Night Battle

A woman in her twenties still carried a trace of youthful innocence, but as she neared thirty, her allure only grew more mature.

The woman, brimming with charm, approached. When she reached Xu Bai, she held out the broken silver in her hand.

"This little woman runs an inn and values harmony above all. The waiter was ignorant, so this little woman will return the money to you, sir. Consider the meal my treat for everyone."

Xu Bai stared at the broken silver she offered, especially at the woman's fair hand and the pattern on its back.

On the innkeeper's hand was a faint red Maple Leaf Tattoo. Set against her pale skin, it looked exceptionally bewitching.

Did Xu Bai like women? Of course he did! What man did not? But he was not some stud that lunged at every woman he saw. The reason he could not tear his gaze away now was that he had discovered the innkeeper's Maple Leaf Tattoo was not only beautiful—it also had a golden progress bar.

In that brief moment of looking, the golden progress bar had only risen by a sliver.

At this rate, it was probably even better than the Kidney Hammering Technique.

"Sir? Sir?" the innkeeper called. Xu Bai came back to his senses.

"Then many thanks, innkeeper."

He took the silver and casually tucked it into the bulging money pouch at his waist, no longer looking at her hand.

"I have to say, the innkeeper understands. Heh, let's let this go this time." The middle-aged man was quick to take the offered way out.

"Not innkeeper's wife. My name is Yun Xiang. I am the owner." Yun Xiang stressed the point, her gaze fixed on Xu Bai. "Sir, one should not flaunt one's wealth."

Xu Bai smiled but said nothing.

His eyes drifted over, and the progress bar rose by another sliver.

He adjusted his hair, then glanced again.

He touched the money pouch at his waist, then glanced again.

At that moment, Xu Bai was like someone shearing wool, doing everything he could to raise the progress bar.

"It is getting late. Everyone should head home early." Having returned the money, Yun Xiang had no desire to say more.

Xu Bai sighed, inwardly lamenting that there was no opportunity today.

"Farewell."

He turned around, offered his farewell, and left the inn.

The middle-aged man and his companions left as well, and the inn fell silent.

Yun Xiang stepped forward, shut the door, and went up the stairs to the second floor...

After leaving the inn, Xu Bai headed straight for home.

Halfway there, he suddenly stopped, changed direction, and entered a dark alley.

By now, the night was deep.

Apart from the moon and the lanterns on both sides, only the faint sound of a night watchman's clapper drifted from afar.

Several figures appeared outside the alley. They were the middle-aged man and his companions.

"Big Brother, he went into the alley. The chance is here!" one of the accomplices said as he looked into the dark alley.

The middle-aged man furrowed his brow. "Be careful. His footsteps are steady, and he carries an air about him when he walks. Do not fall into his trap."

"Hehe, Big Brother is a Ninth Rank Martial Artist. We have nothing to fear. In this tiny county town, I have never heard of any martial artists living here permanently. Big Brother, let's hurry. The silver on him is worth more than what us brothers earn by risking our lives several times over." Another accomplice could no longer hold back.

The middle-aged man thought it over. Then, remembering Xu Bai's bulging money pouch, he gritted his teeth and waved a hand as he entered the alley.

The alley was pitch-dark. Aside from the moonlight, there was not even a lantern on the street.

The moment they entered, they caught the scent of dampness.

Xu Bai was nowhere to be seen ahead.

Having hesitated just now, the middle-aged man thought he had lost track of him.

Then he thought of the money pouch. His heart stirred, and he said in a low voice, "Hurry and chase him."

"Yes!" the accomplices answered.

But before they could take two steps, the sound of something slicing through the air rang out.

Swish...

Along with that sound came the noise of a sharp blade piercing flesh.

One of the middle-aged man's accomplices clutched his throat and collapsed limply to the ground. The head of a Sleeve Arrow protruded from his throat.

"Who is it?!"

The men tensed instantly.

But the alley was too dark to see anyone.

They stood back to back, watching out for one another.

Other than the already dead accomplice, only three of them remained.

Whoosh...

The wind howled again, sweeping through the night.

"Ah!"

Another accomplice clutched his head. His skull split open, and he fell to the ground. A brick lay beside him.

Before they could react, several more bricks came flying.

The last accomplice was struck and fell to the ground.

As the saying went, no matter how good your martial arts, one brick could still knock you flat.

Only the middle-aged man still had the strength to fight. He drew a pair of Iron Thorns from his waist and shattered the incoming bricks with sweeping strikes.

"If you have the skill, come out! What kind of hero hides in the shadows?" he roared.

Though he was a Ninth Rank Martial Artist and the others were all beneath notice, he still could not accept his companions' deaths.

No one answered. A rush of wind came from behind him.

A sense of danger surged through him, and the middle-aged man hastily ducked.

A Ghost-Head Saber swept over his head. Had he been a second slower, he would have gone to join his companions.

"It's you!"

Only then did the middle-aged man finally see the person wielding the saber. It was Xu Bai, whom they had been pursuing.

"Greed can sometimes kill you." Xu Bai raised an eyebrow.

The moment he had left the inn, he had noticed these men secretly following him. Recalling how the middle-aged man had repeatedly stared at his money pouch earlier, Xu Bai understood what they had in mind.

"Sure enough, I am still too inexperienced in the ways of the world. Jianghu is truly too treacherous..." he sighed.

The middle-aged man nearly spat blood.

Inexperienced in the ways of the world?

Someone inexperienced in the ways of the world had already killed several of his companions. If he were experienced, then what the hell would that be? "I did not expect someone so young to have reached the Ninth Rank," the middle-aged man said warily.

Xu Bai did not answer. He suddenly extended a hand.

Under the moonlight, a faint black gleam showed at his sleeve, though it was hard to see clearly.

The middle-aged man suddenly recalled how the first accomplice had died and cried out in alarm, "A hidden weapon!"

He hurriedly dodged aside.

But Xu Bai did not fire the Sleeve Arrow. Instead, he hammered his own waist with his backhand and charged forward with his saber.

Kidney Hammering Technique! His True Qi grew a fraction stronger, crashing wildly through his body.

Clang!

Saber and thorn collided with a crisp ring.

The two fought back and forth in the alley.

Under the moonlight, aside from the silver glow, only the cold gleam reflected from their weapons remained.

"Guess when I'll fire the arrow." Xu Bai held his saber in his right hand, swinging it without pause as he repeatedly unleashed the Bone Severing Blade Technique.

His other hand was also taking aim.

The middle-aged man's heart jolted. When he saw the Sleeve Arrow aimed at him, a chill ran through him, and he hurriedly dodged.

But in the next instant, the long saber carved a wound across his body.

"Not this time. But will I fire an arrow next time?" Xu Bai asked with a smiling face.

The middle-aged man clutched his wound and retreated rapidly.

But Xu Bai gave him no chance. The long saber seemed glued to him, impossible to shake off.

This was the most stifling battle the middle-aged man had fought since entering Jianghu.

For besides that Ghost-Head Saber flashing with cold light, the hidden weapon that could fire at any unknown moment was even more terrifying.

Despicable!

Shameless! the middle-aged man cursed inwardly. As he dealt with the Ghost-Head Saber while guarding against the hidden weapon, an opening finally appeared.

Xu Bai's long saber swept past, then returned to its sheath.

The middle-aged man clutched his throat and fell to the ground, twitching without stop.

Fresh Blood flowed endlessly, yet the middle-aged man continued staring at Xu Bai's left arm, as though he could not rest in peace.

Xu Bai walked over, pulled up the sleeve on his left arm, and said in an utterly mocking tone, "Look, there's nothing..."

The Sleeve Arrow on his left arm was empty. Only the mechanism remained.