I Am Immortal in Great Yu

Chapter 138: Chapter 61: Heart-Slaying (Part 2)

It’s a long story.

The Fifth Grade Martial Artists from the Xia Family and the Rebel Army were their main fighting force. Right now, they were all inside the Lin Mansion, hunting down and killing the Lin Family’s Fifth Grade Martial Artists.

But the Xia Family hadn’t forgotten that there was still a Fifth Grade Martial Artist out there—the one who killed Chong Jihu, Gang Leader of the Tiger Gang, and Duan Lang of the Wild Wolf Gang. Not to mention the hidden enemy who had delivered the wooden tablet and plotted against their family.

Thus, they had dispatched these three Sixth Grade Martial Artists to patrol the area.

—These were no ordinary Sixth Grade Martial Artists. They were triplets whose minds were connected, and they all practiced the same Cultivation Technique. Their coordination was flawless; their combined combat power of 1+1+1 was far greater than three!

It could be said that when the three of them fought together, they were invincible within the Sixth Grade Realm. As for a Fifth Grade? Even if they couldn’t win, they could still manage to retreat.

Previously, they had done just as Fang Rui had, choosing a hidden vantage point to observe from above. They had only rushed over after spotting the fight down here.

”Senior, wait! We saw you kill Third Young Master Lin. Do you have a grudge against the Lin Family? So do we! This is fate!”

”That’s right. The Xia Family is completely sincere. Senior, you could consider joining us...”

”Even the fact that you killed Chong Jihu, Gang Leader of the Tiger Gang, and Duan Lang, Gang Leader of the Wild Wolf Gang, doesn’t matter! Our old master is not a petty man. He has already said that as long as you pledge allegiance to us, your treatment will be generous, and all past grievances will be forgotten...”

...

They were telling the truth!

The Xia Family’s old master had indeed given the order: if this hidden Fifth Grade Martial Artist was willing to pledge allegiance to the Xia Family, he was to be treated generously, and all past grievances would be forgotten.

After all, trading two Sixth Grade Martial Artists for a single Fifth Grade Martial Artist was a deal that didn’t lose them anything!

Of course, this was all on the condition that they didn’t know Fang Rui was also responsible for the incident with the wooden tablet. Otherwise... hmm, they most likely would have swallowed their pride and endured it anyway.

To be precise, up until now, the only one truly suffering losses was the Lin Family. The Xia Family, when all was said and done, hadn’t lost much at all.

Under these circumstances, while Fang Rui’s schemes had certainly caused the Xia Family to lose face, as long as he became one of them, everything would be negotiable.

A great family like the Xia Family always put their interests first; they were highly unlikely to act on emotion. As long as you were strong enough, capable enough—a true expert—you deserved to be treated like one!

Of course, all of this was predicated on Fang Rui being willing to join the Xia Family.

Otherwise...

The Xia Family’s old master had also given another order: delay this person as long as possible. Wait for the family’s Fifth Grade Martial Artists to finish their battle, then come and deal with him!

...

’They want to make me their dog?’

Fang Rui didn’t hear a single word the three men behind him were saying.

—Given everything he had done, if the Xia Family ever found out, they would grind their teeth in hatred. Everyone would be screaming for his death. Even if he managed to save his own skin, he’d be reduced to nothing more than a tool for the rest of his life.

More importantly, the Xia Family was the backer for the Wild Wolf Gang, which put them on Fang Rui’s list of scores to settle. He hadn’t made a move yet because he wasn’t strong enough, and also because the Lin Family was still standing in the way. But later...

Therefore, reconciliation between Fang Rui and the Xia Family was destined to be impossible!

Right now, however, he was more focused on something else...

’So, they’re three Sixth Grade fighters!’

A chill went through Fang Rui’s heart, and killing intent flared within him.

A moment ago, thanks to their Body Technique, the three had moved faster than ordinary Sixth Grade Martial Artists, only a step slower than the average Fifth Grade Martial Artist.

He knew it was unlikely they were three Fifth Grade Martial Artists. After all, not counting the Taiping Bandits, the Lin and Xia Families combined only had five or six Fifth Grade Martial Artists. Even including the Taiping Bandits, there were no more than ten in total. And right now, the Fifth Grade Martial Artists from the Xia Family and the Taiping Bandits were all at the Lin Mansion, working together to hunt down the Lin Family’s Fifth Grade Martial Artists...

But ’unlikely’ didn’t mean impossible.

So, out of an abundance of caution, Fang Rui decided to test the waters by making a run for it.

Then, when the three gave chase, it became clear that while they wanted to stop him, they simply couldn’t catch up. In fact, the distance between them only grew wider.

That all but confirmed it: they weren’t three Fifth Grade Martial Artists!

’Since they’re not three Fifth Grade Martial Artists, but three Sixth Grade, what’s there to be afraid of? You can all just stay behind!’

With cold resolve, Fang Rui pushed off with his feet and accelerated once more. As he rounded the corner of an alley, his figure abruptly vanished.

”Senior!”

Anxious, the three pursuers in the rear also sped up and rounded the corner into the alley.

But at this very moment—

WHAM!

Amidst a sudden flash of a blade, the man in the lead was sent flying backward, his head already separated from his body as blood arced through the air.

”Eldest Brother!”

The other two were beside themselves with grief and fury at this sudden turn of events.

The brothers’ hearts were linked; with their eldest brother’s death, the other two felt a piercing pain. No longer speaking of recruitment, they attacked in a pincer movement from the left and right.

As if their fury had unlocked their latent potential, the two men unleashed the most brilliant joint attack of their lives. A typical Fifth Grade Martial Artist would have had to pay a heavy price to weather it!

But they were facing Fang Rui.

”Die!”

Fang Rui’s expression was as placid as still water. He channeled Dark Force throughout his body and abruptly accelerated, leaving a string of afterimages under the moonlight. With a pierce and a flick of his blade, he flashed past them as if teleporting.

Behind him, the two Sixth Grade Martial Artists fell, clutching their chests and necks.

Two felled in a single pass!

In that final moment before death, the same realization dawned on both of them: there were vast differences even among Fifth Grade Martial Artists.

Against Fifth Grade Martial Artists like the heads of the Xia Family’s various branches, the three of them working together could have easily retreated even if they couldn’t win.

But the Fifth Grade Martial Artist before them was far stronger than any of their family’s. Even in a direct confrontation, the three of them would never have stood a chance. Their total annihilation would only have been a matter of time.

That was what made them so furious. Their opponent was clearly this powerful, yet he still had no martial honor, stooping to ambush juniors like them...