They all looked over. One of the middle-aged men had a fierce gaze, but now his brow furrowed. "Who are you? Why have I never seen you before?"
Yun Shu didn't answer. He gripped the Long Sword he had just slung behind his back.
"Of course you don't recognize me, Boss. You've never seen me before." Yun Shu smiled.
His smile was radiant.
A flash of swordlight, swift as lightning, swept past the other two and slashed straight at the middle-aged man in the center.
The whole thing happened in an instant.
Sword Intent coiled around the Long Sword. Yun Shu was so fast that the leading middle-aged man felt as though a powerful pressure were squeezing him from every side, leaving him utterly unable to move.
His eyes widened in horror.
A Body Refining Peak expert!
No, perhaps even stronger!
Only someone of that level could suppress him like this.
But that thought barely crossed his mind before his consciousness began to blur.
After Yun Shu killed the leading Mountain Bandit, who was at Body Tempering Stage Six, the other two saw that things were going badly and tried to flee.
But at such close range, how could they escape?
Sword Qi surged like dragons. Two streaks of Sword Qi shot through their bodies.
To avoid any further complications, Yun Shu used Sword Qi without hesitation.
Even as they died, they couldn't believe that a Sword Cultivator capable of Blood Qi Projection had come all this way just to kill them!
Myriad Sword Pavilion!
That had to be a disciple of Myriad Sword Pavilion!
Having killed the three chief culprits, Yun Shu naturally had no interest in staying any longer.
Once he reported the matter to the authorities, someone would come to investigate. They would then report back to the sect, and his mission would be officially complete.
In other words, missions of this level required someone to verify their completion before the reward was granted. It was a minor, though not insignificant, restriction.
Still, since the reward was generous, Yun Shu didn't mind waiting a little.
The three ringleaders were worth a hundred Qi Nurturing Pills for the leader and fifty each for the other two, who were at Body Refining Fifth Level. That was the price the Dynasty was offering the sect.
Earlier, Yun Shu had taken on several missions in a row and earned only fifty pills.
That was the equivalent of one Body Refining Fifth Level bandit.
That was reality, and that was how the sect priced things.
People were far more vicious than wild beasts.
Yun Shu left the Main Council Hall and headed toward where Lin Yang was. He still wanted to discuss what to do with the remaining bandits.
Even without their three leaders, such a large force might still terrorize the region. Whether they should take action themselves or leave it to the Dynasty's people was another matter entirely.
But when Yun Shu reached the place from earlier, Lin Yang was nowhere to be seen.
Yun Shu's eyes lifted slightly.
Lin Yang wouldn't leave without a reason. Had something happened?
Following a few traces, Yun Shu found his way into a nearby forest.
In the distance, he could see Lin Yang with an old man whose hair seemed to have turned white.
Yun Shu slung his Long Sword behind his back.
"Were you waiting here for me?" Yun Shu asked as he drew closer.
The old man had his back to Yun Shu. Then he slowly turned around.
He was unbelievably decrepit, with sunken eye sockets and cloudy eyes. Yun Shu had rarely seen anyone so old.
He looked well over a hundred.
"How about we make a deal?" the old man said, his expression eerily calm, like still water. "I know you're disciples of Myriad Sword Pavilion. You destroyed my mountain stronghold, and you killed my three adopted sons."
He spoke as though discussing something entirely unrelated.
"What deal?" Yun Shu asked calmly, though he remained wary.
Seeing that Lin Yang was unharmed, he set aside his worry for the moment.
"Five Reverse Life Pills, and I'll let you and your little friend leave. Otherwise, you'll both stay here." The old man's voice was low and cold.
Yun Shu's gaze flickered. He had never seen a Reverse Life Pill, but he had heard of them.
He'd come across them while reading through the mission slips.
Some powerful C-grade Missions did indeed offer Reverse Life Pills as rewards.
They were pills that could force a Body Refining Ninth Level expert to break through to the Qi Condensation Stage.
Yun Shu immediately went on guard. Body Refining Ninth Level!
This was the first Body Refining Peak expert he had encountered outside the sect, and it was hardly a pleasant meeting.
The old man was planning to shake down a Myriad Sword Pavilion disciple. He assumed that someone who had killed his three adopted sons must have Reverse Life Pills on him. He wanted to force his way into the Qi Condensation Stage and seek an immortal's fate.
"I do have Reverse Life Pills, but only three. Come and take them." Yun Shu narrowed his eyes and spoke.
No wonder he hadn't sensed any Blood Qi from the old man when he first entered the stronghold. The old man's Blood Qi had long since run dry. Even though he was still at Body Refining Ninth Level, he no longer had the strength of a Body Refining Peak expert.
The old man gave a strange smile. "You're planning to take advantage of me while I'm retrieving the pills. Young man, I advise you to put away those little tricks of yours."
"Throw the Reverse Life Pills over, or I'll strangle him first, then kill you."
Lin Yang remained silent. He didn't know what to do. Should he tell Junior Brother Yun to run?
Then he could buy Yun Shu time to escape by staying behind himself.
But he didn't think he was that noble. At the same time, a glimmer of hope rose in him. Junior Brother Yun was so strong. Now that he was facing a Body Refining Peak expert, could a miracle happen?
Seeing that the old man had seen through his words, Yun Shu simply smiled. He hadn't expected the old bastard to fall for it; he had only been testing him.
"Reverse Life Pills are incredibly precious. How do I know you'll let my friend go after I hand them over?" Yun Shu asked.
The old man thought for a moment, then moved farther away from Lin Yang. "Are you satisfied now?"
"Good!"
Yun Shu reached into his chest and took out a Jade Box, then tossed it a long way—not toward the old man, but off to the right. The box sailed far before finally hitting the ground.
The old man moved like a ghost. He grabbed Lin Yang and lunged toward the Jade Box.
Yun Shu thrust a palm toward the space between them. A palm formed from Blood Qi instantly shot toward the old man.
If the old man insisted on holding on to Lin Yang, he would be struck by the blow. It was more than enough to seriously wound someone whose Blood Qi had withered!
The old man shot Yun Shu an angry look, then flung Lin Yang aside. With a ghostly sidestep, he dodged the blow and lunged for the Jade Box.
By then, the old man was already very close to the box.
"Goodbye."
A cruel smile curled Yun Shu's lips.
Then the Long Sword in his hand suddenly struck.
An incomparably powerful Sword Intent slashed toward the old man.
The moment the Sword Intent erupted, the old man's movement froze midair.
Pressure surged in from every direction, and for an instant, the old man felt as though he had sunk into a mire.
This was Yun Shu's latest insight: Second Tier Sword Intent. Accompanied by the crushing pressure of a powerful "will," it could be considered a method of mental suppression and attack, yet it was countless times more refined and straightforward than other mental attacks.
The old man only had time to swing his palm and unleash an immensely powerful fist technique. A fist formed from Blood Qi slammed toward the Sword Shadow, but the Sword Shadow shattered it in an instant. It slowed for only a moment before plunging into the old man's chest.
A bright spray of blood burst from the old man's withered chest.
A second Sword Shadow came at that moment. The old man could no longer resist. He dropped to his knees, able only to watch as the long, slender Sword Shadow pierced his brow.
His hand finally closed around the Jade Box, but his eyes were full of resentment and unwillingness.
After unleashing two strikes of Sword Intent, Yun Shu finally couldn't hold on and slumped to the ground.
A tired smile spread across his face. The exhilaration in his heart was beyond words. So this was the intoxicating thrill of killing an enemy!
It had taken countless layers of scheming, along with his trump cards, to catch the old man off guard.
Some opponents could be defeated head-on, but there might never be a chance to face them in a straightforward fight. In that case, using a few tricks didn't seem so bad.
I outplayed you, so you died. It was that simple.
After the old man passed away, Lin Yang hurried over and asked Yun Shu, "Are you all right?"
Before you continue