The battle was completely one-sided.
Although the Blood Hand Society was full of desperate outlaws, most of the lives lost were those of others.
After a few rounds of gunfire from the Flame Army's gunmen, followed by the subsequent troops charging in and hacking through the crowd, the members of the Blood Hand Society were already routed.
No matter how high one's Martial Arts skill, one still fears a kitchen knife.
No matter how sharp a kitchen knife, it still fears firearms.
Believe in science!
The people of the Blood Hand Society believed in science very much. They knew the Flame Army was unstoppable, not something their two hundred lives could contend with. After dozens of their brothers died, the rest voluntarily put their hands on their heads and squatted in a corner or lay flat on the ground.
With such a decisive and resolute posture, they expressed an important message: Stop fighting, I surrender!
Blood Hand, who came from an Assassin background, was famous in the martial world for his agile Movement Technique and treacherous attacks. But against Chen Hu, this blockhead, it was completely useless. This man practiced a set of military boxing focused purely on practicality.
It didn't look very sophisticated, but combined with his Brute Force, every strike was broad and sweeping, leaving Blood Hand with no room to fight back.
After dozens of exchanges, Chen Hu swung his saber towards Blood Hand's chest.
Blood Hand dared not meet the blow head-on and retreated desperately, trying to evade the fatal strike.
He knew that if this strike landed solidly from Chen Hu, his body would be split in two.
Bang.
Because his retreat was too unsteady, Blood Hand sat down hard on the ground.
Looking down at his chest, a bloody mark had actually appeared there.
The great saber hadn't even connected, yet he had suffered such a serious injury.
Blood Hand was horrified. He knew this was caused by Saber Qi. Had this big fellow managed to cultivate Saber Qi relying only on his brute strength?
The Flame Shrine had many thugs and ruffians, but there were also quite a few talented individuals.
Chen Hu walked over holding the great saber, placed the blade against Blood Hand's Neck, and threatened, "I'll give you one last chance. Hand over the person or you'll be finished here."
"I know that even if I hand over the person, I'll still be finished here," Blood Hand said with a pale Face, laughing mournfully. "I, Blood Hand, have killed many people and done bad deeds my whole life. But I never expected to lose this little life because of something I never did, someone I never killed. It's so unjust."
"Still playing tough when death is at your doorstep?"
"When death is at my doorstep, what is there left to hide?" Blood Hand looked up towards the White Robe Elder and said, "I know who Bian Zhenxin is. With a barbecue-making Father like you, how would I dare oppose him? I often treated him well with good food, drink, and entertainment, but I never expected you people to pin his death on me."
"My life as Blood Hand is worth nothing, so I'll die. But you all need to be careful—the real murderer of Bian Zhenxin hasn't appeared yet."
Bian Feng raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Lift him up and roast him."
After a pause, he added firmly, "As for the real killer, I will find them."
Just then, a group of people was rushing towards them from the distance.
The Grey Robes outside intercepted them. A Grey Robe Leader ran over to report to Bian Feng, saying, "Divine Envoy, another wave of Blood Hand Society members has arrived. They said they found Scarface's body and are returning to report."
"Scarface? Who is he?" Chen Hu asked aloud.
"Scarface is the owner of that lighter. So he was killed too..." Blood Hand knew his chance to live had arrived and quickly got up to explain, "Since Scarface disappeared, I sent several groups of brothers to look for them. Now I've finally found their bodies."
"Perhaps you sent people to silence them," Chen Hu's wrist twitched slightly, and a fresh red cut appeared on Blood Hand's neck.
"Bring the bodies over," the White Robe Elder said.
Soon, a group of Grey Robes carried several corpses over.
Those corpses looked like they had been dead for some Time already. Their bodies were Stiff, their skin pale, and a strong stench wafted out. Furthermore, one corpse had been mutilated beyond recognition by some unknown animal; only the skeleton was relatively intact, with flesh and organs missing.
The White Robe Elder pointed to a middle-aged man with a Scar on his face and asked, "Is he Scarface?"
"Yes, because of the Scar on his face, we all called him Scarface. Hardly anyone cared about his real name. He was the owner of that skull lighter."
"So, my son was killed by him?"
"That... I don't know," Blood Hand replied.
"Then, who killed him?" Bian Feng asked, his expression gloomy.
The coroner stepped forward and searched him, finding no fatal wound. It wasn't until his fingers reached the back of his Neck that he exclaimed, "Qi Manipulation Technique! He was killed by an Expert in the Qi Manipulation Technique!"
“…”
Everyone was shocked!
Chen Hu spoke up, "How is that possible? How can there be a Cultivator in the Hen Shan Gathering Area? Even if there were, it couldn't be an Expert in the Qi Control Realm... Coroner, are you sure you saw correctly?"
The coroner, brought by Bian Feng from the Lingyang Great Area, didn't show much respect to a local Gathering Area Adjutant like Chen Hu. Hearing his expertise questioned, he replied dissatisfiedly, "Deputy Adjutant Chen, I may not be better than you at killing people or protecting them, but when it comes to examining bodies, you are inferior to me. I've touched more corpses than you've touched women. There's specialization in professions, don't you understand?"
He beckoned to two Grey Robes beside him and said, "Turn him over."
The two Grey Robes obeyed and turned the large body of Scarface over. The coroner pointed to the fatal wound on the back of the Neck and said, "Look how smooth this incision is! Look how perfect this depth is... The sharpness of the Saber Blade and the control over the force are both perfect."
"When he died, he probably didn't even feel the pain—like being bitten by an ant, and then his life was over."
The coroner stood up, walked over to Bian Feng, and said, "In the Cultivator battle in the Lingyang Great Area a year ago, two Body Tempering realm cultivators died at the hands of a Qi Control Expert. The cut on their bodies was almost identical to this one."
"And the corpse from Crocodile Pond three years ago was also injured by someone in the Qi Control Realm—the incision was just as smooth and neat, full of aesthetic beauty."
Bian Feng walked over to Scarface's corpse, examined it, then squatted down and gently touched the wound, nodding afterward. He said, "This was indeed done by a Cultivator. Without the blessing of Yin-Yang Qi, an ordinary weapon could not achieve this level."
He stood up and said to Blood Hand, who was sitting on the ground with a great saber across his Neck, "Let him go, it wasn't him."
He didn't believe Blood Hand's words, nor did he believe his character or his oath.
He only believed in his capability; these bandits and thugs couldn't pull off something like this.
"..." Blood Hand was on the verge of tears.
It wasn't me, it really wasn't me.
How many times have I said I was framed? But you people killed most of my brothers and left me severely wounded. If Scarface had returned just a few seconds later, my head would have been cut off by you too.
You compensate me!
Scarface, my good brother, it's so good that you've returned! It feels so good to have you here!
Chen Hu then retracted his long saber and looked at Bian Feng, asking, "Divine Envoy, has a Qi Manipulation Technique Expert appeared in the Hen Shan Gathering Area?"
"Although it sounds absurd, it is true," Bian Feng said.
The situation was now clear: a Qi Control Realm Cultivator had killed Bian Zhenxin. To escape retaliation from the Flame Shrine, they also killed Scarface and this group of Plunderers, deliberately leaving Scarface's lighter at the scene of Bian Zhenxin's death to make them think the Plunderers were responsible.
Thinking of this, he felt a trace of sympathy for the deceased members of the Blood Hand Society.
But wasn't this the fate of Ants?
"How can we find him?"
Bian Feng looked at Blood Hand and said, "I don't care if he is a Cultivator hidden among the crowd or a distinguished guest descended from the New Star—you all must find him for me. Even if you have to dig three feet deep, you must drag him out."
"Yes," Chen Hu agreed through gritted teeth.
Cultivators were powerful, far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
However, the dead Black Robe was his direct superior and the son of his big boss; he had to avenge this.
Bian Feng saw the expression on Chen Hu's face and knew his thoughts. He spoke, "I know the might of a Qi Control Realm Expert, and I won't let my brothers die in vain. These Flame Army soldiers I brought are yours to command, as well as the Blood Hand Society."
Bian Feng looked at Chen Hu and said, "The Plunderers have done no small amount of illegal activities, robbing and pillaging right under the noses of the Flame Shrine. Do you know why we never wiped you out?"
Because we are one group!
Blood Hand thought to himself.
Of course, he dared not say this answer out loud in public.
He prostrated himself on the ground and said loudly, "The Blood Hand Society is at the disposal of the Divine Envoy."
"Good," Bian Feng was quite satisfied with Blood Hand's answer and said, "Contact all the Plunderer Organizations in the Hen Shan Gathering Area, big or small. Every single person must contribute. I want you to assist the Flame Shrine in finding that Cultivator."
"If you can't find him..." Bian Feng's eyes turned fierce, and he said menacingly, "The Hen Shan Gathering Area will cease to exist."
"Yes, Divine Envoy."
"We will do our utmost."
Chen Hu and Blood Hand both made a Military Order.
Tang Fei walked in front carrying two buckets, with Phoenix following closely behind carrying two buckets.
Phoenix had now taken off that expensive and eye-catching Star Voyage Suit, wearing faded jeans and a dull black hoodie. The hood was pulled up over her Head, concealing most of her Face and all of her black hair.
The exposed fair skin had been smeared with pot soot by Tang Fei, giving her a dirty, ash-covered first impression.
The only pity was her eyes—those bright, lively eyes, like the Stars in the sky, were truly hard to hide. Tang Fei stole a pair of flying sunglasses hidden by the Old Man for her to wear, but it turned out that wearing them made her even more conspicuous.
The sky in the ruins wasn't bright enough, and the road wasn't easy to walk. Aren't you afraid of falling to your death wearing sunglasses?
Only the Old Man would occasionally wear a pair of sunglasses while walking from one end of the village to the other, deliberately slowing down to chat up the older wives and young widows—he was quite flirtatious.
Phoenix now blended in with the land like a tomboy.
If she didn't speak and reveal her standard New Star accent...
"Hurry up," Tang Fei looked back at Phoenix and urged, "If we're late, we won't get a spot in line."
"Do we have to queue for water?" Phoenix quickened her pace, walking side-by-side with Tang Fei.
"There's only one water collection point in the entire Hen Shan Gathering Area," Tang Fei explained. "And only the water flowing from this spring is drinkable. If we're late, the line will be too long."
"Oh," Phoenix nodded in understanding.
She thought that water resources on the New Star were abundant; it flowed endlessly just by turning on the tap. As long as you had money to pay the water bill, you could use as much as you wanted. Life on Old Earth was still too harsh.
When Tang Fei and Phoenix arrived, there were already over a hundred people in line. Everyone, like them, carried large buckets or small containers; some even brought a large wok to collect water to take back for their families.
At the very front of the line, clear spring water was slowly trickling out of a tiny spring opening. Some people, after filling up, took a big gulp right away. Others leaned their mouths directly against the spring opening to drink their fill, only to be urged and cursed at by those behind them, as if they were afraid the person would drink it all in one go.
"That long?" Phoenix was greatly surprised.
"Are you complimenting me?"
Phoenix's face darkened with black lines, and she looked at Tang Fei, asking, "Where did you learn all those curses?"
"From a book."
"What book?"
"Dragon Tiger... Inverse Scale."
"What kind of book is that?"
"In an era where everyone wants to be a Dragon Slayer, the male protagonist, being a giant dragon, feels immense pressure." This was a book Tang Fei saw at Scholar Zhao's place, not the kind under the Old Man's pillow.
"That sounds interesting. Can you lend it to me?" Phoenix asked. Since she couldn't leave anytime soon anyway, she might as well find something to occupy herself with.
"No way," Tang Fei quickly shook his head.
"Why?"
"That book is too dirty."
"Dirty?"
"Yes, too dirty." Tang Fei finally found an excuse and said seriously, "You don't know, many people have read that book. Little Fatty reads it while eating, so the book is covered in grease. And the Old Man, he actually fell asleep while reading, and his drool got onto the pages. Now, whenever I open a page, I can smell the Old Man's drool..."
Indeed, a look of disgust appeared on Phoenix's Face, and she said, "Forget it, I won't read it."
She couldn't bring herself to turn pages stained with the Old Man's drool and Little Fatty's grease; it wouldn't bring her any mental pleasure, only immense suffering.
"Exactly, don't read it, it's too disgusting," Tang Fei agreed with her.
"Then tell me the story of Inverse Scale. I'm quite interested in that story."
"No," Tang Fei refused again.
"Why?"
"It's too long."
"..."
Phoenix felt Tang Fei was making an innuendo again.
More than an hour passed before it was finally their turn to collect water.
Tang Fei filled the two buckets he was carrying, screwed on the lids, and then helped Phoenix fill the two buckets she was holding.
After finishing the work, the two of them hurried home, each carrying two buckets of spring water.
They had only gone halfway when there was suddenly a loud *boom* from the sky, followed by lightning and thunder.
Tang Fei sniffed the air and shouted, "Acid Rain! Quickly find shelter..."
People living on Old Earth had a special ability: they could judge whether the rain was Acid Rain or ordinary rainwater by smelling the air.
PS: Thank you to Miss Floating Melbourne for the second Silver Moe. A thousand words are not as good as offering myself in return.
Thank you to the young friend Wind Dance Dream Without Boundaries for becoming our Moe Lord. May the wind be under your feet, dreams in your heart, and may you move forward bravely.
Also, the new book is ranking high, requesting recommendation tickets, Monthly Tickets, and all forms of support!