...

The man saw his elder brother silent and didn't speak either, continuing forward in silence.

The two brothers were originally residents of Jiunan City. After Jiunan City was seized by rebel troops, they came to Songyi City.

After settling outside Songyi City, they lived by hunting.

However, the influence of the rebel troops grew larger, reaching here as well; hunting became difficult for survival, and they were forced to become bandits.

Although their martial arts were good, having martial skills didn't guarantee decent work.

Those wealthy families dared not hire these men of unknown origin, without solid backgrounds, and whose roots were unclear.

The stronger these people are, the greater the aftermath when trouble occurs.

When Lin Zheyu first arrived in Songyi City, it was similar for him. Although knowledgeable and proficient in arithmetic, no one would employ him; he couldn't find anyone to recommend him, only some temporary work doing dirty, laborious tasks would hire him.

After multiple attempts, he found work as a storyteller.

Luckily, he was good at storytelling and gained fame.

And because Jia Yanming tried to poach him and failed, he earned a reputation for being grateful and was thus valued by Xu Jingwu and could join the Feihong Gang.

"Brother, why don't we join the Nine Nether Sect too and believe in that Nine Nether Demon God." A man behind suggested.

Recently among the bandits in Lion Valley, a sect called Nine Nether Sect worshipping the Nine Nether Demon God became popular.

Nine Nether Demon God, it sounds exactly like a cult.

But, who cares about cults, as bandits they also live in the shadows. Nowadays, as long as they can survive, they don't care about right or wrong, good or evil.

"Yes, elder brother, I heard that joining the Nine Nether Sect allows access to food and resources through its channels." Another man said.

"Don't be hasty, let's observe for a while more. If it comes to it, we'll choose between joining the Nine Nether Sect and Songyi City's garrison."

The leading man pondered and said.

He felt that the Nine Nether Sect probably wasn't anything good, harboring many concerns.

The men, hearing this, stopped speaking and continued onward in silence.

...

Swish

Swish, swish

Lin Zheyu swiftly traversed the forest, his figure graceful and ghostly, making no sound.

After reaching the Fourth Layer of the Golden Swan Skill, his speed far exceeded that of ordinary Qi Blood Realm martial artists; at full burst, he quickly caught up to the band of bandits.

The bandits were numerous, numbering sixty-eight.

They appeared vigilant, weapon in hand, always aware of the surroundings.

"Changfeng, have you sensed anyone following us?"

The leading man charged into the forest and asked the middle-aged man behind him after passing several secluded paths.

Changfeng was an experienced herbalist with an extraordinary sense of smell, capable of detecting unusual scents.

Thanks to Changfeng's ability, they had often discovered those hiding with malicious intent.

"No." Changfeng sniffed and said.

"Good, continue forward directly to the secret hideout, and be careful and alert." The man said.

The group crossed path after path of secluded terrain, heading towards the valley.

Every time they passed a special patch of grass or flowers, they sprinkled themselves with dark green powder, its purpose unknown.

"They're really cautious."

Lin Zheyu followed them from afar, keeping a great distance.

Having learned from Ma Wangcheng's previous experience, this time he avoided any special grass or woods, preventing carrying any distinct scent.

Luckily, when he pursued, the bandits hadn't run far; otherwise, they might have escaped.

"Found it, the package in that man's hand should be the things they just stole!"

Lin Zheyu cautiously approached and observed for a while, finally discovering among the bandits several men carrying packages. The packages were bulging, containing many items.

These men were surrounded and heavily protected.

Swish.

Lin Zheyu moved swiftly and approached quickly.

In the dense forest, the trees rustled.

A gentle breeze passed by, and Changfeng, the bandit known for smelling scents, sniffed and detected an unusual smell. His face changed instantly.

"Not good, someone is approa…" Changfeng urgently said.

Before he finished, several flying knives shot out from the forest, their glow sharp, speed astounding.

Aah aah aah~~

Screams echoed through the woods; the flying knife made a thud, embedding into the foreheads of five bandits, their skulls shattering, leaving the knife embedded.

Their eyes widened, slowly losing light, filled with bewilderment and unwillingness.

The bandits reacted swiftly, as soon as their comrades fell, they aimed their crossbow arrows at the direction from which the knives came.

Dozens of arrows fired together, whistling towards the spot where Lin Zheyu had just stood, yet they hit nothing. As the knives flew, he immediately changed his position.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

In another spot in the woods, five more flying knives shot out, precisely embedding into the skulls of five bandits.

The head is a critical weakness, unlike the body, where getting stabbed by flying knives allows for struggle or rescue if timely.

Once embedded in the forehead, death is near certain.

"A master!"

As another five fell, the leading man was horrified.

He held a large knife, on edge, glanced around, unable to find the other's position.

The speed of the flying knives was so fast that even if he wanted to block them, he couldn't.

Such terrifying power and speed meant ability far above his!

"Which elder…"

Thunk—

Before the man could finish speaking, a blade of silver light flashed past, piercing into his temple.

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