Chapter 404: The Curtain Falls on the Seven Heroes

TL/N: ⚠This chapter contains content that some readers might find triggering!⚠

Xu Sanyan paused at Lin Fan’s words, then fell into deep thought.

Given Lin Fan’s absurd luck, there might be a twist to this situation. Perhaps it was worth taking a look, but they needed to be ready to retreat at any moment, as Lin Fan’s luck wouldn’t necessarily favor them.

“We can take a look, but we’ll keep our distance. If things go south, we need to be able to escape quickly.”

Lin Fan’s face lit up with joy. He immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute. “Thank you, Brother!”

Li Hai’s eyes darted around, his reluctance evident. He tried to weasel out of it, saying, “In that case, this old man will take his leave now.”

The old fox clearly had no intention of joining them on what he saw as a suicide mission.

Xu Sanyan glanced at him, a sinister smile twisting his lips. “Heh, Manager Li, it would be best if you accompanied us. If danger arises, we can watch each other’s backs. What do you say?”

Seeing the white light gathering in Xu Sanyan’s palm, Li Hai dared not refuse. One strike from that palm would be impossible to withstand. He reluctantly nodded.

“Then this old man will risk his life to accompany you, gentlemen,” the elder said. “But I must add one more word of caution: the Zuoqiu Clan is no weaker than any other power in the Chaotic Cloud Mountains. You two should reconsider carefully.”

“Rest assured,” Xu Sanyan replied. “I wouldn’t gamble with my own life.”

His decision to go stemmed from two considerations:

First, there was Lin Fan. This young man was blessed with extraordinary luck, his fortune unmatched by anyone else. If Lin Fan wanted to go, there likely wouldn’t be any great danger—perhaps even opportunities might arise.

Second, Xu Sanyan wasn’t particularly worried about his own safety. With his current strength, he could handle any threat short of a void harmony realm cultivator. Even if he encountered one, he was confident in his ability to escape.

He had observed the great elder’s battle against Chen Yunzi earlier. Though their power was impressive, a thought kept surfacing in his mind:

Is that all there is to it?

Chen Yunzi had only struck casually, and Xu Sanyan had merely parried with a casual halberd strike, barely unleashing thirty percent of his full strength.

If he unleashed his full power, the outcome would be far from certain.

So what if they were in the void harmony realm?

Since beginning his cultivation journey, Xu Sanyan had been blessed with countless opportunities and possessed both a heavenly earth treasure and the assistance of his panel. His strength far surpassed that of others at his cultivation realm, and he feared no opponent, even those of higher levels.

Beside him, Li Hai wore a troubled expression as he rummaged through his robes and produced three crumpled, wrinkled pieces of human skin. “Please wear these to conceal your identities,” he urged.

Xu Sanyan unfolded one of the skins and shook it out. The complete human skin fluttered in the air. He pondered, “This is… armor from the White Dragon Temple?”

He had seen such things before. During their pursuit of the Qian Kingdom, a temple had been destroyed in passing, and these skins were a product of that temple.

Besides altering one’s appearance, these skins offered some defensive capabilities, though their effectiveness was limited.

Li Hai nodded. “Correct, Fellow Daoist. It’s indeed armor. Hurry and put it on.”

Xu Sanyan nodded slightly, removed his robes, and slipped the skin over his body. After a few adjustments, he looked like a completely different person—the handsome young man had transformed into a delicate, effeminate young master.

Lin Fan felt a sense of resistance, but since Xu Sanyan had already changed, he couldn’t object. He reluctantly donned the skin as well.

“Let’s go take a look,” Xu Sanyan said.

With that, the trio sped off.

On Huai Lake, a bamboo boat drifted across the water. Two women lay pinned to the deck, unable to move, but their eyes still glared fiercely at the two men.

The young man lay sprawled at the bow like a dead dog, his life hanging in the balance.

A child wailed in the chief steward’s arms, but no one paid him any attention.

Suddenly, a dozen figures appeared on the distant shore, forming a semicircle that subtly surrounded the bamboo boat. The two sides locked eyes, neither speaking for a tense moment.

From the shore, a middle-aged man stepped forward. “Is that the Li Clan Patriarch before us?”

“Heh, Zuoqiu Shen, long time no see.” The Li Clan Patriarch straightened his robes, managing to look somewhat presentable.

“It’s him!” Zuoqiu Shen’s heart sank. He had encountered this man years ago and knew his strength far surpassed his own.

“Why has the Li Clan Patriarch taken our clan’s daughters hostage? Have they offended you? If so, I will apologize on their behalf.”

The Li Clan Patriarch’s smile remained unchanged, but a hint of mockery flickered in his eyes. “Zuoqiu Shen, you’re still as hypocritical as ever. It’s truly nauseating.”

The two clans had been neighbors for years, their relationship marked by constant friction. While not exactly sworn enemies, they harbored mutual animosity. Had the two women not been held hostage, the Zuoqiu Clan would have attacked long ago.

The Zuoqiu Clan would never pass up such a golden opportunity to annihilate the Li Clan.

Zuoqiu Shen’s expression darkened at these words. “What do you want?” he demanded.

“Disperse your forces and let us leave,” Manager Li replied, supporting the infant with one hand. A single misstep would send the child plunging into the water.

Zuoqiu Shen’s face shifted as he weighed the advantages and disadvantages. If he didn’t care about the lives of the four people on the boat, he was confident he could capture the Li Clan members.

Although both Li Clan members were at the void harmony realm, their weakened state presented an ideal opportunity.

Once the Li Clan was eliminated, the Zuoqiu Clan could seize a portion of the Chaotic Cloud Mountains’ territory after the Mist Tide receded.

The Chaotic Cloud Mountains were rich in mineral resources, which sustained countless clans and sects of all sizes.

From the clan’s perspective, this was an exceptionally profitable deal: the lives of four individuals in exchange for vast mineral wealth!

Damn it!

Zuoqiu Shen hardened his heart. What were the lives of four people compared to the grand ambitions of their clan?

Just as he made his decision, the lake’s surface exploded in a spray of water. A black sword, as lithe as a serpent, pierced through the bamboo boat, carrying Zuoqiu Yi skyward.

“Who dares?!”

The Li Clan Patriarch was stunned. How could his cultivation level fail to detect this black sword?

He had already merged his body, mind, and soul into one, his senses extending a hundred zhang in all directions, perceiving every detail with perfect clarity. He should have sensed not just a sword, but even an ant crawling nearby.

Yet this sword had evaded his perception, snatching someone away right under his nose?

How is this possible?

Looking down at the sword’s blade, Zuoqiu Yi remained dazed, unaware of what had just transpired. She gazed at the familiar-looking sword beneath her and unconsciously murmured, “Lin Fan…”

Then, snapping to her senses, she screamed frantically, “Save my nephew!”

She would have preferred her nephew to have been rescued instead of herself.

Though Zuoqiu Shen couldn’t identify the source of the sword, his resolve remained firm. With a sweeping gesture, he declared, “Heretical Path demonfolk are unworthy of mercy! Kill them all!”

The Zuoqiu Clan members didn’t hesitate, unleashing their various techniques to attack.

The Li Clan Patriarch’s eyes turned cold as he glanced sideways at Zuoqiu Chen on the boat. “Remember,” he said, “your clan head is the one who killed you!”

With a flick of his hand, a massive bloody hole appeared in Zuoqiu Chen’s head, and she instantly stopped breathing.

“Waaah! Waaah!”

As if sensing the tragedy, the child’s cries suddenly turned piercingly shrill.

Bang!

With an explosive sound, the crying ceased. A cloud of blood mist erupted from the Li Clan’s Chief Steward’s hand.

By then, only one of the Huai Lake Seven Heroes remained.

(End of the Chapter)