The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 477 The Emperor (Part Six)

At the northern foot of Yinshan Mountain, the first light of dawn was breaking.

The deep valley is quiet and secluded, with a thin mist like gauze entwining the rugged rocks and lush vegetation. Deep in the valley, a restaurant lies quietly, a wisp of smoke rising from its chimney, almost imperceptible in the morning mist.

On the crooked wooden sign in front of the shop, the three faded Chinese characters "Antique Soup" stand out against the desolation of the northern frontier, exuding a touch of everyday life.

Inside the shop, Hanba was meticulously and diligently working on a large, frozen piece of mutton on the cutting board. The thick-bladed knife moved deftly, producing a dull thud. The older sister sat by the stove, her small face scrunched up, listlessly whittling a piece of wood with her small knife, muttering indistinctly, "...That idiot Hou Qing, so slow! Taking so long to gather firewood... If he doesn't come soon, I'll just burn his broken flute as firewood..."

Outside the shop, a few dozen steps away, under an old pine tree with gnarled branches, Hou Qing leaned against the trunk, looking relaxed. He played with the warm-colored bone flute in his hand without playing it, occasionally using a carving knife to carefully repair the flute holes, and then observing it in the distance through the sunlight.

The morning breeze brushed against a few stray strands of hair on his forehead, but his gaze, through the bone flute, was fixed on the only path winding its way from the valley entrance, and his brows furrowed slightly.

From the direction of the valley entrance came a sound mixed with the clatter of horses' hooves on the cobblestones and the creaking of cart axles. A small caravan of about ten people and a few packhorses slowly made its way through the morning dew.

The leader was of medium height, wrapped in a worn sheepskin coat, his face covered by a gray beard that obscured most of his features, revealing only a pair of seemingly tired but shrewd eyes. His entourage, though dressed as merchants and carrying bolts of cloth and salt, were all wiry and capable, their steady gait and the casual gestures they made at their waists far surpassing those of ordinary porters.

When the caravan was still a hundred paces from the antique soup shop, the leader reined in his horse, a businessman's usual amiable smile spreading across his face. He bowed respectfully towards Hou Qing under the pine tree and said:

"Greetings, young man. You look unfamiliar. May I ask if you're a new shopkeeper or an assistant hired by the old manager?" He pointed to the eatery in the distance behind Hou Qing, his tone quite polite. "Last autumn, before winter, our caravan finished its last shipment and bothered this shop. The manager back then was a man surnamed Zhang. He complained about the unrest around Yinshan, saying he wanted to leave but had nowhere to make a living. We had a good drink together, and we agreed to come back in the spring for a bowl of his homemade liquor to warm him up. Unfortunately, the war dragged on, and he only came now. What, is Mr. Zhang not in the shop today? Or... is it closed?"

His entourage also stopped, their eyes seemingly glancing around.

Hou Qing's gaze lingered on the head innkeeper for a moment before he lowered his head and continued to play with the bone flute. His voice was clear and calm: "The innkeeper has gone on a long journey, and the inn has been closed to customers for some time now. Please return home. This place is desolate, with no village or inn in sight, and there is nowhere else to rest."

The shopkeeper's familiar smile faltered slightly, then deepened, as he rubbed his hands together, revealing a hint of disappointment and earnestness.

"Oh dear, you've gone on a long journey? That's really unfortunate. Look, sir, we've come all this way just for Brother Zhang's hot soup and his strong liquor. We're exhausted, both men and horses, and we really can't go any further. Would you do us a favor? We don't ask for anything else, just to sit under the eaves outside the shop, have a bowl of hot water to soothe our throats, and give our horses some water. This small token of our gratitude is all we ask."

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket and pulled out half a string of copper coins, making a gesture as if to hand them over.

Hou Qing didn't even look at the copper coin. He tapped the bone flute lightly in his palm, producing a crisp sound, without even raising his head.

"Please come back."

"Why are you so insensitive?" someone in the caravan said in a deep voice.

The shopkeeper also dropped his amiable demeanor and said, "We are just a dozen or so people. Is your attitude something you're trying to hide? Brother Zhang has never turned away merchants like us when he's entertaining guests here..."

Hou Qing finally looked up, glanced at the shopkeeper, and said, "It's understandable that you need a bowl of water after a long journey. However, there are many strange things about your caravan, and our shop does not wish to serve you."

The shopkeeper's expression remained unchanged, but a hint of wariness flashed in his eyes: "Oh? What do you mean, sir? We live a life of hardship, just trying to make a living. What's so strange about that?"

"In Yunzhou to the south, the war between Jin and Liang is raging, with flames of war raging across the land and roads cut off for over a month. Although this is not the main battlefield, scouts are out and about, and bandits are taking advantage of the chaos. Ordinary caravans avoid it like the plague, and even the wealthiest would not dare to venture into such a desolate place at this time. You lead such a capable crew, escorting these few bolts of cloth and salt, traveling thousands of miles, specifically detouring to this remote valley with no village or shop in sight, just to ask for a bowl of liquor that the shopkeeper promised last year, which may not even exist?"

The shopkeeper's face gradually darkened. He raised his hand to stop one of the guards behind him, and simply chuckled.

"You jest, sir. In chaotic times, how can one make money without skilled men for protection? As for Yunzhou... the road is indeed treacherous, but that's precisely why we make huge profits. We came by detouring through the western grasslands, and thanks to the protection of the Eternal Heaven, we've finally arrived here to rest. If you don't believe me, you can inspect the goods." He gestured for his men to untie the cargo from a packhorse.

Hou Qing remained calm, pointing his bone flute at the shopkeeper's slightly bulging sleeve, where a long, hard object seemed to be hidden.

"I don't like to reason. I've said my piece, and I'm not taking any more customers. But you insist on being unreasonable. Either you have some extraordinary skill that makes you fearless, or you have ulterior motives. Forget about your motives, let's fight."

The shopkeeper's eyes suddenly turned sinister and sharp, and even his stubble couldn't conceal his shock, anger, and murderous intent. He abruptly straightened up, and the deliberately restrained aura around him suddenly erupted, causing his sheepskin coat to flutter even without wind.

"What a 'blood-stained mountains and rivers,' Corpse Ancestor Hou Qing! Indeed, your reputation is well-deserved. However, since the Corpse Ancestor insists on blocking your way, today, this Yin Mountain will be your burial ground. Attack!"

At his command, the dozen or so porters behind him instantly tore off their disguises, and the cold glint of their unsheathed weapons pierced through the morning mist.

The arrogant man who was leading the charge, wielding two axes, was filled with excitement as he darted out.

"Tongwen Hall, please enlighten me, Ancestor of Corpses!"

Four people followed behind him, who were none other than his four disciples: Joy, Anger, Sorrow, and Happiness.

Xi wielded a heavy, short-handled, double-edged broadsword in each hand, like a mad tiger unleashed from its cage. He rushed ahead of Ba Ye, swung the two axes, creating two fierce gusts of wind, and cleaved straight at Hou Qing's head with tremendous force.

When enraged, he wielded two short-handled copper hammers, each about the size of a bowl, wielding them with a dull whistling sound as he swung them. His moves were wide and sweeping, targeting Hou Qing's waist and abdomen, forming a pincer attack with Xi's offensive.

Ai's figure was the most elusive. She didn't get close, but retreated quickly, her hands sweeping across her waist, her fingers already filled with more than a dozen thin, gleaming darts shaped like willow leaves. Seizing the attack of her master and two senior brothers, she flicked her wrist, and the darts flew like a storm, covering Hou Qing's vital points.

Yue held a long, narrow ring-pommel sword, but did not rush to attack. Instead, he followed closely behind Xi and Nu, waiting for an opportunity to find Hou Qing's weakness.

At the same time, the other experts from the Tongwen Academy scattered like a pack of wolves, some leaping to higher ground, others flanking from the sides, clearly aiming to form an impenetrable, menacing encirclement to trap Hou Qing in this place.

Faced with the sudden onslaught, Hou Qing remained expressionless and did not move an inch, yet his figure swayed like a withered lotus in the wind.

Ba Ye's twin axes were the first to reach him, their cold gleam capable of severing gold and jade already touching his chest. But Hou Qing's bone flute, seemingly slow but actually fast, struck out diagonally at the very moment the twin axes crossed, hitting the point precisely where they intersected.

In an instant, Ba felt a strange force coming from the Yue, which deflected his full-force attack with both Yue by an inch, grazing Hou Qing's clothes and slicing off a patch of spring grass on the ground with a sharp gust of wind.

Just as the double axes missed their mark, Xi's pair of double axes struck down on his head with the force of thunder.

But Hou Qing merely tapped the ground lightly with the toe of his left foot, and his entire body seemed to lose its weight, gliding back three feet with a graceful and unrestrained posture, as if strolling leisurely. The double axes crashed down on the spot where he had just stood, blasting a shallow crater in the ground and sending dirt flying everywhere.

Enraged, the double hammers followed closely, striking straight at the heart of the attack, targeting the open space in the middle exposed after Hou Qing retreated.

Before Hou Qing could regain his footing, his left hand had already reached out like a willow branch brushing through flowers. His five fingers were spread out, and he did not directly block the powerful copper hammer, but instead gently brushed and pulled it along the edge of the hammer's wind.

Nu felt a sticky force clinging to the hammer, as if he were sinking into quagmire. His violent force was diverted, and the two bronze hammers collided involuntarily, producing a loud "clang" that made his arms go numb and halted his attack.

Not to mention the setbacks of the three men's attacks, the silent, ghostly barrage of countless light darts had already enveloped Hou Qing.

Hou Qing was suspended in mid-air with nowhere to grab onto, and was about to be riddled with holes by the hidden weapon. At the critical moment, he suddenly spun around, and with a graceful movement, the red umbrella behind his waist suddenly opened up, and the surface of the umbrella fluttered, bringing with it a swirling gale.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

The dense barrage of darts struck the swirling wall of aura as if hitting an invisible slippery wall. Their trajectories were forcibly distorted, and the vast majority were deflected and bounced away, embedding themselves in the surrounding rocks and trees. Only a few piercing darts were easily swept away by his bone flute with a flick of his wrist, turning them into dust.

Seizing the opportunity, Yue's ring-pommel sword followed like a shadow, its blade flashing like a gentle drizzle, aiming straight for Hou Qing's throat. The timing of this strike was exquisite, precisely when the latter's old strength had just been exhausted and his new strength had not yet arisen.

Hou Qing raised an eyebrow. Facing this tricky and deadly blade, he did not retreat but advanced, his figure closing in on the blade's light. His right bone flute flashed as he struck the Shenmen acupoint on 'Le's' wrist, who was holding the blade.

The attack was swift as lightning, striking first despite being slower than the opponent. Yue was terrified; if he didn't withdraw his blade, his wrist would be crippled. He quickly changed his stance, shifting from a thrust to a slash, the blade flashing towards Hou Qing's wrist, attempting a diversionary tactic.

Hou Qing seemed to have anticipated this, and the bone flute he had pointed at suddenly changed its move, transforming the point into a flick. It lightly touched and guided the blade's spine, causing the ring-pommel sword to make a crisp sound. It was cleverly deflected by a force and grazed past Hou Qing's ribs, the sharp blade energy slicing off a piece of his clothing.

In the blink of an eye, Hou Qing, relying solely on his agility, keen eyesight, and skillful dexterity, neutralized the coordinated and fierce attacks of the five people within a small space. His white robes remained spotless, and he moved with effortless ease.

Faced with the subsequent attacks from the five people and others from Tongwen Hall, Hou Qing spread out and brought the bone flute in his hand to his lips.

As the flute music began, the grass and trees all around rustled and trembled. Countless tiny nematodes, as fine as cow hair and dark green in color, surged out like an awakened tide, climbing rapidly up the trouser legs, shoes, and socks of the people in the Tongwen Hall, burrowing straight into their flesh.

Even more buzzing bees and ants take flight, specifically targeting vital organs such as the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.

Although these Gu worms are small, their numbers are astonishing, and they are of varying toxicity. Once they burrow into the body, the mildest symptoms are soreness, numbness, and severe pain, while the most severe symptoms are disruption of internal energy. In an instant, several Tongwen Hall experts who were charging ahead were deformed in their movements, uttering painful groans, and their offensive was halted.

At the same time, Hou Qing's footwork unfolded, his figure moving like a wisp of smoke in the wind, or a ghostly phantom. He no longer directly confronted Ba Ye and the others, but instead, in the nick of time, spun his red umbrella and suddenly appeared in front of them.

Those struck felt their blood and qi suddenly stagnate, as if their blood was about to be suddenly drawn out and frozen. Their internal energy flowed sluggishly, their moves were greatly reduced, and some even lost their minds, dropping their weapons and letting Hou Qing take their lives.

Ba Ye's expression changed drastically, and he retreated hastily.

"Be careful, this is the Bloodstained Record. Do not leave any wounds, or you will surely bleed profusely and die from blood loss!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was greatly alarmed and filled with fear.

The flute music then shifted, its clear and melodious tone carrying a sense of killing intent.

The exquisitely crafted longsword behind Hou Qing emitted a resounding hum from its sheath, and then with a clang, it transformed into a cold, sharp streak of light and flew out of its sheath on its own.

The longsword, swift and agile like a serpent, traced patterns in the air, its movements both nimble and deadly. Combined with the sword control technique and the swarms of poisonous insects and the sudden bursts of blood-stained swordplay, Hou Qing single-handedly held off the entire Tongwen Hall group.

Where the sword flashed, blood splattered, and two more Tongwen Hall experts had their shoulders and thighs pierced by the sword energy, falling to the ground screaming and losing their fighting ability. Even so, they kept their eyes tightly closed, not daring to look at the red umbrella in Hou Qing's hand.

Li Siyuan did not rush to join the battle from the outside. His eyes were sinister as he stared intently at Hou Qing's every move.

With his extensive experience in the martial world, he had long heard of Hou Qing's hidden weakness, the one who "stained the mountains and rivers with blood." Moreover, during their previous encounter, he had keenly noticed a detail: whenever a disciple of the Tongwen Hall was injured and splattered with blood, Hou Qing's graceful and composed movements would always produce an extremely subtle, almost instinctive, evasive action.

"Sure enough."

Li Siyuan sneered inwardly, his eyes flashing with malice. He roared, "Everyone, at all costs, stain him with blood! Whether it's your own blood or someone else's, whoever gets their blood on him, I, the Grand Commandant, will bestow upon them the Supreme Divine Universe Skill!"

The members of Tongwen Hall were all desperate criminals, and upon receiving the order, their ferocity was fully unleashed.

Ba Ye laughed wildly, ignoring the threat of the Blood-Weeping Record, and slashed his left arm with a knife. Hot blood gushed out instantly. He used this blood as a hidden weapon, channeling his inner strength, and the blood droplet was like a sword, which he threw straight at Hou Qing's face.

Several others, like mad tigers, completely abandoned their defenses and fearlessly pounced on Hou Qing, spreading their arms wide and letting the flying swords slash their bodies, just to use their gushing blood to block the white-clad figure. This tactic, completely disregarding their own casualties, instantly disrupted Hou Qing's rhythm.

Faced with the blood splattering from all directions, the usual indifference in his eyes turned somewhat solemn. His movements became somewhat chaotic; the red umbrella no longer aimed directly at his face but was used for shielding, and the flying sword he wielded was also greatly weakened, losing its agility.

Hou Qing had to expend more energy to release his internal force to form a very thin layer of protective qi to isolate the blood, but this would greatly deplete his internal force.

He narrowly avoided the blood arrow thrown by Ba Ye with a swift spin, but was almost stabbed by the four of them, who took advantage of the moment to launch a sneak attack. His clothes were also torn, leaving him looking somewhat disheveled.

The Record of Weeping Blood is renowned and intimidating, deterring people from confronting it directly. However, once its weaknesses are exposed, it becomes a shackle that binds its own hands and feet.

"How dare you bully Lord Hou! You're asking for death!"

A thunderous roar erupted as the drought demon crashed open the shop door and charged straight into the battlefield.

He didn't use any weapons at all. He struck the back of the 'Xi' who was trying to circle around. The latter's alarm bells went off, and he instinctively crossed his two axes and turned around to block. However, he felt an irresistible force coming from him, as if he had been hit by a wild bull. Before he could even scream, he was sent flying like a broken sack, crashing into the rocks in the distance, his bones and tendons breaking.

Then, the drought demon struck again, this time with a fierce blow aimed at Ba Ye, who was entangled with Hou Qing. The latter felt the overwhelming force of the palm strike, his expression changed drastically, and he had no choice but to abandon his pursuit of Hou Qing and turn around to block with all his might.

With a loud clang, sparks flew everywhere. Ba felt an overwhelming force emanating from Yue, which made his arms numb and his blood surge. He staggered back several feet before barely managing to regain his footing. A mouthful of blood welled up in his throat, but he forced it back, his eyes filled with horror.

As soon as the drought demon joined the battlefield, it instantly disrupted the Tongwen Hall's siege formation. It possessed immense strength and thick skin, and was completely unfazed by ordinary attacks. Its objective was clear: to shield Hou Qing from those "blood attacks" and share the burden.

He roared repeatedly, his fists and feet moving with great force and power, forcing everyone in the Tongwen Hall to avoid his attacks, which greatly relieved Hou Qing's pressure.

However, the improvement was short-lived. Soon, from the direction of the valley entrance, came the dull and dense sound of horses' hooves and the clanging of armor clashing.

Dust billowed, and a dark mass of figures surged into view like a tide. Li Cunxiao, leading the way, was a burly figure almost as tall as Hanba, followed by Li Cunzhong, Li Cunyong, and hundreds of Jin cavalrymen, as well as Yinshan auxiliary troops, who rushed in at breakneck speed.

Under Li Cunzhong's command, Li Cunxiao charged towards the drought demon, while the archers drew their bows and arrows, and the cavalrymen raised their spears and formed a battle formation, but did not immediately charge.

The drought demon glared with its piercing eyes, showing no fear. While using its powerful body to shield Hou Qing and withstand the attacks from the Tongwen Academy members, it suddenly pulled out several dark, fist-sized iron lumps from a specially made thick leather pouch at its waist.

"Get out of my way!" The drought demon roared like thunder. With all his might, his muscles bulging, he hurled several thunderbolts at the relatively dense crowd of archers at the valley entrance, who were about to fire.

The Jin army knew the power of the explosives and that the drought demon had incredible strength, so they retreated repeatedly. However, the auxiliary troops had never seen this iron lump before, and under Li Cunzhong's panicked shouts, they did not react for a moment.

A deafening explosion rang out, drowning out all the shouts of battle.

Flames soared into the sky, thick smoke billowed, and scorching air currents swept outwards, carrying with them debris, metal fragments, and terrifying shockwaves. The auxiliary troops who had not had time to retreat were instantly thrown into chaos, limbs and bodies flying everywhere, their shrill screams tearing at the heart.

The explosion not only caused devastating direct casualties, but also blasted several charred craters in the valley path, creating widespread chaos and panic. The auxiliary army collapsed instantly, and the Jin army's archers, blocked by the explosion and thick smoke, could only patrol the perimeter and fire a few scattered arrows in a panic.

However, just as the smoke and dust from the explosion had not yet dissipated, a burly figure, as imposing as an iron tower, burst out of the smoke and fire—it was Li Cunxiao.

Although the shockwave from the explosion made him sway slightly, and his bronze skin turned a scorching red, his ferocity only intensified.

His eyes were bloodshot, fixed on the drought demon. He let out a furious roar that was not human. He disregarded everything and pushed the Supreme Qiankun Technique to its peak. His body was filled with surging and turbulent energy, forming a visible light golden aura. He withstood the scattered arrows behind him and the still-unresolved shockwaves. Like a savage beast, he charged towards the drought demon with a ferocious momentum that seemed to shatter the earth.

Li Cunzhong shouted orders from the rear: "Tenth brother, hold off the drought demon! Archers, suppress Hou Qing! The rest of you, bypass the front and charge the shop!"

Li Cunyong had already leaped to a high place, drawn his bow and arrow, and locked onto Hou Qing with his hearing. He fired a series of arrows, and behind him, the Shang organization brought by Li Siyuan also flew out.

Seeing Li Cunxiao charging forward despite the explosion, the drought demon was not afraid; instead, it was enraged. Its fists clenched tightly, its knuckles cracking like thunder, and its muscles bulging and bulging.

"Well done!" He also took a big step forward and head-on rammed into Li Cunxiao who was rushing towards him. The two giants, who were equally powerful and fierce, clashed violently in the valley.

Just as the fierce battle inside and outside the store reached a brief stalemate, and everyone's attention was drawn to the shouts of killing, the explosions, and the imposing figure of the drought demon, a figure silently slid down the steep rock wall.

His figure moved swiftly, perfectly avoiding all the noise and sharpness of the main battlefield, and ghost-like he circled around to the back of the antique soup shop. Then, the dark figure shrank, like a boneless eel, and silently slipped into the shop through the crack in the back window.

Inside the restaurant, the rich aroma of mutton soup mingled with a faint, almost imperceptible, smell of blood. Bali Shenyu's eyes darted around like lightning, his footsteps silent as he swiftly searched every corner.

"Um?!"

As he stepped into the hall, he suddenly froze.

In the center of the lobby, a petite figure sat casually on a bench, arms crossed over her chest. Her small face showed no fear, but rather an almost indifferent calm. Her gaze seemed to pierce through the doors and windows, as if she were watching the bloody battle raging outside.

A murderous intent suddenly arose!
Bali Shenyu felt a strong sense of alarm. During the battle with Chu Te's tribe, although this crazy little thing in front of him did not show any particular danger, he was always ruthless and decisive in his actions, without the slightest hesitation. In the blink of an eye, he made a decision: this woman was strange and must be a formidable enemy. He would strike her down when she was off guard!

His figure sprang up like a ghost, silent and swift as lightning. With a swift motion from his waist, a narrow, curved dagger, gleaming with an iris-blue light, was in his hand, its tip aimed straight for Ying Gou's back.

Meanwhile, Ba, who was outside the shop, saw that Hanba was entangled by Li Cunxiao and Hou Qing was also greatly exhausted. He was still being forced into a slightly awkward position by the hidden arrows of Tongwen Hall and Li Cunyong. He was overjoyed.

He seized an opening, his figure like an arrow released from a bow, abandoning the attack on Hou Qing, using his two axes for protection, and rushed wildly toward the door of the antique soup shop.

Hou Qing caught a glimpse of Ba Ye's movements out of the corner of his eye. He lightly tapped his bone flute, forcing back the three who rushed forward—Anger, Sorrow, and Joy—while a barely perceptible smile played on his lips. Far from being in a hurry, he slightly shifted his body to the side, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally making way for Ba Ye to rush towards the shop door.

Inside the store, the deadly trap has been set.

Ying Gou seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. Just as the curved dagger was about to touch her clothes, she didn't even lower her arms, but her body swayed slightly in an extremely strange way, like a reflection in water being ruffled by a breeze.

Bali Shenyu's determined thrust missed its mark; Ying Gou was no longer in its original position.

next moment.

"boom!!!"

The already slightly crooked door of the antique soup shop was violently slammed open by Tomoe, fueled by ecstasy and force. His face was flushed with excitement, his twin axes gleaming coldly, and he roared, "Tomoya of the Tsuwenkan has come to pay a visit..."

Before he could finish speaking, he abruptly stopped.

After he burst through the door, what greeted him was not the legendary Corpse Ancestor, who was said to be the most famous on the Rouge Ranking, or the mysterious and almost never-before-seen Minghai Wuyan Yinggou, but a small, white palm.

The hand appeared slow, but in reality, it moved faster than Baye could perceive, as if it had traversed the distance of space, and lightly imprinted itself on his face, which was contorted with ecstasy.

There was no earth-shattering roar, only a dull cracking sound of bones breaking.

The ecstasy on Baya's face froze instantly, his eyes bulging, filled with extreme horror and bewilderment.

His burly body was struck as if by an invisible hammer, flying backward at a faster speed than when he rushed in. The blood and broken teeth that spurted from his mouth drew a red line in the air before he crashed into a pile of rubble several feet away from the shop with a loud bang. He twitched twice, stared wide-eyed, and then fell silent.

A master of the Tongwen Academy, renowned throughout Shanxi, who conquered far and wide, wielding a pair of double axes with unparalleled skill. Even Ba Ye, the Jin State military commander known as the invincible warrior, was killed before he could even see who his opponent was or how he made his move.

The moment Ying Gou casually slapped Ba Ye to death, Ba Li Shen Yu's second strike arrived.

Although he was startled by Ying Gou's ghostly movements, his killing intent burned even brighter. Taking advantage of the slight gap in Ying Gou's movement as she struck Ba Ye away and shifted her stance, his long-prepared palm strike silently landed on Ying Gou's back. This palm strike was subtle yet vicious, with a faint bluish-black tinge on the palm, far surpassing the power of Ba Li Shen Su in the battle against Chu Te's troops.

Ying's hand, which had been hooking Fei Ba'er's, hadn't even fully retracted when she faced this silent yet deadly sneak attack from behind, yet she neither dodged nor avoided it.

"Humph!"

A cold snort, like an ice bead falling onto a jade plate. Ying Gou's petite body suddenly turned halfway, and an equally fair and delicate hand went straight to meet it at an unbelievable angle.

boom! ! !
The palms were firmly pressed together in one place.

In an instant, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, a visible and incomparably violent wave of energy erupted from the palms of the two men and surged outwards.

The hall was as if struck by a hurricane. The nearest heavy wooden tables and benches were torn apart, flung away, and shattered into pieces as if made of paper. Bowls, plates, and cups instantly turned to dust, scattering in all directions with wood chips. The beams and pillars of the roof creaked under the weight, and dust fell in a rustling sound. The decorations on the walls and the spatulas beside the stove jingled and fell from the immense force.

The entire antique soup shop seemed to shake violently in that clash of palms.

Bali Shenyu felt a chilling, domineering, and terrifying force, as if capable of crushing mountains, surge along his arm like a raging sea. He groaned, his face instantly turning from white to green, then from green to red, and the blue bricks beneath his feet shattered with a "crack".

He desperately tried to use the techniques taught to him by Duo Kuo Huo to resist the force. His arms were in excruciating pain, his blood and qi were churning like boiling water, and he felt as if he had been hit by a giant wave. He staggered back three steps before he could barely dissipate the force. His face turned deathly pale, and his eyes were filled with disbelief and horror.

The power contained within that petite body is simply superhuman!
Ying Gou's small body swayed slightly, her feet firmly planted on the ground, not moving an inch. She slowly withdrew her hand, as if merely brushing away a speck of dust. Her large, calm eyes, which had been undisturbed, finally turned to Ba Li Shen Yu, her gaze devoid of anger or surprise, only displaying a cold indifference as if looking down upon an ant.

She didn't even look at the Bali Shenyu right away, but first lowered her head slightly and examined her own palm, which she had just clashed with.

"The people outside, did you bring them in?"

Bali Shenyu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging blood and qi. The shock in his eyes was quickly replaced by a sinister look that mixed fear and arrogance.

He stared at Ying Gou, a sinister and twisted grin spreading across his lips.

"So what?!"

At the doorway, an unassuming, petite figure stood with her head bowed, a few strands of hair obscuring her face. When she raised her head again, a pair of eyes...
Crimson red, like blood.

"Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs. Since they have brought disaster upon us, we should... exterminate them all."

(End of this chapter)