Lure You into the Trap

Duan Hong was no greenhorn who understood nothing. On the contrary, he had always been extremely cautious and careful.

The reason he had been willing to come to Stone Manor with Lu Qianshan was naturally because the two men from Golden Saber Hall had dealt with them before.

Black Wind Stronghold was not as easy to negotiate with as the Qiao Household. After taking Falling Moon Market, they had issued Golden Saber Hall an ultimatum: submit to Black Wind Stronghold, or be wiped out.

Shi Zhongtang and Lu Qianshan had also expressed their willingness to defect.

When Lu Qianshan personally came today and told them that Shi Zhongtang had laid a trap in the manor, drawing the Qiao Household's two Attendants into it, both Cloud Leopard and Duan Hong had been overjoyed.

Duan Hong had personally led men here this time precisely to capture Yang Yi and the others alive.

Though Lu Qianshan's story had no obvious flaws and his attitude had been exceedingly sincere, a man as cautious as Duan Hong would never place complete trust in anyone.

Relying on his exceptional skill and boldness, he had figured that even if something was amiss, he could escape with his strength. Only then had he made the trip.

The instant he sensed something wrong, he immediately made the correct response.

"Sir!" Seeing that things had gone awry, Lu Qianshan gave a low shout and thrust his sword at Duan Hong.

Duan Hong reacted with astonishing speed and had no intention of tangling with Lu Qianshan. Though he looked down on the two men from Golden Saber Hall, they were still Lan Blood cultivators. If they truly fought, it was hard to say who would come out on top.

With a mere lift of his hand, he seized a subordinate who still had no idea what was happening and dragged him in front as a human shield, blocking Lu Qianshan's strike.

As blood sprayed through the air, Duan Hong had already retreated thirty feet.

"Splash!" Water burst from the nearby vat as Shen Qian, who had been lying in ambush there, shot out like a flood dragon emerging from the sea. His sword flickered with three points of cold light, stabbing straight at Duan Hong's face.

At the same time, a graceful figure darted out from another direction, a soft whip whistling through the air.

"There's an ambush!" Duan Hong roared. Raising the Watermelon Hammer, he swung it savagely, forcibly breaking Shen Qian's offensive and exchanging a blow with him.

But while he could block Shen Qian, he failed to guard against Qin Siniang. Her soft whip coiled precisely around his other arm, then jerked hard, pulling Duan Hong into a stagger.

He hurriedly steadied himself, his blood and qi surging around him. With a slight shake of his wrist, he broke free of Qin Siniang's restraint and swept away again.

He had not gone far after entering Stone Manor to begin with. After that lightning-fast clash, he had somehow reached the manor gates. Once he left this ambush circle, he could flee outside.

At this moment, Qin Siniang, Shen Qian, and Lu Qianshan were all entangled by the subordinates he had brought. With the strength of the three, they could resolve them quickly, but it was already too late to stop Duan Hong.

Boom...

A sound of tearing air rang out. Duan Hong, who already had one foot past Stone Manor's gates, felt something rapidly closing in on him from behind.

He did not dare look back at all.

Then he felt a weight descend upon his head, as if a giant hand had clamped around his skull. A tremendous force erupted, and his body flew backward against his will before crashing heavily onto the flagstones.

Screams rang out one after another as Qin Siniang and the others swiftly dealt with the subordinates Duan Hong had brought.

Three breaths later, when Duan Hong painfully crawled to his feet, he found four pairs of eyes glaring at him like tigers watching their prey!

His gaze swept over Shen Qian and Qin Siniang before quickly settling on Yang Yi.

From what had happened just now and the current situation, this young man brimming with youthful air was the one who had made all his efforts come to nothing.

Duan Hong's eyelids twitched...

How could it be a young man!

Though they had not truly exchanged blows, judging from what he had just suffered, the strength of the person who had attacked him far surpassed his own. If he had seen an elderly old man, he could have accepted it—but it had to be a youth?

The spot on his head where he had been gripped still throbbed faintly. In that instant, he had nearly thought his skull would be crushed.

"Sir, several of Black Wind Stronghold's leaders have all taken Bloodbane Pills!" Lu Qianshan said in a grave voice, his sword pointed at Duan Hong.

Hearing this, Yang Yi immediately revealed a regretful expression.

Anyone who had taken a Bloodbane Pill could no longer take another one. Otherwise, the medicinal effects would clash, and the poison would flare up instantly, killing them.

Come to think of it, those bandits from Black Wind Stronghold had no concept of benevolence or morality. To control and bind them, Bloodbane Pills were the best method.

"Kill him."

The reason he had spared Duan Hong just now was that he had wanted to subdue another Lan Blood cultivator. That way, he might have been able to take that stronghold without shedding blood. But now, there was no point hoping for it.

Lu Qianshan had undoubtedly seen through Yang Yi's thoughts, which was why he had reminded him.

At his word, Qin Siniang, Shen Qian, and Lu Qianshan rushed forward together.

One against three, with Yang Yi glaring covetously from the side—how could Duan Hong have any way to survive?

In no more than twenty breaths, Duan Hong was cut down on the spot. That was only because Qin Siniang and the others had acted carefully to avoid driving him into a desperate fight where fish and net both shattered.

When the dust settled, this battle had not only killed Duan Hong, but also seven or eight of his subordinates. It could be said that Black Wind Stronghold's stronghold had suffered a heavy reduction in strength.

Yet Lu Qianshan suddenly rushed out of Stone Manor and quickly returned. "Sir, Black Wind Stronghold is likely on guard now. Before entering, Duan Hong left two men outside. They've disappeared."

Clearly, they had heard the commotion and fled without a trace.

"I'll give you half an hour. Gather all of Golden Saber Hall's men and follow me to attack Black Wind Stronghold's stronghold!" Yang Yi looked at Lu Qianshan, his face filled with righteous resolve. "In this battle, I will uphold justice for Heaven, pull out the nail Black Wind Stronghold has driven into Falling Moon Market, and return clear skies and bright earth to Falling Moon Market!"

The bandits of Black Wind Stronghold had come from the mountains. After occupying Falling Moon Market, they had established all manner of schemes to collect silver, things the Qiao Household had never done here before.

Though the time had been short, the merchants and herb gatherers of Falling Moon Market had already suffered bitterly under Black Wind Stronghold.

Yang Yi wanted to seize the stronghold, and raising the banner of upholding justice for Heaven was naturally justified.

"This subordinate accepts the order!" Lu Qianshan answered in a ringing voice and immediately left Stone Manor.

Yang Yi and the others waited briefly.

If anyone else had given such an order, Qin Siniang and Shen Qian would certainly have tried to dissuade them from acting rashly.

That stronghold was easy to defend and hard to attack. Even if their side held an absolute advantage in powerful fighters, they might not necessarily take it easily.

But since Yang Yi had spoken, the two of them had no objections whatsoever.

Before half an hour had passed, Lu Qianshan had already led Golden Saber Hall's men over.

"Sir, all sixty-five men of Golden Saber Hall are here, awaiting your orders." There had originally been more, but Lu Qianshan had dealt with several stubborn men loyal to Shi Zhongtang.

He knew that after what had happened today, those loyal to Shi Zhongtang absolutely could not be kept. He had immediately struck first to gain the upper hand.

Those poor men had been killed before they even understood the situation.

Under the night curtain, more than sixty men stood in Stone Manor's courtyard, their shadows layered upon one another.

"Move out." Yang Yi waved a hand.

As the group advanced toward the stronghold in orderly fashion, a killing chill spread through all of Falling Moon Market.

Though Falling Moon Market was not small, the many unusual disturbances of the day could not escape the notice of those with keen eyes. Now every household had shut its doors tight, and there was not even a ghostly shadow to be seen on the roads.

The Falling Moon Market that had bustled with life during the day suddenly resembled a ghostly domain.