Chapter 25: Assassin (Please follow, favorite, monthly tickets, and recommendation votes)

Roars, battle cries, and the wailing of people calling for their parents filled the entire forest.

Almost everyone was fighting desperately for their future, for silver, and for their own lives.

The most attention-grabbing sight, naturally, was the life-and-death struggle between the Great Chief of Black Dragon Fortress and Wei Yongfu.

As for Su Mu, no one paid him any attention at all.

Was this... a godsend?

Su Mu looked down at Xing Zhaofu, who was writhing at his feet.

By sheer coincidence, Xing Zhaofu, who had been kicked flying by the Great Chief of Black Dragon Fortress, had landed right in front of him.

Already wounded, Xing Zhaofu had been rendered crippled by the heavy, powerful kick of the Great Chief.

"Save—save me!"

Xing Zhaofu looked at Su Mu, making indistinct pleas for help from his throat.

Su Mu sidestepped a sneak attack from a bandit behind him, his long saber slicing through half of the man's neck in one fluid motion. Blood splashed onto him like a waterfall.

Su Mu did not dodge or flinch, allowing the blood to soak his body.

Carrying the heavy scent of blood, he crouched down in front of Xing Zhaofu.

"Captain Xing, those who kill shall be killed. Remember to be a good person in your next life," he whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear.

Xing Zhaofu's eyes suddenly bulged, his pupils filled with terror.

"You—"

Before he could speak, a hand clamped over his mouth.

*Puff!*

The blade plunged into Xing Zhaofu's abdomen.

Xing Zhaofu's body gave a violent jerk, and blood flowed through the gaps between Su Mu's fingers.

Then, his body gradually went limp, and the light in his eyes slowly faded away.

Su Mu did not notice that at the very moment he killed Xing Zhaofu, someone in the distance had quietly shifted an arrow.

That person was Yang Jin.

If Su Mu hadn't acted, Yang Jin would not have let such a golden opportunity slip by.

However, if that had happened, he would have had to re-evaluate Su Mu's value.

Fortunately, Su Mu was not the type of soft-hearted "good guy."

With a flash in his eyes, Yang Jin released the bowstring with a *swish*, sending an arrow straight toward the Great Chief of Black Dragon Fortress.

Su Mu somewhat disdainfully wiped his hands twice on Xing Zhaofu's corpse to clean off the blood, and in the process, he tucked a small silk bundle from Xing Zhaofu's bosom into his own.

Only then did he lift his head to look at the Great Chief of Black Dragon Fortress.

The sight gave him quite a shock.

Wei Yongfu was covered in blood, his gaze unfocused, and his movements had become erratic; he was being driven back step by step by the Great Chief.

The Great Chief of Black Dragon Fortress looked like a god or a demon, with strange patterns emerging across the surface of his skin.

With every strike he landed, large amounts of blood were drawn from Wei Yongfu, and that blood was eerily absorbed into the patterns on the Great Chief's body.

As the blood qi on the Great Chief grew more intense, the patterns on his body seemed to turn a deep blood-red, and his strength appeared to be growing stronger by the moment.

*Clang!*

Su Mu saw an arrow flying toward them.

The Great Chief did not dodge, allowing the arrow to strike him.

The sharp arrowhead hit his skin, but instead of piercing him, it felt as if it had struck thick oxhide; it merely left a white mark before falling away.

"Incredible!" Su Mu thought to himself.

A moment later, he snapped back to reality.

He was an official, and the opponent was a bandit.

The stronger the enemy became, the more danger he was in.

*Damn it...*

Su Mu cursed inwardly and quickly drew his bow.

It was then that he realized it was Yang Jin on the opposite side who had ambushed the Second Chief of Black Dragon Fortress, and it was also Yang Jin who was currently using continuous archery to pin down the Great Chief.

Otherwise, Wei Yongfu would likely have died at the hands of the Great Chief long ago.

Although Yang Jin was not a Body Tempering martial artist, he had learned archery from the military; as long as he maintained distance, he could pose a threat to Body Tempering warriors.

*Swish!*

Su Mu released an arrow, aiming straight for the Great Chief's eye.

Just as the arrow was still several feet away from the Great Chief, a long spear suddenly smashed down, knocking the arrow aside.

"Is this not over yet?" a sinister voice rang out. "Are you treating me as if I don't exist?"

The Second Chief of Black Dragon Fortress!

He held a long spear, glaring at Su Mu with a distorted, ferocious face.

*Whoosh!*

Before his voice had even faded, a small black shadow suddenly expanded rapidly in his vision.

"You seek death!" the Second Chief barked, thrusting his spear like a dragon.

The tip of the spear traced a massive arc, aiming directly at the black shadow.

With a soft *pop*, the sphere exploded.

A cloud of pink mist instantly enveloped the Second Chief.

This scene was completely unexpected. His eyes widened, and he lunged two steps out of the range of the pink mist.

"You dare use sneak attacks!"

Furious, the Second Chief glared at Su Mu and thrust his spear forward violently.

Su Mu instinctively retreated with his saber raised.

At that moment, the Second Chief's eyes suddenly became glazed and unfocused.

The spear, halfway through its thrust, slumped limply. The Second Chief stumbled, swaying as if he were drunk.

Su Mu held his breath and retreated two steps, feeling a surge of pleasant surprise.

This pink smoke left by Du Qian was indeed extraordinary.

Even a powerhouse like the Second Chief of Black Dragon Fortress couldn't withstand it; he was incapacitated after only two breaths.

Seeing the Second Chief staggering, Su Mu did not hesitate and drew his mulberry hard bow.

*Twang! Twang! Twang!*

The bowstring sounded repeatedly.

The Second Chief struggled to swing his spear, knocking away several arrows.

Finally, an arrow bypassed his spear and pierced his shoulder.

Blood sprayed instantly.

The pain brought a momentary flash of clarity back to the Second Chief's eyes.

Su Mu thought to himself, *Oh no.*

Although the Second Chief had been hit by the smoke, he was a Body Tempering warrior after all; he had never been fully unconscious, and now the pain was helping him fight off the effects of the mist.

Without a moment's hesitation, Su Mu turned and ran.

As for throwing another pink smoke bomb, he didn't even consider it.

In the wilderness, smoke bombs only work through surprise; otherwise, someone of the Second Chief's strength could easily evade them.

Now that he was on guard, the smoke was useless.

Su Mu had no intention of fighting to the death.

Since Xing Zhaofu was already dead, he only needed to escape back to Wuling City to continue his low-profile development; there was no need to risk his life against the Second Chief.

"You despicable coward using sneak attacks! Where do you think you're going!"

The Second Chief gripped the arrowhead hard, using the intense pain to sharpen his senses.

Seeing Su Mu bolting into the forest like a flying shadow, he flew into a rage and chased after him, shouting loudly.

Yang Jin noticed this as well. He instinctively moved to step forward to help Su Mu deal with the Second Chief.

But after taking just one step, he stopped, looking hesitantly toward the Great Chief and Wei Yongfu.

He sighed inwardly, hoping Su Mu could hold out a little longer.

Taking a deep breath, Yang Jin pulled a blood-red pill from his bosom and popped it into his mouth.

In an instant, his entire skin turned blood-red, and a mist began to rise from his body—the result of his body temperature evaporating his sweat.

Yang Jin took another deep breath, his chest swelling high, and then he drew his hard bow.

The bow was drawn to a full moon, and the arrow flew like a meteor.

(End of Chapter)