32: ambush

"Lord Sheep, Qingyang City has been investigating closely lately, so there are only thirty-four... and a few were abducted from Lanling City overnight," Wind Like a Blade nervously rubbed his rough palms, forcing a ingratiating smile. "You see... could you give me half the Medicinal Pills first?"

"Bandit Leader Feng, this isn't what we agreed upon," the Sheep-Headed Demon's throat rumbled with a raspy sound like sandpaper rubbing, and his hooved claws, wreathed in black mist, stomped forward heavily! The terrifying pressure of a Nightmare-rank Demon crushed towards Wind Like a Blade like a tangible tide!

Wind Like a Blade's face instantly turned pale, veins bulged on his neck, and he stumbled back three steps with a "thump, thump, thump," his heels plowing two deep furrows in the ground.

"My Lord! Give me two more days, and I guarantee I'll gather enough!" He forcibly suppressed his tightly clenched fists in his sleeves, bowing deeply, almost burying his head in his chest.

The two demons looked at each other indifferently. The Sheep-Headed Demon's blood-red pupils flashed with fierce light: "One day!"

"This..." Wind Like a Blade looked troubled.

"Wind Like a Blade! This isn't a negotiation!" The Sheep-Headed Demon's voice suddenly rose, carrying a bone-chilling coldness. "If you can't do it, you won't get a single one of these Medicinal Pills!" With that, black Qi surged, rising into the sky!

The red-haired demon, a wicked smile playing on his lips, also transformed into a streak of light and followed closely behind.

Once the two black figures completely disappeared into the sky, Wind Like a Blade suddenly kicked a millstone-sized rock beside him, shattering it!

The surging hatred and malevolence in his eyes almost burst forth, ready to devour someone!

"Boss! What do we do?" A burly man in black quickly stepped forward, his voice low.

Wind Like a Blade took a deep breath, suppressing the churning anger, and glanced back at the bandit's body lying in a pool of blood, his face as gloomy as ice: "First, bury Li Laosi! And escort this batch of 'goods' back and guard them well!"

"Yes!" Several bandits responded, roughly herding the trembling children and pushing them back into the rock cave on the right.

The man in black did not leave, standing respectfully to the side, awaiting orders.

"Second Brother..." Wind Like a Blade stared at the gradually blackening bloodstain on the ground, his eyes filled with crimson bloodshot, his voice hoarse, "Tonight... we'll go to Qingyang City again!"

"Good!" Second Brother's eyes flashed with a sharp glint, and he nodded heavily.

On the other side, Xiao Zhuo, hidden in the treeline, narrowed his eyes, a plan already forming in his mind.

As dusk settled, a faint blue mist permeated the forest, carrying the damp, cold scent of grass and night dew.

Xiao Zhuo lay on a ridge thirty li away from the valley, his gaze piercing through the deepening night, firmly fixed on the direction of the valley.

At the third quarter of Hai Shi (9:45 PM), two faint streaks of green light broke through the mist, silently sweeping southwestward!

"How cautious!" Xiao Zhuo sneered inwardly, lightly tapping his toes on a branch. His black robe flapped silently like an owl's wings, and he transformed into an even faster phantom, chasing southwestward!

His peripheral vision remained firmly fixed on the two indistinct streaks of light ahead.

The two should have flown directly south to Qingyang City, but at this moment, they detoured southwest, clearly to avoid possible pursuit.

However, this detour gave Xiao Zhuo an opportunity to intercept them!

The fierce wind howled in the night sky!

The True Essence shield surrounding Wind Like a Blade flickered erratically during his high-speed flight, and his loose hair danced wildly in the strong wind.

He was fully focused on what was ahead, completely unaware of the approaching danger.

Suddenly!

Seven brilliant crimson rays of light shot out from the dense forest below without warning—it was the killing move of Heavenly Dipper Transformation to Zenith Saber Technique, the Seven Star Flames.

The Saber Qi tore through the night sky, accompanied by an ear-piercing shriek, heading straight for the two!

"Be careful!" Wind Like a Blade roared, reacting with lightning speed! A long sword, thin as a cicada's wing and glowing with a green light, instantly appeared in his hand!

"Swoosh! Swoosh!"

He narrowly cut off two crimson rays with his sword!

However, the immense impact made his Qi and blood churn, his arm numb, and his sleeve was even grazed by the flame tail of a crimson ray, instantly catching fire with a "whoosh"!

The man in black, however, was not so lucky! He reacted a split second slower; although he tried his best to dodge after being warned, his protective True Essence shield was instantly shattered by a crimson ray!

Though he barely dodged two, the remaining two crimson rays bit into him precisely like venomous snakes!

"Aargh—!" A bloodcurdling scream rang out, and the man in black, like a kite with a broken string, fell straight into the dense forest below, trailing a spray of blood!

"Second Brother!" Wind Like a Blade's eyes were bloodshot, and his body plunged rapidly, attempting to pursue and rescue him.

However, an even swifter, more ferocious streak of green light, like an arrow released from a bowstring, was already hurtling towards him with an ear-splitting sonic boom!

Wind Like a Blade's face changed drastically! He swung his long sword rapidly, and two condensed greenish-black Sword Qi tore through the air, fiercely slashing at the approaching enemy! At the same time, he used the force to retreat violently backward!

That streak of green light did not dodge or evade!

"Boom! Boom!"

Two Sword Qi, powerful enough to split stone tablets, crashed into the streak of light, but shattered like glass with a thunderous roar!

Not only did the speed of the streak of light not decrease, but it suddenly surged, carrying a heart-pounding momentum, rapidly closing in on Wind Like a Blade!

Wind Like a Blade's pupils suddenly contracted to pinpricks! A chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to his scalp!

"The attack that instantly killed Second Brother... a Physical Body that can withstand Sword Qi... I can't fight him! Flee!"

The thought flashed through his mind, and Wind Like a Blade no longer hesitated for a moment!

He instantly gave up on rescuing his companion, his True Essence burning wildly, and recklessly pushed his speed to the limit, fleeing desperately into the distance!

Within the green streak of light, Xiao Zhuo frowned slightly: "How cautious!"

Purely in terms of flying speed, he didn't have an advantage, but—

Deep within his Dantian, a point of purple light suddenly lit up! The Purple Extreme Burning True Method was instantly activated!

"Buzz—!"

The green light enveloping Xiao Zhuo's body suddenly became dazzlingly bright, and his speed surged accordingly! He closed the distance with Wind Like a Blade as if teleporting!

Wind Like a Blade was terrified! His peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the green light rapidly approaching him like a maggot attached to bone, and he knew he could no longer escape. He fiercely gritted his teeth, his body abruptly stopping in mid-air!

"Green Edge Sword Scripture—Jade Lotus!!" Wind Like a Blade let out a desperate roar like a trapped beast, pouring all his True Essence into his sword without reservation!

A dazzling, gigantic green lotus bloomed out of thin air, illuminating half the night sky with a verdant glow!

The lotus petals rotated, imbued with a resolute killing intent, fiercely crashing into the incoming streak of light!

The green streak of light showed no decrease in speed, fearlessly colliding with the murderous green lotus!

Just as the two were about to collide—

A cold gleam, as if flashing from the depths of the Nine Netherworlds, swept past from within the streak of light!

Wind Like a Blade only felt an indescribably sharp Concept instantly sweep past his body... Time seemed to freeze for a moment.

The next moment!

The gigantic green lotus silently split in half from the middle, its brilliance instantly dimming and shattering!

The world in Wind Like a Blade's eyes suddenly tilted and inverted... He was horrified to discover that his lower body had lost all sensation.

"So... fast Saber... is it... Saber Intent?" Wind Like a Blade's consciousness rapidly blurred, his strength receding like a tide, and his two severed halves fell towards the ground.

The green streak of light executed an extremely agile turn, catching up like lightning, and a hand precisely gripped the neck of Wind Like a Blade's remaining half-body!

Most of the light dissipated, revealing Xiao Zhuo's young yet cold and icy face.

Wind Like a Blade struggled to open his heavy eyelids, seeing that the one holding him was a youth around twenty years old, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Speak! What is your relationship with those demons!" Xiao Zhuo's voice was like cold iron scraping across ice. A pure True Essence was forcibly injected into Wind Like a Blade's body, suppressing his rapidly fading vitality and keeping him alive for a final breath.

"I... I'm dying... Why... why should I... tell you!" Wind Like a Blade's lips curled into a tragic smile, full of mockery and unwillingness.

"Just because..." Xiao Zhuo's gaze was as deep and cold as a ten-thousand-year-old icy pond. He stared intently into Wind Like a Blade's eyes, enunciating each word, "I can send those two demons down to accompany you!"

Wind Like a Blade trembled violently! Seeing the unmoving, chilling killing intent in the youth's eyes, the last trace of his defiance finally crumbled, leaving only endless despair and complexity.

"They... they... come from... Hundred... Hundred Demon Mountain... They used... a kind of... demon core... to control... us..." He painstakingly uttered disjointed words.

"demon core?" Xiao Zhuo raised an eyebrow, holding Wind Like a Blade, and slowly descended into the dark forest below.

After landing, Xiao Zhuo quickly used True Essence to seal several key acupoints on Wind Like a Blade's lower body, temporarily stopping the gushing blood, while continuously infusing True Essence to forcibly prolong his life.

"Yes... demon core..." As True Essence was injected, Wind Like a Blade's breathing stabilized slightly, and his speech became more coherent, but Xiao Zhuo knew this was merely a final burst of energy. "Initially... it was just a trade... we abducted Human Race children for them... and they gave us... Medicinal Pills to enhance True Essence..."

"But... those Medicinal Pills... would erode one's mind... causing people... to demonize... and go completely... insane..." Wind Like a Blade's eyes welled up with intense fear and bitter hatred, directed at the demons of Hundred Demon Mountain. "We wanted to stop... but... the price of stopping the Medicinal Pills... was our bodies... withering... decaying... and dying... so we could only... continue... but the Medicinal Pills... they gave... became fewer and fewer... only enough... to keep us alive..."

"How many more people are they controlling?" Xiao Zhuo pressed.

"Everyone in the bandit stronghold..." Wind Like a Blade's breathing became rapid, like a broken bellows. "Perhaps... there are also... people in Qingyang City... and even... Yuyang Sect..."

"In Qingyang City and Yuyang Sect too?!" Xiao Zhuo's pupils suddenly constricted! His tone abruptly grew heavier, "How do you know?"

"Someone... passed... us... messages..." Wind Like a Blade's breathing became severely disordered, and his eyes began to lose focus, clearly at his last gasp.

"Where is Hundred Demon Mountain?!" Xiao Zhuo's face was as grim as iron, and he demanded sharply!

"I... don't..." Wind Like a Blade uttered the last two Vague sounds, his pupils completely dilated, a gurgling sound came from his throat, and his head slumped weakly to the side, his life force extinguished.

"Damn it!" Xiao Zhuo felt frustrated! He hated it when people spoke in riddles!

He drew his Meteorite Iron Long Saber with a backhand and fiercely swung it!

"Rip—!"

A sharp Saber Qi swept out, and within a radius of several tens of feet, more than a dozen large trees, thick enough for an embrace, were cut in half like rotten wood, crashing down!

Looking at Wind Like a Blade's slowly cooling corpse, Xiao Zhuo took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his emotions.

The bandit leader's knowledge was limited after all... Wait! He suddenly remembered—he had forgotten to ask about Young Master Chu's whereabouts!

"Never mind! First, I'll go to the valley and rescue the children!" Xiao Zhuo's gaze suddenly turned cold and sharp. With the two Aperture Condensation Realm leaders slain, the remaining bandits would have no chance of harming the children against him.