Suppressing Bureau's Thousand-Household Commander, Counterkill

His mind, however, was turning over the question.

Why had the people from the Northern Commandery attacked them outright?

"They mentioned Qin Cui Mountain just now, too. Could they also be here for the Blood Demon Flower?"

Su Chen wondered.

"The smoke is poisoned. Hold your breath."

At that moment, Liu Wumei sent a voice transmission to Su Chen.

As she sent it, she moved farther away from the group from the Northern Commandery.

"You put poison in the smoke?"

She didn't answer the burly man. Instead, she looked at him coldly and asked.

Since they had already poisoned them, what was the point of talking in circles? She might as well be direct and see what they wanted.

"Tell me why you're going to Qin Cui Mountain. Perhaps we'll spare your lives."

The man leading them spoke in a low voice.

"We're going to Qin Cui Mountain for the Blood Demon Flower. Aren't you?"

Liu Wumei stated their purpose outright.

Since they had attacked, how could they possibly hold back? Who would believe they intended to spare anyone?

As she mentioned the Blood Demon Flower, Liu Wumei kept her eyes fixed on the man in charge, watching for his reaction.

At the words "Blood Demon Flower," the leader's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Then you can't be allowed to live!"

As he spoke, the leader erupted with blood energy and charged toward Liu Wumei.

The instant he reached her, a fierce blade flare flashed from his hand and slashed at her head.

From what he had observed, this woman was the one in charge. He would kill her first.

As for why they were attacking—

The fact that people from the Suppression Bureau were here could never be allowed to leak out.

That was also why they had traveled by night.

The moment they entered this ruined temple, everyone inside was as good as dead.

And their opponents knew about the Blood Demon Flower.

That made it all the more necessary to kill them.

The Suppression Bureau was one of the imperial court's armed institutions for suppressing the martial world. Every member had been carefully selected, and the Bureau backed them with ample resources.

Moreover, they cultivated techniques designed for killing. Their blades were swift and gave their enemies no time to catch their breath.

The blade flare came like a storm of thunder and lightning.

Liu Wumei's eyes narrowed. Her figure blurred into a succession of afterimages, dodging the man's strike.

"Surround the old man and that boy. Leave no survivors."

The leader spoke coldly.

As he spoke, his long blade slashed at Liu Wumei again.

Thunder coursed through the blade light, its reach immense.

"Thunder Blade—the Northern Commandery's Du Yuan, one of the five Thousand-Household Commanders of Lingnan Commandery!"

After dodging the blade light, Liu Wumei watched him with a grave expression.

"I didn't expect you to know who I am."

The leader's eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected her to recognize him, and killing intent flooded his face.

They had come here in secret.

"Thunderstorm Blade!"

The words had barely left his mouth when his blade flashed.

As he struck, streaks of lightning appeared along the blade.

Accompanied by a rumble of thunder, the blade flares swept out like a downpour.

At that moment, killing intent welled up across Liu Wumei's beautiful face. Her inner force erupted, and the long sword at her waist flashed from its sheath.

The instant its light emerged, it surged like a swimming dragon, piercing through the bolts of lightning and racing toward the burly man's vital points.

"You're still not strong enough to face me."

Du Yuan let out a cold snort.

His long blade swept into motion, clanging as it blocked Liu Wumei's sword.

From their brief exchange, he had already gauged her strength. She was in the late stage of the Spirit Refinement Realm, while he was at its peak. Killing her would be no challenge.

"I may be a little weaker, but I should be able to hold you off."

Liu Wumei spoke coldly.

As she spoke, a storm of fierce Sword Qi surged toward him.

Boom!

Du Yuan barked, and his long blade erupted with thunderous light. An invisible, murderous Blade Qi rose around him.

"Let's see how many of my strikes you can withstand. Thunder Nine Blades, First Form: Blade Falls, Thunder Rises!"

Du Yuan's voice thundered through the ruined temple. Before it had faded, a dazzling blade light, bright as a bolt of silk, crashed down with the force of splitting rivers and seas.

It carried domineering lightning.

Liu Wumei darted aside like a butterfly, slipping past the blade flare. But Du Yuan's Blade Qi bore down on her, hindering her movements.

And it continued to press her down.

She was already a realm weaker than Du Yuan. If he kept her pinned, she might not dodge his second strike.

Her eyes hardened. With a flash of her figure, she drove her long sword toward Du Yuan like lightning.

"Longing Sword!"

As the sword thrust forward, its Sword Qi changed, taking on a trace of softness.

It instantly formed a rain of sword strikes, disrupting the blade force Du Yuan was gathering.

For the moment, Liu Wumei managed to hold Du Yuan off.

Meanwhile, the old man with the dry smoke pipe was besieged by eight men. Their blades struck in perfect unison, unleashing several times the power of their individual strength.

The old man with the dry smoke pipe couldn't break through their web of blades.

As for Su Chen—

Three men were coming toward him.

A chill filled Su Chen's eyes.

They said to leave no survivors. What domineering thugs.

The three men advancing on him radiated dense Killing Intent, and all displayed innate inner force.

Two of them had relatively weak innate energy. They had probably only just entered the Innate Realm.

The third had somewhat stronger innate inner force, but not by much.

They were no match for him.

Perhaps they had simply underestimated him.

"Kill!"

One of them charged at Su Chen, bringing his blade down.

The sharp blade whistled through the air.

Su Chen, who had been half reclining, twisted aside and barely dodged the strike.

But as he moved, two figures attacked from his left and right.

Their long blades instantly slashed toward Su Chen.

Their coordination was excellent.

They clearly weren't strangers to fighting opponents together.

A cold smile touched Su Chen's lips. He hadn't wanted to kill anyone, but someone was forcing his hand.

Boom!

He kicked off the ground, blood surging through his body as he shot forward.

In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of the man who had struck first.

The man immediately slashed again, violent Blade Qi pouring down toward Su Chen.

Su Chen reached out, and Vajra Primordial Force surged through his hand. His arm turned gray as it pierced through the violent blade light and seized the sharp blade.

The man's expression changed drastically.

But Su Chen gave him no chance to react.

The instant he grabbed the blade, he yanked the man toward him and drove his other fist forward.

Splurt!

His fist punched through the man's chest.

Then he seized the long blade in the man's hand.

In the next moment, he charged at the other two.

He swung the blade.

A bone-chilling cold spread across it.

The cold instantly hindered the two men, slowing their movements by a fraction.

Shhk! Shhk!

After two flashes of blade light, both men's heads flew into the air.

Gushing blood streamed from their severed necks.

In the space of a few short moments—

Su Chen had killed all three.

"Good work, lad!"

The old man with the dry smoke pipe, still besieged by eight men, saw Su Chen kill all three in the blink of an eye and couldn't help calling out in praise.

Su Chen, however, looked grave.

Liu Wumei was being suppressed.

If she lost, only Bai Tianyu could step in. There was no other way.

His gaze turned to Du Yuan, who was fighting Liu Wumei fiercely. Du Yuan was stronger than Liu Wumei; he had to be held back.

Su Chen thought of the Blood Piercing Nail in his hand.

The Blood Piercing Nail could pierce innate inner force.

As long as it struck Du Yuan, Liu Wumei should be able to defeat him.