“Master Oni…”
The next morning, as they were setting off, Ito Kagehide’s gaze upon seeing Wu Ming had changed completely.
Previously, he could sense a faint spiritual power from Oni Ikkyō, but now, he could not sense anything at all, as if the person before him were just an ordinary warrior—which was obviously impossible.
“Depth as vast as the ocean…”
Ito Kagehide lowered his head deeply, showing his respect.
This was a mighty force he had never felt even from his own master!
Riding for half a day, they were now within sight of the Moon-Viewing Mountain.
Meanwhile, after Qiu Shan Kanbei went out, he brought back support from the local powerful clan, the Ko-jima family—two hunters named Shota and Kenichi, both carrying wooden bows, their eyes filled with apprehension and fear.
“You are local hunters. Do you know where the Tsuchigumo are?”
Wu Ming asked casually.
“Noble warrior… we know where the Tsuchigumo’s lair is. We will definitely fulfill our duty as guides!”
Both hunters made the same assurance.
“Excellent! After we succeed, I shall reward you handsomely…”
Wu Ming’s eyes flickered slightly, and he suddenly smiled.
…
“Master Oni, do you really trust them?”
As the group entered the Moon-Viewing Mountain, Ito Kagehide slowed his pace and whispered behind his fan, “I suspect they have been approached by the bandits. They give off an unsettling and deceitful aura…”
“I never trusted them in the first place!”
Wu Ming also lowered his voice, watching the two hunters leading ahead, and smiled again, “But the Moon-Viewing Mountain is so vast… as long as they can lead us to the Tsuchigumo, whether it’s a trap or something else, it will be convenient enough. That’s more than sufficient!”
“I’m looking forward to it!”
Ito Kagehide’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Milord… after passing through this forest, we will arrive at the Tsuchigumo’s hideout!”
By this time, they had ventured deep into the Moon-Viewing Mountain. Shota pointed toward a grove shrouded in thick mist, his face showing a trace of excitement.
“Hmph… very well!”
As Wu Ming stepped forward, he noticed dark and dense military aura rising from the forest, forming a half-encirclement, clearly connected closely to the two hunters. He sneered inwardly, walked past casually, and suddenly drew his sword!
Whoosh!
A flash of white blade, and Shota’s astonished head flew high into the air, blood gushing like a fountain!
“Milord?!”
Qiu Shan Kanbei and Toda Mitsu Masanori grabbed their swords, their faces showing alertness.
“There’s an ambush ahead. Kill him!”
Wu Ming commanded directly.
To kill commoners was nothing for a warrior. Now with an order, even though there was a chance of killing the innocent, Toda Mitsu Masanori instinctively drew his sword and struck!
Kenichi’s scream of death sent a ripple of commotion through the grove, followed by curses and glints of steel.
“Indeed, they were spies!”
Seeing this, Qiu Shan Kanbei immediately showed outrage, “These damned peasants, I will kill their entire family!”
At this moment, the sound of approaching footsteps grew denser, clearly indicating that the ambush had failed and they were now preparing a frontal assault.
“Milord, please step back!”
Seeing this, the two warriors showed expressions of determination and rushed forward.
“Haha… there are a hundred men out there! You two step back and focus on protecting Lord Ito!”
Wu Ming’s eyes flashed red, and drawing his katana from his waist, he charged forward directly.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Several arrows shot from the woods, striking Wu Ming’s body. Sparks flew, but they had no effect, simply sliding off limply.
With the inherent defense of the Five-Color Robe of Spells, these wooden arrows were utterly ineffective.
“Ahhh… the arrows won’t penetrate!”
“Is he a warrior sent to suppress us? Or a demon?”
“A monster!”
Muffled voices and curses could be heard. Wu Ming coldly smiled and charged forward.
After rushing into the woods, close combat ensued immediately. Several warriors surrounded him, all wearing armor and cuirasses, albeit mostly in tattered condition. Still, for bandits, this was quite rare.
“Kill him!”
The warriors exchanged glances and swung their katanas, attacking fiercely.
“Die!”
Wu Ming narrowed his eyes slightly, his blade flashing with light, carving a brilliant arc.
Clang! Blades clashed, and several swords shattered completely. The Wind Demon Cutter even sliced straight through an enemy’s bamboo chestplate, sending blood spraying.
Thud! Thud!
Heavy bodies fell to the ground. Without pausing, Wu Ming charged to another spot. Amid flashes of sword light, none could withstand a single strike!
With a true cultivator’s insight combined with martial arts, he displayed the control of a Grandmaster!
Even though his martial prowess was still at the external Qi level, his actual combat effectiveness approached that of a Grandmaster. With martial arts alone, he could slay a hundred men!
Of course, even a Grandmaster would tire and give opponents opportunities. But Wu Ming specialized in Daoist techniques, mastering internal refinement methods, refining Qi into essence, continuously replenishing his energy. In battle, he was least afraid of prolonged combat.
“For a Grandmaster, even killing a hundred pigs at once would cause fatigue. But I am different. Even if I kill a thousand, as long as my spiritual energy keeps flowing, my physical body can endure!”
Wu Ming sneered and charged toward the archers’ position.
“He’s not human! He’s a demon!”
Seeing Wu Ming’s nearly impervious, blood-soaked figure, an archer holding a longbow cried out in terror, collapsing mentally.
“Shoot!”
Nonetheless, years of training and the spirit of Bushido allowed most archers to remain calm and release their arrows.
Unfortunately, Wu Ming barely bothered to block arrows aimed at his head or face, or occasionally deflected them with his katana. He charged straight into the archers, swung his sword, and both the longbows and the bandits’ bodies were severed, nearly cut in half.
After several sweeping attacks, the archers’ position was littered with broken limbs and corpses.
“A demon!”
At the sight of this scene, almost every Tsuchigumo present had this thought flash through their minds.
“Don’t be afraid! He’s only one man! Follow me and charge!”
At this moment, from the main formation, a young warrior wearing bright red armor shouted and charged forward.
“He has some insight and courage, but unfortunately… he overestimates himself!”
Wu Ming sneered coldly and charged head-on, blood splattering…
…
“Lord… Milord!”
Qiu Shan Kanbei and Toda Mitsu Masanori drew their swords and surrounded Ito Kagehide. Hearing the roars, screams, and clashing of blades from the woods, their expressions changed repeatedly.
Half an hour later, a figure slowly emerged, inevitably stained with blood, like a blood-soaked demon.
“You two go and clean up the battlefield… I left a few prisoners alive. Bring them over for interrogation!”
Wu Ming said casually, then grabbed a water flask to clean the Wind Demon Cutter and his hands.
“Y-yes!”
Qiu Shan Kanbei and Toda Mitsu Masanori went away absentmindedly, while Ito Kagehide looked at the scene in astonishment and said, “A swordsman of great mastery?!”
In his mind, only a swordsman of such a level could fight against hundreds alone, achieving the feat of slaying a hundred men without tiring, effortlessly dominating the battlefield.
“Not quite yet…”
Wu Ming smiled slightly, wiped the Wind Demon Cutter with a white silk cloth, and slowly sheathed it.
His expression remained calm and indifferent, showing no excitement or joy after slaying so many enemies.
“Truly worthy of a mighty warrior bearing the reputation of gods and demons! Such a posture… is he a god overlooking humanity? Or perhaps… a heavenly demon?!”
Ito Kagehide covered his mouth, his eyes filled with awe.
…
“Milord! Please forgive us! There was too much on the battlefield, so we could only collect these money pouches and a few prisoners!”
Soon after, Qiu Shan Kanbei and Toda Mitsu Masanori returned, binding several prisoners with straw ropes.
But the looks they cast toward Wu Ming were filled with reverence.
That scene of carnage would forever haunt their minds, becoming nightmares they could not shake off. For them, and even more so for the surviving bandits.
“Alright, bring the prisoners forward. I shall interrogate them personally!”
Truthfully, chasing down the fleeing soldiers would be somewhat troublesome, but Wu Ming had taken the opportunity to knock out a few, otherwise there wouldn’t have been a single survivor.
“Yes, sir!”
Qiu Shan Kanbei and Toda Mitsu Masanori both lowered their heads, each thinking only one thought: “The corpses left at the scene numbered at least dozens, meaning the ambush force truly numbered over a hundred! A hundred kills!!”
After committing this act, Wu Ming already knew that his reputation would soon include the title “Slayer of a Hundred.”
Now looking at the several prisoners kneeling on the ground, he spoke casually:
“Take me to your hideout, rescue the Lady, and I shall spare you! Rejoice! My mercy is rarely shown!”
The prisoners below fell silent.
Wu Ming’s earlier massacre had indeed terrified them, but now that they had calmed down a bit, the fear of their leader resurfaced in their hearts.
“Oh? So you refuse my kindness?”
Wu Ming approached a young man whose chest had been wounded and was still bleeding. This man seemed to be the one who had shouted earlier, probably a foot soldier captain with some authority and intelligence.
“Will you accept or not?”
The young man pressed his lips together, clearly still in intense internal struggle, but it was useless. The next moment, Wu Ming swung his sword!
Plop!
His head rolled to the ground, still carrying an expression of bewilderment.
“Tsk! A dead talent is nothing at all. Did you really think I would spare you out of appreciation for your ability?”
Wu Ming sneered inwardly, and his blood-stained katana landed on the shoulder of the second bandit.
“I’ll talk, but…”
This bandit looked panicky, hesitated slightly, and immediately said.
Plop!
Another head fell.
“Too slow… and I accept no conditions!”
Wu Ming sneered again, turning his gaze to the last two.
These two were relatively young, without armor, the lowest-ranking bandits. They now completely broke down, weeping and snotting:
“Milord! We’ll tell you everything… waaah…”
…
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage