Glug glug...
The black sphere rolled rapidly toward the eight people.
Although they hadn't fully discerned what it was, the several experts present were already terrified, and their years of honed combat skills were on full display. Whoosh!
Lu Zheng with the Hundred-Pace Feather and Zhou Lie with the Cloud-Piercing Spear leaped into the air almost simultaneously, crashing through the windows on both sides.
Since Qin Laosan couldn't sit in the middle in time, he grabbed the tea table next to him and crouched down to block the view.
As for the Black Stone Twin Fiends Duo, the elder brother Zheng Rong was too large and his lightness skill did not allow him to leap out of the window. Therefore, he directly used a Thousand-Gold Drop to crush the chair he was sitting on, and his whole body lay flat on the ground.
The second brother Zheng Yi, was much more agile, but in order to protect his elder brother, he flashed behind a pillar and threw out a grappling hook halfway, hooking the ankle of the person next to him and pulling him sharply. The second-rate assassin, who had not yet reacted, was pulled horizontally in the air and thrown towards the fallen Zheng Rong as a shield.
bang
As the doors and windows shattered simultaneously, and three figures leaped out, the expected thousands of flying needles and loud noise did not occur. Instead, a thick cloud of black smoke exploded in the center of the hall.
Black smoke billowed out like a raging cloud, instantly filling every corner of the hall, and then bursting out from the broken doors and windows, accompanied by a loud bang!
Splash!
Ye Xingge, with his keen observation, had already determined the location of the group based on their voices. As the smoke bomb exploded, he raised the Ravine-Leaping Tiger with his left hand and pointed it at the wooden partition about an inch thick at the back of the hall.
With a burst of energy, he instantly transformed into a tiger leaping across the ravine, smashing through the partition and his cold glint aimed directly at Qin Laosan, who was ducking to avoid the attack. Qin Laosan had never imagined that while they were discussing matters in the middle of the river, with a group of guards outside, he could be ambushed from behind.
Thick black smoke instantly obscured his vision and hearing. Before he could react, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder and back.
puff
Qin Laosan was thrown forward through the black smoke as if struck by a dragon, his heart pounding with fear. He swung a heavy elbow strike backward... but unfortunately, it missed.
puff
A dark red blade flashed, swirling with black smoke, and disappeared in a flash from the neck!
Ye Xingge wielded the Ravine-Leaping Tiger Thrust, holding the Fate-Robbing Saber in his right hand. Although he was also blind, after the dagger struck, his right hand swept across the top of his left arm, severing Qin Laosan's head. Without hesitation, he reached for Qin Laosan's body.
Metal, Wood, Water, Fire... Damn! I licked shit...
Qin Laosan was a donor from Jianghu and was not on the gold list. His famous soldiers are unknown.
Ye Xingge quickly felt his clothes, cuffs, and belt, only to find that he only had a jade pendant and a money pouch. He was heartbroken, but dared not linger. He turned around and rushed back the way he came at full speed!
Tap tap tap...
And at this time...
Zheng Laoda lay on the ground, grabbing the thrown fish to shield himself, and to prevent the fish from struggling, he strangled its neck.
Finding that the " Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers " explosion hadn't occurred and the situation remained unclear amidst the black smoke, the Zheng Laoda, could only use others as shields and rush towards his younger brother at full speed. The second brother, Zheng Yi, hid behind a pillar. Judging from the sounds, he could discern the sounds of swords clashing and a rustling noise coming from Qin Laosan's location. However, with the hall filled with thick black smoke and the outside situation unknown, he dared not rush in recklessly, focusing entirely on guarding against a surprise attack.
"Come here quickly!"
The remaining two small fry also tumbled around in the black smoke, looking for a corner to hide in, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Beyond the boats.
Ye Jianxing onto the deck and plunged into the wind and rain, treading on the water and fleeing towards the outer perimeter. In the rain and mist, only a hazy shadow could be seen, but after flying a few steps, he stopped on a multi-story ship.
Lu Zheng with the Hundred-Pace Feather and Zhou Lie with the Azure Dragon Spear originally intended to break through with all their might, but when they looked up, they saw that the shore was calm and there was no trace of any Embroidered-Clad Men or government officials surrounding them. A few soldiers were even looking at the boats.
The ship was also empty, except for a few terrified crew members who looked around in fear and called out:
What happened?
"The gang leader?!"
Zhou Lie frowned, raised his gun, and landed on a nearby awning boat. He turned and examined it carefully, then shouted:
What's going on?
Ye Jianxing stood on the merchant ship and observed carefully.
Lu Zheng, nicknamed " Hundred-Pace Feather," was at a disadvantage in close combat. He sprinted across the water at full speed to the grassy bank on the other side of the river. He turned around, drew his bow, and aimed at the ship emitting thick smoke, searching carefully.
thump
Splash splash~~
At that moment, a splash came from the stern of the ship, as if someone had jumped off the ship.
Lu Zheng frowned upon seeing this, pointing his arrows at the water's surface and searching around, but the wind was strong, the waves were high, and the river was murky, making it impossible to see anything underwater. There was also no movement on the surface. He could only shout loudly:
" Zheng Lao'er, what's going on on the ship?!"
On the ship, the Zheng brothers waited for a long time amidst the billowing black smoke as if facing a formidable enemy. Only when the noise subsided and the smoke dissipated slightly did they see that a large hole, as tall as a person, had been smashed through the partition of the main hall, leading directly to a small door at the stern. The cabin door was still swinging back and forth, but there was no one in sight.
Qin Laosan's body lay on the ground, his head rolled several steps away, and blood had flowed into the center of the hall.
"Damn it..."
Zheng Laoda was a bit confused. After listening carefully and confirming that there was no movement inside or outside, he cautiously approached with his giant axe. He habitually patted his body, only to find that not only were there no soldiers left, but his money bag was also empty!
"Hey?!"
Zheng Lao'er, a bandit for half his life, had never seen such a robbery before. He squatted down to carefully examine his back, his face suddenly changing color. He roared, " Ravine-Leaping Tiger! Qin Laosan has been robbed..."
"Ah?!"
Outside the ship, the three people standing in different places were all bewildered by the sound.
After all, the Ravine-Leaping Tiger into the Ye Xingge, and they were discussing how to join forces to assassinate him.
The other party then sneaked up first, assassinated their donor right in front of them, and ran away. Isn't that outrageous?
But Hundred-Pace Feather and Lu Zheng searched the vast river surface without finding any movement, and the port on the opposite bank also showed no reaction. Realizing something, they called out loudly, " The Water-Repelling Pearl must be Ye Xingge! Be careful underwater!"
Zhou Lie's expression changed drastically upon hearing this.
After all, Ye Jianxing on a large merchant ship, which was high up and difficult to ambush. Moreover, he didn't make a sound or move around, so he couldn't be seen.
Zhou Lie was standing alone at the bow of the covered boat. If the other side discovered his location and approached, the situation would be dire. However, the river was turbulent and murky, and Lu Zheng, the Hundred-Pace Feather, was still on the bank, so the other side probably couldn't get a clear picture of the water's surface.
Thinking of this, Zhou Lie immediately wanted to walk on the water and head to the merchant ship where Ye Jianxing was located.
But before he could leap out of the awning boat, he noticed a black sphere rising from the river surface to his side, and then:
Bang!
Thick black smoke exploded in the wind and rain, instantly obscuring the figures of Hundred-Pace Feather Lu Zheng on the opposite bank.
Upon seeing this, Zhou Lie's expression changed drastically. He immediately raised his gun and pointed it at the spot where the black mist had exploded, but unexpectedly, a sound suddenly came from behind him:
Boom
A towering wave burst forth from the side of the awning boat, and a figure in a gray robe soared into the sky like a dragon breaking through the river, his body swirling in the air!
His nine-foot-long crescent-shaped blade flashed crimson light in the wind and rain, like Cloud Dragon Covers the Crown, as he delivered a heavy blow straight to the spine:
"Drink!"
The roar was like the cry of a dragon and the howl of a tiger!
Lu Zheng, the Hundred-Pace Feather, reacted with lightning speed, immediately turning his arrows towards Zhou Lie. However, his vision was obscured by black smoke, and he was taken aback, unable to understand how the other party had figured out his and Zhou Lie's relative positions in the murky water.
Zhou Lie was clearly even more surprised that the other party could not only use smoke to block Lu Zheng's vision, but also accurately pinpoint his location and sneak up behind him.
The nine-foot-long crescent blade moved like thunder, its momentum seemingly capable of splitting rivers and seas!
Zhou Lie was caught off guard and didn't even have time to counterattack. He could only forcefully raise his spear to parry, and the result was:
Boom
Amidst the resounding clang of metal clashing, the crescent-shaped blade landed on the dark blue spear shaft, causing the nine-foot spear to bend like a snapped bow!
The brute force traveled along the spear to his arms, torso, and feet. Zhou Lie remained unmoved, like an evergreen pine tree, but the old awning boat beneath his feet could hardly withstand the force of the Third Rank warrior splitting Mount Hua.
With a deafening roar, the plank beneath Zhou Lie's feet caved in and shattered, causing the entire awning boat to instantly flip up, almost being cleaved in two by a single blow. Zhou Lie's body was not seriously injured, but he transformed into a vertical cannonball, crashing into the turbulent river and creating a towering wave before finally slamming onto the riverbed, which was more than ten feet deep.
whoosh whoosh one
A fierce storm raged on the river, and the burst of smoke was quickly dispersed.
But Hundred-Pace Feather and Lu Zheng searched carefully, they only saw the turbulent river and the wrecked awning boat with its bow smashed; there was no trace left on the river surface. And beneath the surface...
Zhou Lie was thrown into the water, the icy river water instantly engulfing his entire body. A chill ran down his spine, and he swam backward without hesitation, trying to create distance. But Ye Xingge was like a shadow, giving Zhou Lie no chance. As soon as he fell into the water, he dropped his nine-foot crescent blade, grabbed the Ravine-Leaping Tiger Drill, and thrust the dagger into his chest and abdomen like a snake.
Splash~
The resistance in water is enormous, but Water-Repelling Pearl aren't just for diving.
It covers the entire body in an air film, making it a "cavitation torpedo" with extremely low drag!
Zhou Lie's attempt to fight the water ghost with a nine-foot spear was tantamount to suicide. He gritted his teeth, threw away the spear, and swept away the dagger aimed at his chest and abdomen with one palm. Then he wrapped his arm tightly around the water ghost's body, trying to capture and lock his wrist.
But with the person in front of him restrained on his right hand, he used his right arm as leverage and delivered a powerful elbow strike straight into the chest with his left arm!
Both were in a floating state in the water, making it difficult for them to firmly plant their feet on the ground and gain full leverage.
Zhou Lie gripped his right hand tightly, unable to withstand the powerful elbow strike from his opponent, who was using the momentum as leverage. He could only loosen his wrist and cross his arms in defense. Thud~
With a muffled thud, elbows struck both arms, separating the two men in the water.
But Ye Xingge grabbed the nine-foot crescent blade stuck in the riverbed with his other hand, and pressed forward like a shark, thrusting the blade into the lower body repeatedly.
splash...
The resistance in the water wasn't great; the crescent blade thrust repeatedly like a flying shuttle!
Zhou Lie was knocked aside and couldn't swim back to retrieve his sidearm.
In the water, a distance of nine feet is an insurmountable barrier. Without bare hands, one cannot defend oneself. One can only turn around and swim desperately underwater, trying to surface and seek protection from Hundred-Pace Feather Lu Zheng.
However, Ye Xingge carried Water-Repelling Pearl, avoiding direct contact with the water. His swimming speed was already much faster than that of an ordinary person, and he also had the advantage of his weapon. After only three strikes, the crescent blade pierced into Zhou Lie's calf, and he pressed down with the force of the blow!
Whoosh~
A sharp pain shot through Zhou Lie's leg, and he was forced back into the water by brute force. His eyes were filled with horror as he turned around and tried to defend himself.
But Ye Xingge, wielding his crescent blade, thrust repeatedly, no longer caring about entering the center gate; he simply used his hands to thrust and his feet to block and thrust.
puff puff puff
Zhou Lie swung wildly, trying to escape the attack range. His body looked like Yu'er caught in a fishing line. Blood gushed out and stained the surroundings, turning into surging red waves. His eyes were filled with fear and resentment.
But this resentment didn't last long.
After Ye Xingge seized an opening and slipped into Huanglong Cave, stabbing his opponent in the waist and abdomen with a single blow.
Pfft~
With a muffled thud, Zhou Lie shuddered violently, his intestines bursting out of his abdomen. He quickly lost the strength to struggle, impaled on the blade, and floated in the water.
Ye Xingge held the knife in both hands, and as the blades became stained with blood, his limbs and bones stirred restlessly. His eyes, like those of a bloodthirsty wolf, rose to gaze at the turbulent river surface...
Meanwhile, at the Heaven-Observing Pavilion.
Zhang Zhiqing stood at the top-floor window, also looking up at the sky, but instead of dark clouds looming over the city, he saw a prosperous star map.
Seeing the " Crown Prince Star " twinkling and growing at a visible speed, while the " Azure Dragon Star " dimmed, Zhang Zhiqing looked slightly puzzled. He glanced down at the calm capital city, then turned to ask:
Where did Ye Xingge go?
Wu Yi was pondering an "endgame" by the chessboard, thinking that Duke Zhang couldn't handle it and had secretly gone off to think for a long time. Hearing the sound, he asked blankly:
" The Judicial Review Bureau hasn't assigned him any work; he's probably out patrolling the streets. Is that kid up to something again?"
Zhang Zhiqing wanted to respond, but his brows furrowed again, and he looked up at the prosperous star map.
But then Crown Prince Star began to twinkle again, becoming the most prominent point on the star chart...
Thanks for your support, brothers!
I'd like to ask for either a monthly pass or two!