After entering the Hyena’s Fang gathering place, Lin Gui took a lap around the second floor.
He checked every room and searched every cabinet.
In a locked room, he found an iron box embedded in the wall.
It was half a person tall, the iron plates were thick, and the lock was made of refined steel. Obviously, this was where Hyena’s Fang’s wealth was hidden.
Lin Gui didn’t touch it.
He returned to the stairway and leaned against the wall, listening to the laughter and conversations downstairs.
He had originally only intended to steal all of Hyena’s Fang’s money. This would send Cohen into a rage, forcing him to focus all his attention on finding the thief.
He would then take the opportunity to collect the letters. In three days at most, he would be able to finish his task and leave.
But now...
Since they intended to take action against him... then...
A hint of killing intent flashed in Lin Gui’s eyes.
With a wave of his hand, the Staff of the Windwhisperer appeared in his palm, its azure-green shaft shimmering slightly in the darkness.
Holding the staff, he floated down from the stairway.
The Shroud of the Gloomy Night wrapped around his entire body; there was no sound of footsteps, no friction of fabric, and even his breathing was suppressed to the absolute minimum.
He floated past the long table, past the boisterously laughing members of Hyena’s Fang.
Finally, he stopped right in the center of the table.
Beneath his feet were dining plates. On one plate sat half-eaten lamb bones, with juices splattered everywhere.
Lin Gui stood firmly.
He lowered his head, looking at the people around him.
Cohen was currently clinking glasses with the Vice Leader, the fat on his face folding into rolls as he smiled until his eyes were narrowed into slits.
The people nearby were bragging, gesturing about how they would throw a few punches or kicks after they tied him up tomorrow.
No one saw Lin Gui standing right in front of them.
Lin Gui raised his staff.
Pale blue magic circles emerged around him.
One, two, four, eight...
The circles grew more numerous, densely surrounding him.
Each circle was aimed at a person—targeting their brow, temples, and heart. Some also aimed at the necks exposed as they tilted their heads back to drink.
One Wind Blade after another emerged from the circles, translucent and shimmering with a faint green light.
They hung within the circles like arrows ready to be loosed, held tightly in check by Lin Gui’s mana.
More and more Wind Blades appeared.
Three, five, and eventually seven blades were stacked within a single circle.
Hundreds of Wind Blades lined up in rows, squeezed into those small circles, emitting a low hum.
Lin Gui was in no hurry to strike.
He began to chant further.
“Essence of Flame, lend me a spark of your heat.”
“Wreathe the blade’s edge and aid me in slaying the foe.”
As he chanted the spell, mana surged.
Crimson flames ignited from the edges of the Wind Blades, as if plating the blades with a layer of blood.
The spell Lin Gui chanted was a Mid Rank fire magic spell—Flame Enchantment.
It was a reward he had drawn after successfully delivering over a hundred letters.
Lin Gui had originally thought he wouldn’t draw any useful magic, not expecting his luck to be so good.
The effect of Flame Enchantment was to imbue spells or blades with a burning attribute. Fire magic provided the highest damage amplification among the five elements.
The cutting force of a Wind Blade combined with the searing heat of fire doubled its power.
Added to that was the amplification of magic power from the demi-artifact, causing the damage of the mere Mid Rank Wind Blade technique to soar continuously.
However, this was still a bit short of being able to penetrate Transcendent flesh.
Lin Gui closed his eyes.
Another spell began to manifest.
Novice Demon Magic—Demon Enchantment.
Black mist billowed from his body, coiling around the staff and the burning Wind Blades.
Demon energy surged from Lin Gui’s body and attached itself to the burning Wind Blades. It churned within the flames, dyeing the crimson Flame Blades with an eerie layer of black.
The Flame Blades became savage, their fiery glows flickering and pulsating as if they had come to life.
The energy contained in this strike was already very close to the level of a full-power arrow from Theia.
The magic was prepared and ready to be unleashed at any moment.
Lin Gui still didn’t attack.
He watched the people around him.
Cohen was slapping the table and laughing, his saliva flying everywhere.
The Vice Leader had his arm around someone nearby, explaining exactly what they would do tomorrow.
The others joined in the clamor, their wine glasses clinking loudly.
The laughter was so loud it made the windows vibrate.
Lin Gui shifted his gaze to their wine glasses.
He flicked his fingers.
The glass in front of Cohen wobbled slightly.
Then, it slowly began to rise.
First was Cohen’s, then the Vice Leader’s, then those of several people nearby.
One, two, five, ten...
The wine glasses floated upward unsteadily.
The laughter suddenly died down.
Someone noticed the glass in their hand had vanished and looked up in confusion.
Then they saw over twenty wine glasses suspended in midair, slowly rotating above their heads.
This bizarre sight caused everyone to fall silent and look up.
This instinctive upward glance caused their necks to be exposed as much as possible to the savage Flame Blades.
Cold light flickered in Lin Gui’s eyes, and he let go.
Hundreds of Flame Blades flew out simultaneously.
The Flame Blades tore through the protection of the Shroud of the Gloomy Night, followed by a sudden flash of red light.
The temperature in the entire hall spiked abruptly. The air was torn apart, emitting a piercing shriek.
Those who were still looking up didn't even have time to lower their heads. They only saw a mysterious surge of red light.
Then, the sharp Flame Blades buried themselves into their necks.
Before the blood could even spray out, the wounds were cauterized by the flames.
Over a dozen heads flew up at once, tumbling through the air with expressions of confusion still plastered on their faces.
Their corpses collapsed, crashing onto the table and floor, and the wine glasses shattered everywhere.
High Rank adventurers were killed instantly by a single Flame Blade.
The three Low-tier Transcendent Vice Leaders reacted a bit faster.
Their protective qi exploded outward the moment the Flame Blades neared their bodies, but there were too many blades.
The first wave cut through their protective qi, the second wave sliced through their flesh, and the third wave severed their bones.
One head after another flew up, expressions of horror written on their faces.
Three headless bodies knelt on the floor before collapsing face-forward. Blood gushed from their necks, pooling in the hollows of the stone floor.
As for the leader, Cohen, who had been targeted by the most Flame Blades—Lin Gui had not expected that he would still be alive after being struck in the neck by dozens of surprise Flame Blades.
In terms of mana output alone, the attack of this composite magic was on the verge of entering the realm of Transcendent magic. It could be said to be the most powerful attack among High Rank magic.
And this didn't even account for the amplification provided by the demon energy and the demi-artifact.
Lin Gui had directed a total of twenty Flame Blades toward Cohen. Moreover, they had accurately struck the vital point of his neck.
Yet they had failed to sever his head.
Although it hadn't been severed, the man wouldn't live much longer.
Lin Gui deactivated his concealment and stood atop the table.
He looked coldly into the distance at Cohen, who was sprawled on the floor, clutching his continuously bleeding neck.
Cohen looked up at Lin Gui on the table in horror, his gaze hazy and helpless.
Why had the person they had been discussing—the person they intended to torture and kill—suddenly appeared? And why had he used raging flames to swallow everyone up, driving him to the brink of death?
“You... just who... are you...”
Cohen clutched his neck, and eventually, his eyes grew vacant. He slumped onto the floor and died.
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