But the tide began to turn as more bandits emerged from the underbrush. The original group of five grew to ten, and the attackers showed no signs of backing down.
"This isn't good!" Wei shouted, glancing around nervously. "We need a plan!"
Lianhua gritted her teeth. "We can't let them overwhelm us. Everyone, fall back and regroup!"
As they maneuvered, Alex noticed a large boulder nearby. "What if we use that as cover?" he suggested.
"Good idea! Let's lure them there!" Lianhua agreed, signaling the others to retreat toward the boulder.
With a coordinated effort, they drew the bandits closer, using feints and distractions to keep the attackers focused on them. As they neared the boulder, Lianhua turned and swung at the closest bandit, knocking him off balance while the others followed suit.
"Now!" Mei shouted, diving behind the boulder as the bandits charged, narrowly avoiding a deadly strike.
With the group now behind the boulder, they quickly strategized. "We can use the terrain to our advantage," Lianhua proposed. "We'll split up and take them down one by one."
"Got it!" Alex replied, his pulse racing. "Let's do this!"