Tang Sect's Ji Chufeng, Stormy Pear Blossom Needles

"You all go around the lake and up the mountain after me. Conceal yourselves," Su Changqing said softly.

"Wait for my command, and we'll strike together."

Zhou Chu nodded solemnly upon hearing this.

With Ye Ronghu demoted, he was the only remaining Battalion Commander.

"Commander Su, what about you?" Zhou Chu asked.

"I shall cross by way of the lake," Su Changqing replied, pointing a single hand towards the shimmering Cloud Dragon Lake with a smile.

The Imperial Guards truly lived up to their reputation as elite warriors. Each of them was a master of assassination and concealment, vanishing into the forest.

Even Su Changqing couldn't see them.

The sun set, but when would it return? The dying rays of the sun cast their glow upon Cloud Dragon Lake.

Above the rippling, blue waters of the lake, this area belonged to Cloud Dragon Village, rarely frequented by people.

At this moment, a lone boat was slowly making its way across the surface.

On the bow of the boat stood a figure clad in white.

He was dressed in snow-white, possessing a refined grace as if carved from jade. His sleeves fluttered in the wind, and the Frost Snow saber at his waist added to his peerless bearing.

The lone boat sailed onward, heading straight for the Seventh Peak of Heavenly Wind Village.

Soon, someone spotted Su Changqing's presence. Dozens of bandits descended the Seventh Peak with great speed, fixing their cold gazes on Su Changqing, who was approaching on the boat.

They parted to reveal a scholar, who walked slowly, holding a folding fan. His features were handsome, and his gaze calmly met Su Changqing's as he approached on the boat.

"What a handsome, plump sheep. That saber is worth at least a hundred taels," Ji Chufeng narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the Frost Snow saber at Su Changqing's waist.

"Our Cloud Dragon Village sweeps across a hundred-mile radius. How dare a plump sheep deliver itself to our doorstep?" a bandit questioned beside him.

Cloud Dragon Village lived by the water, specializing in robbing ships that passed by. They would take the women back to their stronghold and throw the men into the lake after killing them.

Over time, most merchants became aware of this and kept their distance, opting for land routes or paying a considerable sum to appease Cloud Dragon Village.

Even fishermen avoided fishing in this area.

"Why bother asking? Let's just rob him!" Ji Chufeng, despite his scholarly appearance, said sinisterly.

He hated it the most when someone was more distinguished than him!

"Alright, let's go, brothers! We'll snatch that white-clad man's saber!" the bandits roared with laughter.

Dozens of figures boarded a large boat and charged towards Su Changqing's lone vessel.

The large boat moved with extreme speed, quickly closing in on the lone boat in the water.

"Kid, don't run! Kneel on the ground and beg for mercy, and we might spare your life!" a bandit stood at the bow, holding a steel saber and laughing heartily.

"Kowtow a few times, and we'll sell you to Youyun Fang. Plenty of people will serve you there."

There were a total of twenty-two water bandits, but Ji Chufeng was not among them.

Su Changqing watched the large boat, saying nothing. With a flick of his toe, the lone boat shuddered and instantly shattered into pieces, scattering wooden fragments across the water's surface.

He took a step forward, light as a swallow, covering several meters. He landed on a small piece of wood.

Su Changqing moved as if treading on water, causing ripples to spread across its surface.

He then used the wood as a springboard, covering several meters with each step, charging towards the large boat.

This scene instantly terrified all the bandits on the large boat.

"This person is not simple. Retreat quickly! I fear only the Village Chief can match him," one bandit urged.

The twenty-two bandits turned in a panic, trying to turn the large boat around and quickly return to the Seventh Peak. Suddenly, they froze in place.

A figure had already appeared on their large boat, his white clothes billowing, exuding an unparalleled presence.

"Sir, we are from Cloud Dragon Village! Our seven Village Chiefs are all in the Xiantian Realm!" a bandit exclaimed in fear.

He covered a hundred meters in just ten breaths, and he did it by crossing the lake. How incredible was that?

"Everyone, I need your heads," Su Changqing said with a smile.

A blood-red, demonic glint flashed, and twelve fine heads flew off, their blood instantly dyeing the deck crimson.

The remaining ten men looked on in terror, watching as their comrades' blood splattered ten feet into the air.

"You..."

Gods above, what kind of expert was this, killing twelve people with a single sword strike?

Everyone scattered and fled, some even attempting to leap into Cloud Dragon Lake to escape by water.

Su Changqing did not pursue them. Instead, with a casual pull, the Thousand Year Golden Silkworm Silk instantly shot out, gleaming in the setting sun, covered in droplets of blood.

One by one, the bandits froze in place, watching as their bodies were severed, falling onto the deck, blood flowing like a river.

They were all cut in half at the waist, their bones easily sliced by the Thousand Year Golden Silkworm Silk.

Bodies littered the surroundings, their blood staining the deck crimson. Su Changqing observed the scene calmly, shaking his head slightly.

The Thousand Year Golden Silkworm Silk, infused with Profound Heaven True Qi, could even sever Su Changqing's head, let alone some bandits at the Body Refinement and True Qi realms.

This was the bandits' end, though somewhat tragic...

But it was still better than many of the women they had plundered and brought to the mountain.

At the foot of the Seventh Peak, over a hundred bandits gathered. Ji Chufeng sat beneath a large banyan tree, fanning himself leisurely as he waited.

"The big boat turned around. That small boat was smashed to pieces. I wonder if the young man survived. We can sell him for a good price," a bandit reported after observing for a moment.

"A young master dares to come to Cloud Dragon Stronghold to show off his might," Ji Chufeng said with a cold laugh, gently fanning himself.

"This time, we've definitely hit the jackpot. At least a thousand taels of silver. If he's alive, it'll be three thousand taels starting price."

Numerous bandits hurried over, grinning menacingly as they charged towards the approaching large boat.

Su Changqing hid at the very top of the large boat, his eyes narrowing slightly as he calmly watched them.

"Why hasn't anyone come down yet?" a bandit asked in confusion.

Ji Chufeng, from the rear, his eyes flickered, and he frowned slightly, "Send two men up to take a look."

[Name]: Ji Chufeng

[Realm]: Fourth Level of Xiantian

[Destiny]: Proficient in Hidden Weapons (Green)

[Wuxia Script]: Minor Villain of "Tang Sect" and "Stormy Pear Blossom Needles." The Tang Sect was destroyed by the Invincible Brat thirty years ago and vanished from the jianghu. Ji Chufeng escaped with the sect's exquisite hidden weapon, the Stormy Pear Blossom Needles.

Later died during the Suppression Bureau's clearing of Cloud Dragon Mountain... Before dying, he destroyed the Stormy Pear Blossom Fan, and the Tang Sect's hidden weapons never reappeared.

His corpse fell into Cloud Dragon Lake, becoming food for fish...

Su Changqing, at the Xiantian Second Layer, was two realms below him, his eyes narrowing slightly.

While the Imperial Guard's intelligence was second to none, he couldn't trust it entirely.

The information stated Ji Chufeng was at the Xiantian Third Layer, but now he was at the Fourth Level.

Just like the Scarlet Blood Scholar, everyone knew he possessed a Purple Blood Soft Sword, but no one realized that soft sword was actually a belt hanging at his waist.

Several bandits leaped onto the large boat. What greeted them was horrifying: headless corpses were everywhere, some bodies cut in half, their deaths gruesome beyond description.

"It's all blood... They're all dead..." the bandits exclaimed in terror, shouting loudly.

"Damn it, we've run into a tough opponent." Hearing this, Ji Chufeng's expression changed drastically. He closed his fan and strode over.

Just as he was about to step onto the large boat, he suddenly stopped, his brow furrowed. "You search the ship's cabins. See if that white-clothed youth is hiding inside?"

Su Changqing had intended to assassinate him. He hadn't expected Ji Chufeng to be quite so clever.

Members of the Tang Sect were all proficient in hidden weapon attacks. With the ship's cabins spread out, why would he easily risk himself?

Su Changqing's eyes were cold as lightning. He was about to wait a little longer to see if Ji Chufeng would take the bait.

If the opponent came aboard, he was confident he could kill him with a single blade strike from above.

Ji Chufeng was skilled in hidden weapons; killing him with a single blade here was the simplest approach.

Screeeech!

A flare streaked across the sky, piercing the heavens with an ear-splitting sound.

The sudden burst of fireworks illuminated the dim sky brightly!

"Enemy attack!"

"The Imperial Guard is attacking Cloud Dragon Stronghold!"