The small town, which should have been silent, was instead filled with the clash of swords. The air gradually grew thick with the smell of blood, so strong that even the cold air could not dissipate it.
Yet everywhere else in the town remained silent, as if these sounds of combat had no effect on the residents at all.
The ground, stained red with blood, bore no corpses. The black-clad attackers, whether wounded or seemingly slain, could not truly be killed. Though struck in vital spots, they rose again, moving like lifeless puppets—neither dead nor extinguished.
A trace of gravity crossed both their eyes as they leapt onto the rooftops.
“This isn’t a soul-control spell,” Shangguan Ye said in a low voice, his tone sharp and serious. “It destroys the meridians of the limbs.”
“Mm,” Murong Qiufeng nodded. The Silver Dragon Sword in his hands moved like a serpent through the clouds. Its motions seemed leisurely, yet each slash contained eighteen arcs of sword energy. The black-clad attackers struck by him erupted in sprays of blood—but this time from their limbs.
With their limb meridians severed, they were unable to fight. One by one, they collapsed like kites with cut strings, bodies twitching but never letting out a scream.
Compared with Murong Qiufeng’s restraint, Shangguan Ye was merciless. Standing steadily atop the roof, feet unmoving, his Asura Blade cut relentlessly. Blood sprayed wherever it struck. Attackers lost their hands or feet, their bodies reduced to near-mud on impact, utterly motionless.
Soon, more than fifty black-clad men were piled like a small mountain, blood flowing in streams down the street from the heap.
In a nearby house, someone watching frowned and cursed under his breath. From his bosom, he pulled a small vial and crushed a red pill, then swiftly fled in another direction.
The two descended, surveying the bodies. Now, even those only previously crippled were fully dead.
“Look,” Murong Qiufeng suddenly said, gesturing for Shangguan Ye to come.
Shangguan Ye followed his gaze. In one of the bodies, the chest wound seemed to have something wriggling inside the mass of blood and flesh.
“Careful,” Shangguan Ye said, grabbing Murong Qiufeng’s hand and positioning himself slightly in front. With a quick flick of his blade, a spray of blood flew out onto the ground.
Lighting a fire striker, he leaned closer and frowned.
In the pool of blood on the ground, a worm-like creature about seven inches long writhed.
Shangguan Ye’s blade fell, cutting it in half, yet it continued to move, seemingly immortal.
Their expressions changed, and they exchanged a glance.
Murong Qiufeng tore a strip of silk from his sleeve, lit it with the fire striker in Shangguan Ye’s hand, and tossed it onto the creature.
It writhed violently as if in pain, trying to escape the flames. One half avoided the fire; the other, scorched, stopped moving.
“Afraid of fire,” Shangguan Ye muttered thoughtfully.
He turned to the other bodies. Faint movements could be seen—creatures emerging from the corpses, seemingly being called to leave.
Shangguan Ye retrieved a small vial, emptied some pills into it, then took a silver needle from Murong Qiufeng’s sleeve. He trapped one of the wriggling creatures in the vial and sealed it. Turning to Murong Qiufeng, he said, “I’ll watch this. Go fetch some alcohol or oil.”
Murong Qiufeng nodded. “Be careful.”
Flames leapt high, filling the air with a strange, rotting stench, illuminating the entire town.
Upon inspection, they discovered that the town’s residents had all been slaughtered.
Soon, the others arrived. Seeing the scene, they froze for a moment, then their faces darkened. Clearly, the attackers had not only tracked them but had set ambushes—likely more than one.
“What about the notices?” Shangguan Ye asked, face grave, turning to Yan and Xiao.
“Here,” Yan Qiren quickly produced them and handed them over.
Murong Qiufeng understood Shangguan Ye’s implication. These notices were no ordinary coincidence.
Shangguan Ye examined the notices, narrowing his eyes. Quickly, his expression grew darker.
“What is it?” Murong Qiufeng asked, noticing his grim demeanor.
Shangguan Ye tossed the notices onto the table, his voice cold. “The notices are fine. But the sects listed have issues. If I remember correctly, these sects all had conflicts with Mufeng Tower. Even during the campaign against Mufeng Tower, the sects that pressured Yun Feiyang included these very ones.”
Murong Qiufeng’s expression darkened. Xiao Yan, confused, didn’t fully grasp it, but Yan Qiren immediately understood, his face falling.
This was undoubtedly a setup. Likely, someone in these sects had already been harmed. With both evidence and witnesses, no one could deny it.
Murong Qiufeng’s face was grave as he looked at the notices. “It seems the mastermind isn’t just targeting our senior brothers or the Xianjian Sect. They want to plunge the entire martial world into chaos.”
“What do you mean? Can you explain clearly?” Xiao Yan asked, frustrated at their cryptic hints.
Yan Qiren sighed. “It started with the bloodshed against the three Patriarchs, then targeted Xianjian Sect. Though the martial world was in turmoil, it was largely symbolic—Xianjian Sect had the Saintly Elder, whose reputation is widely respected. And with the Snow Demon Elder present, it seemed like a safeguard, but perhaps it was exactly what the mastermind intended.
“You mean…” Xiao Yan still didn’t fully understand.
Yan Qiren’s expression darkened further. He glanced at Shangguan Ye, whose aura was cold and deadly. “The rules of Xianjian Sect are set by the Saintly Elder. The Saintly Elder, head of all supreme martial authority, is universally revered. Few would believe the accusations against Xianjian Sect. Yet the appearance of the Snow Demon Elder… created the perfect effect. Bloodshed occurred, the Snow Demon Elder appeared, then disciples of both elders appeared, several small sects were wiped out, and the Martial Alliance showed up. Those attacked were sects that had offended Mufeng Tower or Xianjian Sect. If you were an outsider, how would you interpret that?”
Xiao Yan’s expression hardened. He slammed his hand down. “Damn… so this is implying our uncles and Ye… are the culprits?”
“Exactly,” Murong Qiufeng said. “Offending two supreme elders… when supreme elders act, it’s a catastrophe for the martial world. And with Elder Xue’s notorious reputation…” He rubbed his forehead, sighing. He had to admire the mastermind’s cunning.
