He felt a slight sting from his cheek that made him silently hiss in pain after dodging.
His hand raised lightly touching the cut on his cheek and glanced down at his hand that was now covered in blood before turning to the two who were basically excluding a cold chilling murderous aura his body taking a defensive stance.
Shen Yao assessed the situation, and it wasn't looking good. These contract killers were trained to move with synchronized efficiency which made him unable to keep his ground for long and so he was pushed back with every collective hit — no hesitation, no communication required, with a sort of coordination professionals who been doing this for a long time had. Their bodies following each other's rhythms as if it was instinct. They attacked together, covering each other, leaving no gap wide enough for Shen Yao to exploit.
They're good, he thought, blocking a strike that sent vibration up through his wrists they trembled slightly. He jumped back creating distance to give his body time to recover. am not their match atmy current level if this continues, I won't be able to hold on anymore
He defended. Bought time managing to inflict some injuries on them but as if they didn't feel anything they continued fighting. Shen Yao looked for the opening that didn't come. their attacks got more aggressive not giving him enough time to react and soon his defense couldn't withstand their brutal attacks.
The archer shot an arrow at Shen Yao he quickly dodged jumping back but because he was too focused on the archer, the other assassin took the chance to rush at him and with a swift turn of his blade he managed to land a cut.
Shen Yao jumped back but it was already too late he was already hit. Landing a few feet away he felt the wound on his waist open up he hissed his back bending slightly to prevent pulling anything hand reaching out to touch his waist his wrist still trembling trying to recover from the trauma from the hits before, but he didn't have enough time to check the impact of his injury as the assassins collectively launched another assault.
He blocked again — this time it was a heavy strike, he knelt from the impact blocking both attacks the two swords above him like executors. with a kick the opponent jumped back dodging Shen Yao's kick to his leg distance was finally opened up.
He attempted to stand but from all the excessive movements from before his waist cut had opened further blood winkled down his outer robe's half kneeing, he held his sword against the earth holding himself up.
Not yet, he told himself the darkness gathering at the edges of his vision. Not yet.
Another strike. He stood on instinct caught it with his forearm and felt the cost of it immediately his wrist trembled uncontrollably he dropped his sword unable to wield it — his body making its accounting clear he couldn't fight anymore, the weeks of training were not quite enough to bridge the gap between what he needed and what he currently had. His legs trembled sliding down
He was falling not good. He felt annoyed he just recently died, was he really going to die again no he had to stay awake. He had to but his limbs couldn't take the tension.
He was still conflicting when he felt someone catch him by his shoulder
An arm — solid, steady, the particular quality of someone who had also been practicing martial arts for a very long time. his grip was steady and careful as if afraid of opening the cut at his waist any further
Shen Yao's vision was blurry he couldn't see anything clearly, but he could see the outline of the face above him in fragments — dark clothing, features obscured, an expression he couldn't read clearly through the fog of blood loss but that had an odd feeling of familiarity
I know that face, he thought.
The thought dissolved before he could follow it.
The three attackers didn't pause just because a new challenger entered the battlefield in fact, they gladly exerted more pressure fueled by the pleasure of killing they attacked.
The man holding Shen Yao moved he placed Shen Yao down first then took a fighting stance
Not defensively. Not reactively but with sheer confidence of eliminating the threats in front of him— the movement clean and absolute, each strike carrying the weight of someone operating well within their actual capability.
One down.
Maybe seeing that their companion was dead the second attempted to flee quickly but with a single sword swing — almost casual in its economy — and the courtyard was still. They were all dead he breathed a sigh of relief having already checked the courtyard he was sure there were no others
The man stared at the bodies with an expression Shen Yao couldn't fully see but somehow read anyway. Disgust. The specific kind reserved for people who hurt others for money and called it a profession.
Then he turned back and rushed Shen Yao placed his finger under his nose to see if he was still breathing. Feeling a slight breathe he exhaled then with quick hands he checked his pulse then assessed his cuts with professionalism of having experience only breathing a sigh of relief after making sure he had no other minor cuts.
Still alive he muttered softly then as if remembering something he hurriedly checked the small pouch appeared from somewhere. A pill — small, dark, the smell of it sharp and medicinal he quickly helped him swallow it
This should keep you alive.
The words arrived from somewhere far away. The rest of whatever followed dissolved into the sound of approaching footsteps — fast, organized, the particular rhythm of people in a hurry to finish the task handed to them
The man stood up looked down at Shen Yao who was laying down on the ground one more time he then jumped on the roof blended into the shadows. Then he was gone.as if no one had been there before.
The voices arrived rushed and layered
Young master. Young master stay awake don't fall asleep. Young master—
Xi Shu's voice, The Su brothers and Guard's voices all rushed to him at once
Shen Yao heard all of it from a far his consciousness blurring so far, he couldn't differentiate who was talking and what they were saying he glanced in one direction his gaze unfocused
That face, he thought, holding onto the thread. I've seen—
The darkness arrived before he could finish.
Xi Shu seeing his young master slowly close his eyes urged someone to go get old li then he personally lifted Shen Yao's limp body covered in blood and ran to courtyard at the fastest speed he could master
"Young master...young masterwake up "his shouts drifted through the cold night wind with no answer "don't die"