The Martial Saint of the Defiled World

The noisy footsteps outside the courtyard gate came to an abrupt halt.

The twenty or thirty men blocking the entrance seemed to receive some silent command, and they parted in unison to make way.

A figure slowly emerged from behind the crowd.

It was a man dressed in all black, his face covered with a black cloth, only his eyes were visible.

The moment this person appeared, the air in the entire courtyard seemed to freeze.

When the Golden Leopard was around, it was domineering and fierce.

This person, however, exuded an indescribable chill, as if he had crawled out of a graveyard, devoid of any warmth that a living person should possess.

Jiang Shaosheng and the others had never seen this person before.

But the moment Wu Tieshou saw this person, his usually calm and composed face changed color for the first time.

An unprecedented solemnity arose.

It's like an experienced old hunter suddenly encountering a ferocious beast he's never seen or heard of before in the forest.

Wu Tieshou slowly pulled the deer antler halberd back from his waist, gripped it with both hands, and assumed a defensive stance.

He didn't even glance at the leopard he had kicked into the warehouse; his entire attention was completely captivated by the man in black at the door.

"Who are you people?"

Wu Tieshou asked in a deep voice.

The man in black didn't answer, but simply scanned the courtyard with his emotionless eyes.

As his gaze swept across the scene, whether it was the corpses lying on the ground or the living people like Jiang Shaosheng standing there, they all seemed no different from the bricks, stones, grass, and trees in the courtyard.

Finally, his gaze fell on Wu Tieshou.

"You are very good."

The man in black finally spoke.

"What a pity."

"What's a pity?"

"Unfortunately, they followed the wrong person and stood in the wrong place."

Wu Tieshou frowned.

"Who exactly are you, sir? What brings you to my Fuchang Trading Company's territory?"

"Take back our master's things."

The man in black spoke concisely.

"Your grandfather?"

Wu Tieshou pressed for more information.

"Who is it?"

The man in black scoffed upon hearing this.

Knowing too much is not good for you.

After saying that, he stopped talking nonsense, turned his head to his subordinates behind him, and uttered only two words.

"Clear the area."

Upon receiving the order, the twenty or thirty men shouted and charged into the courtyard with their sticks in hand.

"retreat!"

Wu Tieshou suddenly let out a low shout.

At the same time, he gave Jiang Shaosheng a very subtle look.

Jiang Shaosheng instantly understood the meaning in those eyes.

Go to the warehouse!

fast!

I stopped them!

Jiang Shaosheng's heart skipped a beat.

For someone like Wu Tieshou to say "I'll stop them" instead of "I'll kill them," just how powerful must the man in black at the door be?

There was no time to think; in this life-or-death situation, there was no room for hesitation.

"Walk!"

Jiang Shaosheng grabbed Hong Pu, who was still standing there in a daze, and turned to shout at the Liu brothers.

"Brother Liu, let's go into the storeroom!"

Liu Wen reacted the fastest. He knew that Wu Tou'er's words meant that the situation outside was no longer something they could interfere with.

He helped his younger brother, Liu Wu, who was still panting on the ground, to his feet.

"Let's go! Don't cause trouble for Boss Wu!"

Hong Pu looked at the surging crowd, was pulled back to his senses by Jiang Shaosheng, and stumbled.

"Shaosheng, where the hell did all these people come from?!"

"Stop talking nonsense, move if you want to live!"

Jiang Shaosheng urged.

The four of them scrambled and stumbled toward the gate that the leopard had knocked down.

Seeing that they had moved, Wu Tieshou felt a little more at ease.

He took a deep breath, and instead of retreating, he advanced, charging forward alone with his pair of halberds towards the twenty or thirty men.

Instead of engaging the henchmen in a fight, he moved with lightning speed, like a wisp of smoke, heading straight for the leader in black.

To catch the thief, first catch the king!

Once this man in black is dealt with, the rest are nothing but a rabble.

The man in black seemed to have anticipated his move, standing motionless until Wu Tieshou's halberd tip was almost touching his face before he made a move.

He simply raised his left hand.

Outside the courtyard, Wu Tieshou and the man in black instantly clashed. Inside the courtyard, Jiang Shaosheng and his three companions had already reached the warehouse entrance.

"Hurry up and go inside!"

Jiang Shaosheng kicked Hong Pu inside, then followed closely behind.

Liu Wen, supporting Liu Wu, also plunged into the darkness.

The warehouse was so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

"Damn it, I can't see anything!"

Hongpu's voice carried a hint of panic.

"Don't make a sound!"

Jiang Shaosheng lowered his voice.

"Everyone, squat down against the wall!"

In the darkness, the heavy breathing of several people could be heard.

"I have a tumbler!"

Liu Wen's voice rang out.

He was clearly calmer and had more survival experience than the others.

Soon, a faint light appeared in the darkness.

Liu Wen reached into his pocket and surprisingly pulled out half a candle wrapped in oil paper.

The firelight illuminated the surroundings.

The four then realized that they were in a huge space.

The warehouse was densely packed with wooden crates, each more than half a person tall, stacked one on top of the other, some so high they almost reached the roof beams.

These wooden crates left only narrow passageways, winding and twisting like a giant maze.

When you walk inside, your view is completely blocked. If you turn a corner, you can't see the people in front of you or behind you.

Jiang Shaosheng's gaze immediately fell on the area not far from the doorway.

The leopard was lying there motionless, with what appeared to be a pool of blood seeping from beneath it; it was unclear whether it was dead or alive.

"Brother Jiang, what should we do now?"

Liu Wen lit the candle, leaned closer, and asked in a low voice.

The sounds of shouting and clashing weapons outside were deafening, making one's heart pound with fear.

Jiang Shaosheng glanced outside.

In the firelight, Wu Tieshou could be seen fighting with the man in black, their figures moving so fast that only two shadows remained.

The other thugs were being held back in the middle of the courtyard by Wu Tieshou alone, and couldn't rush in for the time being.

But it was clear to everyone that Wu Tieshou wouldn't last long.

He was already struggling to deal with the unfathomable man in black while also having to keep others at bay.

It was only a matter of time before those people stormed in.

Jiang Shaosheng's eyes turned cold.

He glanced at the leopard on the ground, then at the maze-like warehouse, and an idea instantly formed in his mind.

"Brother Liu, you and Brother Liu Wu should find a place to hide and take care of your injuries."

Jiang Shaosheng said to Liu Wen.

"And what about you and Hung Pu?"

Liu Wen asked.

"Let's make some preparations."

As Jiang Shaosheng spoke, he winked at Hong Pu, and the two of them crouched down and quietly crept up to the leopard.

Hong Pu leaned over to check Jiang Shaosheng's breathing, then turned back and shook his head.

"He's not breathing. I guess Wu Tou'er's kick just now severed his heart meridian."

died.

Jiang Shaosheng remained completely unmoved.

He crouched down, took out the old dagger his aunt had given him from his pocket, and without the slightest hesitation, stabbed it hard into the back of the leopard.

With a soft thud, the blade pierced the flesh.

Hong Pu's eyelids twitched at the sight.

"Shaosheng, isn't he already dead?"

"Even if he's dead, he should be dead thoroughly."

Jiang Shaosheng said expressionlessly, while pulling out the dagger and wiping the bloodstains on his clothes.

After doing all this, he did not leave immediately.

He grabbed the leopard by one leg and dragged its body behind a tall wooden crate.

It was right at the corner of a passageway, completely dark and devoid of light.

He rearranged the body, placing it against the wooden crate in a position that made it look like someone was hiding there.

Then, he deliberately let a small corner of the leopard-patterned robe peek out from behind the wooden box.

In the dim candlelight, that corner of clothing, if not looked at closely, looked like the hem of someone hiding who had accidentally peeked out.

"Shaosheng, what are you doing?"

Hong Pu was completely bewildered and couldn't understand Jiang Shaosheng's actions at all.

Jiang Shaosheng didn't explain, but just said in a low voice, "Don't ask, you'll find out soon enough. This thing might come in very handy."

He clapped his hands and said to Hong Pu, "Let's go, let's meet up with the Liu brothers. The real battle is just beginning."

As soon as the two turned around, they heard Wu Tieshou shout angrily from the courtyard, followed by a loud clang of metal clashing.

Jiang Shaosheng's heart sank.

Wu Tieshou is probably not going to be able to hold on much longer.