That young cavalry general was actually a despicable and insidious fellow!
He had long seen that the Brave Man had subordinates behind him feigning unconsciousness, so he deliberately acted as if he were scared witless to deceive the Brave Man. It wasn't until his subordinate drew a Ring-pommel Saber to launch a sneak attack that he suddenly revealed his ferocious face, flanking the Brave Man with his subordinate!
At this moment, He Xian ignored his physical pain and sped up, wanting to rush forward and push the Brave Man away. But unfortunately, He Jin's estate was far too vast; the distance from the main hall to the Brave Man was a full fifty paces. Even with the will, He Xian lacked the strength.
For a moment, the servants and beautiful handmaidens in the courtyard all let out a collective cry of alarm. Some timid handmaidens were so frightened they closed their eyes, unable to bear the sight of the Brave Man falling in a pool of blood.
But seeing He Xian's urgency as he risked his life to come to the rescue, a hint of warmth appeared on the Brave Man's bold face. Having no time to speak, he simply ignored the Qiang and Hu rider pouncing from behind and, with a speed even faster than his opponent's, charged directly at the young cavalry general on horseback.
The young cavalry general's martial prowess was clearly superior to those Qiang and Hu riders. His spear thrust just now looked extremely fierce, yet when the Brave Man charged, the spear suddenly spun in a circle mid-air, avoiding the possibility of being grabbed by the Brave Man. Then, with a sudden burst of strength from his wrist, the spear tip flickered unpredictably as it stabbed toward the Brave Man!
Unfortunately, while his plan was good, he truly did not escape the Brave Man's eyes. The flickering spear tip was an unsolvable strike for He Xian, but for this Brave Man, it was no different from showing off one's meager skills before a master. In an instant, the Brave Man saw that the true spear tip intended to pierce his throat, and he immediately raised both hands to protect it.
Only a 'clang' was heard as a spark flew through the air.
In the next instant, He Xian saw that the Brave Man's wrists were actually fitted with two iron bands. The iron bands looked incredibly heavy, which also added power to the Brave Man's punches. In such a perilous moment, the iron bands could also serve as guards. From this, it was clear that this Brave Man was by no means a fool with only brawn, but rather a bold yet meticulous man.
Only then did the Brave Man find a moment to speak: "Young Master, there is no need to worry. These mere ghostly tricks cannot deceive my eyes."
Saying this, the Brave Man parried the dangerous spear thrust and then drove straight in again. In an instant, he bypassed the warhorse and snatched the cavalry general off his mount like a chick. Then, with a sudden turn, he positioned the cavalry general's body to face the Qiang and Hu Cavalry behind him.
The red-eyed Qiang and Hu rider following close behind almost struck the cavalry general with his blade. At the critical moment, it was the cavalry general who let out a terrified shriek like a rooster: "Stop! Do you intend to murder your master?"
The voice emitted at the brink of death was naturally high-pitched and sharp, causing the Qiang and Hu rider to react immediately. However, at that moment, the Brave Man suddenly tossed the young cavalry general aside like trash, raised a fist as thick as a bronze hammer, and smashed it ruthlessly toward the face of the ambushing Qiang and Hu rider!
"Brave Man, please stop!" At the critical moment, He Xian spoke up once again.
At this moment, the Brave Man was somewhat confused. However, just as his fist was about to smash into the Qiang and Hu rider's face, he suddenly shifted the direction of his punch, extending his hand like a claw to seize the Qiang and Hu rider.
"Young Master, evil must be punished thoroughly. What is the use of keeping such a beast-hearted Qiang and Hu person from beyond the borders?" Having restrained the Qiang and Hu rider, the Brave Man couldn't help but feel somewhat angered by He Xian's womanly compassion, questioning him sternly.
At this time, a trace of ruthlessness flickered across He Xian's face. He could now see clearly that this Qiang and Hu rider was the very beast who had just killed the He family's old servant before his eyes and had humiliated and bullied him!
At that moment, He Xian had sworn that he would personally kill this bastard!
Even though he hadn't even killed a chicken in his entire twenty-eight-year life in his previous world, facing a fellow who was worse than a ghost, He Xian had steeled his killing intent!
He first took a deep breath before bowing deeply to the Brave Man, saying, "Brave Man, it is not that I do not know these wolf-like creatures harbor grudges and forget kindness. The magnanimity of us Han people in returning injury with kindness is nothing but weakness and cowardice to these heartless scoundrels."
"The reason I asked you to stay your hand is that this man personally killed a loyal servant of my He family. As the master, I would be deeply ashamed if I could not avenge this blood debt. I only ask the Brave Man to grant me this favor and let me personally slay this thief!"
"You dog of a Han, do you even have the guts!" Hearing that He Xian wanted to kill him personally, the restrained Qiang and Hu rider couldn't help but shout, even making a hideous face in an attempt to scare He Xian off.
In his view, the Han people here in Sili Province were nothing but sheep who only knew how to use their mouths but dared not use their hands, especially a pampered young master from a noble house like He Xian. As for killing, it was something they wouldn't dare do in a lifetime.
However, he did not expect that as soon as he made that fierce expression, He Xian would suddenly slap the Qiang and Hu rider across the face: "dog thief, I am speaking to the Brave Man. Why is a beast like you barking?"
Seeing He Xian actually strike, the Brave Man was clearly somewhat surprised. In fact, he had thought the same as the Qiang and Hu rider, believing He Xian was just a silver-tongued but gutless young master from a noble family.
But after that fierce slap, the Brave Man couldn't help but change his view of He Xian, saying with sincerity, "Since the Young Master has such kindness to protect his servants and the righteous heart of the Spring and Autumn period, how would I dare refuse?"
After saying this, the Brave Man immediately snapped the Qiang and Hu rider's arms. Amidst his shrill wolf-like howls, he kicked the back of the man's knees, instantly forcing him to kneel before He Xian.
But even suffering such intense pain and being powerless to resist, the Qiang and Hu rider still cursed fiercely without stopping: "Dog Han, killing a person isn't like killing a chicken. You think you have the guts, but can you really do it? Hahaha..."
The Qiang and Hu rider's clamor was loud enough, but at this moment, He Xian seemed unable to hear it at all. When he picked up the Ring-pommel Saber from the ground, he clearly heard the even more shocked gasps of the servants and handmaidens in the courtyard. Clearly, his host, who had always been gentle and refined, had never shown such a side.
When he looked up again, he saw the incredulous faces of the servants and handmaidens. At this moment, He Xian smiled; he felt that his smile must be very ruthless and hideous.
Because at this moment, he had already raised the Ring-pommel Saber high in his hand!
Without hesitation, He Xian ruthlessly slashed the saber across the Qiang and Hu rider's neck. He knew that while this kind of Ring-pommel Saber was suitable for hacking, it was still somewhat difficult to use it to chop off a person's head. After all, he wasn't that Brave Man with innate divine strength, nor did he have exquisite slaughtering techniques.
Only this way—slitting the throat with one stroke—was the most effective method.
Hot blood suddenly sprayed all over He Xian's head and face. That intense smell of blood instantly caused He Xian to suffer the aftereffects of killing. For a moment, he felt his stomach churning. Without even the time to run aside, he directly clutched his stomach and began to vomit.
Only then did he hear the screams of the servants and handmaidens throughout the courtyard. And as he began to feel slightly better, he saw that the Qiang and Hu rider had an incredulous expression even in death, staring with unwilling eyes while soaked in a pool of blood, disgusting and terrifying.
Consequently, He Xian began to vomit profusely once again.
He didn't know how much time had passed before he felt a broad hand gently patting his back. Then, He Xian hurriedly spoke: "Brave Man, Brave Man, stop. The iron bands on your wrists are hurting me..."
The Brave Man then stopped, his expression somewhat awkward: "Young Master, I have been impolite."
"There is no need for that, Brave Man. The great kindness of saving sixteen lives in my estate is something I, He Xian, will never forget!" He Xian immediately endured his discomfort to thank the Brave Man again, then sincerely asked him, "May I know your great name, Brave Man? For such profound kindness, I will surely repay you even if I have to carry grass or ring a bell in the next life."
The Brave Man, possessing the spirit of doing good without seeking fame, waved his hand and said, "Just a hunter from the mountains, how could I dare trouble the Young Master to remember me?"
But He Xian did not think so. This powerhouse could fight fifty Qiang and Hu Cavalry bare-handed; he was a born fierce general. This level of martial prowess was likely no worse than the later Tiger Fool Xu Chu or the Evil Coming Dian Wei!
Therefore, He Xian said once more with deep sincerity, "Does the Brave Man perhaps look down on me?"
He Xian knew that for these wandering heroes and righteous men, this was the one thing they could not stand to hear. Sure enough, the Brave Man's expression suddenly changed, and he replied seriously: "Why does the Young Master say such a thing? I am of humble birth and thus have no name. However, back then, Lord Canghai did give me a name; it is Wuming."
"Anonymous yet righteous for a thousand years—this name is extremely fitting. That Lord Canghai was indeed a... wait." As He Xian said this, he was suddenly struck with shock: "Wuming? Could it be that you are that Strongman who, along with Zhang Liang, the Marquis of Liu, attempted to assassinate the First Emperor Ying Zheng at Bolang Sands during the transition between the Qin and Han dynasties?"
The Brave Man then revealed a bashful, child-like smile, cupped his fists, and replied, "It is indeed I."