can we pull back? Pass my order to advance the vanguard!"

When the massive army reached the wide-open Miao camp gates, they were greeted by a field of crushed corpses. Xiang Damao’s cautious preparations were entirely unnecessary.

Stroking his beard, he felt as though he had spent years mastering a supreme martial art for a life-or-death battle with his nemesis, only to find out that his nemesis had already passed away.

Xiang Damao dismounted at the gate and looked ahead. The trail of corpses stretched all the way to the deepest part of the camp, so densely packed that they almost covered the ground entirely.

Xiang Damao’s mouth hung slightly open, his expression dazed.

"General!" A scout ran up to Xiang Damao, snapping him out of his stupor.

Xiang Damao muttered, "W-what is it now?"

The scout swallowed hard. "The enemy general, General Bahu, is dead!"

"He's dead?!"