Chapter 78: Encountering the Enemy

This token is Master Wang's personal keepsake; possessing it grants temporary authority to command disciples below the rank of elder. The fat man is Master Wang's trusted confidant, reportedly even a close cousin, which is why Master Wang conveys all his verbal messages and orders through him.

Not long ago, Master Wang hastily gave him this token, sending him to Elder Li's residence to summon the elder for a meeting on the mountain. But after delivering the order, the fat man found the journey from Sunset Peak and back too exhausting. Relying on his favored status, he insisted on staying at Elder Li's house to rest before returning to the peak.

Elder Li reluctantly agreed. Without daring to delay, he quickly departed for Sunset Peak, accompanied by Zhang Xiuer and several other disciples.

Not long after, a major upheaval occurred on the mountain. The fat man, being an extreme coward, naturally became even more unwilling to return there alone.

The people in the courtyard were family members of Seven Mysteries Sect members who lived nearby. Most of them knew no martial arts, so when the sounds of chaos erupted, they panicked, unsure what to do.

Fortunately, Ma Rong was quite decisive. He immediately requested help from the twenty-odd subordinates Li Feiyu had left behind, gathering everyone to prevent them from wandering off in the dark and coming to harm.

This location was relatively remote, with houses built in a mountain hollow. Therefore, even though they heard alarms and battle cries, the people inside had no knowledge of the specific events unfolding outside.

After Ma Rong finished organizing everything, he planned to send people out to gather information. However, the fat man, who possessed no martial arts skills, reappeared at this moment. He not only prevented any attempts to scout for enemy intelligence but also used the token to seize command of the Outer Blade Hall disciples from Ma Rong. He then intended to remain holed up, doing absolutely nothing, like burying his head in the sand.

Ma Rong, however, deeply understood the importance of gathering enemy intelligence. He argued with the fat man several times, but each time, the fat man, who was terrified of death, suppressed him using Master Wang's token. He wouldn't even allow Ma Rong to go investigate personally, apparently viewing him as a protective tool for his own survival.

And so, Ma Rong paced anxiously in the living room, like an ant on a hot griddle, but he was utterly helpless against this ignorant fat man. He knew that in the Seven Mysteries Sect, disobeying a superior's order or acting without authorization carried severe penalties. A minor offense could lead to crippled martial arts and expulsion, while a major one could result in execution. Thus, despite knowing that an earth-shattering event was occurring outside, potentially putting the sect in a life-or-death situation, he was utterly stuck.

While Ma Rong seethed, wishing he could strike down the so-called superior before him, Han Li and Li Feiyu, completely unaware of these events, were still rushing toward the location.

Along the way, they avoided or dodged any signs of the enemy, trying their best to conceal their tracks. It wasn't until they were just over a mile from Elder Li's residence that they were met head-on by a group of men in green. Unable to remain hidden, they finally had their first direct encounter with the enemy.

Now, these dozen or so men in green, armed with steel sabers, surrounded them from all directions, trapping them.

Judging by their footwork, those with a single white line embroidered on their sleeves displayed the weakest martial arts skills. The two men with two white lines on their sleeves were significantly more skilled. However, the most formidable was the man with three white lines and a scar on his face, who was clearly their leader.

The scarred leader also carefully observed the people his subordinates had trapped, feeling a sense of strangeness.

It was no wonder; among the group, Li Feiyu was disheveled, dirty, and ragged, looking like a mountain cook. Han Li, with his dull eyes and dark skin, resembled an ordinary farmer with no martial arts training. The only one who seemed to pose any threat was the tall, straw-hatted Qu Hun, who was covered in bloodstains.

With these three mismatched individuals standing together, even the leader, who considered himself an experienced veteran of the jianghu, felt bewildered.

He exchanged cautious glances with his subordinates, then loudly shouted to the opposing group, "No matter who you are, the Seven Mysteries Sect is finished. Surrender, and your lives will be spared!"

Han Li smiled, then turned to Li Feiyu and asked, "Who's fighting? You or Qu Hun?"

Upon hearing this, Li Feiyu's eyes flashed fiercely. He sharply declared, "Judging by their attire, these are low-ranking disciples of the Broken Water Gate. I've been relentlessly pursued by the Wild Wolf Gang for so long; let me vent my frustration on them first! Plus, their weapons are exactly what I need."

With that, he shot out like a streak of light, instantly appearing before the green-clad man nearest to him.

The man was startled and about to brandish his steel saber when he suddenly felt his hand lighten; the weapon was already in the enemy's grasp. He hastily retreated in a panic, but it was too late. After a flash of white light before his eyes, his head was severed from his body.

Li Feiyu's series of movements were clean, swift, and lightning-fast. The other Broken Water Gate disciples hadn't even had time to react before he had seized the saber and killed the man.

The expressions of the remaining men changed dramatically, especially that of the scarred leader. Because his martial arts skills far surpassed the others, his heart sank the deepest. He clearly understood that they had encountered an incredibly formidable master, someone they absolutely could not contend with. Therefore, he decisively ordered:

"Everyone retreat! Save yourselves if you can! Quickly send a signal for expert reinforcements!"

This command jolted the other men in green. With a sudden rush, they abandoned their encircling formation and scattered in all directions. Some even reached into their robes as they ran, apparently to retrieve the aforementioned signal.

A green-clad man with two white lines embroidered on his sleeve ran the fastest, covering several yards in just a few bounds.

He was secretly delighted, convinced he had a chance to escape, when he suddenly felt a chill at the back of his neck. A half-inch sword tip emerged from his Adam's apple, then vanished instantly without a trace. He was horrified and wanted to scream, but his entire body felt drained, limp, and utterly powerless. He then watched helplessly as his body slowly collapsed, slumping supine onto the ground, unable to move.

Only then did he realize he had been stabbed through the throat from behind.

The green-clad man was filled with bitter reluctance. He had clearly run so far, so why had he died so quickly?

He laboriously turned his head to the side, finally witnessing his last sight before death: A dark figure flickered into existence behind one of the furthest fleeing green-clad men. After a swift, light sword thrust, the dark figure wavered slightly and vanished, only to instantly reappear behind another fellow disciple. The same white light flashed again. At this moment, the body of the previous disciple, who had been stabbed through the throat, was only just collapsing onto the grass, just like his own, with blood gushing from his throat.

After witnessing all this, the green-clad man died peacefully with a faint smile, knowing he wouldn't be alone. Many more would soon join him, for that ghostly dark figure would not let any of them escape.