Chapter 168: Not Sparing a Single One

“Good, good, what a cunning plan, what clever methods!”

Mu Feng exclaimed “good” three times in a row, but his expression grew colder and colder. “To kill a minor figure like me, you have really gone to great lengths, even severing your own meridians. You certainly honor this scholar too much. Release my book attendant, and you can leave. I absolutely will not stop you. If I break this promise, may I be struck by thunder and have my soul scattered!”

“Don’t come any closer, Mu Feng. No— although we stand opposed, in light of your astonishing talent, I should respectfully address you as Young Master Mu. If you don’t want this girl to die here, you’d better stand perfectly still!”

Poison Hand Xie Han gave a cold laugh. The sharp dagger pressed tightly against Jing Wushuang’s throat, not daring to be the slightest bit careless.

The terror of Mu Feng, this God of Slaughter, was now known and feared by every evil heretic in the Southern Borderlands.

He had no desire to end up like the other unlucky fellows, as a cold, dried-up corpse. No matter what Mu Feng said, he would not loosen his grip on the dagger. Jing Wushuang’s disguise might fool ordinary people, but it could not deceive his sharp, veteran devil eyes. He had seen through her female identity at a glance. Moreover, he had discerned that her relationship with Mu Feng was anything but ordinary, far more than just a common book attendant.

Now that her identity was exposed, whether he could retreat unscathed depended entirely on this hostage!

“Good. They call you Poison Hand, and indeed your methods are sharp and ruthless.”

Upon hearing this, Mu Feng remained motionless, coldly watching as Poison Hand Xie Han slowly backed away, holding Jing Wushuang. He then continued, “Cangjian Peak is the only route to the Hengling Mountain Range. Laying an ambush here half a month in advance, although unexpected, is still understandable. However, there is one thing I don’t understand. How did you know I was connected to the Jianshui Gang, and thus carved the water-drop secret mark on your wrist?”

“Secret mark? Young Master Mu, are you referring to this water-drop-shaped brand?”

Poison Hand Xie Han was startled, then burst into loud laughter, revealing the secret mark on his wrist. “Heh heh heh, to be honest, half a month ago when I killed this inn attendant, disguised myself as him, and lurked here, I truly didn’t know he was a spy for the Jianshui Gang, much less that you had any ties with them. At the time, the reason I branded this secret mark on myself was merely to deceive others, to avoid being spotted by people familiar with him. It wasn’t until two days ago, when I suddenly received a secret message the Jianshui Gang sent to this attendant, that I found out you actually had secret dealings with them. Heh heh heh!”

“So that’s how it was!”

Mu Feng nodded, smiling bitterly.

Fate could be so coincidental and unpredictable at times.

Poison Hand Xie Han’s unintentional action had led him into a mistaken line of thinking, causing him to exclude Xie Han from suspicion as the assassin from the start, and thus he had made a grave error!

“There’s one more thing I don’t understand. Since that bowl of mountain tea was poisoned, why did some flies that inhaled the vapor die on the spot, while others showed no signs of poisoning at all?” After a moment of contemplation, Mu Feng voiced his second doubt.

His body stood motionless, but secretly he gradually stirred the Ancestral Sorcerer’s Essence Blood within him to its limit. His robe moved though there was no wind, and an invisible wave of scorching heat spread gradually from his body to every corner of the inn. In an instant, the small inn seemed to plummet from a cold night into a blazing furnace. The temperature rose higher and higher, even the ever-present air grew scalding hot.

Sensing the danger, everyone’s expressions changed simultaneously. Their eyes, when they looked at Mu Feng, held deep fear.

He hadn’t even truly made a move yet, and just his intimidating pressure was already so formidable. No wonder even the usually terrifying Poison Hand Xie Han was treating this as a formidable enemy!

“That plate of crispy peanuts was already poisoned, and another kind of poison was added to the mountain tea. Ingesting either poison alone had no effect; only when both poisons were consumed would it become fatal!”

Poison Hand Xie Han gave another cold laugh, retreating step by step as he continued, “Although I failed the mission, I, Xie Han, did my best this time. I can account for myself before Blind Master. Young Master Mu, you win this time. As long as you let me take your book attendant with me, and I release her ten miles away, from then on we’ll stay out of each other’s way. How about it?”

After painstakingly setting up such a trap and still failing to kill this formidable enemy Mu Feng, Poison Hand Xie Han was truly frightened. A strong urge to retreat sprouted in his heart.

Although Blind Master had promised to help restore his strength afterward, even offering him a remarkably powerful ancient poison manual, at this moment, looking at the icy Mu Feng, he felt the approach of death for the first time. Compared to life, everything else was secondary. If his life was gone, what use would it be to really obtain an ancient poison manual?

Looking at the exceptionally calm Mu Feng, Poison Hand Xie Han’s heart grew heavier and heavier.

At this moment, he finally felt deep regret. Had he known this God of Slaughter Mu Feng was so terrifying, he would rather have attempted to assassinate an expert at the Elite Realm level than provoke this slaughter god!

“Colorless, odorless, intricately linked. Impressive, truly worthy of a master poisoner!”

Mu Feng nodded, finally resolving the doubts in his mind. He neither agreed nor disagreed with Poison Hand Xie Han’s proposal; instead, his gaze toward him grew even colder.

“Young Master Mu, I’m just a minor lackey. Blind Master and the one behind him, Mu Tie, are your true enemies. Even if you kill me, Blind Master will just send more assassins. Why must we fight to the mutual destruction? This book attendant is of unparalleled elegance and grace. I think you wouldn’t want her to die by my hand, would you?”

Sensing the escalating power fluctuation within Mu Feng, the fear in Poison Hand Xie Han’s heart grew stronger and stronger.

Over so many years, achieving a one-strike kill every time, ever-victorious, had made him overconfident in his poisoning skills. From the moment he severed his meridians and accepted the mission, he had never considered the possibility of failure.

Now, facing Mu Feng’s terrifying pressure, he realized how foolish it was to have severed his meridians back then!

Panic made him even more vicious. His nostrils twitched slightly, and he quickly noticed the torn scar on Jing Wushuang’s shoulder. With a cold laugh, he drove his elbow down hard, causing a spray of blood. The old wound on Jing Wushuang’s body, which had already been seeping blood, was completely torn open, bleeding profusely. Soon, her robe was soaked red.

“Hmm, mutual destruction? Not good, not good at all!”

Seeing the blood seeping from Jing Wushuang’s shoulder, a cold glint flashed in Mu Feng’s eyes. His stomach gurgled, and his killing intent surged violently.

Taking a deep breath, he did not strike out in rage. Instead, he nodded coldly, allowing Poison Hand Xie Han to retreat all the way to the inn’s main door while he remained motionless. This made the latter sigh in relief, thinking Mu Feng was hesitant for fear of harming the hostage. However, just as Poison Hand Xie Han was overjoyed and prepared to rush towards a warhorse not far away, intending to force Jing Wushuang onto the horse and ride off, suddenly a tall figure flickered before him, arriving in front of him like lightning.

In that instant when Poison Hand Xie Han’s guard was down, Mu Feng, who had been waiting for an opportunity, finally moved.

He did not throw a ferocious Blood Spear, nor did he summon the formidable Blood Radiance. He simply charged forward directly. Contrary to everyone’s expectations, he did not launch a fierce assault directly at Poison Hand Xie Han. Instead, he pressed one palm against Jing Wushuang’s left shoulder.

Bang…

Jing Wushuang’s long hair flew back, but her body remained motionless. However, Poison Hand Xie Han behind her was suddenly sent flying as if struck by a hammer. He crashed hard into a large rock over a dozen steps away.

A clear palm print was left on his body, and blood seeped from all the pores on his body. After landing, he struggled to get up, his face contorted as if enduring immense pain. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but instead, he vomited a large mouthful of blood. Then, jets of blood spurted from all over his body, and he fell to the ground, dead!

Eighteen Dragon Strength!

Mu Feng had employed the hidden force from the Mu Family Fist, striking the ox through the mountain, achieving a one-hit kill!

After breaking through to the Mortal Realm Peak, his Spiritual Soul had strengthened, allowing him to manipulate objects from a distance, and his power had more than doubled, reaching an astonishing Eighteen Dragon Strength.

With that one palm strike, never mind that Poison Hand Xie Han had already severed his meridians and was little different from an ordinary person who couldn’t cultivate; even at his peak, he couldn’t withstand such a terrifying force. With just one palm, all the internal organs in his body were shattered to pieces. The dagger pressed against Jing Wushuang’s throat was extremely sharp, but in that split second, he simply had no time to act!

“Blind Master and the Mu Tie behind him, I will settle accounts with them. But every single minor lackey who dares to come after me, I will not spare a single one!”

Looking at the dead Poison Hand Xie Han whose eyes were still wide open, Mu Feng gave a cold laugh. He turned, picked up Jing Wushuang, and quickly left, returning to his room to treat her injuries.

Behind him, it was only after his figure disappeared into the upstairs guest room that people finally snapped out of it. Staring at Poison Hand Xie Han, lying in a pool of blood, dead in such a miserable state, one by one, their scalps tingled with fear.

The great Devil Leader, Poison Hand, was dead just like that?

Like a fly, swatted dead with a gentle palm?

Those who had witnessed Mu Feng’s attack found it somewhat hard to believe, but the facts were right before their eyes, leaving them no choice but to believe.

For a long time, they looked towards the staircase leading to the upstairs guest rooms, but not a single person dared to be the first to go up and rest. The innkeeper, in particular, was as mournful as if bereaved of his parents, trembling all over, hiding under the counter the entire time. He was terrified that Mu Feng, in a fit of rage, would not only tear down the entire inn but also kill him, the innkeeper himself!

“Innkeeper, three copper coins. Don’t forget to give my horse an extra serving of soybeans at midnight, feed it well!”

After a long silence, the Black-clad Woman, who had remained expressionless all along, broke the stillness. With a ‘ding’ sound, she tossed out three copper coins, which spun and landed upright before the trembling innkeeper. Then she stepped up the wooden stairs and went to sleep in her own guest room. Seeing that she was safe and sound, and that the slaughter god Mu Feng showed no further movement, the people downstairs finally began to move about cautiously. They extinguished their lights early and went to bed, desperately wishing for dawn to arrive immediately so they could leave this place of trouble sooner.