Within what seemed like an instant, she leaped off of the back of that dead bird and landed inside of the relatively spacious cavern behind the five of us.  

“You’re courting death!  Do you believe I will slaughter you all?!  Scoundrels, the lot of you!  Do you dare fight me honorably?!” However, she didn’t attack right away and decided start screaming at us instead…

“Fine, I’ll fucking duel with you, Brat!  My name is Commander Arin, Level-Five Adept Warrior!” As if she had a deathwish, Granny Arin immediately volunteered to have an unnecessary one-on-one battle with someone who was obviously much stronger than herself.

Of course, if it was simply based on stature, the two-meter tall beefy barbarian woman would definitely be way more intimidating.  Unfortunately, the reality was that the five-foot tall, busty beauty was a lot stronger.

She pointed her rapier at me and shouted “I care not who you are, ugly old hag!  My vendetta is with that ruthless child behind you!  I, your Mother, Rong Li Xia, Level-Nine Adept Fencer, challenge you to a duel!  Do you dare accept!?  Or are you merely a shameless coward who can only use petty trickery in order to murder from a distance?!”

From the time that she landed until then, I had been grabbing a bunch of shells for my shotgun and shoving it into my belt for easy access.  Regardless of what happened, I was going to need a lot of ammo.

However, as I was about to step forward, Mei grabbed my right shoulder and shouted “You’re calling my son shameless?!  You’re a high-level Adept and you’re challenging a ten year old Apprentice to a duel!”

I smirked, “Granny Arin, Mama Mei, both you get back… I’m the one who killed her Master, friend or relative.  The rest of you need to leave.  Liara, grab my two cases and take them back to the ship.  Our mission here is over, right?  So get back to the Titanic Fury… I’ll be fine on my own.”

Rong Li Xia glared at the four of them, before grumbling “Fine, they may leave!  It makes no difference whether or not I kill them anymore… The Southern Islands will be bathed in their blood soon enough.  You though, I can’t let someone as dangerous as you survive, no matter what!” 

“No, absolutely not!  Levi, I’m not leaving you here to die!  If she wants to kill you, she’ll have to step over my dead body first!” Mei was pretty adamant about staying with me, but I really couldn’t ‘fight’ with anyone else in the room.

When she tried to step out in front of me again, I grabbed her left shoulder and pulled her ear over to my lips, before whispering “Please just trust me, okay?  I love you… Mei.” She gazed into my eyes for a few seconds afterwards and tears started running down her cheeks.  

Finally, she nodded her head and pressed her mouth against mine for a moment, before turning towards Granny Arin and the others.  The three of them obviously didn’t want to die and although we were sort-of friends, it wasn’t to the point where they would commit suicide with me.  Liara put her bow around her chest and shoulder, then grabbed my two cases.

After that, all four of them grouped together and cautiously walked around that sexy woman who was standing in the middle of the cavern.  They chose the tunnel we used to get there and Mei gave me a final tear-filled glance, as she followed the others out.

“Who was she anyway?  For you to be willing to go through all this trouble to get revenge?  You’re only twenty-five… You could have become an Expert if you had just escaped.” Although Rong Bitch was sneering at me, as if I was already dead, I also felt that there was no way for her to survive our little ‘duel’.

Li Xia snorted loudly, I almost thought she was about to spit at me, but she actually answered “If I murdered you grandmother, wouldn’t you want to seek vengeance as well?!  Perhaps if it was in a fair duel, I wouldn’t be so impulsive and filled with hate, but you…”

I snickered, “Yeah, I shot her in the back of the neck.  But this is war… My name is Levi Ares, Level-Four Apprentice Shaman.  Thank you for allowing my companions to leave.  I hope that in your next life, you will have better luck.  Maybe we’ll meet again in another life?”

She frowned, growling “You’re quite an arrogant brat!  Do you think that little toy in your hands will be able to protect tiny life?!” However, instead of lunging towards me, she suddenly had a blank expression on her face.  Her orange eyes narrowed and she asked “Are you truly a Shaman?  Hmph~, if you weren’t a child, I would show no mercy… but considering that you’re a Shaman, I may have a way for you to repent.  If you’re willing to return with me to the Rong Clan, I shall spare your life.  Perhaps one day I may even forgive you for your crime…”

“Honestly, I’m not a hundred-percent sure that I can kill you without receiving serious injuries… So I’ll give you a similar chance.  Leave and go back to your Rong Clan.  Don’t come after me in the future and I won’t cause trouble for you either.  Besides, The Qing Republic is going to be just as screwed as The Southern Islands.  You should go back home to protect your own people, instead of fighting and dying in a foreign country.” I sighed dramatically when I saw her reaction to my suggestion.

“Indeed, I will go back home to defend my Clan… But regardless of the circumstances, my honor would not allow me to leave without your life!” Rong Li Xia held her rapier’s hilt with her right hand and placed her left palm on the pommel, charging the entire thing with potent Yin Qi.  All along the slender blade, there were dozens of dazzling bright-blue Inscriptions.  Instead of just attacking like a slightly intelligent person, she decided to proudly declare “You should be happy, for you shall taste my most powerful technique before you die!  This is the Low-Celestial Ranked Daoist Art, Lunar Thrust!”

Okay, so by now, I’m sure you’re wondering “But Master Levi, what kind of super-awesome plan could possibly make you feel so confident?!”  Well, the thing is… I may have omitted some pretty important shit.

While we had been having our ‘peaceful’ conversation earlier, there were some shotgun shells rolling around on the floor and one that was just floating through the air.  I know, right?  She totally didn’t even notice something that ridiculous.

Actually, the moment that the name ‘Rong’ was mentioned, Xiaotong erupted from my mouth and started screaming “She’s from the Rong Clan!  Levi, we need to kill her!  Please, please~ help me kill her!  Don’t trust anything she says Levi!  She’s evil!  Look!  She dyes her hair yellow!  Anyone who dyes their hair is obviously a dishonest person!  Hurry up and use your firestick~!  Levi, hurry~!”  Then she began roaring “Fucking murder the bitch!  Shoot her in the face!  Grah~!”

Fortunately, I was able to convince her to calm her nonexistent skeletal tits and be quiet.  If she really did leave, I would have spared her life, but I knew from the beginning that there was no chance of that happening.

“Since you’re showing me your own fancy moves, then I’ll let you witness my true power!  AoE Fuckeverything Blast Attack!” I pulled the first trigger, releasing a relatively closely grouped batch of steel ball-bearings from the rightmost barrel.  However, as they approached the seemingly defenseless woman, a magical ice-wall seemed to pop-up out of nowhere and block them all.  It was some sort of talisman or one-time treasure effect, but it was enough to prevent me from interrupting her Daoist Art.  Although, it was technically more of a Martial Skill.

“Accept my Lunar Thrust!” Obviously I wanted to dodge the hell out of the way, but freezing-cold illusory shackles locked my legs in place.  I could see an illusion of myself being skewered for a moment there…