Wen Huifang and twenty-five highly skilled members of the Sunset Sect rode their horses hard across the dirt road, heading straight toward the compromised sector division. Riding right up to the gate on horseback, she quickly dismounted and delivered a flying kick to several disciples of the six sect who were guarding the entrance. The other twenty-five members dismounted sequentially and immediately engaged the disciples of the opposing sects.
In the chaotic fighting, Wen Huifang focused ruthlessly, killing anyone who wasn't wearing the distinctive black of the Sunset Sect. She quickly spotted Helper Lu defending himself fiercely against three young men. Killing anyone in her path, she quickly cleared a way for herself toward Helper Lu.
Wu Jianping clashed his sword against Helper Lu's, forcing him back. Wei Shuai quickly joined the fray, and the two young sector leaders began a synchronized attack on Helper Lu.
Wen Huifang immediately released her red thread needles toward Wu Jianping and Wei Shuai. The two young chiefs quickly knocked some of the needles away with their swords, but the rest of the needles pierced the surrounding, less-skilled members of the six sect.
Recognizing Wen Huifang's formidable reputation, Wu Jianping and Wei Shuai realized they couldn't win a direct confrontation. They slowly began to retreat from Wen Huifang and Helper Lu.
Wen Huifang glared at them angrily. "Imbeciles!"
She released four more red thread needles, pointing them directly at the retreating Wu Jianping and Wei Shuai. However, another red thread needle suddenly flew in and hovered directly over Wen Huifang's own four threads. Wen Huifang found herself being dragged forcefully toward the two young sector chiefs. They were holding their swords ready to cut at her waist, but Wen Huifang swiftly jumped over the two men. They looked back and saw Fu Yuanjun engaging Wen Huifang. Relieved, the two young sect chiefs returned to attacking Helper Lu.
Wen Huifang held her red threads tightly in her right hand, her gaze locked on Fu Yuanjun. She said, a hint of grudging respect in her tone, "I didn't expect there would be someone like you inside the six sects. You are better than Cao Fengge."
Fu Yuanjun smiled, a calculated look in his eyes. "If Wen Qianbei is willing to hand over the Immortal Child Manual, I'll be happy to let you leave without injury."
Wen Huifang chuckled lightly. "Immortal Child Manual… I didn't know you'd be interested in my silly manual?"
Fu Yuanjun maintained his composure. "Wen Qianbei, if you hand it over, we will leave immediately. Your sect members will die less." He stared directly at her.
Wen Huifang smirked, her posture defiant. "So, you lured me here for this manual?"
Fu Yuanjun corrected her with a smooth smile. "No, not exactly. I am here just as a supporter for the annihilation of your sect."
Wen Huifang's eyes hardened. "Then I will annihilate you first."
Wen Huifang released a red thread from her left hand, pointing it directly at Fu Yuanjun. He quickly swayed far to his left and leaped into the air. He shot a dagger at Wen Huifang, flying after it immediately while simultaneously releasing his razor chain whip toward her neck.
Wen Huifang dodged to her left, causing Fu Yuanjun to land on the ground. The razor chain whip swung straight toward her. Wen Huifang arched backward to avoid it, but Fu Yuanjun flew directly at her, tumbling in the air, and stepping heavily on Wen Huifang's abdomen with his right foot.
Wen Huifang, hitting the ground, grabbed Fu Yuanjun's foot, but he quickly rose into the air, creating distance between them. He immediately released ten red needles flying at Wen Huifang. As soon as Wen Huifang stood up, the ten needles pierced her chest directly. Fu Yuanjun flew forward and wrapped his razor chain whip around Wen Huifang's neck.
Wen Huifang grabbed the razor chain whip, preventing it from strangling her. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. She smiled, dangerously. "Not bad. Not bad at all."
Fu Yuanjun pressed his demand. "Wen Qianbei, hand it over."
Wen Huifang laughed, the sound brittle and taunting. "I learned from the past that the Four Households stole our manuals from us, so I burned the original manuscript!" She pointed to her head. "It's all written here."
Fu Yuanjun's eyes narrowed. "So, in other words, you will never give it to me?"
Wen Huifang's laughter grew louder. "If I gave it to you, it would be fake, just like the fake Devil Fists manual Right-Hand Guard Zan agreed to share with everyone!"
Fu Yuanjun looked at Wen Huifang, a dark thought in his smile. "When Ma Jingguo walks through that door and sees your corpse hanging on it, what do you think will happen?"
Wen Huifang returned his smile with grim acceptance. "You are born, and you can't escape death." She looked directly at him. "I'm not afraid."
Fu Yuanjun sighed, almost regretfully. "Every life I end serves its own purpose." He tightened the razor chain around Wen Huifang's neck and quickly dragged her to the front door. He flew to the top of the wooden door beam and stood there, clutching the razor chain. He watched the shadow of Wen Huifang's desperate kicking. A few minutes later, when she finally went limp, Fu Yuanjun dropped Wen Huifang's body onto the ground.
Seeing the members of Sword Village and Tianshan rushing toward the Sunset Sector branch from the back, he jumped down. He walked to Wen Huifang, removed his razor chain whip from her neck, and tucked it back into his belt. He unsheathed his sword and stabbed Wen Huifang twice, then ran toward the inner sector division to continue killing the remaining Sunset Sect disciples.
The Sunset Sect disciples were ready to leave, waiting for their chief at the gate. Ma Jingguo, already fully dressed, stepped out of his private sleeping quarters to join Yuan Chaomei and Si Meifeng. He found Li Howin holding his horse. Ma Jingguo immediately mounted and addressed the younger man. "If you want to visit your parents, I can have someone send you."
Li Howin shook his head. "I'll wait for you to come back."
Ma Jingguo, Si Meifeng, and twenty of the sect's best fighters rode into the evening horizon.
Yuan Chaomei looked at Li Howin. "Don't worry, Chief will be back as soon as Wen qianbei is rescued."
Li Howin, watching them go, asked, "Yuan jiejie, Chief always takes you wherever he goes. Why didn't he take you this time?"
Yuan Chaomei sighed, her eyes on the road. "He didn't go out to drink or sightseeing. This time, he is going to fight tough opponents. Taking me with him is more like a burden."
Li Howin shifted the subject. "When I was inside Chief's room, there was an old Guzheng instrument. Does Chief play the guzheng?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"I was thinking of learning how to play it," Li Howin admitted. "When I was sold to the Chief, I thought he would treat me badly, but he hasn't at all. I want to repay his kindness."
Yuan Chaomei's expression was wistful. "It would be so great if you and Mu gongzi could switch places."
Li Howin, hearing the name again, asked, "Yuan jiejie, who is Mu gongzi? Is Mu Gongzi and Xiao Shushu the same person?"
"They are…"
Tong Keung interrupted, calling from a distance. "Yuan guniang, we are leaving now!"
Yuan Chaomei called back, "Good luck to you." She watched Tong Keung lead hundreds of Sunset Sect members down the mountain road, then sighed, her fear palpable. "Death is coming."
Li Howin asked anxiously, "Yuan jiejie, why?"
Yuan Chaomei could only offer a grim, poetic answer. "Because two tigers cannot live in the same cave..."
As night fell, Ma Jingguo, Si Meifeng, and their escort arrived at the sector division, which was unnervingly quiet. Approaching the door, they saw corpses everywhere. The bodies of the dead Sunset Sect members were scattered on the ground.
Si Meifeng gasped, breathing frantically. "They really want to treat us as enemies."
When the other members lit their torches, Ma Jingguo saw it: Wen Huifang's body hanging next to Helper Lu and several others at the front gate.
Ma Jingguo dismounted his horse, flew over the ground, unsheathed his sword Honglei, and severed the ropes. As the other dead members fell, Ma Jingguo caught Wen Huifang. He gently stretched out his hand and closed her eyes. Tears dripped from his bloodshot eyes. He gritted his teeth and said, his voice raw with cold fury, "Prepare to burn Mangsha Sect to the ground."
Inside Mangsha Sect, Wu Jianping hosted a lavish banquet to celebrate the successful annihilation of the Sunset Sector branch. Numerous martial artists sat happily in the great hall, enjoying the food.
"Congratulations, Chief Wu!"
Wu Jianping raised his cup. "The credit is not mine alone; the credit is the credit of each of you, especially Leader Fu."
Fu Yuanjun bowed slightly. "Chief Wu, in this expedition, you were our leader, and most of the credit is yours."
Laughter and revelry filled the banquet hall.
At the foot of the hill, Ma Jingguo stood in front of the stairs, staring up at ten disciples of Mangsha guarding the entrance.
One gate disciple challenged him. "Who are you? Which sect are you from?"
Si Meifeng and Tong Keung sprinted forward and quickly killed all ten disciples.
Ma Jingguo looked up the long stairwell into the darkness. His voice was a cold command. "Kill everything in your path."