Once again, a heart-wrenching scream echoed through the air. The swirling vortex of wind and water turned crimson, mixed with the serpent’s blood that kept gushing endlessly.“Mercy… I surrender! Please, don’t kill me!” cried the serpent in a pitiful tone.Fang Yun felt a pang of pity for the creature’s plea. He stopped the raging vortex surrounding them both. The serpent’s body fell heavily, crashing onto the surface of the river with a loud splash. The impact created towering waves that rippled across the water.“If you still wish to live, never show yourself along this river again. If I ever hear about anyone being harmed by your doing, I will hunt you down to the bottom of this river!”“I promise, Great Warrior,” said the serpent as it bowed its head low, then swiftly dove beneath the water’s surface.Fang Yun exhaled slowly. With a light movement, he leapt back toward the ship and landed gracefully beside Mei Hwa.The girl instantly threw her arms around Fang Yun, sobbing uncontr

“You are a true man. I will not kill you—but on one condition: become a good person and walk upon the path of righteousness,” said Fang Yun, before pulling back the sword that had been resting against Black Scorpion’s neck.The tall, broad-shouldered man looked up, staring at Fang Yun who had stepped three paces away.“Do you realize that life in this world is but an illusion? Unless you are immortal, there is no reason to always chase after pleasure.” Fang Yun turned toward Mei Hwa, who was walking closer.“Because of your men’s wicked intentions toward my friend, you’ve ended up humiliated like this,” he added.Black Scorpion lowered his head. He could not say a word, having just received a sharp blow of truth from the young man.“If I wished, I could kill all of you as easily as turning my palm—but I will not do that.” Fang Yun took a slow breath, exhaling heavily.“If you refuse to change, one day someone far more ruthless than I will come and destroy you all. The choice is yours—

“You’ll find out soon enough who’s behind all this,” Fang Yun replied.“So you already know who the mastermind is?” Yi Hao asked.Fang Yun didn’t answer—he only smiled faintly.“You truly are a mysterious young man,” Yi Hao said.“Hide—quick!” Fang Yun whispered, pulling Yi Hao by the shoulder.His sharp hearing picked up the sound of people talking and walking toward them.Sure enough, moments later, four men appeared, heading toward the building Fang Yun and Yi Hao were observing.“That boy was so stupid, hahaha!” one of them said.“But something felt off… why didn’t his martial ability match what the master said?” another asked.“That’s because we’re too strong,” the first one boasted.The four men laughed and entered the building.“Who’s this ‘master’ they’re talking about?” Yi Hao muttered under his breath.The next morning, both men saw a dozen people exit the building. Behind them, a horse-drawn cart with a tightly closed cover followed. What shocked Yi Hao was seeing Wang Li r

Because she felt too comfortable leaning on Fang Yun’s shoulder, Mei Hwa didn’t notice that Yi Hao had already approached them.“Ehem... Ehem...” teased Yi Hao with a smirk.The beautiful girl immediately lifted her head, her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment.“How romantic. Why don’t you two just get married?” Yi Hao continued teasing.“It’s not something I’ve thought about yet, Uncle. Maybe ten or twenty years from now—or perhaps never at all,” Fang Yun replied softly, glancing briefly at Mei Hwa. The lovely girl’s face turned slightly sulky at his answer.“How did the sweep inside go, Uncle?” Fang Yun asked next.“There were seven more girls inside. Four from my village, and three from the neighboring one,” Yi Hao replied.“What about the valuables?”“There are four large chests filled with silver and gold coins. You can take them for now, and later we’ll distribute the rest to the villagers.”Fang Yun nodded. “Let’s take a look,” he said.The three of them entered the luxurious

“Where is your home?” Fang Yun asked softly.“My home is deep within the forest.”Fang Yun turned toward Siu Wen and his companions, who were still sprawled on the ground. Though they were not unconscious, none of them dared to stand after being so easily defeated.“If you or your sect can’t accept this, come and find me. I won’t run like a coward!” Fang Yun sneered.He and the two girls began walking side by side after retrieving their horses.Siu Wen’s face flushed red with rage. He immediately ran off, followed by his friends, heading straight toward their sect.After running nonstop for two hours, they arrived at a large building surrounded by teakwood walls. On the gate, written in bold, were the words Demon Sword Sect, with two black swords crossed beneath it.Siu Wen rushed inside to find his father, panting heavily.“Why are you running like a madman?” asked a middle-aged man wearing a black headband.“I was beaten, Father,” Siu Wen replied, clutching his bruised chest.The ma