Chapter 4

Looking at the smug, sinister smile on Liu's scarred face, the man in the straw raincoat was not at all surprised by his greed.

"Hmph, insatiable." The hoarse voice of the man in the straw raincoat sent a chill down Liu's back. Then, the man in the straw raincoat coldly continued, "But... it doesn't matter..."

Liu's expression relaxed.

"Money, we can talk about it—" The man in the straw raincoat slowly approached Liu.

"Greedy, we can also talk about it—"

Liu's face turned pale, and he slowly retreated, drawing his sword and pointing it at the man in the straw raincoat, shouting, "You—stand still, stand still—don't move, or I won't be polite—"

The man in the straw raincoat let out a cold laugh, his hoarse and terrifying laughter sending a chill down to the core of one's being.

A flash of sword light. Like a meteor in the night, it appeared and disappeared in an instant.

In that moment, nothing could stop the light and speed.

A long sword was deeply thrust into the man's chest—piercing through his heart.

In that instant, the stunning move was for nothing more than a life.

"I can forgive everything about you... but I hate your self-righteousness—"

The man's martial arts were not ordinary, and he kept a certain distance, but he could only watch helplessly as the sword pierced his chest, unable to react at all. The sword was too fast, too decisive, too stunning.

Even when the cold blade pierced his body, the man almost thought that dying under such a beautiful sword technique would be a happy thing...

The man in the straw raincoat leaned forward, pushing the hilt deeper, causing the man to draw in a sharp breath...

The man in the straw raincoat slowly pressed his face close to Liu's neck and whispered softly,

"Sometimes, only by being foolish can one live longer. Being too smart, on the contrary, leads to an early death."

At the same time, shadows flickered around, and a large number of agonized screams reached the man's ears. He could tell that these screams came from his own men. Just a moment ago, they were all laughing and talking together, but now, like him, they were about to become corpses.

"You, you really dare to kill me..."

The man in the straw raincoat said hoarsely, "Originally, I was a bit hesitant. Killing you would leave some traces, but your greed and self-righteousness have made me decide to eliminate you as soon as possible."

The man smiled bitterly, unsure whether he was mocking his own cleverness that led to his downfall or mocking the ruthlessness of his opponent.

The moon had passed the halfway point of the mountain, and the night was as dark as oil.

Liu's already cold corpse had long been dragged away...

Rustling sounds echoed in the dense forest.

Soon, a night traveler, completely shrouded in black, walked up to where the man in the straw raincoat had been. In the darkness, only a pair of eyes glowed. He bowed his head and said respectfully, "Twenty-eight people, no survivors."

"Good—dispose of the bodies—remember, do it cleanly..." Then, the man in the straw raincoat suddenly turned to the black-clad man and said menacingly, "It must be clean, otherwise, if there are any loopholes, I will have to silence you as well..."

"Yes, yes... I understand..." The black-clad man was terrified and quickly retreated.

After the black-clad man had gone far away, the man in the straw raincoat took a pigeon from his pocket, inserted a newly written note into the pigeon's leg ring, and tossed it away.

The pigeon flapped its wings and quickly flew away.

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Zhongzhou, Lu Capital.

The core of the Divine Martial Continent, the capital of the Huangpu Dynasty.

A mansion that was no less grand than those of the nobles.

In the back garden, an old man in simple clothing stood with his hands hanging down.

Faint music drifted from behind a bamboo grove, with a melody that was both melancholy and tender, making one's soul melt. Even the most intense killing intent would vanish without a trace here.

Then, the music changed, evoking images of surging waves and towering cliffs, with the tides coming and going, and the world constantly changing.

Just as the music reached its climax, it suddenly stopped.

A sigh followed, and a magnetic male voice echoed, seemingly annoyed by the interruption.

"What is it?"

"Master, there is news..."

The gray-clad old man did not step forward but lightly flicked his hand.

A thud sounded, as something pierced the wood.

A moment later, a cold snort came.

"I didn't expect that after nearly a hundred years, they are still involved in that matter... If they suspected that my plan back then was not thorough enough, why did they seek my help at all..."

"Master, calm down! After this, they say it has been completely cleaned up, with no mistakes and no survivors..."

"Hmph, that matter is too significant, and they should avoid it at all costs. The more they do, the more mistakes they make... Tell them that from now on, this matter has nothing to do with me, and they should not come to bother me again!"

"Yes—"

A figure flashed, and the gray-clad old man disappeared from the spot.

The tranquil back garden returned to its usual peace.

A few birds perched on the branches again, as if wanting to listen to the heavenly music once more.

"Hmph! What a disappointment!!!"

Clang!

Blood feathers scattered in the sky...

The string broke, and the sound ceased.

—————————————————————————————————

No birds fly over the thousand mountains, no human traces on the myriad paths.

Here, there are endless rainforests, endless swamps, and endless mountains...

In this remote and desolate area, there is actually a palace.

A vast palace complex, no less grand than a real imperial palace.

In the center of the palace, a grand hall is brightly lit, hosting a grand banquet.

Around the hall, on each side, there are thirty-six large tables arranged in a circle. On the tables, there are delicacies from all over the world, a dazzling array of rare and exquisite foods... Two whole sheep, four roasted game, two oxen cut in half, dozens of roasted chickens, smoked ducks, and fat geese, countless dishes and bowls, all filled with rare and exquisite delicacies...

In the center of the circle formed by the tables, at each corner, there are huge earthenware jars, each containing twenty-year-old "Bamboo Leaf Green," thirty-year-old "Flower Carving," fifty-year-old "Western Grape Red," and over a hundred-year-old "Daughter Red"...

In the center of the grand hall, a large pile of red charcoal is roasting a whole camel, with melting fat dripping onto the charcoal and sizzling; next to it, a roasted ox has been cut down to just the large bones...

The air is filled with the aroma of meat and wine, spreading out with the warm atmosphere, reaching beyond the hall.

Among the banquet tables, nine seats are particularly eye-catching, surrounded by other tables like stars around the moon.

The top seat is a dragon throne, and the other eight seats are arranged on both sides, four on each side.

The nine people seated in these seats are all extraordinary.

There is one dressed in a dragon robe, like an emperor; one like Guanyin, with a noble and elegant appearance; one with a bare chest and a fiery red body; one with a hooded head and a completely black body; one with a pale face like a corpse, a handsome young man; one reclining on a couch, a stunning beauty; one in a purple Taoist robe, holding a duster, a transcendent immortal; one in a green robe, elegant and refined; and one with a head wrapped in a cloth, adorned with beads, dressed in a strange and exotic manner...

Looking up, the person sitting on the dragon throne is dressed in a dragon robe, wearing a headdress with twelve pendants hanging down, like an emperor. He appears to be in his thirties, with a beard, and his features are handsome and refined, but his face is slightly long, with narrow, sharp eyes that make him seem especially cold. His pale skin with a hint of green gives him an evil aura, and he has a mysterious charm that is hard to describe.

Amidst the scattered dishes and the clinking of cups, a long laugh drew everyone's attention.

A burly man, bare-chested, stood up from one of the outer tables, raised a bronze cup, and toasted the person on the dragon throne, "Long live the Heavenly Emperor, it is a great honor for us to celebrate the Emperor's birthday, and I, the leader of the 'Fire Yang Sect,' present a birthday gift to the Heavenly Emperor, hoping you will accept it."

The burly man alternated between referring to himself as "I" and "your subject," and to the person on the throne as "Your Majesty" and "you," flattery that was out of place, but he continued shamelessly. The people at the nine central tables, except for the one dressed as an emperor, all showed expressions of disdain.

The burly man ignored the others' contempt and waved his hand. Four attendants immediately carried a large object to the front of the main seat and placed it there.