140: Chapter 140 is nothing more than fish on a chopping board.

The night was as dark as ink, with a waning moon hanging high in the sky.

Fifty li outside the capital, in the waist-deep wild grass outside Shi Village, ten figures lurked like ghosts.

The group lowered their bodies, pooling together the terrain and intelligence they had scouted during the day.

"This village is surrounded by mountains on three sides; it is a classic example of terrain that is easy to defend but hard to attack."

Ouyang Wanqing pointed toward the village ahead, which was as deathly silent as a ghost town, and lowered her voice:

"The only entrance is that main road at the village entrance.

I observed it during the day; for an entire day, not a single soul came out of Shi Village, let alone those refugees who were captured and taken inside."

"This place is practically an iron bucket." Murong Yun swallowed hard, feeling a bit creeped out.

Chen Shanzhi lay in the grass, listening to their reports, and nodded noncommittally.

In truth, letting these young masters and ladies scout the terrain during the day was purely to give them something to do.

What he really cared about was finding a reasonable excuse for his upcoming "map hack."

"Alright, I've already grasped the basic situation."

Chen Shanzhi picked up a dry twig from the ground and quickly sketched a crude map on the soft soil.

He pointed his finger at a mark on the south side of the village on the sketch:

"This afternoon, I circled around to the barren mountain behind Shi Village.

From that vantage point, I discovered an extremely unusual situation."

Chen Shanzhi deliberately lowered his voice, his tone filled with certainty:

"Every mealtime, seven or eight sturdy men from the village will carry extremely heavy wooden buckets and food boxes, frequently entering and exiting this location!"

"The amount of food carried by seven or eight people is definitely not something just a few people could finish!"

"I am certain that the captured refugees we are looking for are all being held in a dungeon somewhere on the south side of this village!"

As soon as he said this.

Everyone's eyes lit up!

If they had truly locked onto the location where the refugees were being held, the difficulty of this mission immediately dropped by half; at least they wouldn't have to wander aimlessly through the village like headless flies!

"Furthermore, look."

Chen Shanzhi drew a straight line with the twig, decisively connecting the village entrance to the location where the refugees were held in the south:

"This line is the shortest route from the village entrance to the dungeon."

"Those refugees are all ordinary people with no strength to speak of.

Once we rescue them later, we must have a fast retreat path."

Chen Shanzhi's eyes were sharp as torches as he scanned the group, beginning to issue tactical orders skillfully:

"So, we will split into three groups!"

"Step one: all ten of us will concentrate our superior forces and, with thunderous momentum, directly eliminate the guards around the dungeon!"

"After we succeed!"

Chen Shanzhi looked at Shen Lingfu and Jiang Feiyu: "Miss Shen, you take your two Xuanguan Peak guards,"

"And clear out every single patrolling bandit on this path—don't leave a single one!"

"Then Feiyu, you take Miss Shen's other guard and be responsible for escorting the refugees along this route back toward the village entrance!"

"Understood!" Jiang Feiyu guaranteed, patting her chest.

"As for Miss Ouyang and me."

Chen Shanzhi looked at Ouyang Wanqing: "The two of us, along with the remaining three guards, will be responsible for covering the rear for the retreating refugees!"

This tactical arrangement was extremely clear, with well-defined roles.

It both ensured the safe retreat of the refugees and maximized the combat power of the six Xuanguan Peak experts.

Everyone felt their blood boiling as they nodded one after another.

Just at this extremely harmonious moment of pre-battle mobilization.

"Um... Brother Chen."

A very aggrieved voice rang out weakly.

Murong Yun squatted on the ground, pointed at his own nose, and said with a face full of resentment, "So you all have things to do, but what about me? Am I just here to be your cheerleader?"

*Cough, cough.*

Chen Shanzhi gave a very perfunctory dry cough and patted him on the shoulder:

"You... your strength at the Xuanguan Seven Apertures is still a bit too strained.

Going into the village would make it easy for you to become cannon fodder."

"How about this? I'll give you an extremely important and arduous task!"

Chen Shanzhi pointed to the even denser wild grass outside the village entrance: "You stay here on the perimeter of the village to keep watch and be responsible for receiving the retreating refugees!

This is the heavy responsibility of guarding the rear gate; I can rest easy leaving it to you!"

Murong Yun's face was covered in black lines, and the corner of his mouth twitched wildly.

Isn't this just making me a gatekeeper?

And he says it so grandiosely!

"No..." Murong Yun pointed at Chen Shanzhi with extreme indignation, accusing him with a pained heart:

"Brother Chen, we're all part of the Four Great Playboys. Isn't it a bit too much for you to practice double standards here?"

"You're making me watch the gate, but aren't you only at the Xuanguan Nine Apertures yourself? Won't it be dangerous for you to go into the village and cover the rear?"

Hearing Murong Yun's questioning, Chen Shanzhi didn't argue.

He just casually stood up and brushed the grass clippings off his silk clothes.

Boom!

The next second.

A wave of Xuan Guan Ten Apertures Origin Qi suddenly erupted from Chen Shanzhi's body!

"Sorry about that."

Chen Shanzhi's mouth curled up in an extremely punchable grin, revealing a row of white teeth as he spoke in an incredibly flat tone:

"Last night, I very accidentally broke through to the Xuan Guan Ten Apertures."

Murong Yun's face, which was still written with indignation, instantly froze.

His eyes bulged so much they nearly fell into the grass, and his jaw dropped straight to the ground.

Xuanguan... Ten-Apertures?

Are you kidding me? Didn't he just break through to the Xuanguan Nine Apertures ten or so days ago?

How much time has passed since then?

Is this guy cultivating on a rocket ship?

Not just Murong Yun, but Ouyang Wanqing and the others, even including the guards, all had a clear flash of shock on their faces.

"Alright, don't worship me."

Chen Shanzhi thoroughly enjoyed receiving everyone's shocked gazes.

He then looked up at the waning moon in the sky, which was being gradually covered by dark clouds.

"A dark moon and high winds—the perfect night for killing."

Chen Shanzhi's eyes instantly became extremely cold, and he gave a grand wave of his hand:

"Act according to plan! Move out!"

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Six figures instantly resembled six fierce tigers descending from a mountain, turning into six afterimages as they led the charge toward the village entrance.

Chen Shanzhi and the other three followed closely behind.

Accompanied by several extremely short thuds that didn't even allow for a scream.

The sentries hidden in the shadows at the village entrance were instantly eliminated by the six Xuanguan Peak guards.

In the blink of an eye, the ten figures vanished like ghosts into the pitch-black depths of Shi Village's main gate.

...

In the wild grass outside the village entrance.

Only Murong Yun was left, squatting alone in place.

As a cold wind blew, he couldn't help but shiver.

"Damn it, freaks! They're all freaking freaks!"

Murong Yun looked toward the village entrance and struck the ground in grief and indignation:

"We agreed that the Four Great Playboys would walk together for life, and whoever worked hard first would be a dog?"

"That dog Chen Shanzhi not only backstabbed his brother, but now he won't even let me see his taillights!"

Murong Yun gritted his teeth, a rare flash of determination appearing in his eyes.

"No way! When I get back this time, even if my eldest sister breaks my legs, I have to soak in the Martial Arts Field every day!"

"Next time there's a big scene like this, I absolutely cannot just be a participant again!"

Just as Murong Yun was secretly hardening his resolve while vigilantly looking around.

Rustle...

A slight sound rang out behind him without any warning.

"Who's there?"

Although Murong Yun's cultivation wasn't high, his survival instincts as a playboy were extremely strong.

His scalp tingled, and he was just about to turn around and draw his sword.

Bang!

A sharp, dull pain came from the back of his head!

Murong Yun didn't even see the shadow of the newcomer before his eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious in the grass.

Thud.

A tall, thin figure dressed in a black robe and shrouded in shadows appeared.

He picked up the unconscious Murong Yun like he was lifting a chick.

"Tsk, a Xuanguan Seven Apertures trash dares to set up a hidden sentry outside the village?"

The black-robed man's voice was hoarse and unpleasant, carrying an extremely thick scent of blood.

He looked down at Murong Yun in his hand, preparing to snap his neck directly.

Suddenly, the black-robed man seemed to sense something and snapped his head up, his eyes hidden under the hood staring intently toward the interior of Shi Village.

"Hmm?"

The black-robed man let out an extremely surprised sound. "The formation's eye has a reaction? Rats have entered the village?"

He stroked his chin, and a cruel sneer curled at the corners of his mouth.

"Heh, quite cautious indeed.

Unfortunately, this Shi Village's ground has long been filled with a formation that senses blood Qi.

As long as you are not a member of my Divine Cult, as long as your feet touch the ground of this village, you absolutely cannot hide!"

The black-robed man looked at Murong Yun in his hand and abandoned the idea of killing him directly.

"Since they let a Xuanguan Seven Apertures trash be responsible for receiving them outside, the strength of the rats who slipped inside probably isn't much higher."

The black-robed man gave an extremely arrogant cold laugh:

"They've come at just the right time."

"It's currently the critical moment for the Saint Sacrifice, and the blood Qi of Martial Artists is extremely abundant.

Capturing a few more rats will be perfect for filling the blood Qi deficit of the altar!"

With that, the black-robed man dragged Murong Yun like a dead dog toward the interior of the village.

In his view.

This group of greenhorns who recklessly charged into the village were already fish on a chopping block, unable to escape even if they had wings.