Wusheng Sect

In Qingyuan City, afternoon.

The early spring sun cast bright patches of light on the bluestone road.

The charred aroma of roasted lamb from Zhang's Delicacies mingled with the sweet scent of Wang's Herbal Drinks, filling the air.

Just then—

A crisper, more vibrant sound suddenly disturbed the fragrance in the air.

"Hahaha, you can't catch me!"

The laughter came first, like silver bells dropped onto a jade plate, so clear it could splash water.

Immediately after, two small figures "whooshed" past Cui Hao's side.

The one running in front was a little girl with her hair in twin buns, about six or seven years old, wearing a slightly worn apricot-red vest.

She ran while looking back, her smile brighter and more radiant than the sun overhead.

In her hand, she held a small ring woven from fresh green willow branches, treating it like a precious treasure.

Her companion was chasing her.

The two were very happy.

It had been six or seven days since the city guards, in conjunction with various martial arts schools and the three major families, had wiped out the three major gangs with lightning speed.

Qingyuan City seemed to have come alive.

Walking on the street, Cui Hao could clearly feel more peace and warmth.

However... although the usual figures of gang members roaming the streets were gone, there seemed to be more unfamiliar faces on the streets.

Some people in strange clothes, with numb or fanatical expressions, had quietly appeared on the streets.

At noon, Cui Hao entered Zhanhong Martial Arts Academy.

Silence, no shouts, no sparring with solid impacts.

"Brother Hao..." Lin Da immediately came over, lowering his voice to ask, "Why are you late today?"

"Went hunting."

"Senior Brother Xiao's Mortal Martial reached Great Completion this morning!" Lin Da's voice was even lower. "He was taken as a direct disciple by the Master on the spot."

Cui Hao's heart skipped a beat!

Mortal Martial Great Completion! Although it's only a one-character difference from Mortal Martial Minor Completion, the strength is worlds apart.

The total amount of qi and blood, the degree of refinement, the explosive power, and even the control over the body have undergone a qualitative leap.

More importantly, the cultivation speed—Xiao Li broke through Mortal Martial within a month of starting. Now, two months later, he has advanced all the way from the early stage of Mortal Martial, breaking through the Entry and Minor Completion stages, reaching Great Completion!

This speed, let alone in Zhanhong Martial Arts Academy, even among the younger generation in the entire Qingyuan City, could be considered astonishing!

No wonder the entire courtyard was silent, and even the outer disciples were quiet; they were all surprised.

Not caring about others' affairs, Cui Hao proceeded as usual, practicing on the stakes.

Not long after, Xu Liqing came over, "Junior Brother Cui, this is Gu Li, he just arrived today, you take him."

Cui Hao jumped down from the plum blossom stakes and clasped his fist in agreement.

"Hello, Senior Brother Cui," Gu Li clasped his fist in salute, "I am Gu Li, please give me your guidance."

Cui Hao nodded slightly.

After Xu Liqing walked away, Gu Li asked, "Senior Brother Cui, what should I do now?"

Just as Sun Cheng taught him, Cui Hao had Gu Li first temper his strength.

Gu Li did as he was told.

To Cui Hao's surprise, during the breaks while tempering his strength, Gu Li chatted with other new disciples about Wusheng Sect.

Judging by his tone and mental state, he was clearly proselytizing!

As night fell, Cui Hao returned home. Su Yun hurriedly closed the courtyard gate and said in a hushed, urgent voice, "Brother Hao, Lingdang... is at home."

"So late, is something wrong?"

"Aunt Hua! She... she's gone mad!" Su Yun said, both angry and upset. "She sent Lingdang to Wusheng Sect, saying it was to... to be sacrificed!"

"Sacrificed?" The word sounded inherently evil. Cui Hao asked, "Sacrificed to whom? How?"

"They say it's to some 'God of Rebirth'! They want to smash her to death with stones! They say that only then can her soul go to the divine kingdom purely to serve the gods... to die first and then be reborn. Aunt Hua also said it's for Lingdang's own good, a great fortune!"

"Ridiculous!"

"Who says it isn't!" Su Yun was both angry and scared. "Fortunately, Lingdang was clever. While those people were preparing for the sacrifice in the chaos, she secretly ran out and hid all the way to our house... She doesn't dare to go back to her own home."

Cui Hao walked into the main hall and saw the thin Lingdang curled up on a low stool, wearing only a thin, worn padded jacket. Her small face was pale and blue from the cold.

Her body trembled slightly uncontrollably, and her teeth chattered lightly.

When Cui Hao entered, Lingdang jolted like a startled fawn. Seeing it was him, tears began to stream down her face, but she dared not cry out loud, only sobbing softly.

Cui Hao softened his voice, "Are you hurt? Did they hit you?"

Lingdang shook her head, her voice faint as a whisper, choked with tears, "No... no... they just tied me up. My mother... my mother watched from the side, even smiling and telling me to behave."

Cui Hao sighed inwardly, "Stay here at home for now."

"Thank you, Brother Hao, thank you, Sister Yun."

"Sister Yun, go make some hot soup and rice for Lingdang, and find one of your jackets for her to wear, don't let her freeze."

"Alright, I'll go right now." Su Yun quickly agreed.

Late at night, after settling Lingdang, who was still shaken and had fallen into a deep sleep after eating something, Cui Hao and Su Yun returned to their room. He retrieved the brush-like hidden weapon from the robbers from a secret compartment and handed it to Su Yun.

"Brother Hao, what is this?" Su Yun took it, feeling its cold weight, not understanding.

"A hidden weapon," Cui Hao pointed to the tail end. "This is the exit. It hides steel needles inside, and its power should be considerable. Remember, never point this opening at yourself or me."

Hearing this, Su Yun instinctively wanted to turn the tail end to look, startling Cui Hao, who quickly grabbed her hand and turned the weapon away. "This thing is dangerous, don't be curious!"

Su Yun stuck out her tongue, feeling lingering fear. "Okay, I understand. Then... how is it used?"

"Looking at its structure, it seems to be single-use."

Cui Hao pointed to a rotatable ring at the head of the weapon and a subtle protrusion. "The activation mechanism is probably here, either by twisting this ring or by pressing or pulling this protrusion."

"I'm not sure of the specifics, but it's definitely for self-defense. Keep it with you, hide it close. If... I mean, if by any chance, some villain breaks in and I'm not here, use it to aim at the bad guy and try to activate it."

He paused, and Cui Hao's tone became heavy. "I have a bad feeling about the atmosphere in this city. Try not to go out much. I'll handle fetching water, buying rice, and chopping firewood."

Su Yun nodded gently, carefully putting the hidden weapon away.

Just then--

"Knock! Knock! Knock!"

Suddenly, there was a not-too-heavy, not-too-light knocking at the courtyard gate, sounding exceptionally abrupt in the silent night.

Su Yun jumped, startled.

Cui Hao's eyes instantly sharpened, and he whispered, "I'll go see."

Grabbing the Chopping Knife he usually kept by his bed, Cui Hao held it behind his back and went into the courtyard. "Who's there!?"

Silence from outside the gate for a moment, then a hoarse male voice replied, "We're looking for Lingdang."

"You've got the wrong place."

Silence fell again outside the gate, but this silence carried an unsettling oppressive feeling.

Cui Hao didn't stand there foolishly waiting. He immediately retreated to the main hall and took down the iron-core bow and the beast-hide quiver hanging on the wall.

He hung the quiver at a convenient spot on his waist, drew an Iron Arrow, nocked it, and quietly watched the direction of the courtyard gate.

He blew out the lamp. In the silent darkness, Cui Hao could hear his own heartbeat.

Suddenly--

A pair of hands reached over the courtyard wall from outside.

Seeing where the person was climbing over, Cui Hao didn't draw his bow.

The person, thinking the homeowner was asleep, boldly climbed over the wall and landed on their feet...

"Click!" A clear, crisp sound, like a metal mechanism being triggered and reset, came from the darkness near the east courtyard wall!

"Ah--!!!"

Immediately following was a piercing scream, unlike any human sound, a mixture of intense pain, terror, and a strange, eerie excitement, suddenly tearing through the night sky!

The trap had been triggered!

Now!

Instantly, the bow was drawn like a full moon. No need for precise aiming, relying entirely on instinct and muscle memory honed through countless practice sessions--

"Thwump--Hiss!"

The bowstring vibrated, and the Iron Arrow left the string, tearing through the air with a sharp whistling sound!

"Thwack!"

The dull thud of the arrow hitting flesh overlapped almost perfectly with the lingering echo of the scream!

The black figure, momentarily silenced by the excruciating pain in its ankle and losing its balance, was precisely and unerringly impaled in the side of the head by the Iron Arrow!

The scream cut off abruptly.

The figure stiffened, like a rag doll pinned to the wall. Its head was deeply embedded in the dirt wall by the Iron Arrow, and its body hung limply, lifeless, against the wall.

A panel notification flashed by.

[Archery: Minor Accomplishment (185/600)]
[Effects: Soreness -10, Arm Strength +10, Accuracy +10, Critical Hit +1]

Cui Hao's heart was as hard as iron, his movements fluid and seamless, without the slightest pause. While shooting one person, his left hand had already lightning-fast drawn a second Iron Arrow from the quiver and nocked it onto the bowstring.

The bowstring was drawn slightly, forming a ready stance.

His eyes, sharp as knives, slowly scanned the other parts of the courtyard wall, especially the left and right sides where the thief had climbed, and the top of the main gate.

Time passed quietly. It wasn't until dawn that no second person climbed over the wall. Only then did he begin to deal with the body.