Gu Chang'an stared at him and said slowly,
"But you still investigated."
Chen Qi gave a wry smile, his voice low and hoarse:
"My wife was violently abducted by the Firewood Gang ten years ago and made a 'medicine man', boiling medicine and refining vital essence for them day and night. She escaped a year ago, but her body was broken and her soul scattered, on the verge of death. At that time I swore: 'If I do not avenge this, I am not worthy of being human.'"
These words landed like a heavy hammer, and everyone in the room fell silent.
Zhou Yue clenched his fists, gritting his teeth in a low voice: "These scoundrels... truly treating human lives like grass."
Song Zong took a deep breath, killing intent surfacing in his eyes:
"This matter must be reported to the director immediately, and the county magistrate must be asked to order a thorough investigation and completely eradicate this tumor of the Firewood Gang! If they are allowed to grow any larger, Nanning County will surely fall into chaos!"
Gu Chang'an nodded slowly, his voice as steady as iron: "I agree, report back to Director Wang immediately."
The others were just about to stand up to return.
Unexpectedly at that moment, a dense and hurried sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the house, sweeping through like a wind clearing autumn leaves, mixed with killing intent rushing straight toward them!
Chen Qi's expression shifted, his face drained of color, and his voice trembled slightly:
"It's the people from the Firewood Gang... The leader is Zhang Yuying, the incense master of Qingzi Hall. I've seen her strike before, she is a Ninth Rank Martial Artist, and her methods are ruthless and merciless!"
"Her strength is among the best even among Ninth Rank Martial Artists."
The atmosphere inside the room suddenly tightened.
The hands of the others naturally rested upon their weapons, their breathing steady and battle intent brewing.
At this moment, Gu Chang'an quietly activated the system to check the stats of the enemy before him.
[Zhang Yuying: Physique 288]
Meanwhile, his own physique had already reached 380.
Wanting to kill her was not a problem at all.
Just then—
The footsteps outside stopped abruptly, landing without a sound, like cold frost congealing in the night.
Following closely was a cold and detached female voice, passing through the dilapidated wooden door into the room. Her voice was not loud, yet it carried bone-chilling killing intent, cold as a blade slicing through a throat:
"The few of you, do not toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit."
"I know you are hiding inside."
"Hand over the pills, and perhaps I will still leave you a way out."
Her tone paused.
The next instant, bone-chilling cold erupted, and the female voice sharply turned fierce and piercing:
"—Otherwise, I will make all of you bleed on the spot!"
The wind outside the door seemed to stall along with her voice.
The air felt frozen, and killing intent pressed down like a cold wave.
Inside the room, there was a momentary silence.
The others' breathing grew slightly shallow, and all involuntarily tightened their grips on their weapons, their gazes vigilant.
Chen Qi's expression changed drastically. He suddenly turned around, his voice urgent and low: "Hurry up and leave! I will stop her—"
Before his words finished, however, Gu Chang'an had already spoken indifferently, his tone unhurried,
"No need."
He stepped sideways to the door, gently drawing the long saber at his waist. The blade light was like autumn water, and silent coldness diffused outward.
With a placid expression, his voice was low, "I'll hold off Zhang Yuying. You all break through."
As soon as these words were said, Chen Qi could hardly believe his ears:
"You... you want to stop her alone?" Chen Qi stared at him in disbelief, his voice trembling, "She is an incense master of the Firewood Gang, a Peak Ninth Rank Expert, and once fought three Ninth Rank Martial Artists alone in a bloody battle... Just the two of you—how could you possibly..."
Song Zong stepped forward instead, his tone as steady as iron: "Little brother Gu is also a Ninth Rank Martial Artist, capable of rivaling Red Wolf Lu Tian."
Chen Qi froze on the spot, looking at the youth of tender years before him, a violent shock shaking his heart.
So young, yet already a Ninth Rank Martial Artist?
And he could even rival a fierce bandit like Red Wolf Lu Tian?
Such talent was truly extraordinary.
Gu Chang'an, however, spoke no further at this moment, having already walked steadily toward the door.
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"Break through through the back door. Chen Qi, lead the way," Liu Wei ordered in a low voice.
"But he's alone—"
"If he says he can hold her off, he can hold her off. We are breaking through from the back door," Liu Wei said in an icy tone, carrying a kind of unreserved trust.
Song Zong glanced at Gu Chang'an and gave a soft sigh: "You young people..."
Just at that moment—
"—Boom!"
The door of the house shook violently, the lintel vibrating and groaning, and dust falling like rain.
Zhang Yuying finally lost her patience, her cold shout resounding like thunder with unquestionable ruthlessness:
"Kill your way in! Leave none alive!"
Before her voice had even faded, the doorframe shattered violently, wood chips flew everywhere, and more than ten Firewood Gang thugs swarmed in, sabers and halberds intersecting amidst a murderous aura!
However—
The moment their leading feet crossed the threshold, they saw a flash of cold light like lightning sweep horizontally!
"Swish!"
Gu Chang'an's figure was like an eagle striking the vast sky. Amidst flashing lightning and rolling thunder, he leaped into the crowd, his long saber breaking through the air as an arc swept outward!
" Puff—!"
Before three Firewood Gang thugs could react, their throats had already been slashed by the blade light, blood gushing like a spring as they fell in shock.
The blade light did not pause. Gu Chang'an stepped on the Northern Dipper, shifting his form as the edge of his blade moved like a shuttle, every step bringing carnage!
"He's a Ninth Rank Martial Artist!" a gang member cried out in horror.
Zhang Yuying's gaze turned cold. With a cold snort, she tipped her toes and leaped up like falling willow catkins, her figure flashing into the rain of blood and blade shadows like lightning.
Before she had even arrived, her sword had already reached them!
"Clang—!"
Her long saber—no, her long sword—left its scabbard, cold light overflowing like frost and snow shadows as a silver-snake-like sword light stabbed obliquely from Gu Chang'an's left ribs!
"Audacious!"
Gu Chang'an gave a low shout, his blade stance turning abruptly as he blocked horizontally with a reverse grip, pitting his physical strength and sword momentum head-on!
"—Boom!"
A wave of air shook out, fierce wind roaring like thunder. Sand and dust exploded several feet high where the two collided, as if a gale swept the ground, causing the bricks and stones at the corners of the walls to crack.
Zhang Yuying drifted backward, landing without a sound. Her long sword pointed horizontally, the tip still dripping with fresh blood, her posture proud and upright like a pine, her aura dark and cold as the night.
"You killed people from my Firewood Gang; don't even think about leaving alive."
She slowly raised her sword, cold light piercing within her eyes.
"I want you to—pay in blood."
Gu Chang'an remained silent, his blade slanted toward the ground, his robes fluttering in the wind as his killing intent grew increasingly dense.
Behind him, the sound of the wind rose once more as the remaining members of the Firewood Gang formed arrays to surround and attack.
—Yet he did not even look back.
At the same time, the sound of battle drifted from the back door.
Liu Wei, Song Zong, and Zhou Yue fought their way out amidst the chaos, their long sabers slashing and glowing like fire!
"Kill!" Liu Wei shouted, hacking down a guard at the alley entrance with a single saber strike as blood splattered everywhere.
Chen Qi led the way in front with a solemn expression, bringing the crowd to run swiftly through the alleys without daring to linger in the slightest.
Zhou Yue fought and looked back simultaneously, seeing blade lights crisscrossing inside the house and air currents surging!
Gu Chang'an fought Zhang Yuying entirely alone, his long saber colliding fiercely with her long sword as cold light intersected like dragons and tigers contending!
"What a damn Ninth Rank Martial Artist..." He muttered under his breath while running, his heart filled with both shock and amazement. "This is no newcomer; he's simply a freak."
Song Zong's gaze was as steady as a mountain, his voice low:
"Stop looking. Little Brother Gu has already held Zhang Yuying back; we must be quick, or he won't be able to break away either."
Their group hurried swiftly through the alleys, the sounds of battle gradually fading into the distance.
Meanwhile, inside the house—
Zhang Yuying's sword shadows formed a web, growing so fast they nearly turned illusory, with every single sword strike aiming straight for the fatal spots!
Gu Chang'an did not retreat or yield, his movement technique erratic and his blade stance possessing the momentum of wind and thunder, fierce and peerlessly powerful!
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