In an instant, cold sweat drenched his whole body. He knew he'd escaped disaster by the skin of his teeth.
"It's him!" Wang Lin saw Zhao An slowly rise from the stone stool. When he noticed the several long blades on the stone table, every trace of his swagger vanished.
Zhao An said nothing. He picked up his blade and strode toward the gang's leader.
He stood tall and straight, his gaze bright and sharp. He moved with the imposing bearing of a dragon, radiating an intimidating presence.
This was the fearsome reputation he'd carved out by killing Red Names!
"I'm not afraid of you!" Wang Lin gritted his teeth, hefted his spiked club like a wild boar, and charged into the courtyard, rushing straight at Zhao An.
He'd brought his brothers with him. If he backed down now, he might as well stop being a Banner Leader!
With a bellow like an ox, Wang Lin's arm muscles bulged as he swung his spiked club with savage force, bringing it crashing down toward Zhao An's head.
He'd been strong since childhood, better than anyone else at farm work. After taking up martial arts, he'd only grown stronger!
His Internal Breath progressed slowly, but few in the stronghold could match his strength.
Zhao An saw how powerful his opponent was. He turned aside and twisted his long blade, striking the club with its back. Thanks to his superb blade work, he managed to knock the club off course.
Thud!
The club smashed into the ground, cracking a hole in the brick paving and sending shards flying.
Zhao An seized the moment, sliding his blade up along the club's shaft. Wang Lin had no choice but to abandon the heavy weapon in a panic.
His face twisted with fury. He drew a short knife from his waist and struck back.
But when it came to blade work, how could he possibly match Zhao An?
After just two or three exchanges, Zhao An cut off his head.
"Plenty of strength, mediocre martial skill, and weak Internal Breath..."
After every battle, Zhao An assessed each opponent he'd faced.
Reviewing a fight like this was how he learned from experience.
Seeing their leader cut down so easily, the remaining bandits trembled all over and scrambled to flee.
"You came here, and you think you can leave?"
Zhao An would never let these Red Names escape. He poured Internal Breath into his feet, then burst forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.
The bandits watched in despair as Zhao An sped past them all.
The courtyard gate was so close, yet they couldn't get away.
His blade reaped them. After several screams, the courtyard gate shut again.
"Brother Zhao's the best!" During the whole fight, Li Gou'er had managed to fire only two bolts from his repeating crossbow, killing one man and wounding another.
Zhao An had dealt with all the rest. Zhao Chunzi had only managed to hold up his blade and look the part; before he could even rush into the fight, it was already over.
Soul Slave count increased by ten. Martial Master Soul Slave count increased by one.
Inside the room, Meng Wanyi had just been about to push the door open when Zhao An said in a low voice,
"Go back."
Meng Wanyi jumped, but retreated inside.
Through a crack in the door, she saw two blood-soaked thugs suddenly vault over the courtyard wall.
Tonight was truly troublesome. It wouldn't be easy for any of the city's residents to make it through.
Li Gou'er stood nearby. Seeing them, he immediately picked up the repeating crossbow again and aimed at the two men.
Just then, Zhao An abruptly reached over and yanked Li Gou'er aside.
A silver-white flying dagger whistled past, slicing into half of Li Gou'er's arm.
If Zhao An had been even a moment slower, the dagger would have pierced Li Gou'er's heart.
"Quick hands. You've got some skill. It's a waste to hide away in a little courtyard like this. How about coming with me to Black Wind Stronghold? I'll give you a hundred men to command and make you a Banner Chief!" said the other blood-covered man with a faint smile.
Zhao An looked at him and saw a name glowing bright red above his head.
Guo Fenglin.
The man's breath was deep and steady. He had large hands and feet, and a broad, sturdy build. Zhao An couldn't make out his features clearly, but he could already tell the man was no ordinary foe.
"He killed Wang Lin, and our brothers too." The man still holding a flying dagger glanced at the bodies lying on the ground and spoke in a low voice.
"Hm? What a shame. In that case, I can't let you live," Guo Fenglin said indifferently.
As soon as he finished speaking, the man beside him attacked, flinging a flying dagger. In the blink of an eye, it was nearly at Zhao An's brow.
Its reflected chill seemed to make his forehead ache.
There was no doubt about it: the man had held back earlier. This time, he was fighting for real.
In the flash of an instant, Zhao An turned his head and dodged.
The man's hands moved in quick succession, sending several more flying daggers at him.
Zhao An shoved Li Gou'er aside and darted repeatedly from side to side, bringing his blade up to deflect the daggers. Even so, several cuts appeared on his body.
When he'd cut his way through the Tiger Head Gang and the Python Gang, he hadn't been injured once.
But against this man, he'd been wounded in a single exchange.
This flying dagger technique truly was a skill for claiming lives!
Compared to him, the likes of Xu Donglai and Zhou Hu together hadn't put nearly as much pressure on Zhao An.
Ignoring the shallow cuts on his body, Zhao An quickly closed the distance and slashed with his blade.
Who knew how many flying daggers the man had? Zhao An couldn't just stand there and let himself be shot at.
As long as his blade could reach the man, he still had a chance to turn the tables!
The man named Cui Ting drew a short knife too and rushed to meet him.
Zhao An immediately unleashed his Fierce Tiger Blade. His blade seemed to carry the roar of a tiger in the mountains.
His superb blade work swiftly turned the tide.
But before long, Zhao An realized that his fourth-realm Fierce Tiger Blade Art, which had always served him so well, could only hold Cui Ting to an even match.
After a few exchanges, he was even at a disadvantage.
His opponent's blade was as swift as thunder, and he moved like a gale. One moment of carelessness, and he could hack his opponent to pieces.
"Young as he is, his blade work can match Cui Ting's. He really has potential." Guo Fenglin leaned against the wall, swallowed a Healing Pill to calm his surging blood and tend to his injuries, and watched the fight.
"It'd be a shame to kill him just like that..."
Clang!
Their blades clashed again. Their strength met, and both men retreated several steps.
Zhao An staggered slightly.
His arms were strong, but his opponent's Internal Breath was far more powerful. In a head-on clash, Zhao An was at a disadvantage.
Zhao An suddenly flicked his hand. A flying dagger he'd concealed in it shot out in a flash of silver, launched at an unexpected moment.
The dagger had come from his opponent. He'd secretly kept one in his hand, waiting for the right moment to return the favor.
Flying Dagger Art? Who couldn't do that?
Cui Ting clearly hadn't expected Zhao An to have another trick up his sleeve. At such close range, the dagger pierced his chest.
Unfortunately, it struck a little off the heart and didn't kill him outright.
Seeing this, Zhao An stepped forward and swung his blade again.
"Don't you dare!" Guo Fenglin glared and barked the warning, thrusting his Iron Spear toward Zhao An.
He hadn't expected one moment of carelessness to let Zhao An catch him off guard.
He'd meant to save Cui Ting with that thrust.
But Zhao An didn't even look at him. He didn't dodge, either!
"Decoy!"
Zhao An had planned for this well in advance. An ordinary Soul Slave with only a year left in its term had been waiting for this moment, too.
The instant the Iron Spear's tip pierced his back, an invisible shadow appeared out of thin air around him—and took the thrust in his place!
Before you continue