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This again!

Ye Zichen murmured to himself, but pretended not to hear. He closed his eyes and didn't respond.

He'd thought that ignoring the question would make Murong Xue give up.

However, he'd really underestimated women's natural curiosity. Even if Murong Xue was a "mature beauty," she was no exception to this.

After ten minutes of relentless interrogation, Ye Zichen was on the verge of collapse. It was Jiang Yong, who was piloting the flying vessel, who came to his rescue.

"We've arrived in Smoke City."

Ye Zichen, who'd been quietly enduring Murong Xue's torture, leaped to his feet and rushed to the look overboard. At first glance, the scenery around Smoke City and the surrounding divine power fluctuations seemed normal.

The sky was clear and blue, and although the energy outside cities was comparatively violent, there were no other presences mixed in.

"Let's part ways here, then. Once I've settled my business here, I'll go looking for you," said Ye Zichen. Then, without giving them time to respond, he leaped overboard.

Murong Xue hugged her shoulders and watched him fade into the distance. "Hmph! I knew it! His faction isn't doing all that well down there. Upheaval must be suppressing them too. Men! They're always so proud; he just wasn't willing to admit it."

"Alright already, no need to press Brother Ye for such trivial gossip. Let's hurry up and gather the Smoke Grass. Once we half a hundred stalks, we can meet back up with Brother Ye. Who knows? We might even be able to help him out!" said Jiang Yong.

Once he steadied himself on the ground, Ye Zichen took out his phone and followed Wei Jie's directions. He moved at top speeds, and in just a few minutes, he'd reached the location Wei Jie sent him.

It really was a little village. It looked like there were less than fifty families living here. As soon as Ye Zichen stepped through the gates, the thick stench of blood assailed his nostrils.

The village's cobblestone path was covered in scattered corpses.

Every last corpse's face was a mask of unconcealed terror; they must have experienced something so terrifying before dying that their expressions lingered even now.

Ye Zichen walked further into the village. It was just as Wei Jie said; the murderers truly hadn't spared even children or the elderly. Furthermore, everyone died of wounds through the chest.

"I'm here. Where are you?" Ye Zichen held his phone and sent Wei Jie a message.

Before long, Wei Jie responded, "I'm hiding in a village cellar. Have you dealt with the people outside, Boss?"

"Not yet. I don't see any sign of them." Ye Zichen typed this message, but didn't have the chance to send it. He suddenly felt a chill in the air. He put his phone away, then blocked a blow to the back with the Xuan-YUan Sword.

Clang!

A crisp sound filled the air. At least twenty sinisterly-grinning men had appeared around him.

The one who'd just attacked him carried a dagger, and after failing to assassinate Ye Zichen, he'd retreated several meters backward.

"So it's you guys." Ye Zichen looked them over coolly, recalled the message he'd just typed, edited it, and sent it again. "Don't come out. I've run into them. Once I've dealt with them, I'll call for you." "You got this, boss!"

Ye Zichen put his cell phone back into his pocket, then drew a circle in the air with the Xuan-Yuan Sword.

Countless illusory blades appeared within the circle, so convincing, they almost seemed real. They buzzed and trembled in mid-air. At the same time, Ye Zichen hooked his finger and beckoned to the surrounding evildoers. "Come on!"

All of them charged him at once. Based on their auras, they were all at least sky supremes.

Ye Zichen stood proud and unmoving. His gaze shifted back and forth as he listened carefully to the sound of the villains' footsteps. "Disperse!"

The illusory swords scattered, then pierced through the attacker's body. After stopping some of the others' movements, Ye Zichen hefted the Xuan-Yuan sword and slaughtered his way into the crowd.

HIs every strike hit their vital points. No matter whether the bandits were men or women, he slaughtered them without mercy.

These were unrepentant evildoers. Now that they'd sunk to murdering even women, children, and the aged, Ye Zichen could no longer forgive them.

"Cough!" His sword pierced a man's chest, making him cough up blood.

Ye Zichen was like a god of slaughter. He wandered through the bandits' midst, and every time he raised his sword, he took someone's life.

Before long, less than a tenth of the bandits remained.

The ground was coated in blood. It seeped into the dirt, making the smell of bloodshed even more intense. However, despite all the people he'd just killed, there wasn't so much as a speck of blood on Ye Zichen's pure white robes.

They were as pure as the driven snow, without so much as a speck of red!

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The sound of crisp applause appeared behind Ye Zichen.

He whirled around and saw a tattooed, bald man with ten bound captives in tow.

Wei Jie was among the hostages!

Ye Zichen's eyelids twitched involuntarily, but he got his expression under control and said calmly, "Who are you people?"

"The Horse Bandits. Haven't you heard of us?" The man smiled, revealed his pearly white teeth, then licked his lips. "Little Brother, you're awfully capable. You killed so many of my subordinates. Don't… Don't you think you ought to compensate me?"

"Compensation? They all deserved to die. So do you!" Ye Zichen narrowed his eyes.

"Oh oh oh?" The man feigned terror and hugged his shoulders, then kicked Wei Jie and the others to the ground. "Then let's see who's faster: can you kill me before I kill them?"

Wei Jie and the others didn't address Ye Zichen. They were well-aware that calling out "Boss" would only put Ye Zichen into an even more passive position.

Wei Jie straight-up pretended not to recognize Ye Zichen. His gaze was fixed to the ground. The others followed suit.

It was actually the locals of the village who called out, pleading for mercy and shouting that they didn't want to die yet….

Ye Zichen's heart was heavy. He recognized these people!

Wei Jie, Yuan Huo, Yue Zhilan… all of them were once high-ranking members of Upheaval.

Should he race with the baldy? Should they compare swordplay?

What would he do if the baldy killed Wei Jie and the others?

His sword-arts weren't enough to stop him in time.

"Fine, you won. Tell me what you want. So long as you don't harm them, I can give you just about anything you want," said Ye Zichen.

"Isn't that better? We Horse Bandits are in it for the money, after all. I think that sword you're holding looks awfully nice. How about….you give it to me?"

The man's gaze was greedy. Ye Zichen didn't know why, but when he saw the baldy's undisguised avarice, he got the sense that….

He recognized the Xuan-Yuan Sword.

"That's not possible!" Ye Zichen shook his head.

The bald man placed his blade right against Wei Jie's throat, making Ye Zichen even more certain that he knew who he was.

"Tell me, who exactly are you?" Ye Zichen's gaze darkened, but the bald man simply smiled.

"You don't need to worry about that," he said. "Just give me your sword."

Just as the bald man felt like he had this in the back, something boomed overhead, and a golden shape carrying a staff fell from above.

A familiar voice shouted, "Taste Ol' Sun's staff!"