Leading the Rescue, Murder Lurking in the Shadows

Leading the Rescue, Murder Lurking in the Shadows

Leading the Rescue, Murder Lurking in the Shadows

"Lin Mo?!"

Seeing that somewhat familiar face, Li Hao felt a jumble of emotions. Looking at the Water Ghost heads scattered across the ground, he was already at a loss for what to do.

"Who are you?" Lin Mo tilted his head toward him.

"Li Hao. I've been filling in for your patrol these past few days..." Li Hao came to his senses. With the situation so urgent, he had no time to feel jealous anymore.

He hurriedly evacuated the mother and daughter from the tailor shop.

Then he said, "There are too many Water Ghosts at East Third Pier. I simply couldn't fight them head-on... I was driven into this street district."

Lin Mo understood.

When facing these Water Ghosts, it was only natural for First Stage martial artists unfamiliar with their weaknesses to suffer badly.

These Water Ghosts had distinct strengths and weaknesses—one could even call them extreme. They were slower than ordinary people, yet their bodies were as hard as steel.

"Cut their necks. That spot is far more fragile!"

After explaining, Lin Mo looked toward the depths of the pier, where mist billowed everywhere. Quite a few Water Ghosts were still drifting out leisurely, and he had already made up his mind.

With his abilities, even if he could not defeat them, he could protect himself and retreat. If there were merely many Water Ghosts, he could still deal with them given enough time.

He looked at Li Hao and asked, "Brother, want to charge in and kill with me?"

Lin Mo had already seen quite a few martial artists nearby gathering into small teams. After truly experiencing the obvious weaknesses of these Water Ghosts, the Changhe County martial artists who had originally been retreating step by step now had the ability to push deeper and clear them out.

There were dozens of piers, and at nearly every one, the Four Great Families had directed one or two small teams to sweep away the Water Ghosts.

"East Third Pier is ours to guard, after all. Naturally, I have that duty!"

Li Hao's gaze was resolute. He agreed almost without a second thought. As a member of the Li family, his sense of responsibility was no weaker than Lin Mo's.

"Brother Lin, why not take me along as well?"

From afar at the other end of the street district came a tall, upright figure in a blue shirt and fitted martial attire, his arms unusually long. It was Zhu Hao, who had suffered serious injuries a few days ago.

"Brother Zhu, your body...?"

"Thanks to you, the Li family also rewarded me with medicine. Not only have all my injuries healed, but I've even got one foot through the door of the Second Stage!"

Zhu Hao grinned, his eyes gleaming sharply. Clearly, he had rushed here in haste as well, rubbing his fists and itching for a fight.

"Then I'll lead the way, and you two cover the flanks!"

Lin Mo did not hesitate. The three of them stepped into the mist-shrouded depths of East Third Pier. In only a moment, several Water Ghosts pounced like wolves scenting blood.

Their savage mouthparts and blue-gray skin pierced through the fog in an instant, entering the trio's sight.

The fog was thick. An ordinary First Stage martial artist could see no more than a dozen or so meters ahead, but golden light flickered in Lin Mo's eyes as he possessed [Insightful Eye].

Within fifty meters, he could see nearly everything. This allowed their little group to avoid large tides of Water Ghosts and pick off the scattered ones one by one.

The instant several Water Ghosts lunged at them, Lin Mo was already prepared. With a twist and grab of both hands, he easily plucked off two heads.

"Leave two for us to have some fun with!"

As Zhu Hao spoke, Li Hao attacked at the same time. Each of them met one of the remaining two Water Ghosts.

Having suffered badly before, Li Hao did not dare lower his guard in the slightest. The long blade in his hand moved like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, easily slicing across the Water Ghost's neck.

Crack!

Compared to the rest of the Water Ghost's body, its neck was like tofu beside iron. Only after Li Hao cut off its head and it came rolling down did he come back to his senses.

Then he heard two praises beside his ear. "Fine blade work. As expected of a direct member of the Li family."

"Brother Fine Blade, watch how I use my Entangling Ape Fist!"

Seeing the Water Ghosts being carved up like melons and vegetables in the hands of the other two, Zhu Hao's confidence inexplicably exploded. First Stage Perfected martial artists were already this capable, and he had one foot in the Second Stage.

With a loud roar, he swung his long arm, his tendons and bones cracking in succession. Three sonic booms exploded through the air as his heavy, powerful fist slammed forward.

The Water Ghost was blasted into the nearby wall like a cannonball. Bricks and tiles rustled down, completely burying it beneath the broken ruins.

"Fighting with fists? This guy is stronger than me too?"

Li Hao's eyelids twitched as he watched from the side, muttering inwardly. He could accept being inferior to Lin Mo, but how was even this Zhu-surnamed retainer stronger than him?

"Damn, it's hard. What the hell is this thing made of?"

The moment he made contact, the recoil numbed half his arm. Zhu Hao shook his right arm and cursed under his breath.

Zhu Hao's punch had gone off like firecrackers exploding. While they were still reflecting on it, golden light flashed in Lin Mo's eyes, but his expression turned grim.

"They're starting to gather... These things can hear."

The Water Ghosts in every direction had originally wandered toward the street district without organization or purpose. But that loud noise instantly drew in all the Water Ghosts within a hundred meters.

At the thought of being surrounded by over a hundred Water Ghosts, Lin Mo's heart jolted. He did not linger for even a moment, whispering to the other two before leaving.

"The Water Ghosts are all closing in. Brother Zhu, when you attack, aim every strike at their heads and necks. Those places are easier to hit, and they won't make much noise."

"Alright, I understand."

Zhu Hao and Li Hao looked at each other. They swept their eyes over their surroundings but saw only endless white fog. Yet without any prior agreement, both moved closer to Lin Mo, already treating him as their center.

They slowly advanced toward the pier, clearing the Water Ghosts along the way with increasingly practiced methods.

Li Hao alone could now handle three to five Water Ghosts with his long blade without much trouble. Zhu Hao had also brought the Entangling Ape Fist's "extend far and strike from afar" to its fullest, and whenever he stretched out an arm, a head hit the ground.

After advancing more than a hundred meters toward the pier, the Water Ghosts grew increasingly numerous. Choosing a route became harder and harder for Lin Mo. With even the slightest misstep, their group of three could be trapped amid a tide of Water Ghosts.

Just as he silently planned their route, he spotted several figures in blue-gray martial robes at the edge of his vision, nearly a hundred meters away, close to the pier.

Their attire was uniform, but their faces were completely unfamiliar. They were mixed in among the Water Ghosts.

Lin Mo could tell that their visibility was no more than ten or twenty meters as well.

Yet whenever a Water Ghost happened to stumble into the circle around the three of them, one of those people would always step forward, whisper a few words, and wave a hand. The Water Ghost would turn and retreat as though hypnotized.

"They're looking for someone..."

After observing for only dozens of breaths, Lin Mo realized their intentions. At the very least, they had no intention of clearing Water Ghosts; they had come for a task with a far stronger purpose.

The scattered Water Ghosts were positioned rather awkwardly. Though the fog was filled with the occasional roar of Water Ghosts, the commotion caused by Zhu Hao and Li Hao's attacks was still heard by the three people a hundred meters away, who headed in their direction.

"Someone's coming over. Stay sharp. Something's wrong..." Lin Mo warned.

"What?" Zhu Hao was clearly a little slow on the uptake and had yet to react.

Li Hao reacted quickly. The moment he thought of Lin Mo's exceptional eyesight, and realized that he could not hear any sounds of fighting right now, understanding dawned on him.

"You mean this group has a way to blend in among the Water Ghosts?"