This news carried immense weight! After searching the pugilistic world for so long without uncovering any useful clues, receiving the exact location of the Heartless Temple headquarters right out of the gate was as astonishing as it was gratifying.
The imperial guard handed over a document, which Lu Fenghuo took and examined closely. The document not only pinpointed the coordinates of the Heartless Temple but also detailed its internal layout and terrain.
“Do you know who the master of the Heartless Temple is?” Lu Fenghuo asked.
“The medical expert, Zhaifu Ying,” the guard replied.
So that was it.
When Lu Fenghuo previously had people investigate the Heartless Temple token, the only feedback he received was that, aside from the second master of the Roaring Dragon Stronghold, only the medical expert possessed such a token.
With the guard now confirming that the master of the Heartless Temple was none other than the medical expert, it made complete sense why Zhaifu Ying carried one. Yet why did the second master have a token as well? What made the second master special?
For some reason, Lu Fenghuo’s thoughts drifted to Song Guyang.
Song Guyang had been imprisoned. Another crucial element in that incident was poison, specifically a miraculous poison capable of erasing memories and stripping away all martial arts. The individuals in the pugilistic world capable of crafting such a poison were few and far between, yet the medical expert fit the description.
Following this line of deduction, the second master of the Roaring Dragon Stronghold must be Zhaifu Ying. If so, everything fell neatly into place.
A few months prior, Song Guyang had run the second master through with a single sword strike. But Lu Fenghuo knew well that Zhaifu Ying was capable of faking his death. Zhaifu Ying wasn’t actually dead, which explained why the guard’s report contained no anomalies.
Damn it! Had he known, he should have thoroughly finished Zhaifu Ying off back in the South Shade Old Streets!
He had even fished a Heartless Temple token off the second master at the time! Had he thought to deliver a follow-up blow then, perhaps today’s troubles could have been avoided.
Still, it wasn’t the end of the world. Now that he knew where the Heartless Temple was located, a minor sect posed no threat whatsoever before a behemoth like the Mirror Moon Palace.
Lu Fenghuo quickly summoned the grand elders and protectors to march on the Heartless Temple together. With an elite lineup of the martial world’s top-tier Heavenly Rank masters deployed, the outcome was predictable: the Heartless Temple was swiftly taken over by the Mirror Moon Palace.
Unfortunately, the medical expert possessed extraordinary tricks up his sleeve and managed to escape in the end.
No matter.
A mere medical expert could hardly stir up any great waves. If they ran into him again down the road, they would simply kill him then.
Lu Fenghuo was in high spirits.
As evening approached, Lu Fenghuo led the grand elders to a countryside inn, deciding to rest there for the night.
The local country fare was quite good, offering various farm specialties. After eating his fill, Lu Fenghuo returned to his guest room and enjoyed a comfortable bath. Sitting before the bronze mirror after bathing, he began tinkering with his disguise mask.
Life in the demonic cult was dull; traveling outside was far more entertaining. Having finally slipped away, Lu Fenghuo resolved to wander the outside world for a while before heading back.
His plans, however, were dashed.
Just as he finished applying his disguise, a violent wave of agony tore through him! The excruciating pain swept across his entire body, feeling as though he were rolling over a mountain of blades!
Cold sweat drenched Lu Fenghuo from head to toe.
He had only just come into contact with the medical expert today, meaning he had somehow been poisoned by Zhaifu Ying? Yet how was that possible? His current body was supposed to be completely immune to all poisons. For that very reason, Lu Fenghuo hadn’t paid much attention to physical contact with the medical expert during the fight.
His immunity to poison was an inherent character setting that could not be changed. If so, what he had contracted might not be a poison at all, but something else entirely.
He had grown careless.
As the most powerful martial artist present, if the medical expert had planted something on everyone, he would undoubtedly have been the last to react. From daytime until now, none of his subordinates had shown any symptoms, which meant he was the sole victim.
It made sense, of course. A substance capable of silently poisoning someone was immensely precious, especially since the Mirror Moon Palace forces surrounding Zhaifu Ying consisted entirely of Heavenly Rank masters. Zhaifu Ying’s capabilities were limited; knowing Lu Fenghuo dropped his guard against his potions and recognizing him as the mastermind behind the raid, Zhaifu Ying had targeted him directly.
Damn it!
At that moment, Lu Fenghuo’s intent to kill Zhaifu Ying reached its absolute peak. But he quickly lost the capacity to dwell on it. The pain wracking his body was simply too intense! Pushed to its absolute limits, the agony caused Lu Fenghuo to tremble uncontrollably.
Drenched in cold sweat, even drawing a breath felt excruciating. Lu Fenghuo’s consciousness even began experiencing momentary lapses!
He couldn’t go on like this; he needed to do something to distract himself. Even if it meant venting his fury on the surrounding trees and rocks.
With that thought, Lu Fenghuo bolted into the dense mountain forest. Moving at blinding speed, he left little more than a blur in his wake. The guards stationed in the shadows didn’t even have time to react before losing track of their master entirely.
Several days later, Lu Fenghuo wandered through a remote mountain forest.
He felt rather bewildered. He couldn’t seem to remember who he was, nor could he recall why he had ended up here.
His clothes were caked in dust and looked thoroughly grimy, though the fine quality of the fabric remained faintly discernible. His family background must have been decent, right?
No matter. Feeling sticky all over, he decided to find a town first to clean himself up.
Heading to the nearest town, Lu Fenghuo washed up at an inn and changed into a fresh set of clothes. At that moment, he sat in the main dining hall eating a meal.
A group of men descended the stairs from the second floor. Dressed in eclectic garb, every single one of them looked fierce and sinister. The leading elder had sunken eye sockets and carried a deep brown crutch. It was none other than Liu Dongnian, the man who had slaughtered the entire Shen family!
Seeing this, Lu Fenghuo felt a strange sense of familiarity, as though he had witnessed the scene somewhere before.
Could he have run into an acquaintance?
Thinking nothing of it, Lu Fenghuo called out cheerfully, “Hi.”
Liu Dongnian froze: ???
Liu Dongnian instantly thought of fleeing, but quickly sensed something amiss. Calmly probing a few times, he arrived at a startling conclusion.
Lu Fenghuo had contracted a soul-loss affliction! He had lost all his memories!
Liu Dongnian almost laughed out loud. Back then, he had accepted a contract in Luoyang to wipe out the Shen family. Everything was proceeding smoothly until a plague-god named Lu Fenghuo barged into the picture!
He was wiping out the Shen clan, so why on earth did Lu Fenghuo have to stick his nose into it?! What kind of logic was that?
It wasn’t like Shen Yuansi hadn’t survived anyway. They had already abandoned the mission and retreated back to their stronghold. Who could have imagined Lu Fenghuo would be so utterly ruthless? He tracked them all the way to their mountain lair, slaughtered his junior brother, and wiped out the entire stronghold!
For the longest time, he had been forced into hiding because of Lu Fenghuo. He wanted nothing more than to flay Lu Fenghuo alive and drink his blood.
Now that Lu Fenghuo was suffering from amnesia, remembered nothing of his past, and had practically delivered himself to his doorstep, he wouldn’t be polite!
Yet Lu Fenghuo’s martial arts were too formidable; confronting him head-on might not guarantee a kill. Besides, killing him outright would let him off far too easily. Before Lu Fenghuo died, he would make sure to utilize this pawn to the fullest.
With that thought, Liu Dongnian let out a hearty laugh and sat down across from Lu Fenghuo. Striking up a familiar tone, he said, “I was wondering who it was, if it isn’t my dear second brother. What brings you here, brother?”
Lu Fenghuo latched onto the wrong detail: “We are brothers??”
The man was ancient, old enough to be his grandfather! If they were brothers, how old was he supposed to be? Forty?! No way, was he really that old?
Reading his expression, Liu Dongnian’s face twitched as he forced out a response, “We are sworn brothers.”
Lu Fenghuo heaved a massive sigh of relief.
Liu Dongnian: …
Liu Dongnian had business to attend to in this area. Hailing from an outlaw stronghold, he had always made his living through illicit means. When the Evil Wind Stronghold was destroyed and Liu Dongnian fled, unable to think of any proper trade, he had simply returned to his old ways.
After all, murder, pillaging, and dirty work for hire brought in quick money.
Liu Dongnian’s purpose in coming to this town was to loot the entire settlement. Normally, executing such a plan would take considerable effort since the town wasn’t small. But with Lu Fenghuo around, things would be much easier.
Listening to Liu Dongnian’s proposition, Lu Fenghuo stared in blank amazement.
Was he really that wild in the past? Engaging in banditry and plundering, was that what he used to do?
He couldn’t quite wrap his head around it. Before he could process it, Liu Dongnian dragged him along, shoving a long saber into his hands.
Was this being forced onto a duck’s back?
Leading dozens of his thugs, Liu Dongnian began ransacking the village. The town was exceedingly remote, populated entirely by defenseless commoners, making the pillaging effortless.
Amidst the chaos, Liu Dongnian glanced back at Lu Fenghuo. He watched as Lu Fenghuo brandished his saber, let out a valiant war cry, and then immediately hid behind one of the thugs.
Liu Dongnian stared: ???
Walking over, Liu Dongnian muttered, “Second brother, you’re supposed to put the blade against their necks and force them to hand over their valuables.”
Lu Fenghuo looked utterly perplexed. “But I can’t beat them. Some of them are holding kitchen knives; it’s terrifying.”
Liu Dongnian fell silent for a moment, strongly tempted to run Lu Fenghuo through on the spot. But he restrained himself. He couldn’t be sure if Lu Fenghuo was faking it or testing him.
Swallowing his anger, Liu Dongnian said nothing further and went back to work.
As evening drew near, the group returned to their camp in the mountains. Having hauled back a decent haul including several head of cattle and sheep, Liu Dongnian’s men prepared an exceptionally lavish dinner.
After eating his fill, Lu Fenghuo went off to sleep in his room. Convinced that Liu Dongnian, despite his dubious morals and questionable lifestyle, wasn’t entirely heartless toward him, Lu Fenghuo smiled and waved goodbye, saying, “Thanks for the hospitality, big brother, I’m heading to bed.”
Liu Dongnian: …
An inexplicable sense of grievance built up in Liu Dongnian’s chest.
Over the next few days, Lu Fenghuo coasted entirely through the raids. He ate well, slept comfortably, and enjoyed a remarkably cozy routine.
Until finally, Liu Dongnian’s patience snapped! Observing him for so long had yielded no clues. Today’s raid, however, would force Lu Fenghuo to stain his hands with blood! He wanted to see how Lu Fenghuo would react to that!
Liu Dongnian led Lu Fenghuo to a different village.
A merchant had paid them to slaughter the entire village. It was unclear what grievance the villagers had committed or who among them had offended the merchant, but the man wanted them all dead.
The village was quite far away, and by the time Liu Dongnian’s gang arrived, darkness had already fallen. Launching an attack tonight would not only leave them covered in blood and filth, but navigating the mountain paths back in the dark would also prove difficult.
Consequently, Liu Dongnian decided they would stay the night and carry out the massacre the next morning.
The bandits billeted themselves inside a local peasant courtyard.
The owner of the household was an elderly farmer living with his seven- or eight-year-old granddaughter. The little girl was losing her baby teeth, leaving a cute gap when she smiled sweetly at them.
Lu Fenghuo had no idea what Liu Dongnian and his men were planning. He increasingly felt that these people had lost their minds. The surrounding villagers were dirt poor; what kind of silver or wealth could they possibly squeeze out of them?
If they wanted to rob someone, they should target vile criminals. Fellow scoundrels were bound to be rolling in wealth.
Wait! Robbing people was fundamentally wrong to begin begin with! How had Liu Dongnian and his gang managed to pull him into this twisted logic?!
He needed to find an opportunity to guide them back onto the righteous path.
Though Liu Dongnian had been pillaging left and right over the past few days, he hadn’t taken any lives. Perhaps this group of scoundrels could still be saved?
Lost in these thoughts, Lu Fenghuo drifted off to sleep.
In the dead of night, Lu Fenghuo was jolted awake by external noises. Getting up to check outside, he saw flames soaring into the sky across the village, accompanied by the sounds of weeping and cries for help.
A wave of shock washed over him.
Rushing outside, Lu Fenghuo found corpses strewn across the village paths. And all of this carnage was the handiwork of Liu Dongnian’s gang.
Spotting Lu Fenghuo, Liu Dongnian let out a cold laugh. “I almost forgot about you. Good thing it’s not too late. Lu Fenghuo, see that kid over there? Kill her.”
It was the seven- or eight-year-old girl with the missing baby tooth.
It was her.
Her grandfather had taken them in and given their gang a place to sleep. During dinner, the little girl had even brought him half a bowl of egg tea.
The child looked at him with terrified, tear-filled eyes.
Lying motionless beside her was her grandfather, who had already breathed his last.
A long saber was thrust into his hand.
Lu Fenghuo turned his head, staring blankly at the slaughtered village.
What had he done?
He had aligned himself with vicious criminals.
He had drunk the little girl’s egg tea and stayed in her family’s courtyard. Yet now, following Liu Dongnian, he had helped destroy an entire village of innocents.
Why hadn’t he stayed more alert?
Why hadn’t he kept a closer eye on Liu Dongnian and his men?!
Liu Dongnian wore a sinister expression, waiting leisurely for him to act. The surrounding thugs wore mocking grins, jeering at him to hurry up.
Laughter, crackling flames, weeping villagers, a cacophony of horrific sounds intertwined in the air.
With a sudden pivot, Lu Fenghuo thrust his blade straight through Liu Dongnian’s heart.
Liu Dongnian’s milky, blinded eyes widened in shock. He could never have imagined, nor could he fathom, that Lu Fenghuo would turn on him. Nor did he anticipate that Lu Fenghuo possessed such formidable martial arts, ending his life with a single strike.
Before he could even process it, a saber blade was protruding from his chest.
Until his dying breath, his face remained frozen in utter disbelief.
Absolute silence descended upon the clearing.
In a flash, the surrounding thugs scattered in all directions, scrambling to flee for their lives!
It was futile. Within seconds, Lu Fenghuo moved like a ghost, claiming a life with every single strike. In no time at all, every last bandit lay motionless on the ground.
He had committed an unforgivable wrong.
These were the lives of an entire village.
He could never bear this weight.
Dropping the bloody saber to the ground, Lu Fenghuo turned and fled the scene. His pace accelerated rapidly until he activated his lightness skills, leaving nothing more than a faint afterimage in the empty air.
Standing in the clearing, the young girl watched his retreating figure, instinctively reaching out a hand as if to make him stay. But the figure vanished swiftly into the distance, leaving no trace behind.
Lu Fenghuo sprinted wildly through the mountain forests, having no clear destination in mind.
Who on earth was he? Where was he supposed to go?!
In this vast world, was there truly no place for him to belong?
How long had he been running?
Ten days? Half a month?
He couldn’t even remember anymore.
He only knew that when exhaustion finally brought him to a halt, he found himself standing in a place called Spring Town. His clothes were filthy and his long hair disheveled, making him look like a vagrant wandering the streets.
In a dim alleyway, Lu Fenghuo caught sight of a familiar figure.
The man wore dark crimson monastic robes, his features deep and handsome. Staring blankly at Lu Fenghuo, he frowned after a brief moment of shock. “Lu Fenghuo, how did you end up in such a state?”
He had no strength left.
The world went black before Lu Fenghuo’s eyes, and he collapsed into unconsciousness.
The very last sensation he registered before slipping into darkness was falling into a broad, warm embrace.