Chapter 61: Bloody Breakout, Hearing the Terrible News

Half a month later.

Nightfall.

The heavy snow that had fallen some days ago had mostly melted; in the pitch-black residence, Lin Xingchao and his apprentice Xi Beichen changed into Night Suits and buckled on their long swords.

Inside the room, although it was not the first time, Gu Yourong still said with concern: "Master, Senior Brother, be extremely careful on this trip. I will wait for you both to return at home."

Xi Beichen smiled: "It is just a Prefecture Hall Assistant Magistrate, someone without the strength to truss a chicken. Junior Sister, rest assured."

Lin Xingchao also smiled faintly: "Rong'er, just rest first; no need to wait for us."

Having said this, he and Xi Beichen pushed the door open and went out.

After leaving the residence, the two figures almost merged into the darkness, heading straight toward the center of the city.

The night was vast; occasionally, night watchmen and street patrol squads could be seen on the streets, but this pair of master and apprentice were like formless ghosts, passing through street after street in total silence. They soon traveled over ten miles and then stopped at a street corner.

They saw that more than twenty zhang away, diagonally opposite.

A grand mansion stood tall, with the two characters "Liu Mansion" inscribed on the plaque in the center. Lanterns hung on the surrounding walls, illuminating the area brightly; it was clearly the home of a powerful and wealthy family.

Liu Yunhan, Prefecture Hall Assistant Magistrate of Fengyang Prefecture, a Rank Six Official; although he could not be considered a high-ranking official, he was still a notable figure of power and influence in this East City.

And just like the targets they had sought before, this Liu Yunhan was also notoriously corrupt and abused his power for personal gain. No matter how serious the crimes committed by the children of the powerful and wealthy in the city, as long as it was not treason, they could always find a way to smooth things over through him.

Ever since the Qingyike situation intensified, Liu Yunhan had also been terrified, immediately claiming illness to recuperate and hiding in his home like an ostrich; it had now been a full month.

Although this person could not be considered as having committed every evil, he was certainly deserving of death. Furthermore, now that many of the evil bullies and local tyrants in the East City who had guilty consciences had already fled, he naturally became Lin Xingchao's target.

Having already repeatedly scouted the location during this period, the master and apprentice pair, Lin Xingchao and Xi Beichen, exchanged no words but tacitly circled to the back of the Liu Mansion, silently vaulted over the ten-foot-high wall, and then scanned the area with their eyes.

Unlike ordinary households that could not afford lamp oil, lanterns were hung every ten steps along the corridors of the Liu Mansion's courtyard. Although this was unfavorable for infiltration, it allowed one to see the situation inside the residence at a glance.

The Liu Mansion was also a large residence with three courtyards; Lin Xingchao scanned it briefly, determined the direction, and then made a gesture.

Xi Beichen understood, followed the other lightly as they landed in the residence, and then crept toward the direction of the main courtyard.

However.

Just as the master and apprentice had snuck into the main courtyard and found the main room suspected to be where Liu Yunhan lived.

Xi Beichen was about to go to the front of the room to investigate, but Lin Xingchao seemed to have sensed something and suddenly pulled him back:

"Something's wrong!"

Swoosh!

Almost at the same moment he spoke, a point of starlight suddenly broke through the window from the pitch-black main room ahead and shot toward them!

Lin Xingchao instantly drew his sword, the sword light cutting through the darkness like lightning to strike the incoming starlight.

Only a clanging sound was heard; that point of starlight was knocked back by the sword, and it was shockingly a steel needle nearly three inches long and as thick as a little finger!

After being knocked back, the steel needle did not fall to the ground; instead, it seemed to possess life as it wove through the air, launching extremely swift assassinations at Lin Xingchao amidst shrill whistling sounds!

What was worse, two more sharp points of starlight flew in from the darkness on the left and right, forming a pincer attack!

"An ambush!"

Lin Xingchao's sword light lashed out in shock and anger like a storm, parrying the flying needles while he shouted sharply:

"Controlling weapons to assassinate—this is a Fifth Realm master! Run!"

Knowing that they had fallen into a trap, Xi Beichen felt his hair stand on end, but he did not hesitate in the slightest, turning and sprinting away.

It was not that he was afraid of death.

Lin Xingchao was, after all, a Fifth Realm Refining Blood Martial Artist with formidable strength; it was basically impossible to keep him there unless a large force of elite troops and Firearm users surrounded him.

On the contrary, he, as the apprentice acting as a helper, had a cultivation level not yet at the Fourth Realm and was a burden. Only if he retreated first could Lin Xingchao be free of worries!

However.

Just as Xi Beichen turned and sprinted away.

In the corridor ahead, a figure suddenly appeared, carrying a fierce blade light and charging over with aggressive momentum.

Clang!

Xi Beichen raised his sword, and a violent sound of metal clashing rang out; his body was suddenly shaken violently as he retreated.

Sagele, who had been lying in ambush for a long time and suddenly appeared, grinned and shook him: "Little thief, the Martial Justice Department has been waiting for you for a long time!"

As he spoke, he took a step forward, his Qi and blood surging as a sound like Thunder Sound emanated from his whole body. The sinister and fierce blade light was like a sudden clap of thunder, striking directly at Xi Beichen's head!

Fourth Realm Thunder Sound—it was a Duyuan of the Martial Justice Department!

Sagele's offensive momentum was swift and peerless, and there were many more footsteps approaching nearby. In this instant, Xi Beichen felt his body and mind turn cold, falling into an abyss.

This was clearly a trap specifically prepared for Qingyike; he understood that both he and his master, Lin Xingchao, had been careless!

Facing a life-and-death crisis.

He roared, the sword edge in his hand vibrating, and as it swirled, a swimming dragon seemed to lunge out from before him, stabbing toward Sagele without any regard for his own safety.

"Hmph!"

If he ignored it, although he could cut off his opponent's head with one strike, he would also have his throat pierced. Sagele could only snort coldly and suddenly change his move:

Clang, clang, clang, clang—!

The blade and sword edges collided fiercely and intensely, becoming white-hot in an instant. The two collided like a meteor hitting the earth; waves of sharp explosions, the bursting of wind, and the clashing of metal resounded everywhere in an instant.

Although Xi Beichen's cultivation was not as good as Sagele's, under this desperate, fearless momentum, he actually fought to a draw with his opponent!

But immediately after.

Bang, bang, bang!

The sound of gunfire and explosions shot into the night sky. Xi Beichen, who was fighting fiercely with Sagele and trying to break out, suddenly had flowers of blood burst from his back!

Under the massive impact, he groaned, and his sword technique immediately developed a huge opening. Sagele, who was fighting him, grinned and slashed his long sword away with one blade, then punched him fiercely in the chest.

With a bang!

Amidst the sound of snapping bones, Xi Beichen spat out a mouthful of blood, his entire body flying sideways powerlessly. After sliding across a distance of several zhang, he fell heavily to the ground and lay motionless.

And as he fell, he used all his strength to roar:

"Master, don't worry about me, run quickly—!"

As soon as the voice fell, he collapsed backward, his life or death unknown.

"Beichen!"

Lin Xingchao, who was still being besieged by three steel needles in the main courtyard, was filled with shock and fury. In his rage, the sword blade in his hand erupted with a sharp, ringing sound, and at the same time, the sword light swept out like a violent storm!

Clang, clang, clang—!

Following three loud, metallic ringing sounds, all three flying needles, which were darting about like meteors, were fiercely swiped away several feet. Lin Xingchao took this opportunity to dash out, heading straight for the spot where Xi Beichen had fallen.

The distance between the two was less than a few feet; with his formidable Martial Arts at the level of a Refining Blood Martial Artist, he could reach him in a single leap. However, just as he prepared to snatch up the heavily wounded and fallen Xi Beichen, the sound of gunfire and muzzle flashes erupted in his ears again!

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

Following a dozen gunshots, although Lin Xingchao dodged with extreme speed, two or three spots on his body suddenly burst with blood flowers; he had clearly been hit by the Firearm.

His figure flashed rapidly to dodge the bullets, and with a fierce, murderous gaze, he saw Sagele, Li Zhenguang, and eight or nine Jingwu Division Colonels and elites appearing from nowhere, holding Firearms and firing at him continuously.

With Xi Beichen's life or death unknown, Lin Xingchao already hated these people to the core. He stomped, shattering the blue bricks beneath his feet, and a silver sword glow, like a ribbon of silk, tore through the shadows and light like a swimming dragon, heading straight for the few Jingwu Division officers closest to him.

Seeing Lin Xingchao pouncing over, the two Duyuan, Sagele and Li Zhenguang, felt a chill in their hearts and instinctively retreated wildly. Meanwhile, one Colonel and three experts who were closer had no idea what had happened before their throats were split open, blood spraying wildly, and they collapsed to the ground powerlessly, clutching their necks in extreme terror and pain.

While these people were collapsing, Lin Xingchao's figure was like light smoke and light, the silver sword glow in his hand turning into bursting lightning, flashing continuously. Sagele could not dodge in time, and a deep wound suddenly burst open on his chest; he was only a hair's breadth away from being disemboweled!

But at this moment.

Whoosh—!

In the main courtyard behind, three figures wearing Daoist buns also chased up rapidly. The Daoist in the lead, a man over fifty, pinched an incantation seal and let out a soft shout. A sharp, light-like radiance whistled loudly, shooting toward Lin Xingchao like an arrow fired from a heavy crossbow.

The speed of this strike was almost comparable to a bullet from a Firearm. Although Lin Xingchao reacted instantly to dodge, because he had been shot, the steel needle still pierced through his shoulder, leaving a deep, bloody hole.

The other two Daoists also took advantage of the victory to pursue, simultaneously using strange methods to control the steel needles and attacking Lin Xingchao again; the Jingwu Division elites also shouted while retreating, continuing to fire with their Firearms.

Although the wounds on his body were not fatal, they severely affected his combat effectiveness.

In such a situation, it was absolutely impossible to save Xi Beichen. Lin Xingchao roared, and while turning, he kicked the two corpses at his feet to collide with the flying needles and the rain of bullets. At the same time, he took the opportunity to dash out, breaking through the encirclement like lightning and leaping over the wall.

In the blink of an eye, despite being surrounded by the crowd, Lin Xingchao still broke through the siege and successfully retreated.

"Unreasonable."

Seeing Lin Xingchao's figure disappear, the heavily wounded Sagele clutched his wound tightly, both shocked and furious, and roared:

"Chase him! Don't let him run!"

However, among the three Daoists opposite, the one in the lead with a refined appearance shook his head and said:

"In my opinion, do not pursue a desperate foe. That person just now was a Fifth Realm Refining Blood Martial Artist; if you all chase after him, I fear it will be difficult to return alive."

"Indeed, we cannot pursue!"

Looking at the four corpses of the Jingwu Division elites on the ground, Li Zhenguang was also covered in cold sweat, his expression one of lingering fear:

"Damn it, I originally thought he was just a petty thief impersonating Qingyike, but I never expected him to be such a great expert..."

A Fifth Realm Refining Blood Martial Artist is a great expert on the same level as their Jingwu Division Commander, Suo Helie.

Such a person has inhumanly vigorous blood and Qi, possesses ten thousand catties of strength in every movement, and can fight and kill hundreds of armored elites single-handedly; they are fierce and formidable.

If it weren't for the fact that Youxian Temple Master Chen Chuanying and others were here to restrain him with Daoist Arts today, their entire group might have died.

The key is.

No one expected that the fake Qingyike would also be such a fierce character.

Chen Chuanying said solemnly:

"It is a pity. We have been waiting here for over half a month, but the one who arrived was a fake. I wonder why someone with such Martial Arts would impersonate Qingyike?"

Li Zhenguang said with an ugly expression: "Qingyike hasn't appeared, and this fake one has run away. How are we supposed to report to Commander Suo?"

"What are you afraid of? That fake was hit by a bullet; he won't be able to run far for a while. We just need to notify the Commander immediately to seal the city gates, and if we scour the ground three feet deep, we will definitely be able to find this person!"

Sagele, who had nearly died under Lin Xingchao's sword, walked hatefully to the side of Xi Beichen, who had collapsed and was motionless. After kicking him and checking, he grinned hideously:

"Besides, I intentionally held back earlier. This fake Qingyike's helper still has a breath left in him. If we can save him, he can help us find the real one!"

"Temple Master Chen, please trouble yourself to help us take this thief to the Jingwu Division first, so as to prevent that thief from making a return strike!"

At the same time.

Completely unaware of what had happened in the outside world.

The night was deep, and the entire back garden was silent. Lu Yuan sat cross-legged in his room, motionless.

With a plentiful supply of finished Pills with excellent effects, and after being harmonized by the Tiaohe Zhishu, their potency greatly increased, providing a vast amount of essence and Qi.

As the Guiding Technique circulated, a large amount of essence and Qi was refined into True Qi, flowing into his dantian and Meridians.

As of now, he had already condensed six wisps of Dharma Power and was about to condense the seventh.

Although this level of Dharma Power was still low, it was far stronger than when he had just started Refining Essence into Qi. Whether it was Invisibility, terrain, or harmonization, the duration and number of times he could use these arts had greatly increased.

Just like this, he did not know how much time had passed.

Suddenly, a slight movement came from outside the room, and Lu Yuan opened his eyes abruptly.

Afterward, he saw the figure of Xu Dahu arrive at his door. After knocking twice, he said urgently: "Junior Brother, get up quickly. Something has happened to the Junior Martial Uncle, and Master is calling us to go to him now!"

Lu Yuan's gaze sharpened; he threw on his clothes, got off the bed, and pushed the door open.

In another room, Xu Erhu had also just put on his clothes and come out. The three of them immediately headed to Li Junxian's small courtyard.

Upon entering the room, they saw an oil lamp lit. Lin Xingchao was sitting by the table with his upper body bare and his face ashen. There were several bloody holes on his shoulder and waist, which looked quite serious.

Beside him, Gu Yourong's eyes were red, and Li Junxian was treating his wounds with a solemn expression.

Lu Yuan and the other two, who had just entered, were all startled and asked immediately:

"Junior Martial Uncle, what happened!?"

"Who hurt you!?"

"Where is Senior Brother Xi?"

In Lin Xingchao's eyes, there was rage, regret, and self-reproach:

"In order to lure Qingyike into appearing, we sought out a corrupt official named Liu Yunhan as a target to strike at, yet this time we were paralyzed by carelessness and inadvertently stumbled into a net laid by the Martial Peace Bureau. They had ambushed a Fifth Realm high-level mage, as well as two Fourth Realm mid-level mages and two Thunder Sound Great Martial Masters, along with several other elites, inside Liu Yunhan's residence."

"With so many experts lying in ambush, although I wanted to take Beichen with me to break through the encirclement, I lacked the strength to do so; he fell victim to two Martial Peace Bureau Duyuan on the spot, his life or death unknown, and only I managed to escape."

(End of chapter)