At the last moment, seeing that Xu Yang truly didn’t care if he lived or died, he decided he didn’t want to die alongside Song Wenxuan and the other two. He let out a shout and backed away.
His face was flushed with shame, and he didn’t dare look at Song Wenxuan. He told himself, ’I’m not afraid of death. I have to survive to report what happened here to the Song Family and my uncle, Liu Qingyuan.’
Song Wenxuan’s face was a mask of disbelief. ’Weren’t we supposed to be family? This bastard is finally showing his true colors.’
"Liu Xunjiang, you bastard!" he couldn’t help but roar.
"Trying to back out now? Too late!"
Li Haoran’s icy voice rang out, followed by a slash of crimson Sword Qi.
The crimson Sword Qi flashed like a bolt of lightning. Empowered by the Half-Spirit Weapon, it crashed down with the force of a thunderclap, seemingly unstoppable.
At the same time, the auras of the other three Wushan Four Fiends flared. With an explosion of Gang Qi, their figures vanished from sight.
Liu Xunjiang was struck with terror. Song Wenxuan fell into despair.
"I’ll hold them off! Young Master, run! Remember to avenge us!"
One of the two middle-aged men behind Song Wenxuan strode forward, blasting out a thick beam of Sword Qi.
He, too, was at the Marrow Cleansing Great Success level of Cultivation, and the weapon in his hand was also a Half-Spirit Weapon.
BOOM!
The two streams of Sword Qi collided in mid-air with a deafening roar. A visible shockwave swept outward, making the entire mining camp tremble. Dust rained down from the rooftops as smoke and debris plumed into the sky.
"Hold them back! I’ll have the Ancestor avenge you, I swear it! I’ll take good care of your families, too!"
Overjoyed, Song Wenxuan made his promise while simultaneously erupting with his full Cultivation, his body shooting forward like an arrow released from its bow.
"Get back here!"
But Xie Chenglin, the third of the Wushan Four Fiends, appeared before him like a phantom. His hand, wreathed in suffocating Gang Qi, tore through the air with a piercing shriek as it came crashing down.
"Damn it!"
Seeing his hope of escape dashed, Song Wenxuan grew frantic. He had no choice but to throw a hasty punch in response.
BANG!
When their attacks met, it was with a muffled clang, like iron striking iron. Force erupted in all directions, and a burst of crimson light instantly engulfed their figures.
With two simultaneous grunts, Song Wenxuan and Xie Chenglin were thrown backward, separating from each other.
Xie Chenglin was slightly weaker, but he had succeeded in forcing Song Wenxuan back.
"Argh..."
Meanwhile, a bloodcurdling scream rang out. Liu Xunjiang, targeted by Li Haoning, the fourth of the Wushan Four Fiends, had only just reached the Marrow Cleansing stage. A single punch from Li Haoning shattered his chest, sending him flying back dozens of feet like a broken sack. He coughed up mouthfuls of blood in mid-air before landing in front of Xu Yang and the others.
"You just stood by and watched! If I die, my uncle, Liu Qingyuan, will not let any of you go! Especially you, Xu Yang!"
Amidst the dust and smoke, Liu Xunjiang glared at Xu Yang and his men, his face twisted with venomous hatred.
As he lay dying, his greatest hatred wasn’t for the Wushan Four Fiends who had killed him, but for Xu Yang and the others who had simply watched from the sidelines, not caring whether he lived or died.
Just because he hadn’t listened to their advice earlier, Xu Yang had actually stood by and watched as the Wushan Four Fiends struck him down.
In that moment, his heart was a storm of regret and bitter hatred.
The expressions on Zhou Jiang and the others changed drastically. They were merely Outer Disciples. If Liu Qingyuan, an Elder of Tianquan Peak, wanted them dead, it would be as easy as crushing an ant.
They didn’t want to get mixed up in this affair, but they knew if they had interfered, they would have met the same dead end.
"If you don’t want any trouble, it’s best you take what happened here today to your graves," Xu Yang said.
’I can’t believe Liu Xunjiang is such an idiot,’ he thought. ’Threatening everyone as he’s about to die.’
’Liu Qingyuan isn’t a god. He can’t possibly know what happened here from so far away. As long as we all keep our mouths shut, Liu Qingyuan will never even know how his nephew died.’
"We understand!" Zhou Jiang and the others nodded hurriedly. They knew Xu Yang intended to cover up the truth of what had happened here.
"Quick, hide in the mines," Xu Yang transmitted to them. "After the Wushan Four Fiends kill Song Wenxuan and his men, they’ll probably loot the camp. I can only look after myself; I won’t be able to protect you."
’Even if the Wushan Four Fiends don’t turn on me, I have no intention of letting them go. I need to get Zhou Jiang and the others out of here so they don’t see my true strength.’
"Brother Xu, be careful!"
The color drained from the faces of Zhou Jiang and the others. Forgetting all about watching the show, they turned and scrambled for the mine entrance.
"Argh! Argh..."
Two more agonizing screams rang out as the two Gang Qi Great Success disciples Liu Xunjiang had brought with him were struck down and killed by Li Haoning.
SCHLICK!
In less than three exchanges, one of Song Wenxuan’s two bodyguards—the one at Marrow Cleansing Minor Achievement—was decapitated by a single slash from Xie Chengyou, who was at Marrow Cleansing Great Success. Blood surged from his neck like a fountain.
The headless corpse twitched a few times before collapsing, motionless.
"Xu Yang, you just sat there and watched the Wushan Four Fiends slaughter us! The Song Family will never forgive you for this!" Song Wenxuan screamed, his courage shattered.
He tried desperately to break out of the encirclement, but Xie Chenglin intercepted him at every turn.
To make matters worse, Li Haoning was now charging toward him as well. Song Wenxuan could already envision his own death, and his hatred for the idle Xu Yang grew even more intense.
Soon, the battle devolved into Li Haoning and Xie Chenglin cornering Song Wenxuan, while Xie Chengyou and Li Haoran teamed up on the Song Family’s Marrow Cleansing Great Success Martial Artist.
CRACK!
Pinned by Li Haoning and Xie Chenglin, it took only ten moves before one of Song Wenxuan’s arms was twisted back at an unnatural angle. The jade-white bone pierced through his skin, and blood gushed from the wound.
"Aaaargh..."
Song Wenxuan shrieked in excruciating pain, his body swaying as he was about to collapse.
Xu Yang could see it clearly. Li Haoning and Xie Chenglin could have killed Song Wenxuan in a single move, but they were deliberately torturing him, starting by breaking his arm.
"You’re the first one who’s ever dared to steal from us, the Wushan Four Fiends!"
Li Haoning’s eyes glinted coldly as he grabbed Song Wenxuan’s other arm with both hands and twisted.
Tearing Sinews and Shattering Bones!
With another sickening crack, a large chunk of bloody flesh was ripped clean off. Song Wenxuan nearly passed out from the pain, letting out a desperate, agonized howl.
"Xu Yang, save me! Please, save me! My Song Family has a Celestial Essence Strong Person! We’ll reward you handsomely!"
Facing death, his mind addled with pain, he completely forgot his earlier threats and was now begging Xu Yang to save him.
Xu Yang watched on with cold indifference, saying nothing.
’It’s taking all my restraint not to kill Song Wenxuan myself,’ he thought. ’Why would I ever save him?’
’Saving him now would be no different from saving a viper.’
"Still talking? You really think you’re getting out of this alive!"
Li Haoning’s fingers clamped around Song Wenxuan’s throat like iron pliers. With his other hand, he rummaged inside Song Wenxuan’s robes and quickly pulled out a long Jade Box.
"Check if it’s there!"
He tossed the Jade Box to Xie Chenglin.
Xie Chenglin opened it. Inside, the Spirit Medicine that Song Wenxuan had stolen from them lay perfectly intact. "It’s here. Finish him."
A vicious glint flashed in his eyes. No longer interested in torture, Li Haoning struck, his fists slamming into Song Wenxuan’s chest like twin flood dragons bursting from the sea.
CRACK!
With the sharp crack of shattering bone, Song Wenxuan’s chest caved in. Blood poured from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth as his body was sent flying like a discarded sack. After he landed, only his limbs continued to twitch unconsciously.
"Argh..."
Another scream of agony tore through the air. Teaming up, Li Haoran and Xie Chengyou cut down the Song Family’s remaining guard, the Marrow Cleansing Great Success Martial Artist.
The dust and smoke gradually settled, revealing a silent battlefield littered with the blood-soaked corpses of Liu Xunjiang and his men.
"Brother Xu, you’re a man of your word," Li Haoning said with a smile, turning to face Xu Yang.
He had already guessed why Xu Yang hadn’t intervened. ’With an arrogant fool like Song Wenxuan, I wouldn’t have lifted a finger either,’ he mused. ’The man was so used to looking down on everyone, he thought the world owed him everything.’
The four fiends gathered together and slowly approached Xu Yang.
"Are the four of you planning to go back on your word and plunder the mines?" A slight smile played on Xu Yang’s lips.
Li Haoning shook his head. "I’ve heard that Brother Xu is a genius, ranked fifth on the Purple Sun Sect’s Ten Heroes List, and that you have a chance at a Secondary Dragon Ascension. It’s a rare honor to meet you. I merely wish to spar for a few pointers, if you would oblige."
As he spoke, the other three fanned out, subtly surrounding Xu Yang.
"From the looks of it, Brother Li, it seems I don’t have a choice in the matter," Xu Yang said with a chuckle.
"Just attack him. Don’t screw around. The fact that he was assigned to garrison this place means he’s no pushover," Xie Chengyou warned.
Li Haoning shook his head. "Second Brother, don’t be hasty. I’ve never fought a supposed genius before. Our Cultivation levels are the same. Just cover me. I want to see for myself what the gap is between me and one of them."
’With Li Haoran and Xie Chengyou here,’ he thought, ’there’s no way Xu Yang can pull any tricks.’
Li Haoran chuckled. "Just let Fourth Brother have his fun."
Xu Yang’s Cultivation was at the Minor Achievement in Bone Marrow Cleansing, same as Li Haoning. There was no harm in letting them fight.
’Have his fun?’
A strange smile touched Xu Yang’s face. ’If you mess around and "have fun," you might just lose your life.’
"Let’s see what the fifth-ranked hero of the Purple Sun Sect is really made of, or if it’s all just an empty title."
As Li Haoning finished speaking, his body vanished in a whirlwind.