One Lifetime Is Never Enough

1.43 Brotherhood (2)

"Let's see how long the tiger cub can stand," a black clad figure sneered while crouching from a distance. Lining by his side, a number of his comrades also positioned themselves in vigilance.

These were the Dong tribe members on the run, finally able to corner and gain advantage over the Ji clan that had suppressed them for years. 

All of them were staring in hatred at the standing youth a distance away, a slumped larger body being protected behind him. The youth - Ji SongLi - was holding two swords in his hands, one his own, the other one was his father's. Both blades were smeared with blood.

Ji ChanFang was laying on the ground behind him, unconscious. When SongLi first arrived, Ji ChanFang was still barely awake; but unfortunately, all the other Ji soldiers that accompanied the General to the barren land had become cold corpses.

Just a few seconds late, he was sure these Dong tribe members would have succeeded in taking his father's life. But despite that, he could not feel even the slightest relief as he observed that his father only gradually lost his strength as time passed. Ji ChanFang had spat a few mouthful of blood, and the blood was red tinted with black -

- a clear sign of poisoning.

"Just a small cub protecting his dying father," another black clad figure spat. This was the elusive Dong tribe leader.

"The old man will die soon enough," he took out some throwing bladed darts from his pouch.

The darts had been laced with poison.

Having been on the run for a number of years, their remaining tribe members had managed to learn a new trick - utilizing the darker forces of nature's various plants and animals to develop their own poison. Sometimes, they tested the lethality on unsuspecting commoners as well, gradually developing some very lethal poisons that could kill a horse. They had been discreet enough to dispose their guinea pigs, to keep their poisons out of radar from the Ji clan.

Finally their effort paid off and they managed to lure the Ji family head to the barren land that they had periodically set as their base over the past years.

In normal hand to hand combat, they would be no match to the soldiers of the Ji clan, let alone Ji ChanFang.

But when they were poisoned... . 

Various weapons that the Dong tribe members used were laced with poisons. Utilizing these weapons, it was easy for them to strike down their weakened opponents. The Dong tribe leader himself was adept at ranged weaponry, preferring to throw his sharp bladed darts from a distance.

But even after contracting the poison from the throwing blades, it took a while for the General to weaken. He clearly had more might and endurance than his already fallen subordinates.

And then the tiger cub of the Ji clan came along for slaughter. The Dong tribe leader was elated - not believing his wonderful luck. He had not managed to poison Ji SongLi yet, but with the baggage that was the unconscious Ji ChanFang behind him, the youth was not going to go anywhere.  

And the Dong tribe had clear advantage in numbers.

"Get closer!" The Dong tribe leader signaled his comrades with his index finger.

When he first arrived and located his surrounded father, Ji SongLi had managed to reduce the Dong tribe's number in half, all by himself. Back then, his father could still stand and defend himself. Therefore SongLi was more free to move around to strike down some enemies.

However at this moment, he clearly could not go anywhere. Now that his father had passed out from the poison, he could only stand close, protecting him. If he stepped away to attack, he was sure the Dong tribe would find a way to sneak closer and immediately put an end to his father's life.