Chapter 187: Kill!

A force of over a hundred men marched swiftly through the mountains and forests.

Half an hour later, they arrived at Yanhu Shanzhai.

The gates of Yanhu Shanzhai were tightly shut; atop the ramparts stood dozens of bandits armed with blades, bows, and crossbows—the atmosphere tense.

As Wu Guanglin and his men arrived, both sides formed a standoff.

"Gong Rentai! Come out here, you coward!"

Wu Guanglin's voice boomed like a bell, radiating the pressure of a Earth Altar Realm peak cultivator, causing the bandits on the wall to churn with turbulent blood and qi.

"Quick… quick, go get the Second Boss!"

"Feisha Shanzhai has attacked our gate!"

"…"

Panic erupted on the ramparts; shadows darted in all directions.

Soon, the gates opened, and a middle-aged man in a scholar's long robe, thin-faced but with piercing eyes, stepped out followed by a group of experts.

It was Gong Rentai, the Second Boss of Yanhu Shanzhai, also a Earth Altar Realm peak cultivator.

"Wu Guanglin, why are you blocking my gate with your men so early in the morning?" Gong Rentai demanded, his expression dark.

"Reason?"

Wu Guanglin sneered, pointing to the dozen or so corpses covered in Bai Bu that had been brought along, and roared, "Your Yanhu Shanzhai member Ge Qingsong murdered my Feisha Shanzhai Ninth Boss Guo Zhanggui and over a dozen of his men without cause on the outskirts of Cang Mountain yesterday! That's the reason! Hand over Ge Qingsong!"

"Hand him over!"

"Hand him over!"

"…"

The men of Feisha Shanzhai shouted in unison.

Chen Mu, mixed among them, joined in the cry.

"Without cause?"

Gong Rentai's face changed slightly; he exclaimed in shock and suspicion, "Brother Ge did go out yesterday, but he hasn't returned yet. Wu Guanglin, don't slander us with lies! Do you have proof?"

"One of my men, Hu San, witnessed it with his own eyes! How could it be false?!"

Wu Guanglin roared, "What was Ge Qingsong doing when he left yesterday? If you can't explain clearly, this matter will not end peacefully!"

Gong Rentai frowned deeply, his mind filled with doubt—Ge Qingsong had vanished, and now Feisha Shanzhai had come knocking…

He was about to explain that Ge Qingsong had left on a secret mission ordered by the First Boss—but before he could speak—

Sudden change!

Chen Mu, hidden among the Feisha Shanzhai crowd, flashed a cold gleam in his eyes and struck suddenly!

He did not use any qi—relying purely on physical strength—he slammed a punch through the air at a Yanhu Shanzhai member standing two meters away, locked in standoff with Feisha Shanzhai bandits.

Huu~~!

A condensed, whirling fist wind shot through the air so fast that others barely registered it before it struck.

"Puh!"

The Yanhu Shanzhai member, only at Post-Heaven Fifth Stage, had no time to react—his chest caved in as if crushed by a giant hammer; he spat blood, flew backward, slammed into the wall, and died instantly.

This sudden punch ignited a powder keg.

"Damn it! The Feisha Shanzhai bastards attacked!"

"Kill them! Avenge our brothers!"

"Die, Feisha dog pups!"

"…"

The Yanhu Shanzhai men's eyes turned red; they roared and charged forward with swords raised!

Seeing the enemy suddenly "strike to kill," the Feisha Shanzhai side was stunned and furious; with blades and swords already upon them, they had no time for hesitation.

"Kill~!"

"Avenge the Ninth Boss!"

"Kill!"

…

"Is this your Yanhu Shanzhai's idea of justice?"

Wu Guanglin, enraged by the turn of events, believed Yanhu Shanzhai was trying to silence them—he roared, drew his blade, and charged toward Gong Rentai!

"You…"

Gong Rentai, shocked and furious, tried to explain—but it was too late; he could only fight back.

In an instant, the elite forces of the two bandit strongholds clashed violently before the gate.

Bang! Bang! Bang~

Puch~!

Boom!

"Aaah~!"

"…"

Muffled impacts, explosive cracks, furious roars.

Before the gate of Yanhu Shanzhai, it became a bloody battlefield of slaughter.

The two forces surged like crashing tides, colliding and merging into a chaotic mass.

Blades flashed, sword qi crisscrossed; the dull thuds of fists and palms clashing rang endlessly alongside the clang of steel.

Wild qi shot in all directions, gouging furrows into the ground, stirring up dust and broken grass.

"Charge~!"

"Kill! Kill every last one of these bastards!"

"Hold them off!"

"……

Screams, roars, and battle cries wove together; at every moment, men sprayed blood and fell to the ground.

【Corpse detected. Pick up?】

"Yes!"

【Corpse detected. Pick up?】

"Yes!"

……

Amidst the crowd, Chen Mu was also killing, meanwhile picking up card after card.

But most were focused on the battle in the air.

Above the gate of Yanhu Zhai, two terrifying, formidable figures clashed fiercely — it was Gong Rentai and Wu Guanglin, both at the Earth Altar Realm's Peak of Crown Formation!

The two hovered midair, their true qi surging like tidal waves.

Wu Guanglin, consumed by rage, swung his heavy-backed chopping blade like a storm of rain and wind; each slash carried the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, crimson blade aura tearing through the air, carrying searing heat as he rained down furious attacks upon Gong Rentai.

Gong Rentai held a pair of judge's pens, his movements precise — tapping, jabbing, thrusting, slashing — guarding his entire body with impenetrable defense; his azure true qi flowed like water, dissolving Wu Guanglin's brutal assaults.

Every collision between them erupted with a thunderous boom; powerful shockwaves spread outward, twisting the air below and raising visible ripples, forcing the fighters below to retreat from the core of their battle.

Yet, those with sharp eyes could see Gong Rentai was on the defensive.

Because he harbored doubts — why had Ge Qingsong killed Guo Zhanggui?

Yanhu Zhai indeed had a grudge with Feisha Zhai.

But both leaders knew well: minor skirmishes were acceptable.

A large-scale war would only result in mutual destruction, benefiting Langwang Zhai and Jumu Zhai…

Thus, both leaders maintained a tacit understanding.

Under these circumstances, Ge Qingsong's killing of Guo Zhanggui came far too abruptly!

Therefore, facing Wu Guanglin's frenzy, Gong Rentai used only five-tenths of his strength, focusing mostly on defense and maneuvering, trying to uncover the truth.

"Wu Guanglin, stop! This matter is suspicious! My third brother has yet to return — there must be a trick!" Gong Rentai shouted urgently as he parried a sharp blade aura with his pen.

"Bullshit! Witnesses and evidence are clear — still dare to lie? Today, I'll take your life to atone for my ninth brother!"

Wu Guanglin, blinded by rage, refused to listen; his attacks grew even more frenzied, each blade aimed unerringly at Gong Rentai's vital points, forcing him to retreat step by step.

Just as Gong Rentai, distracted by his explanation, drifted backward to create distance —

Chen Mu, who had been hidden in the chaos below, watching coldly, flashed a glint of icy light in his eyes.

He extended two fingers like a sword, silently pointing toward the air where Gong Rentai hovered…

Two Yin Yang Sword Qi — Yin Sword!

An invisible, intangible, shadowless Yin-cold sword qi, perceptible only faintly by spiritual force, crossed space at a speed beyond thought, striking with pinpoint accuracy at the slight opening in Gong Rentai's abdomen exposed by his retreat.

Gong Rentai was fully focused on warding off Wu Guanglin's onslaught, and since this "Yin Sword" left no warning and emitted no aura, by the time he sensed the faintest hint of lethal cold, it was already too late to fully evade.