Ren Bin took all the chips from Bei Gong Xiaoxiao’s bag and put them into his own.
He stood up, ready to leave.
“Hey, don’t go yet.”
She pulled out a talisman.
“Burn it, okay?”
Ren Bin, who also happened to be a part-time talisman practitioner, was of course very familiar with this kind of talisman.
“Mm.”
Gou Hao let out a sigh.
“You know too much. Using this forbidden speech talisman is better for both you and me.”
“I understand.”
Ren Bin lit the talisman right in front of Gou Hao and Bei Gong Xiaoxiao.
Then, just as he was about to leave, Bei Gong Xiaoxiao suddenly blocked his way.
“Alright then…goodbye.”
He turned, ready to step past her and leave, but Bei Gong Xiaoxiao suddenly grabbed his hand.
“Sister, sister…look at me—what’s your name? Tell me!”
Ren Bin’s eyes flashed with a strange look.
“You’re nuts.”
He replied blandly, then brushed past the stiff, frozen Bei Gong Xiaoxiao.
“Huh? How did he—”
She finally snapped out of it, wanting to call out to stop him again.
But when she turned her head, Ren Bin was already gone without a trace.
Today, Jin Mei (Fat Jin) came over.
That greasy, fat man actually showed up in person.
He was the owner of the SFACC Bookstore, who was also the son of the City Thief Lord.
Right now, he was rubbing his hands together, looking a bit fearful— it had truly been a close call with those masters of the underworld.
Who knew how much the Young Lord’s fury would need to be appeased this time.
Gou Hao put his outer robe back on.
“Just pay me my wage, that’s enough.”
“Of course, of course!”
Fat Jin nodded vigorously, his double chin trembling.
This was a thigh (meaning a powerful backer) far more terrifying than any of those minor spirit stone traders.
Just spending a few spirit stones could secure such protection— it was really too good a deal.
His chubby face quivered all over.
The few masters in the residence were also thinking:
This is just too profitable.
That evening, there was going to be a banquet.
“I’m not interested in your banquet.”
What a pity.
Fat Jin had hoped that by bringing Gou Hao along, those people would surely show him much more respect.
It was truly a regret.
Nearby, the young masters from the neighboring city were gathering for a party.
If only they could get Gou Hao to come too…
Gou Hao pushed open the door and stepped outside.
He took out a pre-rolled cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and held it between his lips.
He liked smoking.
He thought of tobacco as a kind of damage to the body that would interfere with cultivation.
But once he was in the mortal world, roaming the jianghu, he couldn’t avoid it.
Only by inhaling the burning smoke into his lungs did he finally feel his tense spirit relax a bit, and his fatigue begin to show.
“Let’s buy some meat.”
The little one at home was practicing sword techniques today— he was probably starving by now.
Gou Hao walked to the butcher’s shop and bought ten catties of beast meat, then put it into his treasure pouch.
The market was quite far from his home.
If he took the main road, he’d have to make a big detour.
So he chose to take a shortcut.
It was already getting late.
The alley was deep and dim.
He suddenly felt a slight chill— his clothes didn’t seem warm enough.
Why do I feel so cold?
At some point, the cigarette between his lips had already gone out.
He glanced around.
It wasn’t the first or second time he’d taken a shortcut through here on his way home.
But today, it all seemed strangely unfamiliar.
Had he really walked this way before?
Had he ever walked here before?
He was certain—no, he definitely hadn’t taken this path.
Gou Hao’s eyes narrowed warily, scanning his surroundings.
When did I enter this boundary…?
He reached into his treasure pouch and drew out his long saber.
Looking around, he realized with a sinking heart that this narrow alley wasn’t normal.
He hadn’t even noticed when he crossed into it.
Just then, from the darkness ahead, came the slow sound of footsteps.
A figure wearing a robe and a mask gradually emerged from the shadows, a long spear gripped in his left hand.
Who’s there?
Gou Hao’s eyes tightened.
His hand on the saber silently gathered power.
The masked man tilted his head slightly.
“You look troubled.”
Then he spoke again, voice low and eerie: “I hate people who make me struggle…like yesterday, Gou Hao.”
“No one?”
Gou Hao let out a sigh, his voice tinged with weariness.
“You should have just obediently stayed out of their way yesterday. I didn’t want to chop off their hands.”
“But since you didn’t, and there’s no room left for discussion—”
His gaze dropped.
In the next instant, a golden flash of his saber cut straight toward the masked man.
But the blade only sliced through empty air.
As the light faded, the masked man had already disappeared.
Gou Hao’s pupils shrank slightly, a bone-deep chill creeping over him.
He spun around and swung with all his might.
The saber blade collided squarely with the tip of the masked man’s spear behind him.
That was close.
He stepped back two paces.
Looking down, he noticed frost creeping along the blade of his saber—
Was it from that clash just now?
The icy chill was already starting to spread to his hand.
Definitely.
“If we’d kept clashing for just a few more seconds, this frost would have reached me completely.”
Someone from White Deer Valley?
Or from the shallow plains?
Really…
I sure have a lot of enemies.
The masked figure’s silhouette vanished once more into the darkness.
“But I have nothing to do with them.”
Suddenly—
A sharp glint of cold light shot out.
Then a spear thrust forward like a dragon.
Gou Hao heard what sounded like a dragon’s roar.
Right after, the spear twisted— the golden dragon-engraved shaft swept upward, then shot straight toward his face with explosive speed.
Not good!
Inside this boundary, both his vision and reactions were being affected.
That spear was as fast as lightning— he couldn’t predict it at all.
I have to block it!
The spear’s aura was violent and oppressive.
If he failed to block it, he’d be dead for sure.
Gou Hao roared.
Dark crimson lines burst across the skin of his arm, cracking like dry earth.
The blade in his hand seemed to ignite, burning with flames like molten rock.
Boom!
With a sharp, grating sound, he finally managed to stop the long spear within ten steps of himself.
But he staggered back again and again.
“Not bad.”
The masked man slowly advanced, looking down at Gou Hao, who was panting heavily on the ground.
His tone carried a trace of mockery.
“Already exhausted? We’ve only exchanged two moves.”
Gripping his saber, Gou Hao forced himself to stand up.
Late Spirit Void stage…maybe even peak level?
“Hehe…”
The masked man laughed softly.
“I’m very curious— just who was willing to spend so much effort and blood essence to come kill me?”
He threw his head back and laughed again.
“Fine, I’ll tell you— I’m from Taiheng Sect.”
Gou Hao froze.
Then he gave a bitter, broken laugh.
“Are you joking? Why would the sect I once loyally served try to hunt me down? What did I ever do to wrong them?”
The masked man explained calmly: “You cut off the hands of two inner sect disciples yesterday.”
“Severing their meridians…crippling them completely. If you cooperate, I never said I would kill you. I’d just have to cut off your hands.”
He chuckled.
“With your constitution, you’d surely survive. And I could even treat the damage to your meridians a bit. So? How about accepting reality?”
“You’re joking, right? How could I possibly agree to that?”
“I’d rather die fighting than live like that.”
“Don’t make yourself sound so noble,” the masked man sneered.
“You’re just a worthless piece of trash.”
Then he removed his mask.
A faint smile appeared on the face revealed beneath it—
Ren Bin.
Gou Hao clearly froze.
It was a long moment before he finally managed to open his mouth, voice strained: “Why…why is it you?”