Heroes

"The treachery of the human heart!"

Baili Qingfeng slew Bai Yang with a single sword strike, then collapsed onto the grass beside the pond, exhausted. He closed his eyes, feeling as though his entire worldview had suffered an unprecedented shock.

"I understood this principle long ago, but I never imagined that a person—or even a sect—could be rotten to this extent. That evil and savagery radiating from their very bones has simply refreshed the limits of human depravity. My spirit has suffered severe abuse. I feel tired, fragile, helpless, and terribly nostalgic for my past life... that peaceful environment far removed from evil!"

After a long while...

A full half hour passed.

Baili Qingfeng stood up again. He had reached enlightenment.

"Iron Sword Sect is vicious by nature and wants to kill me. I can't understand them, so I'll take it as a sign that their brains aren't functioning properly. There's nothing wrong with me killing them to protect myself and my family. But this is no longer a private grudge between me and Iron Sword Sect. It has risen to the higher levels of morality and ideology. Their existence drags down the moral standards of Xia, and of everyone in the world. To safeguard world peace and make the world a better place, I... must wipe out Iron Sword Sect!"

Baili Qingfeng spoke as he said this.

Light shimmered in his eyes.

"Although I'm very afraid right now, very flustered, and under tremendous mental pressure, even if I'm trembling from head to toe in terror, I still have to destroy Iron Sword Sect. I remember hearing someone say, 'Do you want to be a coward for your entire life, or do you want to be a hero, even if only for a few minutes?' I don't want to be a hero. I'm just an Outstanding Student who loves studying. I'm not as noble and great as a hero. But in one's life, there must come a moment when one suddenly makes up one's mind and throws oneself recklessly into something ordinary people would find foolish and laughable..."

Baili Qingfeng carried his sword, wiped the blood from it, and walked woodenly toward Green Water Manor several hundred meters away.

After walking for a while...

He thought of something and stopped. He returned to the two vehicles and carefully examined them.

He soon found a small leather bag in one of the vehicles. When he opened it, it contained stacks of banknotes.

Baili Qingfeng counted them. There were twenty stacks, totaling two hundred thousand.

"Your actions have refreshed my entire worldview, and my spirit has suffered severe abuse. I desperately need treatment. Besides, Iron Sword Sect is in Daluo Province, more than four hundred kilometers away. Taking the train will cost only a dozen or so. I'm going to uphold justice and act on Heaven's behalf, so I can't possibly pay for the ticket myself... This bag is genuine leather. I should be able to sell it for a few hundred. Let's count it as my compensation. Heroes shouldn't bleed, shed tears, and pay out of pocket too..."

Baili Qingfeng put the bag away.

Then...

He continued toward Green Water Manor.

The clash between Baili Qingfeng and Iron Sword Sect's convoy had taken place three or four hundred meters away. With the numerous ponds and the high humidity, the sound of the pistols had faded considerably by the time it reached Green Water Manor, so it failed to attract the manor's occupants' attention.

When he arrived before Hong Lie's villa, the lights were still on, but no one opened the door.

He stepped forward and knocked.

"Knock, knock!"

"Who is it?"

A voice came from inside.

"Checking the water meter."

Baili Qingfeng replied.

The person inside paused, but suspecting nothing, opened the door anyway.

As the door opened, the person inside saw Baili Qingfeng clearly in the light. His pupils immediately contracted. "It's you!?"

He then tried to slam the door shut.

But before he could close it, Baili Qingfeng suddenly stepped forward. His body bumped lightly against the door, sending it swinging open. The man behind it was knocked off balance by the force transmitted through the door...

"Baili Qingfeng!"

The man shouted in terror. On one hand...

He had been frightened.

On the other, he was warning the other two people inside the villa.

"Bang!"

Baili Qingfeng stepped forward. Without any fancy moves, he slammed into the man's body as he lost his balance.

His sturdy frame carried a tremendous, heavy impact. The man was struck as if by a speeding car, sent flying six meters, and crashed heavily into the marble coffee table in the living room, spraying blood.

At that moment, another person rushed out from inside. Seeing Baili Qingfeng, disbelief filled his eyes.

"Damn it!"

"Junior Brother Shi! Run!"

Before he could move, Hong Lie's voice suddenly came from behind him.

The Man named Shi, jolted awake, immediately ran toward the window, intending to escape through it. But...

The window had been fitted with a Stainless Steel Anti-theft Net.

That delay gave Baili Qingfeng the chance to become one with his sword and close in swiftly.

This time, he showed no mercy.

Mercy toward one's enemy was cruelty toward oneself.

The last time, he had allowed Hong Lie and the others to leave safely, nearly bringing disaster upon his entire family. That was the finest mockery of his softheartedness!

If not for his powerful spirit, and for sensing the approaching danger on a sudden impulse and coming to Green Water Manor to investigate, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

"Swish!"

A burst of blood erupted.

The man, who was at most a Level 2 Warrior, was killed by Baili Qingfeng's sword in a single exchange.

Then, his body flashing like a shooting star, he took several steps through the air and charged straight up to the second floor. In one of the upstairs bedrooms, Hong Lie's face was pale, and he clearly appeared to have suffered severe injuries...

Hong Lie had been injured by him several days ago, yet he could only barely get out of bed...

The medicine from Iron Sword Sect was ineffective.

Looking at Hong Lie, who had little strength to resist, Baili Qingfeng shook the blood from his sword.

"Baili Qingfeng!"

Fear flashed through Hong Lie's eyes as he looked at Baili Qingfeng, but he quickly composed himself and growled, "Baili Qingfeng, what are you trying to do? Coming to settle a score in the middle of the night? Could it be that the Baili Family wants to go to war with Iron Sword Sect?"

"On my way here, I killed your Iron Sword Sect Master, one elder, and six experts."

Those words alone were enough...

Hong Lie's heart sank at once.

He knew!

Baili Qingfeng knew that Iron Sword Sect intended to deal with him, and had struck first, killing the Sect Leader and elder outright!?

How was that possible!?

"You... Impossible! This time, all the experts of Iron Sword Sect came out. No matter how capable you are, how could you defeat so many experts from our Iron Sword Sect? You're lying!"

"I don't want to ask why anymore, and I don't want to answer your questions. Right now, I only want to know: where is Wang Gang?"

"I don't know!"

Hong Lie's mind raced. He quickly calmed down and said solemnly, "Elder Wang went to visit an old friend and didn't travel with the convoy. However, we originally planned to rest tonight and launch an operation against you and the Baili Family at noon tomorrow. Therefore, before noon tomorrow, he will definitely return to Green Water Manor. But if you kill me, Elder Wang won't be able to contact any of us and will surely grow suspicious. Out of caution, he'll return to Iron Sword Sect immediately. By then, you won't have the chance to take revenge on Elder Wang."

"He'll return to Iron Sword Sect?"

"That's right."

Hong Lie looked at Baili Qingfeng solemnly and said sincerely, "I know you have a grudge against Elder Wang. This whole matter was caused by him. Now that he has brought such disaster upon Iron Sword Sect, he must be severely punished. If you're willing to spare me, I can remain in contact with him, keep him steady, and lure him to Green Water Manor so you can kill him. I also promise you that from now on, none of our Iron Sword Sect disciples will ever set foot in Xia again."

"No need..."

Learning that Wang Gang would cautiously return later was enough for Baili Qingfeng.

"Iron Sword Sect is a social cancer, scum of the martial world. Everyone with aspirations has a duty to remove this cancer. Since Wang Gang will return to Iron Sword Sect, I might as well settle everything once and for all and deal with him together with Iron Sword Sect."

Hearing this, Hong Lie's breathing suddenly caught. "You... You intend to go after Iron Sword Sect!? There's a debtor for every debt. Wang Gang has a grudge against you, but what have the ordinary disciples of Iron Sword Sect done wrong? How can you..."

Before Hong Lie could finish, Baili Qingfeng abruptly drew his sword.

"Swish!"

The Sword Light pierced through Hong Lie's throat like lightning, then was pulled free in the next instant.

Blood splashed.