by D cat
"That's right, Boss Teng! Let us kill him!"
"Humph!"
Teng Bao snorted coldly and waved his hands, demanding silence from his men.
"I'm Su Lang. Are you familiar with this name?"
Su Lang's lips curled up into a cunning smile as he said indifferently.
"What? Su Lang? Isn't Su Lang supposed to be dead?"
Teng Bao exclaimed in shock before saying, "That doesn't sound right. You must be here to avenge Su Lang's death. How dare you barge into the stronghold of our Broken Axe Hunting Group and provoke us?!"
"Since you have the nerves to do so, there must be someone back you up, right? Tell me. Which faction gave you the confidence to do so?"
Upon hearing those words, Su Lang knew that Teng Bao must have something to do with the death of the original host.
However, this man had either never seen him before or had forgotten about him.
"Sorry to tell you, but... I really am Su Lang."
Su Lang shrugged his shoulders and looked at Teng Bao with a playful expression as he muttered, "How is it? Did I surprise you?"
"You are Su Lang? That's impossible! That brat was just an ordinary person."
Teng Bao looked at Su Lang coldly and stated, "Forget it. Regardless of your true identity, you have offended the Broken Axe Hunting Group. Thus, you will die under our hands."
"Hahahaha! How arrogant! How domineering!"
"Unfortunately for you... I can kill several of you with a flick of my finger!"
Su Lang suddenly burst into gales of laughter. With a flick of his thumb, the glint of light illuminated by the blade rushed out of its sheath.
"What an arrogant brat!"
Teng Bao sneered and pulled out his own long blade, "I want to see how you're going to kill us with a flick of your finger. Everyone, attack!"
"Everyone, charge forward together!"
"I will peel off his skin and let him suffer!"
"Make sure to keep him alive. Such soft skin and tender flesh are hard to come by these days!"
"...."
The other twelve men revealed sinister expressions as they unsheathed their weapons and dashed towards Su Lang.
In that instant, each of their blades — tainted by their user's wicked deeds — overshadowed the remaining pillars of light shining down from the sky. The forest that flushed with greenery seemed to turn as cold as winter.
From the perspectives of the members of the Broken Axe Hunting Group, Su Lang appeared as an arrogant brat who knew nothing of this wicked world. Without any Spiritual Qi fluctuating from his body, he would be a Quasi Martial Cultivator at best.
On the contrary, these men —albeit suffering major injuries in the process — had just killed two E-class Wild Wolves along with their packs of F-class Wind Wolves.
With such tremendous strength, none of them expected much from the young Quasi Martial Cultivator standing in front of them.
The moment Su Lang attacked, however, their opinions of him changed completely.
"Ghost Moon, plunder!"
Despite being outnumbered 12 to 1, Su Lang stepped forward fearlessly with his blade in his hands. With a twitch of his hands, a crimson glow suddenly dyed the scene ahead of him.
In the blink of an eye, three members of the Broken Axe Hunting Group had already been beheaded while two others suffered fatal injuries.
"This is bad!"
"How could he be this strong?!"
"He really did kill three of us... with a single twitch of his fingers...!"
The remaining members of the Broken Axe Hunting Group turned pale with fright. Their sinister smiles were instantly overwhelmed with fear.
"The Ghost Moon Saber Technique?"
Teng Bao's pupil shrank instantly as he said, "Could he have discovered my martial technique and successfully cultivated it?"
"Impossible! This must be some kind of joke! How can that brat successfully cultivate that martial technique before reaching the realm of the Standard Martial Cultivator?!"
"Even though I've been trying to learn it for well over a year, I'm still unable to perform a single move or stance related to the martial technique!"
"On the other hand, that brat actually managed to learn it in such a short period of time? What the hell is going on?!"
Teng Bao's mind turned blank. At this moment, he had already turned into a complete mess.
"I like your reactions!"
Su Lang pulled back his blade with a menacing smile before shaking off the blood covering its cold glint.
"He's only a Quasi Martial Cultivator. Don't panic. Surround him and attack him all at once!"
Teng Bao swallowed his saliva anxiously. He admitted that Su Lang certainly possessed great strength; however, he did not believe that Su Lang was powerful enough to kill all of them.
If Su Lang failed to kill all of them in a short period of time, he would end up in a disadvantageous position.
"We need to go all out now!"
"Avenge our brothers!"
Under Teng Bao's lead, the remaining seven men charged towards Su Lang simultaneously.
As the main force of the group, Teng Bao and the other Quasi Martial Cultivator led the charge, arriving right in front of Su Lang in half a breath's time.
One of them wielded a two-handed longsword while the other held a one-handed blade. Rushing into the battle ferociously, the two of them aimed for Su Lang's vitals and looked to end the fight as quickly as possible.
"Ghost Moon, slash!"
Su Lang did not stay still in his position. Slightly lifting the Tang Blade, he slashed down diagonally, not making any other unnecessary movements.
CHAPTER 27 - FULFILLING ONE'S WISH
"Tiang! Swoosh! Tiang!"
"Piang! Woong! Thump!"
As the battle grew even more intense, the sound of metal blades clashing against one another reverberated through to air like ripples.
Under the neverending barrage of slashes sent by Su Lang, Teng Bao and his men found themselves being utterly overwhelmed. Before their thoughts matched up to reality, their weapons had already been blown away, leaving their guards exposed.
At the same time, the terrifying force emitted with each swing of Su Lang's blade caused their bodies to go slightly numb. They stared at the young man in utter disbelief as they were unable to make sense of the current situation.
"This should not be possible!"
Teng Bao gawked with his eyes wide open, dumbstruck by the sight of a young man obliterating each of his men one after another. As someone who has been cultivating in this world for such a long time, he found it difficult to believe that a young man — appearing to be a Quasi Martial Cultivator at best — could single-handedly wipe the floor clean against a dozen other capable cultivators in their own respects.
Similarly, the other Quasi Martial Cultivator of the Broken Axe Hunting Group too found the scene incomparably shocking.
However, the truth was right in front of them. No matter how they refused to believe it, they could only accept the cruel reality before them.
"Ghost Moon, devour!"
Without giving his opponents any room to breathe, Su Lang struck yet again. At that moment, three other members of the Broken Axe Hunting Group had their throats ripped out from their necks as blood gushed out like a fountain.
"He's way too out of our leagues! Retreat!"
Upon witnessing the gruesome scene, Teng Bao — scared out of his wits — ordered for an immediate retreat.
"Leaving already? They crimson party has just started! Ghost Moon, flash!"
Su Lang sneered coldly before taking his step forward. Crossing several meters in a single flash, he slashed his blade down towards Teng Bao.
"What speed...!"
Suddenly feeling a cold shiver down his spine, Teng Bao subconsciously turned his head around. At that instant, time around the space seemed to have come slowed down as he stared blankly at the gradually enlarged blade flying towards him at a terr
ifying speed.
Although he instinctively raising his two-handed sword to block the attack coming towards him, the blade suddenly left behind an afterimage and appeared next to his waist as it slashed through his flesh.
"Agh!"
The shining white blade lacerated the flesh around his waist, bringing with it an expanse of scarlet.
Teng Bao's eyes opened wide as blood spurted out from his fatal wound. The endless amounts of pain drained every drop of strength left within him, causing him to lose his balance as he staggered in his steps.
"Boss Teng!"
"Boss has been defeated! What should we do now?!"
"Let's just get the hell out of here! Run while we still can!"
"...."
The remaining three members of the Broken Axe Hunting Group lost their minds when they saw Teng Bao suffering a fatal injury.
Under the lead of the remaning Quasi Martial Cultivator, they began to flee in all directions.
"Don't go! Come back!"
Teng Bao's eyes widened in shock before collapsed onto the ground.
Never in the million years would he have thought that these men, who usually addressed each other as brothers, would be so selfish and disloyal in the face of death.
"Do you want them to come back? I'll gladly give you a hand!"
While mocking him, Su Lang flashed towards the Quasi Martial Cultivator.
With his movement level at the realm slightly above the average Quasi Martial Cultivator, Su Lang managed to catch up to his opponent in just three breaths' time.
"Go to hell!"
The Quasi Martial Cultivator felt a sharp sensation on the verge of piercing through his back. With his sixth sense tingling, he immediately turned around and attempted to block the incoming attack with his sword.
*Tiang! Swoosh!*
Upon the clash of the two swords, the Quasi Martial Cultivator's sword, along with his head, flew high up into the sky.
The other two escaping men were so terrified upon witnessing the cruel death of the Quasi Martial Cultivator that they ended up peeing their pants.
One of them was so horrified that his feel onto his knees and proceeded kowtowing to Su Lang non-stop.
"Why are you still running?"
Su Lang shifted his indifferent gaze towards the last burly man who was still running away as he spoke with a cold voice that felt like it came from a bottomless abyss.
Although the escaping burly man trembled all over, he could not help but stop in his tracks immediately.
Instantly after, he turned around stiffly and knelt down in fear.
"I see that you're quite obedient. Not bad for a thug...."
Su Lang chuckled as he walked towards the pale-faced Teng Bao.
Noticing Su Lang's approaching footsteps, Teng Bao's body was instantly drenched in cold sweat.
"Tell me. Why did you try to kill me?"
Su Lang swung down with his Tang Blade and paused right before touching Teng Bao's forehead. A few strands of his hair were cut off by the sharp blade and drifted along in the direction of the blowing wind.
"Are.... A-Are you rea-really Su La-ng?"
Teng Bao's voice was trembling so much that it was almost inaudible.
Su Lang nodded and said, "That's right. Tell me the reason why you wanted to kill me. If you do so, I will be willing to give you a quick death."
"I still can't believe... you are Su Lang..."
Teng Bao shook his head in disbelief. Suddenly, he laughed like a complete lunatic.
"Hahaha!"
"So what if you are Su Lang?"
"Since I'm going to die anyway, why should I bother telling you?"
"Hahaha! After news of my death spread around, someone else will definitely find you and take revenge for me. You should never have looked down on the Broken Axe Hunting Group! We aren't as simple of a group as you may think!"
"You bastard, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and kill me! Come on!"
Seeming to have overcome the fear of death, Teng Bao's eyes were bloodshot as he stared menacingly at Su Lang. He gnashed his teeth and spouted a series of curses.
"Hehe! It seems that I have no choice but to utilize my past creul methods!"
Su Lang looked down at Teng Bao and exclaimed, "Great! Then, I will fulfill your wish!"
After saying that, Su Lang revealed a devillish grin and lightly sliced Teng Bao on his face, leaving behind a crimson line that looked like the gills of a fish.
"What are you trying to do?!"
Although the wound was minor, Teng Bao had a very bad feeling about this.
However, Su Lang did not answer his question. Instead, he focused all his attention on his blade.
After all, this cruel method of his required extreme precision and utmost concentration to pull off.
If he missed his mark by even a few milimeters, the target would die instantly!
CHAPTER 28 - THE YE FAMILY
"Agh!"
"No!"
"Stop it! Kill me!"
"Show mercy! Just kill me!"
Within a few minutes, Teng Bao emitted a series blood-curdling screech, unable to withstand the torture.
At this point, his face, neck, and shockers had already been filled numerous fine wounds.
Blood flowed out and soaked back into his wounds, making him look like some sort of creature with red-edged scales.
In reality, the pain searing through his upper body was merely the appetizer of the course. The most tormenting feeling was the fear and unease within his mind.
As Teng Bao laid on the ground unable to move, the cold glint before him danced out his body like a picky snake, pondering where it should bite into next.
"This is just the beginning. Don't tell me you can't take it anymore...?"
Su Lang curled his lips and sneered, "Unfortunately, there is no way to stop it once it starts...."
"Please, stop! I will tell you everything you want to know!"
"Please give me a quick death! Don't torment me any furture!"
His previous unyielding attitude had vanished entirely, quickly replaced by the wails of a stray dog.
The two other burly men from the Broken Axe Hunting Group kneeled helplessly at the side. Scared out of their wits, their bodies trembled uncontrollably like a shaking leaf.
"Alright, since you're in such a pitiful state..."
Su Lang said without any intentions of stopping his actions, "I will continue to torture you while I listen to what you have to say. If I find your answer satisfactory, I will give you a quick death."
"No! N-No... okay! I will tell you everything!"
Although Teng Bao's manner of speech had already turned incoherent, he nevertheless spoke to avoid suffering any further, "The reason I wanted to kill you was because of your parents!"
"Your parents became a guest elder of the Ye Family not long ago and were sent on a very dangerous mission in the territory of D-class Vicious Beast. Unfortunately, the two of them ended up dying on their mission."
"According to the agreement of the guest elders, the Ye Family was required to compensate 2000 gold coins per death. Those gold coins should have fallen into your hands."
"However, since the money isn't a small amount... in addition to you being an ordinary person with no talent.... the Sixth Young Master ended up wanting to get those gold coins for himself."
"After the order was passed down to me, I arranged for two of my men to kill you!"
"...."
" So that's how it is...."
Su Lang retracted his Tang Blade with an indifferent expression.
Although he looked as calm as a pond with a still surface, the hatred within his heart had already erupted like a volcano.
Why did his previous parents want to become a guest elder of the Ye Family?
Wasn't it to earn more money to allow their son to step into the path of martial cultivators?
Despite their good intentions, the Ye Family had actually sent both of them in
to the territory of the D-class Vicious Beast with power rivaling that of someone in the Martial Expert Realm, ultimately causing their unnecessary deaths.
As if that wasn't enough, those greedy bastards had even wiped out the roots of the problem in order to avoid paying the compensation for their deaths. They had truly licked their food clean, not even leaving behind a single bone.
"Oh, the Ye Family.... What an excellent family!"
Seeming to have lost his sanity, Su Lang lifted his sword and cleaning sliced off Teng Bao's neck in a flash.
Immediately after, he slowly twisted his menacing gaze towards the remaining two members of the Broken Axe Hunting Group who were kneeling on the ground in fear.
"Please spare my life!"
"Please show mercy! From now on, I will serve as your loyal dog!"
No longer possessing the temperament of bandits, the two men lowered their heads into submission and begged for their lives to be spared.
"Go and collect every single item of value in the stronghold."
Su Lang spoke in a calm tone, "Don't even think of playing any tricks. Otherwise, you will suffer an even worse fate than Teng Bao."
Since there were still plenty of materials and resources — amount up to at least 500 hundred gold coins — left behind in the unlooted parts of the stronghold, Su Lang did not plan to let any of those valuables go.
"Yes! Of course!"
"We will do so at once!"
Feeling both surprised and frightened at the same time, the two men scrambled up from the ground and began to loot the corpses of their past comrades before plundering the stronghold.
Su Lang stood still in thought and silently recalled every single piece of information about the Ye Family.
There were a total of four powerhouses in Red Maple City, each having a cultivator of the Martial General Realm guarding them. The Ye Family stood as one of them.
The other three powerhouses included the League of Martial Cultivators, the Yu Family, and the Bao Family.
With such powerful backings in the city, the Broken Axe Hunting Group would naturally have the confidence to act arrogant.
Ordinary martial cultivators without any background would probably not dare to kill Teng Bao.
From Su Lang's perspectives, however, he would stop at nothing to kill Teng Bao, even if the gods themselves showed up before him.