Uprooting the Root

In the forest, two figures gazed down at the woods below the mountain. One of them already had blood staining his longsword.

"Fourth Brother, why has Second Brother been gone for so long?"

The saber-wielder with the thick-backed blade had impatience and resentment filling his eyes.

"If he doesn't come back soon, we'll have no choice but to start a massacre!"

The swordsman holding the Wu Hook Sword also frowned.

There were simply too many people in the forest. The Liu Family brothers were mixed in among the crowd. Despite every effort, they had only managed to kill one of them. Once the others had been frightened, they all gathered together. Faced with so many people, they could not simply reveal themselves and slaughter everyone.

On the hillside, the two men's patience had gradually been worn away. If they failed this errand today, they would not be able to answer to the chief of Hengling Stockade when they returned.

"Then let's do it. The two of us are disguised anyway. As long as no one recognizes our faces, Hengling Stockade won't be implicated!"

The saber-wielder suddenly raised his hand and hurled his long saber into the ground, burying it deep within the earth.

A cold glint flickered in his eyes as he instead took a pair of steel armguards from his waist.

He was prepared to abandon his favored weapon, lest anyone recognize his signature armament.

The Wu Hook Sword swordsman considered it briefly, then also removed his precious sword. Killing intent surged in his eyes.

"Fine. Then let's make this quick!"

He took a human-skin mask from his robe and casually tossed it to the thick-backed saber-wielder. The man caught it, put it on, and laughed.

"Fourth Brother, your craftsmanship is worth ten thousand gold. Without it, you and I would have a much harder time doing our work!"

The Wu Hook Sword swordsman immediately looked pleased with himself.

"If not for this, why would Big Brother have granted me the fourth seat in the stockade?"

But after taking only a few steps, both men's expressions abruptly changed. A blazing surge of blood and vitality rushed toward them from afar, like a fierce tiger or leopard streaking through the mountains. Its speed was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, it was before them. The thick-backed saber-wielder instinctively raised his steel claws, only to see a dazzling mass of golden light rise from that figure. Amid a savage collision, several sharp cracks of breaking bones rang out. Accompanied by a great spray of blood mist, one figure was sent flying by sheer brute force.

"Ah!"

The saber-wielder fell to the ground with an incomparably miserable scream. His entire hand, together with the steel claw he held, had been shattered. His arm was broken so violently that a short length of bloodied white bone jutted out.

The Wu Hook Sword swordsman was horrified at the sight. The swiftly approaching figure was cloaked in golden light like a war god. Amid the thunderous roar of blood and vitality, a massive fist had already appeared before his eyes.

Fierceness flashed in the Wu Hook Sword swordsman's eyes. In an instant, he drew a streak of silver light from his waist—a flexible sword that stabbed through the air. Yet golden light met it head-on, and an immense force sprang forth from nowhere, turning into a hammerblow to the chest that sent him flying. The flexible sword pierced like a venomous snake, but when it struck the golden light, it did not stir even a ripple.

Within the golden light, Yang Huai's figure emerged. He swept his gaze over the two men and said calmly, "If you want to be reborn already, then keep fighting!"

Even as he spoke, Yang Huai did not disperse the Little Vajra Incantation swirling before him.

With such a marvelous spell as the Little Vajra Incantation, he could completely crush ordinary martial artists.

It was only because he had not cultivated any movement techniques that he could not suppress both men in a single exchange.

Still, that merely made things slightly more troublesome.

"A Daoist master?"

The thick-backed saber-wielder and the Wu Hook Sword swordsman both went pale.

They knew perfectly well that against an expert who wielded Daoist arts, their little bit of martial skill could not be brought into play at all.

Seeing the expressions on their faces, Yang Huai suddenly smiled.

"Answer a few questions for me, and afterward, I'll give you a quick death!"

"You may also choose not to speak, or kill yourselves in front of me. But that would merely be a bit more troublesome for me. At worst, I'll seize your souls, torment you awhile, and interrogate you afterward!"

Naturally, he did not possess the ability to seize souls and refine spirits, but that did not stop him from frightening these two bandits who had already lost their nerve.

The Wu Hook Sword swordsman, who had still intended to bargain, turned frost-white at those words. Having witnessed Wild Dog Daoist's abilities, they did not doubt him in the slightest.

His lips moved, and he glanced once more at the miserable state of the thick-backed saber-wielder. A desolate smile appeared on his face.

Before long, Yang Huai had obtained everything he wanted. Looking at the two Hengling Stockade leaders on the ground, who had lost all will to resist, he said coldly, "Very good. Kill yourselves, then. Spare my hands the filth!"

The two exchanged a glance. Knowing there was no path to survival, each raised a hand and viciously struck his own crown. Before long, two nameless corpses lay in the mountain forest.

Yang Huai watched the scene calmly, though a chill lingered in his eyes.

Hengling Stockade was a major bandit stronghold deep in the Hengyang Mountains. It had occupied this mountain range, which stretched across several counties, for quite some time. They often blocked roads to rob travelers and merchant caravans, and occasionally descended the mountain to plunder and conduct their no-capital business. They had killed and wounded no small number of innocents. The two men had more than deserved their deaths.

According to the two leaders, they were the fourth and sixth leaders of Hengling Stockade. The fifth leader had previously died at the hands of the four Liu Family brothers, while Wild Dog Daoist was the second leader.

Apart from Lu Kui, the chief of Hengling Stockade known as the Lone-Walking Heavenly King, there was only the third leader, who served as a dog-headed military adviser.

Yang Huai swiftly dealt with the two leaders' corpses.

Atop the mountain ridge.

Yang Huai pondered briefly as he looked at the human-skin mask he had taken from the Wu Hook Sword swordsman's robe. A cold smile crossed his face. He immediately fastened it over his own face and headed toward Hengling Stockade. Now that he knew the terrain of Hengling Stockade, as well as its leader's vengeful temperament, he naturally could not leave behind such a hidden danger. He might as well settle it all at once and cultivate in peace afterward.

After he left, a slender figure emerged from the shadowy forest. It glanced around, snorted through its nose, and thought to itself, This boy's methods are vicious indeed, but his thinking is meticulous. If he truly intends to impersonate someone and launch a surprise attack, that so-called "Lone-Walking Heavenly King" of Hengling Stockade probably won't be able to stop him!

Good. I can head back early and eat and drink in peace! This is just the time for me to slack off too!

It kicked its slender legs and, with a few strides, vanished into the forest.

Night fell, and the village seemed especially small in the darkness.

Under the moonlight, Yang Huai's figure finally appeared in the village. Using the night as cover, he slipped into the Yang Family home. A strong bloody aura clung faintly to him; he had likely gone through a slaughter.

The Yang Family home was quiet, but the other two places in the Yang Family Hunting Grounds were brightly lit and bustling. One was the village head's home, where numerous villagers were slaughtering vicious dogs to reward the brave men. Everyone ate meat by the mouthful and drank wine by the bowlful. Afterward, there would even be rice and meat to take home. The atmosphere was lively.

The killing of those seven or eight strange dogs today would likely become village gossip for a long time to come.

Yang Dalang of the village head's family had also gained great fame because of it.

The other place was the Liu Family home, where crying never ceased.

The Liu Family brothers had lost their eldest brother, who had gone up the mountain to farm, and it had broken the hearts and guts of everyone in the Liu Family!

At that moment, in the mourning hall, the many Liu clan members were all teary-eyed.

Yang Huai took a bath and changed into clean clothes before leaving his room. From afar, he saw Yuan Xiuxiu standing beneath the moonlight. Though she wore only coarse linen clothing, she seemed like an elven fairy beneath the moon. Yang Huai was momentarily lost in thought, until Yuan Xiuxiu turned to look at him and said, "Yang Lang was quite imposing today. You made Father and Mother worry for quite a while!"

Yang Huai's face instantly took on an honest, simple look.

"When was I imposing? What is my wife talking about?"

Yuan Xiuxiu shook her head as she watched his changing expression and merely said, "Before your husband's Daoist path is complete, you should cultivate your Daoist heart more and create less killing karma, lest it affect your cultivation!"

Yang Huai was taken aback at those words.

"Can creating killing karma really affect cultivation?"

Yuan Xiuxiu glanced at him and said evenly, "Not necessarily. So long as your heart remains pure and your Daoist heart firm, your qi will be clear and your spirit tranquil. If you cannot do that, then in the future, karmic hindrances will pile upon karmic hindrances, and demonic trials will run deep!"

Yang Huai was no longer worried when he heard that, and simply smiled.

"Other than my wife, no one can disturb my heart and spirit!"

Yuan Xiuxiu gave him a deep look, then turned away. In her heart, she secretly let out a sigh.

Deep within the donkey shed, the old donkey stretched out its neck and glared with wide eyes. It cursed furiously in its heart, unable to give voice to the words, and grew greatly anxious. Damn black-hearted brat! His heart is harder than stone, he kills without batting an eye, and he still dares deceive Your Lordship. Disturb his heart and spirit, my ass!