Chapter 17: You hit people like you're being coquettish

Under the setting sun, the deep mountains and old forests were all stained with a layer of red by fresh blood.

The shouts of killing never ceased.

Lin Zikai and Hei Gou led the Embroidered Uniform Guard in fighting their way all along.

But the Embroidered Uniform Guard are ultimately the Embroidered Uniform Guard; a bunch of scum who came up through crooked ways are no match for them.

Along the way there were dozens of corpses, only three of them were from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the rest were evil cultivators.

Lin Zikai wiped his blade, which was already full of nicks.

"How long have we been running?"

Hei Gou glanced at the red sun already half-hidden behind the mountains.

"I'd say we've been running for about two hours."

Lin Zikai's face darkened a little as he realized the worst situation had already occurred.

"From Ten Li Village to White Cloud County is only an hour's distance; by rights the carrier pigeon should have arrived already."

"But it hasn't come to reinforce us yet; that carrier pigeon must have been intercepted."

All the Embroidered Uniform Guard fell silent.

Looking at the ever-closer sounds of people, they all understood what that meant.

Lin Zikai spat out a mouthful of saliva mixed with blood.

"Damn it, let's fight them—killing one breaks even, killing two puts us ahead."

Having said that, Lin Zikai exploded forward, directly charging at the evil cultivators in the forest.

Just then, a blood-colored figure shot forward at extreme speed, a palm slamming into Lin Zikai's blade and sending him flying several meters.

A gloomy, eerie voice came.

"Embroidered Uniform Guard petty officer? Not bad strength."

Only see two red-robed middle-aged men walk out of the forest clearing; they appear to be two brothers.

One red-robed middle-aged man with a gaunt cheek smiled extremely sinisterly.

Lin Zikai steadied his stance, his face stern: "Acquired Realm?"

"Hei Gou, one each."

Having said that, Hei Gou and Lin Zikai raised their blades, one left, one right, and charged at the two men.

Hei Gou flipped his palm, swung hard, and a black sphere shot toward the middle-aged man.

With a bang.

The black ball suddenly exploded, blasting out a cloud of white powder that obscured the vision of one red-robed middle-aged man.

The next instant, Hei Gou leapt high and swung his blade at the red-robed middle-aged man's head.

But the next moment, a pallid hand reached out from the white mist, grabbed Hei Gou's neck with slight force, making him feel unable to breathe.

"Die for me"

Lin Zikai let out a loud shout and then charged at the other red-robed middle-aged man.

The red-robed middle-aged man grunted, seized Lin Zikai's steel blade with a slight force, and the blade instantly filled with cracks; the next moment.

With a bang.

The steel blade shattered into pieces.

Then a punch struck Lin Zikai's chest, blasting him backward and knocking over several large trees in succession.

He landed in a disheveled mess.

Lin Zikai struggled to prop himself up on the ground, leaning sideways against a tree stump, feeling as if every bone in his body had fallen apart.

But there was still one good thing.

His mouth was still tough.

"Evil cultivators are just evil cultivators; their punches are like tickling—are you a woman?"

"You hit people like you're being coquettish."

"It doesn't hurt at all!"

The mocked red-robed middle-aged man's pallid face darkened a few shades as he strode forward.

"Embroidered Uniform Guard? I'd like to see how hard your bones are."

Seeing a fist about to smash into Lin Zikai, he had already closed his eyes, awaiting death.

Suddenly, a black shadow darted through the forest, stepping with Carefree Step and rushing in to attack.

With a swish.

Shen Qing's fist pierced straight through the red-robed middle-aged man's chest.

The red-robed middle-aged man lowered his head in disbelief: "How... what's happening?"

The next moment, a hand also pierced out from the other side of his chest.

Shen Qing exerted a little more force, and the red-robed middle-aged man was torn in two by him.

Fresh blood drenched Lin Zikai from head to toe; just as he was dazed, Shen Qing grabbed his arm and lifted him up.

"How are you? All right?"

Lin Zikai came to his senses, feeling only a wetness at the corner of his eye.

Looking at Shen Qing, who stood half a head taller beside him, he felt that Shen Qing's body now seemed to radiate endless brilliance.

He seemed to have seen.

His god.

Lin Zikai wiped the corner of his eye.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!"

Another red‑robed middle‑aged person stared blankly, casually flung the black dog to one side, their face full of fear.

"Who are you?"

Shen Qing flashed and sent half of the red‑robed middle‑aged person's head flying.

"Where did this idiot come from? You don't know me, and you don't even recognize my clothes?"

Shen Qing couldn't be bothered to interrogate such a person—they're too stupid; questioning them would yield nothing.

Shouts of killing also came from the forest; a scholar leading a troop of Embroidered Uniform Guard had rushed in, and with the addition of over twenty people, the battle situation quickly shifted.

The prey had become the hunter again.

Lin Zikai limped forward and helped the black dog to its feet; true to its nature, the black dog had a sturdy frame and, after a few breaths of adjustment, stood steady.

Shen Qing walked over and, with a casual flick, tossed out two healing pills.

"Eat them first."

"We'll talk later."

The black dog and Lin Zikai didn't hesitate, gulled the pills down whole, then hastily closed their eyes to refine them.

Not long after, the two simply did a basic treatment; being able to stand up was enough.

Shen Qing had them tend to their wounds out of concern for his/her subordinates, but they couldn't be clueless—they really should properly heal so Shen Qing wouldn't have to wait.

Lin Zikai opened his eyes and spat out a mouthful of congealed blood.

Shen Qing glanced at the two and asked, "All right?"

Lin Zikai nodded, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said, "All right."

"Then let's hear what's going on."

Lin Zikai immediately began his account, with the black dog adding details on the side, and Shen Qing soon figured out the general situation.

In Ten Li Village, people have been disappearing recently; the local magistrate's office found no leads and reported the matter to the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Lin Zikai and the black dog decided to come check things out; luckily, they caught a tongue, learned these people's lair, and discovered it was a gang operation.

Lin Zikai's group managed to reach the enemy's lair, only to discover it was a band of evil cultivators who were also holding many people captive.

After that, Lin Zikai and the black dog were chased all the way.

Lin Zikai probed, asking, "Sir, what should we do? Should we report to the Luo Water City Pacification Office?"

"Ask for instructions? If you rely on asking for instructions, you won't get to eat any hot dish."

"Ask for instructions to Luo Water City? A carrier pigeon round‑trip takes two or three days; by the time the report is finished, they'll have vanished."

Shen Qing casually ripped a clean strip of cloth from a corpse at his/her feet and wiped his/her hands.

"Lead the way—I want to see what sort of thing dares to cause trouble on my turf."