The two men holding sharp weapons, however, didn't make a sound. Despite their eyes being filled with terror, no one spoke.

"Very good. You've successfully missed your chance to live," Lin Xiao said coldly.

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of applause suddenly echoed from the top of the stairs.

Soon, a man in his fifties appeared before Lin Xiao. He had an exceptionally fierce appearance with narrow, triangular eyes and a hawkish nose. Moreover, his entire being exuded a nefarious aura.

But that wasn't the crucial detail. The key was that this man's cultivation was also at the Divine Martial Realm, exactly the same as Lin Xiao's.

"Kid, we finally meet!" the man said with a chilling tone. "Let me introduce myself. I am the Tenth Hall Master of the Ghost Medicine Sect, Xu Shaokun."

In truth, Lin Xiao had already guessed his identity even before he spoke. After all, Lin Xiao had already killed four Guardians of the Ghost Medicine Sect's Tenth Hall. It was only natural that their leader would come seeking revenge.

"What took you so long?" Lin Xiao asked with a smirk.

Xu Shaokun sneered. "You're quite arrogant, kid."

"Arrogant? You call this arrogant? Wait until I've annihilated your Ghost Medicine Sect. Then you can call me arrogant!"

A savage grin instantly spread across Xu Shaokun's face.

"A mere beggar at the Divine Martial Realm. I'll admit your cultivation is decent, but you think someone with your level of power can destroy our Ghost Medicine Sect? Who gave you the nerve to say something so moronic?"

As he finished speaking, Xu Shaokun's tone grew razor-sharp. His gaze became terrifying, like a knife sweeping across Lin Xiao's face.

"Hall Master, hurry up and kill this trash to avenge our brothers!" The one who spoke was one of the two men whose faces had just been filled with fear.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, Lin Xiao, who was not far from him, suddenly moved.

SPLAT!

With a sickening thud, the man's head exploded, splattering brain matter everywhere.

Xu Shaokun immediately flew into a rage. He had only brought four followers with him this time, and they were his direct subordinates. Now, this beggar was slaughtering them so brazenly right in front of him. How could Xu Shaokun possibly tolerate it?

"Fine. Very fine," Xu Shaokun said. "You filthy beggar, I'll give you two paths to walk."

"What do you mean?" Lin Xiao asked, still smiling.

"Simple. The first path: join our Tenth Hall and become my, Xu Shaokun's, most loyal dog."

"And the second?"

"Death!" Xu Shaokun roared, his face sinister.

Lin Xiao laughed. "You're a real idiot. You're just a mere Divine Martial Realm Martial Artist. Where do you get the audacity to say something like that?"

"So, you're choosing the second path, then?" Xu Shaokun asked icily.

"No, I plan on taking a third path."

"What do you mean?"

"To send you to your grave!"

Xu Shaokun sneered with disdain. "Good. Very good. Since you've chosen this, don't blame me for what happens next!"

A terrifying killing intent erupted from Xu Shaokun. Lin Xiao expected him to attack, but to his surprise, the man lunged toward Su Qingning, who had already fainted.

Lin Xiao was amused. I've seen people court death before, but never quite like this. This trash must know how important Su Qingning is to me. He wants to capture her first and use her as a threat. But he has no idea that Shen Jingzhe, who's right there with her, could kill him with a single finger.

Xu Shaokun moved swiftly, closing the distance to Su Qingning in the blink of an eye. He was just about to reach out and grab her.

But at that moment, an earth-shattering murderous aura suddenly bore down on him, accompanied by a shocking and oppressive force. The pressure was so immense that Xu Shaokun found it difficult to breathe.

Before he could even react, a fierce blow landed squarely on his chest.

CRACK!

It was the distinct sound of breaking bones. The chilling noise was followed by the sight of Xu Shaokun being sent flying. He slammed hard against the bar's solid wall before hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

Enduring the piercing agony, he tried to stand, but before he could even move, he coughed up a startling mouthful of fresh blood. Only then did Xu Shaokun realize what a foolish thing he had just done.

His gaze shifted to the masked woman. He knew she was the one who had struck him. The arrogance he had flaunted moments before vanished without a trace, replaced by sheer terror in his eyes.

"Who… who are you?" Xu Shaokun asked, his voice trembling.

Shen Jingzhe remained silent.

Lin Xiao took a few steps forward and took Su Qingning from Shen Jingzhe's arms. He then swept Su Qingning up and, as he turned to walk outside, said nonchalantly, "He's all yours."

Shen Jingzhe nodded. Although she had come to kill Lin Xiao, he was also helping her counteract her poison. After all, she wasn't made of stone. So, within her capabilities, Shen Jingzhe was willing to help him.

As soon as Lin Xiao left the bar carrying the unconscious Su Qingning, Pei Donglai quickly approached. "Captain, what happened?"

"Some trash from the Ghost Medicine Sect showed up. Go clean up the mess," Lin Xiao said indifferently.

Pei Donglai nodded and quickly entered the bar.

Lin Xiao placed Su Qingning in the car and drove away. He had considered waking her up immediately, but on second thought, he remembered she hadn't rested well last night. It was better to let her sleep. Lin Xiao, now sleeping in the room next to hers, had heard her tossing and turning all night.

When they arrived at the lakeside, Su Qingning was still deep in sleep. Shen Jingzhe's cultivation is truly on another level, Lin Xiao thought. A single light touch from her had knocked Su Qingning out, and she had remained unconscious ever since.

Lin Xiao had fallen in love with this place the first time he came here. The scenery wasn't particularly breathtaking, but gazing at the calm lake water had a special way of soothing his mind.

After watching for a while, he couldn't help but glance at Su Qingning. Even in her deep sleep, she was stunningly beautiful. Her long eyelashes, delicate nose, and rosy lips all accentuated her captivating charm.

He looked for a moment before quickly turning his head away. He couldn't help it. An urge to kiss her surged within him. Recalling the last time he'd kissed her only made the impulse harder to restrain.

He hurriedly got out of the car. It wasn't that he didn't dare to kiss her; he just didn't want to do it while she was unconscious.

He had just sat down by the lake when his phone suddenly rang. The call was from Xiao Shixiong.

Lin Xiao answered. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Master, there's trouble!" Xiao Shixiong's voice was grave.

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