31: Chapter 31 A sudden storm, unstoppable! (3k)

Gale winds howled, and the rain poured down like a deluge.

The air was thick with the potent scent of blood, overpowering even the smell of the damp earth.

The assassin leader stared fixedly at the figure in black wearing a theatrical mask before him, the veins on the back of his hand gripping the long saber bulging.

He was a dignified Peak Grade 6 Martial Artist, only a single step away from reaching Grade 5 Meridian Opening and achieving the projection of True Qi.

The number of experts who had died by his blade was at least thirty, if not fifty.

Yet, in the mere few breaths of their exchange just now, his thick True Qi, of which he was so proud, had been instantly shattered by the opponent's overwhelmingly tyrannical power.

"Who exactly are you?" The assassin leader gritted his teeth, attempting to stall for time with words while secretly circulating his Cultivation Technique frantically, trying to regulate the chaotic True Qi within his body.

Chen Ran stood in the rain, his posture as straight as a pine.

He did not waste words.

The black iron long saber in Chen Ran's hand was slowly raised.

Yet, under the washing of the torrential rain, a layer of dark red energy faintly circulated on the blade.

The scorching True Qi adhered to the blade, causing even the falling raindrops around it to evaporate into white steam in an instant.

The assassin leader's pupils constricted; he felt the lethal threat. He knew that today's affair would absolutely not end well.

"Since you want me dead, then I will drag you down with me!"

The assassin leader roared, his eyes turning blood-red, and the True Qi throughout his entire body erupted without reservation.

Instead of retreating, he advanced, slamming his feet hard against the ground.

Muddy water splashed everywhere; he was like a fierce tiger forced into a desperate situation, descending from the mountain. Gripping his long saber with both hands, he leaped high and slashed down at Chen Ran's face like a mountain-splitting strike.

This strike condensed his lifelong cultivation; the blade light tore through the dense curtain of rain, accompanied by a piercing sound as it broke through the air.

Facing this thunderous strike, Chen Ran's gaze remained as calm as water.

His footsteps moved slightly, employing the Cloud Water Step.

His figure left an afterimage in place like a phantom, while his true form had already slid to one side like a ripple in water.

"Boom!"

The assassin leader's strike missed, and the violent Saber Qi slashed into the ground, directly carving out a deep chasm several zhang long.

With the strike missing, the assassin leader was terrified.

Before he could change his move, Chen Ran had already appeared beside him like a ghost.

Mad Tiger Saber Technique!

The black iron long saber, carrying the violent roar of a tiger, descended with the force of Mount Tai pressing down.

This strike possessed nothing but strength and speed pushed to the absolute extreme.

"Clang—!"

The assassin leader could only raise his long saber horizontally to block in his haste. The two weapons collided fiercely, producing a deafening crash.

Amidst the scattering sparks, the hundred-refined steel saber of which the assassin leader was so proud snapped in two from the middle as if it were a fragile wooden stick.

The black saber did not lose its momentum, slicing through the thick layer of protective True Qi on his body like dry wood and decaying leaves.

"Pfft!"

The black iron long saber slashed in from the assassin leader's left shoulder, cutting diagonally down to his right waist.

Blood surged out like a fountain, instantly dyeing the accumulated water beneath him red.

The assassin leader's eyes widened, his body stiffened for a moment, and then he collapsed powerlessly into the muddy water, dying on the spot.

The remaining dozen or so assassins nearby witnessed the miserable sight of their leader being instantly killed by the opponent with a single strike.

This absolute crushing of strength instantly shattered the last line of defense in their hearts.

"Monster... he is a monster!"

"Run! Run separately!"

The assassins lost all fighting spirit, emitting terrified screams as they turned and fled in all directions.

Chen Ran looked coldly at their fleeing backs.

Since he had made his move, he absolutely could not leave any survivors.

Carrying the black saber, his figure instantly merged into the deep night.

The Cloud Water Step was pushed to its limit, and his entire person seemed to transform into a gust of wind.

Blade light flashed one after another in the rainy night, like the scythe of the Grim Reaper harvesting lives.

"Ah—!"

Every time the blade light flashed, it was accompanied by a shrill scream.

In less than half an incense stick of time.

All the assassins who attempted to flee were slaughtered by Chen Ran.

In the ruins, there was not a single enemy left standing.

The ground was covered with mutilated corpses, and bright red blood pooled into small streams, completely dyeing the accumulated water on the ground a shocking red.

The torrential rain continued to fall, washing over this blood-stained land.

On the scene, only Lin Wan remained.

She leaned against a broken stone pillar, gasping for air.

Her Six Doors uniform was already completely dyed red with blood.

If it weren't for her incredible willpower holding her up, she would have collapsed long ago.

She looked at the figure walking back from the rainy night like a demon god, her eyes filled with shock.

Too strong.

That absolute power to control life and death with every gesture far exceeded any expert of the same rank she had ever known.

"Who exactly is this person?"

Chen Ran casually flicked the blood off the black saber and sheathed it.

He turned around and walked towards Lin Wan step by step.

Watching the other party approach, Lin Wan subconsciously tightened her grip on her long sword, which was already chipped.

But soon, she gave a bitter smile and loosened her hand.

If the other party wanted to kill her, she would have already become a cold corpse by now.

Chen Ran walked up to Lin Wan, stopped, and looked down at her.

The theatrical mask covered his face; only his eyes, visible through the holes in the mask, were deep and calm.

He slowly extended his right hand, gripped Lin Wan's chin, and lifted it upward with slight force.

Lin Wan was forced to tilt her head up, meeting those eyes as calm as an ancient well.

The distance between the two was extremely close; she could even feel the faint scent of blood and a strange, scorching aura emanating from him.

A strong sense of shame instantly washed over her, and Lin Wan's cheeks heated up uncontrollably.

She was a renowned catcher of the Six Doors, always proud and arrogant; when had she ever been treated with such frivolous gestures?

Chen Ran ignored her struggle and simply sized her up with a scrutinizing gaze.

Her injuries were extremely severe, and she had lost too much blood. If her wounds were not treated in time, she would definitely not survive the night in her current state.

Moreover, such a tragic battle had just taken place here; the heavy scent of blood would soon attract spies from the Demon Suppression Division or other factions.

It was no longer safe here.

Chen Ran let go, and without the slightest hesitation, he bent down, extended his arms, and scooped Lin Wan up horizontally.

"Ah!"

Lin Wan's eyes widened sharply, and her body instantly tensed to the extreme.

She never expected that this mysterious expert would suddenly make such a move.

Shock, shame, anger, panic... various emotions intertwined.

"Who exactly are you... let me go!" She just wanted to open her mouth to ask for the other party's identity and subconsciously waved her hands, wanting to struggle.

Chen Ran frowned slightly; it was a bit noisy.

He raised his right hand, his fingers joined like a blade, and struck Lin Wan's nape with pinpoint precision.

Lin Wan only felt the world go black before her eyes; all sounds and images instantly faded away, and her whole body went limp, collapsing into Chen Ran's arms as she was knocked unconscious.

Carrying the unconscious Lin Wan, Chen Ran tapped his toes lightly on the ground, his figure soaring into the air like a great bird, rapidly disappearing into the vast rainy night.

It was unknown how much time had passed.

A bonfire was burning inside a cave, its orange-yellow light dancing, dispelling the chill of the late autumn rainy night.

Lin Wan slowly opened her eyes.

Her vision gradually became clear from its initial blurriness.

This was a completely unfamiliar cave.

She tried to sit up, but as soon as she moved, it aggravated the wounds on her body, causing her to gasp in pain.

After adapting slightly to the pain, she looked down and was instantly stunned.

She discovered that the wounds on her body had been very carefully cleaned and bandaged.

White bandages were wrapped around the injured areas, and high-quality gold sore medicine was applied to them.

What shocked her even more was that her original, tattered Six Doors uniform had been replaced.

At this moment, she was wearing a wide, clean men's robe.

The material of the robe was very ordinary, but it exuded a faint scent of soap locust.

Lin Wan's cheeks instantly turned bright red, that flush spreading all the way to her ears and fair neck.

She bit her lip hard, and the figure of the man in black wearing the theatrical mask involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

Besides her, there was only that mysterious person here.

In other words, the other party had not only saved her but also personally helped her clean her wounds and even... changed her clothes.

Thinking that she might have been seen completely by the other party, Lin Wan felt a sense of panic and confusion; her thoughts were tumultuous, and her mood was extremely complicated.

She took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down and regain the rationality that a Six Doors catcher should have.

She began to recall everything that happened tonight.

That mysterious person's overwhelmingly tyrannical saber technique, that dark red True Qi that seemed capable of incinerating everything, and those ruthless, decisive killing methods that ended lives in a single strike...

This style of action and this terrifying strength were almost identical to that "mysterious killing expert" who had recently caused such a stir in the capital!

The death of Captain Wang and the deaths of the Second-in-Command and Third-in-Command of the Black Wind Fortress all had death states extremely similar to those assassins tonight.

They were all instantly destroyed of their vitality by extremely violent power, without even a chance to resist.

Lin Wan's gaze became sharp.

The person opposite her who had saved her was very likely that mysterious expert who had killed imperial officials and fierce Jianghu bandits one after another!

Probably with some unclear connection to the Red Lotus Demonic Cult.

Thinking that this ruthless murderer who killed without blinking had actually become her savior, Lin Wan fell into deep conflict.

As a renowned catcher of the Six Doors, the education she had received since childhood and the beliefs she had always held were to uphold the laws of Great Wei and arrest all those who violated the law.

Regardless of the other party's purpose, killing people was against the law.

"But, he happened to save my life at the most critical moment; if it weren't for him, I would already be a corpse now."

"Arrest him, or not?"

Lin Wan was suffering internally.

She looked around; the cave was empty, with only the bonfire still burning quietly.

The mysterious person had clearly already left.

Lin Wan leaned against the cold rock wall, watching the faint morning light filtering into the cave entrance.

After a long time, the confusion in her eyes gradually dissipated.

"No matter who you are, I will definitely find you."