Chapter 62: Fate?

Page 1/3

Late at night, outside the city.

A cold, misty fog crept in from an unknown distance, chilling and obscure. Dampness clung to the ground. The city gate, stripped of its iron doors, resembled the gaping maw of some dreadful abyss, threatening to devour any living creature that passed through.

Two figures, one tall, one short, emerged from the wan white mist, both draped in rain cloaks and wearing bamboo hats. They gazed up at the massive city wall looming indistinctly in the haze.

The shorter figure kept his voice low:
“The last news of the Hu brothers was that they entered this county town.”

“Let’s go in and see,” replied the taller figure, his voice sharp and thin as he craned his neck.

At the gate, a drowsy guard, dressed in dark livery, saw them approach. Rubbing his eyes, he called out,
“Who goes there?”

A hiss—
The guard’s eyes went wide as he looked down in disbelief. In the short man’s hand lay a heart, still twitching and struggling.

“You…”
He collapsed backward, convulsing, and within moments was lifeless.

The short man pulled aside the veil covering his face, opened his mouth wide, and tore into the heart with gusto. Hot blood ran down his arm.

“Tastes quite good,” he remarked.

Without a word, they had slain the gatekeeper.

As they prepared to step into Baohe County, a fierce and murderous aura suddenly poured down from above, as if a wild tiger had set its sights on them.

Looking up, they saw Sun Yueting standing atop the gate tower, arms crossed, his gaze cold and unyielding as he looked down at the pair.

“Arriving at this hour, killing my gatekeeper—are you seeking death?” he asked.

“A True Intent martial artist?” The short man sniffed audibly under his hat, turning to his companion.
“Shall I go?”

The taller man nodded slightly.
“Make it quick.”

“Very well!”

Before the final syllable had left his lips, the short man vanished.

A sudden, violent gust tore through the air with a shrill howl. In an instant, the short man reappeared before Sun Yueting, his fist crashing forward with a rolling wave of force aimed directly at Sun’s face.

So fast!

Tiger eyes narrowing, Sun Yueting raised his arm to block.

Boom—

Fist met elbow; the city battlements beneath their feet cracked, dust cascading down in a flurry.

Sun Yueting’s eyes flashed with gravity.

Such weight in that punch.

The next moment, a barrage of fists and feet rained down, a tempest of phantom strikes threatening to engulf Sun Yueting completely.

Yet, even under this violent onslaught, Sun Yueting remained composed, his body weaving and arms deflecting. To reach the realm of True Intent, what martial artist had not survived thousands of brutal battles?

He pivoted, narrowly avoiding a clawed hand that sought to tear out his throat.

Sun Yueting’s gaze hardened; behind him, the very air seemed to stir. His inner energy merged with true intent, summoning something supernatural.

Roar!

A thunderous tiger’s roar exploded, shaking the night. A spectral tiger’s claw tore through the air and descended.

Caught off guard, the short man was struck atop the head. His hat was pulverized, his veil shredded.

Page 2/3

A face was revealed—skin a raw, ghastly red, veins pulsing visibly in a visage of horror. At his brow, a twisted and unnatural character was etched.

Demon.

“You are…” Sun Yueting’s pupils contracted as he caught sight of that mark. His expression shifted in an instant to fury and murderous intent.

“Renegade demon spawn!”

“Heh, since you’ve found out, all the more reason you must die.”

A wave of killing intent, cold and overwhelming, crashed down on Sun Yueting.

A glow shimmered over his skin; Sun Yueting’s face grew somber. Some of that bone-chilling evil energy had seeped into him. Thankfully, he had swiftly circulated his inner energy in defense. Had he not, his body would have been frozen, left helpless for slaughter.

“Die!” the short man sneered, eyes brimming with malice.

Five fingers splayed, claws glinting with a poisonous blue-green hue.

Tiger’s Roar!

Claws aimed for his heart, Sun Yueting opened his mouth and roared. A translucent pillar of energy exploded outward, sweeping in all directions—a deadly sword thrusting toward the short man’s chest.

Die!

Knowing full well the power of his Tiger’s Roar, Sun Yueting watched coldly as the short man’s face twisted in shock and rage.

But just as the pillar of energy was about to annihilate the short man, another figure intervened.

Iron fists struck out a hundred times in an instant, shattering the energy column into a rain of sparkling fragments.

Having saved his companion from certain death, the tall man surged forward, lashing out with a savage whip-kick.

Bang—

As their bodies collided, Sun Yueting moved to channel his energy, only to have a pellet flung at him by the tall man.

The pellet exploded with a crack, releasing a dark red smoke.

As the smoke hit him, Sun Yueting’s face darkened.
“Demon Blood Smoke!”

The toxic smoke, refined from demon’s blood, caused his inner energy to stagnate, rendering him unable to defend himself.

Taking advantage, the tall man struck again, another vicious whip-kick that split the air with a deafening crack.

Thud!

Unable to muster his energy for defense, Sun Yueting spat blood as he crashed through the stone wall, forcibly kicked into the gate tower behind him.

“A so-called True Intent martial artist—nothing special,” the tall man remarked coolly, watching Sun Yueting’s broken form.

Suddenly, the city wall’s paving stones shattered and collapsed, surging up like an angry tide. Stones clattered and fell, as if some ancient beast was drawing near.

The next instant, a burly man in black burst through the air like a cannonball, a massive hand wreathed in fierce purple-red energy, striking at the tall man with savage force.

“Ugly brute, take one of my ‘nothing specials’ yourself!”

Break!

A solid palm strike landed on the tall man’s chest.

“Aaargh!” the tall man screamed. Struck by the pure, blazing energy, he shook uncontrollably, howling in agony.

His flesh steamed, white mist pouring from his body as though he would melt away entirely.

“I refuse!” the tall man cried, eyes wide with unwillingness.

Why was this inner energy so powerful, so fierce and masculine? Why must it be this kind?

I refuse! I won’t accept this!

…

Staggering out from the gate tower, Sun Yueting watched in shock as the tall man’s form slowly dissolved.

Page 3/3

Such domineering pure yang energy.

Watching the tall man melt away like ice cream under the sun, the short man was seized by terror. He turned to flee, heedless of anything else.

“Brother, don’t let him escape! They are renegade demon spawn!”

Seeing the short man run, Sun Yueting wanted to give chase, but with half his ribs shattered by the tall man’s kick, he could barely stand.

“Renegade demon spawn?”

At these words, Qi Xiu’s face turned icy cold.

He had read about these traitors in some of Yuan Baiyi’s collected tomes—those who betrayed their kind to serve demons, forsaking humanity to become half-demons more monstrous than any true fiend.

Such beings were more hated by humankind than demons themselves.

Whenever discovered, they must be slain!

“Don’t worry. He won’t escape.”

With a flicker, employing his uncanny Phantom Shadow technique, Qi Xiu appeared beside the fleeing short man, eyes cold and pitiless.

He spread his fingers, bringing his hand down like the sky itself upon the terrified, screaming short man.

…

Having dispatched the two renegade demon spawn, Qi Xiu grabbed the packs the pair had carried, then vanished with a few swift steps.

Sun Yueting stared in a daze at the black-clad stranger who had arrived like a storm, slain two demon spawn in an instant, and departed just as swiftly. Scratching his head, he let out a soft laugh.

What a strange man, coming and going like the wind.

Yet…

Beneath the city wall, two pools of foul, viscous blood slowly seeped into the earth.

…

After circling home in a flurry, Qi Xiu peeled off his hundred-faced mask and wiped his hands with a towel.

It was clear now.

The new county magistrate was not part of any heretical cult.

But these renegade demon spawn—what was their purpose here?

To ensure the safety of his little domain, he had slipped into Magistrate Song’s residence as soon as night fell.

With the Phantom Shadow technique, he moved like a ghost, and overheard why this magistrate so lavishly spent money to win the people’s hearts.

“By doing good and charitable deeds, winning the people’s support, one strengthens their own fortune. With further cultivation of soul and spirit, one may avoid disaster, breakthrough bottlenecks, and walk the Great Path without hindrance.

Tsk, tsk. The methods of this world are truly wondrous. Some grind day and night, training with bitter resolve. Others throw around silver, and grow stronger by the day. Alas, I am of the former sort.”

With a sigh, Qi Xiu’s mind suddenly flashed with inspiration.

If he hadn’t chosen to sneak into Song Tingye’s residence tonight, he wouldn’t have noticed Sun Yueting going out to confront those two demon spawn. Without his intervention, Sun Yueting would surely have fallen, and Song Tingye’s fate would have been grim.

But because of his appearance, Sun Yueting survived, the demon spawn were slain, and Song Tingye remained safe and sound.

Hiss.

Each link seemed like coincidence, yet every step was laced with mystery.

Could this… be the so-called ‘fortune’ at work?

Had this very fortune orchestrated all that had happened tonight, ensuring Song Tingye’s survival in the end?

…