One Slash Hits!

Crackling, crackling—

The sound of bluestone cracking was incessant, as if the entire wall was about to be pushed down.

This was merely using force against force, leveraging the strength of a human body to push the wall. If Crow had acted himself, he could probably have toppled and collapsed the courtyard wall with a single punch.

"Mu Yang, how are you? Mu Yang— Li Yan, are you dead? Hurry up and get out of the way to check on your son—"

"Brother, are you okay— Li Mu Yang, say something—"

"Dad—" A familiar voice came from behind.

Li Mu Yang patted his father's shoulder and said, "Please move aside."

Li Yan's face was filled with surprise. He quickly turned and looked, saying, "Mu Yang, you're alright? You— you're not hurt at all?"

"I'm fine," Li Mu Yang shook his head, rubbing his sore shoulder and back. "Just a little scraped."

"How could you only be a little scraped?" Li Sinian blinked her eyes. Even with her physique, having practiced the Body-Breaking Technique since childhood, she would have broken a couple of bones from that impact.

But Li Mu Yang's body was so weak, he could barely lift anything heavy. He had taken the full impact from his father and then the force of Crow's push—

The wall had an indentation, the stones had cracks, yet he was completely unharmed?

Could his bones be harder than stone? Li Sinian thought to herself.

Of course, she knew that was impossible. Li Mu Yang hadn't practiced strengthening his bones and muscles, so how could he possess such ability?

"Mu Yang, let me see—" Luo Qi hurriedly pulled Li Mu Yang over, feeling all over his body. She was worried about his health and feared he was pretending to be fine to show off.

"Mom, I'm really fine," Li Mu Yang explained.

"Let me see," Crow said with a cold laugh. "Take a good look, what kind of monster he is. The stones cracked, and he's fine. Do you still think he's just a weak, useless good-for-nothing?"

Li Yan picked up his spear from the ground and, without a word, charged at Crow again.

He didn't care how his son was; he only cared that someone was trying to hurt his son.

He ran like a mountain, his spear humming.

Silver lightning flashed at the tip of the spear, but it vanished in an instant.

His True Qi couldn't summon wind and thunder.

"This spear strike is passable—" Crow said with a smile. "Unfortunately, it's still far from enough."

As he spoke, the hand he had been hiding within his black robe stretched out again.

Just like last time, the tip of the spear landed in his palm once more.

The humming of the spear stopped, and the force contained within the spear shaft sank into the sea like mud.

He reached out, gripped the spear shaft, and then violently flung it into the distance.

Li Yan wanted to release the spear, but he was a step too late.

The spear shaft struck his chest heavily, and his body was sent flying backward again.

Thump—

Li Yan fell into the row of potted plants in the corner of the courtyard, crushing countless flower branches and saplings.

"Gak—"

He felt a sweetness in his throat, then opened his mouth and spat out a large mouthful of blood.

"Li Yan—" The hairpin on Luo Qi's head fell off, and she rushed towards where her husband had fallen, her hair disheveled.

Li Mu Yang and Li Sinian, the siblings, were also greatly alarmed and ran towards Li Yan together.

"I'm fine—" Li Yan still tried to push himself up. "I'll block him again, you take the chance to escape— Sinian, take your mother and brother and escape."

"Dad—" Li Sinian cried out with tears streaming down her face, "I'm not leaving, I'll stop him—"

"Hurry and go," Li Yan roared hoarsely.

"Dad—"

"Want to leave?" Crow laughed heartily. "I'm very sorry, I'm afraid none of you will be able to escape today."

The black robe on his body billowed without wind, and his body transformed into a large mass of black mist again. The black mist spread, quickly enveloping the entire small courtyard.

Even more bizarrely, the black mist condensed but did not disperse. It was like a barrier enclosing the courtyard, impenetrable to wind and rain, with no leakage whatsoever.

Not only that, but the sound of birds flapping their wings could be heard from within the black mist.

Flap, flap, flap, the sound was clamorous.

The naked eye could not see through the mist, but the ears could hear the flocks of birds surging towards Li Mu Yang's family.

Li Sinian had never experienced such a situation, nor did she have any combat experience.

When Crow had charged at them earlier, she knew to punch towards the target.

But now, not only was the assassin charging at her, but there were also large masses of black birds appearing out of nowhere.

Moreover, her eyes were obscured by the mist, and she couldn't see anything. She didn't know how to react.

"Bastard."

Li Sinian let out a sharp cry and threw another punch.

Bang—

A section of the black fog was dispersed, but this attack didn't hit the crow's main body. Instead, it struck the black birds that were rushing forward.

Li Sinian was young, and she practiced the Body-Breaking Technique with the goal of strengthening her body.

While it wasn't exactly practicing sporadically, compared to the effort and hardship put in by true martial artists and cultivators, it was truly insignificant.

Her first punch was still full of power, but the second punch was already a bit difficult to maintain.

When she wanted to throw a third punch, she found her arm feeling light. It turned out the first two punches had already drained her body.

"Hoo—" A gust of black wind blew past. Li Sinian felt her breathing quicken, her head grow heavy, and then her eyes went black. She fell to the ground.

"Sinian—Mom—" Li Mu Yang cried out in anguish.

Li Mu Yang stood with his parents. His eyes could barely see in the darkness, but he could hear the sounds of people falling to the ground around him.

The first sound was Li Sinian falling, because that was where she had been standing. The second sound was beside Li Mu Yang, where his mother Luo Qi had been standing.

"Dad—" Li Mu Yang called out again.

"Mu Yang, the fog is poisonous—" Li Yan's words hadn't even finished before he too fell to the ground.

"Dad—" Li Mu Yang rushed towards where Li Sinian had fallen. He worried that in this pitch-black darkness, the assassin might harm his sister.

"Huh?" The crow exclaimed in surprise. To his astonishment, within his 'Darkness Veil,' someone was still able to remain standing. And that person was merely an ordinary person—of course, he already knew he wasn't ordinary at all.

"You're actually fine?" The crow said regretfully. "It seems I'll just have to spend a bit more time."

His sister had fainted on the ground, and his parents were worse than dead.

These were the closest people to Li Mu Yang, his life, his everything.

Without them, he wouldn't have survived until now.

He would have died long ago, or been discarded in a trash heap as a useless person, becoming a beggar or a vagrant.

But now, someone wanted to take their lives.

Even though the assassin said his target was only him, who knew what was happening now? Who knew if he would accidentally kill someone?

Could the assassin's character be trusted? Why would the Empire even have the death penalty by hanging?

"You deserve to die." Li Mu Yang stared intently at the crow's location, completely enraged. "You deserve to die."

Swish—

The dark figure lunged towards Li Mu Yang. Li Mu Yang felt an overwhelming force surge towards him. His chest felt a sudden sweetness, and he was sent flying backward.

Clang—

His body hit the steps at the doorway. With a crisp crack, his entire back felt like it was about to break.

Li Mu Yang gritted his teeth, pushed himself up from the ground with his hands, and charged into the black fog again.

He couldn't see the assassin crow's location, but he could feel where he was.

How he wished he could regain that ability, how he wished he could send him flying with a single punch.

Clang—

Li Mu Yang's body was sent flying backward again, this time smashing directly into the hall.

"If you still want to hide your strength, then I'll have to oblige," the crow's voice echoed from within the black fog.

He was also full of doubt. He clearly looked like an ordinary youth. Even if he released his aura to deliberately test him, there wouldn't be any reaction or attempt to counterattack.

He was just as they said, a sickly, ordinary youth.

But what happened at the Beast-Faced Pavilion that day?

How was he sent flying by this bastard with a single punch?

If he hadn't injured him and made him fall, how would he have encountered the Cui Family expert's 'Myriad Homes' Living Buddha'?

The crow extended his right hand. In his palm, he held an ancient-looking short sword with a snake's tongue carved on its hilt.

The short sword gleamed, as if the snake's body was elongating infinitely.

The crow vanished from his spot, and then a puff of black smoke erupted in front of Li Mu Yang. The glowing sword slashed towards Li Mu Yang's neck.

Cherry Blossom Slash!

With a single strike, he would be decapitated.

Li Mu Yang's mouth was bleeding profusely, and blood was also flowing from his nostrils.

His eyes were filled with a red glow, and the scale on the back of his hand shone brightly, appearing as if solidified on his hand.

On the verge of life and death, he felt no fear.

In his eyes, there was only rage and a bloodthirsty desire that couldn't be vented.

He clenched the hand with the scales into a fist. His bronze fist expanded and grew larger, light flashing.

Boom—

Li Mu Yang threw a punch.

He aimed it at the green long snake, at the incomparably sharp treasure sword that could cut iron like mud, and at the Cherry Blossom Slash that was said to be unstoppable.

Crack—

The green light sword struck Li Mu Yang's fist. His fist didn't separate from his arm; instead, the light of the green light sword instantly exploded and extinguished. Then, with a clang, it snapped at the snake's head.

The sword blade couldn't withstand the immense, unparalleled force of the True Qi. It instantly shattered into countless green fragments.

Each fragment was like a bright mirror, reflecting the crow's terrified and astonished expression.

Countless mirror fragments scattered everywhere, and the crow's fear dispersed with them.