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Everyone looked at Wang Luori with wary eyes.

“Don’t think we don’t know what you’re doing! You’re just trying to sow dissension and take us to the grave with you!”

Husband suddenly spoke up, “You killed our brothers and sisters and ruined our grand plan for Luo Shui. If Hill Lord Wang kills you, we’d only be infinitely grateful for him for redeeming our sect’s dignity. Why would we ever sell out his secret?”

“Besides, we would be a direct participant in your murder. If the news is leaked, the Pacification Bureau would come after us as well. Why would we put our own lives in danger?”

“Yeah, yeah!”

“He’s totally right!”

Fang Baiyu and the others hurriedly nodded in agreement.

“Haha! It’s one thing if someone else says it, but you? A Taiping cultist?” Ye Qing snorted out loud. “Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t know how the Way of Taiping operates? If Hill Lord Wang lets you go free, I’m one hundred percent certain you’ll hold my murder over his head and order him around like a slave. It would be a worse fate than even the Pacification Bureau finding out about this!”

“Am I right, Hill Lord Wang?”

Wang Luori didn’t say anything. No one could say what he was thinking as his face was covered.

“Oh, right! Allow me to enlighten you all on another secret.”

“You probably don’t know this, but Hill Lord Wang is the true mastermind behind all this. You see, he’s the one who spread the news that I ruined the Way of Taiping’s plans, and if I’m not mistaken, the one who designed the bounty as well. The Way of Taiping allowed it only because it suited their needs.”

Ye Qing then looked at Fang Baiyu and Crow Superior. “As for you guys, you were the idiots who were tricked into attacking me. It’s because he wants me dead, of course! Incredible, isn’t it? Hill Lord Wang sure put a lot of thought and effort into killing me!”

“How did you find out about this?” A steely glint flickered behind Wang Luori’s eyes. The absence of denial was basically an admission.

“Run!”

Husband, Wife, Paper Celestial and Dog King exchanged a glance with each other before breaking into a run.

Fang Baiyu and Crow Superior took off in different directions as well.

If before, there was still a chance they might be able to persuade Wang Luori into letting them go, now it was outright impossible.

Wang Luori had manipulated the Way of Taiping for his goals. What would they do if they found out about this? They would hunt him, his family, his sect and everyone else related to him to the ends of the earth!

Wang Luori had tricked the people of the jianghu for his objective. What would they do if they found out about this?

He would become the target of the entire jianghu!

Some things in the jianghu could be done, but not said.

After all, saying it usually resulted in a bloody feud or the annihilation of an entire sect or clan.

Sure, Ye Qing was the one who said those secrets, but from the moment they entered their ears, there was no turning back. It was them or Wang Luori.

The moment the four Taiping cultists made their move, so did Wang Luori. He used Earth Contraction to get in front of them and threw out a punch that resembled a sunset.

A powerful force locked down the space surrounding them at the same time as his fist intent swelled like the sun. Every plant within tens of meters of the Hill Lord instantly turned into ash, while the soil and stone turned ashen black.

Dog King and Paper Celestial were no match for him. Their faces instantly turned bright red, and their skin cracked from how dry it was. They staggered backward.

The only reason they hadn’t died yet was because their two early-stage Spirit Purifiers, Husband and Wife, were bearing the brunt of the attack. But just barely. A Half-Step Spirit Master was someone who had entered the Spirit Master Realm in terms of qi, power, and will. Had his mind and spirit entered the Spirit Master Realm as well, then he would be a Spirit Master already.

“Are you really going to make an enemy out of the Way of Taiping, Wang Luori?”

Husband and Wife were miffed to say the least. Everyone was running, but Wang Luori chose them instead of the others. Was he implying that they were easier to kill?

“Even if you managed to kill us, those jianghu warriors would still tell everyone the truth. When that happens, you’ll be hunted by both the jianghu and the Way of Taiping!”

“Don’t worry. No one is making it out of this place alive,” Wang Luori sneered and slowed his attack just a tad so they could figure out what he was talking about.

It was only now Husband and Wife realized that Fang Baiyu and Crow Superior were being held back by a group of nineteen. Although that group only had one Spirit Purifier—and that Spirit Purifier was keeping Crow Superior busy right now—the rest operated like a single entity. Individually, the eighteen warriors were just Half-Step Astral Refiners. But together, they somehow managed to pin down Fang Baiyu, a Spirit Purifier.

“How is this possible?”

Husband and Wife’s eyes widened, but not because the group managed to pin down two Spirit Purifiers. It was the fact that they were helping Wang Luori at all. Were they crazy, or were they a part of Wang Luori’s schemes?

“See that? You may rest in peace now!”

Wang Luori’s voice rang like a death knell as the strength of his fist force abruptly skyrocketed. Nine suns appeared behind the Hill Lord and threatened to burn the world into dust.

Unable to hang on any longer, Paper Celestial and Dog King burst into golden flames and died screaming. The next moment, Wang Luori appeared in front of Husband and Wife and threw a punch each at the duo.

Bang! Bang!

The two Spirit Purifiers hurriedly blocked the attack, but there was just no way they could withstand the full might of a Half-Step Spirit Master. Their arms broke, and the blazing fist force ravaged both their insides and their mind.

The duo staggered backward. Each time they took a step, a part of their body would burst into flames. Just three steps later, both Husband and Wife had turned into charcoal, and their surroundings transformed into a sea of flames.

All the blood drained away from Crow Superior and Fang Baiyu’s face when they saw this. They knew Wang Luori was strong, but this was beyond their imagination. It was too late to escape now, and the chances they might defeat him was less than zero. Thankfully, they had one last card up their sleeves. They hadn’t survived the jianghu so far by being stupid after all.

Crow Superior yelled, “I’m willing to join Sunset Hill, Hill Lord Wang. All I ask is that you spare my life.”

“Me too. I swear on my heart demon that I will not reveal anything that has happened today. If I do, may my heart demon devour me, and reincarnation forever denied to me.”

“Tempting, but… I don’t need you two.”

Wang Luori closed the distance between them while they were talking and grabbed their skulls. When the great sun entered their mental space, their minds were extinguished, and their bodies were burned into charcoal instantly.

“They’re both powerful Spirit Purifiers, Brother Wang. Don’t you think it’s a bit of a waste to kill them?” Pang Kun said regretfully as he stared at the two charred corpses.

Wang Luori replied indifferently, “They might be useful, but only dead people can keep a secret, no?”

Pang Kun chuckled. “Oh? Does that mean you’re going to kill us as well?”

“You are joking, Brother Pang. I’m not so undiscriminating or foolish.”

Wang Luori saluted the captain. “If it wasn’t for your assistance, I would’ve been beset by endless trouble. I will forever remember this favor.”

“Hahaha! I’m flattered, but I just happened to be at the right place at the right time.” Pang Kun guffawed. “Plus, we’ve been allies for a long time. Why would I abandon you during your time of need?” “Thank you, Brother Pang.”

Pang Kun could be lying through his teeth, but it was a fact that Pang Kun had done him a solid. As soon as Ye Qing had divulged the truth, Pang Kun had immediately revealed his identity via sound transmission and helped him. At the very least, he owed the captain a thanks.

As for silencing Pang Kun, the thought had of course crossed his mind. However, Pang Kun was different from these jianghu warriors or the Way of Taiping. These jianghu warriors had no background, while the Way of Taiping’s main force[1] was far, far away from Luo Shui. However, Pang Kun was backed by the Black Feather Guards and Xue Beikun, and who was to say he didn’t have someone keeping an eye on the battle from somewhere?

Besides that, Sunset Hill and the Black Feather Guards were allies. If this incident could solidify their alliance into true friendship, then why not?

“Oh right, Ye Qing killed my favorite disciple, so I must bring him back to Sunset Hill and execute him before Yang’er’s grave. Only then his soul may rest in peace. Don’t worry, you may have his Spirit Purification-stage saber art and Soulstealer-class Strange Artifact. It is my thanks for what you’ve done for me.”

Give and take is the way of the world. Although he sorely wanted to claim the Soulstealer-class Strange Artifact for himself, the situation wouldn’t allow him to make such a choice.

Plus, a Strange Artifact was just a weapon, while his strength was his own.

“Hahaha! I shan’t turn down your gift, Brother Wang!” Pang Kun guffawed. Not far away, Xue Shiwu was walking over with a delighted expression on his face as well.

The entire reason they showed themselves was to obtain the Soulstealer-class Strange Artifact and the Spirit Purification-stage saber art. When the jianghu Spirit Purifiers blocked their way, they thought for sure that their dream was going to end in failure. In the end though, they were ultimately able to achieve their goal. It was a happy ending for everyone.

They didn’t care that Wang Luori wanted to execute Ye Qing personally. As long as the young man was dead, then all was well.

“Tsk tsk! I was thinking who in their right mind would help Hill Lord Wang. To think it was Captain Pang and Little Commander of the Black Feather Guards!” It was at this moment Ye Qing whistled and drew everyone’s attention. “Have you come to kill me as well?”

“You’re imperial officers, but you’re colluding with a jianghu sect to murder a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau? Are you two crazy?”

“How about this: work with me to kill Wang Luori, and I give you my word that the Pacification Bureau will forget this transgression. I’m a Patrolman, I have the power.”

“Also, you can dispatch an army to wipe out Sunset Hill on the basis that Wang Luori is colluding with the Way of Taiping to kill an imperial official. Everything on that hill will be yours. Surely that is worth more than the trash I’m hoarding, right?”

Wang Luori: “...” Is he seriously negotiating my murder right in front of my face?

“What a silver-tongued bastard you are. You wasted your talent becoming a warrior instead of a storyteller!” Xue Shiwu sneered in disdain. “Too bad for you, there’s no one I loathe more than silver-tongued bastards.”

Wang Luori said coldly, “Don’t worry, Little Commander. I will pull out his tongue so you may cook it over a pot of soup.”

Ye Qing dropped his smile immediately. Holy fuck, man. Don’t you think that’s a little too hardcore?

“There’s no point trying to drive a wedge between us, Ye Qing. Give up your stuff now, and I might just grant you a swift death.” Xue Shiwu licked his lips with naked greed.

“It’s a shame, really!” Ye Qing said regretfully, “You could’ve had a bright future, but you just have to choose the path that leads to hell, dontcha?”

“Well, I’m not gonna stop you. You can come out now, Old Gu!”

“Old… who?”

The blood drained away from everyone’s face as they heart skipped a beat. “It can’t be… Gu Suitang!?”

Wang Luori, Pang Kun and Xue Shiwu looked around nervously, but no one showed up after they waited a while.

Ye Qing: “...” What’s happening? Did Old Gu fuck up? Or is he dissatisfied with my summoning ritual?

“Chief Gu!” Ye Qing shouted loud enough to shake the whole plain, but still no one showed up.

“He’s just trying to trick us!” The group immediately glared at him murderously.

“Damn. Old Gu really fucked up?” Ye Qing pouted. As if on cue, he heard a loud explosion that kicked up a ton of trees from the forest about fifty meters away.

1. Mind you, the forces in Luo Shui are just that, the forces in Luo Shui. ☜