The flank of Red Fish Dock was a sprawling stretch of muddy marsh.
The terrain was complicated and difficult to traverse, so the Red Fish Gang had set up only a simple wooden fence here, with a few lackeys posted to guard it.
At that moment, the lackeys were gathered around a fire, warming themselves. They held wine jars in their hands and chatted idly.
"I heard the Black Water Gang's been making quite a stir lately?"
"Bah, they're just trying to scare people. Red Fish Dock is as secure as an iron fortress. They wouldn't dare come here even if they had the courage of two men!"
"Exactly. We'll kill anyone who comes. That'll make a fine snack to go with our drinks!"
The men burst into laughter, completely unaware that death was already creeping up on them.
In the darkness, Lu Chen moved like a leopard, silently creeping up to the wooden fence.
He peered through a gap and got a clear look at what was inside.
Four guards. Two sabers, two spears.
The nearest one was less than three paces away.
Lu Chen turned and signaled to Wang Xiaoliu and the others behind him.
Three, two, one.
Lu Chen sprang into action.
The Mountain Splitting Saber in his hand became a black bolt of lightning, slicing through the wooden fence in an instant.
Splurt!
The nearest guard didn't even have time to react before Lu Chen slit his throat with a single stroke.
Blood sprayed onto the fire, sizzling.
"Enemy atta—!"
The remaining three guards blanched and were just about to shout.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several crossbow bolts shot out of the darkness, striking their throats and chests with deadly accuracy.
Wang Xiaoliu and the others had made their move.
"Charge in!"
Lu Chen barked, kicked open the broken wooden fence, and charged into the camp first.
"Who's there?!"
The commotion finally alerted the patrol inside.
Soon, more than a dozen members of the Red Fish Gang, carrying torches, came rushing from all directions.
"The Black Water Gang is here on business! Anyone who gets in our way dies!"
Lu Chen didn't waste a word. He charged straight at the dozen men.
"Looking to die? Hack him to death!"
Seeing Lu Chen charging at the front all alone, the Red Fish Gang members sneered and swung their sabers at him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
More than a dozen blades struck Lu Chen almost simultaneously.
Then a terrifying sight unfolded before their eyes.
The blades struck Lu Chen's body with the clang of metal on metal, sparks flying everywhere.
His black clothes were hacked to tatters, revealing skin that gleamed with a bronze hue beneath.
Apart from a few faint white marks, he was completely unharmed!
[Iron Cloth Shirt] + [Bronze Skin]!
With his defenses stacked, he was practically a human tank in a fight at this level.
"How is that possible?!"
The Red Fish Gang members stared wide-eyed, as if they'd seen a ghost.
"My turn."
Lu Chen grinned, baring his bone-white teeth.
His Mountain Splitting Saber swept out.
Mountain Splitting Saber Technique!
The stroke was powerful and heavy, carrying a howling gust of wind.
Splurt! Splurt! Splurt!
Three heads soared into the air.
Blood gushed like fountains, drenching Lu Chen from head to toe.
Soaked in blood, he looked like an asura crawling out of hell.
"Ahhh! Monster!"
The remaining Red Fish Gang members were terrified out of their wits by the horrific sight. They turned and tried to run.
But the thirty Black Water Gang elites behind Lu Chen had already arrived.
"Kill!"
Crossbows loosed in unison, saber-light flashed.
It was a one-sided slaughter.
Lu Chen didn't stop. He remembered his mission.
Set fires! Sow chaos!
He led his men deeper into the camp, cutting his way forward.
Anything in his path, whether people or obstacles, was cleaved apart by his saber.
When they came upon a sturdy courtyard gate, he simply channeled Stone Crushing Palm and struck it with one palm.
Under the force of Vibrating Force, the thick wooden gate splintered into pieces.
Like this, he forcibly punched through the flank defenses of Red Fish Dock.
Soon, they reached the granary.
"Set it on fire!"
Lu Chen gave the order.
Dozens of torches were thrown into the granary and the nearby haystack.
Whoosh!
The wind fed the flames, and they shot skyward in an instant.
Billowing smoke rose with the firelight, illuminating half the night sky.
"Fire! The granary's on fire!"
"The Black Water Gang's broken in!"
Red Fish Dock descended into chaos in an instant.
Countless Red Fish Gang members woke from their sleep and rushed out in disarray to fight the fire.
At that very moment, thunderous cries of battle also rang out from the direction of the main water stronghold.
"Zhao Tieshan of the Black Water Gang is here! You Red Fish Gang scum, prepare to die!"
Zhao Tieshan's voice boomed across the night sky like thunder.
The main force had launched its attack.
Attacked from both front and rear, the Red Fish Gang was plunged into utter panic.
Standing amid the flames, Lu Chen watched the chaotic battlefield but didn't hurry to join up with the main force.
He was hunting for prey.
There wasn't much to be gained from killing ordinary lackeys, no matter how many he cut down.
He was looking for the Red Fish Gang's leaders.
Just then, a gust of wind suddenly struck from the side.
"Brat, you dared to burn my granary? Your life is mine!"
A lean, middle-aged man wielding a pair of hooks leapt down from the roof and lunged at Lu Chen.
The man was incredibly fast. His hooks cut two icy arcs through the air, aimed straight at Lu Chen's eyes.
Peak Flesh Refining Realm!
Lu Chen narrowed his eyes, sensing the fierce aura radiating from his opponent.
This was a skilled fighter.
But he didn't retreat.
Instead, he charged straight at the man.
At the instant the hooks were about to pierce his eyes, Lu Chen suddenly lowered his head and took the blow on his forehead.
Sparks flew.
A bloody gash appeared on Lu Chen's forehead, but the hooks didn't pierce through.
That was the confidence behind his willingness to trade blows.
As long as it wasn't a vital spot, and as long as his opponent wasn't wielding a divine weapon, he was willing to take the hit!
While the man was still stunned, Lu Chen's Mountain Splitting Saber swept sharply upward from below.
The stroke was fast, accurate, and ruthless.
The middle-aged man had only enough time to let out a scream before Lu Chen split him open from crotch to chest.
Blood and entrails spilled across the ground.
Lu Chen didn't even spare him a glance. He casually searched the corpse with practiced hands.
Silver notes, pills...
He stuffed them into his clothes.
His movements were smooth and effortless. Clearly, he was an old hand at this.
"Leader Lu is mighty!"
Wang Xiaoliu and the others behind him watched, their blood boiling.
Following a big brother like this was dangerous, but damn, it felt good!
Lu Chen led his team onward, pushing toward the central area.
Along the way, they killed two more Junior Leaders who tried to stop them.
His Mountain Splitting Saber was already nicked, and he'd picked up several wounds, but his aura only grew more imposing.
At last, they fought their way to the central plaza of Red Fish Dock.
Zhao Tieshan was there, leading the main force in a final battle against the Red Fish Gang's remaining fighters.
Although the Red Fish Gang had more people, they were already in disarray after the Black Water Gang's surprise attack and pincer assault.
Victory was assured.
Lu Chen let out a breath of relief and was about to lead his men over to join up.
Just then.
Deep within Red Fish Dock, inside an elegant pavilion,
a woman's sharp shout suddenly rang out.
"Zhao Tieshan! You've gone too far!"
Her voice was clear and sweet, yet carried a penetrating force.
The next moment,
the roof of the pavilion exploded.
A red figure shot into the sky like a gigantic firebird.
An oppressive aura that made it hard to breathe instantly enveloped the entire battlefield.
That was... an aura beyond the Meridian Connecting Realm!
Lu Chen's eyelid twitched, and every hair on his body stood on end.
That aura was even stronger than Zhao Tieshan's!
The Red Fish Gang's leader, Li Qingyi!
She had actually... broken through?!
Before you continue