Though they rushed, Fang Shuwen and his two companions still failed to make it in time.

By the time they reached the mountain gate of Zhuji Pavilion on Jiuning Mountain,

it was the exact moment that members of the Black Death Sect were swarming out from every corner, launching a massive assault.

These people cultivated either the Black Death Demon Technique or the Cyan Corpse Record.

One group’s Black Death True Qi was too dangerous to touch, while the other group could ignore sword strikes as if they were nothing.

Moreover, the disciples of Zhuji Pavilion had been caught completely off guard. Their so-called meticulous defenses were a sham deliberately orchestrated by Li Nanchen, allowing the Black Death Sect to infiltrate them through and through.

What Fang Shuwen and the others walked into was a complete, one-sided slaughter.

Fang Shuwen’s arrival naturally drew the attention of the Black Death Sect.

Not all of them knew who Zhou Qingmei was, but that didn’t stop them from killing.

’Plotting against Zhuji Pavilion is a major affair, how can we let outsiders know about it?’

So, the moment they saw Fang Shuwen, some of them charged forward, intending to kill the unlucky fool who had stumbled into their business.

The outcome was obvious.

Fang Shuwen carried Lu Xiaoqing on his back, with Zhou Qingmei following behind him.

With his Great Black Heaven God Palm, Fang Shuwen treated all members of the Black Death Sect equally—whether they cultivated the Black Death Demon Technique or the Cyan Corpse Record, he killed them all with a single palm strike.

Wherever he passed, no enemy could withstand a single blow.

He fought his way from the foot of Jiuning Mountain all the way to this main hall on the front slope.

He had killed a countless number of Black Death Sect members along the way.

The Cyan-faced Ghost from moments ago, a cultivator of the Cyan Corpse Record, was the one he had kicked into the grand hall. The one after that had its neck snapped by his Plum Blossom Scattering Hand.

Without even taking the time to dispose of the body, he had walked in carrying the corpse in one hand, leading Zhou Qingmei with the other, and with Lu Xiaoqing still on his back.

Zuo Qingshuang recognized her beloved disciples at a glance, and her heart tightened.

"Qing’er, Qingmei? What are you two..."

"Master!"

Seeing Zuo Qingshuang’s face covered in blood, Lu Xiaoqing and Zhou Qingmei were instantly filled with anxiety.

Fang Shuwen walked over to Zuo Qingshuang’s side and set Lu Xiaoqing down from his back.

Lu Xiaoqing gently rubbed her chest... Being carried all this way, with all the running and jumping, meant she had been jostled about, and her chest ached faintly.

But she couldn’t be bothered with that now. She hurriedly grabbed Zuo Qingshuang’s hand.

"Master, what happened to you?"

Zuo Qingshuang, however, was looking at her leg.

"Qing’er, your leg?"

"Li Nanchen is the Young Sect Leader of the Black Death Sect. He killed the people from the Yunfei Escort Agency and then ambushed me... If Qingmei and Brother Fang hadn’t arrived in time, I’m afraid I would have never seen you again, Master."

Lu Xiaoqing briefly explained the situation.

Hearing this, Zuo Qingshuang was filled with complicated emotions.

"You two... You knew Zhuji Pavilion was facing a great disaster, so why did you come back?"

"As long as there’s life, there’s hope. Why would you willingly walk into such danger?"

With that, she turned her gaze to Fang Shuwen.

"And this young man is?"

"He is Fang Shuwen,"

Zhou Qingmei said softly.

"If he hadn’t protected me along the way, I would have been killed by the Black Death Sect long ago."

Zuo Qingshuang nodded at her words and offered Fang Shuwen a cupped-fist salute.

"Thank you for your great kindness, Brother Fang. Since you were able to protect Qingmei all the way here, your skills must be extraordinary."

"But right now, my Zhuji Pavilion is facing a catastrophe, and I can barely fend for myself."

"I don’t suppose I could ask you, Brother Fang, to take my two disciples and leave this place?"

"Leave this place?"

Feng Mantian finally spoke, his voice slow.

"Zuo Qingshuang, are you acting as if I’m already dead?"

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon Fang Shuwen, his eyes narrowing slightly as a black light flickered within them.

"Zhou Qingmei should have died long ago, on the night the Zhou Family was exterminated!"

"You were the one who saved her life?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"And you also killed Granny Hei and the others?"

Fang Shuwen nodded.

"The Granny Hei you’re talking about, was she the one digging her own grave in the heavy rain?"

"Indeed, I was the one who killed her... I saw how eager she was to dig her own grave, so I just went ahead and buried her in it."

"Are you bringing this up now because you want to thank me?"

"There’s no need to be so polite. It was nothing, really."

Huh?

The murderous aura around Feng Mantian faltered. ’Was that what I meant?’

’Is this kid really that dense, or is he messing with me!?’

Then, Fang Shuwen was heard asking:

"Which one of you is Li Nanchen?"

Li Nanchen frowned slightly and took a step forward.

"I am."

Fang Shuwen let out a soft breath.

"So it’s you."

"You were the one who ordered Zhou Qingmei to be killed?"

"And you were also the one... who wanted to abduct the young lady from the Fang Family?"

"So what if I was!?"

Li Nanchen sneered.

Feng Mantian nodded to himself. ’That’s right. That’s exactly the attitude one should have when questioned!’

’I did it all, so what can you do to me!?’

But on second thought, something felt off...

’Li Nanchen is my son, the Young Sect Leader of the Black Death Sect!’

’What right does some unknown punk have to question him like this in front of everyone?’

Anger flared in his heart, and he was just about to speak.

But then he saw Fang Shuwen suddenly lunge forward, heading straight for Li Nanchen!

His speed was like a sudden clap of thunder.

But those present today were all experts, after all. Two figures instantly leaped out to block Li Nanchen’s path.

The first to move was a frail-looking scholar with a rather pale face. Without giving Fang Shuwen a second glance, he simply swung his palm in a cutting motion, an attack his opponent would be forced to parry.

The other was Qing Yangzi, dressed in a blood-red Daoist robe.

He held a Duster in his hand. As he circulated his Inner Breath, the Duster spun, and its every strand seemed to dance.

The scene looked bizarre, but he was actually using Swordsmanship.

Every strand of the Duster was imbued with Sword Intent. With a casual flick, he could unleash endless Sword Qi!

He had even moved after the Ghost Scholar, yet arrived before him, reaching Fang Shuwen first.

In the next instant, however, Fang Shuwen’s palm became a fist, and he chopped down abruptly!

The moment the Sword Qi from the Duster met his True Qi, it collapsed on contact.

Qing Yangzi immediately sensed that something was wrong, but it was already too late.

This punch from Fang Shuwen was the Dingding Qiankun technique from the Four Seas Dragon Fist, a heavy, powerful blow descending from above!

Combined with his Great Perfection stage in the Muscle Strengthening Scripture, and at such close range, it was virtually unstoppable.

The instant the Sword Qi collapsed, the entire Duster shattered under the force of the blow.

With nothing left to block it, the fist smashed directly onto Qing Yangzi’s head.

SQUELCH!!

A grotesque sound echoed through the grand hall.

Everyone saw it clearly... Qing Yangzi’s head had been smashed directly into his own chest cavity by Fang Shuwen’s punch!

After killing Qing Yangzi with a single punch, Fang Shuwen’s movements didn’t pause for even a fraction of a second. His body spun half a circle with the momentum, his five fingers spreading open. Using the Plum Blossom Scattering Hand, he casually caught the Ghost Scholar’s slicing hand in his palm.

Fang Shuwen looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"And who are you?"

The Ghost Scholar’s gaze fell upon Qing Yangzi, whose head was now encased in his own chest cavity, blood bubbling from the horrific wound.

The Ghost Scholar: "..."