Before everyone’s horrified gazes—

Wang Changsheng leaped into the thicket, as if to fight Dong Wanjun to the death.

Just then, You Shengnan and Xiongshan also realized something was wrong.

They had known Old Dong for a very long time and could clearly recall his voice. In the heat of the moment, they hadn’t paid close attention, but now they remembered that the voice they’d heard was nothing like his.

Deeper in the woods, Bai Yuan saw Wang Changsheng’s move and immediately ducked into the trees without a second thought.

Wang Changsheng watched the figure flitting away in the distance and became even more certain of his suspicion. He had been tricked.

"Courting death!"

He gritted his teeth, feeling utterly humiliated. His pace quickened as he swore to catch the person before him.

The two of them weaved through the pitch-black forest.

In just a few moments, they had already covered a li.

Wang Changsheng’s speed gradually slowed, because the figure in the distance had stopped. He saw a masked young man standing under a pine tree, bathed in the cold moonlight.

"Who are you? How dare you ruin my plans?"

He glared fixedly at the young man.

Bai Yuan stood his ground and didn’t answer. The black cloth covering his face was, naturally, one he had torn from Dao Ji.

The only answer Wang Changsheng received was the Blood Tiger Scimitar in Bai Yuan’s hand.

An unearthly crimson light blossomed in the darkness.

"The Blood Tiger Saber?"

Wang Changsheng’s eyes narrowed. He already had a good idea who the young man was.

It was no secret that Bai Yuan knew the Blood Tiger Saber technique after the tournament on the Dragon Gate Platform.

The messenger he’d sent to Bai Yuan was one of his own Wang Family members. He just hadn’t expected the boy to be so cautious as to not fall for the trap.

He had originally wanted to wait for Bai Yuan and You Shengnan to gather before striking.

But Bai Yuan never showed up, forcing him to strike early. So, he’d been lurking in the shadows all along.

"You little bastard, you’re courting death."

Wang Changsheng gave a savage grin. ’Just a Strong Internal Martial Artist. So what if he’s a genius?’

The Divine Mansion Sect had seen far too many geniuses die young.

Wang Changsheng’s long saber clashed with the Blood Tiger Scimitar. The blades shrieked, and both men took a step back.

Wang Changsheng’s brow furrowed as he stared at Bai Yuan in astonishment.

’This boy actually met my strike head-on and wasn’t at a disadvantage!’

A Blood Refining Martial Master’s strength surpassed a thousand jin, and their Qi and Blood were abundant. Yet, his all-out strike had just been parried.

The killing intent in his heart intensified.

The more of a genius Bai Yuan proved to be, the stronger his resolve to kill him became.

The only reason he had deigned to act friendly toward the boy was to avoid publicly making an enemy for the Wang Family.

But here, with no one around, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill him.

They clashed again!

This time, Bai Yuan struck first.

He bent his knees, launching himself into the air and bringing his scimitar down with both hands in a vicious slash.

A flicker of contempt crossed Wang Changsheng’s eyes.

Any veteran Martial Artist knew a cardinal rule of fighting: never leap into the air. It only exposes all of your openings to the enemy.

Just like this boy.

’Still too green...’

Naturally, Wang Changsheng was going to teach Bai Yuan a lesson—a bloody one.

He flicked his long saber upwards, aiming straight for Bai Yuan’s groin—his biggest opening.

But then, a metallic glint flashed at Bai Yuan’s cuff, and a great cloud of red mist shot out from his sleeve.

An acrid smell instantly enveloped Wang Changsheng.

The red mist, propelled by a hidden mechanism, shot out so quickly that Wang Changsheng had no chance to dodge.

What horrified Wang Changsheng even more was that he found he had no resistance to it whatsoever—not even as a Blood Refining Martial Master. His eyes burned fiercely, blinding him.

’What a bizarre poison mist!’

Fortunately, a Blood Refining Martial Master’s senses were all highly attuned. Even blind, he could still perceive his opponent’s location and was still a capable fighter.

Relying on his hearing to pinpoint Bai Yuan’s position, Wang Changsheng managed to parry several blows.

He had just heard a strange slithering sound at his feet when a sharp pain shot through his foot.

’A snake!’

To his surprise, the snake was so vicious that it bit clean through the thick upper of his boot and nearly tore his toe off.

’Is this fucking thing even a snake?’

What truly terrified Wang Changsheng, however, was the venom. It surged through his body like a bursting dam, and he nearly lost his footing.

If not for the surging Qi and Blood of a Blood Refining Martial Master, the poison would have already killed him.

Even so, he would still die if he didn’t find an antidote soon.

Wang Changsheng was sure of it: what bit him had to be a Snake Demon.

’But why would a Snake Demon obey that boy’s commands?’

’None of this made any sense.’

But he had no time to ponder it. If he didn’t escape now, he might actually die here, killed by a mere Strong Internal Martial Artist.

Bai Yuan saw Wang Changsheng try to flee.

He raised his saber and gave chase, fully unleashing the power of his Tiger-Crane Style. It merged perfectly with the Blood Tiger Saber’s Evil Qi, making his slashes frighteningly powerful.

SLICE...

A single slash tore a large gash across the back of Wang Changsheng’s green robes, revealing his gaunt, withered frame.

Normally, a Martial Artist’s body wouldn’t be so shriveled, even in old age.

The reason for Wang Changsheng’s unnatural state was a backlash from absorbing too much of women’s yin energy.

Bai Yuan’s slashes grew faster and faster.

The profound art of the Night Wanderer Step allowed him to stay glued to Wang Changsheng’s back. No matter how the old man struggled, he couldn’t break free.

A second slash.

A third.

....

The ninth slash.

After the ninth slash, Wang Changsheng’s sight finally returned, but the snake venom had already reached his heart. He was beyond saving.

"You little bastard, you’re truly vicious."

Wang Changsheng gritted his teeth. He was no longer trying to run.

He couldn’t believe he’d been outsmarted by a mere boy, and now he was even going to die at his hands. How could he possibly accept such a fate?

’If we had fought fairly, it’s hard to say who would have won.’

’Vicious?’

Bai Yuan’s expression grew even colder.

Compared to this demon who had preyed on countless women, he was practically a saint.

Wang Changsheng looked at the scimitar, which glowed with a crimson light, and finally, he panicked.

"Bai Yuan, I know your background. I’ve already given the order: if I don’t return tonight, my Wang Family members will go to Qinghe County and kill everyone you know."

Of course, this order wasn’t just for Bai Yuan. It targeted You Shengnan and Xiongshan as well. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Are you threatening me?"

Bai Yuan asked, his face expressionless.

Wang Changsheng: "You wouldn’t want anything to happen to that pretty little thing in Qinghe, would you?"

He felt like he was grasping at his last straw.

Most Martial Artists don’t start families, in order to reduce their weaknesses. Even if they do, their emotional attachments aren’t usually very deep.

But his intelligence indicated that Bai Yuan was unusually close to the woman. It was a rare vulnerability, and Wang Changsheng naturally intended to use it to bargain for his life.

But to his surprise, the hand Bai Yuan used to raise his scimitar didn’t waver in the slightest.

"No... You can’t kill—"

Before Wang Changsheng could finish speaking, his head was sent spinning high into the air before landing with a heavy thud on the withered leaves.