"Interesting. Who is this now? Could it be another assassin sent by that old fox?"
The setting sun was as red as blood. At the foot of White Cloud Mountain stood a humble little inn, looking perfectly at home beneath the evening glow.
"Esteemed customer, how many cups?"
The waiter came over with great enthusiasm. After receiving an affirmative answer, he immediately went to prepare them.
But the moment he turned around, his expression changed completely, his eyes flashing with killing intent.
"Are you ready?"
Everyone appeared to be handling their own duties, each putting on a flawless performance. In truth, everything was under Ye Yang's control.
"Big Brother, rest assured. The entire inn is staffed by our people. Every flower and blade of grass, every plant and tree, is within our control. What can he use to escape? Where could he possibly run?"
The group communicated in secret. This was their final chance. Once he entered White Cloud Mountain and reached White Cloud Temple, they could only withdraw.
The people above had already issued their orders: know when to stop while ahead. As long as the other party stepped into White Cloud Mountain's territory, they had to give up. Otherwise, the consequences would be severe.
Although they did not understand why the people above had issued this secret order, they knew one principle: if they wanted to live longer, they had to avoid asking what they should not ask and knowing what they should not know. Only then could they survive for a long time.
"Very good. This kid is strange—sinister, even. Several groups before us failed to stop him and instead suffered heavy casualties. We must not fall into the same trap. We must learn from the mistakes of those before us and study him carefully."
Everything looked normal on the surface, but beneath it, killing intent crisscrossed and hidden currents surged. At the same time Ye Yang hurried along, the most mysterious assassin organization, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, issued a Grim Reaper Pursuit Order against him.
At any time, in any place, any assassin from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion could accept this mission. Completing it would earn a thousand taels of gold.
If they could capture the target alive, the reward would double. Rising to the heavens in a single step would no longer be a dream. It was like throwing a stone into a calm lake—the ripples spread in an instant!
"Esteemed customer, please enjoy."
After secretly conferring and setting up this Hongmen banquet, the moment the waiter turned around, he had already poured the world's most peculiar drug into the tea—a super sedative known as Half-Sentence Drop.
A mere half-drop could bring down a ferocious beast, let alone a human. To be safe, they had poured an entire bottle into his tea.
To make him go mad, they first had to drive him into delirium. If they were going to strike, they would strike to the death, without holding anything back.
"Esteemed customer, please enjoy."
The waiter watched Ye Yang directly as he downed the tea in one gulp. Only then did he relax somewhat. The drug needed half an hour to take effect. After half an hour, even an immortal could not save him.
"Big Brother, rest assured. I personally watched him drink the poison. We only need to wait another half hour before we can enjoy the show."
Strike by surprise and attack where the enemy was unprepared—that was the key to achieving twice the result with half the effort. That was what he thought, and that was what he did.
Half an hour later...
"Wait. What's going on? I only drank a few mouthfuls of tea. Why is my head spinning? Did they drug it?"
Ye Yang felt dizzy and light-headed. The heavens spun and the earth whirled, and his vision grew increasingly blurred until his eyes closed completely.
"So heavy... I can't hold on!" Once sleepiness came, it could not be resisted. His eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. He closed his eyes and slumped against the table without moving.
"How is it? You should know that I found this miraculous medicine through my own means. This kid never saw it coming, and he still fell right into our trap."
One of the men spoke as though he were showing off his achievement. Whenever he personally took action, he had never failed. This time was no exception.
"Looks like the first merit belongs to me. Watch me—none of you are allowed to fight me for it!"
The man who had administered the drug personally laughed heartily and immediately changed identities. He was no longer the waiter who answered every beck and call, but a great demon who had slaughtered countless people.
He laughed wildly and recklessly, completely disregarding Ye Yang. After all, Ye Yang had already fallen into a deep sleep, snoring like a dead pig.
"Kid, there's a road to heaven, but you refuse to take it. There's no door to hell, yet you insist on barging in. You know how powerful we are now, don't you?"
Under the astonished gazes of the others, he walked straight toward Ye Yang. Just as he raised his foot and prepared to kick him, a flash of sword light suddenly appeared.
From beginning to end, before he could react, everything had already settled. A faint cut had appeared across his neck.
"What kind of sword technique is this? Why have I never seen it before?"
The man had thought he had secured the first merit and would receive a huge reward. Instead, it became the talisman that summoned death.
Even at the moment of his death, his eyes remained wide open. Everything had happened in an instant, and his fate had already been decided.
"How is it? I killed the chicken to frighten the monkeys. You already know your fate, so obediently sink into silence."
Ye Yang moved with such smoothness that, under everyone's watchful eyes, he became a ghostly shadow and took one of their lives, making him pay a devastating price.
Between drawing and sheathing the sword, the blade in his hand had barely moved. No one could tell how he had killed the man.
Yet a living life, a powerful expert, had simply died like that.
With a thud.
Blood gushed wildly from his neck. Under his unwilling gaze, his vision grew increasingly blurred until, at some moment, he sank into darkness.
He fell straight down. The entire process was crisp and clean, without the slightest trace of hesitation or wasted motion.
"Big Brother, what should we do now? This kid really is incredibly powerful."
"That's right. Every time we force him into a desperate situation, he manages to escape in time. His luck is simply off the charts."
The group began discussing the situation in hushed voices, trying to figure out how to deal with it. Unfortunately, no one would answer them, and they could only feel their way forward on their own.
"Who will be next? You, him, or me?"
Ye Yang's gaze swept over every person present like cold ice. His eyes seemed capable of piercing the human heart and reaching straight into the depths of the soul.
"Big Brother, we're done playing. Let's get out of here. The other side is far too arrogant."
"What? You want to run? I advise you to abandon that thought. Otherwise, bear the consequences yourself."
The air seemed to freeze at that moment. Even breathing became cautious. They were terrified that one small mistake would send them sinking into eternal ruin, and that would be disastrous.
Suddenly, his figure moved, and he appeared beside one of the men like a ghost!
"Enough beating around the bush. Who sent you? This never ends."
Ye Yang pointed the tip of his sword at the man's throat. His voice was low and icy. "Will you be the next one?"
It seemed ordinary and unrelated to anything, but in truth, a thousand words were contained in that wordless silence.
The man trembled all over. Sweat slid down his cheeks, and his eyes were filled with terror and despair.
"Impossible... It must be an illusion!"
Seeing this, the people around them all retreated, afraid of becoming the next soul to perish beneath Ye Yang's sword.
"I already told you—the consequences of provoking me are severe. You understand that now, don't you?"
A cold smile curled at the corners of Ye Yang's lips. His sword flashed, then instantly returned to its original position!
But the man stood frozen like a puppet. An almost invisible red line marked his neck. One strike, one kill—without the slightest wasted movement!
"How is this possible..."
He had not even finished speaking the last words of his life when blood suddenly spurted forth!
With a thud, he slowly collapsed before everyone's eyes, his gaze filled with unwillingness and astonishment.
"Even clay figures have three measures of fire in them. All of you, come at me together. I'm in a hurry!"
Ye Yang gripped his sword and charged into the crowd, unstoppable, like a fierce tiger descending the mountain!
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