CLANG—

The short-haired Taoist drew a longsword, formed from copper coins strung together, from behind his back. He used the square holes in the coin blades to block the edge of the poison-coated dagger.

The Looter, clad in Night Clothes, felt his pupils shrink; he hadn't expected the Taoist's reaction to be so swift.

His right hand, gripping the dagger's hilt, exerted force to counter the strange strength emanating from the Copper Coin Longsword. With a flick of his left hand, three slender Crossbow Arrows shot out from his left sleeve, aimed at the short-haired Taoist's face.

The "Fragment Scatter" skill activated without warning. The air before the Looter exploded, deflecting all the Crossbow Arrows.

Time seemed to slow artificially.

In the Looter's dilated pupils, the clear reflection of the short-haired Taoist's seemingly ordinary fist appeared, piercing the Nameless Gale as it sped towards his head.

BOOM!

The fist struck squarely on the bridge of his nose. The Looter was sent flying almost horizontally, slamming hard into a prison beam and breaking the sturdy wooden support outright.

Blood gushed from his fractured and collapsing nose bridge, staining the Night Clothes mask covering his mouth and nose. The Looter had no time to worry about disfigurement. Grimly bearing the pain, he propped himself up with one hand on the filthy prison floor and sprang nimbly backward, narrowly avoiding the short-haired Taoist's stomping foot.

The stone tiles where the Taoist's foot landed shattered and burst apart. The prison ceiling trembled from the impact, showering down countless dust particles.

Once he had the advantage, he pressed it relentlessly.

It seemed the short-haired Taoist's mind never entertained the thought of stopping his attack. He just swung the Copper Coin Longsword with an emotionless face. Though he used no discernible technique or pattern, he oppressed the Looter with irresistible force and bizarre speed, forcing him back relentlessly.

The prison corridor was cramped, offering little room to maneuver. As the Looter was pushed ever closer to the main gate, a flash of brilliance lit his eyes. Desperately blocking the Copper Coin Longsword with his dagger, he grabbed the warden with his left hand and hurled him fiercely at the pursuing Taoist.

The Taoist remained silent and expressionless, the Copper Coin Longsword in his hand still poised for a downward chop. He didn't hesitate in the least, even with the terrified warden obstructing his blade.

Just as the warden was about to be cleaved in the head and killed on the spot, the short-haired Taoist's wrist suddenly twisted violently.

His entire arm bent like a snake in a huge arc.

The edge of the Copper Coin Longsword barely grazed the warden's scalp as it struck down heavily on the Looter's waist.

Although the Copper Coin Longsword lacked a sharpened blade, the terrifying force behind it was enough to inflict fatal damage.

The Looter was sent tumbling away like a rolling gourd. Along his path, blood gushed from his torn Night Clothes as if it were free, spattering across the prison corridor.

"Cough, cough."

The Looter struggled to his feet. The blood he spat landed on the inside of his mask, dripping from his chin to the ground.

Without asking his identity or demanding surrender, the Taoist, Copper Coin Longsword in hand, approached the Looter calmly and indifferently.

Even the dim-witted prison guards could feel the icy killing intent radiating from him.

This was nothing like the benevolent, immortal-like Taoist they had seen during the day...

BANG!

A loud noise from the farthest corner of the prison shattered the dreadful tension.

The short-haired Taoist looked back. Billowing smoke and shattered stones erupted from the cell that should have held the suspect, Wu Hu.

At the same time, from the pool of blood beneath the Looter, numerous red arms emerged, clutching his body and limbs, dragging him down into the blood until he vanished completely.

The bloodstain vanished as if it had never existed, seeping into the crevices between the stone tiles.

Some sort of escape technique?

The Taoist's brow furrowed. He pushed aside the prison guards blocking the corridor and rushed into the smoke-filled cell for a quick look.

The cell's thick stone wall had been blasted open by something, a large section of it collapsed. Moonlight streamed in, illuminating the rubble of broken bricks strewn across the floor.

The suspect, Wu Hu, was nowhere to be found.

This cell was at the very back of the prison. Its stone wall adjoined the courtyard's perimeter wall, and beyond that lay the complex maze of residential buildings in Goose City.

It seemed the Looter had an accomplice who created a diversion to help Wu Hu escape.

The Taoist stood silently, seemingly in deep thought, the hand holding the Copper Coin Longsword hanging by his side, swaying faintly.

The warden swallowed hard, mustered his courage, and slowly approached, asking cautiously, "Taoist Master... should we notify the Goose City Soldiers to pursue the suspect?"

"..."

The short-haired Taoist stiffly turned his neck, looked vacantly at the warden, and slowly forced a smile, saying hoarsely, "No need. I will pursue him myself."

Under the moonlight, the warden's face was deathly pale. "Taoist Master, your eyes..."

"My eyes?"

The Taoist casually brushed his eyes and, to his surprise, pulled out a green fungal mycelium that had emerged from beneath his eyelid.

The mycelium was long and tough, like a strand of yarn, hanging in front of his eyeball—an eerie and terrifying sight.

"Haven't washed my eyes in too long. Just some sleep."

As he spoke, the Taoist reversed his grip on the Copper Coin Longsword and, using both hands, slowly extracted the lengthy filament, coiling it in his hand.

"All done."

The Taoist pulled out the last section of the filament and gave a stiff smile to the terrified warden. "Don't worry, I'll find them."

With that, he hefted the Copper Coin Longsword and dashed out through the opening in the cell wall.

「Suburbs of Goose City.」

This was a neglected Chaotic Cemetery, with low earthen mounds and crude wooden tombstones scattered everywhere.

Fireflies drifted about. A few mangy wild dogs, lured by the thick scent of blood, were lapping at a pool of dark blood in the middle of the Chaotic Cemetery.

Suddenly, an arm extended from the shallow pool of blood. The severely injured Looter, covered in fresh blood, crawled out, scaring away all the wild dogs.

His waist had been struck directly by the Copper Coin Longsword; he didn't know how many ribs were broken, and crimson blood flowed unceasingly.

"The White Lotus emerges, the Míng King is born..."

His forehead beaded with sweat. He muttered as he pulled a wide, dried piece of leather with faded tattoos from inside his Night Clothes and gently placed it over the wound on his waist. After a few breaths, blood astonishingly stopped seeping out.

To think that this hide, flayed from someone with the Calamitous Lone Star destiny and nourished daily with fresh blood for ten years, would be used here...

The Looter, or rather Ruan Tian of the Holy White Lotus Harmonious Sect, murmured to himself, his tone unable to hide his anguish and hatred.

"And my Yellow Weasel... was also killed by that Taoist. If I don't avenge this, I, Ruan Tian, swear I'm not human!"

Before he could finish speaking, the sound of footsteps approached. Ruan Di, Ruan Shan's younger brother, also wearing Night Clothes and carrying a figure, rushed into the Chaotic Cemetery.

"Brother, Wu Hu is rescued."

Ruan Di set the person he was carrying on the ground. "Let's hurry to the ruined temple and report to the Acolyte."

"The Acolyte..."

Upon hearing this, Ruan Tian couldn't help but grind his teeth. If it weren't for her incomplete intelligence, forcing us to go to Goose City for the rescue, how could I have suffered such a great loss!

"Brother, watch your words."

Ruan Di frowned. In the White Lotus Cult, the hierarchy was strict, and punishments were severe. He and his brother, as members of the Holy White Lotus Harmonious Sect's Lvzhou branch, had no standing whatsoever to discuss, much less criticize, the two noble Acolytes who were personal attendants to the White Lotus Church Saint. Moreover, a third person was present.

"Uh... where am I?"

Wu Hu, lying on the ground, slowly regained consciousness. He looked at the two men in black and cupped his hands, asking, "And you two are...?"

"It's me, Ruan Tian."

Ruan Tian took off his hood and stared at Wu Hu, speaking in a low voice, "Hmph, you, who hunt wild geese all day, still got your eyes pecked by one. To think a mere peasant threw you into jail! Truly the height of absurdity."

"You can offer guidance, but you can't nitpick at me."

Wu Hu frowned. "Don't think that just because you rescued me, I have to be eternally grateful. Tigers descend mountains as dragons roar; little brother, don't be too proud. The righteous path is fraught with hardship; don't live so arrogantly."

"??"

Ruan Tian was taken aback.

Wu Hu also seemed to realize his words were somewhat inappropriate. He shook his head, his expression pained, and said, "Sorry, it seems that Taoist did something to me during the interrogation..."

"Enough, say no more for now,"

Ruan Di interrupted. "That Taoist could catch up at any moment. We must hurry to the ruined temple; we can't miss the time the Acolyte set."

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