Chapter Thirty-Four: The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea

Because Hu San was positioned on the outskirts, retreating was much easier for him. Thus, following closely behind Zhou Xing and the others, he slipped into the Wolf Fang Mountain Stronghold as well.

At this moment, there was no room for sentiment. In the midst of the chaotic and panic-stricken defeated troops, Hu San, wielding his long blade, led his remaining thirty or so men, cutting down anyone who blocked their way without the slightest hesitation or inquiry.

By the time he reached the location of the tunnel, Hu San could no longer recall how many comrades he had slain. In any case, not a single person dared to follow in their wake.

"Third Brother, you're here."

Suddenly, two figures leapt from the entrance of the tunnel—it was Lin Hu and Lei Ming, who had been waiting there.

"Open the tunnel. Everyone, inside," Hu San commanded with a sharp wave of his hand. The survivors behind him rushed forward and disappeared one after another into the tunnel.

"Third Brother, should we wait for Liang Chuan and his men?" Lin Hu instructed Lei Ming to maintain order, and seeing Hu San remain silent, couldn't help but ask.

"Let our people go in first. You go too. Wait for me at the exit on the mountainside—I'll handle the rest," Hu San replied without giving a clear answer. Lin Hu blinked, dared not press further, and followed the others into the tunnel.

When Lin Hu and the rest had gone, Hu San let out a quiet sigh of relief. He then pulled several large stones over to partially conceal the entrance and hid himself beneath them, eyes fixed on the direction of the mountain stronghold's main hall.

"Liang Chuan, Yan Fei, I'll wait a bit longer. If you still don't come, don't blame me for being ruthless," he murmured under his breath. With effort, he lifted a massive stone, nearly eight hundred pounds, which he had prepared earlier, and slowly moved it to the mouth of the tunnel. With just a little more of a push, it would completely seal the entrance.

The stone was so heavy that even with Hu San's strength, he would not have been able to move it without channeling his inner energy. Transporting it from the back of the mountain had been no small feat.

After waiting a while, shouts and the clashing of weapons suddenly erupted ahead. Hu San looked up to see Liang Chuan and Yan Fei leading five or six of their best men, running desperately toward him. Behind them, a squad of pursuers could be seen in hot pursuit.

"Those two idiots!" Hu San cursed as neither group showed any sign of stopping, both racing straight for the tunnel. He sprang from his hiding place among the stones, surveying the scene.

The pursuers were a formidable lot—only seven or eight in number, but all robust and strong. Liang Chuan and his men dared not turn and fight; from time to time, a scream would ring out as one of them fell to the enemy's blade.

"No White Bear, no Black Bear!" Hu San's eyes flashed with sharp insight. He sprang onto a nearby boulder and, without even greeting Liang Chuan and the others, launched himself directly into the midst of their pursuers.

At this critical moment, Hu San unleashed his full strength, channeling his inner energy throughout his body and into his blade. In a single, flowing motion, he slit the throats of three men, his movements as smooth as mercury.

With his footwork enhanced by inner energy, Hu San's movements became even more elusive and swift. The pursuers only perceived a shadow darting past; by the time they realized it, a cold flash of steel was upon them.

After killing three men with one stroke, Hu San did not retreat. He lunged forward, his blade cleaving off the leader's head, then spun, hooking another by the neck with his arm and snapping it with a sudden twist.

A sickening crack sounded as a bandit's head lolled lifelessly to one side.

"It's that young bringer of death!" the few survivors cried out in terror. Forgetting their fallen comrades, they turned and ran—after all, they had witnessed Hu San's prowess before. Even Xiongba could not withstand a single exchange with him; how could they hope to survive?

Yet, had they fought to the death, they might have lived a little longer. Turning their backs and fleeing only invited certain death.

Hu San didn't bother to chase them. Instead, he nudged the fallen blades of the three dead men with his foot, and then, with a sudden kick, sent them whistling through the air. Like arrows loosed from a bow, the blades struck the fleeing men in the back, pinning them to the rocks beyond.

In moments, Hu San had slaughtered eight elite opponents—the art of killing had become second nature to him.

"Third Brother, we're sorry—we really had no other choice. The others are all dead; only a few of us are left," Liang Chuan, finally recovering from his panic, hurried over to meet him.

"Save it. Speak later. Get in the tunnel—more pursuers are coming," Hu San cut him off, his expression changing as he ushered them inside. There was no time to deal with the corpses; he ducked into the tunnel himself and dragged the enormous stone over, sealing the entrance.

No sooner had he finished than another squad appeared, led by a burly man in black. At the scene before him, the man's eyelid twitched.

"Captain, these are White Chieftain's personal guards—dead, all of them. Could a major figure have escaped this way?" a long-haired bandit asked with a tremor in his voice.

The man in black surveyed the area and said in a low voice, "This place connects the mountaintop stronghold with the secluded valley behind. It's remote, not fit for hiding people."

"If they've gone to the secluded valley, they'll surely die. If not—there's something more going on here. Go at once and inform the Grand Chieftain and White Chieftain that something is happening here."

"Yes, sir," the long-haired bandit replied, taking off at once.

The man in black ordered his men to fan out, guarding against a possible ambush.

Before long, Black Bear and White Bear arrived with their forces. Seeing the carnage, White Bear's eye twitched uncontrollably.

After examining the battlefield, he licked his lips and said in a low voice, "Big Brother, my personal guards were killed by a single person."

"Look at these wounds—how swift the blade! Three men felled in one blow, the cut as quick as thunder. These three—pinned to the rock by flying blades! Imagine the strength that took!"

"As for the others—one decapitated, another's head crushed. If I'm not mistaken, all this happened in the span of a few breaths. Only two people in the stronghold could do this."

"One is the Third Chieftain, but he was badly wounded by you, Big Brother, and has already left the Wolf Fang summit by rope—he can't be the one. That leaves the other: the youth, Hu San!"

With their overwhelming victory, the Black Bear Army had naturally taken prisoners. So news of Hu San was no secret.

What infuriated Black Bear and White Bear was that, despite all their efforts, they had only managed to kill a minor commander during the assault—no one truly important had been captured.

Hu San, especially—hearing of his exploits sent a chill down even Black Bear's spine, making him long to kill the youth at once.

"I can confirm that Hu San was not among those who fled earlier. It appears he's still on this mountain," White Bear said, his eyes gleaming as he began a thorough search, soon arriving at the massive stone.

"What a heavy rock," he muttered after circling it a few times, sensing something amiss. He tried to lift it with both arms but, still injured, couldn't budge it much.

Without a word, Black Bear strode over, circled the stone twice, and delivered a mighty kick. The nearly half-ton boulder flew aside, drawing cheers from the surrounding bandits.

"So there is a tunnel!"

As the stone rolled away, the dark mouth of the tunnel was revealed.

Black Bear looked at White Bear and said, "Brother, you are not yet recovered—stay here and guard the stronghold. I'll take men to pursue Hu San. We cannot let such a figure escape, or he will become a perpetual threat."

"Brother, you are the Grand Chieftain of Black Bear Stronghold and must oversee everything. Besides, I'm just a rough fellow—I'd be useless up here and might ruin things. As for my wounds, don't worry—they've healed. Hu San may be gifted, but he's no martial artist and far too young. I'll take a squad to hunt him down—this time, he will not escape."

With White Bear's insistence, Black Bear could not refuse. He sent a hundred elite men with White Bear, who led them into the tunnel in pursuit of Hu San.

As for Black Bear, he remained to reorganize the Wolf Fang Stronghold. After all, their losses had been heavy, and they needed a period of rest before returning to their main base.

Meanwhile, after leading Yan Fei, Liang Chuan, and the others through the tunnel, Hu San met up with the anxious Lin Hu and Lei Ming. They were now at the foot of Wolf Fang Mountain, not far from the Black Bear Army's camp.

The Black Bear Army had committed all its best troops to the assault, leaving behind only a few old, sick, or wounded men in the camp.

Hu San calculated quickly—their only choice was to flee north, toward the main Wolf Heart Stronghold. Only there could they escape pursuit; otherwise, they faced certain death.

But the path north led straight through the enemy camp. They could skirt around it, but that would take too long and risk being overtaken.

"Attack—break through!" Hu San decided at once, leading his forty-odd survivors in a wedge formation, himself at the point, charging directly into the camp.

Caught off guard, the camp's few defenders were no match for them. They were cut down in droves as Hu San and his people burst through and headed north.

Before long, White Bear emerged from the tunnel with his hundred elites, only to find the camp in ruins.

After a quick inspection, White Bear was nearly apoplectic. That a camp this size could be overrun by just forty men, and much of it burned in the process, was beyond infuriating.

In his fury, White Bear executed the officer in charge and appointed a new one, ordering him to handle the aftermath. Without pausing, he led his men in pursuit.

Hu San had provoked him one time too many—this time, he would not rest until the youth was dead.