The eight men looked at one another.

They had all witnessed Chu Lingguang’s Archery firsthand. From a distance, they could still block a single arrow using their Qi Sea Power and Dharma Aspects, likely only suffering minor injuries. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

At this range, though, they doubted even a Divine Image Small Vortex could stop one of his arrows.

"Hmm?"

Batu Mu’s gaze swept across the eight of them.

The men didn’t dare to hesitate. The two most severely injured were automatically eliminated from consideration.

"The cave mouth is wide enough for two people. Let’s go in together. If he has to shoot at both of us, his shots will be weaker," said a man whose ear had been lopped off by Mo Shuang.

"Alright."

The other man nodded.

’This is bad. Batu Mu was deliberately trying to make me waste my arrow shafts.’

Inside the cave, Chu Lingguang realized something was wrong.

"Weren’t you supposed to take the Spiritual Monkey back to our lord? Why did you come back?" Mo Shan asked.

"I handed the Spiritual Monkey off to our sentries and came back to help," Chu Lingguang explained.

"You came back here to die," Mo Zheng snapped, but his eyes were filled with guilt as he looked at Chu Lingguang. The three of them had previously disagreed with Mo Shan’s decision, fearing Chu Lingguang would lose the Spiritual Monkey or even eat it on the way.

They never expected Chu Lingguang not only to deliver the Spiritual Monkey safely but also to return and brave the danger to save them. If not for his masterful Archery, Batu Mu’s men would have hacked all four of them to pieces by now.

Now, on top of everything, they had dragged Chu Lingguang into this mess, getting him trapped in the cave with them. Mo Zheng, Mo Shuang, Mo Lei, and Mo Shan all felt deeply sorry.

Mo Shan struggled to sit up. "Young man," he said, "we’re not family or friends. You don’t have to risk your life for us. In a moment, the four of us will fight to carve a path out for you. Find an opportunity to escape and don’t worry about us."

"That’s right," Mo Lei said. "The four of us share the same fate. As long as we found the Spiritual Monkey for our lord, we can die without any regrets."

"Thank you for giving us this chance to talk," Mo Shuang said with a smile.

"Thank you."

Mo Zheng only offered that quiet phrase, but it was clear he was prepared to die. All four brothers were ready to carve a bloody path for Chu Lingguang.

Chu Lingguang was visibly moved.

He had returned to help Mo Shan and his brothers mainly to repay them for covering his retreat earlier. He also wanted to see if his newfound strength was enough to help them out of their predicament.

Before he came back, however, Chu Lingguang had been fully prepared to retreat at a moment’s notice. He had no intention of dying with them; after all, they had only just met, brought together by the quest for the Spiritual Monkey.

But seeing Mo Shan throw himself in front of Mo Zheng without a second thought, seeing the four brothers ready to die for one another, had struck a chord with Chu Lingguang. It reminded him of Guo Wei, back at the National Border, who had charged into a force of two hundred men just to save him.

He had sincerely wanted to help Mo Shan and his brothers, but he never thought he’d end up trapped in this cave again, his own life now on the line.

’A part of him regretted coming back.’

But hearing the brothers’ words now made his sacrifice feel worthwhile.

So he said, "You seniors should rest for now. If it truly becomes a matter of life and death, I’ll find my own way out."

Chu Lingguang wanted to test himself, to see how he measured up against a heavily wounded Batu Mu. It wasn’t that he was ready to die for Mo Shan and his brothers, but rather that he felt this was a fight he couldn’t afford to miss.

Besides, with the brothers’ determination, they would surely protect him if things went south. He might not be a match for a grievously wounded Batu Mu, but he shouldn’t lack the courage to face him.

To do otherwise would be to disrespect their resolve, to doubt their will.

SCRAPE!

Just then, a noise came from the entrance.

Two experts at the Qi Sea Great Success realm rushed in together, with the other four right behind them. They knew they had to charge all at once. If they came one by one, all six of them would have to take an arrow.

(Author’s Note: Sorry, I’m not trying to drag things out on purpose! It’s the end of the month, and I’d be so grateful for your recommendation and monthly tickets. I’m especially hoping for monthly tickets—I’m just over 200 away from hitting 1,000 for the month. If I reach 1,000, I get to enter a monthly prize draw on the platform that has cash rewards, so your support would mean a lot!)

(I know the updates these last few days have been a bit weak. The day before yesterday, I cranked out 16,000 characters in one go and nearly put myself in the hospital. I got home in the middle of the night feeling completely dazed. I know I haven’t done a good enough job and haven’t worked hard enough. I was wrong, and I’ll do better!)