"Damn it, how did that old bastard Guan Shan end up here?"
Panic showed on Xue Wen's face.
After a moment's hesitation, he burst into a speed that nearly surpassed his limits and charged at Gu Han!
They had long since left the Military Camp. There was no reasonable explanation for them to be here now!
What was more, judging by Guan Shan's attitude, he seemed to have been lying in wait here for some time.
Even if Xue Wen tried to explain, Guan Shan would never believe him.
His only hope was to seize Gu Han and at least trade him for a chance to survive!
"Courting death!"
Seeing that Xue Wen still dared to attack after he had made his move, Guan Shan flew into a rage.
But the distance was too great for him to reach Gu Han in time.
Yet when faced with Xue Wen's full-force attack, Gu Han showed not the slightest hint of panic. Instead, he smiled faintly.
Gu Han's body swayed, and at the last possible moment, he narrowly dodged Xue Wen's sword.
The longsword in his hand flashed like lightning as he struck.
He had seized on the anxiety Xue Wen felt from fearing Guan Shan too much, which had left a flaw in his attack!
"Ah!"
Amid a piercing scream, Xue Wen's right hand and the sword it held flew away together. Blood gushed from his arm.
At the same time, Guan Shan finally arrived. With a casual grab, he seized Xue Wen by the back of the neck and hoisted him up.
"Tell me..."
Crack!
Guan Shan had barely spoken when he stared in astonishment as Xue Wen's head suddenly flew off into the air.
Blood gushed from Xue Wen's neck like a spring, splattering all over Guan Shan's face!
Xue Wen's head landed on the ground, deep resentment still in his eyes.
Guan Shan stared in shock at Xue Wen's corpse, then casually tossed it onto the ground.
He had intended to interrogate him, but never could have imagined that Gu Han would kill Xue Wen right in front of him!
"Gu Han, you... Sigh, forget it."
Guan Shan started to say something, then stopped. In the end, he had missed his chance to question Xue Wen.
But Xue Wen had threatened Gu Han. Could Guan Shan really stop Gu Han from getting his revenge?
After dropping Xue Wen's corpse, Guan Shan darted away and easily captured the other two.
Once he had secured a few prisoners alive, Guan Shan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Xue Wen might have been the leader of the group, but he could probably still learn a thing or two from the other two.
Only after Guan Shan had left did Gu Han quietly crouch and touch Xue Wen's corpse.
"Ding! Congratulations, host. You have extracted the corpse of first-tier Martial Artist Xue Wen, gaining 500 Blood Qi, 100 Strength, and 50 Speed."
The reason Gu Han had decided to act even after Guan Shan restrained Xue Wen was to get these attributes!
If Guan Shan had taken Xue Wen away, those attributes would probably have vanished into thin air.
"Congratulations, host! Your luck is overflowing. You can extract a Martial Skill from Xue Wen. Extract it now?"
"Hm?"
Gu Han froze, then immediately felt a surge of joy.
He had been hunting Wild Beasts all this time, and the people he had killed could be counted on his fingers.
This was the first time he had triggered the Martial Skill extraction effect.
"Extract it now!"
Gu Han eagerly rubbed his hands together, looking forward to seeing what Martial Skill he would get.
"Ding! Congratulations, host! You have obtained a Yellow-grade, mid-tier Martial Skill: Wind Breaking Stab!"
As the system's notification sounded, scenes of a Martial Artist using Wind Breaking Stab flashed before Gu Han's eyes like a movie.
In the blink of an eye, Gu Han had mastered the technique, reaching the initial proficiency level.
"Isn't this just a powered-up thrust?"
Gu Han pursed his lips.
Wind Breaking Stab wasn't particularly powerful. Its advantage was its incredible speed, making it hard to defend against.
By comparison, it didn't look as impressive as other, more powerful Martial Skills.
But since Gu Han didn't need to spend time learning it, having more skills could only help.
Besides, Wind Breaking Stab meant he wouldn't be limited to using only fist techniques when fighting.
It helped shore up one of his weaknesses.
"Gu Han, are you hurt?"
After Guan Shan subdued the other two, Gu Chen hurried over to Gu Han's side and asked anxiously.
When Xue Wen attacked Gu Han, Gu Chen had been ready to let Sword Elder take control of his body.
If Guan Shan hadn't appeared, these people would probably all be dead by now.
Of course, Sword Elder might have been weakened as a result.
But nothing mattered more than Gu Han's safety.
A warm current flowed through Gu Han at Gu Chen's concern. He smiled.
"I'm not hurt. Don't worry, brother."
Gu Chen breathed a sigh of relief. The two exchanged a glance and smiled in understanding.
Neither of them asked about the other's opportunities.
Everyone had their own chances and fortunes. They only needed to know that if one of them was ever in danger, the other would come to help without hesitation. That was enough.
There was no need to pry into anyone else's private affairs.
"Head Instructor, what are you doing here?"
After Guan Shan had quickly tied up Lei Chao and the others who were still alive, Gu Chen asked.
Guan Shan's expression turned a little awkward.
He cleared his throat twice, then said indignantly,
"I received word that spies had infiltrated the Military Camp, so I've been keeping an eye on you."
"Talented youngsters like you are bound to be targets the spies would go to any lengths to eliminate!"
"When I saw you heading out today, I protected you from the shadows. Sure enough, I caught Lei Chao, Xue Wen, and the other spies hiding in the Military Camp!"
Gu Han and Gu Chen exchanged a smile. Guan Shan's story was full of holes, to say the least.
Gu Han had been hunting Demonic Beasts outside the camp. No one knew his true strength.
Gu Chen had been in the camp, but with Sword Elder around, no one could detect anything unusual about him.
Guan Shan might have been powerful, but Sword Elder was certain he couldn't evade his detection.
In other words, they hadn't shown anything unusual in the Military Camp.
So how could Guan Shan have known they were talented?
Even if things were as Guan Shan claimed, as Head Instructor of Warrior Camp, he had no reason to personally protect them!
Gu Han looked at Guan Shan with an amused smile.
"If that's the case, General Guan, were you protecting me or my brother?"
It sounded as if Gu Han were simply curious about which of them Guan Shan thought was more talented.
But Guan Shan knew the young man had spotted the holes in his story.
"Don't get hung up on insignificant details. I would never stand by and let you come to harm."
Guan Shan blinked awkwardly, took a pouch from his robes, and tossed it to Gu Chen.
"Earlier, I decided to use you as bait without asking for your consent. Take these things as compensation."
In reality, this was compensation for wrongly suspecting them.
But Guan Shan had his pride. How could he admit that?
After handing the storage pouch to Gu Chen,
Guan Shan quickly picked up Lei Chao and the others, bound up like dumplings, and headed back to camp.
Before you continue