Who's the Boss?

As soon as those words fell, the atmosphere in the forest beneath the misty rain abruptly turned tense.

Liu Zheng and the other five stared coldly.

The purpose of bringing all of them along was obvious.

First, to prevent any information from leaking.

Second, to use them as cannon fodder.

"Yang Feng, you think the four of you can forcefully order us around?"

Liu Zheng sneered.

Yang Feng looked disdainful as his aura suddenly erupted.

Boom!

Blood aura surged from his body, steaming and billowing like a tide.

That aura made Liu Zheng's expression change.

"Sorry, my cultivation happened to improve somewhat these past few days. Although I still can't reach the Profound Embryo realm, dealing with you is more than enough."

Four against five.

Yang Feng alone could handle two of them.

The other three scions of noble families were no weaklings either.

Whatever else could be said about them, noble family scions were absolutely far stronger than them when it came to martial arts.

Damn it.

If only Zhao Hong were here.

At the thought of Zhao Hong, Liu Zheng's expression darkened.

That was a genuine Profound Embryo realm expert, and he even possessed Evil Skin Burst.

He desperately wanted to believe Zhao Hong could return alive, but in truth, it was harder than reaching the heavens.

Boom!

A sudden explosion sounded from the direction of the camp.

Though the sound was faint due to the distance, it instantly drew everyone's attention.

Yang Feng and the other three's expressions shifted slightly, their eyes flashing with lingering fear.

"Those damned bastards from the Evil Skin Cult have gone completely insane."

When the enemy attacked, the four of them had happened to be outside.

After hearing the commotion, they had quickly drawn closer.

There were simply too many of them, covering the mountains and plains.

Large numbers of martial artists clad in beast hides.

There were also demonic men who unleashed Jade Hide Burst the moment they charged in.

There were, by rough estimate, more than ten at the Profound Embryo level alone.

How could the camp possibly withstand that?

So after discussing it, the four had chosen without hesitation to flee before the battle.

As scions of noble families, even if they were held accountable afterward, there would be people above to protect them.

Liu Zheng took a deep breath and said gravely, "Yang Feng, it's still not too late to go back now."

"There's a strong chance Lord Li Tai was summoned to the camp ahead of time."

"Even if the situation is bad, waiting nearby for an opportunity is still better than leaving now."

He truly did not want to fight.

Given the temperaments of these noble family scions, once they fought, there would definitely be casualties in order to keep things secret.

Yang Feng snorted disdainfully.

But he could not say it outright.

At least ten Profound Embryo experts.

Given the Evil Skin Cult's methods, if they dared attack the camp, they could not possibly be unprepared.

Were they supposed to go over there and die?

"Shut up."

"Move."

Yang Feng did not dare delay any longer.

Who knew whether Evil Skin Cult demonic men were nearby searching for them?

They needed to leave this place first.

At his command, he stared menacingly at Liu Zheng and the others.

The Copper Bell Guards looked at one another.

Liu Zheng, Wang Yunshan, and the others exchanged looks, their faces full of helplessness.

It seemed they could only...

Smack!

"Who's there?"

Everyone turned in unison to look below.

A figure darted over like lightning.

"Brother Liu, you're all here... Hm?"

Zhao Hong recognized Yang Feng at a glance.

That thoroughly unpleasant noble family brat.

Why was this bastard here?

It looked like the two sides were confronting each other?

Confronting each other?

His heart stirred.

"It's you."

Although Yang Feng had not taken Zhao Hong seriously, he still recognized him quickly after such a short time.

"Zhao Hong."

Liu Zheng's eyes widened in disbelief.

He had actually killed that Profound Embryo realm expert.

"Gasp."

"Heavens."

"Zhao Hong, he..."

The wounds on Zhao Hong's hands had yet to fully heal. There were still traces of battle all over his body, stained with blood.

But since he had appeared here alive, the outcome was obvious.

The Evil Skin Cult demonic man would never have let him go.

"Could he have defected to that demonic man?"

A Silver Bell Guard suddenly looked wary.

"What?"

Yang Feng and the other three looked at each other in confusion.

Why were these people reacting so strongly to a mere late-stage inner force Copper Bell Guard?

And defecting to a demonic man?

That Silver Bell Guard's mutter drew everyone's gaze.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Liu Zheng's eyes, but Wang Yunshan was the first to roar, "Impossible. I believe Zhao Hong."

"Zhao Hong, is that demonic man really dead?"

It was not that Liu Zheng did not trust Zhao Hong. It was simply that blood aura against a Profound Embryo was far too difficult.

Zhao Hong slapped his forehead and sighed inwardly.

Sure enough, someone had suspected that.

Fortunately, he had come prepared.

He slapped his storage pouch.

Whoosh!

The demonic man's headless corpse appeared on the ground.

The bloody hole in its chest made everyone's scalps tingle.

"W-where's the head?"

Someone's lips trembled.

"I blew it apart."

Zhao Hong gave him an indifferent glance.

"Gasp!"

"It really is that demonic man."

"His residual aura is still there."

"Th-this, this is fucking insane."

After seeing the corpse, the Silver Bell Guard who had doubted him no longer had the slightest suspicion. His gaze toward Zhao Hong was filled with deep reverence, along with a bitter smile.

He clasped his fists. "Zhao Hong, I shouldn't have doubted you, but... please forgive me."

"I, Zhou Jian, owe you my life."

"Everyone here owes you a life."

Wang Yunshan spoke word by word.

No one denied it.

Zhao Hong put the corpse away again and looked at Yang Feng.

At that moment, the expressions on Yang Feng and the other three's faces were more vivid than ever.

From the snippets of conversation, they had already pieced together a rough picture.

Most crucially, there was that corpse.

The lingering aura and the shattered Jade Hide on its body both proved that it had been a Profound Embryo realm demonic man.

"Y-you, how could you kill a Profound Embryo?"

Yang Feng did not believe it, but his face had turned pale.

Were Liu Zheng, Wang Yunshan, and more than a dozen others all idiots?

Obviously not.

Then there was only one possibility.

Zhao Hong had really done it.

"What the fuck does that have to do with you?"

Zhao Hong sneered coldly.

"You..." Yang Feng was furious, yet dread rose in his heart.

Liu Zheng said with a dark expression, "Zhao Hong, these four bastards fled before the battle. They claimed they were acting on the orders of Golden Bell Guard Yang Erhe to head to Claw-shaped Mountain for reinforcements, and they even insisted that all of us follow them."

That one sentence let Zhao Hong understand the entire situation.

Reinforcements my ass.

They had fled before the battle.

No matter where it happened, fleeing before battle was a capital offense.

Zhao Hong's eyes turned cold as he asked icily, "What exactly is happening at the camp?"

"Why should we tell you?"

"You killed a Profound Embryo? Hmph, I now suspect that you colluded with Evil Skin Cult demonic men. Does one corpse prove you killed him? I could just as well say I killed him."

A young man behind Yang Feng sneered.

Whoosh!

Zhao Hong vanished from where he stood.

Bang! Bang! Bang!!

Agonized cries rang out.

The four did not even have time to react before they were all sprawled on the ground.

They were shocked and furious.

"Bastard."

"You actually dare attack me?"

"A mere Copper Bell Guard—who gave you the nerve?"

"You're fucking dead."

Zhao Hong's face was livid.

These four bastards truly deserved to be called scum capable of fleeing before battle.

Even now, they were still acting arrogant.

He grabbed Yang Feng and lifted him up, killing intent spreading from him.

Yang Feng shuddered, his scalp tingling as he struggled frantically.

"Y-you, what are you trying to do?"

"If you dare touch me, no one can save you."

"Bastard."

Wang Yunshan spat fiercely.

Everyone felt exceptionally satisfied at that moment. They all wanted to go over and kick the four of them hard.

"Fleeing before battle means death is no great loss. Do you really think the Judge's Office is ruled solely by your Yang Family?"

"Over something this serious, do you think your Yang Family might become the example used to warn the rest?"