24: Chapter 24 I am enough

It was only after Yu Xiu walked into the thatched cottage that Fang Jiming, Song Yue, and the others strolled over from the distance.

"Senior Brother Fang, Yu Xiu has already entered. We only need to wait for the Yin Demon to strike, and he will perish immediately." Qin Shu stepped forward respectfully, carrying a hint of obsequiousness.

Zhao Zheng and Zhang Yun also approached, looking a bit reserved, and called out, "Senior Brother Fang."

Fang Jiming swept his gaze over the three of them and said indifferently, "Well done. Once this matter is settled, the benefits I promised you will certainly not be lacking."

While speaking, his attention had already fallen upon the thatched cottage: "Yu Xiu!"

He walked towards the cottage, unhurriedly.

Having waited for a year, how could he be content without watching Yu Xiu die with his own eyes!

Song Yue, Yuan Shu, Zhong Yue, and Pang Wei exchanged smiles and followed closely behind: "Let's go see how pathetic this Yu Xiu looks when he is about to die."

"I'm afraid he's already trembling in fear before the Yin Demon."

Qin Shu quickly followed up with a fawning smile: "This Yu Xiu is only at the first level of the Qi Sea, I'm afraid he doesn't even have the courage to face the Yin Demon right now."

The group filed into the thatched cottage.

The cottage was not large, consisting of only three rooms in total. Upon entering, one stood in the main hall, which could be seen in its entirety at a glance. There were two other rooms to the left and right, separated only by linen curtains.

And now, in the main hall, a young figure stood with his back to the crowd.

'Yu Xiu?'

'He didn't go to find the Yin Demon?'

With three rooms, if the Yin Demon wasn't in the main hall, it would naturally be in the rooms to the left or right; one look would be enough to see.

Yet at this moment, Yu Xiu was standing quietly in the main hall, holding a sword in one hand and keeping the other behind his back, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

Almost at the same time that Fang Jiming and the others entered the cottage, Yu Xiu also slowly turned around.

His expression was calm, and his gaze slowly swept over Qin Shu and the others, finally pausing on Fang Jiming: "I have waited for you for a long time; you have finally arrived."

He had never met Fang Jiming, but he had met Fang Jibai; the two brothers looked very much alike.

At the same time, as soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of Qin Shu, Zhao Zheng, Zhang Yun, and Ruan Fei all changed drastically. They had brought Yu Xiu out from the Inner Courtyard, so why did it sound now as if Yu Xiu had done so intentionally?

'He knew all along?!'

In an instant, an inexplicable sense of unease rose in the hearts of all four!

'He knows that I am the one pushing everything behind the scenes?!' After a momentary shock, Fang Jiming suddenly clapped his hands and laughed: "Impressive. After going through such a big circle, you were still able to see through all of this."

He paused for a moment, then Fang Jiming said frankly: "Then tell me, what gives you the confidence to walk into the trap voluntarily?"

"Have you already contacted the law-enforcement Senior Brothers in the sect, or have you made connections with some Elder or deacon in the sect to wait for me here?"

"The law-enforcement Senior Brothers in the sect are not easily persuaded by you. So, I remember you seem to have had quite a lot of contact with the Library Elder Liao Jianshu. Is your reliance Elder Liao?"

As soon as these words fell, Song Yue, Yuan Shu, and the others following behind Fang Jiming were all terrified.

The Inner Courtyard Elders were all experts at the third or even fourth stage of the Great Four Passes at their weakest. Once they made a move, let alone those of them who were still stuck at the Four Stages of Ascending Dragon as Inner Courtyard Disciples!

Even Fang Jiming, an expert who had already broken through the Four Stages of Ascending Dragon and stepped into the first stage of the Great Four Passes, would be killed instantly!

'We failed to scheme against Yu Xiu, and are instead going to be killed by Yu Xiu's scheme?'

Their hearts pounded wildly, especially the young Disciple Yuan Shu, whose eyes turned cold.

Yu Xiu's expression remained calm: "Elder Liao..."

Before he could finish, Yuan Shu suddenly erupted, his figure flashing out instantly. His five fingers hooked like steel claws, bringing a shrill whistle of wind as he suddenly grabbed at Yu Xiu's throat: "Capture him, and there might be a way to live."

As long as Yu Xiu was in their hands, even the Inner Courtyard Library Elder Liao Jianshu would have to worry about collateral damage.

At the very same moment, Qin Shu and Zhao Zheng reacted extremely quickly, instantly rushing out, their speed reaching the extreme, attacking from left and right, lunging straight at Yu Xiu.

In response, Yu Xiu smiled silently, his body inexplicably blurring for a fleeting moment.

It was also in this instant that a 'clanging' sound of a sword rang out, and a sword gleam flashed by. But it was fast, too fast, too fast! Even with Fang Jiming's strength, having already stepped into the first stage of the Great Four Passes, he could only vaguely see Yu Xiu draw his sword.

But how many swords were struck, and where they were slashed, he didn't see clearly at all. He couldn't even see Yu Xiu's figure clearly!

'This is Yu Xiu?!' Fang Jiming's pupils contracted violently.

Then he saw that Yuan Shu, Qin Shu, and Zhao Zheng, who had rushed out, suddenly stopped in their tracks, standing dumbfounded on the spot!

Immediately after, 'Bang!' 'Bang!' 'Bang!' three dull thuds rang out in unison. When they looked again, the three of them—Yuan Shu and the others who had stopped—had already toppled over like a golden mountain falling or a jade pillar collapsing!

On their necks, a red line gradually appeared, then became redder and redder, until finally, blood flowed incessantly.

'Dead!' The remaining Ruan Fei and Zhang Yun both felt their scalps tingle and their hearts turn cold.

The Yu Xiu who had been as gentle as a sheep along the way, and who in their minds was already a dead man, now seemed like an ancient Vicious Beast that had broken out of human skin, revealing all its ferocity and baring its fangs!

Let alone facing him, even just standing here with him made them feel terrified!

In the blink of an eye, Yu Xiu had killed three people, especially Qin Shu, who was an expert at the Life Spring Realm of the Ascending Dragon Fourth Stage!

But Yu Xiu, by what right?

He had only been in the Inner Courtyard for two months, how could he kill someone at the Life Spring Realm?

It shouldn't be, it made no sense!

Yet they saw Yu Xiu hold his sword horizontally in front of him and gently flick the blade. A single drop of blood remaining on the tip dissipated into a blood mist, and the blade remained clear and shining.

He sheathed his sword with satisfaction and pointed diagonally at the three of them—Qin Shu and the others—who had fallen to the ground: "You three were a bit too impatient; you didn't wait for me to finish speaking."

His gaze fell back onto Fang Jiming: "There is no Elder Liao; I alone am enough."

"You..." Fang Jiming's expression turned serious, and he looked at Yu Xiu again: "You've entered the Great Four Passes?"

Yu Xiu nodded. The Sword Heart Concealing Edge dissipated, and the aura on his body, which had originally only seemed like the first level of the Qi Sea, surged, surged again, and then skyrocketed all the way, breaking through the Life Spring Realm of the Ascending Dragon Fourth Stage, and standing firm within the Great Four Passes.

"The first stage of the Great Four Passes, the Five Viscera Realm!" Fang Jiming whispered softly, his tone, however, was unprecedentedly grave: "What a Yu Xiu!"

"I have waited for this day for a year. It seems you... have also waited for a year!"

Yu Xiu spoke calmly: "If you don't make a move now, I'm afraid you will never have the chance to make a move again."

Fang Jiming pointed to the few people behind him: "They don't have much to do with this matter. How about letting them live?"

Yu Xiu shook his head: "None of them can leave."

Fang Jiming looked back at Song Yue, Pang Wei, and Ruan Fei behind him and said: "You see, if I let you live, there is a risk that the news will leak. Even if Yu Xiu were stupid, he couldn't possibly do such a thing. So..."

"It would be better to give me a helping hand."

Before the words had even faded, his figure turned abruptly and he was already behind them. He struck out with a casual palm, a massive palm force erupting, pushing the five people, who were showing expressions of terror, directly toward Yu Xiu.

At the same moment, Fang Jiming's figure retreated gracefully, and in an instant, he was out of the cottage: "Yu Xiu, if I leave this door, I will spread the news that you possess a secret treasure that can help people enter the Great Four Passes in three years. Tell me, from now on, will you still have any peaceful days?"

By the end of his words, Fang Jiming's face was ferocious: "If I die, don't even think about having a good..."

Before he could finish his words, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, because in front of him stood Yu Xiu, holding his sword, as if he had always been there.

'When did he...'

Fang Jiming turned his head back violently, only to see that in the cottage, corpses were lying all over the place!

'How could it be, so fast!'