Chapter 67

Hu Xiaotian hurriedly rushed in, recalling something, he held his breath first, then gently lifted Murong Feiyan and lightly patted her face. Murong Feiyan lay limply in his arms, unresponsive.

Hu Xiaotian was inwardly horrified. The most troublesome thing was that he didn't know whether the poison was in the food or if there was something else in the brazier. At this moment, the sound of a horse's neigh came from outside.

Hu Xiaotian inwardly cursed, someone must have come. There was no time to save his companions now. He looked around; the only places to hide were under the altar or behind the Buddha statue. He thought for a moment, hiding could only buy him some time. The monks would definitely search for him once they realized he was gone. The only option now was to pretend to be unconscious to get through this. He held his breath, hid a dagger in his sleeve, and lay down next to Murong Feiyan.

Four monks appeared in the side hall, led by the lame monk Wuxing. As soon as they entered, someone rushed over to cover the brazier and carried it out, indicating that it likely contained a sedative.

Wuxing glanced at the six people on the ground and sneered, "This girl is quite pretty. Fourth, take her to my room. Second and Third, take the others to the back courtyard and throw them off the cliff!"

Hu Xiaotian heard everything clearly, inwardly cursing the evil monks. It seemed his premonition was correct. The name "Lanruo Temple" was indeed ominous. Although there were no female ghosts or Black Mountain demons here, there were plenty of evil monks who plotted to kill and rob.

The first one to be lifted was Hu Xiaotian. He tried to relax his body as much as possible, fearing that these people would notice anything unusual. After a while, he was carried to the porch. Once he was sure he was out of the side hall, he dared to breathe cautiously.

Two monks carried Hu Xiaotian to the back courtyard. Hu Xiaotian didn't dare to open his eyes and was carried back into the rain. One of the monks couldn't help but complain, "The boss is too unfair. Why does he always get to have the fun, while we suffer and work hard?"

The other monk sighed, "Don't say that. Who can compete with him? We can only obediently listen." They carried Hu Xiaotian to the back gate of the temple, where one monk put him down while the other went to open the gate.

Hu Xiaotian knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He quietly took out the hidden dagger and saw the young monk right in front of him. However, the monk didn't notice him and was looking at his companion who was opening the gate.

Hu Xiaotian suddenly stood up from the ground and stabbed the monk with a lightning-fast move, hitting his heart. Hu Xiaotian was extremely familiar with human anatomy. Although he had never killed before, his strike was ruthless and accurate. It wasn't that Hu Xiaotian was cruel by nature, but he had no other choice. There were four confirmed monks in Lanruo Temple, and five out of their six people had been incapacitated, including the most capable Murong Feiyan. He had no confidence in fighting four, or even two, of them.

A person's combat ability isn't just about physical strength; it also depends on their cunning and intelligence, as well as their ability to seize the right moment. Although Hu Xiaotian wasn't skilled in martial arts, his mind was extremely calm and composed. He had been waiting for this opportunity, and once it appeared, he acted immediately without hesitation.

With a "pu" sound, the dagger pierced the monk's heart through the left chest, between the second and third ribs. The monk let out a heart-wrenching scream. Without a moment's hesitation, Hu Xiaotian quickly pulled out the dagger and charged at the monk who was opening the gate like a tiger out of a cage.

The monk, hearing his companion's scream, turned around in a panic. Seeing Hu Xiaotian holding a shiny dagger rushing at him, he didn't have time to think and reached out to grab Hu Xiaotian's right wrist, trying to disarm him.

Hu Xiaotian's original plan was perfect: to kill the monk next to him first, then sneak up behind the monk opening the gate and slit his throat. However, plans didn't go as smoothly as he had hoped. He hadn't expected the monk to scream so loudly. By the time the monk screamed, Hu Xiaotian realized he lacked experience and should have covered the monk's mouth to prevent him from alerting his companions.

The monk heading to the gate was tall and muscular. Seeing his companion being killed by Hu Xiaotian, he was terrified. He reacted quickly and rushed to engage Hu Xiaotian in close combat, grabbing his right wrist and trying to disarm him. The monk was incredibly strong, and despite Hu Xiaotian's recent training, he couldn't match the monk's strength.

The monk grabbed Hu Xiaotian's arms and roared, pushing him backward with all his might. Hu Xiaotian tried his best to resist, but he was no match for the monk's strength and was pushed back. The monk was like a bulldozer, pushing Hu Xiaotian back until he collided with a tree. The tree had been sheltering them from the rain, but the collision caused the water droplets to fall, drenching both of them. Hu Xiaotian kicked the monk's groin, but the monk blocked it with his leg.

The monk twisted Hu Xiaotian's right wrist and, at the same time, leaned back and then slammed his head into Hu Xiaotian's forehead with a "bang." Hu Xiaotian saw stars and felt as if several chicks were circling his head. The monk must have practiced iron head training.

Before Hu Xiaotian could recover, the monk slammed his head into Hu Xiaotian's forehead again. Hu Xiaotian was dizzy, but fortunately, he was shorter than the monk, or his nose would have been broken.

Hu Xiaotian relied on sheer willpower to keep going. In a life-or-death situation, there could be no slack. If he relaxed even a little, not only would his life be in danger, but his companions would also be in grave peril.

The monk leaned back again, preparing to use the same move. Hu Xiaotian inwardly cursed, knowing that if he was hit again, he would either die or pass out. He had no other choice and spat a mouthful of water at the monk. The water was quite impressive after he had been preparing it for a while.

The monk, surprised by the water in his face, hesitated, and the third headbutt didn't come. In a life-or-death struggle, even a small detail could determine the outcome. If the monk had hit Hu Xiaotian again, Hu Xiaotian would have lost all his fighting ability. However, the water gave Hu Xiaotian a precious moment to catch his breath. He roared and, like the monk, charged forward with his head.

Using the monk's own method against him, it wasn't that Hu Xiaotian was clever, but he had no other choice. Both were using their heads, but Hu Xiaotian hadn't practiced iron head training. After being hit twice, his head was numb, and he was determined to take the monk down with him. He aimed for the monk's nose. The monk didn't expect Hu Xiaotian to headbutt him, and with a "pang," Hu Xiaotian's head hit the monk's nose, causing blood to spurt.

The monk, in pain, naturally loosened his grip. Hu Xiaotian took the opportunity to free his hands and stabbed the monk's throat with the dagger. The monk grabbed Hu Xiaotian's wrist again, twisting it and pressing the dagger's tip toward Hu Xiaotian's chest. At this moment, Hu Xiaotian's left hand, which had been freed, swung toward the monk's neck. A flash of cold light appeared between his fingers, and a sharp blade cut through the monk's carotid artery, causing a gush of blood to spray out.

Hu Xiaotian was caught off guard and was splattered with blood.

The monk, clutching his neck, tried to press the wound with his fingers, but the blood continued to gush out. He moved in fear, his legs giving way, and he collapsed to the ground, losing strength as the blood flowed out. He fell with a thud.