Assuming no one was tracking them, in this day and age, even though the train is considered one of the faster modes of transport, it still cannot be called fast.
After nearly ten hours, the train finally reached its destination. The three of them stepped out of the station. After Gu San answered a phone call, an SUV pulled up in front of them shortly thereafter. Following a brief exchange, the person who brought the car dropped the keys and hurriedly left.
"Master, we should get going. I just received word that Hu Bayi and his team are about to arrive at Niuxin Mountain," Gu San reported to Gu Gang in the back seat.
Gu Gang gave a light nod. The three of them climbed into the vehicle, pulled away from the station, and sped off toward the Daxing'an Mountains.
Two hours later, the car reached its destination: the vicinity of Niuxin Mountain. Because the mountain roads were rugged and uneven, they were forced to slow down. By now, the sky was gradually growing dark.
"Master, according to my subordinates' reports, Hu Bayi’s team headed toward Ganggangyingzi but dared not stay long, so I had them withdraw first," Gu San said, turning his head to speak to Gu Gang while driving.
"Let them fall back. There’s no point in lingering any longer," Gu Gang replied flatly, staring out into the pitch-black night. To him, the surrounding environment was as clear as day. This place was far from any town, consisting entirely of winding, steep dirt tracks and stone paths, with extremely limited conditions for economic and social development.
However, just at that moment, the sound of "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" erupted abruptly. Several crossbow bolts tore through the car windows, swiftly closing in on Gu San in the driver's seat. He slammed on the brakes and caught all the incoming bolts with one agile hand.
"It seems we’ve run into a minor situation today," Gu San said, his expression turning slightly solemn. Gu Si, meanwhile, glowered with ferocity.
Facing this sudden disturbance, Gu Gang, sitting in the back, narrowed his eyes slightly. He wondered who would dare to stage an ambush out here in the middle of nowhere. When he noticed the left car door, his brow furrowed—a woman with a high ponytail, dressed in black tight-fitting gear, had suddenly yanked the door open and jumped inside, brandishing a crossbow and another weapon.
"Drive immediately! Or I'll kill you!"
The woman quickly took a position in the back seat and pressed a sharp blade against Gu Gang’s neck, while her crossbow was aimed precisely at Gu Si in the passenger seat.
"Young lady, why must you do this?" Gu Gang asked, his voice laced with curiosity despite being held hostage.
The woman was clearly professionally trained and no ordinary person. Her entire body was covered in wounds; cuts from blades were visible on her arms and legs, and she had suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Blood had already soaked through the seat.
She glared coldly at the man she was holding. "Quit the nonsense! Drive!" However, her weak voice revealed that her injuries were draining her stamina significantly.
As Gu Gang studied the features of the stranger’s slender fingers, he vaguely sensed a trace of something familiar.
"Hmm... someone from the Zhang Family?"
At the thought, a faint, imperceptible smile played upon his lips. Following a few simple commands, he said, "San, drive!"
"Understood, Master! But if she makes any reckless moves, please order me to dispose of her. I will make her regret coming here to threaten you," Gu Si stated firmly, resolute in his determination to protect his master. "I will never let anyone threaten the Master’s life!"
The female assassin seemed to realize that these three men were unique, possessing capabilities far beyond those of ordinary people. But in this desperate moment, she had no choice but to gamble.
Just as the tension escalated, the sound of "bang, bang, bang" rang out from outside! Several bullets pierced the broken glass, whizzing through the cramped space.
"Danger!" Without hesitation, the high-ponytail woman threw herself over Gu Gang, pinning him down between the cushions to avoid the line of fire.
"This is all because of me... I’ve wronged you..." Even in the face of death, the mysterious assassin still took it upon herself to protect them. Her voice was filled with despair and guilt. Having fled all the way to this point, she had hoped to grab at a final sliver of survival, never expecting to drag others down with her as she met her end.
"Leave one alive!"
A hint of coldness seeped into Gu Gang's voice; these people were truly courting death.
"Yes, Master!" Gu San and Gu Si shouted in unison. The anger within them erupted. They flung the car doors open, their figures darting toward the darkness like lightning.
Bang, bang, bang...
In the shadows, a hail of gunfire wove a net of death. Ordinary people would never escape such an onslaught, doomed to a one-in-a-million chance of survival. Yet, Gu San and Gu Si moved like ghosts. The darkness posed no obstacle, and they easily dodged the barrage.
"Go to hell!" A cold voice rang out from the dark. Gu San raised his right hand, his True Qi coalescing, and a throwing knife shot out in an instant. Its speed and overbearing power sliced several incoming bullets clean in half.
"What?" A few looks of shock flashed in the dark. Before the men in black could react, the throwing knife had already pierced their throats. Blood splattered, staining the night. Even as they died, the attackers could not believe that there was someone in this world who could actually split a bullet with a throwing knife.
On the other side, Gu Si’s expression was cold, his eyes brimming with murderous intent. Though young, he was a veteran of many battles. Even without a weapon, his strength was more than enough to deal with these assassins.
Boom—
With a fierce punch, the air exploded with force. A man’s head shattered instantly, brains splattering everywhere. The next moment, Gu Si leaped into the air, his legs sweeping out like a gale. Several more attackers had their spines snapped and hearts shattered, their bodies tossed into the air like broken kites before slamming into the ground, dying gruesome deaths.
In just a few dozen seconds, nearly ten armed men were dead. Only one remained, sprawled on the ground, paralyzed with terror.
"You lowly wretch, who gave you the guts to lay a hand on us?" Gu San stepped forward and delivered a vicious slap to the man’s face, roaring with rage. The side of the man’s face instantly swelled up like a bun.
"Who... who are you people?" The man’s expression was chaotic, his eyes filled with sheer disbelief. He had never seen such supernatural beings before. Even the formidable Zhang Family members he relied on possessed nothing compared to this terrifying cultivation.
"Asking who we are?"
"Someone about to meet his maker doesn't need to know so much." Gu Si laughed coldly. His right hand moved like lightning, grabbing the man’s chin and dislocating his jaw before he could swallow any poison.
"Trying to commit suicide by poison in front of me? Utterly foolish." Gu San sneered. He grabbed the man by the throat and marched him toward the car nearby. "Get on your knees and face your end."
"Master, everyone else has been purged," Gu San said, respectfully tossing the corpse aside before turning to the unconscious woman in the car.
Looking at the heavily wounded, unconscious woman, Gu Gang frowned slightly and stepped out of the car.
"No need for apologies. How could these clowns ever pose a threat to us? This matter has nothing to do with you." Gu Gang waved his hand, signaling them to rise, and did not lay the blame on either of them.
"Master, have we determined why these people came?" Gu Gang asked with a flat, inquiring tone, glancing at the dying captive.
"Returning to Master, we haven't had a chance to interrogate him yet; we rushed over to report as soon as possible," Gu San replied quickly, bowing his head.
"Take him away and interrogate him thoroughly. Also, check if there is a phoenix tattoo on his back," Gu Gang ordered calmly.
When he mentioned the word "phoenix," the captive’s eyes flickered violently, betraying his unease. Gu Gang already had an inkling: these people were likely from the Wang Family, though the specifics would require further interrogation.
"Master, rest assured. If we cannot extract information from this man, I am willing to accept any punishment."