Zhao Tashan, the leader of the White Lotus Sect's hidden medicine depot, was a hulking man nine feet tall, his entire body knotted with muscle.
His hair was very long, tied into a braid that hung from the back of his head all the way down to his tailbone.
When a lackey reported the situation to him, he was bare-chested, gnawing on a slab of raw beef in his left hand while holding a basin-sized bowl in his right, guzzling strong liquor like an ox drinking water.
"What? Someone actually dares to provoke our White Lotus Sect?"
After hearing his subordinate's report, Zhao Tashan's eyes widened as round as bronze bells.
His face was covered in bulging flesh and already looked exceedingly ferocious. Once he glared, his expression became even more terrifying—enough to make children burst into tears.
"Boss, should we go out and take a look?" said a White Lotus Disciple drinking at the same table as Zhao Tashan.
He was a Two-Blood Warrior and the deputy leader of this stronghold, someone who usually had considerable say here.
Zhao Tashan narrowed his half-drunk eyes. "We have quite a few medicinal ingredients here. That person may be trying to lure us out, pull the tiger from the mountain, then come back to steal the medicine!"
He paused as though pondering it. After a while, he said, "Then do this: all of you pretend to pour out in full force and chase down that short-lived ghost who dared provoke our White Lotus Sect!"
"I'll guard the medicine storehouse and wait for that short-lived ghost to walk right into the net. Then I'll catch him off guard!"
"The moment he enters, I'll split him in two with one swing of my axe!"
"Alright!"
The other thirteen White Lotus Disciples all accepted the order.
Immediately afterward, the deputy leader led the other White Lotus Disciples toward the outside of the residence.
Zhao Tashan then grabbed his two enormous battle-axes in his left hand, carried wine and meat in his right, and headed for the medicine storehouse.
After arriving at the storehouse, he immediately shut the door, set down his axes, sat cross-legged on the floor, and continued drinking and eating meat.
The deputy leader led the group through two courtyards. Just as they were about to leave the residence, he instructed them:
"In a moment, we need to put on a show and let the person hiding nearby know that we have all gone out to look for him. Only then will he enter the residence."
"Got it."
"I understand."
The other White Lotus Disciples answered in agreement.
After opening the gate a little wider, they filed out one after another.
The street before the residence was utterly empty, without a soul in sight.
They looked left and right, all wondering where the intruder might be hiding.
When they failed to find anyone, the deputy leader pointed at several people and said, "You, search over there!"
Then he pointed at several more. "You, search over there!"
He added, "We've all turned out this time. We must capture that person and see who dares provoke us!"
"Yes!"
Everyone answered in succession.
Just as they were preparing to disperse, they suddenly saw a sturdy man in fitted martial clothes, his hair hanging naturally loose beneath a Monkey Mask, turn out from a distant alley.
At once, the gazes of the White Lotus Disciples converged on Su Que.
Su Que looked back at them as well.
"Who is this person?"
The same question arose in the minds of all the White Lotus Disciples.
"Could he be the person who provoked our White Lotus Sect just now?"
While they were still wondering, Su Que actually walked straight toward them.
"What is this man doing? He can't be here to provoke our White Lotus Sect, can he?" one White Lotus Disciple whispered to the others.
Since the White Lotus Sect had arrived in Jade Water City, they had been attacked by martial school masters, gang members, government soldiers, and martial artists.
Every one of those attacks had been a group assault.
They had never seen anyone dare to attack the White Lotus Sect alone and head-on.
As they thought this, Su Que came closer and closer, entering within twenty paces of them.
"Y-you..."
A White Lotus Disciple was just about to question him when Su Que suddenly stomped the ground, his figure blurring.
Bang!
Both fists shot out as he unleashed the hardest and fiercest force of the Seven Injuries Fist's Heart Damage Art, striking two White Lotus Disciples squarely in the chest.
The two men's chests caved in, and they flew backward together.
On the way, they even smashed three weaker, unlucky disciples to death.
At the sight of Su Que's fist force, the deputy leader's eyes lit up as though he had recalled something.
He had seen the corpses of the people who had delivered medicine a year ago, as well as Fan Wuyang's corpse recently. He could tell that all of them had died beneath an extremely terrifying force.
Someone with such force indeed dared face many of them alone, just like the person before him.
If they fought this man, he felt that even if they all attacked together, they would have no chance of victory. Even Zhao Tashan inside the residence would have no chance!
Thinking of this, he could not help but shudder.
He had no intention of caring about the White Lotus Disciples beside him, nor did he intend to warn Zhao Tashan waiting in the medicine storehouse.
He only wanted to flee, lest he die here.
"You go up. I'll cover you!"
The deputy leader spoke in a low voice, then retreated behind the others.
The remaining seven White Lotus Disciples had also seen Su Que's prowess and were filled with terror.
But since the deputy leader had given the order, they could only charge forward with their teeth clenched.
At once, two sabers, three spears, and two swords tore through the air and attacked Su Que.
Seeing the seven men attack, the deputy leader hurriedly kicked off the ground and darted to one side, intending to escape.
While watching the seven men's attack, Su Que also noticed the deputy leader's movement.
He threw a punch first!
All seven arts of the Seven Injuries Fist erupted at once. Seven different forces intertwined in the air, instantly enveloping every incoming saber, spear, and sword.
Under the collision of those seven forces, all the sabers, spears, and swords snapped apart.
Broken short sabers, short swords, and spear shafts spun through the air and scattered.
Su Que swept his left hand through the air, catching three spearheads and two fragments of broken swords.
Then he passed them to his right hand and hurled them fiercely at the fleeing deputy leader!
The three spearheads and two sword fragments became five streaking shadows, ripping through the air with piercing whistles.
The next instant, one broken sword fragment struck the deputy leader in the shoulder, burying itself entirely within it.
At the same time, a spearhead shot straight into the deputy leader's nape and protruded through his throat.
The other spearheads and sword fragments all missed. Some embedded themselves in the gateposts, while others sank into the walls.
Su Que had never practiced hidden weapons, so he had thrown several objects at once. That greatly increased the chance of hitting his target.
Even though fewer than half of the five objects had struck, he had still killed the man trying to escape.
Then he turned his gaze back to the remaining seven White Lotus Disciples.
The seven White Lotus Disciples gripped their broken weapons and stared at Su Que, their eyes filled with terror.
"Spare us, great hero!"
One White Lotus Disciple was the first to throw away his weapon. With a thud, he dropped to his knees.
"Spare us, great hero!"
Seeing their fellow disciple beg for mercy, the other White Lotus Disciples hurriedly tossed aside their weapons and knelt as well.
"Where is your leader?" Su Que asked bluntly.
After the exchange just now, he knew clearly that there was absolutely no Three Blood Martial Artist among the people before him.
"He's in the medicine storehouse inside the residence, lying in ambush for you, great hero." One White Lotus Disciple immediately sold Zhao Tashan out for the chance to live.
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