Hongfeng was trembling.

Ever since receiving the boss’s secret mission, he had been waiting at the gates of Changle City for the ’guests’ from afar. According to the boss, as long as Hongfeng brought the people to Shu Dao Mountain, its history would be completely terminated, and the three Guardians would cease to exist.

When Hongfeng received the mission, his fervor was ignited, feeling that years of enduring humiliation and hardship were finally yielding results.

Like most Demonic Messengers, Hongfeng used to roam the mountains aimlessly like a malevolent spirit, living one day at a time in a daze.

From an outsider’s perspective, Demonic Messengers were domineering and reckless, living carefree and debauched lives. However, most of them were a group of freaks who never found peace, too afraid to go to taverns and eateries. After all, when you see everyone in the place enveloped in a malevolent red glow, how could you dare eat what they’ve prepared? Even without poison, you’d scare yourself into a stomachache. Whenever you need to relieve yourself, you’d suspect poison, leading to slaughtering everyone present.

Ironically, most people fall into the Demon Dao hoping to rise above others, but once truly in, they don’t dare to stay in crowded places. Only in deserted wild lands can they feel secure.

It’s said that ninety percent of Demonic Messengers don’t live past ten years, and ninety-nine percent don’t meet a good end. Hongfeng finds this reasonable, for he went mad in his sixth year, unwilling to continue as a wildling. He wanted to indulge in the town—play with women, drink and feast, kill whenever he wished—even if the Military Town hunted him down, at least he had moments of joy, dying with a smile.

Hongfeng, driven by all his desires, left his filthy, stinking cave, stepping onto the main road, intending to hitch a ride to the nearest town. Although he thought so, he knew nobody would stop for him, as anyone could tell he wasn’t virtuous. So he decided that if the first carriage or ox cart he encountered didn’t stop, he’d chase them down and kill them.

Those prepared to die would not allow anyone to disappoint their expectations.

Walking from day to night, Hongfeng finally encountered a carriage with someone wearing a bamboo hat. To Hongfeng’s surprise, the carriage stopped, asking if he needed help.

Having been isolated for too long, Hongfeng spoke incoherently. Probably indifferent, he candidly expressed his desires—women, wine and meat, murder—with no concealment. The bamboo hat-wearing man listened patiently, stammering, then took him to the nearest town, spending money to satisfy him, saying, "If you can refrain from killing, you can follow me in the future."

Upon hearing this, Hongfeng immediately struck, only to be knocked down by the bamboo hat-wearing man.

That’s how he met the boss. Together, they ascended to the peak of Shu Dao Mountain, overthrowing the old, decrepit Great Guardian. But the boss never managed to dominate Shu Dao Mountain; later, two equally formidable individuals arrived.

Thus, when the boss asked him to go undercover, Hongfeng readily agreed. His sole wish in life was to see the boss succeed, unlike himself—mediocre and unremarkable. He perceived the boss harboring grand ambitions; assisting the boss meant his life hadn’t been wasted.

People must have something to rely on to live. Mediocre ones have their descendants; what else could a mediocre demon dao rely on? Only by making others’ aspirations his own did he seem to become greater.

Hongfeng never doubted the boss’s decision until he saw the guests arrive.

Although all hooded and disguised, Hongfeng could instantly tell they were noble family descendants, having hosted similar individuals before. If ordinary people’s attitude toward the Demon Path Evil Land is ’fear’ and ’disgust,’ noble family’s attitude is ’contempt,’ as if they were gazing at garbage.

Three people arrived, clearly hierarchized, with the other two deliberately falling a step behind the White-haired Guest to show respect. Actually, the boss didn’t specify the guests’ appearances but left a cryptic code to verify their identities. Yet, upon seeing the White-haired Guest, Hongfeng had a premonition that he was the one the boss was waiting for. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Perhaps only such individuals could help the boss dominate Shu Dao Mountain?

But facing them, Hongfeng found himself trembling uncontrollably, like a small animal facing a predator. The few usually unruly guards were now docile as chicks.

"Lead the way." The White-haired Guest’s voice, once heard, was unforgettable—so gentle yet so ancient, reminiscent of an old longsword, unbeaten through countless battles, still impossibly sharp.

Hongfeng swallowed hard but mustered the courage to utter the code: "Congratulations to the east wind for delivering secrets."

"You—" The two behind glared fiercely, as if Hongfeng’s words were contemptible. Yet, the White-haired Guest glanced sideways at them, calmly responding to the code: "Orchid boat night ferry fate-bound people."

Hongfeng breathed a sigh of relief and, following the boss’s instructions, led them directly up the mountain.

Actually, the path from Changle City to the stronghold was always guarded; without a guide, outsiders would be ambushed. Ordinary people paid their respects in Changle City before venturing up the mountain. Instances like the Wolf Demon or Demon Rabbit Heroine rampaging through Shu Dao Mountain were rare exceptions.

On the way, Hongfeng saw someone dart across the cliff; judging by the silhouette, it seemed to be Dongxing’s subordinate, indicating they had been exposed. He whispered to the guests, "The people in the stronghold have noticed something amiss. The other two Great Guardians will be wary of your presence."

"All the better." The speaker was the young man behind the White-haired Guest, his brows and gaze full of arrogance and murderous intent. "Otherwise, it’d be too boring."

"Yu." Another middle-aged man growled, his eyes sharp, "Do you have a place to speak here!"

The young man named Yu remained silent, but his obedience was not because of the middle-aged man’s reprimand, but out of reverence for the White-haired Guest.

The White-haired Guest’s expression was neither joyful nor sorrowful, clearly regarding what Hongfeng said as trivial, as if Hongfeng were speaking not of two Great Guardians, but two little kids who wet their pants.

As they got closer to the mountain stronghold, the unease in Hongfeng’s heart grew stronger. Probably because he had been a beast for several years, his intuition was extraordinarily sharp. He vaguely realized that the strength of the White-haired Guest far exceeded the imaginable limits, and although a wolf was insignificant in Shu Dao Mountain, nothing could describe the current situation better than "leading the wolf into the house."

Did the boss really call for such reinforcements to help him dominate Shu Dao Mountain?

As expected by Hongfeng, Dongxing was already blocking the entrance of the mountain stronghold with his men. He cautiously scanned the three people behind Hongfeng, showing a look of apprehension on his face: "Hongfeng, the three friends behind you are quite unfamiliar, are they friends of Blood Phase?"

Hongfeng had already prepared a set of excuses. His goal wasn’t to really muddle through, but to stall for time until the boss arrived.

However, before he spoke, the White-haired Guest suddenly raised his hand, "Don’t speak."

The entrance to the mountain stronghold suddenly fell silent. Everyone stared at the White-haired Guest in shock; some tried to open their mouths wide but couldn’t utter a sound, as if a venomous snake had crawled up their spine, gently licking their fragile throats.

The White-haired Guest didn’t look at them at all. He gazed intently into the distance, his vision seeming to pass through the Demon Slaying Hall in the center of the mountain stronghold, extending all the way to the forbidden area guarded by the three Great Guardians.

"The Corpse Bone Forest Secret Realm has disappeared." A strange light appeared in his eyes, "They truly inherited Si Wuxie’s legacy."

What!?

Although everyone knew the three Great Guardians were attacking the Corpse Bone Forest Secret Realm, no one expected them to succeed. Even with the recent addition of the Rabbit Heroine and Wolf Demon, Si Wuxie’s legacy had been around for nearly a hundred years. Even if there was progress, the Demonic Messenger guessed they would need at least several years to unlock the legacy.

Thinking about it carefully, it’s ridiculous. The Wolf Demon and Rabbit Heroine went up the mountain for less than ten days, and the Corpse Bone Forest Secret Realm was conquered? Even conquering the unfamiliar Third-Turn Secret Realm, ten days was still the stage of gathering information!

After the shock came uncontrollable fear. Now that Si Wuxie’s legacy had been unlocked, the intention of these three unexpected guests was evident. How precious is the legacy of Foundation Establishment, and how fierce are the three Great Guardians? What kind of powerful people dare to risk coming to Shu Dao Mountain to pick the fruits?

Escape!

The Demonic Messenger was no fool. Even those blinded by greed now only wanted to leave Shu Dao Mountain, as clearly, this was a vortex they were not qualified to be part of. Even a glance could make them cannon fodder!

Yet at this moment, a bow appeared in the White-haired Guest’s hand. The body of the bow was a piece of dead wood, and the string seemed to be made of beast tendons, looking like a primitive creation made by a wild man using a bent tree branch with beast tendons. However, when the White-haired Guest held the bow, the overwhelming primal and savage aura made everyone feel as if they were in a forest. They all became prey, and the White-haired Guest was the Hunter.

"Go inside," the White-haired Guest instructed. The young man and middle-aged man nodded respectfully and passed by him into the mountain stronghold. They also passed by Hongfeng, the guide, who, in their eyes, had fulfilled his mission.

Hongfeng’s heart was pounding. He clearly realized that now was his only chance to escape. No one would care about him; he could run all the way to Changle City, taking all his years of savings and even the wealth of the three Great Guardians.

Over the years, his Blood Eye Syndrome symptoms had subsided significantly. He could fully live as a normal person, marry a wife, have children, and even support his child to rise in the righteous path, becoming a respected Military Town Commander.

But... the boss was still inside!

These three were all from noble families, and cooperating with them was like negotiating with a tiger! Even if he left, he should see the boss’s safety before leaving!

It was this moment of hesitation; the only person who could leave in the end did not.

Whoosh!

The White-haired Guest drew the bowstring and fired an arrow into the sky. No one could see where the arrow landed, only hearing his cold and ruthless declaration:

"Passage is forbidden here."