Atop a giant tree with lush, sprawling leaves—on one of its broad branches—the three of them observed sharply, like an eagle stalking its prey. The density of the great tree was the very reason A Fu chose it as their vantage point. Not only was it difficult to spot them from below, but from this towering height they could clearly see the inside of the fortress. Hundreds of members within the fortress were busy with their respective activities. Yet strangely, all their faces looked the same—blank and cold. There was no conversation, no laughter exchanged among them. Not even a simple greeting was seen. It was as if none of them knew one another. “So this is what happens when a human’s mind is washed. They’re nothing more than the living dead—moving and working, yet devoid of thought,” Fang An whispered. “Yes, this is the result… and I feel deeply guilty. If I had known this was w

Mo Lin and Cheng Yu had no inkling of what was about to happen. They were confident in their own abilities, especially since within the Tong Dynasty there were not many warriors of true caliber. And the two of them were among the strongest.The sound of dry leaves crunching and bushes rustling accompanied the sweep led by Mo Lin and Cheng Yu, who commanded the Dark Prince’s followers. Every suspicious spot was thoroughly examined.Following the directions given by the gate guards, Mo Lin and Cheng Yu led fifty men. They would not stop until they reached the edge of the forest. Their eyes scanned not only the ground but also the treetops. From time to time, the two of them leapt lightly onto branches if something seemed suspicious.The farther they went, the less sign they saw of the spies they were searching for—nor of the more than one hundred men who had gone ahead in pursuit. Everything seemed normal, even after three hours of sweeping.As nightfall approached, Cheng Yu and Mo Lin

Judging from their speed, the thirty elite members were clearly well-trained and possessed high-level martial skills. This was proven by how they could keep up with the pace of Cheng Yu, Mo Lin, and Braga.Two hours later, the sun began to rise in the eastern sky. They weren’t running along the ground, but instead darting from tree to tree. They did this to avoid an encounter with the one who had awakened over a hundred of their members—A Fu.As time passed, their movements gradually brought them closer to the edge of the forest. Suddenly, Cheng Yu signaled for everyone to halt, after his sharp eyes caught sight of heavy movement—troops from the Tong Dynasty army.From atop a tree, the second-most influential figure after Qian Hao glared intently at the royal forces of the Tong Dynasty. He wanted to be certain whether their master had truly sided with the palace or not.He studied every part of the Tong Dynasty army carefully. Of course,

One of A Fu’s disciples struck several acupoints around Sun Zu’s wounds to stop the blood from flowing further.“Thank you,” said Sun Zu.“You’re welcome, Elder. Let’s finish them off,” replied A Fu’s disciple.Sun Zu nodded. The old man suddenly transformed the yellow bamboo staff in his hands into a whip tipped with a serpent’s head.Together with Sun Zu, the five disciples of A Fu surged forward to attack the elite members. A fierce and evenly matched battle erupted.Meanwhile, after the earlier clash, Fang An began to gauge A Fu’s true strength. If even his disciples wield such potent poison, what kind of power must the man himself—once part of the Dark Prince’s forces—possess? he thought inwardly.Fang An took a deep breath, channeling his energy to neutralize the poison slowly creeping through his body. Had he been a moment slower, the venom in his hand would have spread through his entire system.He move

Cheng Yu remained silent for quite some time, torn between accepting or rejecting his master’s question.On one hand, his master was the one who had done so much for him—more than anyone else in his life. A Fu was not only a teacher but also a father figure who had shaped him, transforming a naïve and simple young man into a warrior with formidable martial skills. On the other hand, Cheng Yu found it difficult to abandon the fortress he had built up, commanding nearly a thousand loyal followers.Yet, the desire to follow in his master’s footsteps grew stronger the more he recalled how Qian Hao had deceived him and his three brothers, manipulating them in order to seize control of the fortress.Cheng Yu’s eyes shifted toward another battlefield. He remembered that Sin Lao and the twenty-five elite members were also fighting at that very moment.“Sin Lao…” Cheng Yu’s voice caught in his throat. His tongue felt heavy, unable to form words as he saw his fellow disciple frozen lifeless.No