Wu Tao watched Zhang Heng’s embarrassed expression, tilting his head in thought for a long time…
Only then did he understand Zhang Heng’s dirty thoughts.
He shot Zhang Heng a displeased glare and spoke via voice transmission.
“Idiot, don’t you think the Yang family has a problem?”
“If you’re unwilling, then so be it…”
“But if something unexpected happens later, don’t blame me for not saving you in time.”
Zhang Heng’s face showed surprise upon hearing Wu Tao’s words, not understanding why Wu Tao would think that.
…
Then, before Zhang Heng could say anything, Wu Tao pushed open the door to his own room and walked straight in.
Zhang Heng stood there, somewhat stunned, looking at Wu Tao’s retreating back, then at the distant Yang family disciples who were trying to avoid their gaze as they looked this way…
At this moment, he finally sensed something.
He stood still, thought for a moment, and then decisively entered Wu Tao’s room.
…
Midnight.
Wu Tao and Zhang Heng, who were meditating in their room, suddenly heard fierce sounds of fighting outside the room, breaking the silence of the night.
Zhang Heng’s eyes suddenly reddened, and he gritted his teeth, saying, “Senior, it seems the Yang family and the Ten Branches Bandit Group are indeed connected. They appear to be allies!”
Wu Tao’s brow furrowed slightly upon hearing this, and he then told Zhang Heng not to get so agitated, as the real show had just begun…
He could just watch as it unfolded, remaining a calm observer, and gain considerable experience.
This play was becoming more and more interesting.
…
Yang Ye stood in the main hall with a grim expression, the veins on the back of his hand bulging, clearly indicating his inner turmoil.
Once all the guests who had come to celebrate his birthday had arrived, Yang Ye finally spoke, “Brother Xin Yang, Brother Qian Zheng, and their more than a dozen outstanding juniors who were traveling with them have all been killed in their respective rooms!”
…………
The birthday guests heard this and erupted in an instant, the scene descending into chaos.
Xue Tielong stepped forward and asked, “Who did it? The Yang family disciples’ defenses were impenetrable. Could there have been a traitor from within…?”
Yang Ye shook his head and replied, “Last night, the Yang family disciples were in teams of ten. It’s impossible for all ten in each group to be traitors!”
…
“The Ten Branches Bandit Group is extremely cunning, we cannot just wait to be slaughtered!”
Qi Yu said angrily, “With so many of us here, are we afraid of a few petty villains?”
…
“Yes, we should take the initiative to patrol Yang Family Fort. We can’t just entrust our lives to you…”
Someone else chimed in.
Yang Ye sighed, knowing that for some reason, he had lost everyone’s trust.
Now, it was better to follow everyone’s suggestion and form teams to capture the Ten Branches Bandit Group.
…
Immediately, Yang Ye waved his hand and made arrangements accordingly.
On the surface, Yang Ye’s arrangements were orderly, and teams of people began to patrol systematically.
However, Zhang Heng, who had been alerted, and Wu Tao, who had already suspected something, knew this was merely a pretense.
Despite their current formations and seemingly measured response, once divided into teams, they had essentially lost their absolute advantage. It was highly likely they would be defeated piecemeal.
This night, thunder and fire sounded, and cries of combat echoed, Yang Family Fort had descended into complete chaos!
Qi Yu, Zhang Heng, Wu Tao, Sima Nan, and others, who were in one such team, had not gone far when they heard several ghastly laughter erupt from the garden!
“Hee hee hee hee…”
This sudden laughter, eerie and chilling, sent shivers down one’s spine.
Sima Nan, who was at the forefront, heard the sound and immediately patted his storage bag, launching a red flying sword with lightning speed towards the source of the eerie laughter.
The top-grade magical artifact, the Blazing Fire Spirit Sword, burned with immense flames, sweeping through the area. However, Sima Nan’s face held no joy, as he had not hit his target!
In the next second, the Ghost Voice and Ghost Qi brothers, carrying a torrent of ghostly energy, charged towards them.
Qi Yu, as the strongest among them on the surface, unhesitatingly stood at the forefront, his Dragon Suppressing Axe cleaving forward, the power of lightning flashing, specifically designed to counter ghostly arts.
Upon seeing this, the Ghost Voice and Ghost Qi brothers made hand seals and unleashed their most famous sinister technique, the Green Light Ghost Fire.
Then, they produced several other top-grade magical artifacts, such as the Yin Hook Ghost Sword, and fought Qi Yu, Sima Nan, Zhang Heng, and the others to a retreating position.
Watching this scene, Wu Tao, who had been observing from behind with folded arms, shook his head.
He had killed countless individuals of this caliber when he was in the Foundation Establishment realm!
Yet, Qi Yu, Sima Nan, Zhang Heng, and the others, despite having numerical superiority, were being easily defeated by the Ghost Voice and Ghost Qi brothers, and it even looked like they might lose their lives.
Frowning, Wu Tao finally decided to intervene, secretly lending a hand to Qi Yu, Sima Nan, and Zhang Heng.
With a mere flick of his finger, a drop of potent spiritual energy silently flew towards the Ghost Voice and Ghost Qi brothers.
The two brothers, who had been wreaking havoc, let out a scream as a large hole was blasted through their non-human, non-ghost bodies.
Although Qi Yu, Sima Nan, and Zhang Heng were somewhat bewildered, they understood the principle of striking while the iron is hot.
After a considerable struggle, Qi Yu, Sima Nan, and Zhang Heng finally eliminated the Ghost Voice and Ghost Qi brothers.
After the Ghost Voice and Ghost Qi brothers were dealt with, a silence fell upon the scene, as everyone was clearly lost in their own thoughts, with mutual distrust palpable.
Qi Yu, as the leader of the group, spoke after a moment of silence, “The Ghost Voice and Ghost Qi brothers here have been eliminated. Let’s hurry to support other areas!”
“Others may also be in danger. We truly must hurry!”
When Qi Yu, Zhang Heng, Wu Tao, Sima Nan, and the others returned to the banquet hall, they saw that everyone else had also returned, and the atmosphere was solemn.
Xue Tielong stood by the entrance, his spear clenched, his face and everyone else’s etched with grief and indignation, which made the returning Qi Yu, Zhang Heng, Wu Tao, and Sima Nan extremely surprised.
Even a temporary setback against the Ten Branches Bandit Group, or even heavy casualties, shouldn’t lead to such despair…
Qi Yu, Zhang Heng, Wu Tao, and Sima Nan stepped forward, not even having time to deliver the good news of the Ghost Voice and Ghost Qi brothers’ demise…
They heard Xue Tielong, unable to conceal his sorrow, say, “Nan’er, you’re back too! Go inside quickly and take a look, alas, Brother Sima Guang…”
Sima Nan’s heart sank upon hearing this, and he stumbled inside.
Upon entering, Sima Nan witnessed a scene that almost plunged him into despair.
He saw Yang Ye kneeling by a bed, upon which lay a person, motionless.
A guess surfaced in Sima Nan’s mind, and he looked towards the bed in disbelief. That one glance caused him to collapse onto the ground.
The person on the bed was Sima Guang, the current patriarch of the Sima family. He lay on the bed with wide-open eyes, his face devoid of color, and a trace of shock still lingering in his eyes.
“Brother Sima Guang was ambushed and killed by someone he deeply trusted from behind!”
Zhao Wenxuan, the leader of Tiger Head Mountain, stated, “There must be someone from the Ten Branches Bandit Group among us!”
Xue Tielong slowly walked in and continued, “At this point, there’s nothing for me to hide from everyone…”
“According to reliable information I've obtained, the true identity of the Ten Branches Bandit Group is highly suspicious…”
“There must be someone among us, and perhaps more than one.”
“The county yamen, representing the authorities, still has very little intelligence on the Ten Branches Bandit Group.”
“What we can confirm for now is that Serpent Lord is a vicious poison cultivator skilled in using poisons. Ox Barbarian has a robust physique and is a cultivator of both body and dharma techniques. Blood Form is a demonic cultivator who favors blood arts. The Ghost Voice and Ghost Qi brothers are ghost cultivators. There is also a renowned righteous individual, and one woman. I know nothing about the remaining three…”
Sima Nan knelt before his grandfather’s body, weeping bitterly. After a long while, he finally calmed down.
Seeing no visible wounds on his grandfather’s body, Sima Nan carefully turned over the corpse.
He then discovered the blood-stained clothes, revealing the true cause of his grandfather’s death.
It appeared his heart had been pierced by an extremely sharp magical artifact, but due to the Azure Scale Flood Dragon Armor, it had not penetrated his chest!
To so easily break through his family’s heirloom protective armor, the artifact used must have been a rare, armor-piercing top-grade magical artifact!
Sima Nan laid his grandfather’s body flat, wiped away his tears, stood up, suppressed the sorrow in his heart, and softly asked, “Who among those present was in the same team as my grandfather?”
The people in the hall looked at each other, no one daring to deliver such a cruel verdict to Sima Nan under these circumstances.
Finally, it was Yang Ye, the host, who, bracing himself, informed Sima Nan that no one from Sima Guang’s team had survived; they were all dead.
“So, there’s no evidence or clues?”
Sima Nan said with a cold laugh.
…
Before others could express hesitation, Sima Nan continued, “My grandfather cultivated the Purple Haze Immortal Art, his spiritual energy was pure, and he was protected by the Azure Scale Flood Dragon Armor…”
“This is also why my grandfather, in his carelessness, left his back exposed to the killer.”
“Therefore, the killer, to achieve a successful strike, must have used a top-grade magical artifact with armor-piercing capabilities.”
…
“Meaning… the killer’s top-grade magical artifact is a weapon with armor-piercing ability?”