The Wolf Head Mercenary Group's captain wore a lecherous grin as he edged closer to Qing Ye. Two other members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group blocked Ka Gang's way.
Qing Ye held a dagger in one hand and a short sword in the other. Without a trace of fear, she shielded Ling'er behind her and fixed her gaze on the captain as he approached.
Just as the two sides were about to clash, a voice rang out.
"Is that a wild boar getting ready to feast on a cabbage? What a waste!"
The people below had no idea what the wild boar and cabbage were supposed to mean, but it was obvious the remark wasn't complimentary.
The captain of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group was especially furious. He had been looking forward to a little fun, only to have someone ruin the mood. Anger spread across his face. Unable to spot the speaker, he shouted warily, "Who is it? Who's there? Get out here!"
But silence fell all around them. No one answered.
Ling'er was a little frightened and clutched Qing Ye's clothes tightly. Qing Ye's gaze darted around, searching for the source of the voice. Whoever had spoken seemed formidable. Perhaps this was their chance.
She stayed on guard, keeping her attention on the captain of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. In her eyes, he was the real threat.
As if someone had merely played a prank, no one appeared even after a long while. The captain of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group cursed for a bit, then let his lecherous grin return.
As the captain approached Qing Ye again, a flash of cold light streaked past.
The captain instinctively clutched his neck. Blood seeped between his fingers as he mumbled something incoherently. His body crashed to the ground, lifeless.
As everyone stared in shock, a man stood behind the captain with a longsword in his hand. The sudden appearance of this man made everyone gasp.
When the other members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group saw their captain had been killed, they all instinctively backed away in terror. Qing Ye's eyes widened in surprise at Li Xingluo's sudden appearance.
"Were you the one who spoke just now?"
One of the braver members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group cautiously asked.
The moment Li Xingluo looked up, the members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group who had taken part in the previous hunt for him were dumbstruck.
"You—you're Li Xingluo!"
The member who recognized Li Xingluo was so terrified that his whole body trembled, as if his soul had nearly fled his body.
Even those who didn't recognize Li Xingluo were startled by his sudden appearance.
"You—you're not dead?"
"That's right, I'm not dead. So, have you made peace with the thought of dying?"
The moment Li Xingluo finished speaking, he was already in motion. A blur flashed by, and seven or eight members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group lay motionless on the ground.
Meanwhile, the member who had recognized Li Xingluo now had a bloodstained, freezing-cold longsword pressed against his neck.
With a clatter, the knife slipped from his hand and hit the ground. At the same time, the stench of urine filled the air.
"N-no, impossible. I saw you jump off the cliff with my own eyes!"
The member of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group was deathly pale, and he could barely get the words out.
"Do you want to live or die?"
The member of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group could hardly believe what he had just heard.
After confirming several times that he had heard correctly, he dropped to his knees and kowtowed, begging for mercy as he answered in terror.
"I want to live!"
"Fine. I'll give you a chance."
"What chance?"
"I want to know where your young group leader is right now."
"This..." The member of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group knew what Li Xingluo meant by asking.
He stammered, taking far too long to answer. Li Xingluo decided to give him a quicker way to speak.
The longsword drew closer to his neck. Between the heavy stench of blood and the chill of the Wind Spirit Split-Form Sword, the member of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group immediately kowtowed and begged for mercy.
"H-he's at a camp thirty li to the east."
"Good!"
Hearing Li Xingluo's words, the member of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group seemed to have been granted a reprieve. As he kowtowed, he didn't forget to thank him. He spoke too soon. The sword swept across his neck, and a streak of blood spurted out. Even as he died, he couldn't understand why this had happened.
Li Xingluo didn't spare the corpse on the ground a glance. He sheathed his sword and turned to leave.
"Um, thank you for saving us." Qing Ye started forward, intending to thank Li Xingluo.
But with a single leap, Li Xingluo was already ten meters ahead. He merely waved at them to show there was no need to thank him.
Ka Gang couldn't help watching Li Xingluo's retreating figure.
"Is that Li Xingluo?"
"It must be. I never imagined he'd be so young, much less that he'd be so powerful."
"He's so handsome!" Ling'er gushed, her cheeks flushed with bashfulness. Qing Ye couldn't help shaking her head.
Following the directions given by the member of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group before his death, Li Xingluo soon found Mu Li's camp.
The Wolf Head Mercenary Group's flag fluttered over the camp. After looking around, Li Xingluo saw no sign of Mu Li. It seemed he had gone hunting.
Li Xingluo killed the few mercenaries guarding the camp and took care of everything. Having once been a member of a mercenary group himself, he knew the routine well.
Li Xingluo waited until dusk before Mu Li finally returned with his men. He lowered his head and waited at the camp entrance to greet Mu Li.
Mu Li noticed nothing amiss. The fire had been burning for some time, and three men were adding kindling. There was no way to tell they were already dead.
"Has the third squad returned?"
Mu Li crossed the camp entrance as he asked Li Xingluo.
Li Xingluo kept his head lowered and didn't answer. Mu Li grew annoyed.
"I said, are you deaf or mute?"
Cursing as he spoke, Mu Li walked toward Li Xingluo. A strange smile appeared at the corner of Li Xingluo's mouth.
When Mu Li was only one step away, the sound of skin being cut rang out, followed by pain that spread through his entire body.
Mu Li cried out and stared in disbelief at Li Xingluo, who wore a bamboo hat.
The Wind Spirit Split-Form Sword pierced Mu Li's entire body. Li Xingluo slowly removed his bamboo hat, revealing a sinister expression.
As if he'd seen a ghost, Mu Li's eyes widened. All he could manage to say was, "N-no, impossible. You're dead already. Are you a man or a ghost?"
Li Xingluo twisted the Wind Spirit Split-Form Sword. The pain intensified, and Mu Li's screams grew louder.
"All I know is that you're about to become a ghost. Don't worry, it won't hurt."
Li Xingluo struck with his palm. Mu Li's entire body flew away, blood spurted from his mouth, and he hit the ground, lifeless.
The dozen or so members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group who had returned with Mu Li saw him killed by the very man who had long been thought dead: Li Xingluo.
"The young group leader is dead!" Someone was the first to react. At the shout, the others came to their senses too.
But it was too late. Li Xingluo's figure darted among them. In no time, the entire camp had only one living person left: Li Xingluo.
Looking at Mu Li's face, frozen in terror and unwillingness, with his eyes still open in death, Li Xingluo looted their belongings and deliberately left his name behind.
The next day, a Wolf Head Mercenary Group patrol found Mu Li's body and took it back to headquarters.
The instant Mu She saw Mu Li's corpse, he let out an enraged roar.
He also learned that the man who had killed his son was Li Xingluo—the very man who had supposedly been dead for a long time.
Mu She ordered every member of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group who was at least a five-star Dou Zhe to enter the Magical Beast Mountain Range and search for Li Xingluo.
The second and third group leaders personally led men into the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Once again, the entire Wolf Head Mercenary Group dropped everything they were doing, all for the sake of finding Li Xingluo and taking revenge.
Before you continue