Close the gate and beat the dog?
Hearing Tang Fei and Phoenix's exchange, Chen Hu knew the situation was dire.
If this woman really was a Master of the Qi Control Realm, then he and the gray-robed men he had brought were no match for her alone.
Otherwise, why would they close the gate? Wasn't it because they were afraid of letting them escape?
A gray-robed man pulled a whistle from his pocket, intending to sound a warning.
Smack!
A Silver Light Whip lashed over, shearing off half the gray-robed man's head.
Thud!
His head hit the ground, splattering blood everywhere.
The remaining half of his body stood there for a long while before finally collapsing with a thump.
The gray-robed men panicked and scattered in all directions. Some tried to flee the courtyard, only to be hammered back inside by Little Fatty.
When an expert made a move, everyone could tell the difference.
Chen Hu had not even seen how Phoenix attacked before a gray-robed man beside him had his head severed. Such strength was simply unimaginable.
And the whip in her hand was clearly an energy weapon from New Star. Weapons from Old Earth could never be this sharp.
Chen Hu stared at Phoenix with a grim gaze. He knew they had found the right person.
How wonderful it would have been if they had found the wrong one.
Before finding her, they had desperately wanted to drag her out. Now that they had found her, his own life was about to be lost?
I want promotion and wealth, but only if I stay alive.
"Our Flame Shrine has no grudge against you. Why did you kill our black-robed man?" Chen Hu demanded.
"What? Trying to stall for time?" Tang Fei saw through his scheme at once and sneered.
He knew that if Chen Hu and the others lingered in this courtyard for a while longer, the people outside would grow suspicious when they failed to receive any news and realize something had happened here.
Then wouldn't the Flame Army come swarming over to surround and suppress them?
"Unfortunately, you're going to be disappointed."
Phoenix knew she could not drag this out. With a flick of the Phoenix Whip, she lunged at Chen Hu.
Chen Hu raised his broadsword and roared, preparing to take Phoenix's lightning-fast whip head-on.
The blade hummed, and green energy coiled around its edge.
That green energy was blade qi.
Chen Hu had some talent for cultivation, but not much.
Without the guidance of a famous teacher or the aid of profound manuals, he had relied on a basic sword technique passed down from before the Great Cataclysm and daily, relentless practice to forcibly cultivate blade qi.
With blade qi empowering it, the broadsword was no longer an ordinary weapon.
This was what he had always taken pride in. With this ability, he had done quite well within the Flame Shrine. If Bian Zhenxin had not died, then after spending a few more years at his side and waiting for his promotion, Chen Hu could have taken over the black-robed position in Hate Mountain District.
What a pity!
Chen Hu planned to use this slash to block Phoenix's lightning whip. He knew that in a real fight, his strength was far below that of a Master in the Qi Control Realm.
But he possessed brute strength.
As long as he could withstand a few more of her lashes, he could escape death once the Flame Shrine's experts arrived.
The Phoenix Whip struck the broadsword Chen Hu held high. The instant they made contact, the green force around the treasured blade vanished.
Crack!
The broadsword split into two, its front half falling to the ground.
As cleanly as a knife through tofu, the Phoenix Whip cut through the broadsword in Chen Hu's hand.
At the same time, it cut through his body.
The Silver Light Whip passed through him, immediately opening a massive gash across his chest.
He lowered his head for a look, his face filled with disbelief.
He knew there was a gap between them, but he had never expected it to be so vast.
One slash?
She had only made one move.
Thud!
His body crashed backward onto the ground, eyes wide open, unwilling to die.
He had known something was wrong, but he had never expected the story to unfold like this.
Seeing their Boss whipped into two pieces, the other gray-robed men trembled with terror.
Some of the more timid ones even collapsed onto the ground, unable to move.
"Save—"
Someone had just opened his mouth to call for help when Little Fatty silenced him with a hammer blow.
More of them could not make a sound at all, as if their throats had been stuffed with cotton.
Tang Fei was not idle either. He controlled the Dogleg Knife with qi, sending it weaving through the crowd. One slash per person, without mercy.
Before long, corpses covered the courtyard.
These gray-robed men from the Flame Shrine were merely stronger-than-average ordinary people. They could bully decent civilians well enough, but against a Cultivator like Tang Fei, they could only wait to be slaughtered.
Little Fatty was still worried that some of them had not died completely, so he carried his massive hammer around to inspect them.
Whenever he found someone who had not yet breathed their last or whose injuries were not severe enough, he swung his hammer and gave them another blow.
Everyone had a clear division of labor and worked together seamlessly.
In the blink of an eye, Chen Hu and the dozen-plus gray-robed men he had brought were completely dealt with.
The small courtyard returned to silence, though the air was thick with the stench of blood.
--
At the center of the village, Bian Feng sat atop a tall horse. After waiting a long time for news from Chen Hu, he asked, "Where is Chen Hu? Why hasn't he brought them here yet?"
Blood Hand stepped forward and said respectfully, "My lord, shall I go take a look?"
"Go." Bian Feng nodded. "Find out what's going on. He can't even bring back a few mountain folk? Is this how Chen Hu handles things?"
After a pause, he added, "Take more men with you."
He understood Chen Hu's capabilities. Otherwise, he would not have sent him to Hate Mountain District to serve as his son's aide.
Why had he not returned after so long? Had something happened?
"Yes, my lord." Blood Hand was delighted.
He knew that if he handled this matter well, he might earn Bian Feng's favor.
Then life would be even better for the Blood Hand Society. They could rob whoever they wanted and kill whoever they wanted. No matter how large they grew, they would not need to worry about the Flame Shrine coming to wipe them out.
After all, they were carrying out robbery on orders.
With a wave of Blood Hand's hand, dozens of Blood Hand Society members followed him to search for Chen Hu.
Many people had seen where Chen Hu had gone, so they arrived at Tang Fei's courtyard without needing a guide.
"Is this the place?"
"This is it."
Blood Hand was about to raise his hand and knock when he suddenly froze.
He sniffed the air and caught a strong smell of blood.
Not good. Blood Hand's heart jolted. He knew Chen Hu and the others might already have run into danger.
Just as he was about to sound a warning, a tremendous crash rang out.
The gate suddenly flew outward, roaring through the air as it hurtled toward them.
Blood Hand was agile and reacted the fastest. With a kick of his feet, he leaped into the air.
The other Blood Hand Society members were not so fortunate. The heavy ironwood gate slammed into them head-on.
Their chests were crushed, their bones shattered, and they collapsed to the ground vomiting blood.
Tang Fei charged at the front, the Dogleg Knife in his hand transforming into Death's scythe.
Guided by his qi, every slash cut open someone's throat.
Phoenix was not about to be outdone. With a crack of her whip, she sliced a row of Blood Hand Society members in half.
You should always trust science. High-tech weapons truly killed faster.
Little Fatty followed close behind with his hammer raised, sending one person flying with each blow, then another.
Whether they died or not, they would definitely fly.
The Old Man brought up the rear, covering the three of them and remaining alert for experts sneaking up from behind.
Tang Fei and the others took the initiative, throwing the enemy into chaos. The Blood Hand Society members and Flame Shrine gray-robed men broke apart and retreated again and again.
The commotion here was too great, finally alerting Bian Feng and the others in the center of the village.
Large numbers of Flame Army soldiers and Cultivators surged toward them, determined to capture Tang Fei and the others.
Tang Fei raised his blade, ready to kill again, but the gray-robed men had already lost their courage and fled to the rear, crying and screaming.
Clatter!
The fully armed Flame Army arrived, forming ranks and raising their guns as they confronted Tang Fei, Little Fatty, and the others.
On one side stood Tang Fei, Phoenix, Little Fatty, and the Old Man trailing far behind them, looking ready to flee at any moment. On the other stood a powerful, well-equipped force, their guns packed like a forest and stretching beyond sight.
This was a battle between forces of vastly unequal strength.
Before you continue