Chapter 11 Sand Assault

In Chen Ang's hands, the shimmering light seemed like a lethal force, swiftly extinguishing the vitality of the Sand People. Their glittering blades of light appeared silently, flashing over the Sand People's necks, leaving behind nothing but silence and darkness.

To Anakin, the Sand People's assaults resembled the ferocity of sandstorms. Their alloy rods wielded enough power to shatter a Bansha beast's skull. Yet, amidst the chaos, the raiders couldn't help but notice the man holding the deadly blade.

The light blade in Chen Ang's hands seemed alive, moving like a sentient serpent effortlessly weaving through the Sand People's weapon swings, exploiting every misstep and flaw in their defense.

With swift precision, the light blade pierced through their defenses, claiming the lives of the Sand People one by one.

Soon, the fallen Sand People lay scattered around them, their mournful cries echoing from a distance. The fierce warriors, though formidable, were also mortal, grappling with fear and loss despite their fearless demeanor.

Chen Ang pursued and eliminated three more Sand People. As more than a dozen others retreated atop their Sand Beasts, the desert wraiths fled, leaving behind the abandoned Bansha beasts, lost without their masters, now mourning beside their fallen owners.

"Teacher, the Sand People are relentless!" Anakin hurriedly descended from the silver plate, surveying the Sand People corpses. "If they find someone from their tribe slain in the wilderness, they'll initiate and join the siege against you. They'll consider you a mortal enemy."

"A mortal enemy? Then let them view me as a natural foe!" Chen Ang declared firmly. "Regardless of their choice, I'll leave them with two simple options: survive or perish!"

"We don't have to make a choice. It's the weak who needs to weigh options."

Anakin looked up, surprised, observing Chen Ang.

"Anakin, as my apprentice, upholding one's principles is crucial. Do what you deem right, and face the consequences. I chose to endure because I lacked the power to protect you back then."

"Principles without power is a hollow promise. Power without principles is a dangerous precipice. It's the essence of chivalry—to be free yet adhere to moral boundaries."

Chen Ang gestured toward the fallen bodies and asked Anakin, "Now, tell me, what are your principles?"

Anakin surveyed the bloodied scene, reflecting on the situation. "The Sand People are wasteland raiders, breaking countless families. When they attack the teacher, I feel they should be killed. But I also can't become someone who slaughters the defenseless. I believe I can maintain my stance, perhaps just being cautious."

"Well said, Anakin! Remember these words. When tempted by darkness, treat slaughter with caution. Man's spirit is free, but accountability and adherence to principles are pivotal."

Chen Ang boarded the silver disc, preparing to depart. "Now the Sand People should reckon it's time to part ways with us. According to Tatooine's law, we're entitled to the spoils!"

The red electronic eyes blinked faintly. On the projection's map, several blue spots lingered in hidden positions. With a slight jolt, the silver disc took off.

Anakin bowed his head, deep in thought. Suddenly, he lifted his gaze and asked, "Teacher, are you mortal?"

Chen Ang gazed into the desert distance, initially silent amid the sound of their clothes rustling in the wind. Anakin felt as though he had misspoken and hesitated, but just as he was about to apologize, Chen Ang broke the silence.

"I am. A part of me embodies the spirit of chivalry."

"And the other part?" Anakin inquired, intrigued.

"The other part would be the spirit of a wanderer! Free and unbound, seeking enlightenment, embracing oneself, realizing the human, and becoming the immortal path…"

"Like the Jedi?" Anakin recited, wielding the light blade's hilt. "Without emotion; calming the mind. Without ignorance; embracing true knowledge. Free of desire, serene and clear. Eternal, through the Force's originality."

Setting down the light blade, Anakin looked at Chen Ang earnestly. "Teacher, I wish to be a wanderer. It resonates with me more. It feels liberating."

"Haha! That's not quite it! You're still genuinely a Jedi!" Chen Ang laughed heartily. "I am but an explorer, glimpsing a fraction of the path ahead, waiting for the day when I truly understand it and return to share that knowledge,"

As they conversed, a massive canyon came into view ahead, an unsightly fissure cutting through the rocky plateau. The silver disc swiftly navigated into the canyon along the cliff, and in the distance, a faint glimmer of silver shimmered in the sunlight.

"What's that?" Anakin asked, shading his eyes as he gazed at the tiny silver dot. As the silver plate rapidly approached, the speck of silver widened gradually, taking the form of an indistinct shadow.

"It's a spaceship! A sizable one!" Anakin exclaimed excitedly, pointing towards the flat silver silhouette in the distance. Chen Ang adjusted their course, swiftly closing the gap towards the spaceship from a more subtle angle.

Upon closer inspection, Chen Ang noticed it was an abandoned spaceship, likely due to an accident, as evidenced by the substantial damage on the starboard side. The spaceship's position flashed as a blue dot on the radar. From above, several tents of Sand People surrounded the spaceship, some moving in and out of it.

It seemed the unfortunate spaceship had become a stronghold for the Sand People.

Presented with such a significant opportunity, Chen Ang wasn't about to let it slip away. The silver disc whirred into place directly under the spaceship. Several Sand People were resting there, and upon seeing Chen Ang, they rushed to arm themselves. Chen Ang could discern that these weapons bore the marks of recent battle.

The lead Sand Person bellowed in Tatooine's common language: "Foreigner, leave this place! Otherwise, perish!" Dozens more Sand People gathered behind, glaring fiercely at Chen Ang.

Some less experienced Sand People began to make their move.

Chen Ang drew the hilt, and with a soft hum, the blazing light blade emerged. "Sand People, leave my spoils, or meet your demise!"

Before his words could fully resonate, several Sand People couldn't contain themselves, yelling and charging, while the others hesitated before following. This time, their numbers were greater. At the forefront was the Sand People's chieftain, wielding an alloy stick twice the weight of an ordinary one, its blue light sparking with formidable force.

The leader swung the stick ferociously, aiming at Chen Ang's head, while several other Sand People brandished their sharp alloy rods at him.

Gripping the Lightsaber hilt, Chen Ang backhandedly turned it, sending out a rush of light toward the chieftain, contorting his body into an odd shape and narrowly avoiding the Sand People's initial wave of attacks.

Like a coiled spring, his body twisted and danced along with the light blade, drawing strange arcs and making precise strikes. With each flash, a Sand Raider would fall.

Suddenly executing a complicated maneuver, he turned, instantly positioning himself behind the Sand People's leader. The light blade swiftly pierced the chieftain's spine, followed by a high-energy beam that disabled his nervous system.

Thud.

The chieftain's body crumpled.

As Chen Ang floated in front, he felt a vibration and witnessed the Sand People unleashing a barrage of shots that pulverized the chieftain's remains, as he had already circled behind them. The blade barely grazed them.

Before they could react, two fell, their heads exposing their brains, and with a couple of shakes, their lifeless bodies hit the ground heavily.

Chen Ang's swift retaliation seemed unfair. With a light blade whirling in his hand, he tactfully calculated the Sand People's weak points, minimizing movement, and with every flash of light, a Sand Raider collapsed.

Soon, the Sand People tribe was unable to sustain the onslaught.

Several lightly dressed Sand People charged like impending doom, engaging Chen Ang in combat, while the others scattered, leaving behind whatever they could carry and departed hastily.