Blood Blade Niu Mang

Fang Han arrived at Elder Fang Yuan's Quiet Room. Elder Fang Yuan stood before the window with his hands behind his back. Hearing the footsteps, he turned, his gaze falling on Fang Han.

"Elder." Fang Han bowed respectfully.

"Fang Han, I summoned you today because there is a task I need you to handle."

Elder Fang Yuan spoke steadily, getting straight to the point.

"What task?"

Fang Han asked.

Ever since his ranking had entered the top ten, the Lineage had arranged a task for him once every month.

Last month, he had taken part in the campaign against the Black Snake Bandits. The month before that, he had captured and killed a fugitive wanted by the authorities.

"According to reliable intelligence, a bandit leader named Blood Blade Niu Mang, with Tendon Refining Late-Stage strength, has secretly entered Liangshui City and is hiding within the city."

As Elder Fang Yuan spoke, he took a folded sheet of rice paper from his sleeve and handed it over.

"This contains his portrait and the exact location of his hideout."

"This disciple understands." Fang Han accepted the portrait with both hands.

He unfolded it. Rendered in realistic brushwork was a burly man with a face full of flesh, vicious eyes, and a ferocious knife scar at his temple.

Beside it was a line of small characters, stating precisely where Niu Mang was hiding.

Fang Han swept his gaze over it, firmly committing the man's features and address to memory.

"This beast is hiding in a bustling district. Be sure to proceed with caution, end this swiftly, and minimize the collateral damage."

Elder Fang Yuan cautioned.

"Yes, this disciple will certainly be careful."

Fang Han handed the portrait back. After bowing, he withdrew from the Quiet Room.

Leaving Fang Mansion, he stepped onto Liangshui City's bustling streets.

The afterglow of the setting sun rimmed the buildings in gold. There were still many pedestrians on the streets, and Fang Han walked steadily, heading straight in one direction.

After walking for roughly the time it took to burn an incense stick, his brows imperceptibly furrowed.

Having advanced to Bone Refining Early-Stage, his spiritual senses had become increasingly keen.

He could clearly sense that someone not far behind him was blending into the crowd and following him.

Were they sent to secretly assist me again?

Fang Han understood at once. He neither turned back nor deliberately quickened or altered his pace. As though he had noticed nothing, he continued toward his destination.

Before long, a lavishly decorated three-story pavilion appeared before him, brightly lit, with the faint sounds of strings and pipes mingling with coquettish laughter drifting out from within.

A plaque above its entrance bore the words "Drunken Spring Breeze."

This was a pleasure house, and also where Blood Blade Niu Mang was hiding.

With the clothes he was wearing, he fit right in here. There was no need to buy and change into rough cloth garments as he had before.

Expressionless, Fang Han stepped inside.

A strong scent of rouge and powder mixed with wine rushed over him.

"Oh my, what a handsome young master! Is this your first time here? Let big sister keep you company properly..."

A flirtatious woman in revealing clothes and heavy makeup brightened at the sight of him. Swaying her waist, she warmly approached, reaching out to link arms with Fang Han.

Fang Han frowned slightly. With an almost imperceptible sidestep, he precisely avoided her touch.

His gaze was sharp as a hawk's as it swiftly swept across the noisy first-floor hall.

Warblers sang and dancers swayed, wine cups clinked, pleasure-seeking guests joked and frolicked with the women drinking alongside them... His gaze instantly fixed upon a round table by the window!

There sat a burly man with a face full of flesh and a scar on his forehead.

With a woman tucked beneath each arm, his face flushed from drink, he seemed utterly drunk. Yet from time to time, a trace of vigilance and shrewdness flashed in the depths of his eyes.

It was precisely the target, "Blood Blade" Liu Mang!

Fang Han's eyes narrowed. Ignoring the woman beside him, who was still somewhat stunned at having been avoided, he strode toward the round table.

Almost the instant Fang Han locked his gaze onto Liu Mang, the vicious bandit leader seemed to sense something and abruptly looked up.

"Not good, my identity may have been exposed!"

Their eyes met. The drunkenness on Liu Mang's face vanished without a trace, replaced by the alertness of a wild beast.

His expression changed drastically. Without hesitation, he violently shoved away the two shrieking women at his sides, then rammed backward with astonishing agility for such a huge body.

With a bang, he crashed through the gauze curtain leading to the side corridor and fled madly toward the rear entrance of the tavern, disregarding everything in his attempt to escape.

"Trying to run?"

Fang Han barked coldly. His figure shot forth like an arrow loosed from the bow, instantly flashing past the panicked crowd as he gave chase.

One fled and one pursued, both moving at tremendous speed. In the blink of an eye, they burst out through the rear door of Drunken Spring Breeze one after another and arrived on a relatively secluded street behind the building.

The sun was half-set now, and the sky had grown somewhat dim.

"Get the hell out of my way!"

Seeing that he could not shake Fang Han off, Liu Mang's ferocity erupted. He drew a thick-backed machete gleaming with cold light from his waist.

With an enraged roar, he spun around and delivered a powerful downward chop. The blade wind howled as it headed straight for Fang Han's face, intending to force him back.

Whoosh—!

Fang Han's expression did not change. With a shift of his footwork, he easily evaded the blade.

At the same time, he drew his sword with his right hand and thrust at Liu Mang like lightning.

Clang—!

Seeing the incoming longsword, every hair on Niu Mang's body stood on end as he sensed a life-and-death crisis. He hastily raised his blade to block.

The longsword struck the machete, and a terrifying force surged through it. His sword hand immediately went numb, as though it no longer belonged to him.

The machete in his hand nearly slipped free and fell to the ground.

Clearly, despite being at Tendon Refining Late-Stage, he was far inferior in strength to Fang Han, who had already reached Bone Refining.

Clang—!

The first sword strike was blocked, but Fang Han immediately thrust again. Niu Mang endured the numbness in his hand and swung his blade up to defend once more.

Sword and blade collided. Another terrifying force surged through the longsword. This time, his already numb hand completely lost all feeling.

He could no longer grip the machete, and it fell to the ground with a clang.

Swish—!

Fang Han's assault did not stop. His longsword swept sideways, slashing across Liu Mang's completely exposed chest.

Splurt—!

Blood sprayed wildly, and a wound that nearly disemboweled him appeared across Liu Mang's body.

The burly man staggered backward with a miserable scream and crashed heavily into the wall by the street.

His face was white as paper as he slumped to the ground. He had clearly suffered grievous injuries and lost the ability to resist.

Fang Han stepped forward, his gaze icy as he prepared to deliver the final blow and completely end this bandit leader's life.

Just then—

Swish!

A figure dressed in azure darted toward Niu Mang like lightning. As he drew near, a streak of snow-white blade light suddenly flashed.

Splurt!

The strike was swift and vicious, incomparably precise as it swept across Liu Mang's neck.

Liu Mang's eyes flew wide open. A strange gurgling sound came from his throat as blood burst out like a fountain. He died instantly.

"Someone from the Lin Family?"

Fang Han frowned at the person who had suddenly appeared.

It was a youth dressed in azure, who appeared one or two years older than Fang Han.

Judging from the color of his fitted martial clothes and the subtle insignia on them, he should have been a disciple of the Lin Family's Inner Hall.

"Someone from the Fang Clan?"

The youth glanced at Fang Han and likewise judged Fang Han's identity from his clothing.

He curled his lips, having no intention of speaking with Fang Han. Instead, he bent down briskly, lifted Niu Mang's corpse, and prepared to leave.