"You brat, you've successfully enraged me. Today, you'll join my son in the grave! Get him!"
Mu She didn't waste words. He ordered the members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group still on duty to attack Li Xingluo.
Just one look from Li Xingluo made the group stop in their tracks and retreat.
"Your lives belong to you. If you insist on throwing them away, you'll end up just like them."
Seeing his men cowering and not daring to attack Li Xingluo, Mu She cursed them furiously.
"Whoever kills him gets the position of Third Captain!"
Mu She had a head on his shoulders. Now was the time to offer a hefty reward. At the same time, he muttered something to Mr. Yao beside him.
Mr. Yao was delighted to hear it. Grinning, he accepted the order and left.
Sure enough, Mu She's generous reward brought someone forward.
Li Xingluo shook his head helplessly. Why wouldn't they listen to reason?
Three men surrounded Li Xingluo, raising their blades to attack. Just as the three blades were about to strike him, they hit nothing but air.
While the three men stood stunned, a sword tip emerged from one man's chest, stained with fresh blood.
The other two finally reacted, but they were too slow. One after another, all three fell.
Seeing Li Xingluo kill the three men at incredible speed, those hoping to claim the position of Third Captain once again didn't dare step forward.
Even Mu She's urging from behind did no good. Seeing this, Mu She clenched both fists so tightly they creaked.
"Li Xingluo, you think you can win like this? Dream on! Don't even think about it. Do you know why you came here?"
Mu She's meaning was clear. He seemed to have regained his confidence, and his attitude had grown noticeably more arrogant.
Li Xingluo tightened his grip on his sword ever so slightly, his eyes fixed on Mu She. The scorching flames in them seemed ready to burn everything to the ground.
Seeing Li Xingluo at a loss, Mu She was in high spirits. His anger from moments ago vanished, and he looked down at Li Xingluo once more.
But the one Mu She had been waiting for wasn't Mr. Yao. It was Xiao Yi Xian.
"Li Xingluo, move!"
Li Xingluo recognized her voice at once and naturally withdrew from the fight.
By the time Mu She understood what was happening, a vast cloud of powder had fallen from the sky. Screams rang out wherever it went.
Covering his nose with one hand, Li Xingluo retreated farther away. The situation on the battlefield had been turned upside down.
Most of the remaining members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group lay on the ground in their camp, their faces twisted in pain. They looked horrifying.
When the powder cleared, all but a few people at the edges had been poisoned. The rest lay motionless, dead with blood spilling from their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths.
Xiao Yi Xian leaped down beside Li Xingluo and gave him a silly grin.
Li Xingluo looked at the corpses littering the ground, then back at Xiao Yi Xian's harmless expression. Was this really the same person?
"What's wrong?"
"N-nothing!" Li Xingluo hurried to cover it up. He couldn't very well say what he was thinking, could he?
Mu She was furious at the sight. He'd originally planned to use Xiao Yi Xian to threaten Li Xingluo, but things had turned out like this instead.
"You—how did you get out? And where's Mr. Yao?"
Xiao Yi Xian pointed to Xiao Lan, flying overhead. Just then, Mr. Yao fell from Xiao Lan's back and hit the ground hard.
Mu She saw Mr. Yao lying motionless on the ground.
"You... How is that possible?"
"He was pretty good with poison, but unfortunately, he was no match for me."
"Then why—?"
"Heh heh. There were too many of you back then, and I didn't have a chance to act. Besides, if I'd refused, you would've killed me without hesitation, and then used me to threaten him anyway. So I decided to lie low and wait for the right moment to strike. What do you think?"
Xiao Yi Xian's words made Mu She tremble with rage.
Mu She had indeed thought about it at the time: as long as Xiao Yi Xian resisted, Mr. Yao could hold her in check. Whether she was alive or dead didn't matter—as long as he still had her.
All he had to do was keep her standing there, and Li Xingluo wouldn't be able to tell. He just hadn't expected to be outplayed by Xiao Yi Xian.
Li Xingluo grinned. Good grief, how was this Xiao Yi Xian so different from the one he knew? Where had things gone wrong?
"Fine, very good. But do you really think that means you've won? I'm a two-star Dou Shi, while you're only Dou Zhe!"
Mu She took out an iron rod and gripped it in his hand, while a Dou Qi veil covered his body.
"Xiao Yi Xian, stay back. I'll deal with him."
"Okay, be careful." Xiao Yi Xian called, "Xiao Lan!" Xiao Lan swooped down with a shrill cry. Xiao Yi Xian jumped onto his back, and Xiao Lan rose into the sky to circle overhead.
Li Xingluo nodded slightly, not the least bit afraid of Mu She.
Mu She leaped from the raised platform, lifting his iron rod and bringing it down at Li Xingluo.
Li Xingluo dodged to the side. The iron rod slammed into the ground, shattering the paving stones and sending fragments flying in every direction.
Li Xingluo seized his chance and thrust his sword at Mu She's waist. Mu She raised his iron rod to block the blade.
The sword scraped against the iron rod, throwing off sparks. Li Xingluo took the opportunity to kick at Mu She's stomach. Mu She pulled his iron rod back, and Li Xingluo's foot struck it instead.
Using the momentum, Li Xingluo spun a full three hundred and sixty degrees, and the two of them put some distance between themselves.
The force of Li Xingluo's kick sent Mu She skidding backward. His iron rod scraped along the ground behind him, spraying sparks, until he finally stopped at the edge of the platform.
Mu She was shocked by Li Xingluo's strength. After several exchanges, he hadn't gained an inch—in fact, he'd taken a beating.
Furious, Mu She roared and charged at Li Xingluo again, iron rod raised.
The two fought back and forth for many more rounds. Mu She still couldn't defeat Li Xingluo. Instead, Li Xingluo had slashed open his arms and calves in several places.
As a mere two-star Dou Shi, Mu She's Dou Qi veil couldn't cover his whole body. It protected only his vital areas, and Li Xingluo deliberately targeted the unprotected spots.
Mu She flew into a rage and pointed at Li Xingluo. "You brat, if you've got the guts, stop dodging!"
"Fine. Let's settle this with one move."
"Good! Let's see which of us is stronger. Berserk Rage!"
A layer of yellow Dou Qi coiled around the iron rod in Mu She's hands, emanating a terrifying aura.
Meanwhile, a thick green sheen covered Li Xingluo's sword, and a wisp of white vapor curled from the corner of his eye.
"Wind Brake Annihilation!"
Neither man held back. They charged straight at each other. Seeing Li Xingluo face Mu She head-on, Xiao Yi Xian, perched on Xiao Lan's back, grew solemn. Her heart clenched, and she closed her eyes, clasping her hands together in prayer.
Boom!
A thunderous crash came from the ground, and the rising dust completely swallowed the two men from sight.
Xiao Yi Xian anxiously peered down, trying to find Li Xingluo.
As the dust slowly settled, Xiao Yi Xian saw Li Xingluo and Mu She standing motionless where they were, making no move at all.
Worried for Li Xingluo's safety, Xiao Yi Xian directed Xiao Lan closer, then leaped down.
She ran to Li Xingluo's side, frantic with worry. Her face pale, she called his name in a panicked voice: "Li Xingluo!"
When Li Xingluo didn't answer, Xiao Yi Xian was so anxious that tears nearly spilled from her eyes.
"Li Xingluo, don't scare me. I'm afraid."
Li Xingluo suddenly shook his head, sending the dust on it flying everywhere. Seeing that he was in no danger, Xiao Yi Xian's worry...
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