The Fisherman Reaps the Profit

Bang—

"Ugh, ah—"

Chen Dao slammed hard onto the cracked bluestone ground, dust and shattered stones scattering in all directions.

He felt a violent churn in his throat, and a mouthful of scalding blood burst out uncontrollably, staining the martial garb across his chest red.

Just moments ago, he had forcibly activated the Bloodburst Technique, intending to stir up the blood and qi throughout his body and push himself to his peak, then seize this demon in one go.

Yet he had never expected a sudden attack from behind. Now, the blood and qi throughout his body were rioting, thrown into chaos, even flowing in reverse. His condition plummeted.

The strength that had just surged forth was like a dream bubble, receding clean away like the tide. In its place came reversed blood and qi, needle-pricking agony, and an indescribable sense of weakness.

Chen Dao struggled to prop himself up with the Ghost-Head Saber. The slightest exertion of his arms made them tremble violently, and the movement caused him to cough up another mouthful of clotted blood.

A gust of wind suddenly blew past.

He slowly and painfully rose in the wind, swaying as though the next gust would knock him down.

Yet he still stood up, slowly straightening his chest.

As if telling his opponent.

He, Chen Dao, had not lost!

He, Chen Dao, could still fight!

He laboriously raised his head, wanting to see clearly just who had ambushed him.

With that single glance, he saw the outline and face of the man standing beside the demon.

Those familiar clothes, that familiar appearance—wasn't that the Wild Wolf Gang's Second Master, the younger brother who had lived alongside him day and night?!

Chen Dao's eyes instantly filled with blood. His crimson pupils, webbed with veins, widened at once, seeming to wordlessly convey his disbelief.

"Second Brother?! You?!"

Chen Dao was utterly horrified. No matter what, he could never have imagined that the one who had betrayed him was his usually quiet and taciturn second brother!

The second brother who had once followed him in carving out the Wild Wolf Gang's territory, who was as close to him as flesh and blood, who had only just fought demons shoulder to shoulder with him!

The instant he saw it clearly, Chen Dao could not help but fall into a daze.

The second brother who had just fought beside him, who had drawn the demon away alone to buy him time to use the Bloodburst Technique, now stood beside the demon, as if they were the ones on the same side.

The Second Master had shed his usual face entirely, staring at Chen Dao with a sinister smile.

Could Second Brother already have been killed?! Was the one standing before him merely another demon wearing his face?

An icy voice came, like a sharp thorn piercing Chen Dao's final shred of illusion.

"Big Brother, you're old."

"Your hands are too soft, like a woman's."

That familiar voice—Chen Dao could confirm with absolute certainty that the person before him was his own second brother.

At that moment, his heart turned to ashes.

"Wh-why?"

Chen Dao spoke with difficulty, his chest trembling violently as he did.

Even if it worsened his injuries, he did not care. Chen Dao only wanted an answer.

Could all those years of brotherhood have been false? Had all those years of braving life and death together been nothing but dream bubbles?

Chen Dao would not accept it!

"Hahaha—"

Hearing this, the Second Master could not help bursting into unrestrained laughter.

Firelight flickered in his eyes. He looked at Chen Dao with cruel eyes, his tone brimming with mockery.

"Big Brother, after all these years, you're still this childish."

"Why? Then I'll tell you why!"

With that, the Second Master walked toward Chen Dao as though no one else existed. Each step rang dull and soul-shaking in the black, silent night.

Seeing this, the demon beside them had long since folded its arms, a sneer on its face, as though watching a fine show.

The Second Master walked up to Chen Dao. Seeing his unwilling, tottering state, he gave a cruel smile.

"Big Brother, look how exhausting it is for you to keep holding on like this."

Then he kicked Chen Dao to the ground.

Chen Dao wanted to stop him, but he no longer had the strength. He could only endure the Second Master's kick.

"Ugh, cough cough—"

The kick was neither too hard nor too light, yet it struck precisely at his prior injuries. Half-collapsed on the ground, Chen Dao coughed up another two mouthfuls of blood.

Seeing Chen Dao in such a miserable state, the smile on the Second Master's face grew wider as he slowly spoke.

"Back then, the brothers followed you, Chen Dao, through life and death. We finally achieved what the Wild Wolf Gang is today, and every brother hoped to follow you, Chen Dao, and keep growing bigger and stronger..."

As he spoke, the Second Master looked at Chen Dao again, gritting his teeth in hatred.

"And what did you, Chen Dao, do? You turned around and attached yourself to the Zhang Household, not only handing over the fruits the brothers had fought for on a silver platter..."

"You even led the brothers into becoming someone else's dogs!"

The Second Master practically roared those words.

Chen Dao froze at this, a trace of guilt flashing through his eyes.

His mouth hung half-open as though he wanted to say something, but whether clotted blood still blocked his throat or for some other reason, he could not respond for a long while.

Seeing this, the Second Master felt even more satisfied.

"The current situation was all created by you, Chen Dao! These disciples all died because of you! The Wild Wolf Gang, too, perished because of you, Chen Dao!"

"Chen Dao, you fell into the demonic path, committed monstrous crimes, and slaughtered over a hundred members of the Wild Wolf Gang. Do you admit your guilt?!"

The Second Master's tone abruptly changed, and he promptly pinned the blame on Chen Dao.

What a fine second brother!

Clearly, he was the one who had colluded with demons to slaughter the Wild Wolf Gang, yet now he was dumping this chamber pot of filth onto Chen Dao's head.

Chen Dao could endure humiliation and bow low. He could bend at the waist and scrape at the knees. But he could never endure being falsely accused of colluding with demons!

Hearing this, Chen Dao's fury blazed to the heavens. He felt the blood and qi throughout his body roaring and boiling, while the injuries on his body seemed to fall silent at that moment.

White steam began rising from his body, and Chen Dao visibly grew a full circle thinner.

I, Chen Dao, have not lost yet!

When a common man flies into a rage, blood will splatter ten paces away!

I, Chen Dao, still have one life-for-life technique!

Since I single-handedly caused today's situation, then I will personally bring it to an end!

Chen Dao suddenly let out an enraged roar, like a tiger howling through the mountains and forests.

It seemed as though several measures of strength had appeared from nowhere within his body, helping him rise with his saber held crosswise and slash at the Second Master and the demon behind him.

A true man, if he must die, should die in a cauldron!

This sudden scene frightened the Second Master before him out of his wits.

He raised his hand to block and hurriedly retreated.

"My lord, save—"

Before he could fully cry out the words, a horrifying sight was reflected in the Second Master's automatically dilating pupils.

The demon that had just been behind the Second Master had somehow arrived before him. One hand lightly gripped the Ghost-Head Saber Chen Dao was swinging forward.

Its other hand was like a steel bar thrust through tofu, piercing Chen Dao's chest. Blood still trickled continuously from the wound in his chest.

"You humans really are interesting~"

The demon casually pulled its hand free. A huge crack split open across its face, and a sharp, thin, long curved tongue emerged to lick the blood remaining on its hand, savoring it in intoxication.

Thud—

Chen Dao lost all strength and fell to his knees. The Ghost-Head Saber in his hand dropped to one side.

So this demon was this powerful...

It was simply an old man toying with a child.

Watching those two figures gradually blur, Chen Dao still wanted to grab the Ghost-Head Saber beside him and rise, but he lost strength again and collapsed.

"Big Brother, don't blame me. I had no choice too."

"Rest assured. Once the benefits promised by the Zhang Household arrive, once I break through to the Meridian-Piercing Realm.

Then I'll build another dozen or so Wild Wolf Gangs. Then you can smile in the Nine Springs too."

"You, you bastard..."

His voice gradually faded.

In the end, Chen Dao still died...