Is He a Pig or a Tiger?

Orsi couldn't help cursing his men. He wasn't the only one who could see how extraordinary this was.

Song Xue was just as astonished. She had witnessed Li Xingluo's abilities yesterday, but she hadn't expected him to shock her even more today.

Li Xingluo didn't even look at the Sand Bandits sprawled on the ground, groaning and screaming without end.

His gaze settled on Orsi, calm yet grave.

"Good. Good. Good."

The Sand Bandits had never seen anything like this. After another twenty or thirty were killed, the dozens who remained looked from one to another, weapons in hand, but none dared take another step forward.

"Take her down! I refuse to believe he'll still fight back!"

Orsi pointed at Song Xue behind Li Xingluo. The Sand Bandits who had come to their senses naturally rushed forward to seize her.

Seeing this, Song Xue drew her whip to fend off the attackers, while the rest held Li Xingluo back to keep him from coming to her aid in time.

This move completely enraged Li Xingluo. This time, he chose a simpler and more effective method.

He raised his hand, and a fine powder flew from his palm, spreading across the entire battlefield. The Sand Bandits trying to stop him from rescuing Song Xue dropped their weapons, clutched at their throats, and fell to the ground, convulsing.

Foam poured from their mouths. Before long, their faces turned purple, and they stopped breathing.

Taking advantage of an opening, Li Xingluo killed the ten men surrounding Song Xue one by one.

"Big Brother Luo Xing!"

Orsi could hardly believe his eyes. Of the seventy or eighty men, fewer than twenty remained.

Every one of them exchanged glances, too afraid to look Li Xingluo in the eye. Terror crept into their hearts.

Li Xingluo regarded them coldly. The survivors instinctively backed away, and Orsi knew he had kicked an iron plate.

"You—you just wait!"

Orsi spun around and ran, only to see Li Xingluo hovering in front of him, blocking his way.

The sight of Sky Feather behind Li Xingluo made Orsi draw a sharp breath. He swallowed hard.

"D-Dou Wang? A Dou Wang under twenty?"

Seeing Orsi scared out of his wits, his face ashen and all fighting spirit gone, Li Xingluo felt thoroughly satisfied.

"Now talk. Who sent you? Tell me, and perhaps I'll spare your life. Otherwise, die."

As he spoke, Li Xingluo gave his hand a fierce squeeze, as if he could kill Orsi at any moment.

Orsi had never seen anything like this. Terrified, he dropped his broadsword, fell to his knees, and kowtowed repeatedly as he begged for mercy.

After hearing Li Xingluo's words, Orsi revealed who was behind it all.

When Song Xue heard the name, she staggered, pain washing over her face as she murmured in disbelief,

"This... how... how could this be? How could he..."

Orsi kept kowtowing, insisting that everything he had said was true, and even offering his own analysis.

"M-My lord, I've told you everything I know. Can you let me go now?"

A dense killing intent flashed between Li Xingluo's brows, then vanished. He waved a hand, signaling that Orsi could leave.

As if pardoned by the emperor, Orsi and the dozen men with him hurriedly kowtowed. They fled in a rolling, scrambling heap without even retrieving their weapons.

But screams rang out again. Several sword shadows flashed past, and not one of the fleeing Sand Bandits escaped.

Orsi slowly turned around and pointed at Li Xingluo, speaking haltingly. "My... lord, you broke your word."

What a joke. Why should I keep my word to a Sand Bandit? And where had all that arrogance of yours gone? What happened to your desire to kill me?

Li Xingluo sneered and didn't even look at Orsi.

By now, Song Xue was sitting limply on the ground, her gaze vacant. She couldn't believe what Orsi had said.

When Li Xingluo came over, she clung to him as if he were a lifeline.

Her eyes were still empty. In a sorrowful voice, she asked, "Big Brother Luo Xing, what he said isn't true, right? How could Second Uncle do something like this? How could he want Grandpa dead?"

The name Orsi had revealed was Song Xue's second uncle, Song Zhu.

Actually, Li Xingluo hadn't been surprised by the answer. Whether in a clan or among the various sects, there were countless examples of people betraying their own family for power and profit.

Besides, how had anyone found out about Song Xue's route back and the Seven-Colored Immortal Orchid she carried?

The road Song Xue had chosen to Ink Cloud City wasn't the main route, but a small path.

It would have been difficult for outsiders to learn about it unless someone close to her had told them. After all, everyone who had set out with Song Xue was dead. It wasn't as if someone could have laid this plot with their life, was it?

"I don't know either. Maybe he made it up to save his own life."

"Really?" Song Xue looked so innocent and endearing that it was heartbreaking. Hearing Li Xingluo say this, she seemed to believe him again.

Li Xingluo couldn't bear to burden kindhearted, innocent Song Xue with such a heavy worry, so he nodded slightly.

"I knew it. How could Second Uncle hurt me? He's always doted on me. And he'd never hurt Grandpa."

Song Xue wiped the tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes and smiled happily. She got to her feet and dusted off her purple skirt.

Seeing how innocent and kindhearted Song Xue was, Li Xingluo smiled too. Let's hope so.

After burying the bodies, the two of them resumed their journey to Ink Cloud City. With her worries gone, Song Xue's silly smile was rather healing.

Meanwhile, in a narrow alley in Ink Cloud City, a person clad in black robes stood wrapped from head to toe, not a scrap of skin showing.

Before long, another figure dressed in black, with only two eyes visible, entered the alley.

The two immediately bowed in greeting. The person who had been waiting raised a hand and gestured for them to dispense with the formalities.

"How are things? Have you heard anything from Orsi?"

"Reporting to you, my lord, no news has come yet."

At those words, the pair of eyes visible beneath the first person's black robe darkened slightly.

Then the person turned around and paced back and forth, muttering something under their breath.

The two behind them exchanged glances, then shook their heads together.

Suddenly, the robed figure turned around and issued orders to the other two.

"You two, leave the city at once and find out what's happened. Send word the moment you hear anything."

"Yes!" Seeing the robed figure like this, the two black-clad figures responded at once, turned, and disappeared into the streets.

The robed figure clenched their fists and muttered, "By my calculations, news should have come back by now. How can there be not a trace, as if the whole thing sank into the sea? No matter what, I can't let her bring the medicine back. Absolutely not."

The robed figure grew more and more agitated. One punch landed, and the wall beside them instantly cracked in several places.

"Just you wait!" the robed figure spat out viciously, then leaped onto the rooftops and disappeared after a few bounds.

At that moment, inside the Song Clan in Ink Cloud City, a guard pushed a wheelchair along a covered walkway.

The person sitting in it had a piercing gaze and showed no sorrow at being confined to a wheelchair.

"Didn't Xue'er say she'd be back in a few days? Why hasn't she returned yet?"

The guard replied, "The letter from the eldest young lady arrived a few days ago. She should be back soon. Now that the eldest young lady has obtained the holy medicine, the family head's illness should be no trouble."

The person in the wheelchair signaled for the guard to stop, then turned to look in the direction outside the city from which Song Xue would return.

"Xue'er has never traveled far from home. This time, she not only brought back the holy medicine but also handled everything on her own. It seems she's really grown up."

At the mention of Song Xue, a pleased smile appeared on the person's face. In his eyes, Song Xue, who had never traveled far from home, had truly done a remarkable job this time.