The Gentle Cloud's and Purple Lotus's Second Chance

THE ART OF SURVIVING A GIANT FRESHWATER OCTOPUS AND OTHER SHITTY STUFF

Jiang Cheng POV

After we were dragged down by the monster, I struck it with Zidian and let myself free. I could see Zewu-jun was struggling to breathe as he wasn’t accustomed to breathing for a long period of time under water.

Well shit! I quickly swam towards him and stabbed the tentacle that was holding entire body captive.

After he was free,we quickly swam up and mounted our swords and flew up.

“Well, that was surprising,” I sarcastically said .

Wait what the hell is that thing doing, it wasn’t paying both of us any attention and was moving towards something.

When we moved closer, we realized it was a dead deer. It was bleeding from its abdomen and I realized something. The docks where we were at, was also where most of the fish that was caught were being gutted and cleaned to be sold to the local vendors.

“I think it’s attracted to blood!” I looked around and just my luck, I saw a giant bear drinking near the river. I moved towards it and quickly stabbed it.

It died quickly. I took Sandu and gutted it when I saw sect leader Lan standing opposite me, holding out his outer robe. I took it from him and covered it with the blood from the bear.

“Okay, I’m going to distract it, when it’s busy with me, you attack it with everything you’ve got!” I said, standing up.

Zewu-jun nodded and we went straight to work.

I zoomed towards it holding Zewujun-s outer robe. It quickly came towards me. Well good! It’s not that bright.
I let him chase me around until Zewujun came towards it and stabbed it in the eye with Shuoye. I  moved around in agony and I quickly sent Zidian to hold it in place.

After a few moments, it stopped writhing around and we finally let it go. We inspected to find any clues on how a monster this big could even get to the docks without anyone noticing and how the hell does anyone could mistake it for water ghouls and the only thing we found was a rune on the top of its head.

And it must be one hell of a rune that the both of us don’t have a clue on what it does and what’s more interesting was the fact that it was branded to it.

We made our way to shore and looked around .Well, clearly we’re not in Yunmeng anymore.Shit, that thing is fast.

I was about to suggest we go back when I heard a rustling in the woods and I saw an arrow coming my way.

I quickly unsheathed Sandu and struck it down. Well, this is escalating….

Suddenly, there are 10 hooded figures, some of them are in the trees holding arrows towards us and some are holding swords.

“Well, then! This is quite the welcome party isn’t it!” I chuckled darkly,turning Zidian on and smiling sarcastically at them.

Suddenly, a hooded figure appeared holding a xiao. I raised my eyebrow and put two and two together.

“So, you’re the one that’s making that ‘lovely’ melody,” I sneered.

“Well, my employer asked me to take care of you and who am I to reject a  good payment as well as a chance to go face to face with the great Sandu Shengshou”

“Ah, and just my luck as well, I have the honor of killing the great Zewujun as well” he adds smiling predatorily.

He quickly unsheathed his sword and charged forward and I blocked him with Sandu. We were outnumbered and were already tired after fighting the giant ass octopus who happened to lure us into an ambush.

We both tried fending of the arrows as well as the barrage of attacks but couldn’t block all of it. I was shot through the shoulder and they managed to shoot Zewujun in the leg.
Shit, we can’t go on like this. I made my way towards Zewujun.

“Zewujun, we can’t stay here!” I said, while deflecting one of the arrows with Zidian and stabbing one of the assassins in heart.

He nodded his head. Shit, he’s limping though, so he can’t mount his sword,especially at the speed we’re gonna have to do.  I shook my head, we don’t have time.

Fuck it, I’ll just carry him then.

I searched for an opening and when I found it quickly mounted Sandu and held Zewujun by the waist and flew as fast as I could.

They followed us, but Sandu is one of the fastest swords in the cultivation world, second maybe only to Suibian as the Jiang sword form requires more legality than any other sword forms.

After we managed to out fly them, I landed on a clearing in the woods.

“I am sorry for the discourtesy Zewujun,” I bowed.

“It is fine sect leader Jiang, I thank you for your help!” he replied amicably.

I decided to find some  branches  and make a fire after I bandaged my shoulders and helped Zewujun in bandaging his leg.

“I didn’t bring any food with me and I don’t think we are in any condition to hunt, so I think we should make do for now and tomorrow we try to find a village around here,” I said after I'd managed to make a fire.

“Very well,” Zewujun nodded.

We sat there in silence until he broke it.

“I do not think they are normal assassins or rouge cultivators,”

“Yeah, I don’t think so too, I detected a Jin, Lan, and Jiang sword forms and even some Nie saber forms.” I replied frowning.

Well good, I’m not the one whose feeling this whole situation is fucking strange.
“Do you think we have traitors in our midst?” he shakily asked.

I looked at him for a long while. Shit, the man just made it out of a 2 years seclusion because his sworn brother turned out to be the biggest traitor of them all.

I shook my head. “If there are traitors, it’s not them. They are using a mix of all of the sword forms. Not just one. So if there are traitors, their the ones who are teaching the forms, not the ones who are using it against us today,”

“I agree.Though this news is more concerning as this must have gone on for a while if they managed to adapt all of the clan’s sword forms,” he said ,leaning back on a tree.

“I suppose so.” I said, twisting Zidian around,deep in thought.

We didn’t speak at all after that as we were both lost in each other’s thoughts and exhaustion started to take over me.

I closed my eyes and let sleep take over me.