Xiao Chen gave a faint smile as his eyes searched for a torch or lantern whose flame could be used to burn the two buildings, their walls made of wooden planks and their roofs of dried pandan leaves.Remaining cautious, the young man walked toward two torches standing at opposite corners of the yard. The pandan-leaf thatched roofs would serve as an advantage for him to carry out his plan swiftly.In truth, taking two torches at once might arouse suspicion from members of The Demon Sickles Sect who were still awake, but Xiao Chen didn’t care. Even if they became suspicious, it would not be difficult for him to throw the torches in both his hands onto the roofs of the buildings.However, Xiao Chen suddenly had another thought. If he burned the roofs immediately, the sect members inside the buildings might still escape through the doors. Therefore, before setting fire to the roofs, Xiao Chen decided to burn the doors and the surrounding walls. Of course, this

The three warriors who had chosen the dark path as their way of life immediately formed protective energy around their bodies. Each of them also assumed a firm stance, preparing to unleash their strongest techniques.They knew that death could come at any moment if they did not give their utmost resistance against an opponent whose martial skills were individually superior.Seeing Xiao Chen advance, the three refused to stand still and receive his attack passively. They charged forward together, meeting his assault head-on.The death of their companion made them change tactics. They switched to a different formation that prevented Xiao Chen from counterattacking effectively or breaking through their defenses. For a while, their combined strikes worked well enough to suppress him.The relentless, varied attacks from all directions forced Xiao Chen into difficulty. He found it harder to employ the Dominating Wolf Sword Technique. At first, he thought his opponents would rely on the same

Sekar squinted at the building before her eyes. Two torches flanking the large gate swayed gracefully in the wind like dancers.“Is this really supposed to be an inn?” she asked Xiao Chen softly.“Perhaps it was designed this way to disguise its true purpose. That way, if bandits or the like ever wanted to cause trouble, they might think twice,” Xiao Chen replied. The same doubt lingered in his mind, but he didn’t want to be overly suspicious just yet.Xiao Chen leapt down from his horse and walked toward the gate, which was unguarded from the outside.Before he could knock, he sensed several faint energies behind the gate. He guessed they came from guards stationed for the night. To confirm his suspicion, Xiao Chen rapped several times on the sturdy wooden gate.Moments later, the heavy door creaked open. Two men with swords at their waists glared sharply at Xiao Chen, then shifted their gaze toward Sekar, who still sat atop he

The terrifying grin on Xiao Chen’s face made the last remaining man collapse into a bow before him. His forehead pressed against the damp floor as sobs of fear spilled from his mouth.“Please spare my life, Warrior. I know nothing of what happened, I was only following along.”Xiao Chen let out a heavy sigh. He gazed at the trembling man whose body shook from his fear of death.“Very well, I’ll spare you. But tell me, where did Fan Yu take my friend?”The man lifted his head, shifting into a kneeling position. Yet he sat in silence, as if lost in confusion, unable to give an answer.Xiao Chen understood the dilemma weighing on him. If he didn’t reveal where Sekar had been taken, his own life would be at risk. But if he did reveal it, he feared Fan Yu, whom he suspected was the leader of this place.“You need not fear Fan Yu. I may not be the God of Death, but I promise you—he will die by my hand! I don’t have much time. Choose now—tell me, or die?”“Y-yes, Warrior. I’ll show you Lord

The villager of medium build sighed once again, this time more heavily. He carefully studied Xiao Chen to make sure the young man wasn’t part of the group that had traumatized their village only a few days earlier.“First, forgive me if I seemed suspicious of you both. My name is Sun Yang, you can call me To like the other villagers do.”“I can understand your suspicion, To. My name is Xiao Chen, and this is Sekar. Actually, we came to this village to ask the way to Mount Huashan, but after seeing this house, we felt moved to help.”Sun Yang smiled warmly at Xiao Chen and Sekar. “May I ask, what kind of help do you intend to give the owner of this house? Forgive me if I seem rude, but I must confirm first, because I think this needs to be discussed with the village head.”“Are there other villagers in the same condition as the owner of this house?” Xiao Chen asked back.“Economically, yes, there are several houses as poor as this one. But mentally, only Yu Karti is suffering like this