Whip Soaked in Iodine

That night, the Feng Family members who had gone out to search Luyang City for other Heavenly Demons gradually returned empty-handed.

This was within Dug's expectations.

The world inside the Simulation Arena was called Great Qian. It occupied the most fertile Central Plains and was surrounded by several smaller countries.

The combined population of those countries exceeded eighty million.

Now, only a little over six hundred contestants remained in the Simulation Arena.

More than six hundred people scattered among a population of over eighty million were like raindrops falling into the sea, unable to raise even a splash.

Even if the contestants would prioritize sects or major cities, Luyang City had several hundred thousand residents, while the Feng Family had only sent out five or six people.

For five or six people to search such a vast city for hidden trial contestants who, after taking possession of bodies, looked exactly like the locals and possessed their memories, was no different from looking for a needle in a haystack.

Running into Wang San had already been a stroke of dumb luck.

Having failed to find any other Heavenly Demons, Feng Shiyi offered a few words of comfort before sending them off to rest.

Dug and the others also went to rest separately.

Their rooms were next to one another. Feng Yunjie was at one end, Dug was beside him, Wang San was next to Dug, and Feng Shiyi was next to Wang San.

Wang San was a new addition. Feng Shiyi did not trust him, but he also feared pushing him away, so he did not dare seal his acupoints as before. He could only prevent him from escaping through close watch.

The direct disciples who had searched for Heavenly Demons slept in several rooms opposite them, with two left on duty.

Under such tight guard, Wang San, who knew no Martial Arts, had almost no chance of escaping.

Dug had his own plans, and the Feng Family had theirs, but the world was unpredictable. Things that went smoothly according to plan were few and far between.

An accident happened that very night.

In the middle of the night, exhausted from traveling and practicing Martial Arts, Dug was sleeping fitfully when two brief muffled groans suddenly woke him. Then he heard faint yet chaotic footsteps and breathing outside and on the roof.

His eyes flew open, and he rolled over into a sitting position. What was going on? A classic martial arts drama scene—an ambush at night?

Was it aimed at them? That was far too fast, wasn't it?

Where had something gone wrong? A string of questions flashed through Dug's mind. He quickly dressed, grabbed the sword and knife pouch by his bed, and shouted, "Second Master, enemy attack!"

After yelling out the warning, Dug abruptly held his breath.

The night was dark, but with his enhanced senses, his ability to see in the darkness far exceeded that of ordinary people. He vaguely saw a blowpipe pierce the window paper and extend inside.

A nighttime ambush with sleeping gas. It really was the standard package!

Dug's sudden shout startled the other party. The blowpipe jerked back, but it was already too late. With a flick of his wrist, Dug sent a Flying Dagger flying.

He had never specifically trained in hidden weapons, but Dug did not need to be like Li Xunhuan, striking throats with every throw.

At a distance of three to five meters, it was enough if the Flying Dagger hit someone. With Dug's current strength, any hit would punch a hole through flesh. Its killing power was not much weaker than a handgun's.

"Ah!" A scream rang out, and blood stained the window frame red.

At the same time.

With their tracks exposed, chaos suddenly erupted outside.

The sound of windows shattering came from next door. Dug rushed into the corridor, ignored Feng Yunjie, kicked open Wang San's door, and charged inside.

Wang San was not as alert as Dug. He had inhaled the sleeping gas and fallen unconscious. A man in black was carrying him over his shoulder and rushing toward the window.

Dug raised his hand and threw another Flying Dagger.

The man in black carried Wang San on his shoulder and had his back to Dug. He had never expected someone to throw hidden weapons in the darkness. By the time he heard the whistling wind, it was too late to dodge. The Flying Dagger struck squarely between his shoulder blades. With a scream, he collapsed to the floor.

Dug had just been about to check on Wang San.

When his personal profile suddenly began flashing.

He raised his hand and opened it.

Nothing else had changed, but an additional advanced skill had appeared: Backstab: When you attack someone from behind, your speed receives a bonus. The higher your attributes, the greater the bonus.

Holy shit?

Advanced skills were not limited to one? Could they keep being developed? Would a new skill emerge whenever the conditions matched? Dug froze, then was overcome with joy. Had he known, he would have started stabbing people in the back with Flying Daggers long ago.

Backstab restricted the direction of attack, but unlike his previous two purely supportive skills, it at least increased his offensive power.

This skill was good!

Outside the window, someone heard the commotion inside and poked his head in to look. Dug flicked a knife toward him. The man jerked his head back and dodged it. His Martial Arts were clearly superior to those of the people in the room.

At that moment.

Everything outside had descended into chaos.

Feng Shiyi's terrified voice rang out. "Iron Sand Palm? You're from the Iron Palm Gang? The Feng Family has no grudge against you. Why are you attacking Xingyu Tower at night?"

"Quick Battle, Quick Decision. Other than the Heavenly Demons, leave no one alive." Another unfamiliar voice sounded. Immediately afterward, torches were lit outside, illuminating the night.

Iron Palm Gang? Heavenly Demons?

They really had come for them. The Feng Family was small and usually drew no attention. Even if they had been exposed, it should not have happened this quickly.

There was an informant! Dug instantly understood the reason. He hurried forward, grabbed Wang San from the floor, pulled the Flying Dagger from the black-clad man's back, and quickly withdrew from the room.

Even though it was more dangerous outside, the room was filled with sleeping gas and he could not stay long. His senses might have been enhanced, but he still had to breathe. Holding his breath this long was already impressive.

In the inn's corridor.

Feng Shiyi and his nephew, along with three direct disciples of the Feng Family, were locked in combat with more than a dozen men in black. They struggled desperately, every one of them injured. The two direct disciples assigned to the night watch had already fallen in pools of blood.

The enemy had greater numbers, and their Martial Arts were superior to those of the Feng Family. Aside from Feng Shiyi, the others were practically being beaten down.

By the time Dug emerged, another Feng Family direct disciple let out a scream and died in the corridor.

The corridor was narrow, and with everyone crowded together, throwing Flying Daggers might easily injure an ally. Dug decisively tossed Wang San to the floor, drew his sword, targeted the back of a man in black besieging Feng Yunjie, and thrust his sword forward.

The men in black were well-trained and coordinated closely. One of them noticed Dug drawing his sword, withdrew from the fight, and moved to intercept him for his companion.

But Backstab's speed was too fast. The instant he stepped back, Dug had already appeared behind his companion like a ghost, his sword piercing straight through the man.

His eyes bulged. "Hall Master, there's an expert!"

Upon hearing that, several of the men in black attacking the others immediately broke away and surrounded Dug, intending to deal with him first.

Dug silently cursed his bad luck. He abruptly pulled out his sword, looked at the approaching men in black, and said rapidly, "You can't kill me. I'm a Heavenly Demon. You need to take me alive."

The men in black across from him apparently had not expected their opponent to be so spineless and froze on the spot.

One of them glanced at Dug and said, "Since you are a Heavenly Demon, put down your sword and we can take you alive."

Dug suddenly looked behind him, delight appearing on his face.

The man in black spun around, but there was no one behind him. Realizing he had been tricked, he tried to turn back, but it was too late. He decisively lunged forward, but everything was already too late.

Pain pierced his chest. A gleaming sword tip emerged from his breast. He only managed to utter the word "Despicable" before collapsing limply to the floor, dying with his eyes open.

The Backstab succeeded. A warm current flowed through Dug's entire body, raising his attributes bit by bit.

Watching their companion get ambushed and killed right before their eyes, the remaining men were consumed by grief and fury. They raised their blades and hacked at Dug together.

As Dug drew back his sword to block, he said, "I'm a Heavenly Demon. You can't kill me."

"I'm killing Heavenly Demons!" one of them said, his eyes red.

"Don't act rashly. If you kill me, your people will have died for nothing," Dug said. "When you return, will your gang leader spare you?"

Their attacks suddenly stalled. The weapons that had been aimed at Dug's vital points shifted toward his arms, legs, and other nonlethal areas, and the force behind them clearly weakened.

They could not kill him, but wounding him would do just as well. These people were not foolish enough to stop fighting simply because Dug had talked them into it.

But fighting this way inevitably left them constrained, and every one of them felt utterly stifled.

Dug had the Third Eye, so he had already found it easy to handle being surrounded. Now, the pressure on him was drastically reduced. He casually blocked the blades and swords coming at him, swept his gaze over the group, and said, "That's more like it. Killing someone and capturing someone are two different things. Don't ruin the Iron Palm Gang's grand plan because of a moment of impulse. If the mission fails and you get yourselves killed too, wouldn't that be a terrible loss? The dead are gone, but the living still have to keep living. You need to look on the bright side of things. You on the left, keep your swing tighter. It's fine if you hurt me, but don't hurt your companion..."