Staring at this young disheveled girl who was also looking back at him, he cast his gaze on Song Jiuge.
The girl's torn and soiled dress was clearly of high quality so the idea of her being a slave was minimal.
Her eyes were filled with helplessness as she looked on at this golden brown youth.
The thoughts of this handsome young man saving her crossed her mind as she asked for help but she then quickly regretted it.
She hoped not to involved this youth in her circumstance as well.
Jiuge nodded to him as he stepped forth, "Who are you, and why are you dragging this girl?"
The Foundation-Building cultivator placed his hand on the blade behind him, "Listen here boy; if you want to leave here with your limbs attached, hand over the girl."
Li BiHua couldn't take it anymore as she placed her sword box on the floor to take out her flute but a hand raised in front of her.
"BiHua calm down, I'll deal with him."
Stepping forwards Madlenkosi looked directly at the Foundation-Building cultivator at the front as he flared his aura.
He smiled at the girl behind them as he nodded.
Tears formed in Mo LiQiu's eyes as she felt the Heaven's hadn't abandoned her.
Water flowed down her face like a small creek, as it fell beneath her chin.
She wanted to warn them but as she saw the man disembarking his horse she knew it was already too late.
She had seen this many times these past 3 days, anyone who came across them was either slaughtered or was able to barely escape pursuit.
These men were not kind souls.
If it wasn't for their fear of Young Master Hong, she fears she would have been already sullied.
Madlenkosi wasn't aiming for this to be a long fight as he took out his staff, the ivory staff stood out starkly in the dark forest as he rested it on his shoulder.
The Foundation-Building disciple stared at the three like he thought they were mad.
How were they were to fight him - he's at foundation building!
Madlenkosi made the first move as his staff fell.
The air whirled as the staff was deflected by the foundation building cultivator.
The staff spun as it thrusted towards his opponent's neck which was parried once again by the bone saber.
As the cultivator raised his blade the two clashed repeatedly as the force of the two stopped everyone else.
Both Song Jiuge and Li BiHua saw this fight with an urge to become stronger while stars flickered within Mo LiQiu's gaze.
An unconcealed emotion rose in her heart as she watched the golden youth with the ivory staff fighting on her behalf. But even more so, the urge to have similar strength and ability was even more prevalent.
'STRIKE THE HEAVENS!' As the staff fell a golden staff shadow fell towards his opponent's head.
'BONE SYMPHONY!' He raised his bone blade as he stabbed it beneath him. A bone cage was made around him as he tried to deflect the blow. Dust, mud, and trees flew as the horses grew agitated.
As the dust settled, the bone cage shattered and the cultivator keeled over and spat a small mouth of blood as he raised his head to stare at Madlenkosi.
His clothes were torn at multiple places, blood speckled across them as he continually coughed while holding his chest.
As they confronted each other, the cultivator grimaced as he said, "Release her."
The group of gray-robed cultivators was in shock as they stared at their mission leader.
"Do it," he said this without once taking his eyes off the three.
As the girl was released, Li BiHua went over to comfort her.
LiQiu knew that crying now couldn't solve anything but upon her nerves relaxing, she cried as she was held within BiHua's arms and soon fell asleep.
As the gray-robed group watched them take away Mo LiQiu, the leader called out, " Our young master Hong, will surely pay you all a visit."
Madlenkosi looked back at the man as his eyes squinted, his brows furrowed, and his grip on the ivory staff tightened...
"Junior Jīn'! Let's go!" Song Jiuge shouted as he could feel the atmosphere once again growing tense.
"Sighs" As he relaxed his grip, Madlenkosi turn and left into the distance with his group...
After moving for some time and making sure they weren't followed, they made camp to give the young lady time to rest herself...
"Big bro Jiuge, let's make camp here until she wakes up." He said as he looked at her from over his shoulder, to which Jiuge nodded in affirmation.
In the wild where beasts frequently roamed, it wasn't wise to move with someone who was weakened.
_______________________
In Jingling city the 9 gray-robed disciples soon came to a luxurious compound named Jade Fate Pavilion.
This place was a well-known brothel that was run by a Bone Blade Sect Inner Disciple.
As they entered people could be seen bowing their heads or looking in another direction as they made their way past to the top of the brothel.
Upon reaching the top floor only the leader proceeded as he walked into the managerial room.
"Is Young Master Hong here?" He asked as he looked around the area.
A sultry voice replied, "Who is looking for the young master?"
"Inner Disciple Yuan Bo is here to see him"
"Yuan Bo, this better be important for you to interrupt my cultivation." A silvery voice soon rang out.
A slender but toned young man walked out.
His hair was red as blood and his skin white as ash. He was taller than most with black fingernails and darkened purple lips.
This was Hong Hai, an inner disciple of the Bone Blade Sect.
He was a perverse individual who loved to steal the Yin of underage girls to supplement his Yang then forced them to serve in his brothel.
He was the self-proclaimed young master of Jade Fate Pavilion, the son of an inner Elder of the Sect and a common lady.
His perversion was known to many but due to his father's influence much couldn't be done despite his vile ways.
"Young Master we had intercepted the Mo family carriage and had captured miss Mo." He stated.
Hong Hai's eyes lit up as excitement was written all over his face.
Maybe he could break through to mid-Foundation-Building.
"Where is she?!" He nearly shouted with extreme expectation as he looked around.
"I'm sorry to say we have lost her, due to the interference of wandering cultivators."
He held his head down as he replied.
"WHAT!?" Hong Hai slammed his hand on the desk as it was blasted into debris.
"HOW!? SPEAK?!" His aura flared as he stared directly at Yuan Bo.
"I was caught unawares by a young cultivator, he seemed to be only peak 8th layer in qi cultivation but his physical strength was astounding, plus if he could injure me then he would have most likely slaughtered all the outer sect disciples with me" He patiently explained as he was covered in sweat.
Hong Hai bit his nails as he said, "find them before they get back to the Mo family."
"No, even if you need to fight your way into the Mo family, drag her back here..."
He stood on his balcony, his ashen robes blew in the wind as his red hair fluttered like a sea of blood, and with the city gate in view, he thought.
"No one shall stop me from progressing, not even the Heaven's..."