The battle between the man and woman raged on for a long time.
A deep rumble echoed across the land, as though the earth itself were trembling. The thunderous clash resounded through the forest and reverberated across the valley without end.
They lunged at each other and slashed with their swords at close range, their faces nearly touching. Fortunately, their razor-sharp weapons kept them apart; otherwise, it might have looked as though they were doing something other than trying to kill each other.
As his sharp eyes met the beautiful eyes beneath that silver mask, Yang Jian sensed that the destructive power of the woman before him was far greater than he had anticipated.
Yet the woman's voice slipped through clenched teeth, simple but utterly resolute.
“I have my duty, and you have yours. Though we have nothing to do with each other, I will follow you back to the capital. All I ask is for your vow. Promise me.”
The man gave a derisive snort. “Fine! Speak.”
The woman pulled away and swept her sword aside before lunging forward again. The man's sword tore through the air to meet her attack. Their weapons collided like thunderbolts, giving birth to an endless shower of dazzling sparks.
“Good! This battle is fierce. I am willing to die by your hand in exchange for your great achievement, but I will never submit. This bandit camp will perish along with my life. Those who have died are dead and have paid for their karma. As for those who have vanished, if you promise not to hunt them down or mark them for death, I will lower the sword in my hand and let you cut off my head right now.”
The man's eyes widened. Before he could say a word, the woman before him lowered her sword, and his blade shot straight toward her fair throat.
Naturally, with speed like lightning and the force of his formidable internal power, the imperial sword sliced across that slender throat, sending blood spraying at once.
The last thing Yang Jian saw of the woman whose face was hidden behind a silver mask was a pair of eyes that seemed to smile with satisfaction. She was glad to protect her people with her immensely precious life.
Her epithet was Shadow of the Moonblade, a killer who never blinked.
She possessed the power and speed of lightning, combined with fearsome martial skill that was nearly impossible to resist.
Killing her had certainly not been easy.
There was one truth: defeating her was not impossible, because this savage bandit camp was bound to meet its end today. It simply could not hold out for long.
But Yang Jian, the most formidable man in the capital, knew all too well that it had not been easy in the slightest.
If someone on the island had not betrayed her, joining forces with righteous martial artists and conspiring with the court officials, how could he have brought a naval force to surround the place? How could he have led his soldiers through the defenses and reached this woman's hidden refuge?
Yet she had chosen to sacrifice herself like this—
to reduce the loss of life among both his people and hers...
Yang Jian was deeply awed.
Her slender body fell and struck the earth amid a scarlet curtain of blood spraying from her throat.
The young man stood watching, filled with profound regret.
A brave woman like her could have become a female general. Why had she chosen a path opposed to what was right? Why had she chosen to become a vile bandit, leaving people to curse and despise her?
Subduing the vicious bandits took until nightfall.
The sea surrounding the valley was now pitch-black. A crescent moon appeared in the sky, casting a faint glow that painted a beautiful shadow across the surface of the water.
Torches were lit all around, illuminating the entire area.
Yang Jian's hands clenched tightly. His sharp eyes flickered with an emotion he could barely suppress. He lowered his head, leaving the officers standing around him unable to understand the feeling in his eyes.
Beneath his handsome, solemn face and his calm, icy composure, Yang Jian felt more troubled than he had ever imagined possible.
‘I am willing to die by your hand. This bandit camp will perish along with my life. All I ask is that you do not hunt down or mark my people for death...’
One head in exchange for a hundred lives, so they would not all have to sacrifice themselves.
His thin lips pressed tightly together, and his strong jaw remained clenched for a long time. The tall, broad-shouldered young general stood motionless, his gaze fixed on the Red Moon Bandit Camp as it burned to ashes.
His own heart seemed to have burned to ash as well, along with a woman who had become nothing more than a legend.
Meeting an extraordinary woman like her had not been easy.
Yang Jian could not deny that he had been drawn to her, even though he had never seen her face. She likely had no idea how deeply those eyes visible above the silver mask had ensnared him.
Their first and last exchange of blows had been worth it...
The Crescent Moon Sword, the weapon that had accompanied the female martial artist Shadow of the Moonblade, bore vivid red traces of blood left behind by the Sunblade Swordmaster in exchange.