Killing was no more than a head hitting the ground!

On a night of snow in June, the girl's piercing cry tore through the sky and rang among the clouds.

Everyone present underwent a change of expression.

On the city wall, Zhuge Jingcheng's expression shifted, dark beyond measure.

Would a rebel's offspring ultimately walk the path of rebellion too?

Zhuge Jingcheng did not know.

But the one thing he did know was that tonight...

Whether his daughter or these rebels, they all had to be buried here.

Once the sun rose tomorrow, no one would know that an earth-shaking battle had taken place here.

Nor would anyone know where the Provincial Governor's daughter had gone...

Watching the girl shouting in the cold wind, Ning Que smiled.

"Have you thought this through? We're insurgents, rebels! One day, we'll overthrow the foundations of the Great Li Dynasty!"

"If you follow us, you'll be a rebel too, an insurgent. Aren't you afraid?"

"..."

Every escort and Bounty Hunter around them felt their hearts tremble at those words.

Among them were the heads of the Three Great Escort Agencies, as well as the Yin Lotus Cult's Holy Maiden, Liu Ningzhi, and its Holy Mother.

Those words stirred towering waves in their hearts.

At most, they killed, set fires, and collected bounties on people's heads to make money.

But these rebels actually proclaimed that they would overthrow the dynasty's foundations.

Wasn't that ambition far too grand?

And their strength far too insignificant!

At first, everyone was shocked, but then disdain seeped into their eyes.

They believed these rebels would never succeed.

They might even die under their blades today!

Beside Zhuge Jingcheng, the Messenger from Capital City wore a sinister expression as he said grimly, "Provincial Governor, you see? These rebels are the rotten sheep that spoil the flock! Eliminate them, and you'll remove the thorn in the Minister's heart. A great service indeed!"

"I'm not afraid!"

But the next moment, Zhuge Qing's voice rang out.

It made Zhuge Jingcheng's expression even darker and uglier.

Ning Que, however, burst out laughing. "Good! You can join us!"

He turned to Yin Jiuyou, Qi Shanhe, and Mu Yuwei. "Does anyone object?"

"..."

No one spoke. Their gazes only grew firmer, their grips on their blades tighter.

"Good!"

Ning Que's voice rang across the entire gathering. "From this moment on, Flowing Sand has another member: Miss Zhuge!"

"Kill them! Leave none alive!"

Zhuge Jingcheng roared fiercely.

The wind and snow intensified, and the night grew ever more hazy.

Yet not a single person dared step forward.

Whether the three escort bureau heads—Tong Chengkun, Mo Zhaoyun, and Chai Feiying—or Liu Ningzhi and the Yin Lotus Holy Mother...

All of them now stared with eyes widened in disbelief.

"Flowing Sand?!"

Those two words stunned them.

"You're from Flowing Sand?"

Tong Chengkun could not help asking.

Clang!

Without speaking, Yin Jiuyou tore off his facial disguise, revealing his true appearance.

A black saber as tall as a man plunged hard into the ground, humming with vibration.

Wanted posters for Ning Que and Yin Jiuyou plastered nearly every province and every city.

Naturally, they had seen them too.

Looking at the face that matched the wanted portrait exactly, everyone drew a deep breath of cold air.

A man's name cast a shadow as surely as a tree.

As Great Li's foremost underground organization, Flowing Sand had long been branded into their hearts like a towering behemoth.

The Bounty Hunters from the Cave of No Worries, in particular, felt their hearts shake violently.

They had never imagined that one day they would become enemies of the legendary Flowing Sand.

"Want to fight? There's still time to retreat."

Qi Shanhe surveyed the dark mass of men surrounding them and spoke in a low voice.

Rustle...

The crowd took a step back, fear in their eyes, but even more unwillingness to yield.

Men died for wealth, just as birds died for food!

Though they feared Flowing Sand, they were even less willing to give up the ten thousand taels of silver within easy reach.

The world scurried in a panic, all for a few scraps of silver.

"Young fellow, there are only a hundred or so of you. You can't possibly be a match for us. I suggest you surrender at once and end your own lives!"

As the deep voice rang out, the sea of people slowly parted, and a tall figure stepped forward.

It was none other than Tong Chengkun, head of the Dragon Gate Escort Bureau.

Ning Que kept smiling. "No match for you? I wouldn't be so sure..."

A powerful warrior could stand against a thousand single-handedly.

Besides, he had gained thirty years of internal energy out of thin air!

Tong Chengkun's face darkened. "Young fellow, to tell you the truth, I have an expert here who can hold the field. He's no weaker than those beside you..."

In truth, seeing the presence radiating from Yin Jiuyou, Qi Shanhe, and Mu Yuwei, Tong Chengkun felt increasingly fortunate that he had secured such an expert's assistance today with nothing more than the Dawn Breeze, Waning Moon Saber.

Otherwise, if a fight really broke out, they would suffer too...

"Do you mean me?"

The next moment, a teasing voice rang out.

Ning Que drew a long, slender saber from inside his robe. Wasn't it Dawn Breeze, Waning Moon?

Boom!

In an instant, Tong Chengkun's pupils contracted sharply, and he cried out in disbelief, "How do you have..."

Ning Que sneered. "Take another look at who I am..."

Then Ning Que put on the human-skin mask from earlier, and his handsome face became ordinary and unremarkable once more.

But Tong Chengkun was utterly dumbstruck, his whole body jolting.

"You... you..."

Pointing at Ning Que, he could not even get his words out.

Wasn't this the face of the man who had come to his escort bureau to borrow a saber?

He also understood why Ning Que had agreed back then.

Ning Que had promised to come after borrowing the saber—and hadn't he come now?

Only he was standing on the opposite side.

Huff, huff, huff...

Realizing he had been played, Tong Chengkun flew into a rage, his face twitching violently.

"You little bastard! No one has ever dared make a fool of me, Tong Chengkun! Give me back my Dawn Breeze, Waning Moon!"

"I can give it back. Come take it yourself."

Ning Que's tone was calm.

Tong Chengkun was not the only one on the verge of losing his mind. There was another on the Cave of No Worries' side.

It was the Yin Lotus Cult's Holy Maiden, Liu Ningzhi.

Liu Ningzhi pressed her lips tightly together, her lovely face livid as she stared at that face.

She had never imagined that face was a disguise!

The Yin Lotus Holy Mother saw it all and said expressionlessly, "He's almost become your inner demon. Just kill him."

Liu Ningzhi's killing intent boiled over. "Fine... I must kill him with my own hands!"

Whether it was effectively having "killed her once" or using a false face, Liu Ningzhi could accept neither.

She had to kill Ning Que to vent her fury.

Whoosh!

Without further thought, the enraged Tong Chengkun flicked his wrist, and another fine-quality saber appeared in his hand.

His body vanished from where he stood with uncanny speed.

When he reappeared, he was already in front of Ning Que.

The blade gleamed coldly as it slashed toward Ning Que's head.

"Stay close to me!"

Utterly fearless, Ning Que turned Dawn Breeze, Waning Moon into a streak of lightning, aiming straight at Tong Chengkun.

Clang!

The two sabers collided with a deafening reverberation.

But Dawn Breeze, Waning Moon did not stop. It continued thrusting toward Tong Chengkun.

The scene was seared into everyone's eyes like a brand.

Thud!

After a faint slicing sound, Tong Chengkun's head was severed and fell to the ground.

Killing was no more than a head hitting the ground. Tong Chengkun was dead.