"Uncle Qi Mountain, take action!!" Chen Wuyou charged to the side, shouting loudly at the same time.
Unfortunately, the Daoist Qi Mountain he saw remained motionless, just casting a mocking glance at him.
"Qi Mountain, thanks to your timely cooperation and advance notice this time," Tang Sha smiled.
"The Chen family father and son ignored the Dao Palace, recklessly took lives, and committed murders; they deserve this calamity," Daoist Qi Mountain replied, lowering his head.
"It's just a pity about Xiao Rong..." He glanced regretfully at the gravely injured Xiao Rong on the ground.
"To set the stage, some sacrifices are inevitable... what's more, I hinted to him before, but alas..." Tang Sha also felt regret.
Xiao Rong's unclear mind harmed his daughter for no good reason.
Xiao Qingying, although placed under the Chen family's supervision, had helpers protecting her, and remained physically safe. But having spent so long in the bandit den hungry for a woman...
Even if she has kept her innocence, no one dares to consider her...
Instantly, they stopped looking at Xiao Rong and his daughter and went ahead, assisting the officers in surrounding the mountain bandits.
Zhang Xintai, sighing deeply from behind.
That's why he and his father preferred not to meddle with the power struggles of the Dao Palace. They just guarded their small territory and lived their lives.
Indeed, Xiao Rong and his daughter were short-sighted, unable to judge people correctly.
But Dean Tang Sha, too, was indifferent and heartless.
For the sake of profit, for power, few can keep their true selves these days.
At this moment, Zhang Xintai hesitated no longer, quickly rushing out to join others in sieging the bandits and the Chen family's forces.
Meanwhile, lying on the ground, Xiao Qingying finally realized she and her father were merely pawns being used.
Now, their usefulness was gone, no one cared whether they lived or died.
With the competitors gone, the Dean's position for Palace Master was assured in the future.
Suddenly, she understood...
This conspiracy, using the Chen family to collude with bandits, eradicated the bandit threat and presented a goodwill gesture to the military leadership.
Also eliminating the competition, securing the Palace Master position.
But only she and her father were the discarded pawns...
With the Palace Master position secured, their worth was gone.
For a moment, Xiao Qingying felt a chilling cold, once friendly and amiable Grandpa Dean, now seemingly carried a haunting chill...
A sinister aura that made one resist.
The fight didn't last long, soon Huang Jude, Chen Wuyou, and Jiao Teng used people around them as shields, desperately rushing out.
The three of them were one Fourth Grade, and two Second Grades.
The former's menacing manner was terrifying when desperate, no one dared to confront them directly, only shooting arrows from afar, or using powerful slingshots.
Eventually, he forced a path.
Chen Wuyou and Jiao Teng took advantage of the gap Huang Jude created, charged out with injuries.
Except for the three, all others were killed or captured on site.
*
*
*
Just then.
Carrying Sister Zhao Dasheng, Zhang Rongfang heading back to Qinghe Palace stopped abruptly. He paused, looking ahead with concentration.
He had just heard a commotion from the side.
Contemplating for a moment, he quickly moved Sister Zhao into the nearby bushes, and himself hid quietly in the other side shrub.
Soon, three shadows stumbled through the side woods.
It was Huang Jude, Chen Wuyou, and Jiao Teng.
The three crowded together, sprinting all the way after breaking through the encirclement.
Besides Huang Jude, who was badly wounded from charging at the front, the other two were only lightly injured.
Chen Wuyou and Jiao Teng were both Second Grades, while Huang Jude was Fourth Grade; facing their combined force, no one dared to resist.
The trio continued forward, still some distance from where Zhang Rongfang and Sister Zhao were.
Watching them getting closer.
A few meters more and they might discover Zhang Rongfang and Sister Zhao hidden in the bushes.
"Wait! There's a smell of blood!" Huang Jude was the first to stop, alertly looking around.
"There's a smell of blood nearby!"
"Boss Huang..." Chen Wuyou's face froze, about to speak.
"You! Go ahead and scout!" Huang Jude suddenly turned, his fierce eyes fixed on him.
Chen Wuyou felt a jolt inside; despite Huang Jude's injuries, he couldn't handle him.
If his father were here it would be a different matter, but he... was still not good enough.
Fortunately, Jiao Teng was also there.
"Boss Huang, isn't this inappropriate..." Chen Wuyou stepped back and patted Jiao Teng.
"We're not your underlings to take risks for you." He quickly pulled Jiao Teng to his side.
Jiao Teng understood, realizing they needed to handle this together with Chen Wuyou.
"Since we've broken out, let's split up!"
He was also wary of the current Huang Jude, this guy still had subordinates elsewhere.
If any ill intentions arose... the two of them wouldn't be able to deal with him.
Huang Jude snorted coldly, glanced at these two cowards, and turned toward the direction without the scent of blood. Before long, he vanished into the forest.
"Let's go too!" Chen Wuyou said in a deep voice.
"Wait!" Jiao Teng suddenly shifted his gaze and stared at a bush on the side.
"There's someone there!"
"Who! Come out!" he suddenly shouted harshly.
"Don't! Don't act!" Zhang Rongfang trembled as he crawled out from the bush, covered in blood from Zhao Dachong.
His face was apprehensive, hiding behind a tree trunk, looking scared to death.
"Second Senior Brother, First Senior Brother... it's me..." Zhang Rongfang quickly revealed his identity.
"Zhang Rongfang?" Jiao Teng said in surprise, then was suddenly furious. This useless person who couldn't even get a rank made them delay here for so long!
"Get lost!!"
He couldn't be bothered to deal with him further and quickly sprinted off toward the predetermined direction to escape.
Chen Wuyou also sighed in relief, gave Zhang Rongfang a fierce glare, and rushed forward following Jiao Teng.
He hadn't forgotten that he was fleeing for his life, in case the soldiers caught up from behind...
This time, the plan was disrupted by that old immortal at the academy, leading to failure; it seems they can only retreat and regroup.
The long-suppressed scheming, ultimately ruined, made Chen Wuyou increasingly angry the more he thought about it.
As he passed Zhang Rongfang, a sudden evil courage welled up within him.
Why should he be running for his life now, while this waste has nothing to worry about?
Why!?
This useless brat, just looking at him is annoying, might as well kill him!
With a swoosh, Chen Wuyou suddenly struck a blow toward the back of Zhang Rongfang's head.
A sneak attack from behind, he was quick, aiming to kill with this strike.
Thud!
But Chen Wuyou's face stiffened, his striking arm hanging mid-air, just a palm's distance from Zhang Rongfang's head.
But he couldn't close that palm's distance any further.
In the soft area of his abdomen, Zhang Rongfang's hand had reached the target first.
His hand in a blade form, deeply stabbing into his abdomen, then pulling outward.
With a splash.
Chen Wuyou staggered back a few steps, his internal organs and intestines being forcibly pulled out, dragging along the ground.
His face quickly turned pale.
"You....!!?" he pointed at Zhang Rongfang in disbelief, eyes filled with doubt, shame, anger, pain, and unwillingness.
"Sorry, Second Senior Brother." Zhang Rongfang looked sincere, "Your strength is too great, I feared I couldn't defeat you, leaving me no choice but to resort to this strategy."
Before the words finished, he dashed forward, landing a punch squarely on Chen Wuyou's forehead.
Bang!!!
Chen Wuyou's head snapped back, with a cracking sound, his neck bone breaking backward, dying instantly.
Without pause, Zhang Rongfang turned and charged toward Jiao Teng.
Jiao Teng had already run a distance, startled by the commotion behind, turning to witness this scene.
He was dumbstruck, seeing Zhang Rongfang chasing after him, and his heart seized with terror.
But being a second-rank martial artist, he roared, unleashing a full-force Mountain Rock Fall towards Zhang Rongfang.
"Die!!"
Zhang Rongfang expressionless, spun with the Dragon and Snake Ascension Skill underfoot, narrowly evading the punch.
The gap in their footwork was too vast.
He moved like a giant python, in a blink appearing beside Jiao Teng.
'Mountain-shaped Talisman.'
He spread his arms, muscles writhing and twisting, resembling a great python growing wings.
'Heavy Mountain!'
The wings descended like a massive scissor.
Bang!!
Jiao Teng lifted his right arm, trying to block the strike.
But the massive force caused his face to turn red.
"You...!!?" his pupils dilated, his mind nearly dazed,
never expecting Zhang Rongfang wasn't just a mere Muscle Forging practitioner, and that this strike was far stronger than even second-rank.
The right arm he thought could block the attack was knocked aside by the blow.
Zhang Rongfang's hands drove straight in, viciously chopping at his neck.
Crack.
Jiao Teng stood rigid, the light slowly fading from his eyes.
He struggled to breathe, attempting to draw some fresh oxygen from the air.
But with his neck nearly broken, even his trachea was squeezed together with the broken neck bone.
"Am I... dreaming??"
With a thud, Jiao Teng fell backward, gradually losing his breath.