"Watch out! It’s poison!"
Shi Ziran barked a warning. The True Essence in his body pulsed, and with a flick of his sleeve, he summoned a fierce gust of wind that dispersed the poisonous mist.
By then, the enemies had already charged them.
CLANG!
The enemy leader slashed down at Shi Ziran.
The blade’s gleam was as bright as snow, seeming to banish the darkness of the night.
Shi Ziran swung his saber to meet it.
As the long sabers clashed.
CRACK!
With the sound of shattering metal, Shi Ziran stumbled back several steps. The steel saber in his hand had actually snapped in two.
A flicker of astonishment crossed his face.
"Old man Shi, you’ve gotten old! This isn’t your era anymore. Take this!"
The man sneered and lunged forward again.
This man was actually a True Essence Realm Martial Artist, and it seemed he knew Shi Ziran.
Shi Ziran’s pupils contracted. He didn’t recognize the man, but from his tone, he guessed he must have been one of the Fragrance Sect members from back in the day.
So many years had passed. Some of the juniors from that time had now grown up.
’But to willingly associate with Sha Lian Ting is to court their own destruction.’
A golden light appeared in Shi Ziran’s pupils, and his eyes seemed to transform into compound eyes.
Everything seemed to slow down in his vision.
His figure flickered, and he dodged the enemy’s slash by a hair’s breadth. With the half-saber still in his hand, he sliced at the man’s wrist.
The man hastily dodged, retreating more than ten feet in an instant, his eyes filled with shock and lingering fear.
’Just a little closer, and Shi Ziran would have cut my hand off.’
’This old bastard may be old, but his strength is not to be underestimated.’
’But this is as far as he goes.’
’I’m in my prime. Can’t I even handle one old fossil?’
A vicious glint appeared in his eyes, and the gleam of his saber flashed out once more.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! A series of sharp ringing sounds echoed.
Shi Ziran staggered backward.
Though he was experienced, he was old, after all. Moreover, he had never fully recovered from the severe injuries of his past. After a fierce exchange, his old wounds flared up, and he could barely hold on.
"Go to hell!"
The man’s face twisted into a vicious grin as he brought his saber down, about to cleave Shi Ziran in two.
Just as it seemed Shi Ziran could no longer dodge, the attacker noticed that Shi Ziran’s eyes held not a trace of fear, but were instead filled with mockery.
A bad feeling suddenly welled up in his heart, followed by an intense sense of crisis overwhelming him.
Horrified, he instinctively swung his saber behind him.
But all he saw was a flash of light. The world spun, and as his vision whirled, he saw his own back.
’That slash... so fast.’
This was the last thought that surfaced in his mind before he plunged into endless darkness.
The Pure Land Sect disciples, who were locked in combat with the Taiping Captains, all saw their leader become a headless corpse. Their gazes subconsciously fell upon the figure that had suddenly appeared.
Brocade and Ink Shirt, with "Taiping" embroidered in gold thread.
The Governor of the Taiping Bureau!
"It’s Su Mu! He came himself!"
A shout erupted from the crowd.
Then, the Pure Land Sect followers actually began to scatter and flee, as if the name Su Mu alone was something terrifying.
Su Mu’s expression was indifferent. He strode forward, his Thunder Shocking Saber transforming into a river of light that reaped life after life.
Su Mu felt not the slightest pity for the followers of the Pure Land Sect.
A few breaths later.
Corpses littered the main road, their eyes still seeming to hold traces of horror and regret.
Blood flowed across the ground, mixing with the dirt until the earth itself turned a dark crimson.
"Continue."
Su Mu didn’t break his stride, continuing toward their destination.
A short while later, they arrived at a manor outside the city.
With a casual slash of his saber, Su Mu splintered the main gate.
The men of the Taiping Bureau then swarmed inside like a pack of wolves.
The sounds of slaughter echoed in the air, lasting for over two hours.
Su Mu walked slowly into the manor’s interior.
With each casual swing of his saber, a person would be sent flying, already a corpse by the time they hit the ground.
Aside from the first True Essence Realm Martial Artist, the Pure Land Sect followers in the manor were only at the Rebirth Realm and Blood Transformation Realm.
Even if Su Mu hadn’t acted, Shi Ziran and the Taiping Captains could have handled them completely.
In truth, a True Essence Realm Martial Artist was already an expert capable of overseeing a whole region.
Without realizing it, Su Mu had become a true expert in the eyes of others.
"Sir, there are still some women and children in the manor..."
A Taiping Captain came to Su Mu’s side and said in a low voice.
"Leave none alive."
Su Mu said flatly, without a hint of hesitation.
’In the Pure Land Sect, there are no innocents.’
’Even the children. Since they enjoyed the benefits the Pure Land Sect provided, they must also bear the consequences.’
’If we don’t send them on their way now, they will grow up to become new Pure Land Sect followers and bring about endless slaughter.’
Su Mu knew very well that those brainwashed by a cult were beyond saving.
They were little different from demons.
"Yes, sir."
The Taiping Captain felt a chill in his heart, but he immediately complied.
Over the past few months, they had grown accustomed to Su Mu’s decisive and ruthless nature.
The Martial Artist’s consciousness, long dormant in their blood, was gradually awakening.
’As Taiping Captains, we must accept slaughter.’
’If the demons do not die, then the good people of Da Xuan will.’
The men raised their long sabers. Amidst flashes of steel, heads rolled to the ground.
The manor gradually fell silent.
After all the Pure Land Sect followers in the manor had become corpses, the men of the Taiping Bureau didn’t stop. They began to search the entire estate.
Soon, Shi Ziran and a Taiping Captain came to Su Mu’s side.
"Sir, all the Pure Land Sect followers here have been executed."
The Taiping Captain bowed with his hands clasped. "Our men suffered five serious injuries and over ten minor injuries. No deaths."
"Send the seriously injured brothers back for treatment. The rest of you, clean this place up."
Su Mu nodded.
"Yes, sir."
The Taiping Captain acknowledged the order and left.
"My lord, that man just now should be the head of the Pure Land Sect in Songjiang Prefecture. A True Essence Realm Martial Artist... there can’t be many of them in the Pure Land Sect."
Shi Ziran said, "Even if we didn’t kill every last Pure Land Sect member in Songjiang Prefecture this time, the ones who remain shouldn’t be able to stir up any trouble."
He had already searched the premises and confirmed that this was indeed a Pure Land Sect branch.
They had killed one wave before, and now another. He felt that the Pure Land Sect’s power in Songjiang Prefecture had been basically uprooted.
"Uncle Shi, don’t you think this was... too easy?"
Su Mu said, pondering.
"Too easy?"
Shi Ziran was confused.
"The Pure Land Sect attempted an assassination before, and we investigated, but we couldn’t find this place then. This time, we found it so easily. And don’t you think the Pure Land Sect seems... too weak?" Su Mu said.
"My lord, is it possible that it’s not that they’re too weak... but that you’re too strong?"
Shi Ziran fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly.
’I was no match for that True Essence Realm Martial Artist just now. I almost died at his hands.’
’I, Shi Ziran, am no weakling. I’m a genuine True Essence Realm Martial Artist.’
’If not for Su Mu, I would have died in battle just now. And if I had died, the remaining Taiping Captains might not have been a match for this Pure Land Sect group either.’
’The strength of these Pure Land Sect followers isn’t weak at all. It’s just that they ran into Su Mu.’
’Without Su Mu, the previous attack with the Thunder God’s Roar and poison arrows would have caused the Taiping Bureau heavy losses, let alone allowing us to wipe out this Pure Land Sect branch.’
"I’m too strong?"
Su Mu was taken aback. ’Am I really that strong?’
’I’m also in the True Essence Realm, and I almost died at the hands of Taishi Tianbi back then.’
’I don’t think I’m that strong at all.’