Chu Bufan,under the hospitality of Huang Bingcheng,indulged himself in feasting at Shenglong Restaurant.However,Wu Daoyuan had a stern expression throughout the journey,intimidating Hou Ming into cautiously keeping silent.
As they were about to leave the territory of Jin Yue Fang,Hou Ming couldn't help but ask in a low voice,"Master Uncle,what should we do now?Should we let Su Xin go?"
"Slap!"
Wu Daoyuan directly slapped Hou Ming's face and scolded,"Let him go?After he killed members of my Qingcheng Sword Sect,you think we can just let it slide?Where would we put the face of Qingcheng Sword Sect?"
Hou Ming,holding his face,complained,"Then what should we do?Su Xin rode out of the city on a fast horse yesterday,and we have no idea where to pursue him now."
Hou Ming now felt that this trip to Southern Chu was a mistake.Instead of gaining benefits,they had gotten themselves into a big trouble.Yet,he couldn't be blamed for this matter.
After arriving in Southern Chu,they had been lurking outside Changning Mansion,waiting for news from Fang Dongting.However,Wu Daoyuan left on his own due to personal matters,and if he had been with them,he would have surely detected Su Xin's cunning plan.
Now,with Su Xin gone,Wu Daoyuan didn't acknowledge his own mistake but vented his anger on Hou Ming,leaving him resentful but afraid to speak up.
Wu Daoyuan coldly snorted,"Don't know where to pursue?Can't you figure it out?Even if he's riding a fast horse,how far can he run in a day?Don't tell me the speed of your cultivation,even as a Pre-Natal Warrior,is slower than an ordinary fast horse!"
For Pre-Natal Warriors,even without specialized training in light-footed techniques,infusing internal energy into their feet could make them faster than ordinary fast horses,although it consumed more energy.Typically,unless there was an emergency,people wouldn't push themselves so hard.
Wu Daoyuan said coldly,"Blood Cloth Tower has a branch in Changning Mansion.Let him find the person in charge of Blood Cloth Tower in Southern Chu.We need Su Xin's exact location."
Hou Ming was surprised,"Master Uncle,are you hiring Blood Cloth Tower's assassins to kill Su Xin?"
"Idiot!"Wu Daoyuan scolded,"We,Qingcheng Sword Sect,are a reputable sect.Hiring assassins from Blood Cloth Tower—what would people think of us?We are just spending money to gather information about Su Xin."
Blood Cloth Tower,as a notorious assassin organization,was not liked by the martial world,but Qingcheng Sword Sect had no local resources in Southern Chu,and cooperation was necessary.
Hou Ming nodded obediently,and Wu Daoyuan pointed to another disciple,saying,"You go back to the sect and report,let the sect offer a high reward for Su Xin's head on the Black List,spare no expense."
Hearing Wu Daoyuan's arrangement,Hou Ming was shocked.Not only were they chasing Su Xin,but Wu Daoyuan was also willing to go to any lengths to take Su Xin's life.
Even if they couldn't catch Su Xin in Southern Chu,with the reward on the Black List,Su Xin would have a hard time escaping death.
Hou Ming and the others wasted no time and immediately followed Wu Daoyuan's orders.
Meanwhile,Su Xin was desperately fleeing.Since escaping from Changning Mansion the day before,he had urged his horse relentlessly.After a day,the horse had foamed at the mouth and died.
At this point,Su Xin had covered more than 300 miles from Changning Mansion.Despite being alone in an apparently deserted forest,he felt an impending sense of danger,as if something was constantly watching him.
After dismounting,Su Xin took some less-traveled paths,intending to leave Southern Chu directly.
The entire Southern Chu region lacked official roads,consisting mainly of small paths through dense forests.Some paths were shorter,but they were often infested with bandits who set up strongholds in the mountains.
Although Su Xin was not afraid of these bandits with his current strength,he didn't want to waste time dealing with them.Therefore,he chose longer,less-used paths.
After walking for three days without much rest,Su Xin was finally about to exit the forest and leave the Southern Chu region.
Just as Su Xin rested briefly,preparing to leave,a strong killing intent suddenly struck him.He leaped away,narrowly avoiding a sword qi attack at his original position.
Wu Daoyuan,along with Hou Ming and two other disciples of Qingcheng Sword Sect,appeared in front of Su Xin.Another disciple had gone back to report to the sect and did not follow.
Hou Ming and the others looked quite disheveled.Following Wu Daoyuan,who was at the pinnacle of the Divine Palace Realm,was challenging,and they barely managed to keep up.
Seeing that they had finally caught up with Su Xin,Hou Ming breathed a sigh of relief and sent a sword qi towards Su Xin.However,to his surprise,Su Xin was so alert that he managed to dodge the attack.
"Are you Su Xin?Killing disciples of my Qingcheng Sword Sect and still daring to mock us.You have quite the audacity!"Wu Daoyuan,looking at Su Xin,was also surprised by Su Xin's youth.
"It's not that I have audacity,but Fang Dongting wants to kill me.Of course,I have to fight back.Even pigs and sheep wouldn't stand still to be slaughtered,"Su Xin replied.
Sighing in secret,Su Xin prepared himself to exchange for life-saving consumables at any time within the spatial realm.Faced with the peak Divine Palace Realm expert Wu Daoyuan,Su Xin had no intention of resisting.
He had witnessed Jiang Ling's strength in Jiangling,where Xie Zhiyan had used all her means,likely even her sect's life-saving card,to defeat Jiang Ling.However,Wu Daoyuan's strength surpassed Jiang Ling's by a considerable margin,and directly confronting him would be seeking death.
Su Xin hoped that using consumables could delay Wu Daoyuan and give him a chance to escape.
Wu Daoyuan chuckled and said,"Well said!Indeed,even pigs and sheep wouldn't willingly let themselves be slaughtered.However,I've always been result-oriented,not concerned with the process.I only know that you killed disciples of my Qingcheng Sword Sect and played tricks on us."
Wu Daoyuan's expression turned dark,"Now,I'll give you a chance to end yourself.If I bring you back for the Qingcheng Sword Sect's judgment,your death won't be so easy."
Su Xin wasn't deceived by his words.Killing Su Xin would settle the score for the Qingcheng Sword Sect.However,there was another identity to consider—Fang Dongting's only son,Elder Fang Rui's grandson.
If Su Xin were taken back for judgment,it was foreseeable that Fang Rui,seeking revenge for Fang Dongting,would resort to extreme measures.By then,Su Xin's chances of survival would be slim.
"Sorry,I've said it before.I'm not a sheep or pig;I won't let anyone slaughter me willingly!"
Su Xin let out a breath,his left hand already gripping the hilt of the Youlong Sword.
"Ignorant and stubborn!Since that's the case,I'll grant your wish!"
Wu Daoyuan drew a long sword from behind him,a peculiar red sword with a curved surface.When he thrust the sword,a momentary heat wave enveloped it.Violent flames condensed on the sword,bursting into intense heat,as if intending to burn the heavens and boil the seas!
In Su Xin's eyes,the raging flames vaguely formed the shape of a vermilion bird,soaring and singing in the sky,making it difficult for Su Xin to keep his eyes open.
"Is this the peak Divine Palace Realm strength?"
Jiang Ling could release a large-scale True Qi attack within three yards,but on Wu Daoyuan,Su Xin sensed a taste of'Dao.'
The flame-formed vermilion bird on Wu Daoyuan's sword already had the embryonic form of'Dao.'When he could fully materialize this vermilion bird and infuse it with the true meaning of Vermilion Bird,he would reach the Yuan Shen Realm,becoming a true martial arts master.
Facing this sword that already had the embryonic form of'Dao,'Su Xin was about to enter the system to exchange for consumables.However,at this moment,a figure descended from the sky,a blade slashing down,directly shattering the flame-formed vermilion bird.
Wu Daoyuan felt a great force coming,and the red sword in his hand trembled,as if on the verge of shattering!
Behind,Su Xin widened his eyes.The one who intervened was unexpectedly the Chief Arrestor of the East Twelve Districts,Iron Merciless!
At this moment,Iron Merciless wielded a strangely shaped curved knife,his face still bearing his trademark faint smile.
Su Xin knew that Iron Merciless was formidable,likely possessing the cultivation of the Pre-Natal Realm,or he wouldn't be able to suppress the various forces in the East Twelve Districts.
However,Su Xin couldn't have anticipated that Iron Merciless had the strength of the Divine Palace Realm,and judging by appearances,he was much stronger than Wu Daoyuan.
"Who are you?Why did you help this kid?He killed disciples of my Qingcheng Sword Sect and deserves to die!"
Wu Daoyuan squinted,revealing the mysterious person's identity.To prevent complications,he directly pointed out their identities and Su Xin's crimes,hoping to make the person back off.
But Iron Merciless still wore a faint smile and said,"Who am I?It's simple.I'm here to kill you."
As he spoke,Iron Merciless drew another curved knife from his waist,forming a pair with his original one.
The two strangely shaped knives he wielded looked like bird wings,with large and curved blades.The handles had grooved handguards that could connect the two knives.
Seeing these two already peculiar curved knives,Wu Daoyuan seemed to recall something,but Iron Merciless didn't give him a chance.With a swift movement,he lunged toward Hou Ming and the others.
"Daring!"
Wu Daoyuan shouted angrily but was too late to rescue them.Iron Merciless'figure moved like a ghost,and in a split second,transparent blade radiance flashed across the sky.Two Pre-Natal Qi and Sea Realm disciples had their throats cleanly severed!
