I Heard You Were Looking for Me?

Outside the room where Third Master was, everything was pitch-black.

An occasional crow's cry lent a touch of eeriness.

Inside the room,

in the candlelight.

Lao Xu sat in a recliner wearing three asura masks that covered everything except the back of his head. He faced the roomful of people in a relaxed manner, humming a tune and tapping out the beat now and then.

He seemed to be waiting for something.

A man lay a short distance in front of him, his face deathly pale. He had long since passed out.

He was the best fighter among this bunch.

But now his arms and legs were all broken, simply because he had uttered a curse.

The atmosphere throughout the room was oppressive. Apart from those who had gone out to deliver the message, everyone kept their heads down, not daring to speak or make any other move.

The vicious man who had barged in was far too formidable.

Third Master waited on this vicious man from the side, not even daring to smoke the pipe he usually loved so much. The gloom in his eyes was plain to see.

He had no idea how this harbinger of calamity had found him. The man had walked up and said something chilling, actually telling him to send someone to fetch Hua Kai and saying he was the person Young Master Qian wanted to find.

The moment Third Master heard that, he knew he was in deep trouble. But circumstances were stronger than men. He was a clever man, so he chose to do what a clever man should.

Obey, and entertain no little schemes.

Creak-

The grating sound of the courtyard gate being pulled open shattered the oppressive atmosphere. Everyone in the room heard footsteps, and anticipation flared in their eyes.

Their rescuers had arrived!

And judging by the sound, there was more than one.

A dense patter of footsteps surrounded the entire residence. Torchlight appeared outside the windows, brightening the whole room considerably.

"Loose!"

Without a single unnecessary word, the people who had come drew their bows at the command and loosed one flaming arrow after another.

The rain of flaming arrows instantly pierced the paper covering the windows, and flames carrying the smell of fire oil immediately set the room ablaze.

Third Master's expression changed drastically. He knew things were heading in the worst possible direction.

The remaining thugs instantly panicked. Someone hurried out through the door, only to let out a scream before falling completely silent.

Now even a fool knew they could not run outside. They all found corners to huddle in.

At some point, Lao Xu had risen to his feet. His eyes beneath the masks remained calm as he gazed outside, watching the figures through the torn windows.

Through an open window, a flaming arrow flew toward him.

Shing!

His long saber left its sheath. The blade flashed into an afterimage, snapping the flaming arrow in the middle.

The arrow, broken into two pieces, lost its force and fell to the ground.

In the clearing outside the house, Hua Kai stood behind his men. His face bore none of an ordinary servant's restraint and obsequiousness, only shrewdness and solemnity.

Hua Kai's arrangements were methodical. He openly directed the men, preparing to kill everyone inside the house.

Watching the house gradually catch fire, he could not help sneering inwardly.

When someone had come to deliver the message, he had recognized it as a trap at a glance. How could someone as clever as him fall for it? Once that street thug had explained the situation,

Hua Kai had known what to do. He had immediately brought his own men, taken several powerful bows, stocked up on arrows, and rushed over.

The young master had said he only needed everyone who knew about the matter to disappear. Nothing else mattered.

In that case, there was no need to hold back.

Just as the screams inside the house began to dwindle and Hua Kai was preparing to finish things off, a dark figure burst through a window.

The instant he appeared, he crashed into several men at the front. Those knocked down did not even manage a grunt before lying on the ground like corpses.

In fact, they really were dead.

Taking Lao Xu's charge head-on, broken bones were the least of their injuries. The rupturing of their internal organs that followed could kill them instantly.

The most important reason Hua Kai had caught Qian Zhen's eye was that he was a Body Condensation martial artist. Though such strength would not put him in the Qian Family's highest ranks, it was enough to earn him favor under the Qian Family's young master.

"A trained fighter, eh."

After muttering that, Hua Kai considered the situation. He had brought ten men this time, five of whom had bows. With himself, a Body Condensation martial artist, added to their number, they could fight a lone opponent.

Of course, the most crucial point was that if he failed to carry out the young master's orders properly and annoyed him, he would lose his position.

With that thought, he abandoned any intention of retreating and shouted, "Aim your bows at that bastard! Shoot him full of holes!"

The archers immediately adjusted their aim and began drawing their bows and nocking arrows toward Lao Xu. Flaming arrows flew in quick succession, more than a dozen in the blink of an eye.

"Heh."

The soft chuckle was piercingly harsh, carrying clearly beyond the little courtyard.

Before they could react, they saw a sight that made their eyes widen.

The dark figure who had charged out of the house rushed straight at them, unafraid of the flaming arrows.

Even when the flaming arrows struck his body, they actually rang with the sound of clashing metal.

Slash!

The saber reflected the moonlight. With the moonlight to aid him, Lao Xu moved like a leopard in the night, his feet shifting continuously. Every strike was a heavy chop or slash. Severed arms mingled with screams, and the smell of blood spread unchecked.

Hua Kai was suddenly horrified.

This man... was a Blood Gate Martial Artist!

A chill instantly shot through the crown of his head, and goose bumps rose all over him. He turned around, hoping the men beside him could hold out a few more breaths and give him a path to survival.

As he turned, he faced the main gate. Just then, a youthful, teasing voice rang out slowly, landing heavily in his heart.

"I heard you were looking for me?"

"Urgh!"

At that very moment, the last man-the final archer Hua Kai had brought-also died beneath Lao Xu's saber. Blood dripped from the long blade, and only the crackling of flames remained in the courtyard.

Lao Xu walked behind Hua Kai. With Zhou Muzhi in front and him behind, they blocked every avenue of escape.

Once Hua Kai made out Zhou Muzhi's face, he thought that Heaven had not abandoned him. It was actually that good-for-nothing from the Zhou Family. He was a Body Condensation martial artist; charging through and killing a useless young master would take no more than an instant.

At that thought, he barely hesitated before charging forward, reaching Zhou Muzhi in the blink of an eye.

Watching the man rush at him, Zhou Muzhi's lips curved into a smile.

How interesting.

His opponent's speed seemed rather laughable in his eyes. Besides, flames soared through the courtyard, lighting it brilliantly and letting him see even more clearly.

Hua Kai thrust one hand straight out, stabbing with the small knife in his grip, intending to kill Zhou Muzhi in a single move.

The moment he saw the smile on the other man's face, he sensed that something was wrong.

No!

Before he could change his move, he lost all sensation in his left leg. Heart-rending pain swept through his entire body, and he flew backward.

He landed flat on his back with a thud, his expression twisted. His thigh showed a grotesque fracture, while the bones in his lower leg had folded right over, leaving a bloody mess of flesh.

Zhou Muzhi walked in step by step, avoiding the corpses strewn across the ground, and said to Hua Kai, "Quite an operation, bringing so many people over. You certainly put some thought into it."

Hua Kai could not speak at all right then. Even after a long while, he could not force out a complete sentence.

Seeing that he said nothing, Zhou Muzhi was in no hurry. Martial artists like this had rather hard bones. He needed to apply more pressure.

He looked toward the house, and his voice rang out again. "Third Master, come out if you're still alive."

He had barely finished speaking when Third Master's thin, withered figure emerged through the doorway. Gloom was no longer enough to describe his gaze.

His heart was bleeding. Everything he had built up was gone, and all his men were dead.

A layer of ash coated his aged face. Suppressing the tremor in his voice, he replied, "Please, Young Master Zhou. Calling me Third Master again would be more than I deserve."

Zhou Muzhi did not respond. Instead, he said something inexplicable to Lao Xu.

"What do you think of Third Master?"

Those words made Third Master's skin crawl.

Lao Xu immediately replied, "Third Master is all right."

Zhou Muzhi nodded, casually pointed at the weapons on the ground, and said to Third Master, "I'll give you a chance. Turn this hard-boned fellow into a soft-boned one. I have some questions to ask."