Killing Ghost Shadow

The river wind blew gently, sails billowed, and the boat moved.

Wei Tuo stood at the prow, pointing toward the mist ahead. "Young hero Lu, we're approaching the core waters of Stony Shoals. That Ghost Shadow is incredibly elusive, especially adept at using this area's complex terrain."

He turned to Lu Shaoyou, his expression more solemn than the previous day. "To be frank, young hero, the value of that shipment is far beyond mere gold and silver. It concerns the Giant Whale Gang's reputation and future on the Qingzhou waterways. If it isn't recovered, I, Wei Tuo, cannot escape responsibility."

Lu Shaoyou listened quietly and replied softly, "Master Wei, rest assured. Since I've agreed, I will naturally give it my all."

Following the pre-arranged plan, Wei Tuo personally boarded a medium-sized cargo ship loaded with bait and sailed toward a relatively open water area deep within Stony Shoals. The remaining gang members split into several small boats, hiding behind the surrounding reefs.

Lu Shaoyou tapped his toes on the ship's railing, then leaped across the river surface several times before landing gracefully behind a massive reef standing alone in the middle of the river, dozens of feet away. He completely concealed his presence, as if he had merged with the rock.

Time trickled by. On the river, apart from the gurgling sound of the water hitting the reefs, all that could be heard was everyone's suppressed breathing.

Wei Tuo stood on the deck of the cargo ship, his hand resting on the saber at his waist, his gaze scanning the surrounding waters like a hawk.

Suddenly, a faint sound of air being sliced through came from the mist on the left!

"They're here!" Wei Tuo grunted.

Almost the instant he spoke, a blurry black shadow, as weightless as catkins, drifted erratically through the dense reefs, heading straight for the cargo ship!

"How dare you!" Two skilled fighters from the Giant Whale Gang, who were ambushing nearby, shouted as they leaped from their small boats. Their steel sabers cut through the air, slicing toward the black shadow from left and right.

The black shadow neither dodged nor blocked. It merely shifted its body slightly, then, like a butterfly flitting through flowers, slipped through the gaps in the sabers' deadly arcs.

With two soft "ch" sounds, accompanied by two muffled groans, the two skilled fighters collapsed to the ground, clutching their throats, blood gushing from between their fingers.

"Useless!" a hoarse, unidentifiable voice came from within the black shadow, filled with disdain.

The black shadow's speed did not decrease as it landed on the ship's railing where Wei Tuo stood.

It was tall and thin, wrapped in a loose, black cloak. Its face was covered by a ferocious ghost mask, and in its hand, it held a slender, strange longsword that emitted a faint blue glow.

"Wei Tuo, you old dog, what good things have you sent for grandpa today?" the Ghost Shadow's voice carried a hint of mockery.

Wei Tuo's cheek muscles twitched. "Ghost Shadow! Today is the day you die!" He abruptly drew the heavy-backed great saber at his waist, infusing it with his inner force. The saber hummed, emitting a faint gleam, and he slashed toward the Ghost Shadow!

"Heh, with just you?" The Ghost Shadow let out a strange laugh. It didn't clash head-on with Wei Tuo. With a tap of its foot, its body drifted back several feet like a phantom, easily evading the saber's edge. Simultaneously, it flicked its wrist, its sword tip transforming into several points of cold starlight, stabbing directly at Wei Tuo's vital points in the chest and abdomen.

Wei Tuo roared repeatedly, his saber techniques broad and powerful, stirring up fierce winds. For a moment, he actually forced the Ghost Shadow to retreat repeatedly.

"Master is mighty!" The gang members on the surrounding small boats cheered.

Lu Shaoyou, hidden behind the reef, watched clearly.

Wei Tuo's saber techniques were indeed powerful, possessing the level of a Super First-rate Martial Artist. However, the Ghost Shadow's movement technique was truly too bizarre, like a slippery loach that couldn't be grasped. Most of Wei Tuo's attacks missed.

As expected, after dozens of exchanges, Wei Tuo's offense began to slow, and sweat appeared on his forehead.

Sensing an opportunity, the Ghost Shadow suddenly changed direction, circling behind Wei Tuo. The strange sword in its hand, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, silently thrust towards Wei Tuo's back!

"Master, be careful!" a gang member shouted in alarm.

Wei Tuo sensed the malevolent force behind him and, unable to turn in time, could only desperately roll forward, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.

"Hahaha! Wei Tuo, is that all you've got?" The Ghost Shadow, having missed, didn't pursue. Instead, it turned towards the surrounding small boats. With a flash of its body, two or three gang members cried out and fell into the river, their blood quickly dyeing the water red.

"Scoundrel!" Wei Tuo's eyes widened in rage. He scrambled to his feet and lunged again.

However, he knew clearly that with his own strength alone, he likely couldn't keep this person here. While attacking ferociously, he secretly made a subtle gesture towards Lu Shaoyou's hiding place.

Just as the Ghost Shadow, with its usual playful evasion of Wei Tuo's saber, was about to slaughter more ordinary gang members, a figure moved faster than it!

Lu Shaoyou pushed off with his feet, activating his Lingbo Weibu (Wave-like Steps) to its utmost. He became like an arrow released from a bow, crossing over ten feet of water in an instant. His Qi Mei Cudgel (Qi Mei Cudgel) whistled through the air, striking before expected, aiming for the Ghost Shadow's sword-wielding wrist!

"Hmm?" The Ghost Shadow was clearly surprised that another master was lying in ambush. A hint of astonishment could be heard from its voice behind the mask.

It twisted its wrist rapidly, its thin sword coiling around the Qi Mei Cudgel like a nimble snake.

"Clang!"

The sound of metal striking metal was clear and sharp.

Lu Shaoyou felt an icy force transmitted through the cudgel, but it was quickly neutralized by the powerful Dragon-Elephant Inner Force within him.

The Ghost Shadow, however, let out a muffled groan. Its body was jolted backward several steps by the strike of the cudgel, and its gaze behind the ghost mask revealed seriousness for the first time.

"Who are you? Why are you interfering in my dispute with the Giant Whale Gang?" the Ghost Shadow asked hoarsely.

Lu Shaoyou did not reply. He unleashed his Lingbo Weibu, his movements elusive. The Qi Mei Cudgel transformed into a sky full of cudgel shadows, enveloping the Ghost Shadow.

The Ghost Shadow's movement technique was indeed top-tier. Facing Lu Shaoyou's storm-like attacks, it could still barely hold its ground.

Its thin sword danced, creating a screen of light, and it launched occasional tricky and fierce counterattacks.

"Such fast movement! Such tricky swordplay!" Wei Tuo exclaimed, watching with a pounding heart.

He could tell now that the Ghost Shadow hadn't used its full strength against him earlier.

He figured that if he were facing the Ghost Shadow now, he probably wouldn't last fifty moves. Yet, Lu Shaoyou could fight it to a standstill!

"Are you truly going to be my enemy?" The Ghost Shadow, unable to gain the upper hand after a prolonged assault, spoke with a hint of impatience, "I am..."

"Noisy!" Lu Shaoyou snorted coldly, no longer holding back. He unleashed his Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill (Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill) to its absolute limit without reservation!

"Roar!"

A roar, as if from the ancient primordial era, of a dragon and elephant suddenly exploded across the river!

Lu Shaoyou's blood and qi surged, and faintly, a faint golden dragon phantom flashed behind him before disappearing!

The strength of ten dragons and ten elephants, no, now it was the strength of twelve dragons and twelve elephants, was all poured into the Qi Mei Cudgel!

The Qi Mei Cudgel in his hand seemed to weigh a thousand jun in an instant, carrying a powerful force as it smashed down from above!

Ghost Shadow felt an unprecedented terrifying pressure descend upon him, as if the entire sky was about to collapse. He retreated in shock, raising his sword with all his might to block.

"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, the slender, dark blue sword in Ghost Shadow's hand snapped! The protective Inner Force on his body, under Lu Shaoyou's earth-shattering staff strike, shattered like paper!

"Pfft!"

Ghost Shadow felt as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer, spitting blood from his mouth. He was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string.

With a "plop," he crashed into the surging river water.

Lu Shaoyou took a step forward, and the Qi Mei Cudgel in his hand unhesitatingly plunged into the spot where Ghost Shadow had fallen into the water!

"Boom!"

Water splashed into the sky, and a stream of blood shot out from beneath the surface.

[Killed a Super First-rate Martial Artist, gained 1000 Slaughter Value.]

The river surface gradually returned to calm, leaving only ripples of bloody water.

Wei Tuo stared blankly at Lu Shaoyou, then at the churning river water. After a long while, he finally came to his senses, his throat bobbing, "Lu... Young Hero Lu... That Ghost Shadow... is dead?"

Lu Shaoyou retracted his staff and stood, nodding, "He's dead."

Wei Tuo then let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as though his entire body was soaked in cold sweat. The way he looked at Lu Shaoyou had changed from initial admiration and attempts to recruit him to deep awe.

This young man's strength far exceeded his imagination! The power of that final staff strike was simply horrifying!

"Quick! Salvage the bodies! Search for the cargo!" Wei Tuo snapped back to reality and immediately began issuing orders to his subordinates.

Before long, his subordinates fished Ghost Shadow's body out of the river. Wei Tuo stepped forward and uncovered the mask, his expression changing drastically.

"How is this possible? How could it be him... He isn't..."

Wei Tuo's face kept shifting, clearly the identity of Ghost Shadow was beyond his expectations.

Lu Shaoyou glanced at it a few times but didn't ask. He wasn't concerned with these matters.

Just then, several gang members hurried back, carrying several boxes.

"Helmsman, we've found the goods..."

Hearing this, Wei Tuo's expression improved slightly. He opened the boxes to inspect them and, after confirming they were correct, revealed a relieved smile.

He cupped his hands towards Lu Shaoyou, "Young Hero Lu, your kindness is beyond words! If you hadn't intervened this time, my Dragon Snake Crossing branch might have truly suffered a major setback!"

He paused, then said seriously, "As agreed, here is the information you wanted, Young Hero Lu."

Wei Tuo took out a prepared scroll from his embrace and handed it to Lu Shaoyou: "This contains detailed information about Lei Xiaotian, the Hall Master of Thunderclap Hall of the Blood Saber Sect, and Li Mo within Thunderclap Hall that could be found."

Lu Shaoyou took the scroll and tucked it into his embrace.

At that moment, in the distance on the river, a small speedboat was cutting through the waves at an astonishing speed. The person on the boat began shouting hoarsely from afar, their voice changing due to anxiety:

"Helmsman! Helmsman! It's bad! Something big has happened!"

Wei Tuo's brow twitched violently at the sound, and a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.

The speedboat rapidly approached, and a panicked gang member stumbled onto Wei Tuo's boat, kneeling on the ground with a "plop":

"Helmsman! The Blood Saber Sect... The Black Tiger Hall Master of the Blood Saber Sect, Xiong Tai, has arrived at Dragon Snake Crossing with a large contingent! He's demanding that you and our Giant Whale Gang... give them an explanation!"

"What?"

Wei Tuo's expression changed, and he immediately shouted.

"Set sail, back to the branch!"