Big brother, didn't I come to save you?

Liu Wei's gaze swept across the scene before him. The ground was littered with headless corpses.

Some were human, some were demonic creatures.

The humans' heads were gone, and their necks bore a gaping hole, the gruesome sight of their heads being ripped off by a bite still visible.

As for the demonic creatures, their heads were severed by a single blade, though one had been cut in half at the waist.

The blood from the severed limbs had long since dyed the ground red, forming shocking pools of gore.

And there, in the center of this bloody scene, stood Chen Bin, aloof and proud. His blood-spattered clothes fluttered in the blood-soaked wind as Liu Wei approached.

Liu Wei's heart tightened. He couldn't help but ask, "Where are the others?"

Chen Bin casually glanced around, his tone as indifferent as if he were discussing the weather. "They're all here!"

They're all here?

Liu Wei was startled. He looked closely and realized that apart from the men he had brought, only Chen Bin remained.

In an instant, he understood. The men brought by Kang Ronghao were all dead.

Liu Wei took a deep breath, trying to quell the shock. The brutal scene was far beyond his imagination.

He looked up at Chen Bin. The imposing aura emanating from him was as strong as his own. His shock deepened, and he couldn't help but ask, "You've reached the Qi Gathering Realm?"

"By luck," Chen Bin said, shaking his arm. His joints made a "crackling" sound. "Since Officer Liu is here, you can deal with these corpses. I'm exhausted and need to find a place to rest."

With that, he turned, ready to find a quiet corner to rest.

"What about Little Banner Kang?"

Liu Wei hesitated for a moment, then finally asked the question that weighed most heavily on his mind.

Chen Bin glanced sideways at the massive corpse lying beside him, which was still as tall as his shoulders even when lying down. He said nonchalantly, "He's inside this fellow. I think his name was Tiger One."

"You, you killed Tiger One?" Liu Wei's eyes widened in disbelief, his voice involuntarily rising.

"I killed him, so what?" Chen Bin's lips curved into a faint smile. "There's no need to make a fuss."

He then let out a huge yawn and walked towards the dilapidated house in the distance with a slightly weary gait. As he walked, he said, "Call me when you're done with the bodies. I'm going to sleep."

His hands clasped behind his back, his steps were slow and leisurely, as if the bloody battle he had just experienced was nothing more than a casual stroll.

What the hell!

Liu Wei looked at the mess of corpses on the ground and grumbled inwardly, Am I supposed to be the janitor now?

Wasn't I supposed to be saving you?

It wasn't until Chen Bin's figure disappeared from the threshing ground that the officers and soldiers, who had been too terrified to speak, finally dared to raise their voices and start discussing.

"Sir, what should we do?" Li Kun asked respectfully, approaching Liu Wei.

"What else can we do? Quickly clean up the battlefield and transport the bodies back to the county."

Liu Wei frowned deeply, his gaze fixed on the rolling mountains in the distance. He said with a grave expression, "Tiger One is dead, and Kang Ronghao is dead. We're in big trouble."

"Send a few more men to retrieve the horses that were spooked and ran off by the roadside," Liu Wei added.

The horses had been frightened by the battle and had scattered. Finding them would be a difficult task.

"Yes!" the officers and soldiers responded in unison, their voices echoing. They immediately sprang into action.

The captain shouted, "Go see if any villagers have carts. How are we supposed to move so many bodies back to the county by hand?"

But everyone knew that the villagers of Nanxi Village had been slaughtered by the Mountain Lord's ghouls. Now, only empty houses remained, devoid of any life.

"The bodies of these demonic creatures have tough hides. Let's just drag them back," someone suggested.

"Idiot, dragging them back will ruin the hides, and they won't be worth as much," another person immediately retorted.

"Then go and dismantle some door panels and roof beams to make simple sleds," someone else offered.

"Do a good job, and everyone will be rewarded when we get back."

With the captain's command, the officers and white officers became energized and busied themselves.

Chen Bin sat alone on the stone table in the courtyard. The surroundings were silent, with only the gentle breeze rustling by.

His eyes were slightly closed, and his status panel appeared before him.

[Name]: Chen Bin
[Cultivation]: Qi Gathering Realm (Tanzhong Acupoint: 20/30)
[Merit]: 671
[Map]: Detectable range of thirty-two zhang
[Martial Arts]:
Demon Suppression Blade Technique (Supreme)

Pure Yang Art - Qi Gathering Chapter (Proficient: 40/150)

Wind Thunder Saber Technique (Beginner: 0/100)

Ten Perfect Steps (Proficient: 0/150)

Chen Bin looked at these stats, recalling the battle from earlier in his mind, and his heart had already clarified one of his shortcomings.

His combat power in his limbs was insufficient. In close-quarters combat, without the support of fist or leg techniques, his entire body's movements were not flexible enough.

Although his saber technique was sharp and its power astonishing, his close-combat ability was truly too weak.

It seemed he needed to find a refined fist or leg technique to practice well when he got back.

With this thought, Chen Bin withdrew his thoughts, his gaze locked tightly onto [Pure Yang Art - Qi Gathering Chapter].

Pure Yang Art - Qi Gathering Chapter, this was the fundamental cultivation technique for his survival and stability.

Without the slightest hesitation, with a thought, he injected 110 points of Merit into it.

Instantly, countless streams of energy, as if a slumbering giant beast had been awakened, surged forth from his limbs and bones, seemingly endless.

These energies gradually converged, transforming into streams of tangible "Qi," which madly rushed towards his chest.

Finally, the "Qi" poured into the Tanzhong Acupoint. The Tanzhong Acupoint was instantly distended and filled by this powerful "Qi," yet more "Qi" continued to pour in from behind.

Next, this "Qi" followed the meridians and slowly flowed into the [Zhongting Acupoint].

Under the impact of this powerful force, the [Zhongting Acupoint] also began to swell continuously, and a piercing pain shot into Chen Bin's mind.

Chen Bin gritted his teeth tightly, his expression slightly contorted from the pain, yet he remained unmoved, stubbornly persisting with his tenacious will.

After an unknown amount of time, the [Zhongting Acupoint] seemed to reach its limit and could no longer withstand this powerful force.

With a "crack" sound, as if something had shattered within Chen Bin's body, this "Qi" instantly broke through the [Bigu] and surged towards the shattered area along the [Bigu Channel].

Under the impact of the "Qi," the [Bigu Channel] was continuously expanded, and soon it entered the [Jiuwei Acupoint].

The [Jiuwei Acupoint] was also filled in a very short time, and then this "Qi" did not stop, continuing to surge forward.

Facing this powerful "Qi," the [Juque Acupoint] seemed somewhat overwhelmed and unable to bear it completely.

Following a faint sound of acupoint wall shattering in Chen Bin's mind, this "Qi" finally stopped at the [Shangwan Acupoint].

At this point, this advancement in realm, which was a byproduct of the cultivation technique's comprehension progress, was finally declared complete.

Concurrently, as the new prompt ended, the panel's stats also quietly changed.