34. A Desperate Stand
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Zhang Cheng suddenly appeared in Xu Haoyuan's Camp, standing atop a high branch.
'Little Brother, you can't escape today!' He thought, with a cold smirk down at Luoyin, then he turned to Xu Haoyuan.
"Head disciple, I thought you were smarter. How can you listen to the nonsensical ramblings of my useless brother?"
Xu Haoyuan was incensed. "1st Disciple Zhang, why are you attacking us?!"
"I only attacked one person." His gaze flew to Xu Min. "Zhang Luoyin, how long will you hide behind him like a coward?!"
Luoyin attempted to step out, but Xu Min held up an arm, blocking him.
"1st Disciple Zhang, no matter what, you can't simply attack other disciples!" Xu Min yelled.
"Yes! Don't be so arrogant! I know you want revenge for the 'Back-en-' er, for the arena incident, but we're on a mission!" Xu Haoyuan protested.
"Stay out of my business, you paper tiger!" He sent Xu Haoyuan a cold glare. "Without your blood, would you even smell the title of 'Head Disciple'?!"
"You-!"
"Older Brother, I can say the same." Luoyin stepped out, patting Xu Min's shoulder. "How many Zhang family resources have you swallowed to reach this level?
"Head Disciple Xu is the Sect Leader's son, yes. But our Sect Leader is fair and responsible, so resources are mostly shared fairly amongst the Xu disciples," *shrug* "...which is why there are too many 'Disciple Xu's in this generation to keep track of..." He raised an eyebrow.
"Now compare that with you, the singular pampered egg of the Zhang family, who has swallowed all the resources, and is still not fully hatche-."
"Zhang Luoyin!!!" Zhang Cheng pointed his sword at him. "I'm going to kill -!!!!"
"Yes, yes." Luoyin waved his words away. "You can do whatever you want in Yue City. For now we must all leave this place, if you don't want to die."
"Nonsense!!" Zhang Cheng raged, his aura spreading around. "This is a Level Three Mission! I personally saw the request letter! There are no beasts above Level Three, and our group hasn't encountered a single evil spirit so far!"
This awoke doubt in the hearts of the disciples, and Xu Haoyuan himself was like a coin which teetered on its edge, nearly falling on 'Heads', but suddenly flipping to 'Tails'.
'I must have been foolish to listen to Zhang Luoyin!' He concluded with a grim shake of his head.
"Don't spread confusion here!" Xu Min yelled, his voice cutting into their thoughts. "Don't you know things might have changed since then?!"
But Xu Haoyuan was no longer willing to listen. "It simply makes no sense! We're staying!"
"Hao!" Zhang Cheng nodded. "Now that there's no urgency, I will do as I please with Zhang Luoyin!"
Xu Min pulled Luoyin back behind him. "You're still not allowed to attack a fellow disciple! Head Disciple!" Xu Min snapped Xu Haoyuan into action.
"Ah, y- yes! Zhang Luoyin is under my protection on this mission!" Xu Haoyuan appeared before Luoyin as well.
But Zhang Cheng was beyond reason.
On the first day of the mission, he had deliberately arrived late, so Luoyin wouldn't see him and run back to Yue City.
After that, he had tried to get Weiyan to come after their group, so he could deal with Luoyin in front of her and the other disciples, but she had remained stubborn and kept to their own route.
Zhang Cheng finally had Luoyin in his sight, and though Weiyan wasn't here to witness it, he wouldn't let anyone stop him from thrashing Luoyin!
"Out of my way!" With a wave of his sword, Zhang Cheng sent Xu Min and Xu Haoyuan flying. They fell some distance away, and with near equal shudders, they each coughed out blood.
It was a qi attack, powerful enough to take them out for several days, and it sent a clear message to the other disciples, who backed away.
On the floor, Xu Min was still attempting to crawl towards Luoyin.
"Leave Luo...yin alone..." He fainted, and Luoyin hurried over to him.
"Xu Min!" He pretended to cry out in dismay, but secretly slipped a pill into Xu Min's mouth. "Are you ok?!"
Zhang Cheng laughed coldly. "Are you panicking because your protector is down?! I'd like to see what you can do now!!"
With a swing of his sword, he sent a brutal wave of qi at Luoyin, who intended to let it hit him. If he fortified against the damage and acted unconscious, Zhang Cheng might leave them alone, and they would flee from the incoming danger.
Luoyin squeezed his eyes shut, expecting the hit, but it never came, and a loud *clang* made him crack an eye open to see a figure before him.
Long flowing black hair teased his senses, as her robes settled about her.
'Xu Weiyan!'
"1st young master Zhang, please desist. I can't let you harm him." Weiyan warned, calmly but sternly.
However, her defense only fed Zhang Cheng's fury, and he demanded, "What exactly do you see in that trash?!!
"Xiaoyan, I can understand if you're a bit angry about my relationship with Xiaohua, but I cannot accept that you genuinely prefer that garbage to me!!"
Weiyan swung out her sword, and it was instantly surrounded by her white flames. "There's no need to repeat myself, but perhaps you're hard of hearing..." Her aura flared, every bit as angry as Zhang Cheng's.
"I said, I can't let you harm him!"
The wind picked up as Zhang Cheng and Weiyan stared down each other, shocking the disciples around them.
The duel at the arena had been serious but a bit lighthearted.
But right now, these two seemed like they might kill each other if given the chance!
"Wah, I've never seen 3rd disciple Xu so angry!"
"Does she actually care for Zhang Luoyin?!"
Luoyin did not think he was still capable of shyness, and he could not remember feeling such a thing in the last thirty thousand years...
So what was this incredibly warm feeling settling in his cheeks?!
But it swiftly vanished when he heard another disciple say,
"As if! This is a case of 'knowing the owner before beating the dog'! Where will she put her face if they are bullying her fiance everywhere?!"
"Ah, is that how it is?"
"Lucky him! He can even be protected by our 'White Swallow'!"
'Tch! Who wants her protection?!' Luoyin was severely pissed for some reason!
"Xiaoyan, I've been patient, but if you insist on interfering, then don't blame me for being rude!" With a swish, Zhang Cheng sent a powerful wave at Weiyan, but she countered it and sent one of hers.
Then she quickly created a shield around Luoyin, making sure it also covered Xu Min and Xu Haoyuan, who had fallen unconscious.
Luoyin did not particularly like Xu Haoyuan... From his memories, Xu Haoyuan had never done anything to defend 'Zhang Luoyin' in the past, and even just now, it was Xu Min who had reminded him of his 'Head Disciple' duty.
But with a sigh, Luoyin slipped another pill into Xu Haoyuan's mouth. 'Only because you tried to defend me, and you're Sect Leader Xu's son...'
Around them, the other disciples had created shields of their own, and were watching the fight between Weiyan and Zhang Cheng, which was intensifying and disturbing the trees and shrubs around, making far too much noise.
Luoyin needed to do something fast. Precious minutes were flying by, and the monsters were approaching...
"Sister Weiyan!" A voice rang out, and everyone turned to see Xu Lin, Xu Wen, and two others arriving. Xu Wen held a tracking talisman.
"Sister Weiyan! 1st Disciple Zhang! Why are you fighting?!" Xu Lin landed between Weiyan and Zhang Cheng, trying to stop the fight with a timely shield.
But the force nearly made him spit blood, and Weiyan had to redirect her attack at the last second, before swiftly yanking him away to evade Zheng Cheng's own attack.
Meanwhile Xu Wen crouched beside Xu Min, checking his wrist. Earlier, Weiyan and four others, including himself and Xu Lin, had been tracking Zhang Cheng with the talisman.
But midway, Weiyan noticed what direction they were headed, and she suddenly put him in charge, hurrying ahead of them.
And now this...
Xu Wen turned to Luoyin. "What happened here?"
Luoyin put on his best performance!
"Little brother, I don't know!" He was the picture of fear and confusion. "My older brother suddenly appeared and started attacking everyone! And some powerful monsters are approaching, but he won't let us leave! We'd have been dead if the 3rd disciple Xu didn't save us!"
His words reminded Weiyan of the danger, and she pointedly made her sword vanish.
"1st young master Zhang, I'll fight you whenever you want, but this place is indeed dangerous. Eight in our number were possessed by a Level Nine evil spirit. They are already on the way back with the rest, but we came to look for you."
"Level Nine?!" The disciples began murmuring.
"Was Zhang Luoyin right?!"
"How much time has passed?!"
"Almost fifteen minutes!"
"We can escape if we move quickly!"
But a loud and sudden roar filled their ears, and they all froze as powerful auras suddenly beared down on them.
Luoyin dropped his act. "They already sensed us. The fight attracted them."
Even Zhang Cheng had snapped out of his rage, and a surprised look crossed his face.
'It's impossible! Mother said there would only be Level Three Beasts!'
Chaos ensued.
The richer disciples began bringing out teleportation talismans, but there were only four in general.
Well three, as Zhang Cheng instantly used his without waiting, leaving everyone behind.
This made the disciples furious.
Teleportation talismans were ridiculously expensive, so only the low-level ones were available to disciples.
But even those low-level ones allowed two people to teleport, so Zhang Cheng could have at least taken someone else with him!
"Such a selfish individual!"
"The only thing good about him is his family and rank!"
Weiyan paired the three talisman owners with three other lower level disciples, letting the six disappear from there. Then she had Xu Lin and another higher ranked disciple lead the rest away, while she, Xu Lien, Xu Wen, and Tao Yun would stay back to buy them time.
"But Sister Weiyan, that will leave the four of you in danger!" Xu Lin protested. "If we face them together -!"
"...all of us will die here." Weiyan finished with absolute certainty, and her words were met with more than a few gasps.
From what she could sense, the beasts approaching were far too powerful. The more they were, the more difficult it would be to flee, but if a few bought time, then the rest could escape.
The three she had chosen could flee after buying some time here... "This is the best way. Go quickly!"
"Wait! Head East!" Luoyin suddenly said.
"But that's heading further away from Yue City!" Xu Lin protested.
"If any of them comes after you, you'll never make it back." Luoyin blankly stated, and he held out a branch with bright yellow leaves. "Take this. It should ward them off, but you must be fast! The leaves activate once a beast is too close, and it wears off after only an hour.
"If we buy some time here, it won't activate so quickly. You should have enough time to reach the Eastern forest before it wears off. This plant is growing almost everywhere there, and they will never wear off since they're still planted.
"From there, follow the route with as many of them as you can find."
Xu Lin sent Weiyan an uncertain look, but Weiyan nodded, so he and another disciple carried Xu Min and Xu Haoyuan.
"Shouldn't you come with us?!" Xu Lin asked Luoyin, and they all turned to him, but Luoyin shamelessly stepped behind Xu Lian, who was closest to him.
"I feel safer with her than you."
"You-!"
"Leave him! Go now!" Weiyan ordered, a severely annoyed look on her face.
Xu Lin and the rest left, leaving Xu Lian, Xu Wen, Tao Yun, Weiyan, and Luoyin behind.
And they all turned west, towards the approaching monsters, each with the knowledge that they might not leave this place alive.
But they also knew they must take this desperate stand.
They had to try their hardest to protect the rest ...!'
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