Chapter 671: Three Paths (3/10, Autumn Subscription)

The gang leader knew he couldn't beat Fang Yue, couldn't outrun Fang Yue, so this moment was almost certainly a death sentence.

But the gang leader truly didn't understand.

This Ye Niuniu and the strange creature's coordinated movements were like a human martial artist and a strange working together to hunt—perfectly synchronized, with extraordinary chemistry.

Looking back, the turning point began when this 【Nuomian Gui】 appeared.

Originally, the five had joined forces and were barely suppressing Fang Yue, but then the strange appeared, plus the chaos, turning things into this situation.

Doesn't this feel like… Fang Yue is the inside agent planted by this strange?

Before he could ask, Fang Yue's figure flashed, leaping off the horse's back, slashing a knife down toward his chest.

"Wait—"

Ssshh—

A pain in his chest—his heart was precisely pierced through.

The gang leader's eyes widened, mouth opening to speak, but blood choked his throat, gushing out as his breath slowly faded until silence.

【Zhangzui Xiaoshou】 surged up from the ground at this moment, like a row of sharp teeth growing from the earth, swallowing the gang leader's corpse.

Fang Yue watched as the 【Nuomian Gui】 digested the gang leader's body; occasionally, blood seeped out from among the clustered small hands, his expression grim.

Although this 【Nuomian Gui】 had once guided him, he never thought it had any good intentions.

A strange is a strange—how could it possibly help humans with good intent!

System Prompt: Congratulations, player 【Yese Liming】, you have slain 【Zeibang Zeishou】. Comprehension increased by 0.3 points.

System Prompt: Congratulations, player 【Yese Liming】, you have slain 【Zeibang Zeishou】. Reward: Control Power +0, Dissipate Power +0, Lifespan +3 years, 【Guijing】 progress +20%.

System Prompt: Congratulations, player 【Yese Liming】, your Control Power has reached the realm's upper limit and has been converted into 【Realm Breakthrough Progress】.

As the Zeibang Zeishou, a mid-level human expert, the gang leader's reward was still substantial, leaving Fang Yue pleasantly surprised.

He glanced at the rewards for the other top ten Zeibang killers.

System Prompt: Congratulations, player 【Yese Liming】, you have slain 【Zeibang Zeishou Zhi Two】. Comprehension increased by 0.2 points.

System Prompt: Congratulations, player 【Yese Liming】, you have slain 【Zeibang Zeishou Zhi Two】. Reward: 【Guijing】 progress +10%.

System Prompt: …slain 【Zeibang Zeishou Zhi Three】, Comprehension +0.2, 【Guijing】 progress +10%.

System Prompt: …slain 【Zeibang Zeishou Zhi Four】, Comprehension +0.1, 【Guijing】 progress +5%.

System Prompt: …slain 【Zeibang Zeishou Zhi Five】, Comprehension +0.1, 【Guijing】 progress +5%.

System Prompt: …slain 【Zeibang Zeishou Zhi Seven】, Comprehension +0.1, 【Guijing】 progress +3%.

Fang Yue checked the system prompts and realized the other top ten Night Thieves had also been killed—he'd even gotten assist credit.

But then again, at that time, they'd already been wounded by him, severely injured—Heavy Injury.

Back then, surrounded by five, he hadn't had time to finish them off; they must've been finished later by the 【Nuomian Gui】.

Summarizing his gains, Fang Yue realized that even without the attribute rewards from killing Night Thieves, just turning in their heads to the Government for bounties would net him a fortune.

This trip was a massive windfall.

Fang Yue felt a surge of excitement, most importantly because An Dong'er had finally been heard from.

The immediate priority was returning to 【Chunuan City】 to capture Tai Yuema and question him about Niu Niu's whereabouts.

He checked his stats.

Name: Yese Liming.

Guijing: Blood Grade High 【68%】.

Status: Strange Curse 【Wu Yu】, —.

Comprehension: 9.5. 【Special Attribute】

Lifespan: 23 years 3 months.

Realm Breakthrough Progress: 75%.

Aside from the transparent status in the status bar, which worried him, everything else showed encouraging growth.

While Fang Yue was organizing his gains, the 【Nuomian Gui】 had already "eaten" the gang leader's corpse, leaving not even a head.

This meant that to claim the Government bounty, he'd have to wait for them to slowly investigate and confirm the results before he could collect his reward.

At this moment, rows of 【Zhangzui Xiaoshou】, like hungry babies, rose and fell around Fang Yue.

Gripping his black blade, Fang Yue made no move, only watching them warily.

At first, the excited 【Zhangzui Xiaoshou】 seemed agitated and joyful.

But as they noticed Fang Yue wasn't killing anyone or seeking new targets, their rising and falling motions slowed, as if confused why he still wasn't working.

Slowly, the 【Zhangzui Xiaoshou】 sank into the ground, then reemerged—this time, their targets were clearly Fang Yue's 【Liehong Horse】.

"Don't you dare touch my Liehong Horse!"

Fang Yue roared—and the 【Nuomian Gui】 instantly retreated into the ground.

But now, the 【Nuomian Gui】 seemed to realize Fang Yue had stopped hunting, no longer intending to continue.

Rows of small hands rose again around Fang Yue, undulating like before.

But this time, all their fangs were aimed squarely at Fang Yue himself.

"So the true nature finally shows."

Fang Yue sneered.

He'd wanted to ride off on the horse, but this thing had once appeared directly on the 【Liehong Horse】—if he didn't deal with it now, it'd cause trouble mid-journey.

He gathered his inner power and slashed…

Ding!!

The unbreakable solid black blade bounced back from the 【Zhangzui Xiaoshou】's arms.

This thing was unexpectedly hard!

Fang Yue immediately understood the pain the bandit chief had felt before.

And at this moment…

Sssssss!

Dozens of multicolored arms shot up from the ground around Fang Yue, blocking his vision and forming the shape of a birdcage.

It was clearly the same technique previously used against the bandit chief—now turned against Fang Yue.

"Break!"

With a sharp cry, Fang Yue poured his inner power into the blade; as black qi coiled around it, the black knife's impact on the "birdcage" surged dramatically, carving a perfect arc and shattering the cage.

As light poured in, Fang Yue lunged forward.

But in the next instant, more tiny hands sprouted from his thighs like bamboo shoots after rain, their long fingers piercing flesh and digging into bone.

Overwhelmed by the pain, Fang Yue slashed off all the tiny hands on his legs with one stroke, retreated violently to his horse, and panted slightly.

And at that moment, a coffin made entirely of multicolored tiny hands suddenly rose from the ground.

To Fang Yue's shock, the upright coffin opened.

Standing inside was—another Fang Yue!

More precisely, it was a human form constructed and layered entirely from multicolored tiny hands, nearly identical in appearance to Fang Yue.

But its body and skin were composed entirely of Nuomian Gui's tiny hands.

Most terrifying of all… the "counterfeit Fang Yue" slowly revealed a "Disaster Mark" on its forehead—one, two… three!

(End of Chapter)