Shooting the Halberd at the Camp Gate

Following Xia Yi's gesture, Song Qu, the Xiyuan Marquis, and his son saw a bustling crowd.

They had gathered in a circle of their own accord, pointing at its center. Some were alarmed, some excited, while others took one look before hurrying away, their faces taut with fear-a whole spectrum of reactions.

"Who is this?"

"What a horrible death. That loud crash just now came from here, didn't it?"

"I saw it, I saw it! A young man in a white undershirt stomped this man into the pit, then punched him over and over. The way this man screamed before he died..."

"Murder in broad daylight! Utter lawlessness!"

Song Qu distinguished the voices of young and old amid the chatter. Through a gap in the crowd, he saw what they were gathered around, and his pupils widened slightly.

It was Lin Gong's corpse!

A corpse that had met an utterly gruesome end!

His eyes seemed about to bulge from their sockets as he stared skyward, his face filled with ferocity and terror!

Below his head, however, he looked as though a Railway Carriage had run over him dozens of times, reducing him almost to pulp!

With Song Qu's discernment, he could tell that someone had beaten him into this state with their bare fists! If the attacker was not a madman, then surely Lin Gong had killed his father or stolen his wife!

"That... villager who went berserk?"

He began to understand why Xia Yi had refused to let Song Ziyu stay at the inn. "Senior, what is that villager's relationship with Zhou Xiaoxian? Could he truly escape from you, or did you hold back?"

Song Ziyu was also extremely clever. His face paled, and he secretly regretted not taking what Zhou Xiaoxian had said yesterday more seriously. Somewhat concerned, he pressed, "The killer... was that Zhou Lizhu?"

This rival was a little frightening.

"He's been nearby all along, yet I couldn't even smell the demonic aura on him. More and more things don't add up." Xia Yi swept his gaze around and said to Song Qu, "Why ask me? Examine the corpse, and you'll naturally know how strong Zhou Lizhu is."

Song Qu nodded and gave several light coughs.

His coughs rang out like jade, and the crowd's chatter instantly fell silent. Then several voices called out:

"The Xiyuan Marquis is here!"

"And the Xiyuan Marquis's son!"

"Make way, make way!"

"Who's the old man beside them?"

The three passed through the crowd together and approached Lin Gong's corpse. Song Qu immediately crouched down and used the Record of Redressing Injustice for its original purpose, examining the body.

As his examination continued, his expression grew increasingly tense and grave. "In terms of sheer strength, he's several times stronger than me. But aside from Lin Gong's Saint Soul fluctuations, there's no sign of a second person using a Saint Soul... This was pure strength, strength surpassing six-star Kaiyang!"

"He's grown stronger again?" Xia Yi lowered his eyelids slightly at this and unleashed his senses. Everything around him became ten times clearer to his ears, and at last he located a spot that seemed slightly unusual.

He was about to go over and investigate when a surging wave of Saint Soul power suddenly reached him!

Xia Yi frowned and saw an enormous humanoid phantom materialize out of thin air to the northeast!

The figure looked imposing and majestic, wearing a golden crown that bound his hair and a hundred-flower battle robe. He held a Fang Tian Hua Ji and glared furiously!

"Lü Bu?" Xia Yi murmured in surprise. Looking below it, he saw a burly, bearded man in armor glaring at him, actually bearing some of Lü Bu's presence!

"How dare you?!"

His explosive shout made everyone except Xia Yi and Song Qu stagger. At the same time, the Lü Bu phantom drew back the arm holding the halberd, then hurled it forward!

"Stop!"

Song Qu's startled shout rang out alongside the humming of the flying Fang Tian Hua Ji phantom!

[You have discovered a four-star Saint Soul: Shooting the Halberd at the Camp Gate. Current exploration progress: 10%]

In an instant, the Fang Tian Hua Ji reached Xia Yi's chest, its edge peerlessly sharp!

Xia Yi snorted softly. Streams of light surged out of his body, forming a round cyan barrier before his chest that collided with the Fang Tian Hua Ji phantom!

The halberd's point spun incessantly against the cyan barrier. Its cutting sharpness sliced cracks into the blue-brick pavement from a distance, while its piercing drone made everyone nearby clutch their ears and crouch in pain. Even Song Qu could not rashly intervene; he only had time to cover Song Ziyu's ears and pull him away.

Bang!

A moment later, the Fang Tian Hua Ji phantom burst apart, while Xia Yi's Turtle Lives Long barrier remained completely unscathed. He had merely retreated half a step. His expression calm, he closed the information obtained through his Detection Art.

[Name: Feng Shuhu]

[Age: 49]

[Level: 290 (Jade Balance)]

[Faction: Human Race]

[Saint Soul: Shooting the Halberd at the Camp Gate (four-star)
Mastery: Five-star, level 124]

[???]

[Threat level: Medium]

A humanoid phantom formed behind Xia Yi! This phantom was likewise imposing and majestic, likewise wore a golden crown binding his hair and a hundred-flower battle robe, and likewise held a Fang Tian Hua Ji!

Song Qu, who had intended to seize the chance to intervene, froze. Senior can use the Shooting the Halberd at the Camp Gate Saint Soul too? Isn't that a Saint Soul only high-ranking military generals can learn? Could Senior have commanded troops as a general in his youth?

An icy blue quietly rose in his eyes.

So that's it. It's another Saint Soul Phantom, disguised through some unknown Saint Soul? Feng Shuhu is going to suffer for this!

Song Ziyu was nowhere near as discerning. Shaking his head to clear the ringing in his ears, he thought anxiously, That's Feng Mo's father! A five-star Jade Balance expert not much weaker than Father! Why would he attack Junior Sister Xiao Xian's master? Will Junior Sister Xiao Xian's master be all right?

"Father, hurry and stop-"

Bzzzt!!

Another piercing drone cut him off! The Fang Tian Hua Ji phantom abruptly shot toward the stunned Feng Shuhu, its power no different from the one he had hurled!

Feng Shuhu did not possess the Turtle Longevity Saint Soul, nor did he have a defensive Saint Soul capable of withstanding Shooting the Halberd at the Camp Gate, so he could only dodge. Yet the moment he turned sideways, this battle-hardened general sensed something wrong.

The next instant, the halberd phantom shattered out of thin air.

He had only enough time for a simple evasive movement before an enormous force struck him squarely in the back. His armor shattered instantly, and he blasted into the neighboring tavern like a cannonball!

"General!!"

Amid the alarmed cries, several armored saber-wielding soldiers surrounded Xia Yi as he slowly lowered his right foot. They remained on guard, not daring to advance. Farther out, Feng Mo, a bandage wrapped around his head, could hardly believe his eyes.

"Impossible, Father actually..."

Xia Yi gave another soft snort and casually instructed Song Qu, "You wrap things up. Don't let this fellow, who lashes out indiscriminately because of his own guilty conscience, bother me."

Song Qu respectfully assented.

Song Ziyu gaped, finally understanding why his father treated Junior Sister Xiao Xian's teacher with such respect. Junior Sister Xiao Xian... was truly fortunate!

Xia Yi strode away. The surrounding armored soldiers trembled, but ultimately none dared stop him. They could only watch in awe as he disappeared from sight, then hurried into the tavern to check on Feng Shuhu.

Several hundred meters away.

Xia Yi walked slowly along the river. After glancing behind him, he suddenly turned his head, spat a mouthful of bloody saliva into the Min River, and coughed for a while.

In the distance, the eyes of a young man dressed as a servant in a blue hooded garment lit up. He quietly concealed himself and withdrew.

Xia Yi continued walking along the river.

A smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

"I've only tested two people, and it looks like I've already found the one. Quite lucky. If he takes the bait a second time, then that will more or less confirm it... he's the one coveting my Xia Family's legacy!"