Chapter 645

And this general, brimming with malevolence, radiated a chilling aura of slaughter that nearly overwhelmed them, clearly possessing terrifying power.

He didn't know why he'd barely left the Free Cave when these people found him, but before absolute power, he could only answer truthfully.

"Hand it over!"

The general signaled his men to retrieve the Deer-Cutting Knife, as if Xiao Shiyilang had already agreed.

"You are Qin Ruishi—are you Bai Qi, the Wu'an Jun of Great Qin?"

Feng Siniang recognized the iron cavalry and the general before her and suddenly spoke up.

"Correct! Who are you, to recognize this general?"

The man was indeed Bai Qi, the Wu'an Jun of Great Qin.

"I am of the Qinglong Society—these two are also…"

Feng Siniang, helpless, once again invoked the name of the Qinglong Society to prevent what had happened in the Free Cave from recurring.

She even told a small lie, claiming that Xiao Shiyilang and Shen Bijun were also of the Qinglong Society.

"What?"

Bai Qi's face darkened, his Ruishi grew solemn, and no one dared to take the Deer-Cutting Knife.

"This is the Eleventh Month Token."

Feng Siniang pulled out the token she had just retrieved.

"Though I do not wish to offend the Qinglong Society, I am determined to claim the Deer-Cutting Knife—hand it over!"

After much hesitation, Bai Qi spoke coldly,

"Hand over the Deer-Cutting Knife, and I will not trouble you."

"Here!"

Xiao Shiyilang did not value the Deer-Cutting Knife much; he was of the Guarding Blade Clan, but this was his first time seeing the Deer-Cutting Knife.

Hearing this man was the infamous butcher Bai Qi, Feng Siniang could deceive him for a moment, but not forever.

If he discovered that she and Shen Bijun were not of the Qinglong Society,

they would surely face pursuit and execution by Great Qin.

How could Xiao Shiyilang let Shen Bijun risk this? It was just a knife, after all.

Saying this, Xiao Shiyilang tossed the knife directly to Bai Qi.

Bai Qi's face lit up with delight and immediately reached out to catch the knife.

"You wretched brat, have you forgotten your own mission?"

At the critical moment, a black shadow suddenly blurred into a streak and snatched the Deer-Cutting Knife midair.

He even left behind a scolding rebuke directed at Xiao Shiyilang.

"Insolent! Stay where you are, general!"

How could the Deer-Cutting Knife, now in his grasp, fly away like this?

Enraged, Bai Qi unleashed his full aura of slaughter.

He was known as the Butcher, having killed countless lives in war.

Now, in fury, his killing aura became nearly tangible, sweeping across the heavens and earth toward the black shadow.

For Great Qin!

Bai Qi was the foremost of the hundred generals of the Great Qin Empire and famously a god of slaughter.

In its early days, the Great Qin Empire was merely one of the Seven States—the State of Qin.

Bai Qi led the Qin Ruishi, winning every battle, aided by great generals Wang Jian, Wang Ben, Meng Tian, Li Xin, and others.

Eventually, they conquered the Six States and established the present Great Qin Empire.

During the unification wars, Bai Qi killed countless lives.

At his peak, he once buried alive forty thousand surrendered soldiers in a single battle.

Thus, countless vengeful spirits clung to him.

Yet for the sake of Great Qin, he followed the Path of Slaughter.

Thus, his cultivation was forever stuck at the brink of the Mythic Realm.

Tormented by vengeful spirits and malevolence, his power could not advance further.

Yet his combat prowess was truly worthy of the Heavenly Dao Golden List!

So at this moment, when the mysterious figure seized the Deer-Cutting Knife, Bai Qi exploded in rage and unleashed his solidified killing aura.

Wherever this killing aura reached, everything turned crimson.

Finally, it caught up with the mysterious figure and dragged him into Bai Qi's crimson barrier.

"Who are you? How dare you steal the Deer-Cutting Knife from me?"

Once inside this crimson barrier, unless one's power surpassed Bai Qi's, one was at his mercy.

This technique was Bai Qi's unique killing art, forged by combining his killing aura, martial arts, and the Yin-Yang esoteric methods of the Yin-Yang School!

Now that the man was dragged into the crimson barrier, Bai Qi could sense his cultivation was merely the Heavenly Being Realm.

Within this Song Dynasty territory, he might be considered a formidable expert.

But to Bai Qi, he was no more than a grasshopper.

Thus, Bai Qi was curious—who exactly was this man?

"Wu'an Jun, the Deer-Cutting Knife is truly an ill-omened artifact. I know why you and Qin Huang seek it.

But forgive me for saying so—if you truly unlock its secrets, you will regret it beyond measure."

The man did not answer; instead, clutching the Deer-Cutting Knife, he spoke in warning.

At this moment, Xiao Shiyilang looked at the man and, hearing his voice, suddenly realized who he was.

Isn't this the mysterious man who gave you hints at Doll Shanzhuang and helped you find the way out?

Why did he risk his life to protect this knife?

And he has repeatedly been utterly ruthless toward you!

What exactly is the secret of the Cutting Deer Knife?

Lian Chengbi wants it, Bai Qi and Great Qin want it, yet this mysterious man wants to bury its secret?

Who is this mysterious man, and why does he seem so intimately familiar with the Cutting Deer Knife?

"It is said the Cutting Deer Knife was forged with great effort by the master smith Xu Luzi; after its completion, heaven and earth changed color, and heaven itself wept blood.

Xu Luzi deemed this knife inauspicious and entrusted the Xiao clan of that era to guard it, ensuring it never came to light.

Later, after many twists and turns, the Xiao clan gradually became known as the Knife-Guarding Clan.

You clearly know the knife's secret and risked your life to protect it—you must be from the Knife-Guarding Clan, correct?"

Bai Qi paid no heed to the mysterious man's warning, but sat calmly on his horse and slowly recounted the origin of the Cutting Deer Knife and the Knife-Guarding Clan.

Xiao Shiyilang, hearing that the Knife-Guarding Clan was originally the Xiao clan, felt a sudden stir within him.

If what Bai Qi said was true, was this man his own kin?

Then who exactly is this man?

"General Wu'an, you truly have wide knowledge—I am indeed from the Knife-Guarding Clan.

Let me say it again: this knife is inauspicious; its secret must not be uncovered, or the poison will spread endlessly.

I beg you, General Wu'an, to spare it!"

The man held the Cutting Deer Knife and continuously channeled his true qi to resist Bai Qi's blood-red barrier.

Yet this blood-red barrier was one of Bai Qi's deadliest techniques—how could it be so easily broken?

How could a Heavenly Being Realm cultivator break it so simply?

"The Knife-Guarding Clan suffered a great calamity twenty years ago, nearly wiped out; only Xiao Pei and his son Xiao Shiyilang survived.

Xiao Shiyilang, unaware of his heritage, wandered into the Great Song Jianghu.

Xiao Pei, however, changed his name and disguised himself as Er Guo Tou, hiding within Lian Family Fortress.

Are these words of mine correct, Xiao Pei?"

Bai Qi still ignored the man's words, instead slowly revealing the man's true identity.

Xiao Pei!

Father of Xiao Shiyilang?

Hearing Bai Qi say this so suddenly, Xiao Shiyilang trembled inside.

Coupled with this man's past words to him, and his inexplicable intrusion into Doll Shanzhuang to save him, and his desperate protection of the Cutting Deer Knife.