Chapter 23

Stepye is currently in possession of eight blood stars, with four in the lungs, three in the kidneys, and one in the liver. For the third constellation technique, only the three blood stars in Stepye's lungs and one blood star in his right kidney are needed. This might not seem too complicated, but one must consider that each blood star has nine poles, which complicates matters significantly. According to Du Sanhui, just sensing those nine poles is quite difficult, and sometimes they can even be confused.

...

As dawn approached, Du Sanhui quietly left, having told Stepye everything he knew. In fact, he didn't know much, and it wasn't a complete technique. If not for the detailed explanation, the session could have ended half an hour earlier.

Du Sanhui finally put down the burden he had been carrying, and it seemed to lighten his step as he left.

After Du Sanhui left, Stepye continued to study the third constellation technique. He glanced at the sky and then refocused his attention inward.

As the black mist in his mind gradually diminished, he became increasingly concerned and prepared for any unforeseen events.

Deep in his mind, the red glow remained unchanged.

However, the outer black mist had been reduced to just two remaining clusters.

The red glow at least contained some knowledge about the blood stars, which gave Stepye a sense of reassurance.

But the daily reduction of the black mist clusters was a mystery, a blessing or a curse. They existed there indifferently, diminishing at a fixed rate, like...

An unconventional hourglass!

What would happen when all the sand ran out?!

As Stepye pondered this, he suddenly felt a breeze in his mind.

Then, he watched as the upper of the two remaining black mist clusters rapidly dissipated, leaving not a trace.

Only one cluster remained!

Tomorrow, it would be gone by morning!

When Stepye opened his eyes again, the sky was truly bright, and the villagers, organized by Hong Zhongwei, had already started a fire to cook, preparing to set off early.

For the rest of the day, Stepye seemed distracted, deeply engrossed in the constellation technique.

He was desperately trying to sense the nine poles on each blood star. Only by sensing and identifying them could he begin to connect them.

Hong Zhongwei and Liang Xiong mistook Stepye's expression for a lack of commitment, but they didn't say anything because they had already reached an agreement with him.

In the afternoon, the Mangshan bandits caught up again. They were like a pack of wolves intent on exterminating a flock of sheep, silently and cruelly eroding the will of the Dongmang Village people until everyone resigned themselves to their fate...

This time, it was the third leader, who had a rather handsome appearance, who came out to speak.

"Listen, people of Dongmang Village! Don't harbor any illusions! Your only way out is to hand over the constellation technique! Hmph, if you don't hand it over now, we will eventually capture all of you and torture you until you do! Why go through the extra trouble and drag down your fellow villagers! I can assure you that if you hand over the constellation technique, we will immediately retreat and never trouble Dongmang Village again! When you went up the mountain, you saw that we didn't burn your village, right?"

It must be said that from a negotiation standpoint, the third leader was a much more competent bandit chief than the first leader. Moreover, his appearance was good, and he could even win the trust of some people when not fighting.

When the third leader finished speaking, chaos erupted in Dongmang Village. Chai Ren led the charge in accusing the person hiding the constellation technique, and many villagers even cried, hoping that the person with the technique would step forward.

Du Sanhui remained calm in the face of all this. He knew the Mangshan bandits better than the ordinary villagers. If he stepped out, not only would he not return, but the villagers of Dongmang Village would lose their value, and the Mangshan bandits would surely exterminate them all. The constellation technique was too important, and the Mangshan bandits would not risk leaking information. Du Sanhui even believed that the three leaders of the Mangshan bandits might kill all the ordinary bandits to keep the secret!

Stepye wouldn't speak up either. His mind was entirely focused on the nine poles, and even the third leader's shouting couldn't distract him.

The third leader's voice was hoarse, but he still couldn't achieve much, finally losing his patience.

The first leader had sent him to try, and if it didn't work, a battle was inevitable. The Mangshan bandits had planned to erode the will of the Dongmang Village people day by day, and daily battles and deaths were the main means.

Just as the third leader was about to turn and call for an attack, a thought struck him, and he made a private decision.

He stopped, gathered his emotions, and then smiled, "I have another idea. If you agree to it, we will let you off today and give you a peaceful day."

On the Dongmang Village side, Hong Zhongwei and the others were stunned, and the noisy villagers suddenly fell silent.

Then they heard the third leader say seriously, "Hand over the woman from your village, and we will let you off today. I don't know her name, but she is quite beautiful, wears a dress, and has a five or six-year-old son."

Almost instantly, everyone in Dongmang Village thought of Luo Xiu!

Luo Xiu herself was completely petrified, feeling dizzy from the gazes of those around her, almost fainting.

Her son, Xiaomao, who didn't understand what was happening, looked up and asked softly, "Mother, who is that bad man talking about?"

Just as Luo Xiu was at a loss, a loud voice came from the crowd, "Rubbish!"

"Shameless scoundrel!"

"Go to hell!"

As soon as the first voice rang out, a chorus of curses followed, quickly forming a wave.

Luo Xiu was the dream girl of many people in Dongmang Village. If the third leader had asked for another woman, there might have been some negotiation, but asking for Luo Xiu only united the villagers more.

In the chaos, Hong Zhongwei finally spoke, "If you want a fight, you'll get one! Don't even think about taking our people!"

Seeing this, the third leader knew he wouldn't get the woman. But he had been itching for her for days and couldn't wait to capture her and have his way with her.

Since he couldn't get her, he would have to take her by force!

Finally, the third leader's face turned red with anger, "You refuse the wine and choose the punishment! Brothers, get ready!"

"Ooh, ooh, ooh..."

The signal was given, and the first and second leaders, who had been resting, immediately stood up and led their men forward.

On the Dongmang Village side, Hong Zhongwei quickly gave orders, "Uncle Du, you lead the way and take everyone forward. We will cover the rear! Cough... cough..."

"Alright," Du Sanhui immediately responded, but he hesitated when he saw Hong Zhongwei cough up blood.

Du Sanhui's expression was caught by Stepye, who couldn't help but think that perhaps the old man had a change of heart and was considering passing the constellation technique to Hong Zhongwei. But today was clearly too late.

Du Sanhui led a group of young and strong villagers, and the villagers quickly set off.

Further back, the Mangshan bandits were already charging forward, about to clash with the village defense team led by Hong Zhongwei.

In Stepye's view, today would be another major battle, but the casualties wouldn't be too severe. The Mangshan bandits didn't want such a result; they could erode the will of Dongmang Village with minimal casualties. It wasn't worth fighting to the death. Dongmang Village had three Heart Cloud experts—Hong Zhongwei, Liang Xiong, and Stepye. If they fought to the death, the Mangshan bandits would also suffer significant losses.

Finally, the towering first leader of the Mangshan bandits led the charge! All the arrows shot at him were deflected by his hands, not a single one hitting his bare upper body.

With a low growl, the first leader activated the twelve Heart Cloud stars in his body, his entire body seeming to grow larger, and he charged forward with increased speed!

Hong Zhongwei immediately activated his eleven Heart Cloud stars and silently rushed forward to meet him!

Liang Xiong roared and activated his Heart Cloud blood star, charging toward the one-eyed second leader of the Mangshan bandits.

Stepye was only half a step behind Liang Xiong, silently activating his Heart Cloud blood star and charging toward the third leader with a "whoosh"!

They had clashed several times over the past few days, and the third leader had become his regular opponent. Due to his previous seven Heart Cloud stars and less combat experience, Stepye had always been at a disadvantage. Today, with eight Heart Cloud stars, he could fight on more equal terms!

Stepye's speed was noticeably faster than yesterday, but the third leader hadn't yet realized that Stepye had activated a new blood star, thinking it was just the initial momentum of the battle.

The third leader wielded a large halberd, and before Stepye could reach him, he thrust it forward!

Stepye always used a curved saber he had taken from the Mangshan bandits. The curved blade was over a meter long, and the straight distance from the handle to the tip was also about a meter, making it look quite formidable. Stepye slightly turned his body to generate power and swung his right hand, slashing at the tip of the halberd!

"Clang!!"

The tip of the halberd was deflected, and Stepye's speed slowed slightly, but he still charged forward like a tiger descending a mountain!

Only then did the third leader realize that Stepye seemed different, clearly stronger than yesterday.

The two clashed with halberd and saber, and in a few exchanges, Stepye was not at a disadvantage at all!

Finally, the third leader let out a low cry, shouting instinctively, "The eighth star?!"