Bloodbath at Everjoy Hall Branch

When Lu Hao led the others back to Everjoy Hall Branch, the sun was nearly at its zenith.

The branch's gates stood wide open, yet the two gang members who usually stood watch outside were nowhere to be seen.

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The group entered the courtyard and found it empty as well.

Hearing them return, Chen Xuan emerged from the discussion hall with a smiling face.

Chen Xuan held a folding fan in his hand, gently fanning himself.

"Deputy Hall Master Lu, you're back? How did it go?"

Lu Hao looked at him and said flatly, "I did not fail my mission. Azure Robe Branch Hall of the Golden Saber Gang has been wiped out."

Chen Xuan's heart gave a violent lurch, and the smile on his face froze for an instant. Only then did he notice the dense mass of gang members behind Lu Hao. Compared to when they had left, not many seemed to be missing.

Chen Xuan quickly recovered his smile. "Deputy Hall Master Lu, you truly are a lucky star of our Black Tiger Gang. Negotiating with the Water Serpent Gang and raiding Azure Robe Branch Hall of the Golden Saber Gang—both battles ended in resounding victories!"

Chen Xuan pointed toward the table in the middle of the training ground. "Deputy Hall Master Lu, I prepared several jars of fine wine to welcome the brothers back and celebrate their achievements!"

Following the direction of Chen Xuan's finger, they saw six wine jars and sixty or seventy porcelain bowls arranged across several tables in the center of the training ground.

Lu Hao stared coldly at Chen Xuan, making Chen Xuan's scalp prickle.

"Where are Hall Master Han and the other brothers?" Lu Hao asked.

Chen Xuan forced himself to remain calm and brought out the excuse he had prepared long ago.

"You had barely left when orders came from the main headquarters. Every branch was to gather manpower and cooperate in raiding another hall of the Golden Saber Gang. Hall Master Han took the other brothers with him, leaving only me here to wait for your return."

Lu Hao nodded expressionlessly.

Chen Xuan walked to the table, picked up a wine jar, filled a porcelain bowl, and brought it before Lu Hao.

"Deputy Hall Master Lu, I offer you this bowl of wine. You wiped out an entire hall of the Golden Saber Gang. Our Black Tiger Gang has never achieved such a glorious record. I, Chen, truly admire you!"

Lu Hao did not accept the wine from Chen Xuan. Instead, he walked to the table, poured himself a bowl as well, and held it out before Chen Xuan with a smile.

"Deputy Hall Master Chen worked hard holding down the rear too. Let us drink this bowl together!"

Chen Xuan waved his hands repeatedly. "How could I possibly? I did not take part in the raid on the Golden Saber Gang. If I drank this celebratory wine, I would feel unworthy of it!"

Smash! Lu Hao threw the porcelain bowl to the ground.

Chen Xuan's expression changed drastically. He realized that Lu Hao might have discovered the Knockout Drug in the wine. He hastily threw his own bowl to the ground as well and retreated several steps.

Almost at the same instant, a lean figure shot out from one of the rooms. It was Xiong Kaishan.

Xiong Kaishan gripped a Great Ring Saber and strode before Lu Hao, bringing it down toward his head in a savage chop.

Lu Hao flashed aside, evading the downward slash of the Great Ring Saber.

After his first strike missed, Xiong Kaishan immediately followed with a backhand horizontal sweep.

Lu Hao stepped back at once, dodging it again.

Xiong Kaishan drew back his Great Ring Saber and was about to bring it down once more when Lu Hao suddenly stepped forward. His right fist traced a short upward arc, and with a Black Tiger Plucks the Heart, he struck Xiong Kaishan squarely in the pit of the chest, all nine strands of Qi-Blood poured into his fist.

Xiong Kaishan was sent flying and crashed heavily to the ground.

With a "wah," he spat out a great mouthful of blood.

Before Xiong Kaishan could rise, Lu Hao had already closed in.

Lu Hao raised both arms high and unleashed Black Tiger Descends the Mountain. His fists, wrapped in nine strands of Qi-Blood, smashed viciously onto Xiong Kaishan's crown.

Xiong Kaishan's body jerked once, then he stopped breathing.

From Xiong Kaishan's sneak attack to his death at Lu Hao's hands, only a few breaths had passed.

At that moment, Ma Xiaotian and Diao Xiaolin emerged from the various rooms with fifty gang members of the Golden Saber Gang.

Originally, they had intended to wait until Lu Hao and the Black Tiger Gang members drank the wine laced with Knockout Drug. Then they could easily capture Lu Hao and the rest.

But they had not expected Lu Hao to see through Chen Xuan's scheme. Worse still, Xiong Kaishan had failed to keep his cool and charged out.

The Black Tiger Gang and the Golden Saber Gang began slaughtering each other in the courtyard.

Both sides had already gone through a brutal battle and expended some of their Qi-Blood. They fought in a deadlock, neither side able to determine victory for the moment.

Ma Xiaotian let out a thunderous roar, gripping his Great Ring Saber in both hands as he hacked toward Lu Hao, while Diao Xiaolin thrust his longsword at Lu Hao.

Ma Xiaotian's saber techniques were powerful and heavy, while Diao Xiaolin's swordplay was nimble and venomous.

After more than a dozen exchanges, several cuts had been opened across Lu Hao's back and arms by Diao Xiaolin.

After several more exchanges, Ma Xiaotian's saber strike missed.

Lu Hao turned and unleashed Black Tiger Sweeps Its Tail. His right fist, wrapped in nine strands of Qi-Blood, smashed violently into Ma Xiaotian's temple.

Ma Xiaotian's entire body flew backward more than half a zhang before he hit the ground dead.

At that moment, Diao Xiaolin's longsword was already stabbing toward Lu Hao's chest.

Lu Hao hurriedly dodged, but he was still half a beat too slow. The longsword pierced into his left shoulder blade.

A piercing agony struck him. Gritting his teeth, Lu Hao stepped forward, and the longsword punched through his back.

Lu Hao's right fist shot out and struck Diao Xiaolin in the chest.

Before Diao Xiaolin could pull out the longsword lodged in Lu Hao's left shoulder, he was blasted backward, vomiting a great mouthful of blood.

Just as Lu Hao was about to step forward and finish Diao Xiaolin, Qiu Shan suddenly lunged at him.

Qiu Shan wrapped both arms around Lu Hao's waist, locking his hands tight as he shouted at Diao Xiaolin, "Xiaolin, run!"

Lu Hao bent his knees slightly, sinking his Qi-Blood into his legs. He swayed once before steadying himself.

Lu Hao raised both fists high and brought down Black Tiger Descends the Mountain hard upon Qiu Shan's back.

Qiu Shan's whole body trembled as he spat out a great mouthful of blood, yet he still clung to Lu Hao for dear life.

Qiu Shan tore his throat raw as he shouted again, "Xiaolin, go!"

Lu Hao unleashed two consecutive Black Tiger Descends the Mountain strikes, smashing them into Qiu Shan's back.

Only then did Qiu Shan release his hands and slowly slide down along Lu Hao's legs to the ground, still mumbling intermittently, "At last... I've returned... my life... to Escort Chief Diao..."

With that, his head tilted to one side, and he stopped breathing.

Seeing this, the hatred in Diao Xiaolin's eyes turned into unwillingness and fear.

He had never expected that although he and Lu Hao were both in the Third Gate-Knocking Realm, Lu Hao's combat ability would far surpass his own. Lu Hao's life-for-life fighting style, in particular, chilled Diao Xiaolin to the bone.

Diao Xiaolin did not linger any longer and turned to run outside.

After killing Qiu Shan, Lu Hao pulled the longsword from his left shoulder blade and tossed it to the ground. Blood surged from the wound, dyeing the clothes over his left shoulder red.

Just as he was about to pursue Diao Xiaolin, a Golden Saber Gang member swung his saber at him.

Lu Hao twisted aside and evaded it, then smashed a Black Tiger Plucks the Heart into the man's throat. The Golden Saber Gang member fell dead.

When Lu Hao tried to pursue Diao Xiaolin again, he saw that Diao Xiaolin's figure had already leaped out through the gate.

Lu Hao then joined the fight to kill the remaining Golden Saber Gang members.

The number of Golden Saber Gang members still standing in the courtyard dwindled further and further.

After roughly the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the Black Tiger Gang finally slaughtered every last member of the Golden Saber Gang.

Off to the side, Chen Xuan's eyes darted about.

He snapped shut his folding fan and bolted toward a room beside the discussion hall.