Opening the Slaughter!

Chapter 3: Commence Slaughter!

"Leave none alive, kill without mercy!"

Brigade Leader Ye Baili drew his saber, beheaded a bandit, and roared the order.

Bai Yan, wielding his Spring Embroidered Saber, charged on horseback.

The Spring Embroidered Saber sliced through the air, taking heads with it. In the blink of an eye, seven or eight bandits fell to Bai Yan's blade.

"His strength is actually this great!"

"This is at least the strength of a first-rate Martial Artist!"

Ren Hong and Li Kaiyao watched Bai Yan's devastating display, their hearts filled with shock. They had initially been unconvinced by Bai Yan because he was young and they assumed his strength was low. They never expected Bai Yan to possess the strength of a first-rate Martial Artist, and his swordsmanship appeared faster and more ruthless than theirs. At this moment, both of them were completely convinced. People are pragmatic. Bai Yan, at only eighteen years old, already surpassed them in strength. One could only imagine how far he would go in the future. This was a powerful ally to align with; if they didn't seize the opportunity now, they never would.

"Brigade Leader, be careful, I'll help you!"

"Me too!"

Ren Hong and Li Kaiyao exchanged a glance and charged towards Bai Yan simultaneously.

Ye Zhiji, watching from the side, gritted his teeth in anger. 'This damned brat actually has the strength of a first-rate Martial Artist! How could this happen!' Ye Zhiji was furious, his teeth grinding audibly.

Just as both sides were locked in fierce combat, a burly man, surrounded by several bandits, charged out. He wielded a Nine-Ring Steel Saber that looked to weigh thirty to forty pounds. The man swung the saber with great force, drawing sprays of blood. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen Imperial Guard Enforcers fell to his saber; not one could withstand a single strike.

"Since you've come today, none of you will leave alive!" the man roared. He then leaped into the air, unleashing a Forcefully Split Mount Hua strike. The saber's momentum was immense, True Essence exploded outwards, forming a saber energy that howled through the air. A few Imperial Guard Enforcers had no time to react before the saber energy grazed them, their bodies instantly exploding in a shower of blood and gore. This was externalized True Essence, a feat achievable only by masters of at least the Innate level. The man's identity was obvious: he was none other than Liu Hu, the great leader of Black Wind Stronghold.

"Liu Hu, you will die today!" Brigade Leader Ye Baili saw Liu Hu appear. He leaped from his horse, flying towards Liu Hu while dual-wielding his sabers to strike at his head. Liu Hu blocked with his saber, and a clang rang out. The two sabers collided, sparks flying, and a powerful surge of energy spread outwards. Ye Baili was also an Innate master, and he and Liu Hu exchanged blows, clashing over a dozen times in the blink of an eye.

"The Imperial Guard has already set up a Heavenly Net; you have nowhere to run. Surrender obediently!" Ye Baili attacked while using words to disrupt Liu Hu's focus. Liu Hu grinned ferociously, parried Ye Baili away with a Sweep Through a Thousand Armies strike, and laughed heartily: "Heavenly Net? Watch me shatter your net with a single saber strike!" "You're a Company Commander too, aren't you?" "The last Company Commander was cut in half by my saber. I hope you can last a few more moves!" As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Hu's saber speed dramatically increased. With a series of offensive and defensive maneuvers, he forced Ye Baili to retreat repeatedly. Liu Hu's saber techniques were powerful, and combined with the thirty to forty-pound Nine-Ring Steel Saber, each strike carried immense force. In a head-on clash of strength, Ye Baili was no match. Sensing the unfavorable turn of events, Ye Baili immediately changed his strategy. His footwork shifted, and he instantly retreated a full zhang, dodging Liu Hu's attack before counter-slashing with an upward diagonal strike. This attack was swift and fierce. Caught off guard, Liu Hu's chest was immediately torn open by the saber energy, and blood gushed out.

Ye Baili, seizing the advantage, pressed his attack. In an instant, he unleashed three consecutive saber strikes, each aimed at a vital point.

Saber light flashed, and powerful energy erupted.

Liu Hu was sent flying by a single blow.

"You bunch of scum!"

Liu Hu gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. Mid-air, he forcefully channeled his internal energy, stabilized his body, and landed on his feet.

Without any hesitation after landing, he pushed off the ground and fled towards the mountain behind the village.

"Bai Yan, take your men and chase him with me!"

Hearing Ye Baili's shout, Bai Yan's eyes turned cold. He also used his Lightness Skill and pursued.

At the same time, Ren Hong, Li Kaiyao, and Ye Zhiji followed closely behind.

Looking at Bai Yan's retreating back, a cold sneer appeared on Ye Zhiji's lips.

This was exactly what he and Ye Baili had planned: to take care of Bai Yan during this mission and let him take over afterward.

Chasing Liu Hu, the group arrived at a bamboo forest.

Behind the bamboo forest lay a bottomless cliff.

"Liu Hu, you have nowhere left to run. Surrender now."

Ye Baili roared sternly.

Liu Hu clutched his chest, brandished his saber, and pointed it at Ye Baili. He let out a ferocious laugh, "Anyone who isn't afraid of death can come up. I'll take a few with me to the grave."

"Hmph, you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!"

Ye Baili snorted coldly and gave the order:

"Bai Yan, this scoundrel is already severely injured, his strength is less than thirty percent of his peak. Go up and kill him. Consider it your first merit after joining the Imperial Guard."

Killing with a borrowed knife!

The coldness in Bai Yan's eyes intensified.

If he refused now, it would be insubordination on the spot. As a Company Commander, Ye Baili had the authority to kill Bai Yan on the spot.

If Bai Yan still had the strength of a mere third-rate Martial Artist like before, he would still be dead facing a heavily injured Liu Hu.

But it was different now.

With a whoosh, Bai Yan instantly vanished from his spot, an afterimage slowly dissipating at a visible speed.

At this moment, the speed Bai Yan displayed was at least ten times faster than Ye Baili or Liu Hu.

"What?"

Ye Baili's expression changed drastically.

And at that very moment, a palm landed on his chest.

This palm seemed ordinary and weak.

Yet, this seemingly weak palm now unleashed an incredibly terrifying palm force.

With one palm strike, not even bones would remain!

The vast True Essence surged into his body, instantly turning Ye Baili into a mist of blood!

Before the others could react, Bai Yan flickered, appearing behind Liu Hu.

A cold glint flashed.

Bai Yan held a head in his right hand.

Blood slowly dripped, dyeing the bamboo leaves on the ground red.

Liu Hu's eyes were still open, but he felt himself shrinking, and everything around him seemed to grow taller.

In the final moments before his consciousness faded, he saw his own headless corpse.

Thump!

Liu Hu's corpse collapsed heavily, finally startling Ren Hong and the other two.

The three of them stared with wide eyes, their faces pale, and they sat down on the ground in fright.

Ye Zhiji, in particular, was drenched in sweat, his liver and gallbladder split with terror, and a large portion of his pants became wet.

"Bai Yan... you... you... you actually killed Commander Ye!"

"You have such guts, you're finished! You're dead!"

"The Imperial Guard won't let you go!"

Ye Zhiji yelled hoarsely, acting like a madman.

"I'll give you two a chance to live."

Bai Yan looked at Ren Hong and Li Kaiyao, saying coldly:

"Kill Ye Zhiji, and you can live."

"You only have three breaths of time."

Hearing this, Ye Zhiji was immediately terrified and begged for mercy: "No... I..."

Puff!!

Before Ye Zhiji could finish speaking, two Spring Embroidered Sabers had pierced his chest.

Ren Hong and Li Kaiyao showed no hesitation, striking the killing blow directly.

They both understood that this was their only chance to survive.

Killing a colleague was a capital offense. If the Imperial Guard found out, not only would they die, but their families would also be implicated and exiled.

However, if they offended Bai Yan, they would certainly not survive, and would die immediately.

The former still had a chance to cover up the truth, while the latter was a sure death.

The choice was crystal clear.