Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 292 Struggle in the Dark

The cold air filled the night sky like a ghost. Wu Tao and Hu Bugui felt nervous and stopped transmitting energy at the same time. The tremor of the magic circle suddenly stopped. The shadow that had been gradually dissipating gathered again and enveloped the sky above Chang'an City, like a giant beast waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"Oh no! There's an ambush!" Hu Bugui roared, and the long sword in his hand was unsheathed, with a cold light.

Wu Tao also noticed something was wrong. Her brows were furrowed, the staff in her hand shone brightly, and she looked around vigilantly.

"Hehehe..." A creepy laugh came from all directions, echoing in the night sky, making people shudder.

"Who is it! You are a coward!" Wu Tao shouted harshly.

"Haha, Wu Tao, how are you?" A cold voice came from the sky, with strong sarcasm and disdain.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui looked up and saw a figure in a black robe slowly descending from the sky. He had a hideous mask on his face, covering his features and leaving only a pair of eyes full of resentment, which made people shudder.

"You are... the leader of the mysterious organization?!" Wu Tao exclaimed. She did not expect that this mysterious leader would show up in person.

"Yes, it's me." The mysterious leader's voice was icy cold, "Today is the day you die!"

Before he finished speaking, the air around him suddenly became distorted, and countless black shadows emerged from the ground, rushing towards Wu Tao and Hu Bugui's army like a tide.

"Oh no! It's the Night Demon Clan!" Hu Bugui's face changed. These Night Demons are the secret weapons of the mysterious organization. They feed on human essence and are extremely difficult to deal with.

"Kill!" Hu Bugui gave an order and led his army to fight against the Night Demons. However, the Night Demons were numerous and fearless, so Wu Tao and Hu Bugui's army soon fell into a bitter battle.

"Hahaha, Wu Tao, Hu Bugui, just wait to pay the price for your stupidity!" The mysterious leader laughed wildly, his eyes full of vicious light.

He formed seals with his hands and muttered something. A powerful dark force surged out of his body and turned into a black beam of light, shooting straight into the sky.

"Oh no! He is going to activate the formation!" Wu Tao exclaimed. She recognized this formation. It was the magic formation used by the mysterious organization to control the people of Chang'an City.

"Hehehe... It's too late! Now, watch with your own eyes how your hopes are shattered!" The mysterious leader's voice was filled with madness and pride.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui tried their best to stop him, but to no avail. A black beam of light shot up into the sky, connecting with the shadow that was gradually dissipating in the sky, like a bridge connecting heaven and earth, shrouding the entire Chang'an City in darkness.

At this moment, two screams were heard. Wu Tao and Hu Bugui's hearts sank suddenly. They saw that Xingchen and Yueying were being held hostage by two men in black and appeared behind the mysterious leader.

"Xingchen! Yueying!" Wu Tao and Hu Bugui were furious and wanted to rush forward to save them, but were blocked by the mysterious leader.

"Want to save them? Sure," the mysterious leader said with a grim smile, "Exchange it for the control of Chang'an City!"

A dagger appeared in his hand and he pressed it against Yueying's neck. The sharp blade cut her fair skin, and blood gushed out instantly...

The cold blade touched Yueying's fair skin, and blood dripped down the tip of the blade, which was particularly shocking in the night. Wu Tao's heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and it became difficult to breathe.

"Let them go! I can give you Chang'an City, but you must ensure their safety!" Wu Tao's voice trembled slightly due to the violent fluctuations of emotions, but she still forced herself to remain calm and tried to negotiate with the mysterious leader.

"Tao'er!" Hu Bugui held Wu Tao's hand worriedly, his deep eyes full of regret and struggle. He knew what this meant. Chang'an City was the result of their bloody battles in recent days, and the hope that countless soldiers had exchanged their lives for. How could he be willing to just hand it over to others? However, looking at Xingchen and Yueying who were held hostage, how could he be so cruel as to abandon them?

The mysterious leader looked at the couple struggling in pain, and a cold arc appeared at the corner of his mouth under the mask: "What? Are you heartbroken? Think carefully, Chang'an City, in exchange for their lives, you only have one chance to choose."

"I..." Wu Tao bit her lower lip, her fingertips almost sinking into her flesh. On one side was the safety of the common people, and on the other was the life of her loved ones. For the first time, she hated her own powerlessness so much.

"Mother..." Xingchen struggled to speak, but the man in black behind him covered his mouth tightly, so he could only make a whimpering sound. He shook his head desperately, his eyes full of anxiety and worry. He didn't want to be a burden to his mother, and he didn't want to let the people of Chang'an fall into dire straits because of him.

Although Yueying didn't say anything, her clear eyes were full of determination. She held Xingchen's hand tightly, silently passing on her strength. The two siblings had already prepared to die.

"Okay, I promise you!" Wu Tao took a deep breath, holding back the tears in his eyes, and threw the staff in his hand hard to the ground. The crisp sound was particularly harsh in the silent night.

"Tao'er!" Hu Bugui suddenly reached out and hugged Wu Tao, protecting her in his arms and preventing her from seeing the dazzling scene. He knew that this was the most difficult decision Wu Tao had ever made, and it was the only thing he could do for her at the moment.

"Hahaha, he who knows the times is a hero!" The mysterious leader laughed arrogantly and reached out to take the staff thrown by Wu Tao. A powerful dark power instantly surged into his body, making his originally hunched body seem to straighten up a little.

"From today on, Chang'an City belongs to me..." Before he finished his words, his face suddenly changed and he turned back abruptly to look into the distance.

At the same time, a sharp sword energy cut through the night sky, with the force of thunder, heading straight for the mysterious leader...

"Do you think I will let you succeed?" A deep voice sounded in the night sky, carrying with it a murderous aura and deep hatred.

The sharp sword energy was like an invisible blade, instantly forcing the mysterious leader back several steps. He looked up in astonishment, only to see a figure slowly descending from the night sky, like a god of war, with boundless power and murderous intent.

"Li Xiaoyao!" Wu Tao and Hu Bugui exclaimed in unison, their eyes filled with surprise and disbelief.

"Brother Xiaoyao!" Xingchen and Yueying, who were held hostage by the men in black, also shouted excitedly. They never expected that at this critical moment, it was the seriously injured Li Xiaoyao who appeared here.

Li Xiaoyao's face was pale, with a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were unusually firm, and the long sword in his hand was flashing a sharp cold light.

"I promised you that I would protect your safety." Although Li Xiaoyao's voice was weak, it was full of unquestionable firmness.

"Why are you here? Your injury..." Wu Tao asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, just a minor injury, nothing to worry about." Li Xiaoyao waved his hand, his eyes swept across Xingchen and Yueying who were surrounded by the men in black, a fierce murderous look flashed in his eyes, "Today, no one can hurt them!"

The mysterious leader looked at Li Xiaoyao who suddenly appeared, and a trace of fear flashed in his eyes. He knew that Li Xiaoyao's strength was unfathomable. Although he had gained the power of the staff, it would not be easy to defeat him.

"Hmph, Li Xiaoyao, why don't you stay and recuperate instead of coming here to die?" The mysterious leader snorted coldly, trying to disturb Li Xiaoyao's mind with words.

"Stop talking nonsense, let's fight!" Li Xiaoyao was too lazy to talk nonsense with him. He swung the sword in his hand, and a sharp sword energy went straight to the mysterious leader.

The mysterious leader did not dare to neglect and quickly raised his staff to resist. With a loud bang, the two powerful forces collided with each other, stirring up a violent wave of air, which blew away all the surrounding black-clothed men.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Li Xiaoyao flashed through the crowd like a breeze and instantly came to Xingchen and Yueying. He swung his sword to cut the ropes that bound them and protected them behind him.

"Brother Xiaoyao, are you okay?" Xingchen and Yueying looked at Li Xiaoyao worriedly, their eyes full of concern.

"I'm fine, I'm glad you're all okay." Li Xiaoyao smiled slightly and patted their shoulders gently, signaling them to rest assured.

"Li Xiaoyao, don't even think about taking them away!" The mysterious leader roared and waved his staff again. Black energy balls attacked Li Xiaoyao and others like raindrops.

Li Xiaoyao's eyes condensed, and the long sword in his hand turned into phantoms, blocking all the energy balls. At the same time, he whispered to Wu Tao and Hu Bugui: "I will cover you, you take the opportunity to take Xingchen and Yueying away from here!"

"But you..." Wu Tao wanted to say something, but was stopped by Hu Bugui.

"Listen to him and let's leave here first!" Hu Bugui knew that now was not the time to hesitate, so he made a quick decision.

Li Xiaoyao's swordsmanship is extremely sharp, and each sword contains a powerful force, forcing the surrounding black-clothed men to retreat step by step. However, the strength of the mysterious leader should not be underestimated. The staff in his hand continuously releases a powerful dark force, and he engages in a fierce confrontation with Li Xiaoyao.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui took advantage of the gap between Li Xiaoyao and the mysterious leader's fierce battle and quickly broke out with Xingchen and Yueying. However, just as they were about to break out of the encirclement, a cold voice suddenly sounded behind them...

"Want to leave? It's not that easy!"

The voice of the leader of the mysterious organization was like a call from hell, with a chilling chill that instantly made Wu Tao and Hu Bugui's hearts sink to the bottom. They turned around and saw a cruel smile on the corner of the leader's mouth, and the staff in his hand emitted a faint light.

"Do you think you can save people from me with just a few of you?" The leader said with contempt, as if he was watching a group of ants struggling. As soon as he finished speaking, the men in black around him quickly changed their formation and surrounded Xingchen and Yueying. The swords in their hands flashed with cold light, forming an impenetrable defense line.

Wu Tao's heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand. She looked at Xingchen and Yueying anxiously, only to see that they were controlled by the men in black, with worry and fear on their faces.

"Let them go!" Hu Bugui roared, and the long sword in his hand stabbed out like a flash, aiming directly at the leader's face. However, the leader was prepared, and he dodged Hu Bugui's attack easily with a flash of his body. At the same time, he waved his staff, and a powerful force pushed Hu Bugui back several steps.

"You think you can challenge me?" The leader laughed arrogantly, his eyes full of contempt and disdain. He pointed at Xingchen and Yueying and said in a cold tone, "I advise you to surrender. Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude!"

"Despicable!" Wu Tao gritted her teeth and said, she knew that they had fallen into the leader's trap. He deliberately let them in, just to use the stars and the moon as bait to catch them all in one fell swoop.

"What should I do?" Hu Bugui frowned. Although he was a skilled martial artist, he felt great pressure facing such a powerful enemy. Moreover, Xingchen and Yueying were still in their hands, so he dared not act rashly.

“Hahaha, what’s wrong? Are you scared?” The leader looked at their dilemma and laughed triumphantly, “I tell you, none of you will leave here alive today!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding black-clad men surged up like a tide, surrounding Wu Tao and Hu Bugui. Blades flashed, shouts of killing shook the sky, and a life-and-death struggle was about to break out.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui stood back to back, trying their best to resist the attacks of the men in black. However, there were too many men in black, and each of them was very skilled in martial arts, so they gradually felt overwhelmed.

"No, we will all die if this goes on!" Wu Tao said anxiously. She knew that they must find a way to break out, otherwise there would be no hope.

"But..." Hu Bugui also understood this truth, but he really couldn't bear to abandon Xingchen and Yueying.

"Don't worry, it will be too late if we don't leave now!" Wu Tao made a prompt decision. She grabbed Hu Bugui's hand, turned around and ran.

However, before they could run a few steps, they heard Xingchen and Yueying's desperate cries from behind: "Dad! Mom!"

Hu Bugui paused and looked back suddenly...