Martial Arts Secret Realm: Only I Can Know the Plot?

Half an hour later, Du Ming hurriedly entered the teahouse, sat down opposite him, and said in a low voice, "Ling Tuisi has left the city."

Sun Fan put down his teacup.

"When?"

"Half an hour ago, he changed into civilian clothes and left through the south gate with seven or eight men."

Sun Fan nodded, stood up, paid for the tea, and walked out.

"Squad leader, are you going too?" Du Ming caught up with him.

"If I don't go, who will clean up their mess?" Sun Fan said without turning his head.

He walked to the alley entrance, suddenly stopped, and looked back at Du Ming.

"Tell Dahai that he's in charge of things in the city. If the Blood Blade Sect enters the city..."

"I know," Du Ming interrupted him. "Keep an eye on them."

Sun Fan nodded, turned around, and disappeared into the depths of the alley.

As the sun set, it dyed the city walls of Jingzhou a dark red.

Sun Fan walked along the official road, his pace neither fast nor slow.

Shortly after Sun Fan set off, Ling Tuisi also began to take action.

Ling Tuisi rode on his horse, followed by eight guards, all dressed in black, with long swords hanging at their waists.

He couldn't possibly go without guards; he didn't trust anyone.

These guards were all his trusted henchmen.

An army is raised for a thousand days, but used for only one.

They don't need to know the mission, they don't need to know the cause and effect.

For them, simply following Ling Tuisi's orders was the only meaning in their lives.

Instead of taking the main road, he took a detour and went towards the Land God Temple via a small road in the south of the city.

This is a habit he's developed over many years: he never takes the main road. Even when going to a place he considers safe, he always keeps his guard up.

"My lord," a guard rode up beside him, lowering his voice, "the local earth god temple is just ahead."

Ling Tuisi reined in the reins and squinted at the road ahead.

In the twilight, the dilapidated little temple resembled a wild beast lying on the ground, quietly crouching there.

The open space in front of the temple was overgrown with weeds, which rustled in the wind.

Ling Tuisi whispered, "The six of you hide in the woods. Don't come out without my signal. You two, come in with me."

There were too many people, and he was afraid of startling Qi Changfa, who might be there.

There are too many people, and Qi Changfa might be afraid and run away as soon as he sees them.

With fewer people, he wasn't sure if they could win.

Although Wan Zhenshan's words indicated that Qi Changfa's martial arts skills were mediocre.

However, he remained cautious.

In the martial arts world, there may be names that are called wrong, but there are never nicknames that are called wrong.

Iron chains span the river—that's the reputation they earned.

The guards dispersed silently.

Six men dismounted and led their horses into the woods east of the temple, their movements swift and efficient, clearly demonstrating their training. The remaining two guards followed behind Ling Tuisi, one on each side, their hands on their sword hilts, their eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.

Ling Tuisi dismounted, tossed the reins to the guards behind him, straightened his clothes, and strode toward the local temple.

The temple door was ajar, the paint on the door panels had peeled off completely, revealing the grayish-white wood underneath. The moment Ling Tuisi pushed the door open, a musty smell hit him.

He frowned and stepped over the threshold.

The temple was deserted.

The main hall was small, with a clay statue of the Earth God in the center. The paint on his face had peeled off and faded, obscuring his original expression. A thick layer of ash covered the offering table, and a few burnt incense sticks were stuck in the incense burner, as if no one had been there for a long time.

Ling Tuisi stood in the temple for a moment, his gaze sweeping over every corner.

nobody.

There is no Qi Changfa.

There are no clues about Liancheng Jue.

There was nothing there.

His face darkened.

"My lord," a guard poked his head in from the doorway, "there's no one outside."

Ling Tuisi did not answer. He stood before the statue, his fingers slightly clenched inside his sleeve.

Were we scammed?

Or are we too early?

An uneasy atmosphere began to envelop him.

This temple looks like a tomb.

Don't stay here for long!

As he was thinking, a scream suddenly came from outside the temple.

The sound was short and shrill, as if someone had slit the throat with a knife, and it stopped abruptly after only half a sound.

Ling Tuisi's pupils contracted.

"My lord!" The guard outside rushed in, sword drawn, his face deathly pale. "Over in the woods—"

Before he could finish speaking, a flash of light slashed in from outside the temple gate.

The blade flashed swiftly and ruthlessly, carrying a strong stench of blood, like a venomous snake, heading straight for the guard's neck.

The guard didn't have time to raise his knife to block; he only managed to take half a step to the side.

The blade grazed his shoulder, slicing off a chunk of flesh. Blood gushed out, and the guard screamed as he collapsed to the ground.

Ling Tuisi did not move.

He stood before the statue, coldly staring at the temple gate.

A bald, burly man in a blood-red robe walked in from outside, carrying a monk's knife that was still dripping blood. He was tall and had a face full of scars. His eyes, like copper bells, stared at Ling Tuisi, and a cruel smile played on his lips.

"Lord Ling, it's an honor to meet you."

"The Blood Blade Sect?" Ling Tuisi's voice was calm, as calm as if he were asking about the weather.

However, his trembling hands had already betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

He was very familiar with this technique.

The Lianghu Longsha Gang, once a powerful force in the region, had over a hundred heroes, all of whom lost their lives to this kind of swordsmanship.

"Baoxiang, the eldest disciple of the Blood Blade Ancestor." The bald, burly man rubbed his monk's knife on his shoulder to wipe away the blood. "Lord Ling, this is our first meeting, but I've heard your name quite a bit."

"My senior classmates all said you're really slippery."

Four more people walked in from outside the temple gate.

They all wore blood-red robes, carried Buddhist knives, and had faces full of murderous intent.

The five people's auras intertwined, like an invisible net, enveloping the entire earth god temple.

Ling Tuisi's eye twitched.

Five peaks of the third realm.

He himself was only at the third realm; in a real fight, he might not necessarily lose. But with the eight guards he brought—

The best of the eight guards was only at the second realm.

not enough.

Far from enough.

"Lord Ling, don't count on your men." Bao Xiang seemed to see through his thoughts, grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, "The six in the woods are already on their way. The two at the gate will be here soon too."

He tilted his head slightly, and Shengdi dragged someone in from outside the door and threw them on the ground.

It was Ling Tuisi's bodyguard. He was covered in blood and had already died.

Ling Tuisi's expression finally changed.

"How dare you!" His voice was low, as if squeezed from his throat. "I am an official appointed by the imperial court. To kill an official is tantamount to rebellion. No matter how arrogant the Blood Blade Sect is, can it withstand the imperial army?"

"The imperial court?" Bao Xiang laughed heartily. "Lord Ling, you're talking to us about the imperial court?"

He wiped the smile from his face, his eyes turning cold: "Back when you were the leader of the Dragon Sand Gang, how many officials did you kill? Don't you know how much blood is on your hands? Now that you're wearing this official's coat, do you really think you're one of the government's men?"

Ling Tuisi paused slightly.

But he said calmly, "Regardless of my past, today I am wearing the official robes of a prefect, I am an official, and you are bandits."

"If I die here, and a prefect of a prefecture dies at the hands of bandits, do you think the imperial court will give you a chance to explain?"

He knew that he absolutely could not show weakness at this moment.