Chapter 17

The Demon's Selection (17)

“Huff huff!”

Xiaojishan panted heavily as he ran down the mountain. His mouth was so dry it felt like it was emitting a sweet smell. Despite being on the verge of passing out from exhaustion, he couldn’t afford to waste a moment.

There was only a short while left until the agreed time.

‘Am I not late?’

Just as he was distracted, Xiaojishan tripped over something invisible and lost his balance, tumbling to the ground. When he regained his senses, a cold dagger was pressed against his throat.

“You damn brat!”

Xiaojishan cursed as he finally saw the face of the person who had pinned him down.

It was Jia Huishuo.

At that moment, Jia Huishuo forced something into Xiaojishan’s mouth.

“Swallow it, or you’ll die.”

The dagger pressed into his throat a bit deeper.

Swallow.

Xiaojishan swallowed the pill in his mouth. He had no other choice.

Jia Huishuo’s single eye narrowed.

“What you swallowed is the Black Spider Red Kudzu Poison (黑蛛赤葛毒).”

“...!”

Xiaojishan’s eyes wavered.

A spider found in the remote regions of the southern wilderness. Once bitten, it leaves a red mark like a vine wrapped around the body, and the victim dies within a day.

“After you tell me what you know, go back. And come to me tomorrow. I’ll give you the antidote then.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

Jia Huishuo answered by moving the dagger.

‘Damn it!’

Xiaojishan was seething with anger. He was exhausted, but the other guy was still full of energy.

‘What a cunning bastard!’

Unlike Xiaojishan, who had been running around, Jia Huishuo had been hiding here from the beginning, conserving his strength.

He couldn’t trust Jia Huishuo’s words.

Even if he managed to escape, Jia Huishuo would likely try to swallow the entire Yidang (二义党) in exchange for the antidote.

He couldn’t let that happen, even if it meant death.

There were already too many people who had been ruined by him. Even the Shunyifang, which collected protection money in the entertainment district, had its limits, but Jia Huishuo had no such limits.

“Just kill me.”

Jia Huishuo laughed wickedly.

“If that’s your wish.”

Just as Jia Huishuo was about to slit Xiaojishan’s throat, a voice interrupted.

“What are you doing? You guys.”

Jia Huishuo was startled and turned his head. A bald giant was standing nearby, frowning.

Xiaojishan hurriedly shouted.

“I found him! Someone saw the young man being taken away by the martial alliance warriors!”

“The martial alliance?”

“Yes. They said he was involved with a notorious evil sect...”

“Is that so? Where are they?”

“Huh?”

“Where are those guys?”

“Qinghua Inn.”

Fan Jiewei grabbed the back of Xiaojishan and Jia Huishuo’s necks and immediately took off.

The ground quickly receded, making Xiaojishan’s legs tremble.

It was an incredible lightness that was hard to believe even with his eyes.

* * *

Knock knock.

Guo Jia tapped the table with a look of annoyance. It was an unconscious action he did when he was worried about something. One of his quick-witted subordinates poured him a drink and said,

“He said he left on horseback, so he should be here soon.”

Guo Jia silently raised his glass to his mouth. But he put it down without drinking half of it.

He sensed someone outside the door.

“He’s here.”

Guo Jia smiled.

Judging by the early arrival, it must have been quite urgent.

A moment later, the door to the annex opened, and someone entered.

Guo Jia’s eyes widened in surprise.

It wasn’t Feng Jinsheng, whom he had been waiting for, but a stranger.

However, the atmosphere was not ordinary.

The moment he met the man’s ice-cold gaze, his blood ran cold.

Moreover...

‘Killing intent!’

The clear killing intent in the man’s eyes was so chilling that it could instantly dispel the alcohol.

“Did Feng Jinsheng send you?”

Chao Ailiang chuckled.

Who in the current martial world could command the Blood Hand Venerable? It seemed there was some misunderstanding, but he had no intention of explaining.

Guo Jia gripped his sword.

“Interesting. To send an assassin against the Pasha Sect.”

Guo Jia was secretly pleased with the situation. This would make Feng Jinsheng a loyal dog to him.

“Don’t interfere.”

Guo Jia ordered his subordinates and said,

“Let’s see what you can do.”

As soon as he finished speaking,

His sword sliced through the air.

The bluish light emitted from the sword instantly surrounded Chao Ailiang.

But Chao Ailiang didn’t move.

He simply raised his hand and flicked the tip of the sword as it was about to strike his forehead.

Guo Jia’s figure was instantly flipped in the air.

Boom!

Guo Jia crashed to the floor with a heavy thud.

“...!”

Guo Jia, who was thrown to the ground without understanding what happened, looked at Chao Ailiang in shock.

‘Four ounces to lift a thousand pounds (四兩拔千斤)!’

Or the essence of martial arts known as ‘Plum Blossom Grafting (梨花接木).’

It was a supreme technique that redirected the opponent’s force to subdue them. Guo Jia knew this, but it was only a theoretical concept.

‘This isn’t just an assassin!’

He felt a massive wall that no one could breach, a presence of a grandmaster.

“Could it be...”

At that moment, a lightning bolt struck Guo Jia’s mind. He remembered why they were sent to Wuyi.

His voice trembled involuntarily.

“Blood Hand Venerable?”

Chao Ailiang nodded with a cold expression.

“You said you came to capture me, but you only recognized me now?”

Guo Jia’s heart sank.

Even though he had been drinking, it was no excuse. The face in the Wanted Poster was the same, so how could he not recognize it?

Boom!

A huge explosion and the wall of the building behind him collapsed. As the dust cleared, Guo Jia instinctively swung his sword when he met the blood-red eyes in the haze.

Without his will, his body reacted to the killing intent.

A terrifying sword shadow engulfed the opponent in an explosion.

Just as the blue blade was about to tear through his body, Fan Jiewei reached into the shadow.

Crack.

Guo Jia couldn’t believe what was happening.

The sword he had swung with great force was caught in a bare hand.

‘Crazy!’

Guo Jia, in shock, poured his inner energy into the sword with all his might.

Veins bulged on his forehead.

Seizing the opportunity, Fan Jiewei also poured his inner energy into the hand that held the sword.

At that moment, Guo Jia realized something was terribly wrong. An unimaginable counterforce was rushing towards his inner energy.

But it was too late.

His sword turned red-hot and melted into molten metal, dripping to the ground.

“Huff!”

Guo Jia gasped and hastily retreated.

At that moment, Fan Jiewei extended his hands. Two Pasha Sect members, who were in a daze, were caught by his hands.

“Gasp!”

“Choke!”

The two Pasha Sect members dangled in the air, struggling as Fan Jiewei’s pot-lid-like hands gripped their heads.

Crack!

Their heads exploded.

The terrifying strength that crushed their skulls made Guo Jia shudder as the headless corpses collapsed in a pool of blood.

Only then did Guo Jia realize who he was facing.

“Mangshan Chaozi!”

Fan Jiewei gritted his teeth and glared at Guo Jia.

“Was it you? The one who messed with our sect physician.”

* * *

In a back alley not far from the Qinghua Inn.

Xiaojishan and Jia Huishuo, who were hiding out of sight, were startled when a fire suddenly erupted from the direction of the Qinghua Inn.

‘That’s...’

It was the annex used by the Pasha Sect.

Xiaojishan’s face turned pale as he saw the towering flames. No one was escaping from the fire.

The meaning was clear.

There were no survivors.

‘The Pasha Sect was wiped out?’

Xiaojishan, who had been staring at the fire in a daze, finally came to his senses after a while.

People who had just noticed the fire started shouting.

Jia Huishuo, who had finally come to his senses, cursed.

“Damn...”

As Jia Huishuo turned to leave, Xiaojishan grabbed him.

“Where are you going? The monster told you to wait here.”

Jia Huishuo looked at Xiaojishan with a bewildered expression.

“Don’t you understand the situation?”

“...?”

“With this, do you think the martial alliance will just sit back?”

“...!”

Only then did Xiaojishan realize the severity of the situation.

“The moment the martial