Ni Pusa

The Five Pleasures circled Ding Ning back and forth for over ten rounds. Seeing that Ding Ning was not affected, they could no longer hold back. The five shared a single mind and attacked simultaneously with their weapons, aiming for Ding Ning's vital points.

Ding Ning's eyes widened, and he drew his Mountain Cutting Saber with a peculiar movement. The saber flashed through the air with incredible speed, emitting a series of rapid clangs as it met the five weapons, severing them all in a single move.

Ding Ning pressed his advantage, stepping forward and slashing out again with his Mountain Cutting Saber!

Long Xiu felt an overwhelming aura of death envelop him and hastily retreated. The other four members of the Xi Zi reacted a moment too late and were all struck by the saber.

Where the saber's glow had struck the Xi Zi, a thin, thread-like bloodstain appeared, gradually widening until it completely tore open. Under this single blow, the Xi Zi lost limbs.

Long Xiu could hardly believe that such a fast saber technique existed in the world, defeating their group of five in just two moves!

However, he had no time to ponder this, as Ding Ning was already flying after him again.

Long Xiu, over thirty and a renowned figure for many years, had never been so disheveled in his life during combat. What's more, his opponent was such a young man. Anger surged within him.

Enraged, Long Xiu no longer bothered to dodge. He channeled his internal energy into his right hand and met Ding Ning's attack with his signature killing move, Hidden Dragon Dagger!

Long Xiu spun like a whirlwind, appearing like a phantom dragon in the air. With his broken sword as the dragon's head, he thrust its sharp edge directly at Ding Ning.

Ding Ning's eyes lit up. He had been afraid Long Xiu would evade the fight and he wouldn't be able to catch him. Now that Long Xiu chose to fight head-on, it was exactly what he wanted.

Thus, the Mountain Cutting Saber's momentum surged again. Ding Ning was determined to slay Long Xiu with his next strike.

Unexpectedly, a sudden change occurred. An arrow, which had been lurking in the dense forest for a long time, shot through the air. Coordinating with Long Xiu's attack, it instantly reversed the situation!

It was the renowned Feng Wu Arrow, wielded by Long Xiu's wife, Feng Wu!

"Watch out!"

The fierce energy of the hidden arrow struck, instantly closing in on Ding Ning's face, leaving him no room to evade. It was an extremely perilous situation.

At this critical moment, a giant saber, almost as tall as a person, slashed down from the sky. The power of this single strike not only knocked away the hidden arrow but also forced Long Xiu to retreat.

It was none other than Shen Hu Chan's Ananda Saber!

"Attacking five against one, and then resorting to sneak attacks with arrows? Can't you handle a loss?"

Faced with Shen Hu Chan's questioning, Long Xiu's face turned ashen, and he was speechless.

Just as everyone's attention was focused on Ding Ning, Shen Hu Chan, and Long Xiu, the Bronze Cauldron inexplicably moved on its own and sank into the ground.

The Fire Monkey was related to Ni Pusa's whereabouts, and it could not be lost. Qin Shuang lunged forward, channeling energy into his hands, and firmly gripped the handles of the Bronze Cauldron.

However, the force pulling it down was immense, and Qin Shuang was unable to stop it for a moment.

There was someone under the cauldron!

A thought flashed through Qin Shuang's mind. He suddenly let go, disregarding the Bronze Cauldron being pulled underground. He circulated his Heavenly Frost Qi, his fists glowing with an icy blue light, and punched the ground. The earth itself trembled.

"Boom!" This strike contained the full power of his Heavenly Frost Fist!

The force spread, blasting the Bronze Cauldron and the two people pulling it out from underground.

"Cave Rat" Luo Zheng and "Burrowing Rat" Luo Ning, the Cave Rats!

These two were skilled at digging and burrowing, specializing in petty thievery throughout the jianghu. This time, coveting the Fire Monkey but not daring to confront them directly, they had dug a tunnel, intending to seize it when everyone was distracted.

However, no one paid attention to the Cave Rats at this moment. After the struggle, the Bronze Cauldron was subjected to two opposing forces. Its lid lifted, and a monkey, completely red with fur like fine down, burst out.

The Fire Monkey had escaped!

Initially, the slaughter by the Dragon Guard had intimidated the heroes lurking in the shadows.

But now, with the Fire Monkey appearing before them, it stirred the greed in everyone's hearts. They attacked one after another, scrambling to seize it, and the scene descended into chaos.

Amidst the chaotic scene, a worried cry of "Huo'er!" caught Qin Shuang's attention. It was the little granddaughter of the Old Woodcutter who had spoken.

Qin Shuang had no time to think. A volley of arrows suddenly rained down from all directions. The combatants in the arena were caught off guard, and countless people fell wounded.

From the dense forest, another expert, who had been hidden for a long time, seized the opportunity and struck.

He leaped out like a thunderclap, and everyone present felt an imposing pressure.

The newcomer soared into the air, his leg movements a flurry of shadows, like a dancing dragon's silhouette. The powerful force stirred up a gale that uprooted trees. It was the strongest killing move of the Dragon Subduing Divine Leg, Arrogant Dragon Regrets!

Several muffled thunderclaps erupted, accompanied by brilliant bursts of energy that injured and repelled those around the Fire Monkey.

The newcomer seized the Fire Monkey and, using the rebound force, leaped away several times, disappearing into the distance.

Ding Ning and the others were about to pursue when Qin Shuang stopped them.

The Dragon Guard system was modeled after the military, and its rules were naturally very strict. Since Qin Shuang, a Squad Leader, had spoken, everyone naturally obeyed.

After everyone else had left in pursuit of the Fire Monkey, Qin Shuang slowly explained to the puzzled gazes of the others, "We wanted to capture the Fire Monkey only to find Ni Pusa's whereabouts. Now that we have found Ni Pusa himself, why should we still fight over the Fire Monkey?"

Without waiting for further questions, Qin Shuang strode up to the Old Woodcutter. "Senior, since you've been seen through, there's no need to hide any longer."

The Old Woodcutter wiped his face with his hand, removing a human skin mask. He chuckled awkwardly, "Heh heh, young hero certainly has sharp eyes!"

Qin Shuang smiled slightly and patted the head of the little girl next to Ni Pusa. "The little girl is innocent and carefree. Seeing the Fire Monkey in danger, she instinctively cried out in worry. Otherwise, I wouldn't have guessed that the renowned Ni Pusa was so close."

Ni Pusa smiled helplessly.

"Senior, I am here under imperial orders to invite you to the palace for a discussion. Please cooperate, and do not make things difficult for us." Qin Shuang bowed to Ni Pusa.

"Since it is the current emperor who wishes to see me, and the world is vast, there is no place left for me to hide. I will go with you." Ni Pusa resigned himself.

Qin Shuang nodded slightly. Ni Pusa's willingness to cooperate would be beneficial for the journey back.

He glanced around at his men, noticing several had sustained arrow wounds and were being bandaged. Counting carefully, he found over ten had been injured, with Chen Bu Ding, Feng Bu Ba, Hao Hao, Li Fu Sheng, and Destroy Ghost God being the most seriously wounded, their movements affected.

"Any findings?" Qin Shuang asked Shen Hu Chan, who had the most experience in the jianghu.

"The arrows left no clues, but judging by their skills and martial arts, they should be from Peerless City!" Shen Hu Chan replied.

"I don't want 'should be,' can you be certain?" Qin Shuang was not satisfied with the ambiguous answer and pressed further.

Shen Hu Chan pondered for a moment, then stated decisively, "Dragon Subduing Divine Leg, I'm certain!"

"Good. Immediately send word for Mu Wan Qing and Wang Dong's two squads to rendezvous here," Qin Shuang said with a stern expression, making a swift decision. "Peerless City has ambushed the Dragon Guard and openly defied the Great Shang imperial authority. They will be tried for treason and executed without mercy!"