Douluo V: Daily Intelligence - I Want All of Tang San's Opportunities

Xiao Huaiyuan stood at the back, his composure finally vanishing completely.

He watched as Su Yuntao forced back two guards with a single claw, then turned to block an attack coming from the left. He moved through the crowd like a gray wind, leaving the guards who had been forced back in a sorry state, with several of their armor torn open by his claws.

Xiao Huaiyuan's lips pressed into a thin line, and he finally couldn't help but take action himself.

The level 45 soul power fluctuation was like an invisible wall, pressing down on Su Yuntao with an immense sense of oppression.

For an ordinary level 31 Soul Master, this aura alone would be enough to slow their movements by three points, but Su Yuntao only slightly tensed up, and the internal energy of the Xuan Tian Gong flowed within his body. The pressure was dissipated layer by layer as soon as it touched his body, like the tide crashing on the rocks, only splashing up a few bubbles.

Seeing that he had no reaction, Xiao Huaiyuan's eyes sharpened, and with a flick of his right hand, a short, jet-black knife appeared in his palm, its blade gleaming with a dark metallic luster.

He leaped forward, the blade whistling through the air as it aimed straight for Su Yuntao's throat.

Instead of retreating, Su Yuntao advanced, the bluish-gray light on his arms shining again as he met the blade with a claw.

The moment the claws clashed with the blade, a sharp metallic clang rang out, and both men took two steps back.

Xiao Huaiyuan's expression changed slightly. Although he hadn't used his full strength in that strike, it was definitely not something a level 31 Soul Master could easily withstand.

Su Yuntao not only caught it, but he also remained as steady as if he had been prepared.

Xiao Huaiyuan dared not be careless any longer. He suddenly exerted force with his feet, and his fourth soul ring suddenly lit up. A dark red light instantly covered his body, and his speed suddenly increased. The blade slashed towards Su Yuntao's waist at an extremely tricky angle.

Su Yuntao dodged to the side, his claws flashing across the back of the blade, leaving a blinding spark. He then unleashed three consecutive claw strikes, each one precisely blocking Xiao Huaiyuan's attack route, forcing him to defend with his blade.

Xiao Huaiyuan grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed.

His fourth spirit ring was his biggest trump card, a full-scale explosion of power and speed. He originally thought he could quickly defeat Su Yuntao with this move, but the opponent not only kept up with his speed, but also launched increasingly fierce counterattacks.

Those claw-like strikes may seem to merely tear through his armor, but each time they hit, a surge of hidden energy flows into his body, making it impossible for him to defend against them.

Using the force of the clash, he slid back several steps, his blade lowered, and he began to yield:

"Palace Master Su, in the end, we don't have any deep-seated hatred between us. How about we call it quits? If it's because of Liu Yingda, I apologize to you and am willing to compensate you for your losses to your satisfaction."

Su Yuntao continued his attacks relentlessly, his tone mocking:

"So you're admitting now that you encouraged Liu Yingda to harm me?"

Xiao Huaiyuan's expression stiffened slightly, but the situation left him no choice but to nod.

"I admit I was momentarily blinded by greed, but why should we escalate to this over such a trivial matter? I don't think you'd want our internal strife to cause a conflict between the Empire and the Spirit Hall, would you?"

Su Yuntao scoffed:

"Instigate a conflict between the Empire and the Spirit Hall? You overestimate yourself. Besides, do you think the Empire would protect a scoundrel like you who imprisoned the Grand Duke's orphaned daughter?"

Xiao Huaiyuan's face darkened completely.

His hand gripping the knife turned slightly white, and his voice was low, carrying a ruthless edge born of being cornered:

"Su Yuntao, so you're going to wipe me out? You really think you've got me cornered? Take a good look around, who really has the upper hand right now?"

Su Yuntao glanced quickly across the battlefield. Xu Mingyuan's situation was already precarious; three of his five guards had fallen, and the remaining two were surrounded. Only Xu Mingyuan himself was still struggling to hold on.

Seeing his gaze sweep across the battlefield, Xiao Huaiyuan's voice gained a hint of confidence:

"Stop now, and we can still talk, otherwise..."

Before he finished speaking, Su Yuntao had already moved.

Taking advantage of the moment when Xiao Huaiyuan thought he was weighing his options and was distracted, Su Yuntao suddenly closed in, his first soul ring shining brightly, and he activated the Thirty-Six Claws of the Rending Wind at full power, with thirty claw beams overlapping on Xiao Huaiyuan's chest at the same instant.

The first ten claws pierced through his protective soul power, the middle ten claws cut into his muscles, and the last ten claws, carrying the internal energy of the Xuan Tian Gong, exploded within his body.

Xiao Huaiyuan felt as if he had been struck head-on by a heavy hammer, and he flew backward several steps, his back hitting a pillar in the corridor with a dull thud.

He clutched his chest, a mouthful of blood rising to his throat, which he forced down. He tried to call for his men to help, but the guards were forced back by a few claw strikes from Su Yuntao, and they retreated in a sorry state, unable to get involved at all.

Xiao Huaiyuan's face turned pale, and he staggered as he turned and ran towards the depths of the backyard.

Su Yuntao pushed aside the two people blocking his way and chased after them in a flash.

After passing through the corridor and around the artificial hill, Xiao Huaiyuan ran all the way to the mottled old wall, pressed hard on a blue brick on the wall, and a hidden door slid open silently.

He slipped inside, and Su Yuntao followed closely behind into the dimly lit room.

The dark room was filled with a damp, musty smell, and the dim yellow oil lamp cast a mottled light on the walls.

Zhou Mulan leaned against the headboard of the narrow bed, so thin she was almost unrecognizable, and the iron chains on her wrists made a soft metallic clanging sound with her movements.

Xiao Huaiyuan flashed behind her, the short knife in his hand pressed against her neck, and hissed:

"Su Yuntao! If you take one more step, I'll make her die right in front of you!"

Zhou Mulan raised her head. Although she was thin, her eyes were as clear as two mountain springs.

She looked at Xiao Huaiyuan, a very faint smile slowly appearing on her lips:

"Xiao Huaiyuan, don't you find it ridiculous to use your own wife as a hostage?"

Xiao Huaiyuan's hand trembled slightly, he pressed the blade down harder, and his voice was hoarse and frantic:

"Shut up! It's all your fault! If you had taught me that meditation method earlier, I wouldn't be in this situation today!"

Zhou Mulan looked at him quietly, her gaze unusually calm.

She shook her head slightly, then her body suddenly leaned forward.

The blade pierced her throat, her body trembled slightly, and blood gushed out instantly.

With her eyes closed and a smile that seemed like relief on her lips, she slowly fell to the ground.

Xiao Huaiyuan was stunned. He looked down at the knife in his hand, then at Zhou Mulan who had fallen. He stood frozen in place as if all his energy had been drained.

A few breaths later, he suddenly realized what was happening and burst into maniacal laughter:

"Haha, you'd rather die than let me have my way, you're so cruel!"

He raised his head, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Su Yuntao, his voice shrill:

"Su Yuntao! You think you've won just like that?"

He suddenly reached out, his five fingers transforming into wolf claws. His sharp nails sliced ​​across Zhou Mulan's throat, tearing the once neat cut into a blurry mass of flesh and blood, obscuring the original shape of the wound.