The Men He Killed Were This Official's Men

The Flower Plucking Bandit, having just dodged Lin Xiao's slash, was about to leap through the window and flee.

Then a bead of cold sweat suddenly slid down his cheek.

For Lin Xiao had somehow appeared before the window, blocking his escape route.

"How is that possible?"

"Y-you, how can you be so fast?"

Lin Xiao did not answer him with words, but with an icy, merciless bloodstained blade.

Rip!!!

The Flower Plucking Bandit's clothes were slashed open across his chest, and he had nearly been disemboweled.

Knowing how formidable Lin Xiao was, the Flower Plucking Bandit dared not hesitate. He spun around and charged for the door again. The window was no longer an option—Lin Xiao was standing there.

Yet before he could reach the door, Lin Xiao was already waiting there once more, endless mockery written across his face.

"I refuse to believe you're really that fast."

The Flower Plucking Bandit circulated all his true qi, abruptly turned back midway, and charged at the window again.

This time, Lin Xiao stopped toying with him. He intercepted the Flower Plucking Bandit in midair, and a blade light swift as lightning flashed past. A scream rang out.

One of the Flower Plucking Bandit's arms flew high into the air.

The assault did not stop. Lin Xiao thrust out a finger, shattering the Flower Plucking Bandit's Martial Dantian. After falling to the ground, he curled into a ball in agony, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

From beginning to end, the battle had lasted only an instant. By the time Su Wan'er came back to her senses, the Flower Plucking Bandit was already lying on the ground, powerless to resist.

Lin Xiao stepped forward, searched through the Flower Plucking Bandit's robes, then tossed a jade vial to Su Wan'er.

"This should be the antidote to the aphrodisiac. Go give it to those people."

Su Wan'er caught the antidote Lin Xiao had thrown her in a daze, still unable to recover from the shock of his strength.

The Flower Plucking Bandit had wreaked havoc across Stability Prefecture for ten years, committed over a thousand crimes, and given countless righteous heroes headaches—yet he had been captured just like that?

She still had some impression of Lin Xiao.

After all, they had met on Lingyun Lake only that day. How could she have forgotten him so quickly?

"Th-thank you, my lord, for saving my life."

Though shaken to the core, Su Wan'er did not forget to offer her thanks.

"Boy, you'd better let me go, or you'll be in serious trouble. Do you know who I am?"

Lying on the ground, the Flower Plucking Bandit suddenly began issuing threats.

Lin Xiao gave him an indifferent glance. "And what does it matter who you are? This official will see you brought to justice."

"Hehe, my master is the altar master of the White Lotus Sect's Stability Prefecture branch. His strength entered the Grandmaster Realm long ago."

"If you seize me, your death date will arrive as well."

The Flower Plucking Bandit invoked his master's name, wanting to see fear on Lin Xiao's face.

But to his disappointment, Lin Xiao's expression barely changed. Only upon hearing the name White Lotus Sect did his face show the slightest flicker.

"If it were the White Lotus Sect Leader, perhaps this official would be somewhat wary. But a mere branch altar master—if he dares come, this official will have his head fall to the ground."

Not to mention that once the mission was complete, he could return and claim the max-level Heaven and Earth Converging Yin-Yang Great Compassion Ode. Even with his current strength, he had no fear whatsoever of facing a Grandmaster.

The thirteenth level of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill was no empty reputation.

If he unleashed it with all his strength, then in terms of sheer power alone, even a Grandmaster would not dare take it head-on.

That was where his confidence came from.

Once he returned and finished cultivating the max-level Heaven and Earth Converging Yin-Yang Great Compassion Ode, his realm might directly break through into the Grandmaster Realm.

With the Heaven and Earth Converging Yin-Yang Great Compassion Ode and the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, two peerless arts, at his command, even among Grandmasters, he would count as a formidable expert.

"How arrogant. We'll see whether you can still talk so tough when you face my master. I only hope you won't be kneeling on the ground and begging for mercy, hahaha..."

The Flower Plucking Bandit burst into crazed laughter.

But before he could finish laughing, he began howling in pain again.

Lin Xiao had stepped forward and crushed both his legs beneath his feet, one after the other.

The sound of bones shattering made Su Wan'er tremble all over.

"M-my lord, I'll go deliver the antidote to my father and the others first."

By then, within the Su Family, martial artists below the Innate Realm had long since lost their minds to the aphrodisiac, their beastly lust exploding forth.

The martial artists above the Innate Realm, meanwhile, sat cross-legged where they were, circulating their inner power to fight the drug's effects.

"The antidote is here!"

A Su Family servant shouted loudly, carrying bowl after bowl of water mixed with the antidote and delivering them one by one.

Before long, calm finally returned to the entire Su Family.

Yet when those who had recovered saw the many martial artists lying in pools of blood, every one of them wore an ugly expression.

"Big Brother..."

"My brother."

"Brother Ren."

"Who was it? Who killed you? I swear I'll avenge you."

Seeing their brothers and friends killed, the group all gnashed their teeth in fury.

"I know who it was. Though I was poisoned at the time, I still retained a shred of consciousness. I saw a Jinyiwei kill them."

"A Jinyiwei?"

Clang!!!

The martial artists of the jianghu drew their weapons one after another, glaring fiercely at the Jinyiwei.

"What are you trying to do? Do you intend to make a move against us?"

A Banner Officer also drew his long saber, leading the Jinyiwei guards in a standoff against the jianghu martial artists.

"It was you court lackeys who killed my brother. I'll avenge him! Today, not one of you lackeys will leave the Su Family estate alive."

Just as the two sides stood with swords drawn and bows bent, a body was suddenly thrown down between them. It was the Flower Plucking Bandit, already unconscious from the pain.

Before anyone could react, a terrifying pressure descended.

The jianghu martial artist who had been shouting about avenging his brother was cut down with a single slash.

All they saw was a flash of blood, and then the martial artist collapsed into a pool of blood.

Lin Xiao slowly came to a stop, his gaze devoid of all emotion as he looked at the jianghu martial artists.

"I was the one who killed them. If you want revenge, come and try."

Hiss!!!

Lin Xiao killed without mercy the moment he made his move, and his aura was so powerful that it crushed the breath from everyone's lungs. Many secretly grew fearful, their breathing turning rapid.

Since when had the Jinyiwei produced such a ruthless man?

Although the imperial court and the jianghu had never been on good terms, both sides had always exercised restraint and would not kill without cause.

Yet this man cared nothing for the rules, killing at the slightest disagreement.

Was he not afraid of deepening the hatred between the imperial court and the jianghu?