Chapter 9

Unnoticed, night crept up into the sky, the evening glow covered by a black veil, leaving only the faint glimmer of the stars.

The City Guard officer, exhausted from a long day, rode in a carriage back to his suburban estate.

The events of the previous night had completely worn him out. He was terrified of the higher-ups investigating the matter concerning Sirom, one of the Four Rakshasas, and equally terrified of Ye Yu, the person responsible for Sirom's death.

For some reason, ever since he had seen those two words last night, he had remained in a state of constant palpitation, as if something momentous was about to happen.

The guards stationed at the front of the estate saluted him. The City Guard officer nodded in return, then strode through the gates pushed open by the guards.

As soon as he pushed open the heavy doors of his mansion, his good-for-nothing son rushed up to him, tears and snot streaming down his face, sobbing as he recounted his ordeal of the day.

"Father, you must avenge me! Today, while I was playing in Guangxi Town, a little brat hit me with a stone!" Clinging to his father's leg, he put on a pitiful act while glossing over his own misdeeds.

The City Guard officer looked coldly at his son, impatiently kicked him aside, and walked on into the house.

Watching his father refuse to pay him any mind, the son stared in disbelief at the retreating figure, then quickly hurried after him, walking timidly behind without daring to speak another word.

The City Guard officer entered the living room, sat down in his chair, rested his hands on the armrests, and asked sternly, "I already knew about your little stunts. I explicitly warned you this morning not to stir up trouble for me lately—how could you still dare to pull that kind of stunt out in the open?"

Upon hearing this, his son hurriedly dropped to his knees, cold sweat beading on his forehead, and hastened to confess his fault: "It was all my fault! I originally just wanted to stroll around the streets and buy some things, but when I saw that stinking beggar, I just accidentally wanted to mess with him a bit."Whatever the city defense officer's son laid eyes on in the streets, he would simply seize by force. Not a single person dared to stop him, and the shopkeepers in Guangxi Town could only swallow their anger in silence.

The city defense officer let out a cold snort. Didn't he know what kind of character his own son had?

His only fear was that if that amateur had not yet left town, and his son happened to provoke him and ended up getting killed on the spot, what would he do?

"Don't be angry, master." A burly figure, as solidly built as an ox, walked into the living room, dragging a woman by her right hand.

Stepping closer, he tossed the woman directly to the feet of the city defense officer. "Young master specially had me fetch a beauty for you to show his filial respect."

This was a bodyguard whom the city defense officer had hired at great expense, a man named Lox.

He was a master who had come out of the Imperial Fist Temple. Although he had failed to become one of the Four Rakshasas, his body had been trained to be as hard as iron, making it difficult for ordinary weapons to harm him. His strength was not to be underestimated, and he had once competed for a spot among the Four Rakshasas.

Hearing this, the city defense officer finally turned his head to look at the woman at his feet. Although her face was stained with dirt and her hair was a complete mess, it was still easy to see that she was a beauty.

The woman looked at the three of them in terror, her body trembling uncontrollably.

She and her husband had originally only wanted to come to town to sell some vegetables they had grown themselves. On their way back, she had suddenly been seized by the big man. When her husband tried to reason with him, his head was blown apart with a single punch.

After that, her hands and feet were bound, a gag was put in her mouth, and she was brought here.

Seeing that the woman looked quite attractive, the city defense officer could not help nodding. "No one else saw, did they?"

"No, I took a detour back."

Lox nodded with a hint of excitement and replied. He had lost count of how many times he had done things like this, and he was already thoroughly experienced.

Whenever his master was done playing with a woman, he would always hand her over for him to dispose of, and by then he would get to enjoy himself as well.Therefore, he often abducted women he fancied to offer as tributes. If the city guard officer didn't take a fancy to them, he could keep them to himself for a long time of pleasure. Though none of the women ever survived. Hearing this, the city guard officer stood up excitedly. The more he looked at this woman, the prettier she seemed, and he could no longer hold back. Right there with his son and bodyguard still present, he unhesitatingly laid his hands on the woman. The woman struggled desperately and shook her head, but she was completely unable to break free from the city guard officer's well-conditioned body. The officer's son and Lox watched the city guard officer's actions with great interest. The officer's son, in particular, had red eyes and was breathing heavily, God knows what was going through his head. Just as the city guard officer was about to get down to business, Lox unconsciously twitched his nose and suddenly felt the hairs on his body stand up—there was the scent of a stranger in this living room! Without a moment's hesitation, Lox sidestepped out of the way. A flash of white light blinded their eyes as a blade slashed directly at Lox. Seeing Lox dodge the strike, the blade seemed to have eyes; it instantly changed from a slash to a cut, lunging straight for the groin of the city guard officer's son. The speed was so blinding that none of the people present could react in time. Amidst a cry of agonizing pain, everyone finally caught sight of the attacker. A wooden mask concealed the face, revealing only deep, dark pupils, and the body was shrouded in a black robe, making it impossible to see the intruder clearly. Since the city guard officer had already stopped what he was doing the moment Lox dodged, the bound woman seized the opportunity, hurriedly wrenched herself free from his grip, crawled toward the corner of the room, and huddled there to shield her body. "Who the hell are you! Where are my guards?" the city guard officer demanded furiously, beside himself with anger. To be interrupted right when he was about to get down to business was utterly unforgivable! Outside the villa, a single figure stood at the front gate. A chilly breeze blew, rustling the leaves and singing a final lullaby to the men sprawled haphazardly across the ground, sending them off into an eternal slumber. "Ye Yu, the one who is going to kill you," Ye Yu replied calmly, noticing that the city guard's son's cries were growing fainter. With that, the blade that had severed the son's lower parts was driven straight into his thigh, and miserable shrieks once again echoed through the living room. The city guard's son's face was covered in snot and tears, while blood and bodily fluids pooled on the floor around his lower body. Ye Yu switched to another sword from his back, holding it in his hand because he found the previous blade too filthy. Looking at the sword in Ye Yu's hand and hearing the name Ye Yu had announced, the city guard officer felt a surge of terror—those were the swords worn by the guards outside. "You're Ye Yu?!" the city guard officer cried out in shock and fear, shouting hurriedly, "Lox, get him! Kill this bastard!" He then bolted toward the window without looking back, abandoning even his own son. He didn't expect Lox to kill Ye Yu; he only hoped Lox could stall him long enough for him to escape. Someone capable of taking down the Four Rakshasas was definitely not someone he and Lox could defeat, even if they joined forces. What he didn't know was that Ye Yu alone was no match for Sirom; thus, had he and his bodyguard teamed up, they might actually have given Ye Yu a run for his money. Lox scoffed at his employer's cowardly behavior, clenching his fists together in front of his chest. "Let me see what you're really made of..." Before he could finish speaking, Ye Yu's blade was already slashing toward him. Lox hurriedly raised his arm to block, then threw a punch at Ye Yu's abdomen. Ye Yu quickly withdrew his blade to put some distance between them, holding the sword horizontally with both hands beside his head. That last strike had felt almost like hitting stone. Seeing the white mark on Lox's arm, Ye Yu inwardly marveled at encountering a practitioner of hard Qigong. The blade in his hand clearly could not penetrate the other man's defense. Not giving Ye Yu any time to think, Lox stamped his foot on the ground and lunged forward instantly, throwing a punch straight at him.Ye Yu sidestepped to dodge the attack, letting it hit empty air, then seized the opportunity to spin around and slash at Lox's armpit. He pulled hard on the blade, managing to yank it free at last. Lox grunted in pain as an iron fist swept horizontally across the top of Ye Yu's head, prompting Ye Yu to leap lightly backward to widen the distance between them once more. Being short actually has its advantages; otherwise, his head might have been blown open just now. Such a strange thought suddenly popped into Ye Yu's mind. Looking at the shallow cut under Lox's arm, he let out a light breath and stood up straight and relaxed. Then, before Lox could launch another attack, Ye Yu took the initiative, leaped high into the air, and thrust his blade toward Lox's eyes. Lox immediately spotted Ye Yu's intention and hurriedly raised his hands, clapping his palms together right in front of his face to execute a bare-handed blade-catching technique. "Ha!" Putting strength into his palms with a loud roar, Lox actually shattered the blade directly. Ye Yu cursed inwardly—how on earth could the people in this world be so immensely strong? Although the weapon wasn't anything special, it was still made of metal and stone; he never expected someone to snap it bare-handed with such ease. His mind raced for a countermeasure—if he couldn't break through the man's defense, there was nothing he could do against him. Using his peripheral vision, he spotted a sword on display in the corner of the living room. An idea struck him. Ye Yu's body reacted instantly; he stepped onto Lox's forearm, used the momentum to kick the blade fragments up toward the overhead light, and plunged the entire living room into sudden darkness. Pushing off backward with his other leg, he didn't manage to budge Lox an inch, but he did create enough separation to blend perfectly into the shadows. Shrouded in darkness, Lox hurriedly protected his head with both hands, staying on high alert as he sensed his surroundings. When a person moves suddenly from a brightly lit place into deep gloom, their eyes temporarily fail to keep pace with the environmental change, resulting in brief blindness. Presumably, Ye Yu was in the exact same state as him right now—visual recovery takes time! One thing was different, however: Lox was a master trained at the Imperial Fist Temple, and tracking enemies by their scent was second nature to him! Following the scent, Lox quickly locked onto Ye Yu's position and couldn't help breaking into a grin, rushing forward with lightning speed toward the targeted spot. "Found you, little rat!" Putting his all into it, Lox threw a punch accompanied by a fierce gale, attacking Ye Yu without the slightest mercy. With a punch like this, even a Class-1 Danger Beast renowned for its defense would have its body pierced straight through, and he refused to believe Ye Yu could withstand it. "I've won!" Lox shouted jubilantly in his heart. Just as he expected, Ye Yu couldn't block this punch after all, but... Ye Yu gripped the blade he had already placed at his waist, moonlight spilling over the about-to-be-unsheathed sword and casting a chilling silver glow. Dropping the scabbard to the floor, Ye Yu grasped the hilt with both hands and slashed upward from below with a speed even faster than Lox's punch. Amidst a spray of fresh blood, Lox's arm parted from his body. Before he even realized what had happened, Lox watched in disbelief as the silver light swept down again in a chopping motion. Before Lox could figure out the situation, his body had already split in two. Blood from the ground pooled near Ye Yu's feet, and intestines along with other internal organs spilled across the floor as Lox's corpse collapsed. "Fine blade!" Ye Yu inspected the blade reflecting a cold, piercing light, secretly delighted. The slash just now hadn't left a single drop of blood lingering on the metal. Only an unrivaled sword sharp enough to slice through a falling hair could perform such a feat of leaving no blood behind on the steel. "What a steal." He hadn't expected an extra harvest from this trip, and Ye Yu happily slid the sword back into its scabbard. Listening to the pig-like screams, he felt around blindly to pick up the broken blade from earlier and hurled it directly at the endlessly whining son of the city defense officer. As that harsh, grating voice abruptly cut off, Ye Yu lifted the sword in one hand and stepped through the pooling blood, walking slowly out of the villa. As for the city defense officer who had already fled, Ye Yu wasn't worried in the least. Nor did he care about the woman cowering in the corner; he had only come to kill. Stepping out through the outer gates, the city defense officer was tossed right in front of Ye Yu. "Don't kill me, don't kill me! I'll give you whatever you want!" The officer struggled on his back, continuously begging for mercy. Where was his demeanor as a Guangxi Town city defense officer now? Ye Yu planted a foot on the man's chest, extended the sword toward him, and asked indifferently, "What's the name of this blade? It's quite nice." Seeing that Ye Yu had a question, the officer hurriedly focused his gaze and blurted out, "This sword is called Luoying! Even falling cherry blossoms can be easily sliced apart by it—I bought it for a hefty price! Do you want it? If you want it, I'll give it to you, just spare my life!" "Luoying? Quite a pretty name." Ye Yu looked indifferently at the sword in his hand and lifted his foot from the officer's chest. "Very well, since you're so obedient, I won't kill you." With that, Ye Yu walked off on his own, truly leaving the fallen city defense officer alone. Before the city defense officer could even heave a sigh of relief, the figure of Lox appeared right in front of him. With a sword in hand, Lox drove the blade straight into the officer's heart before the man could utter a word. "I said *I* wouldn't kill you, after all..." Finding it somewhat amusing, Ye Yu looked up at the sky where clouds had blotted out the stars, plunging everything into a profound stillness. Confirming that the officer was dead, Lox followed behind Ye Yu, departing from the blood-soaked mansion. After an unknown length of time, a woman's figure cautiously crept out of the mansion. Seeing corpses strewn across the outside as well, she trembled all over and sprinted toward home along the path etched in her memory. "I thought you weren't coming anymore. How do you feel?" Without turning back, Ye Yu removed his mask, tossed it under a tree, and asked slowly. "Much better. Moderate exercise really does improve one's mood." Lox maintained his position half a step behind Ye Yu, answering his question with a relaxed state of mind. "Good. We'll head for the Imperial Capital tomorrow morning." Ye Yu half-drew Luoying from its sheath, admiring its pristine body. "Yes, young master." Lox gave Ye Yu a slight bow. At this moment, he served Ye Yu heart and soul, truly becoming his subordinate. At dusk, Ye Yu had returned to their inn room. By then, Lox was already awake, sitting in a chair and staring blankly at the potted plant on the table. "I've accepted a contract for tonight to kill someone. You're coming with me." Without asking for Lox's opinion, Ye Yu naturally stated his demand. "You'll guard the perimeter and make sure not a single person escapes." Stunned into a daze, Lox didn't speak, simply turning his head to look at Ye Yu. Observing Lox's aged appearance, Ye Yu hadn't expected him to still be trapped by his past blow, but he didn't rush him either, simply placing the time and location slip onto the table. "If you still wish to avenge those who helped you, then come along." Leaving those flat words behind, Ye Yu stepped out alone once more. Lox still said nothing, yet he picked up the paper recording the time and place. However, his once-murky eyes regained their luster, and a spark of vigor returned to him. Yes, his sole reason for holding onto hope and surviving was to exact revenge on the people who had protected and aided him. That was his only remaining hope. Everything else was beyond his current concern. Methodically changing into his gear and slipping throwing knives into the inner lining of his coat, Lox stepped out the door once again. He would keep walking forward, witnessing the future promised by Ye Yu.