Chapter 77: The Masked Person's First Move

The masked man's speed was incredibly fast; even with Xu Xiao Shou clamped under his arm, it didn't hinder his actions at all.

But the enforcers from Ling Fa Ge weren't to be underestimated. They trailed far behind without losing sight of him.

E Hu was vast, yet the masked man crossed it in just a few strides.

At that moment, another team of enforcers appeared ahead, leaving the masked man stunned and Xu Xiao Shou completely bewildered.

Weren't they drawn here by the aftermath of our fight? It seems more like they were already lying in wait...

No!

Perhaps they weren't attracted by our battle at all—they were ambushing us from the start!

Xu Xiao Shou stared at the masked man in shock. Who exactly was this guy, to make Ling Fa Ge mobilize so many people to ambush him?

My earlier fight was so intense, yet it didn't even interrupt their plans or make them come out to stop me from killing?

Xu Xiao Shou's heart sank to the bottom.

It turned out he was just an outsider tonight, and he might have even disrupted some secret scheme within Ling Gong.

The masked man stopped and turned around, only for the third and fourth sides of E Hu to suddenly reveal crowds of people.

Xu Xiao Shou's heart turned ice-cold. As expected...

They had been lying in wait all along!

"You must be the 'Sheng Nu' that Sang Lao mentioned. We've been waiting for you for days. Surrender now."

Xiao Qi Xiu emerged from the woods, his long sword on his back and an air of arrogance in his expression.

"He really came back..." the masked man's murmur was probably only audible to Xu Xiao Shou. He suddenly lowered his head. "Brat, do you know Sang Lao?"

"I don't know!"

Xu Xiao Shou was on the verge of tears. He shouldn't have opened his mouth—now the situation had turned dire, and his earlier slip-up had put him in danger.

He glanced at Xiao Qi Xiu and shouted desperately, "Referee, save me! This guy just killed two Ling Gong disciples—I don't want to be the third!"

Xiao Qi Xiu: "..."

This kid really thinks I'm blind? We've been ambushing here for so long and didn't see him commit any murders?

If it weren't for the bigger picture, I'd arrest all these troublemakers tonight and throw them on the execution platform!

"Underestimated, passive value +1."

The masked man was even more confused by what he heard.

When did I kill anyone? This kid's throwing dirt on me without a second's hesitation.

"Cursed, passive value +1."

"You little..."

Just as he was about to increase the sword energy density to torment Xu Xiao Shou, he heard the person at his waist say, "Hold steady, don't panic!"

"I'll take the blame for those two murders—I'll get you out of Ling Gong!"

The masked man was amused by the absurdity. He doesn't even look at his own cultivation level—what could he possibly do?

Xu Xiao Shou saw that his bluff wasn't working and tried again with more nonsense: "I guess you're from that... uh, righteous organization or something!"

"To be honest, I can't stand this Ling Gong anymore. They're all so hypocritical—I want to join you guys."

"You just follow my lead later. I know a secret passage..."

"You want to join us?" the masked man interrupted.

Xu Xiao Shou was stunned. What kind of focus is that? Aren't you supposed to be interested in the secret passage?

He started to panic. Was he right on the money? Is this guy really from some evil organization?

"That's not important—what matters is that secret passage..."

"You want to join us?" the masked man interrupted again.

Xu Xiao Shou wanted to cry. "Yes, I'm dying to!"

"What's your name?"

"Wen Chong!" Xu Xiao Shou blurted out without thinking. "As in 'unheard of' Wen and 'replenish' Chong."

"What do you mean by 'replenish'?"

"It's like 'Chong Qi'..." Xu Xiao Shou paused, then waved his hands frantically. "You wouldn't get it..."

"Like 'surfing' Chong!"

"What's 'surfing'?"

"..."

Xu Xiao Shou admitted he was a bit panicked, but he tried to act calm and indifferent. "Like 'intelligent' Ming!"

"Oh, 'intelligent' Ming..."

The masked man's murky eyes flashed with a subtle hint of mockery. "So, your name is Wen Ming?"

"..."

Xu Xiao Shou almost burst into tears. What's wrong with me tonight—keep messing up my words!

"My name is Wen Chong!" he said weakly.

The masked man didn't respond, because Xiao Qi Xiu was already approaching.

With a flicker, the masked man soared high into the sky above E Hu, where even the rain felt colder.

Xu Xiao Shou looked down at the now tiny E Hu below, with the hundreds of enforcers on the shore reduced to a thin line, and his liver and gallbladder trembled in fear.

He didn't even dare to fly this high with his sword—falling from here would turn his innate body into a pile of mush.

"Hold on tight to me!" Xu Xiao Shou snuggled closer into the masked man's embrace. He was truly terrified right now.

The masked man chuckled, pulled out the fingers he had inserted at Xu Xiao Shou's waist, and just barely held him up. "If you don't move around, you won't fall."

Xu Xiao Shou panicked even more. Without that pain, he felt even less secure.

He thought for a moment: "How about you put your fingers back in? I'm not feeling safe."

The masked man: "..."

Is this kid sick?

Without another word, he thrust his fingers back in, and Xu Xiao Shou let out a "hmm" as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Damn it, you actually did it!"

"Pull them out, pull them out—I was joking!"

Xu Xiao Shou was completely distraught. This guy doesn't play by the rules at all!

The masked man withdrew his fingers, and before Xu Xiao Shou could catch his breath, he felt himself being thrown even higher into the air.

The howling wind nearly killed him on the spot.

"Help!"

"Shut up and watch!" the masked man snapped angrily.

Xu Xiao Shou's eyes were battered shut by the ferocious wind and rain, but his "perception" allowed him to see clearly.

He saw Xiao Qi Xiu below extend his hand, and the long sword on his back tore through the night sky with a streak of green light, like a meteor hurtling straight at the masked man.

The sword intent contained within was wildly ferocious, like a prehistoric beast; everywhere the sword passed, the raindrops in the void were pulverized into nothingness.

Xu Xiao Shou instantly realized why the masked man had thrown him away.

If he hadn't been tossed farther, he probably would have been torn apart like those raindrops before the sword even got close.

Yet the masked man remained completely unfazed.

In fact, Xu Xiao Shou vaguely heard a disdainful sneer from him.

"Among those who've dared to attack me, you're the weakest..."

Xu Xiao Shou was floored. What a bold claim!

This guy's bragging is on another level...

He felt that all his own nonchalant acts on the competition field paled in comparison.

Before he could continue his mental rant, the next second, Xu Xiao Shou's eyes widened in shock.

Without any visible movement from the masked man, he simply stared at the oncoming sword, his body emanating only a faint sword intent.

Suddenly, the sword trembled inexplicably and let out a choking sound, as if under immense pressure, before turning back and pointing straight at Xiao Qi Xiu.

Xiao Qi Xiu was stunned—his sword that had followed him for decades was turning against him?

But he had no time to think; the sword's return was even faster than when he controlled it.

Just as he tried to move, an infinite burst of sword energy exploded from his body, instantly knocking over those around him, while he himself was pinned in place by the sword energy.

Whoosh!

The sword pierced through Xiao Qi Xiu's body.

"Pfft!"

Xiao Qi Xiu's eyes were full of disbelief as blood sprayed from his seven orifices.

Xu Xiao Shou's eyeballs nearly popped out, his face pale with terror.

The masked man slowly looked up at Xu Xiao Shou, his murky eyes showing a slight change.

"If I'm not mistaken..."

"This must be the Jian Yi path you're currently walking?"