Xie Jinhuan scolded Poyi, but his hands wasted no time. Sword in hand, he charged in great strides straight at the cloaked old man across the roof ridge.
Tap, tap, tap...
But though Taishu Dan had changed allegiances time and again, and some called him wicked for betraying his masters and forebears, while others called him foolish for his shortsighted greed, no one had ever called him weak or incapable!
Facing Xie Jinhuan's unrestrained assault straight down the center, Taishu Dan did not stop absorbing the blood energy from the hall. He merely curled the five fingers of his left hand.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh-
The five puppets standing motionless immediately sprang into action, converging ahead in a crescent formation, even displaying the finer coordination of living people.
Clang, clang, clang-
Charging with his sword, Xie Jinhuan collided with the five puppets in an instant, his lone blade striking repeatedly as he tried to punch through their crescent formation.
But the moment his sword pierced one puppet's torso, it turned, twisting his blade out of line. A spearhead pierced through the puppet's cloak from behind, stabbing straight at his chest and abdomen.
"Wheeet-"
At that same moment, a whistle sounded from Taishu Dan's mouth.
As Xie Jinhuan's attempt to withdraw his sword was blocked, his soul shuddered, leaving him dazed for an instant.
But the moment the spearhead entered his flesh, he still managed to wrench his sword free and leap backward to open the distance, trailing a few beads of blood.
Whoosh~
Taishu Dan raised the vine staff in his right hand. At the same time, a puppet behind him flicked its sword upward, striking the airborne blood droplets onto the spot between the brows of the skull atop the staff.
Pat~
Taishu Dan then planted his vine staff and