coobybook Chapter 294 Cui Changfeng
Chapter 294 Cui Changfeng
"Kill!" With the leader's roar, the men in black surged forward like a tidal wave.
Cui Jiu was the first to meet the enemy. His swordsmanship was fierce, the wind from his sword whistling, and each swing of his sword brought with it a flash of cold light.
Not to be outdone, Cui Zhihao wielded his longsword, creating a series of sword flowers as he moved nimbly through the enemy ranks. His swordsmanship combined the exquisite techniques passed down through his family with the ruthlessness honed during his adventures in the martial world, making it difficult for the men in black to get close for a time.
The brothers worked closely together, some wielding long swords, using wide, sweeping movements to block the enemy's frontal assault.
Some were skilled in agility, moving among the enemy ranks and seizing opportunities to strike. Shouts of battle and the clash of weapons mingled together, echoing through the valley and startling flocks of birds into flight.
During the fierce battle, Cui Jiu discovered that the martial arts style of these men in black was strange and deadly, clearly indicating that they were specially trained assassins.
He was secretly alarmed, realizing that this mission was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
But he did not back down at all; instead, his fighting spirit was ignited, and his swordsmanship became even more ferocious.
He spotted an opening and thrust his sword at the enemy leader. The leader dodged to the side and swung his sword back. Cui Jiu quickly withdrew his sword to block, sparks flying everywhere.
The battle intensified, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. Cui Jiu and his men were gradually becoming exhausted and riddled with wounds. Just as they were feeling hopeless, a familiar whistle sounded in the distance. Cui Jiu was overjoyed, knowing that reinforcements had arrived.
Upon hearing the whistle, the enemy was thrown into chaos.
Seeing the situation was dire, the leader roared and led his remaining men in a swift retreat. Cui Jiu and the others collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, overwhelmed by exhaustion.
"Brothers, we've won!" Cui Jiuqiang shouted, struggling to keep his strength up.
"We've won! We've won!" The brothers' cheers echoed through the valley, their voices weary but filled with the joy of surviving a calamity.
Looking at his brothers who had shared life and death with him, Cui Jiu felt a surge of pride. They had protected their mission with their lives; this bond was more precious than any treasure.
In the shadows, the elder of the Assassin's Guild hid behind a boulder, his face ashen with rage, his teeth grinding together.
He finally landed this lucrative job, thinking he could easily deal with Choi Ji-ho, but he never expected to run into such a tough bunch.
He knew in his heart that although Cui Zhihao had broken away from the Qinghe Cui clan, the power of the Xiang King was something their assassins could not afford to offend.
But if we let Choi Ji-ho leave alive, the reputation of the Assassin's Guild will be ruined.
"Hmph, Cui Zhihao, this score isn't over!" the elder cursed under his breath, secretly vowing to strike again.
Beside the official road, in a makeshift camp, Cui Zhihao slowly sat up from his bed. His face was still pale, showing signs of weakness from surviving a disaster.
The water in the basin beside him was tinged with blood, a trace left from wiping his wounds.
After resting, Choi Ji-ho forced himself to get up and quickly straightened his clothes. He was slightly unsteady, but his movements were meticulous as he smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes and fastened his belt.
Then he bowed to the outside of the tent, his voice still somewhat weak, but filled with undeniable sincerity: "Thank you for saving my life."
The curtain was lifted, and a tall, middle-aged man walked in. He was Cui Changfeng, the head of the guards under the command of the head of the Cui family of Qinghe. His face was stern, but his eyes revealed respect and concern for Cui Zhihao.
Upon seeing this, Cui Changfeng quickly took a few steps forward, raised his hands in a gesture of support, and said, "Second Young Master, this is not right, this is not right."
"Thank you so much, Captain, for saving us. I am deeply grateful!" Cui Zhihao said again, his voice full of sincere gratitude.
Cui Changfeng hurriedly knelt down to return the greeting, feeling extremely apprehensive and thinking to himself: They could not accept this. Although the Second Young Master had left the family, his status was still quite different from that of them, the guards.
He bowed slightly, his tone respectful, "Second Young Master, you are too modest. This is what I should do. I am acting on orders from my family to protect you in secret. I will send people to investigate the assassin who tried to kill you today."
Upon hearing this, Choi Ji-ho felt uneasy.
He frowned slightly, a hint of guilt and self-reproach flashing in his eyes. He felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on his heart, thinking that he had implicated his family and caused his parents to worry.
If it weren't for his second uncle's help, he would be dead today.
"You're too kind, Captain! Please escort us back to the city," Cui Zhihao said, his tone tinged with weariness and helplessness.
Cui Changfeng quickly agreed, and then carefully helped the second young master into the carriage to rest.
His movements were gentle, as if he were afraid of hurting Choi Ji-ho.
At this moment, in a corner not far away, Cui Jiu was leaning against a tree trunk. He was covered in wounds, his clothes were tattered, and streaks of blood slid down his cheeks, mixed with sweat and dust, making him look extremely disheveled.
He gritted his teeth and endured it, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with self-blame and pain. He was the young master's personal guard, and his dereliction of duty had caused the young master's injury; he could not shirk his responsibility.
After making arrangements for Cui Zhihao, Cui Changfeng turned around and went to Cui Jiu's side.
He crouched down, looked at Cui Jiu, his expression complex, a mixture of reproach and heartache: "Cui Jiu, what happened to you? How did you let the Second Young Master get so badly injured?"
Upon hearing Cui Changfeng's words, Cui Jiu's eyes reddened, and he knelt down with a thud: "Guard Captain, it's my fault. I failed to protect the young master. Please punish me, Guard Captain." His voice was choked with sobs, filled with remorse.
Cui Changfeng sighed and reached out to help Cui Jiu up: "Don't rush to punish me. Tell me first, what exactly happened? Who were those assassins?"
Cui Jiu wiped away his tears, trying to calm himself down, and slowly said, "Today, as we traveled to this place, we were suddenly attacked by a group of men in black."
"They were highly skilled in martial arts and worked together seamlessly, clearly well-trained. I fought desperately, but I was still outnumbered and they managed to injure the young master."
He paused, a hint of doubt on his face. "However, what's strange is that the first wave of assassins didn't seem to want to take your life, young master; they just wanted to kidnap you."
Upon hearing Cui Jiu's words, Cui Changfeng frowned, pondering to himself: Why kidnap the Second Young Master if they don't want to take his life? What are their true motives?
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. "No matter who it is, anyone who dares to touch the Cui family of Qinghe will not have a good end."
Night fell, and the moonlight, like water, shone upon the small group. Cui Changfeng arranged for his guards to strengthen the defenses, then returned to his tent to begin investigating the assassins' origins.
He knew that this matter was of great importance, and if the truth was not found out as soon as possible, the second young master and the entire Cui family of Qinghe would face even greater danger.
Inside the carriage, Choi Ji-ho lay on the couch, gazing at the ceiling, lost in thought.
During his time away from his family, he thought he could break free from their constraints and live a free life, but he never expected to get caught up in a conspiracy.
He couldn't help but recall the bits and pieces of his family life, his father's strictness, and his mother's love, and a deep sense of longing welled up in his heart.
"Maybe I was really wrong." Cui Zhihao sighed silently in his heart. I thought I could find my own path after leaving the family, but I never expected that the family would be my strongest support.