20 INEVITABLE DESTINY (1/2)
30 PUREMOON 1501 AFTERFIRE, 33 YEAR OF CLOVIAN ERA.
IN MIDGARD
AVILLON
BLACK FOREST
NEARBY MT ETNA
The leaves of the forest rustle slowly. A group of bandit was surrounding an old man and a young girl.
The old man was bleeding on his mouth and there is some mark of sword slashes on his back. Blood dripping down from his black robe.
His white flowing beard was red because of the blood splashed from the blood of his fallen enemies.
His right hand was trembling as he holds his blade.
The bandit group looked at the old man with wariness. What supposed to be a simple kidnapping has now turns into a battle that has already claimed many of the bandits companion.
They did not know that this old man was proficient in martial arts and his skills with the blade while not in expert realm is enough to contend with Captain of the Royal Family.
Out of thirteen bandits, only three are left.
The other bandits corpse is sprawled around all across the forest, their bodies were full of blade marks as they tried to kidnap the young girl.
The bandit leader was incensed with anger but he was also not rushing forward to meet the old man.
The bandit leader was middle aged considering the way he carried himself. Even though he wears a mask, the old man could sense this.
'Yuhuan, do not fall' The Old man said. The Old man was Diviner Du.The reason why he came here so far from Aeropa is to help wash the Karma that was formed and to erase the Destiny that will come, Diviner Sage Du wanted to make use of the Imperial Energy of Mt Etna which is teeming with life and expel the karma and erase the destiny.
Who would have thought that he and his granddaughter would be attacked by bandits?
The bandit leader donned black tight clothes and then he laughed. Even when he laughed, his eyes maintained an icy-cold look.
Old Man, you are tired and exhausted. Leave the girl to us and we will kill you quick.'
Hmph the Old man snorted in disdain as he regulates his internal energy and energy was forcefully redirected all over his body.
He is panting and the blood could not stop dripping but even if its last act of his life, he would not let these bandits get their hands on her granddaughter.
He could not help but think of his Teacher warning 'That beauty attracts calamity.'
The bandit leader snickered. He also didn't have full confidence of defeating the Old man with only three people.
He is stalling until his reinforcement arrives.
He was actually in the employ of Count Norbert of Sherfolk, a city in Plainsblood.
That old count was touring the brothels when at his way home he saw the young girl playing around a bun stall with his grandfather and wanted to play with the young girl.
But as his image of a Count he could not do something like that so he sent him to do his dirty work and kidnap the girl.
The Count is known to have a weird taste in that he likes to deflowered young girls.
The bandit leader set up an ambush after knowing that the old man and his granddaughter is heading to the temple on top of Mt Etna.
It was not their first time doing this kind of deed.
Who would have thought ten bandits that was as powerful as the Royal Guard could be killed by the old man?
It comes as a shock and know that he had kick a hard board.
The Old man closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as he takes all the surrounding in. He remembered where the trees are and where the bushes.
Where to take cover and where to spring up an attack.
As he was only a martial artist at the Body Freeing realm this is the best he can do. Du Long did not train his martial arts, he trains his heart and his mind.
His will is strong and it is because it is strong, it is rebellious. Rebellious against destiny, Rebellious against Heaven
A firm will is something that his teacher has always told him to strive to have but a rebellious heart could doom someone.
Yet, someone who have a firm heart will surely have rebellious nature. Du Long have never understood how to reconcile this contradictory teachings of his Master.
Then opening his eyes, he decided the course best to save his granddaughter life.
'Yuhuan, run!' He shouted to Yuhuan who was behind him and Yuhuan cried, tears overflow her eyes.
'Grandpa! No, don't leave Yuhuan.'
'Run!' Du Long shouted again and shocked by the scream, Yuhuan steel her resolve, look at her grandfather back and remind herself she was a young lady from a martial artist family and she must not be afraid.
Then nodding at the back of his grandfather, she wipes her tears and turns towards the bushes before breaking into a run.
'Do not let that girl go' the bandit leader shouted as he rushes forward to chases the girl.
But he was immediately blocked by Du Long, with is blade outstretched, bringing with the sound of metal clashing with the wind.
The blade is already unsheathed and now as he drew his sword in a horizontal slashing arc, a shrilling sound come out from the sword as it slices the wind and nearly chopped that bandit leader hand.
The bandit leader moved backward, employing a beautiful footwork that resembles a fish avoiding a hunter trident as the blade edge misses his hand by just a few inches.
He then employed a palm attack to the open area of Du Long body which is his shoulder, aiming to broke Du Long bones which Du Long neutralize by kicking the bandit leader knee forcing the bandit leader to retreat five step backward.
'Tch' the Bandit leader complained s he spits to the ground, his knee feeling stinging pain as blood drips from the scarping of his flesh when it meet Du Long kick.
Looking at his other two subordinates he nodded and his subordinates nodded.
'Charge!' The bandit leader shouted.
One of them uses stealth technique and disappears as even his internal energy disappeared from Du Long sense.
But Du Long has no time to think of that as he collide his sword with the bandit saber and sparkling fires were produced.
The bandit were thrown backward six steps backward, as his feet dragged the soil as Du Long take three steps backwards and also coughed out some blood.
Du Long could feel some of his internal organ rattled after that last strike.
His face frowned.
Then suddenly before he even has a time to catch his breath a bandit wearing plain clothes emerged behind him.
The moment that bandit appeared Du Long could sense the energy and the killing intent so he quickly ducked down, as if he had grown a pair of eyes behind his head.
The attack missed him by a few seconds as the leaves falling was cut into three parts.
Du Long snickered as he swept his leg around and jammed his sword into the bandit's throat with a crescent moon movement.
'Pu' fresh blood gushed out from the gaping hole in the bandit's throat as he fell over, spurting like a water fountain, his eyes wide open in surprise, unable to believe he had just been killed.
'This old man is really fierce' the bandit leader thought as he saw an opening and went pass the Old man as he employed his movement technique to chase the girl.
His feet slightly floats as he was gliding through the short grass and weaving across the trees like a fish.
Du Long saw this and his face fell and was about to chase after the bandit leader but the other bandit manages to hold him down here.
'Get out of my way!' Du Long shouted as he burns his life energy as his internal energy rose.
He is burning his vitality! This is only short of killing himself.
Every martial artists has blood and each martial artist when they practices martial arts the internal energy they gathered refines their blood.
By burning their blood they would gain an explosive power but also shorten their lifespan.
The moment he burns his blood, Du Long sword technique become fiercer and more effective as even the large saber of that bandits could no longer hold him.
With one vertical slash he breaks the bandit saber and cut the bandit into two. The bandit was still holding the saber as his body parted and slides down into left and right.
Blood soaked the cold hard ground of the forest. And Du Long coughed another bout of blood cough.
'Yuhuan!' he shouted. The Old Man was about to collapse but his will is strong and he strengthen his body as he dashed forward trying to chase the bandit leader before he could take Yuhuan.
He passes by trees and slash away at branches when he saw that the bandit leader was holding his granddaughter and was about to take her away.
'Release him bandit!'
'Keep on dreaming! I will get all the rewards' he shouted as he laughed maliciously.