Blood Blade Sect

Knock, knock.

Knock, knock~

Xu Zhiyong's heart felt as if an invisible hand had seized it, pounding wildly, so loudly it seemed ready to burst through his chest.

Fear made every hair on his body stand on end, and a fine sheen of cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

He forced a flattering smile onto his face, twisted and grotesque. His teeth chattered, and his voice shook so badly it barely sounded like his own:

"G-great sir, please spare me this once.

I was truly driven to desperation and lost my senses. I'm willing to work like an ox or a horse for you, to brave fire and water without hesitation!"

Tap.

Tap~

Li Yun didn't answer. He simply lifted his foot and stepped closer, crunching the dry branches underfoot.

The branches snapped sharply, their sound especially grating in the alley. Each step was like a heavy hammer crashing into Xu Zhiyong's heart.

The distance between them grew shorter and shorter.

Three steps.

Two steps.

That utterly impassive gaze chilled him to the bone. He could barely remember how to breathe.

Li Yun looked down at him, his face utterly expressionless.

There was no anger, nor any pity.

Overwhelming fear suddenly turned into the madness of a desperate gamble!

Xu Zhiyong steeled himself, and wickedness rose in his heart.

He was dead either way. He might as well fight!

Still kneeling, he swiftly clenched the jagged piece of short wood hidden behind his back.

One step.

At the instant only a single step remained between them,

Xu Zhiyong's pupils suddenly contracted. He abruptly turned to look toward Fang Ming's corpse.

His face twisted into an exaggerated look of confusion, as though he'd seen something unbelievable.

"Huh?"

Then Xu Zhiyong suddenly thrust forward, straightening his waist as he aimed the short club at Li Yun's lower abdomen. His eyes filled with vicious menace as he roared,

"Die!"

Unfortunately, Li Yun hadn't looked in that direction at all.

He simply watched Xu Zhiyong without expression.

The club was barely an inch from Li Yun's abdomen. Just as Xu Zhiyong thought he'd landed the blow, he suddenly felt his wrist tighten.

Crack!

With a sharp snap, Li Yun seized his wrist in an iron grip.

Xu Zhiyong felt an astonishing force, as though an iron tiger's claw had clamped around him.

His bones felt ready to shatter!

"Ah~"

Agonizing pain coursed through his body.

He tried to struggle, only to find his wrist pinned in midair, unable to move.

"I'd like to ask you a question."

The words came from in front of him, flat and toneless, like a thunderbolt splitting through Xu Zhiyong's despair.

He stiffened all over, then seemed to grasp at a lifeline. His eyes lit up at once. Forgetting the agony in his wrist, he hurriedly answered,

"Ask whatever you like, sir.

Not just one—ten, a hundred! I'll tell you everything I know and answer every question. I'll tell you the truth!"

Li Yun gave a slight nod, his gaze settling on Xu Zhiyong's face as he slowly asked,

"Take another look. Do you think I'm kindhearted?"

His voice was unhurried, yet Xu Zhiyong felt an oppressive force so suffocating it was hard to bear.

"Kind..."

Xu Zhiyong had barely gotten the word out. He hadn't even had time to finish his flattery.

Li Yun moved.

His right leg whipped out like a steel lash, carrying tremendous force and a roar as it tore through the air.

Compared to the kick he'd sent toward Fang Ming earlier,

it was faster!

Fiercer!

More decisive!

Bam~

Xu Zhiyong was struck by an invisible giant hammer. His whole body shot away like a blur,

slamming hard into the earthen wall opposite.

The wall shuddered violently, and a great shower of dust sifted down. A shallow dent appeared behind him.

He couldn't even manage a full scream before his body slid down the wall and crumpled to the ground.

His limbs bent at unnatural angles, and dark red froth bubbled from his mouth and nose. He twitched twice, then went completely still.

Li Yun stepped forward and gave them both an extra measure of certainty,

making sure neither would get the chance to play dead.

Only then did he quickly search their bodies.

He found nothing.

He picked up the chicken lying on the ground, carried it in his hand, and strode out of the alley.

Behind him, only two cold corpses and dry branches scattered across the ground remained in the alley.

The wind swept through the entrance to East Alley, stirring up a little dust in silence.

The main alley entrance.

Zhuo Yong had just leaned against the handcart to catch his breath when he saw Li Yun walking over from the direction of East Alley, carrying the chicken.

A faint smile rested on Li Yun's face—or perhaps Zhuo Yong only imagined it.

Zhuo Yong felt that this smile...

"Junior Brother."

Zhuo Yong greeted him with a laugh and patted him on the shoulder.

"That was a close call. Good thing you had my back.

After we finish our fist training this afternoon, let's find somewhere to have a drink. My treat. We can unwind a little."

Li Yun set the chicken back on the handcart, then turned to him with a faint smile.

"You're too kind, Senior Brother.

You were the one leading me on this escort job in the first place,

teaching me how to handle unexpected situations.

I should be the one thanking you.

There's no reason to make you pay. Once I get my monthly stipend, I'll treat you."

"Haha, all right!"

Zhuo Yong laughed heartily.

"Then I won't argue. I'll treat you tonight, and you can return the favor next time. We'll take turns!"

"Sure."

Li Yun nodded.

Zhuo Yong's smile faded as he instructed the two workers to push the cart.

"Let's go. We shouldn't waste any time. Get into the city and report back."

After turning past two street corners, they came to the gates of the Inner City.

The guards beneath the gates wore standard-issue armor and carried long sabers at their waists. Their sharp eyes swept over the people coming and going, keeping everything orderly.

They queued up and paid the entrance fee.

After inspecting them, the guards raised a hand to let them through. The group slowly entered the Inner City.

The moment they stepped inside, the scenery was worlds apart from the Outer City.

Smooth roads, clean streets, and shops filled with all kinds of goods.

The pedestrians were just as different from those in the Outer City.

Most were neatly dressed in decent-quality fabric.

Even the peddlers and women leading children by the hand had slightly ruddy complexions.

It was obvious they were living fairly comfortable lives.

Seeing Li Yun looking around, Zhuo Yong leaned over to chat.

"What do you think? Doesn't it feel like the Inner and Outer Cities are worlds apart—one in heaven, the other on earth?"

"There is quite a difference." Li Yun nodded.

"Back when our monthly stipends were enough, if we spent carefully, we could save up for a little house with a courtyard in three to five years."

Zhuo Yong spat to the side and lowered his voice a little.

"But once war broke out in the south, the wealthy families came streaming north like a rising tide, crowding into the Inner City to buy property.

Now housing prices are shooting through the roof. Buying a house now would be tough."

"Senior Brother, I only know there's a war in the south.

But what kind of fighting is it, exactly?

Do you know how chaotic things have become?"

Zhuo Yong glanced around. Seeing that nobody was paying attention to them, he said,

"I can't say for sure. I've only heard it from people who fled here, just in passing.

Rumor has it that in Green Wind Prefecture, down south, a faction called the Blood Blade Sect has appeared. They're stirring up trouble everywhere and leaving the region in chaos."

Blood Blade Sect?

Li Yun thought to himself:

The name had a sinister, wicked air to it. It didn't sound like a respectable sect at all.

Green Wind Prefecture was under the jurisdiction of Prefecture City. With trouble on this scale, weren't they going to do anything about it?

Or were they too busy dealing with their own problems?

Perhaps one day it would spread to Crow Mountain City.

It seemed he'd have to stop by the Bounty Pavilion whenever he had time.

Take on some jobs and make money.

Get stronger as quickly as possible.

Only if he was strong enough could he stand firm when the turmoil finally came to his door, instead of being swept up in the chaos.