Bright Sword: This unit is really ruthless

"They're running away!" one of the gangsters shouted.

"Chase!" roared the bearded man.

Zhang Ling and Aya quickly moved through the narrow passage, which was winding and pitch dark.

"Be careful!" Zhang Ling suddenly grabbed Aya and avoided a trap.

"Thank you." Aya looked at Zhang Ling gratefully.

At the end of the passage is a stone wall.

"What should we do?" Aya asked.

Zhang Ling looked at the stone wall carefully and found some strange symbols engraved on it.

"This is..." Zhang Ling's mind moved. He seemed to have seen these symbols before. He closed his eyes and tried to recall...

Zhang Ling held his breath and scanned the approaching figure with sharp eyes. The shadow of the tree branches obscured his figure, making him blend into the surrounding environment. The man was wearing a coarse linen shirt, thin, and walked silently, like a nimble cat. He held a rusty hatchet in his hand, and the blade reflected a cold light.

Zhang Ling's heart was filled with alarm. Who was this person? Was he an accomplice of the gangsters, or someone else? He clenched the branch in his hand, ready to respond to any emergency.

The man walked closer and closer, and finally stopped a few steps away from Zhang Ling. He raised his head, revealing a weather-beaten face. It was a young face, but it was covered with traces of time, and there was a hint of vigilance and hostility in his eyes.

"Who are you?" the man asked, his voice hoarse and low, as if he had not spoken for a long time.

Zhang Ling did not answer, but just looked at him quietly.

Seeing Zhang Ling didn't say anything, the man's eyes became more hostile. "Let me ask again, who are you? Why are you hiding here?"

Zhang Ling still didn't say anything, but slowly raised the branch in his hand.

"You..." The man clenched the hatchet in his hand, a fierce light flashed in his eyes, "Are you an accomplice of those robbers?"

"Bandits?" Zhang Ling finally spoke, his voice cold. "Are you talking about the people who are chasing me?"

"Hunting you?" The man was stunned for a moment, "You mean... you are being hunted by them?"

Zhang Ling did not answer, but asked: "Who are you?"

The man hesitated for a moment, but finally put down the hatchet in his hand. "My name is Lin Feng, and I'm a resident of this oasis."

Zhang Ling nodded, feeling a little relieved. It seemed that this man was not an accomplice of the gangsters.

"What about you? What's your name?" Lin Feng asked.

"Zhang Ling."

"Zhang Ling..." Lin Feng repeated the name, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, "I seem to have heard this name somewhere..."

Zhang Ling ignored his doubts and asked, "How much do you know about those bandits?"

Lin Feng sighed, a look of helplessness on his face. "Those bandits are from the Black Wind Village. They often hang out near this oasis, robbing passing merchants and villagers. We, the residents, have long hated them, but we can do nothing about it."

"Black Wind Village..." Zhang Ling muttered the name in a low voice, with a cold light flashing in his eyes. It seemed that he needed to find an opportunity to meet this Black Wind Village.

"Why are you hiding here?" Lin Feng asked, "Were you also robbed by them?"

Zhang Ling shook his head. "I was being hunted by them."

"Hunting?" Lin Feng looked at Zhang Ling in surprise, "Why are they hunting you?"

Zhang Ling did not explain, but just said: "It's hard to put it into words."

Seeing that Zhang Ling was unwilling to say more, Lin Feng did not continue to ask. He was silent for a moment, then said: "If you need help, I can help you."

Zhang Ling looked at Lin Feng, a hint of gratitude flashing in his eyes. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Lin Feng smiled, "We are all residents of this oasis, and we should help each other."

"Do you know where the Black Wind Village is?" Zhang Ling asked.

Lin Feng nodded. "I know."

"Can you take me there?"

Lin Feng hesitated. "The people in Black Wind Village are very cruel. It's very dangerous for you to go there."

"I know." Zhang Ling's eyes flashed with determination, "But I have to go."

Lin Feng looked at Zhang Ling's determined eyes and finally nodded. "Okay, I'll take you there."

The two left their hiding place and headed towards the Black Wind Village. Along the way, Lin Feng told Zhang Ling more about the Black Wind Village.

Black Wind Village is located on a mountain deep in the oasis, which is easy to defend but difficult to attack. The village owner is a one-eyed man named Black Wind Old Monster, who has hundreds of bandits under his command, all of whom are extremely cruel. They commit all kinds of evil, burning, killing, and looting, making the surrounding residents miserable.

"Black Wind Old Monster is very powerful. It is said that he has reached the Xiantian realm." Lin Feng said, "You must be careful."

"Innate Realm..." Zhang Ling's eyes flashed with a trace of solemnity. It seemed that this operation was more dangerous than he had imagined.

As night fell, the two arrived at the foot of the mountain where Black Wind Village stood. The mountain was brightly lit, with shadows of people and occasional noises.

"Let's separate here." Lin Feng said, "I can't go any further, otherwise they will find me."

Zhang Ling nodded. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"Be careful." Lin Feng warned.

Zhang Ling took a deep breath, and a hint of cold murderous intent flashed in his eyes. He walked towards the gate of Black Wind Village alone...

He approached the mountain gate quietly and found two guards dozing against the door frame. Zhang Ling sneered, picked up a stone and threw it into the distance.

"Who?!"

The guard woke up with a start and looked in the direction where the stone came from.

At this moment, Zhang Ling's figure appeared behind them like a ghost, and the branch in his hand turned into a golden light, instantly piercing their throats.

The two guards fell to the ground without even having time to scream.

Zhang Ling did not stop at all and continued to sneak into the village...

The footsteps were getting closer and closer. Zhang Ling held his breath and clenched the branch in his hand. The person who came was a woman with a graceful figure, wearing a tight black dress, with her face covered, revealing only a pair of bright eyes. She walked up to Zhang Ling, looked him up and down, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"Are you Zhang Ling?" The woman's voice was clear and pleasant, but with a barely perceptible hint of coldness.

Zhang Ling didn't answer, but just looked at her warily.

"My name is Nightingale," the woman didn't seem to mind Zhang Ling's silence, "I'm here to help you."

"Help me?" Zhang Ling sneered, "Who are you? Why are you helping me?"

Nightingale did not explain, but took out a jade pendant from her arms and handed it to Zhang Ling.

"This is a token. Take it to the inn in the center of the oasis and someone will pick you up."

Zhang Ling took the jade pendant, which was soft to the touch, and carved with a phoenix spreading its wings ready to fly. He examined the jade pendant carefully, and his doubts grew.

"Who are you? Who is your master?"

Nightingale didn't answer and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Zhang Ling stopped her, "At least tell me why your master wants to help me?"

The nightingale stopped but did not look back.

"Because," she paused, her voice low and mysterious, "your enemies are also our enemies."

After saying that, Nightingale disappeared into the dense jungle in a flash, leaving Zhang Ling standing there alone, puzzled.

Zhang Ling looked at the jade pendant in his hand, his heart full of doubts. He didn't know Nightingale's identity, nor did he know who her master was, and he didn't know why they wanted to help him. But he knew that this jade pendant might be his only hope of escaping.

He put away the jade pendant, took a deep breath, and walked towards the center of the oasis.

In the center of the oasis, an ancient inn stands on a bustling street. The name of the inn is "Zuixianlou", which is said to have hundreds of years of history.

Zhang Ling walked into the inn, and a strong aroma of wine hit him. The inn was bustling with people. He walked to the counter and handed the jade pendant to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper took the jade pendant, examined it carefully, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"Are you Mr. Zhang?"

Zhang Ling nodded.

"The private room upstairs is ready, please follow me."

The shopkeeper led Zhang Ling to a private room on the second floor. The private room was elegantly decorated with antique style.

"Please wait a moment, my master will be here soon." The shopkeeper said and walked out.

Zhang Ling sat alone in the private room, feeling full of anticipation and anxiety. He didn't know who he was going to meet, nor did he know what they would say to him.

After a while, the door was pushed open, and an old man in white walked in. The old man had white hair and a youthful face, was energetic, and had a pair of deep and wise eyes.

"Are you Zhang Ling?" the old man asked in a gentle and kind voice.

Zhang Ling nodded.

"My last name is Bai, you can call me Old Bai." The old man said with a smile, "I am here to help you on the orders of my master."

"Who is your master?" Zhang Ling asked impatiently.

Bai Lao smiled but did not answer.

"It's not the time to tell you yet," he said, "You just need to know that your enemy is also our enemy."

Zhang Ling frowned. This was exactly what Nightingale said.

"Who are my enemies?" he asked.

"Your enemy," Bai Lao paused and said word by word, "is the entire Tianxuan Continent."

Zhang Ling was shocked when he heard this. He could never have imagined that his enemy would be the entire Tianxuan Continent.

"This...how is this possible?" he asked in disbelief.

"Child," Old Bai sighed, "There are some things that you are not ready to know yet. You just need to know that we will definitely help you and make you the master of Tianxuan Continent."

Zhang Ling looked at Bai Lao, his heart full of doubts and uneasiness. He didn't know whether what Bai Lao said was true or false, nor did he know whether he should believe him. But he knew that he had no way out.

"What do I need to do?" he asked.

Old Bai smiled, a gleam of light flashing in his eyes.

"What you need to do is very simple," he said, "that is, become stronger, strong enough to control the entire Tianxuan Continent!"

Bai Lao's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Zhang Ling's mind. He looked at Bai Lao, his eyes gradually becoming firm.

"I will definitely become stronger!" He clenched his fists, his tone firm and powerful.

"Okay!" Bai Lao nodded in appreciation, "Next, I will tell you something about the Tianxuan Continent and what you need to do..."

In the next few days, General Bai told Zhang Ling about the distribution of forces in Tianxuan Continent and some secrets. He also taught Zhang Ling some cultivation techniques to help him improve his strength.

Zhang Ling absorbed this knowledge eagerly, and his strength improved by leaps and bounds. He felt that a powerful force was awakening in his body.

He understood that the road to revenge had just begun...

One day, Bai Lao told Zhang Ling that it was time for him to leave the oasis.

"Your first target," said Bai Lao, "is the Black Wind Village."