Slaughter

Just now, Xiao Ming, who was in the main hall, heard the sounds of fighting coming from upstairs again and wondered whether he should go up and deal with them.

But before Xiao Ming could make any unnecessary moves, he heard a set of footsteps approaching from the Back Courtyard.

Before the person even arrived, Xiao Ming heard their voice.

"Ha ha ha, Boss, are things all right over here? A few crafty bastards on my side didn't fall for the Muscle-softening Powder, but we still took them down easily. Boss, you... uh, what happened here?!"

Following the voice, Xiao Ming saw Scarface standing at the doorway leading to the small courtyard, staring into the main hall with shock written all over his face. Behind him, a group of underlings carried several people on their shoulders.

"Scarface, why are you blocking the doorway? Move aside and let us in."

The voice of a skinny man came from behind Scarface.

Right afterward, the skinny man appeared before Xiao Ming as well.

The moment the skinny man appeared at the doorway, he too noticed the state of the main hall.

Broken tables and chairs littered the floor, along with several craters in the stone. Their boss, who normally put immense pressure on them, lay motionless in the corner, his entire body charred black.

Seeing this, the skinny man, who had spent so long in the Black Corner Region, could say with certainty that their boss was thoroughly dead!

The person who could kill their eldest brother had to be at least a Da Dou Shi.

Damn it! Hadn't Scarface said there were no experts? Where had this one come from?

"That black-robed figure is the little Shorty from daytime. Scarface, didn't you say he was young and not very strong? What the hell is this now?! He killed Big Brother, and you call that not very strong?!"

Black-faced Fatty also appeared at the doorway. His already dark cheeks seemed to have turned several shades darker as he questioned Scarface.

Hearing that, Scarface's expression darkened. "Th-this... who knew he was so strong?"

Scarface was utterly helpless. If you were strong, then just show it! Why hide it?

It was nothing shameful. That pretty boy last time had been the same way. It was infuriating!

Xiao Ming listened to their conversation with some surprise.

He had not expected to have been exposed long ago, despite having carefully disguised himself.

But when he thought about how they had underestimated him because he was a child, Xiao Ming almost laughed.

If he remembered correctly, when he had first entered the Black Corner Region aboard the flying Magical Beast convoy, Instructor Ge Hu had told them to pay special attention to the elderly, women, and children here.

These people had spent so long in the Black Corner Region. How could they not know to be more careful?

What Xiao Ming did not know was that this group of traffickers was already considered quite powerful in Green Rock Town.

Even if children in the Black Corner Region were not ordinary, they were still nothing much to these people. After all, who would have imagined that such a young Da Dou Shi would appear here? Not to mention that even an ordinary Da Dou Shi would suffer at their hands.

But now that they had run into Xiao Ming, they could only count themselves unlucky.

"Cough, cough. Boss is dead. Should we run?" Seeing that Xiao Ming had made no move, Scarface at the doorway could not help suggesting it. He had no intention whatsoever of avenging his dead eldest brother.

Before he could get an answer from his companions, he caught a flash of crimson sword light shooting toward him from the corner of his eye.

The sword light was incredibly fast. Fortunately, Scarface had not spent years fighting in the Black Corner Region for nothing. His reaction was quick, and he rolled awkwardly across the ground, barely avoiding the sword light.

Scarface avoided it, but the underlings behind him, who possessed only the strength of Dou Zhes, were not so fortunate. Three or four Dou Zhes standing in a row screamed as the sword light pierced straight through them.

External Dou Qi!

This kid really was a Da Dou Shi!

Scarface climbed to his feet. Though his reaction had been quick, Xiao Ming had still left a bloody cut across his face. He raised a hand and wiped the blood away, abandoning all thoughts of escape as he said coldly, "We can't leave now. This kid wants our lives."

Black-faced Fatty licked the blood flowing down his face, not knowing whose it was. Dense killing intent filled his eyes as he said grimly, "Then let's fight him. Ding Lao'er is still upstairs, and we have so many people. What are we afraid of? He must have used up a lot of Dou Qi fighting Big Brother just now. Everyone, attack together!"

Hearing this, Scarface lightly twisted his neck. A faint glow of Dou Qi began flickering over his body. He clenched his iron fists fitted with gauntlets, and his knuckles cracked sharply.

Scarface, the fatty, and the skinny man exchanged glances. Then they stomped heavily on the ground and charged at Xiao Ming like gigantic Magical Beasts, rampaging straight ahead.

After hesitating for a moment, the underlings behind them put down the people they had captured and rushed forward as well.

With so many people, their momentum was rather startling.

Xiao Ming's eyelid twitched, but his hands did not stop moving. He directly poured two bottles of Qi Recovery and Healing Medicinal Pills into his mouth.

He tossed away the bottles, planted his sword at his feet, raised his palm, rapidly formed a series of hand seals, then suddenly spread his hand and shouted, "Get lost!"

The Three Flame Ethereal Seal had already formed and flew toward Scarface and the others.

The charging Scarface and his group changed expressions, halted their steps, and hurriedly dodged aside.

Bang! At the muffled blast, the bloodthirstiness that had just appeared on the skinny man's face froze slightly. He turned around and saw that more than half of their underlings were already dead or wounded.

He muttered in terror, This strength... how is that possible?!

"Don't hesitate! Attack together! He can't use that kind of attack many times!"

Scarface stomped the ground once more. This time, he was clearly much faster than before. The fierce wind pressure generated by his wild charge lifted Xiao Ming's black robe, revealing his youthful face.

"Heh heh, I've been waiting for you for quite a while." Xiao Ming's lips curved upward as he madly drew upon the Dou Qi inside his body and channeled it through the meridians of his right arm into the sword. Flames blazed across its blade, wildly evaporating the moisture in the air and making his small figure seem slightly distorted.

He stepped forward and slashed diagonally, sending several enormous Flame Sword Qis flying toward Scarface and the others at the front.

Seeing the Flame Sword Qis flying toward them, Scarface and the others gritted their teeth. Dou Qi of various colors surged over their bodies as they tightly gripped their weapons and launched their attacks.

"Mountain Shaking Fist!"

"Blood Shadow Claw!"

"Shadowless Blade!"

Bang!

The three who received the attack head-on felt their arms go numb and their entire bodies burn. Their charging bodies were forced backward.

Before they could steady themselves, Xiao Ming silently appeared before them. Raising his sword, he brought down its fierce Vigor Qi toward their necks.

After using Shadow Chasing Wind, Xiao Ming's speed had increased significantly. Moreover, his strength had already surpassed theirs.

Thus, only when the sword shadows were about to reach their heads did the three notice them. Their expressions changed drastically, and in their panic, they hurriedly raised their weapons before their bodies as Dou Qi surged forth, constantly strengthening their defenses.

Boom!

The crimson sword shadow crashed heavily onto the three men's weapons. Three muffled bangs rang out in unison, followed by a flush appearing on their faces as their feet scraped across the floor and they rapidly retreated.

Xiao Ming wielded a Fifth Tier Magic Core Sword, far beyond the weapons Scarface and the other two could compare to. After the repeated collisions, fine cracks had already appeared in their weapons.

Scarface even felt that his gauntlets were on the verge of breaking, and despair could not help appearing on his face.

At that moment, a figure suddenly lunged at Xiao Ming from the second-floor staircase.

Xiao Ming struck the attacker back with a backhand slash, then stood in the center of the main hall and stopped attacking.

Seeing the newcomer, Scarface and the other two could not help breathing sighs of relief. Together with him, they surrounded Xiao Ming.

"Ding Lao'er, you finally came down!"

"If you had been any slower, we would have been dead!"

"Stop talking nonsense. Be careful. This guy is no weakling. Attack together."

Ding Lao'er, who had just arrived in the main hall, did not wish to say more. Dou Qi burst from his body and condensed into armor as he called for everyone to attack together.

The moment he finished speaking, the dozen or so figures still standing in the main hall pounced toward Xiao Ming.

"Mountain Shaking Fist!"

"Blood Shadow Claw!"

"Shadowless Mad Blade!"

"..."

Within the hall, figures darted and flashed. Loud explosions and energy ripples erupted with every collision of Dou Qi as Ding Lao'er and his group used every means possible to strike Xiao Ming.

This placed immense pressure on Xiao Ming. Fortunately, most of these people were merely Dou Zhes and posed little threat to him. Only Scarface and the few others at the Dou Shi level or above required his attention.

Amid the crisscrossing sword shadows, Xiao Ming grew increasingly proficient in using his Dou Skills, and from time to time, he even gained new insights.

The more fiercely Xiao Ming fought, the more excited he became. Wasn't this precisely why he had come out—to experience battles fought with the resolve to die?

But Ding Lao'er and the others grew more horrified the longer they fought. "Damn it, what is wrong with this kid?! We've fought for so long, yet his Dou Qi hasn't decreased. His moves are only getting more practiced, and he even kills one of our brothers every so often."

As the battle continued, fewer and fewer people remained. In the end, only Xiao Ming, Ding Lao'er, Scarface, and a few others stood in the main hall.

By this point in the battle, Xiao Ming was somewhat out of breath. His black robe was covered in dust, and several holes could even be seen in it, showing that he had been hit as well.

Seeing Xiao Ming reveal signs of fatigue, Ding Lao'er and the others exchanged glances, each seeing the excitement in the other's eyes.

Good kid, you were finally running out of steam.

One final blow would finish him.

The four of them tacitly drained the Dou Qi within their bodies and unleashed their strongest attacks.

"Shadowless Mad Blade!"

"Mountain Shaking Fist!"

"..."

Xiao Ming sneered at the surging auras of the four men.

"Three Flame Ethereal Seal!"

Xiao Ming threw out his sword. Flames surged across the treasured blade, carving out a Flame Sword Qi, followed closely by a blue-pink jade seal that instantly engulfed Ding Lao'er and the others.

After four screams, these traffickers completely lost their life, turning into several lumps of charred black coke that fell to the ground.

Xiao Ming stepped forward, pulled the treasured sword from the ground, flourished it, and returned it to its sheath.

Looking at the corpses filling the room and sensing the still-abundant Dou Qi in his body, he let out a soft breath.

"Heh heh, you didn't expect this, did you? I'm an alchemist. What I lack least are medicinal pills that restore Qi."

The fire Xiao Ming had set earlier had grown increasingly fierce during their battle. Wood crackled as it burned, and the room was filled with the nauseating smell of charred flesh.

Seeing this scene, Xiao Ming could not help frowning. Knowing that it was not wise to remain here long, he abandoned the thought of searching every corpse for spoils and only focused on the bodies of the leaders.

Several corpses had already become charred coke, so there was not much left on them.

In the end, Xiao Ming removed a Na Ring from the Gaunt Old Man's finger and left.

All that remained was the half-burned inn, still continuing to blaze.