Wu Hook

"Hahahaha! Gu Mo! You've finally met your match! How does it feel to have your family destroyed and your people wiped out?! Hahahaha!"

Seeing this group of people charging in menacingly, Xie Mingchen, the gray-haired man, was not alarmed but delighted. He burst into laughter, his laughter echoing through the sky, causing the powder on the wings of moths to flutter and fall off.

Li Fan frowned, glancing at the "Wahahaha" on one side and "I swear to kill you" on the other, and knew he had probably gotten himself into someone else's feud again.

Although it was none of his business if others were settling personal scores, Li Fan really couldn't stand the way the gray-haired men of Baiyue Mountain were killing indiscriminately, so he put his hands in his sleeves and watched the show.

The three Nascent Soul Stage approaching from the opposite side, along with the Golden Core cultivators, were furious, but they didn't rush in headlong. Instead, the Golden Core generals formed a battle formation and adopted a defensive posture to guard against the moth-like demon beasts' siege. Gu Mo, with his disheveled hair, chanted the core mantra, while the other two Nascent Soul Stage held swords and spears, acting as protectors on either side.

It seems these two sides know each other well and have probably fought several times. Judging from the excellent armor of those two Nascent Soul Generals, they might be generals from the Xun Kingdom. I wonder what happened to them and their families fled to the Li Country, which is why they were targeted.

Judging solely from their current strength, Xie Mingchen should be slightly stronger, after all, he managed to exchange two blows with Li Fan to a draw. Now that Li Fan is standing aside, Xie Mingchen is also wary and doesn't immediately rush up to fight his enemy.

Li Fan didn't really want to get involved in this trouble. It wasn't that he was afraid the other side would use their ultimate move and drag him into the fray; it was just that he'd seen too much of the local natives' values. Exterminating entire families and killing entire households was commonplace; they were quick to engage in clandestine battles—it was truly depraved. These were just local customs, and there was probably no right or wrong to say. You can't just turn a blind eye to the Gu Family harming others, and then expect divine justice to fall on the Xie Family's revenge, can you?

He simply asked in a cold voice,

"So you've come for revenge. I'm sorry to bother you. But I wonder what these maids, servants, and old women have done to offend you? Isn't it a bit unnecessary to implicate the innocent?"

"Ha! Innocent!"

Xie Mingchen sneered, and with a flick of his right hand, he casually ripped a bloody head off a moth flying by. Then, with a swift movement of his left hand, he pulled a palm-sized wine jar from his sleeve. He then poured the severed head into the jar, filling it halfway, before discarding the head with his right hand. He made a hand seal, drew a blood talisman on the wine jar, and then flung it towards Li Fan's face. "Look at them, aren't they innocent!"

Li Fan raised an eyebrow, took the wine pot in his hand, and hesitated for a moment, looking at the blood-stained, fragrant spout.

He could tell that a small spell had been cast on the bottle opening, but it was just an illusion. It was probably meant to let him "see" who was right and who was wrong, and the other party wasn't trying to hide it, so they probably didn't use any dirty tricks like poisoning. Of course, even if they had poisoned him, it wouldn't matter, he still had his bone fan to remove the debuff.

As he hesitated, Xie Mingchen sneered, "In any case, I've already accepted your wine, so the past grievances between our two families are considered settled. If you interfere with my revenge, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Oh, that's great. Everyone keeps their own accounts, just what I wanted." Li Fan shrugged, raised the wine jar, and drank it all in one gulp.

Xie Mingchen probably hadn't expected him to actually dare to drink it, and after a moment of surprise, a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes.

As Li Fan downed the blood wine in one gulp, his eyes were already brimming with light, filled with countless illusions. In the blink of an eye, countless bubbles flashed past his eyes, giving him a general overview of the feud between the Gu and Xie families, like a fleeting glance.

The shame of national subjugation, the hatred of clan extermination, the enmity of father's murder, the humiliation of wife's abduction, the pain of losing son—it had it all.

In short, the Xie Family were remnants of the previous dynasty, whose succession was usurped and the country destroyed by the current royal family of Xun Kingdom. Xie Mingchen's army was defeated and he fled into Baiyue Mountain. Later, he was pursued and attacked by the Thunder Department. He hid and fled until he finally mastered his divine skills and the Thunder Department army withdrew, only to find that the Xie Family had already been executed. Including his infant sons, all the male members of the family were beheaded, and his wives and sisters were all sent to the brothel. Unable to bear the humiliation, they all hanged themselves.

In the end, only the daughter remained, who was forced into the Gu Family. Because she was a descendant of a criminal, she suffered endless oppression and humiliation from her wicked master and servants. Her grandchildren were also illegitimate children who did not know their biological father, and they endured countless hardships. What's worse, they were not the protagonists of a novel, nor did they live to see their ancestor emerge from seclusion and avenge their humiliation—the typical protagonist template in a wish-fulfillment story. Xie Mingchen's daughter fell ill, but the servants of the Gu Family refused to treat her and deliberately made her do laundry and chores in the winter. She died from her illness. Her grandson stole money to buy medicine for his mother, was caught, and was beaten to death. His young granddaughter was left unattended and starved to death.

Wow, this template is so tragic and full of bitterness; it's absolutely horrific. Anyone else would probably go crazy...

After finishing the jar of wine, Li Fan burped, wiped the blood from his mouth, and said, "Brother Xie, thank you for your hospitality. Today is a happy day for you, so I won't disturb your enjoyment any longer. Please, go ahead."

Having said that, he tossed the wine jar back and turned to leave.

Seeking revenge is a matter of course, nothing more to say.

Seeing how decisive he was, Xie Mingchen clasped his hands in a fist salute without saying anything more.

However, a Nascent Soul General noticed that the two were not on the same side. As Li Fan turned to leave, he immediately shouted, "Fellow Daoist! This man is a wanted demon of the Xun Kingdom! If you can lend us a hand and eliminate this fiend, the Gu family of the Xun Kingdom will surely reward you handsomely!"

Another Nascent Soul General said, "The Demon Path of Baiyue Mountain wreak havoc on the common people and kill indiscriminately! Everyone has the right to kill these Demon Path heretics! The King of Xun Kingdom has decreed that whoever kills Xie Mingchen will be rewarded with 100,000 gold coins and be granted the title of Marquis of Qu Army!"

One hundred thousand gold? I don't know if it's one hundred thousand gold coins or one hundred thousand gold ingots. Some vassal states Li Country the Central Plains didn't have gold mines, so they minted one-tael gold ingots, which could be exchanged for ten strings of copper coins. One hundred thousand gold would be a million strings of copper coins.

Qu Junhou is a military commander who leads a group of 500 men. However, Xun Kingdom has a hereditary military system, so these 500 troops are hereditary private soldiers who can be passed down to their descendants.

That gray-haired guy's head is actually quite valuable! More expensive than some barefoot thief, huh? Inflation, huh...

Li Fan muttered to himself as he flew away to watch the show.

Seeing that Li Fan ignored them and was about to fly away on his own, the two men immediately frowned. One waved his spear, and the other pointed at the command flag at his waist. Instantly, two beams of light shot into the sky, exploding into a sky full of fireworks.

But then, from the four directions, dark clouds rolled in, and from the north, south, and west, three battle formations appeared, each led by a military commander at the Golden Core stage. In total, there were 1,500 Foundation Establishment stage soldiers who formed an encirclement and blocked the surrounding roads. These were probably the personal guards of the three Nascent Soul Stage cultivators.

Meanwhile, Gu Mo, who was in the center, raised his sword. As if in the dark, a light and shadow flickered, and the rain curtain was drawn back, covering everyone in the room, including Li Fan.

This is the beginning of a bloodbath.

"Xie Mingchen! Today it's either you or me!!"

"Hahaha! Gu Mo! I can't quell my hatred without tearing your flesh apart!"

"Kill them!"

"Exorcise the demon!!"

"... No, what does this have to do with me?" Li Fan was also caught up in the formation, scratched his head.

The fighting had already broken out over there. The Gu Family's private soldiers were only arrayed outside, perhaps enhanced by some kind of killing formation. Gale-force winds raged, dark clouds obscured the moon, and killing intent soared to the sky. The three Nascent Soul Stage cultivators and more than twenty Golden Core generals charged forward in a battle formation resembling arrowheads. Just from that terrifying killing intent, one could tell that these private soldiers were the elite guards of powerful families and clans, seasoned warriors who had fought many battles. They were not comparable to ordinary Golden Core Stage cultivators and were no less formidable than the elite troops of the Thunder Department.

Gray-headed Old Man didn't need his adopted sons to charge into the enemy formation. He simply let the monsters fly around, blocking the thousands of soldiers nearby. He laughed three times, then charged into the enemy formation alone with his sword.

These two sides are old rivals, having fought countless times. They know each other inside and out, so they don't play any tricks; they come out with deadly moves and head-on clashes.

In reality, there wasn't much time to perform magic when charging into the enemy formation. Facing multiple opponents alone, there was no leisure to manipulate magical weapons. This gray-haired man probably didn't know any of those demonic spells that could clear the entire field; he simply relied on his agility combined with his sword and fist techniques to charge into battle.

The Ghost-Faced Lion Wu Hook in his hand swept out with a fierce wind with every strike, stirring up a large swath of ghostly blue flames. Almost every move required the combined efforts of two Nascent Soul General to block. If the overflowing Dao power hit the surrounding Golden Core soldiers, they would immediately lose limbs, either dying or being seriously injured.

But these clan's personal guards were fearless and truly united in their hatred of the enemy. Perhaps their own families had been wiped out by the moths, so they fought to the death, risking their lives for each other. Some used powerful bows to snipe, while others used swords and halberds to stab wildly, creating hundreds of gusts of wind and fire. Even though the gray-haired man was skilled in movement and moved like the wind, he was quickly surrounded and bled by the group.

But he fought with increasing ferocity, laughing heartily. The more shrill the roars of the soldiers around him, the more joyful he became. Perhaps there was no sweeter taste in the world than revenge. He not only disregarded his wounds but also plunged headlong into the hail of bullets and swords. Even tearing people to shreds with his knife wasn't satisfying enough; he had to blast them to dust with every punch before he felt truly satisfied.

Xie Mingchen's skill was within Li Fan's expectations; he had come for revenge and would not rest until he had torn his opponent to pieces.

What surprised Li Fan even more was Gu Mo, who, to be honest, was utterly rubbish.

Despite being the leader of the Gu Family, he came up with a murderous intent, acting like someone important. But when the fight started, his Nascent Soul Realm cultivation seemed to be nonexistent. He could only curse a few times, brandishing his sword and creating two Sword Light. He was clearly very inexperienced, yet he was red-faced and hoarse, trying to rush forward and fight to the death. It was obvious that he was not used to fighting and killing people personally.

The two Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, though possessing solid protective auras clearly forged in battle, were hampered by an unwieldy and ineffective subordinate. This limited their abilities to about 80%, forcing them to focus on shielding and assisting the enemy. They could only take turns fighting and providing support. Their only recourse was the valor of their elite troops, which prevented them from suffering a complete defeat.

It's clear that these three Nascent Soul Stage were truly enraged by the deaths of their entire families, and only came to fight in a moment of anger. If they didn't have any other tricks up their sleeves, then this gray-haired old man was certain of victory.

After watching for a while and finding it uninteresting, Li Fan turned to look at the more than five hundred soldiers surrounding him. "Instead of rescuing your own master, you dare to provoke me?"

Well, it's no wonder this army came looking for trouble. Firstly, Li Fan was the closest, and secondly, those moths were quite powerful, after all, they were nearly a hundred Golden Core cultivators. Their overwhelming charge completely destroyed the formation of these troops.

So, it's all about picking the weakest link. The defining characteristic of a Gui Xu Nascent Soul is that it lacks the aura of a normal Nascent Soul Stage...

Without a word, the military commander waved his hand and ordered, "Fire the arrows!"

Before he even raised his hand, a hidden arrow shot straight at Li Fan's face from the shadows behind him.

Fortunately, Li Fan was quick-witted. He opened his fan and blocked the arrow. With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a gust of wind that instantly cut the military commander and a dozen or so stealthy archers in two.

"Hey! You're not allowed to make a move! These are all my prey! Hahahaha!"

In the heat of the battle, Gray-Headed Man actually swung his knife and drove Li Fan away. In just a short while, he had already swung his iron fists wildly, smashing most of the elite soldiers around him into flattened cans, their brains splattered and blood flowing everywhere!

Li Fan was speechless. This guy was really enjoying himself. It seemed he wanted to kill 1,500 people by hand and leave Gu Mo to be torn apart at the end before he could vent his anger.

"Damn it! I want to see the show too, so why don't you tell them not to shoot me?!"

The fan was too short and not very handy, and it unleashed skills with just a wave. The three flying swords in his hand were not the standard longswords for combat either, so he didn't have a suitable weapon. Li Fan simply drew the jade flute given to him by the system and used it as a sword, unleashing a barrage of arrows that shattered the heavens like falling leaves.

You know what, before, when he used this move, his eyes and hand speed couldn't actually keep up with the sword moves; he was just memorizing the moves. Now that he's reached the Nascent Soul Realm and cultivated Blind Observation, his Divine Sense and six senses have been greatly enhanced. Not only can he use the flute as a sword to deflect stray arrows, but he can even use a point-and-stab technique to knock down the arrowheads with every strike without damaging the flute itself.

Of course, he could just tough it out and take a volley of bullets without much trouble. His Qiongqi Dao Body buff makes him practically indestructible; at most, he'd get a minor scratch, which he could easily heal with some drugs. However, doing so would leave him covered in thorns, which would be too embarrassing. Maintaining his composure was the most important thing...

"Excellent swordsmanship! How about this move?"

Upon witnessing Li Fan's swordsmanship, the gray-haired man was unexpectedly overcome by a competitive spirit. Suddenly, he seized an opportunity, grabbed the Nascent Soul General holding the spear, lifted him up, and kicked him soaring into the sky, snapping his spine. At the same time, he summoned back his Wu Hook, strapped the back of the blade to his left arm, and roared, "Grievance Style!"

With a single slash, he unleashed thousands of reflections, relentlessly slicing through the screaming Nascent Soul General. The blade whistled and twisted, like a mournful autumn wind, relentlessly pursuing and killing the Nascent Soul Stage general. The blade's energy shattered his protective aura and armor, tearing his flesh into pieces, which were then swirled around like minced meat by the blade's wind.

Li Fan's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "Excellent swordsmanship! Brother Xie's swordsmanship is superb, comparable to the South Sea Riding Waves and Splitting Waves Slash!"

"Brother Li, you've witnessed the Riding Waves and Splitting Waves Slash! Haha! That's perfect! I've long heard of this move, but I've never had the chance to see it!" The gray-haired man twirled his blade, shedding the flesh and blood from his Wu Hook, then assumed a stance, gripping the hilt with both hands in a reverse grip, turning sideways to hold the sword horizontally in front of his brow. "I also have a deadly move here, a slash that unleashes all my power in one strike. I wonder if it can compare to the Wave-Splitting Slash? Please give your opinion!"

Seeing the situation was dire, the remaining Nascent Soul General let out a shout and turned to flee. But he didn't know any escape techniques; where could he possibly run to?

"Burial of Pine Waves!"

With a single, powerful slash, the gray-haired man unleashed a force rarely seen in the world. The shockwave from the blade erupted with a sonic boom resembling the roar of a dragon and the howl of a tiger! Wherever the blade passed, the suppressed true energy was forced apart layer by layer, almost as if space itself had been severed, leaving a mirror-like crack.

Unfortunately, the Nascent Soul General from Xun Kingdom never witnessed such a superb strike. Despite being a swordsman himself, he lost his courage and turned to flee at the critical moment of life and death, naturally being cut in two by the blade. His body was also shattered by the explosive gale, and his blood and flesh scatter like pine needles in the sky, swept away by the blade's wind, as if a bloody rain of pine needles had been blown down by a gale.

"Wow--Holy crap! That's so cute!"

Li Fan was truly astonished. If it were just routine moves, he could imitate them to some extent after seeing them a couple of times. But ultimate moves like Burial of Pine Waves, Wave-Splitting Slash, and Grievance Style were clearly not something that could be executed by simply using a little force or brute strength.

This is a unique skill, just like the Profound Heaven Sword Method, that requires special internal energy cultivation methods, force application techniques, and even a certain state of mind, and can only be mastered through countless trials and tribulations!

"The Shi Family's 'Riding Waves and Splitting Waves Slash and Wave-Cleaving' technique is as powerful as the ocean, with layers upon layers, seemingly endless. I was once astonished when I saw the Shi Family's patriarch instantly kill four Nascent Soul Stage demon generals with a single strike. But at first glance, Brother Xie's move seems to be even more superior."

Li Fan became interested and flew to the ground to examine the nascent soul. The flesh and blood of the Nascent Soul General had spread across the ground, forming a fan-shaped cross section. In the center, there was still a deep mark left by a blade aura. At first glance, it really looked like a pine tree. "Your attack has a slightly shorter build-up time, and the blade aura from the vertical slash is more powerful and has a wider range. If the two of you were to clash head-on, you would probably be able to kill your opponent first."

However, at that time, the patriarch of the Shi Family was already severely poisoned, and after fighting for three days, he was exhausted. Therefore, I am not sure whether the limit of the Riding Waves and Splitting Waves Slash was so high.

However, Brother Xie, although your unique skill is powerful, it is still inferior to mine. Please watch!

Li Fan, wanting to test his skills and outmaneuver the gray-haired man, stealthily approached Gu Mo.

Seeing two of his generals die, the head of the Gu Family was stunned, as if doused with ice water. Suddenly, Li Fan appeared in front of him, and he shouted in fright, thrusting his sword straight at him!

However, his movements were full of flaws, and in Li Fan's eyes, he was just a target for practice. He didn't care about Gu Mo had already lost his grip, his hand was split open, and his sword fell out of his hand.

Li Fan, using his flute as a sword, swiftly struck the man's forehead, throat, and heart three times in quick succession before disappearing. He then landed back beside the gray-haired man. "How was it?"

Xie Mingchen nodded in agreement, "This sword technique is incredibly exquisite. The three consecutive sword strikes are all deadly moves, and the first strike is a powerful attack. Few at the same level could withstand it. I never imagined that the swordsmanship of Ink Bamboo Mountain was so superb!"

Li Fan coughed awkwardly twice, "No, no, it was just a lucky coincidence. The swordsmanship tradition of Luofeng Mountain is truly admirable."

Unexpectedly, Xie Mingchen shook his head, "These two techniques are not from Benshan's lineage, but rather things I figured out on my own."

Li Fan was astonished. "I never imagined you were a martial arts prodigy! No wonder you could exchange blows with me!" He couldn't help but exclaim, "These two superior techniques are rare in the world. Did you actually create them yourself, Brother Xie? I'm truly impressed!"

The gray-haired man also landed on the ground with his knife, nodded and said, "After so many years of hard training, I was chased like a stray dog in Baiyue Mountain, losing all my family, brothers, and close friends. Only in the midst of the killing formation, in a desperate situation where I was at my wit's end, did I comprehend the profound mystery of Grievance Style."

As for the Burial of Pine Waves, it was a strike made in a moment of rage and despair after the tree had finally been restored to the light of day, only to be met with the devastating news of his beloved daughter. There should have been room for even greater action...

Haha, Brother Li, do you think I should thank the Gu Family for enlightening me on these two unique skills?

"Today I used these two techniques to kill people. Can I say that I have avenged them? Or have I come too late and disappointed them?"

Li Fan glanced at the Xun Kingdom soldiers in the sky, who had lost all courage and were like lambs waiting to be slaughtered. He saw Gu Mo, whose face was ashen, being slaughtered like chickens and rabbits.

Then he looked at Xie Mingchen beside him, who was covered in blood, his face flushed and stained with a mixture of blood and tears.

In the end, he could only sigh, take out his own wine gourd, and toss it to the gray-haired man.

"Heaven will surely repay its debts, and man will surely seek revenge. This wine is at least somewhat clean; Brother Xie, please take it to offer sacrifices to your family."

"Brother Li, thank you!"

Xie Mingchen took the gourd, splashed the Immortal Spirit Jade Marrow onto the Wu Hook in his hand, and the washed white blade flashed with a fierce light. Ghostly flames burst and crackled on the blade, growing longer in the wind, flashing like candlelight!

"Gu Mo! Die!"