The God of the Human Realm!

Chapter 7: The Golden House Burns Down, and We Escape to a 'Fairyland'!
Whoosh!
The long-faced man remained silent, his body slightly bent, his back arched like a bow, his thigh muscles suddenly tensed, and as the sound of his feet scraping the floor rang out, he darted away like a cheetah.

He gripped the steel knife in his right hand, his arm muscles bulging, his chilling killing intent undisguised, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of a strong woman who was attacking Yang Lie.

With a flash of cold light, the fully charged blade struck like an arrow released from a bow, aiming straight for the opponent's forehead. The strong woman's face changed in horror, and she quickly took a step back, grabbing her staff with both hands to block the attack.

"You scoundrel!" The burly woman holding a short blade shouted from the side, leaped forward, circled behind the narrow-faced man, and swiftly stabbed him in the side of his neck with her short blade.

The steel knife struck the staff with a crisp, sharp clang, like metal clashing. The strong woman holding the staff trembled, her hand torn, and she could barely hold onto the staff.

But the wood of this staff was indeed incredibly tough; it did not break even after being struck with such force.

The narrow-faced man had a cold expression, like withered wood or blue stone. With a flick of his wrist, the steel knife and the staff collided, becoming parallel. He swept across the staff and swiftly slashed at the arm of the strong woman holding the staff.

With a 'thud' sound, a scream suddenly rang out. The strong woman holding the stick had no time to dodge. Three fingers on one hand were severed, blood splattered, and the stick fell to the ground.

The long-faced man's steel knife continued its momentum, slicing halfway around like a snake, before suddenly snapping back to the back of his neck, clashing with the incoming short blade and sending sparks flying.

The strong woman holding the knife was forced to retreat several steps.

The narrow-faced man then slashed the neck of the strong woman, who was still screaming in agony despite having several fingers severed, with his steel knife.

Yang Lie swung his stick, forcing his opponent back, and caught his breath: "Uncle Wu, you've finally arrived. These women are not to be trifled with. They are all incredibly strong and skilled in stick fighting. I can handle two, but three would be too much of a challenge!"

"Setting a fire outside and having to get around the guards took some time." The narrow-faced man surnamed Wu said calmly, frowning. "I usually make you practice martial arts hard, and you're always just about there. But you're useless at crucial moments. After this, I'll train you properly from now on."

"Ah, this..." Yang Lie's face fell.

Before she could finish speaking, the burly woman with the knife coldly shouted, "There will be no future. None of you are leaving today."

Her tone was filled with murderous intent.

Although half of the eight women in the palace are now dead, the force protecting this 'fairyland' includes not only the servants who have been training their bodies for years, but also a guard team of nearly eighty people.

Those guards were all daring and bloodthirsty, their hands stained with blood. They were usually served good wine and meat and were well-trained and strong. If they could just delay for a moment, and wait for the guards to arrive, how many fists could these four petty thieves in the hall withstand?

Besides, the guards weren't fools; they wouldn't come empty-handed. They would naturally bring swords, spears, and clubs to fight the enemy.

The burly woman with the blade scrutinized the man surnamed Wu with a venomous gaze. She paused on the steel knife in his hand, noticing the scale-like decorations on the hilt. Her voice was low and menacing: "Fish-scale knife? This is a knife made by the 'White Scale Guard.' You are from the 'White Scale Guard.' Are you a deserter or a fugitive who has committed a crime?"

Hong Yuan raised an eyebrow and glanced at the man surnamed Wu. He had heard of the White Scale Guards, one of the three guard units protecting Linjiang Prefecture.

Linjiang Prefecture was located at a vital waterway and land route, with a well-developed canal transport system, which naturally led to the prosperity of the prefectural city and a massive influx of silver.

What is the most important thing in raising an elite force?
Money and provisions!

Linjiang Prefecture has no shortage of money and food. With enough food, the soldiers can be fed and their strength can be maintained. With money, they can manufacture excellent weapons. With both measures, the White Scale Guards may not be the most elite in the world, but they are certainly capable.

On the high platform, the 'Majestic Buddha Mother' trembled with pain, her small eyes seemingly bulging out of their sockets, and she roared, "White Scale Guards? Do you know who I am? Do you know whose family keeps the White Scale Guards? How dare you offend me?"

The man surnamed Wu cracked his neck and looked at Yang Lie, saying, "You're okay to deal with these two women, right?"

Ignoring Yang Lie's reaction, he turned his gaze to the 'mountain of flesh' on the high platform, its face covered in blood, and sneered: "The Wei family of Linjiang, Wei Bancheng! What a prestigious name, how could I not know it? I also know that you are a young lady from the Wei family... Oh, no! You could still be called a young lady decades ago, but now you're just a pig. Wei Zhenzhu, ptooey! You truly live up to your name, you really are a big fat pig, slaughtering you will be perfect for a prosperous New Year."

A man surnamed Wu stepped forward, knife in hand.

"Kill him!" Wei Zhenzhu, the 'Vajra Buddha Mother,' roared repeatedly, but was pulled by two maids on the stage and pressed down onto the gold-inlaid and jade-adorned chair.

The man surnamed Wu's expression changed, he quickened his pace, his figure darted forward, and he leaped from the hall onto the high platform.

At the same time, another man in black also moved. Unlike the man surnamed Wu, this man in black covered most of his face with a black cloth and a headscarf, revealing only his bright and piercing eyes.

With a sharp shout, he joined forces with Yang Lie to attack the two strong women under the prince.

Whoops!

As soon as the man surnamed Wu leaped onto the stage, the staff-wielding servant woman with the staff came down on him. He had anticipated this, so he shifted his body, pressed down on the stage with one palm, and kicked the servant woman with the staff to the ground with a sweeping leg.

With a "whoosh," the knife flashed in his right hand and pierced the servant woman's chest, going deep into her flesh. She cried out in pain and fiercely raised her hand to grab the face of the man surnamed Wu, but she had no strength left.

With a 'thud,' the last maid supporting Wei Zhenzhu slapped the back of the large chair with one hand. Immediately afterward, the table vibrated with a 'buzz,' and Wei Zhenzhu, along with the chair, suddenly disappeared into the huge, slippery hole that had suddenly appeared at the bottom.

The maidservant did not leap into the cave. Instead, she bent down and thrust out her short blade, piercing through a mechanism in the cave wall. With a click, a thick iron plate slid out and blocked the entrance.

The man surnamed Wu looked grim, while the maid on the stage grinned like a victor: "None of you will escape. Just wait for the 'Buddha Mother's' revenge. If I were you, I would draw my sword and kill myself right now. Otherwise, what awaits you is a life worse than death."

boom!
With a dull, crisp sound, the servant woman's face froze in a grimace. Her head was swung like a baseball, slamming into the stone slab with another thud, and she fell dead on the spot.

"So much nonsense!"

Hong Yuan had also arrived on the platform at some point, holding a stick in one hand, his fingers rubbing the iron hoops. He felt that after killing several people with the stick, he was becoming more and more adept at using it.

"Who are you?" The man surnamed Wu asked with some confusion. Knowing that the person in front of him was not an enemy, he still kept his hand on the hilt of his knife, as if it were a long-standing habit. His sharp eyes were like lightning as he carefully examined Hong Yuan.

"Hong Yuan, a mere scholar!" Hong Yuan cupped his hands in greeting.

The man surnamed Wu looked at the still-bleeding tip of the stick in Hong Yuan's hand. "A scholar can be so violent?"
"This Brother Hong is indeed a scholar, but I never expected him to be so skilled." His Highness Yang Lie and the man in black had also dealt with the other two servants and went up to the high platform. Yang Lie pointed at Hong Yuan: "Brother Hong was the first to make a move and kill the wicked servant!"

"Oh!" The cold expression on the man surnamed Wu's face thawed, and he forced a smile at Hong Yuan. The other man in black also nodded to him with a friendly look in his eyes.

"We can't let that fat pig escape like that!" The man surnamed Wu was still unwilling to give up. He bent down to look at the entrance of the slide and even tried to pry it open with a steel knife. However, the iron plate was stuck in the recess of the slide wall and could not be pried open in a short time.

“Even if we can open it, there might be traps underneath. It wouldn’t be wise to go down rashly,” Hong Yuan said.

The man surnamed Wu understood this principle, so he had no choice but to put away his steel knife and sigh softly, "All our efforts have been in vain. It's a pity that we used up all the oil outside in order to start a bigger fire. Otherwise, we could have poured out the oil and turned that fat woman into a roasted pig."

The man in black shook his head: "Given Wei Zhenzhu's size and limited mobility, the space below must be quite spacious for her to live in. How much kerosene would that require..." "We came here to eliminate this group of sluts and wicked women. Now, we've only killed some henchmen, while the main culprits have all escaped."

Yang Lie slapped his forehead, quite annoyed.

In order to find out the truth about this 'fairyland', he entered the place no less than three times, and was even chosen by that fat pig once...

His sacrifice was immense!
Yang Lie's eyes were filled with tears, extremely unwilling to accept it.

The air grew increasingly hot and dry, casting a red glow outside the palace. The crackling of sparks and the crashing of collapsing buildings blended together.

Screams and commotion erupted from all directions, interspersed with shouts and curses, perhaps because the fleeing people had run into the manor's guards.

Immediately following was a series of hurried footsteps, rushing toward the main hall.

Upon seeing the man surnamed Wu, Yang Lie's expression changed, and Hong Yuan's expression also turned serious.

Although he assessed himself and felt that he might have reached the level of 'Master Ip', how much he could actually do was still unknown.

Moreover, although no extraordinary power has been seen in this world for the time being, the eight strong female servants, Xiao Chan, the man surnamed Wu beside them, Yang Lie and others are so skilled and quick-witted that they cannot be regarded as ordinary people.

The man surnamed Wu listened intently and analyzed with practiced ease: "At least twenty or thirty people have surrounded us. These guards are all armed, and a few may even be wearing cloth armor. Once we're blocked, it won't be easy for us to escape. Let's go."

Hong Yuan lifted a curtain on the stage and saw that the interior was cleverly and exquisitely decorated, with fruits, snacks and drinks available, and a beautiful carpet on the floor. Behind it was a small dark red door.

He reached out and pushed it; it wobbled a little. Without hesitation, he kicked it!
With a loud 'bang,' the door frame shook violently, and the small door was kicked open, revealing a passageway through which a wall lamp was hanging.

Hong Yuan possessed the ability of "seeing clearly and penetrating the hidden," and carefully scanned both sides of the passage. He did not discover any hidden weapons or mechanisms, and saw that the courtyard scenery appeared just a few dozen steps away from the passage.

"There's a small gate leading to the outer courtyard here. Those six so-called fairy maidens escaped through this gate. If we hurry up, we might be able to catch one or two of them."

Hong Yuandao.

"Quick!" Yang Lie perked up and squeezed into the passage first.

The four of them entered through the passage and were immediately led to a courtyard. Looking around, they were all a bit lost.

Previously, the view of the outer rooms was not clear from inside the main hall, but now that he was outside, Hong Yuan looked around and saw that all the buildings were engulfed in flames, thick smoke billowing out, and a pungent smell spreading. The most intense fire was burning on a four-story tower, with flames shooting into the sky, the firelight reflecting off it like a bright sunset.

"There was a little too much kerosene poured in there." Although the man in black was masked and his expression was not visible, his tone was quite smug.

Yang Lie's eyes scanned the courtyard. It was dark and the corridors were interconnected. There were also many artificial hills and streams, as well as quiet paths. Once you have entered it, how easy is it to find it again?
Besides, they didn't even know where the secret passages and hidden rooms were hidden. How were they supposed to find them? He couldn't help but sigh, "Let's go! We'll settle the score with them another time."

"It's not entirely a wasted trip." The man surnamed Wu stroked his chin, and at this moment he had come to a realization. Pointing to the rows of burning pavilions, he said, "Such a luxurious and beautiful manor has been reduced to ashes. Not to mention how much wealth was acquired in it, it would probably take several years to rebuild this painstakingly constructed garden. With Wei Zhenzhu's wealth and power, she must be heartbroken."

"I hope she gets so angry she dies," Yang Lie said bitterly.

The man in black led the way, not rushing directly out of the courtyard wall, but bypassing the area of ​​intense flames, and after a few turns, he returned to the scenic lake.

This is the place where Hong Yuan first awoke.

Seeing this scene, Hong Yuan seemed to be deep in thought. The man in black was so familiar with this manor that, besides Yang Lie, the two men in colorful clothes probably had other inside agents.

To set this large estate ablaze on all sides, a large amount of oil would be needed. How could the oil be transported in and hidden quietly? Setting a fire is not something that one or two people can accomplish on all sides.

A man stood by the lake, his hands hanging down, staring blankly at the lake surface illuminated by the firelight. The eerie light and fire rippled on the water, making the shallow lake seem as deep and unfathomable as an abyss.

Hong Yuan glanced at him and saw that the person standing there was the only man around forty years old.

He used to have only a few gray hairs at his temples, but now it seemed as if he had gone through more than a decade in the blink of an eye. His hair was full of dry white hair, his wrinkles were much deeper, and his eyes were no longer bright, but dull and unfocused. He just murmured, "It's gone. It was right here. How could it be gone?"

His right fist was clenched tightly, and his body trembled slightly.

"Master Qin... have you found that child, Ziyue?" The man in black coughed and called out.

Master Qin turned his head blankly, opened his tightly clenched right fist, and in his palm was a yellow talisman with strange crimson patterns, but a scorch mark ran through it, breaking the patterns.

Hong Yuan sniffed lightly, detecting a faint scent of blood. His eyes flickered slightly: "What is this?"

“Blood Pact!” Yang Lie said softly, his eyes looking at Master Qin with a hint of pity in them.

Upon hearing this answer, Hong Yuan's emotions stirred slightly, but now was not the time to delve into the details.

The man surnamed Wu seemed to understand something. His gaze turned to the scenic lake, his hawk-like eyes reflecting the flickering firelight, their brightness uncertain.

The man in black sighed, wanting to offer some words of comfort, but unsure what to say. Just then, several panicked maids rushed past. He grabbed one of them with a swift movement and demanded, "Where are the people you brought here who didn't leave?"

The maid's face showed fear, and she unconsciously turned her head towards the scenic lake, her lips trembling.

"Speak!" The man in black tightened his grip again, as if his shoulder blades were about to crack. The maid hurriedly said, "They're dead! The dead have all been drowned in the lake by the Buddha and the fairies. It has nothing to do with me. I'm just a lowly maid... Waaah..."

"Get lost!" The man in black kicked him away.

Upon hearing this, Master Qin's face turned ashen, and he swayed as if about to faint. The man surnamed Wu gave him a signal, and the man in black and Yang Lie quickly stepped forward, supporting Master Qin on either side.

At that time, the bright moon was in the sky, its clear light as if washed clean.

Amidst the raging flames, Hong Yuan and the man surnamed Wu led the way, heading straight for the manor. Along the way, they encountered a few lone guards, but the two easily dealt with them. Before long, the group of five had fought their way out of the manor.

"here it is?"

Hong Yuan, hidden in the shadows, glanced back at the still-burning manor. Looking around, he saw rows of houses and quiet streets, which did not seem to be inhabited by many people. Only one street outside the manor was quite lively, with many figures running out of the houses on both sides and converging on the manor.

(End of this chapter)