The Whip Dipped in Iodine

That evening, the Feng Family members who had been searching for other Heavenly Demons in Luyang City returned one after another, having found nothing.

This was within Dug's expectations.

The world within the Simulation Arena was called Great Qian, occupying the most fertile central plains, surrounded by several smaller countries.

The total population of these countries amounted to over eighty million people.

Currently, only just over six hundred players remained in the Simulation Arena.

Six hundred people, scattered among a population of eighty million, were like raindrops falling into the ocean—not even a ripple would be stirred.

Even if players primarily chose sects or large cities, Luyang City had hundreds of thousands of residents, and the Feng Family had only sent out five or six people.

Five or six people searching for assessment players who had been Body Snatching, looked exactly like locals, and possessed native memories, hidden within the vast Luyang City, was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.

Bumping into a Wang San was already incredibly lucky for them.

Having found no other Heavenly Demons, Feng Shiyi offered a few words of comfort and then sent them off to rest.

Dug and the others also retired for the night.

Their rooms were adjacent: Feng Yunjie was on one side, then Dug, then Wang San, and finally Feng Shiyi next to Wang San.

Wang San was a newcomer, and Feng Shiyi didn't trust him. Fearing he might become disloyal, he didn't dare to use acupuncture points on him as before, resorting instead to close supervision to prevent his escape.

The several direct disciples who had been searching for Heavenly Demons slept in the rooms opposite, and two guards were left on duty.

With such strict oversight, there was almost no chance of Wang San, who had no martial arts skills, escaping.

Dug had his own plans, and the Feng Family had theirs, but life is unpredictable, and things rarely go smoothly according to plan.

The unexpected happened that very night.

In the middle of the night, Dug, who had been traveling and practicing martial arts, was sound asleep when he was suddenly awakened by two short, muffled grunts. Then, he heard faint but noisy footsteps and breathing outside and on the roof.

His eyes snapped open. He sat up abruptly. What's going on? A classic scene from a wuxia drama—a night raid?

Targeting them? This came too fast!

Where did something go wrong? A series of questions flashed through Dug's mind. He quickly put on his clothes, grabbing the sword and sword bag from his bedside. "Second Master, enemy attack!"

After shouting a warning, Dug held his breath.

The night was very dark, but with his enhanced senses, his ability to see in the dark far surpassed that of ordinary people. He could vaguely make out a blowgun piercing through the paper window, extending inward.

A night raid with knockout gas? Seriously, it's the standard package!

Dug's sudden shout startled the other party. The blowgun quickly retracted, but it was too late. Dug flicked his hand, and a flying knife was already thrown.

He hadn't specifically trained in hidden weapons, but Dug didn't need to hit every throat like Li Xunhuan.

From three to five meters away, it was enough for the flying knife to hit someone. With Dug's current strength, if it hit, it would create a hole in the body, its lethality not much worse than a handgun.

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

At the same time, their presence revealed, chaos erupted outside.

The sound of shattering glass came from the next room. Dug rushed into the corridor, ignoring Feng Yunjie, and kicked open Wang San's room door, barging in.

Wang San wasn't as vigilant as Dug; he had fallen into a coma from the knockout gas. At that moment, he was being carried on the shoulder of a black-clad figure who was rushing toward the window.

Dug raised his hand and threw another flying knife.

The black-clad figure was carrying Wang San and had his back to Dug. Moreover, he hadn't expected anyone to throw hidden weapons in the dark. By the time he heard the wind, it was too late to dodge. The flying knife struck him directly in the back. With a scream, he fell to the ground.

Dug was about to go check on Wang San.

Suddenly, his personal profile flashed.

He raised his hand and opened his personal profile.

Other categories hadn't changed, but an additional item appeared under advanced skills: Backstab: You attack others from behind, gaining a speed bonus. The higher your attributes, the greater the bonus.

What the hell?

Advanced skills aren't just one, they can be continuously developed? New skills are born when conditions are met? Dug was stunned, then ecstatic. If I'd known this, I would have stabbed people from behind with flying knives much earlier.

Backstab, although it restricted the direction of attack, wasn't like the previous two purely supportive skills. At least it increased attack power.

This skill is good!

Outside the window, someone heard the commotion inside the room and peered in. Dug raised his hand and threw a knife. The person quickly ducked their head, dodging it. Their martial arts were clearly superior to the person inside the room.

At this moment, the outside was in complete disarray.

Feng Shiyi's terrified voice came through: "Iron Sand Palm? You're from the Iron Palm Gang? The Feng Family has no grievances with you, why are you raiding Xingyu Tower at night?"

"Finish this quickly. Besides the Heavenly Demon, leave no one alive." Another unfamiliar voice said. Immediately after, torches lit up outside the window, illuminating the night.

Iron Palm Gang? Heavenly Demon?

As expected, they were coming for them. The Feng Family was small; normally, no one paid them any mind, so it couldn't have been exposed this quickly.

There's an internal mole! Dug instantly understood the reason. He took two quick steps, picked up Wang San from the ground, and pulled the flying dagger out of the black-clad man's back, then swiftly retreated from the room.

Even if it was more dangerous outside, there was anesthetic smoke in the room, and he couldn't stay long. Although his five senses were enhanced, he still needed to breathe, and holding his breath for this long was already remarkable.

***

The inn corridor.

Feng Shiyi and his nephew, along with three direct descendants of the Feng Family, were entangled in a bitter struggle with over a dozen black-clad men. They were all injured, and the two direct descendants who had been on night patrol were already dead in pools of blood.

The enemy outnumbered them and were more skilled in martial arts than the Feng Family members. Aside from Feng Shiyi, the other Feng Family members were largely being overwhelmed.

Just as Dug emerged, another Feng Family direct descendant screamed and died in the corridor.

The corridor was narrow, and with everyone crowded together, throwing flying daggers could easily injure their own people. Dug decisively threw Wang San to the ground, drew his longsword, aimed at the back of a black-clad man who was attacking Feng Yunjie, and thrust his sword forward.

The black-clad men were well-trained and cooperated effectively. A nearby black-clad man saw Dug draw his sword, moved out of the fight, and intercepted Dug for his comrade.

But the speed of the Backstab was too fast. As soon as he drew back, Dug was already like a phantom, pressing against his comrade's back, his longsword piercing clean through the man.

His eyes bulged wide. "Hall Master, we have an expert."

Hearing this, several black-clad men who were attacking others immediately broke off and surrounded Dug, intending to deal with him first.

Dug cursed under his breath, then violently pulled out his longsword. Looking at the surrounding black-clad men, he quickly said, "You can't kill me. I'm a Heavenly Demon; you need to keep me alive!"

The several black-clad men opposite seemed not to have expected him to be such a coward and were suddenly stunned on the spot.

One of the black-clad men looked at Dug and said, "Since you're a Heavenly Demon, put down your longsword, and we can spare your life."

Dug suddenly looked behind the man, a look of surprise on his face.

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

A sharp pain shot through his chest as a gleaming sword tip emerged from his front. He only had time to utter the word "Despicable" before he slumped to the ground, his eyes wide open in death.

The Backstab was successful, and a warm current spread throughout Dug's body, his attributes increasing bit by bit.

Seeing their comrade ambushed and killed right before their eyes, the remaining few were filled with grief and indignation, raising their blades and hacking at Dug in unison.

Dug parried with his sword while saying, "I'm a Heavenly Demon, you can't kill me."

"I'll kill any Heavenly Demon," one of them said with bloodshot eyes.

"Don't be impulsive. If you kill me, your people will have died for nothing," Dug said. "When you go back, will the gang leader spare you?"

The men's attacks suddenly faltered. The weapons that were aimed at Dug's vital points shifted to his arms, legs, and other non-fatal areas, and the force of their blows was noticeably lighter.

They couldn't kill him, but injuring him was just as good. These people weren't so easily fooled by Dug that they would stop fighting.

But fighting like this inevitably left them constrained and utterly frustrated.

Dug had his Third Eye, so he was already at ease when being surrounded, and now the pressure was greatly reduced. He easily blocked the blades and swords aimed at him, scanning the crowd as he said, "That's better. Killing someone and capturing someone are two different things. Don't ruin the Iron Palm Gang's big plan because of a momentary impulse. If you don't complete the mission and you get yourselves killed, it's not worth it. The dead are gone, but the living must continue. You need to think broadly. You, on the left, swing your knife with less force. It's not a big deal if you injure me, but don't hurt your comrades…"