I was told I'd be a late bloomer, but I was born with the potential to achieve great things!

As the sun set, a sliver of the blood-red sunset lingered on the horizon.

"Big brother, they're all dead."

Inside the mountains and forests, Tian Dan looked at the corpses of the Shadowless Bandits scattered on the ground, his voice low and suppressed as he spoke, his anger barely contained.

"It's sword energy and saber energy."

Zou Quan looked at Tian Shuang's neck, which had already bled dry, removed his hand from the brown scab, and looked at the uneasy Ge Laosan.

"Brother Ge, can you identify what kind of martial arts technique caused this wound, and is it related to the person from before?"

Zou Quan's words were calm and gentle, but it was precisely this calmness and gentleness that made the third leader of the Black Tiger Gang tremble with fear, feeling a chill run down his spine and to the heavens.

"It is...it is the Qingfeng Sword Technique."

Ge Laosan wanted to run away, but faced with Zou Quan's ambiguous smile and the fierce eyes of Tian Dan and the Shadowless Thieves around him, he dared not move.

"If I'm not mistaken, it's the Qingfeng Sword Technique of the Seven Mysteries Sect. This sword technique emphasizes speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness. Those who are killed by the sword energy of this technique will be left with a thin line of blood."

"continue."

Zou Quan gently tapped his thigh with his right hand, his tone very calm.

"As far as I know, there are no more than seven people within the Seven Mysteries Sect who can cultivate sword energy using this sword technique..."

"You mean, the leader of the Seven Mysteries Sect has also come here?"

Before Ge Laosan could finish speaking, Zou Quan interrupted him directly.

No...no.

Old Ge quickly replied, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"Before we set off, the gang leader had already led his men to keep a close eye on Wang Xuan, the leader of the Seven Mysteries Sect, and anyone who might affect this mission."

"So how did they get here?"

Zou Quan gave a forced smile.

"Brother Ge, you're a smart man. You should know what my brothers most want to hear right now."

"It's Mo Kai... Yes, it must be Mo Kai."

Seeing Zou Quan take a step forward, Ge Laosan subconsciously stepped back, his mind racing as he spoke with bloodshot eyes.

"It must be Mo Kai. This person is the current genius of the Seven Mysteries Sect. He has comprehended sword energy at the young age of 23."

While we were lying in wait here, this person had already gone into seclusion within the Seven Mysteries Sect.

If anyone is really here, it must be him.

"But besides the injuries caused by sword energy, there is also blade energy here."

Zou Quan frowned slightly and pointed to a pile of corpses on the ground.

"Mo Kai is a genius in the Bone Forging Realm. Although he is skilled with swords, he can also use knives, so it is not surprising that he suffered this kind of injury."

"What a fine line, 'It's nothing special.' Do you know how many of my brothers have been killed by that one sentence?"

Zou Quan looked at Ge Laosan, who was covered in sweat, and said with a sigh.

"Brother Zou, you have to believe me, it really is Mo Kai, I absolutely did not lie to you... Chief, the chief can be my witness."

Ge Laosan looked anxious and kept backing away, his eyes fixed on Zou Quan, trying to find some room for maneuver in the other's eyes.

But all he could see was that half-smiling gaze, and the icy stares of Tian Dan and the other Shadowless Thieves around him, as if they were looking at a dead man.

"You surnamed Zou, if you kill me, my Black Tiger Gang will never let you go."

At that moment, Ge Laosan realized something, and the cowardice and pleading in his eyes turned into a hint of ferocity.

But just as this ferocity appeared, he felt a blur before his eyes, and a dark shadow rushed towards him at an extremely fast speed.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud echoed through the silent forest, and Ge Laosan's head exploded in mid-air, sending a cloud of blood mist into the air.

His face was sunken, revealing a large hole, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Brother, this grudge cannot go unavenged."

Seeing Zou Quan shake the blood off his hands, Tian Dan spat out a mouthful of foam at Ge Laosan's corpse and said through gritted teeth.

"Cut off his head, we'll go to the Black Tiger Gang... Burn this whole place down, don't leave a trace."

After Zou finished speaking calmly, he turned and left.

"Yes."

Tian Dan nodded and waved to the crowd behind him.

In just a short while, a fire broke out in the dim forest.

......

"Clap clap clap..."

In the camp, bonfires blazed fiercely, the hot flames crackling on the dry wood.

That's how it is.

Zhou An, with the firelight behind him, spoke with a respectful expression.

"You mean you took advantage of the chaos to escape after Wang Yi and the others left?"

Cai Jun said in a deep voice.

"The bandits are fierce, and they have tigers at their disposal. It is impossible for me to resist them alone. Therefore, we must find an opportunity to retreat."

Zhou An looked at Mo Shenggu and Elder Huang in front of him and spoke respectfully.

"If that's the case, you should have come back sooner. Why are you only arriving at the camp now...? Covering the rear, I can tell you've clearly fled out of fear..."

That's enough.

Before Cai Jun could finish his merciless words, Mo Shenggu, the manager of Yunxia's garrison, frowned and waved his hand to interrupt him.

"This is not the place for interrogating prisoners."

"Junior Brother Mo, you're exaggerating. Although my disciple's words were a bit harsh, the Black Tiger Gang's attack this time was too bizarre."

Furthermore, judging from the circumstances of their attack, they seem to know everything about our Seven Mysteries Sect's herb-gathering team.

"Does Senior Brother Gong mean that there's a Black Tiger Gang spy within my Seven Mysteries Sect?"

Mo Shenggu frowned as he spoke.

"In order to deal with the rise of the Black Tiger Gang, our Seven Mysteries Sect opened its gates wide, so it is not surprising that outsiders have infiltrated."

Gong Jiang did not answer directly, but instead looked at Zhou An below the stage with a smile and said.

"As far as I know, Zhou An seems to have been recruited not long ago."

"What a smiling tiger! Is he implying, both openly and subtly, that I'm an undercover agent?"

Looking at Gong Jiang in front of him, Zhou An was furious.

He asked himself if he had done anything wrong, but the master and apprentice had been verbally antagonizing each other ever since he came in.

Is this specifically targeting me, a new disciple?

Although Zhou An was extremely annoyed, after careful consideration, he quickly dismissed the guess.

It might be targeted, but the main target shouldn't be him; it might just be an example to scare others.

"If Elder Gong has any dissatisfaction with the sect leader's policies, he can report to the sect leader in the future, but this person was brought by me, Huang Huayuan."

Meeting Gong Jiang's gaze, Huang Huayuan coughed lightly twice and said in a deep voice.

"Zhou An warned from the front and then covered the rear for everyone. Although he returned a little late, he brought back the Blood Ganoderma Flower."

This action has rendered meritorious service to our Seven Mysteries Sect, and is beyond the comprehension of Junior Brother Gong.

After speaking, Huang Huayuan turned his gaze to Zhou An.

"You may leave now. Sun Heng will inform you about your reward later."

"This disciple takes his leave."

Upon hearing this, Zhou An felt relieved. He bowed respectfully to Huang Huayuan and Mo Shenggu before turning and leaving.

"He was neither humble nor arrogant, and he really had the 'courage' to hold the rear."

Watching Zhou An's departing figure, Gong Jiang's smile remained unchanged. After offering a few soft comments, he looked at Huang Huayuan with a deep gaze and said...

"However, just in case, we still need to go to the place this person mentioned tomorrow to investigate. Perhaps we can find some clues left by that group."

Elder Huang, what do you think?

"Master, I am willing to lead a group to investigate tomorrow."

Before Huang Huayuan and Mo Shenggu could speak, Cai Jun, standing to the side, raised his head and spoke loudly.

.......