At this moment, the Masked Man lay prone on the ground, unable to see what was behind him. But when that voice reached him, it was like a low murmur from a distant hell, sending a chill through his entire body.
Then he felt a grip tighten around the back of his neck, and someone lifted him from behind, leaving him dangling in midair.
The Masked Man's feet kicked frantically, but it was all in vain, accomplishing nothing whatsoever.
"So you can still move?"
The voice came again from behind him. At the same time, amid a burst of searing pain, the Masked Man heard Xu Bai speak.
Crack!
The sound of Bone Shattering rang out. Agonizing pain shot through the Masked Man's limbs—the bones in all four of them had been crushed by Xu Bai.
He wanted to scream, but Xu Bai's voice clung to him like a shadow, leaving him too afraid to make a sound...
"If you wake anyone up, I'll cut out your tongue, gouge out your eyes, and stab your ears deaf."
His tone was teasing, yet immensely intimidating.
The Masked Man shuddered, clenching his teeth tight as he struggled to endure the pain.
The sky was dim. The commotion from earlier had not been enough to wake the sleeping townsfolk. Carrying the Masked Man, Xu Bai gave a light leap and returned to the rear courtyard.
With a smack, he threw the Masked Man onto the ground, then used his long saber to lift away the face covering.
A woman's face appeared before him. Her face was drenched in sweat and deathly pale, clearly suffering unbearable agony.
"So it was a woman. You did a convincing job faking your voice, and you're not bad-looking either. What a pity." Xu Bai smiled, his words carrying