The night was as dark as ink.
Wanku Swamp was shrouded in a gray, misty fog.
Several carriages sat askew on a winding mud path.
On top of one carriage, a large banner bearing the character “Ji” fluttered noisily in the night wind. From time to time, the fabric brushed against a severed head impaled at the top of the pole.
The head's eyes were wide open, its features contorted. An expression of agony and resentment was frozen on his face, refusing to close no matter how the night wind whipped the banner across his cheek.
It was Ji Wen!
His unseeing eyes stared down directly at the ground beneath the carriages.
More than thirty corpses of guards lay scattered in all directions around the carriages. The blood had already dried and turned black, soaking the ground in massive, dark stains.
Not far away, a mule had been slaughtered, its hind leg meat carved away by a sharp blade. The rich aroma of roasted meat drifted faintly through the air.
Wanku Swamp!
It was composed of thousands of pits of various sizes scattered like stars, their depths unpredictable, resembling countless giant mouths waiting to devour people. Since this area was on the outskirts, the pits here were dry. The savory smell of roasted meat was drifting from one of these hollows!
Inside the pit, a bonfire was crackling merrily.
Yan Xiao handed a skewer of meat to the woman beside him and smiled. “My lady, the meat is roasted. Eat quickly.”
Song Yanrong took the skewer, an obvious look of disgust appearing on her beautiful face. She pulled out a small knife as thin as a cicada's wing, sliced off a piece, and popped it into her ruby lips. Frowning, she chewed a few times before tossing the rest to Feng Xiaobao. “It's greasy and heavy. Tastes awful. Here, you take it!”
Feng Xiaobao stuffed it into his mouth and began to gorge himself, grease smearing his face as he mumbled, “Thank you, Mistress!”
Yan Xiao also seemed to have no appetite. He merely poked at the bonfire a couple of times, then sighed. “My lady, this time we killed Ji Wen and deliberately let that Yuan fellow see it... Do you think Shen Xiuhan will actually come?”
Song Yanrong pulled out a box of rouge and carefully applied it to her lips by the light of the fire. Once they were a rich, plump crimson, she said with satisfaction, “He won't!”
“The boy is merely the son of a low-class fisherman from a minor county. For him to reach the position of a core disciple of the Star-Plucking Sect, he definitely didn't rely on reckless bravado.”
“He must be the cautious type. Since he can't grasp the situation, he would never rashly barge in here!”
“My guess is that he will definitely wait until his sword is forged and he has a divine weapon in hand before he dares to make a move.”
The corners of her lips curled up slightly, her smile carrying a hint of coldness. “By then... it will be too late for everything.”
His mouth stuffed with meat, Feng Xiaobao mumbled, “Mistress, why will it be too late?”
Song Yanrong cast a cool glance at him, her eyes holding the exact same disdain as when she looked at the greasy piece of meat.
Yan Xiao was the one who caught on. He slapped his forehead and said, “Do you mean... the Nine Anhuai Fiends?”
“Precisely,” Song Yanrong nodded. “The Nine Anhuai Fiends have gathered in Nanxiang. They must be planning something massive!”
“Their cultivation is not low, and they can't even conceal their murderous aura. Every extra day they spend in the prefecture capital increases their risk of exposure.”
“Therefore, I am certain they will make their move very soon.”
At this point, a smug smile appeared on Song Yanrong's elegant face, as if she held everything in the palm of her hand. “Once the chaos erupts, all eyes will be drawn there. Who would care about us?”
“We are hiding in Wanku Swamp. We only need to survive these few days, and the world will be ours to roam freely and comfortably.”
Hearing this, Yan Xiao and Feng Xiaobao's breathing suddenly grew heavy.
In truth, they weren't opposed to joining the Yinsha Sect. The problem was that when the Nine Anhuai Fiends first ran into them, their very first instinct had been to slaughter all three of them.
Because of this, the three of them had remained deeply wary of the Nine Anhuai Fiends.
“Good, good, good...” Feng Xiaobao was overjoyed and suddenly stood up.
He was naturally tall, and with this movement, more than half of his body extended out of the pit.
Pointing at the carriages by the mud path, Feng Xiaobao grinned widely and laughed, “Master! Mistress! With these carriages of goods sent by the Ji family, we can open up our martial arts hall again. By then, I'll be the First Senior—”
Whoosh!
Before he could finish, a sudden change occurred! A violent rushing sound exploded near his ear!
Yan Xiao had the highest cultivation and the fastest reaction. His face instantly twisted in shock as he shrieked, “Watch out!”
Before his words could fully register, a pebble shot through the air like a phantom, piercing straight through Feng Xiaobao's skull.
Bang!
Splat!
That large head, still wearing a smug grin, instantly exploded like a rotten watermelon. Red and white matter splattered everywhere, a horrific sight!
Thud!
Feng Xiaobao's tall, headless corpse collapsed heavily, kicking up a cloud of dust.
“Ah!!!” Splattered all over with thick, viscous blood and brain matter, Song Yanrong shrieked in terror. She frantically shook her sleeves, desperate to fling the foul filth off her body!
His eyes nearly splitting from rage, Yan Xiao lunged to his feet and roared, “What rat dares to hide in the shadows? Get the hell out here!”
The moment the words left his mouth, his expression changed dramatically.
A figure clad in the livery of a Star-Plucking Sect core disciple was slowly walking out of the distant mist.
The man walked with calm, measured steps, his right fingers slightly curled. Exuding a suffocating pressure, he advanced toward the pit step by step.
“He's here!”
A third of a mile away.
Perched on an old locust tree, Cheng Du, who was sitting cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes and leaped to his feet. His massive, bell-like eyes locked onto the figure, cold light glinting in them!
“It's him! It really is him, Shen Xiuhan of the Star-Plucking Sect!”
“Phew... One at the Great Perfection of the Anjin Rank, one with six opened acupoints in the Anjin Rank. They should be able to injure him...” He muttered to himself. Halfway through, his face fell as he suddenly roared, “Useless trash!”
Then, his voice rolled out like thunder: “How dare you!”
...
In the distance.
The moment Yan Xiao caught sight of Shen Xiuhan, his right eyelid began to twitch uncontrollably. A bone-chilling dread surged from the depths of his heart, washing over him like ice water.
No!
I have to strike first!
As an experienced martial arts hall master, his combat instincts were sharp. He immediately turned to Song Yanrong and growled, “Attack together!”
Song Yanrong's beautiful face had already contorted into a hideous mask. Hearing his words, she let out a shrill shriek, “Kill!”
Swish! Swish!
The two figures lunged forward simultaneously, tearing through the air as they charged at Shen Xiuhan, who was thirty paces away!
Yan Xiao charged in the lead. He snapped his arms forward, channeling force through his spine as his fists shot out like a collapsing mountain. It was the classic stance of the Tongbei Fist—heavy, wide, and sweeping, aimed straight at Shen Xiuhan's face.
Song Yanrong flanked from the side, her delicate hands fluttering as she unleashed a flurry of palms, targeting his joints and vital acupoints.
Faced with a pincer attack from both sides, Shen Xiuhan let out a cold snort. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his hands suddenly curling into claws!
Whoosh!
The claw strikes tore through the air, as fierce and swift as an eagle diving from the heavens!
【Heavenly Eagle Wind-Tearing Claw!】
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Fists and claws collided, sending shockwaves of force outward.
In just two and a half exchanges!
Yan Xiao felt a colossal force surge from the tips of his opponent's claws. His blood qi churned violently in his chest, and he felt as if he had been struck by a massive sledgehammer.
He stumbled backward, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his face filled with horror.
“Damn it!” Yan Xiao roared, his eyes bloodshot. “Watch out, my lady! He is definitely not at the mid-stage Anjin Rank as the intelligence suggested!”
Song Yanrong cried out repeatedly. Her delicate hands snapped together, and the energy circulating through her body surged into her palms like streams merging into the sea. She then thrust her hands forward with immense force!
【Tongbei Fist: White Ape Presents Fruit】!
This move was incredibly cunning. The force was held back, ready to detonate upon contact, which would be more than enough to shatter bones and crush the heart.
Yet, Shen Xiuhan simply swayed to the side, letting the lethal blow brush past his robes.
His right hand shot out like a viper's tongue, wrapping around Song Yanrong's left arm in a flash.
His fingers locked in place, and his claw force pierced straight through to her bones.
“Oh no!” Song Yanrong's face paled instantly, her beautiful eyes widening in sheer terror!
“Let go of my wife!” Yan Xiao roared hoarsely, throwing his injured body forward with everything he had!
Shen Xiuhan didn't even look at him. A sinister grin played on his lips as the muscles in his right arm swelled like coiled dragons. His claw force exploded as he ripped downward with brutal force!
【Heavenly Eagle Wind-Tearing Hand: Wind-Tearing Bone-Rip!】
Crack!
Accompanied by a sickening crunch of breaking bone, Song Yanrong's left arm was ripped clean off at the shoulder!
In an instant, blood sprayed like a geyser!
The severed arm spun through the air several times before falling limply to the ground.
Its pale, jade-like fingers, tipped with red polish, twitched slightly in the pool of blood.
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