Martial God Book 1 - What Is A Genius - Chapter 57 - Encirclement

Verdant leaves on big trees swayed with the wind, producing whistling sounds. A huge leopard cat hunched its back, displaying its might. Small birds flew with the wind, covering the sky whole sky like fluttering black dots. Thin, long grass growing on the steep shore resembled countless raised spears swaying in the air.
These dense woods had a group of several tens of men.
These were precisely those black-clothed, masked men who had attacked Cheng family for the thousand-year blood ginseng. After entering the mountain forest, they had been staying here ever since. Apart from sending some men outside to gain information, not much was happening on their side.
Their leader was a tall man. There was nothing unique about his facial appearance. However, his skin between the neck and back of the head was peculiarly dense red-colored and strictly creased, as if several thin streams on a muddy ground.
These were marks that were left behind due to him being not careful while training. Although this appearance looked somewhat unsightly, he’d an exceedingly high reputation among the bandits of Atai county.
They had already cleared up their surrounding area. There was nothing remaining that could be attracted by the fire. Thus, they were assuredly roasting some prey they had caught.
However, Guan Wei’s thoughts were evidently not on the barbecue. While biting off the leg of a golden rabbit, he casually broke a branch from the tree beside him and said, “Copperhead and the rest have been gone for three days, where the hell they are?”
One of his subordinates approached him and said, “Captian Guan, after the ruckus we have created in the Tai Cang county, the county town is in chaos. Gathering information at such a time will certainly not be easy. Moreover, they are not familiar with this region. If they could return back in four-five days, that would already be considered pretty good.”
Guan Wei faintly nodded. Although his temperament was violent, he was not an unreasonable man.
His brows slightly creased, “They couldn’t have encountered some danger, could they?”
Another one promptly said, “Captain can be at ease. This is not the first time Copperhead and the others are doing such a thing. Not to mention, with their strength, even if they were to be caught, escaping for them would be same as having some fun. As long as they don’t waste all of their energy in a lowly brothel while gathering information, it would be fine.”
Everybody burst into laughter. After hearing this comparison, they were itching to swap positions with their companions.
A lewd smile emerged on Guan Wei’s face as well. However, the words that came out of his mouths were, “If they neglect the main task, see if don’t pull off their skin.”
They were exceedingly confident about their companions. Not to mention Tai Cang county, a small region, even in the county town of Jadeting city, the authorities on duty only have a few members possessing the fifth layer of Internal Energy. While Copperhead and the rest all had the fifth layer, and Copperhead himself further possessed the cultivation of the seventh layer. They would obviously not place the authorities here in their eyes.”
However, these bandits who were used to act as tyrants in Tai Chong county had no idea that Tai Cang county was different than the former. Here, Cheng family itself was the authorities. In order to avenge their dead family members, they had spared no effort. Moreover, they already knew that this external bandit group’s strength was extraordinary. Therefore, they were prepared in advance and successfully caught the men send by the former.
However, the bandits were not aware of the events occurring in the county town. This was the reason they could be this carefree.
Distantly, a bandit could be heard cursing loudly. His voice was filled with a sense of urgency.
Guan Wei threw a glance to his side. One quick-witted subordinate immediately ran towards that direction. After a short while, that man returned and said, “Captian, today, none of the two groups that are responsible for hunting have returned until now. So, elder brother Ma is getting angry.”
Guan Wei’s vision suddenly turned sharp as he asked in a lowered voice, “Two squadrons, not a single one has returned?”
“Ah…yes.” That man was frightened as he hurriedly said.
Guan Wei’s complexion was getting increasingly ugly. He was after all the leader of bandits. He had encountered many life and death situations. At this moment, he eventually felt something was not right.
“Convey the command….pack up, we will leave immediately.”
As everybody by his side was at a loss, a loud laughter echoed in the woods:
“Leave? Where do you think you are going?”
This voice didn’t seem to be echoing from one spot. Instead, it felt like drifting everywhere through the woods as if someone had spoken these words while running at an extremely fast speed in a circle.
The next moment, the sounds of blades being drawn could be heard among the bandits. Although the bandits were quite afraid of this unfathomable voice, none of them lost their minds due to fear.
Being tempered through countless life and death battles, the mindset of these bandits was simply unreachable for ordinary people.
Although startled inwardly, Guan Wei rolled his eyes and snorted before flinging his hand. A cold light was launched from his hand at a lightning fast speed, flying towards the woods.
“Peng…”
After a small flight, it crashed against something like steel, which issued a brittle sound.
Guan Wei coldly said, “Who is playing devil while being dressed up as god, sneaking around and afraid to show his face.”
“I am of course not afraid,’ That person, however, didn’t reveal himself and still remained hidden in the woods, “Speaking of sneaking around, who is better than the ghosts who sneak in night with their face covered.”
Guan Wei’s complexion slightly changed as he raised his eyebrows and said, “Cheng family?”
As soon as he said these two words, his earlobe slightly shook a few times before he hurriedly said, “Not good. Many horses and men are rushing over here. Everybody, quickly leave.”
Several tens of men quickly raised their weapons and retreated to the predetermined escape path. Not a single one among them went to collect their belongings at this moment. Hereby, one could conclude that this was not their first time being in such a situation.
At this moment, two figures suddenly emerged out of the woods. One was precisely Cheng Shine, but the other one was actually He Quanxin.
After coming out, they immediately went after Guan Wei.
Guan Wei sneered. With a wave of his hand, a broadsword appeared in his hand. Although this broadsword was not as exaggeratedly huge as that of He Wude, it was still several inches thick and about one meter long. He slashed towards them, which brought a thick air-piercing sound along with it like a tsunami.
Cheng Shine’s figure suddenly halted while He Quanxin similarly waved his hand and a two-meter red spear, like a viper rushing out of his cave, engaged its counterpart.
Both of these experts possessed ninth-layer Internal Energy. Although He Quanxin’s strength seemed slightly superior, Guan Wei possessed the identity of a bandit leader. His execution carried a sort of berserk aura. His strikes seemed to be filled with an enmity as if He Quanxin had killed his father or hate as if the latter had seized his wife. It was as if his life depended on the blade, and his moves were aimed at reaping counterpart’s soul.
Under his moves, which were almost shameless, He Quanxin couldn’t hold on and soon found himself at a disadvantage.
Cheng Shine didn’t step forward at all. Instead, taking the advantage of this fight, he wished to chase those ordinary bandits. However, another bandit came back and engaged him. Although the former only possessed seventh-layer cultivation, the big blade in his hand was the same as that of Guan Wei. Life dependent on blade, and strikes aiming at the counterpart’s soul. Like a bitchy woman, he didn’t let the handsome Cheng Shine advance a single step.
After the four had fought for a while, the sounds of countless approaching footsteps could be heard. The Cheng family’s reinforcement had finally arrived.
At this moment, Guan Wei and that other bandit simultaneously issued a long laugh and retreated back, following the path used by the other bandits.
Since these two had attacked with their own will, they could always withdraw at any time they wished.
However, they didn’t realize that although both Cheng Shine and He Quanxin were cursing and shouting at them, they did not seem desperate to stop them and instead had mocking expressions while looking at their retreating backs.
These two were anxious inwardly, and their footsteps were quite hurried. When they arrived at the front region, their eyes bulged out as if they would explode.
More than forty men who had arrived earlier were lying at the edge of the forest, several arrows stuck in each of the bodies.
Evidently, some people were hiding here, specifically waiting for them.
Guan Wei immediately understood who leaked the information about their escape route, “Copperhead….is in your hands.”
An old man, with white hair and white beard, calmly walked out of the trees ahead. This old man was precisely Cheng Lord Master, Cheng Zhusheng.
The old man was looking at Guan Wei; not concealing the killing intent in his eyes in the slightest.
“Correct. Although that Copperhead was quite tough, this old man’s methods are tougher. When I crushed every single bone in his body, he immediately opened his mouth and didn’t close it until he’d blurted out every single piece of information he had.”
Chen Zhusheng’s tone was quite calm as if he’d reunited with an old man of his. However, his eyes caused Guan Wei to feel a chill deep inside.
Suddenly, he felt slight regret, ‘Is it possible that I looked down on this region’s influential families too much?”
Cheng Zhusheng extended his hands, holding a staff made up of steel, “Mister Guan, last time’s battle was not to my heart’s content. Let’s continue.”
As the sound of his words was barely emitted, more than hundred people emerged behind his back. As soon as he looked at these people’s movements, Guan Wei’s heart sank.
Among these people, there was no lack of seventh and eighth-layer experts.
Hereby, it could be seen that in order to take revenge, the Cheng family had emptied out all their resources!