It must be the man who destroyed the bandit stronghold!
A suspicion instantly formed in Li Yan's heart.
The massacre at Gushui Village had now begun to reveal its true shape.
The Lu family's flight from the capital wasn't a coincidence—their background clearly wasn't simple. More importantly, they carried with them a priceless painting.
That painting was definitely extraordinary. Someone in the capital had given secret orders, rallying the underworld powers from Guanzhong and Qilu to rob them, even staging the village massacre to cover it up.
And they weren't the only ones after it.
Lu's concubine was secretly a Yanzhou demon agent, conspiring from within. Amidst the chaos, she stole the treasure. This old man had chased her down, unleashing demonic snakes to slaughter the bandits.
If not for Li Yan's accidental discovery, it would have remained a tangled mystery.
So many lives lost—this painting must be hiding a monumental secret.
Of course, Li Yan didn't care much for any of that.
What really mattered… was that middle-aged man. He was definitely a powerful practitioner of the arcane!
If he released the crest-snake, no one present would survive.
With that in mind, Li Yan quietly inched closer to Sha Lafei while forming a Yang Incantation, trying to pick up on what other setups the man might have prepared.
Suddenly, the middle-aged man seemed to sense something and looked over.
He can perceive magical abilities?
Li Yan's heart skipped a beat. He dared not move any further.
He was now certain—this was the strongest spellcaster he had encountered so far. Even Luo Mingzi might not stand a chance against him.
Meanwhile, the scar-faced young man moved.
The constables threatened them with crossbows, seemingly pushing him over the edge. With a low growl, he charged straight at them, gripping his spiked mace.
"Fire!" Guan Wanche gave the order without hesitation.
He was sure now—these two weren't ordinary travelers.
And that young man had even confessed—skinning people alive, exterminating entire families—crimes serious enough to be brought before the Ministry of Justice.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three bolts screamed through the air.
Crossbows and bows each had their own strengths. While skilled archers were prized by any faction, they required talent and years of training. Crossbows, on the other hand, were easier to use, had higher hit rates, and were deadlier—perfect for catching common martial artists.
That's why crossbows were standard gear for Da Xuan dynasty constables.
At such close range, few could dodge.
Yet the scar-faced young man showed no fear. He raised his mace, blocking left and right. Thump! Thump! Two bolts were deflected mid-air.
His reflexes and perception were beyond ordinary martial artists.
And that wasn't all—his left hand moved at the same time, reaching out in a twisting grab, capturing the last bolt mid-air. With a sudden spin, he flung it like a dart—straight toward Zhou Pan.
The fluid motion was clean and deadly—swift as flowing water.
Smack!
But Zhou Pan was no ordinary man. He raised his hand and caught the incoming bolt right at his brow. With a squeeze—crack!—the shaft snapped in half. A glint of murderous intent flared in his eyes.
Then, with a sudden push of his legs, he shot forward.
It was the same Ape-Leap Technique, but executed with unmatched mastery.
In the mountain forests, apes leapt between cliffs and branches. As the saying goes, "A thousand monkeys leaping through cassia trees, a single line to the heavens"—a testament to their agility.
Zhou Pan's jump burst forth with inner strength. Like a spring-loaded bolt, he soared out of the hall.
Apes leapt with their bodies forward, arms reaching. Zhou Pan did the same, meeting the scar-faced youth mid-air. His right claw slashed for the opponent's face.
His timing was impeccable—perfectly honed.
Even though the youth had a weapon, it wouldn't help him here.
If he reacted too slowly, his eyes would be gouged out or his skull shattered.
If he defended, Zhou Pan would seize the arm or weapon and use Bone-Twisting Joint Locks to subdue him.
Zhou Pan leaned toward the second outcome.
Because just behind that youth stood the wandering doctor.
Though the doctor lacked magical powers, a martial artist's instincts were sharp. He could also sense the middle-aged man's threat. Capturing the young one might provide leverage.
Their movements happened in a flash—quicker than breath.
The crowd began to realize that this youth was no amateur. His movements were laced with refined internal strength—likely peak Dark Force.
But against Zhou Pan, it wasn't enough.
The old "monkey" was already a Transforming Force master. His power and intent were fused into one. When fighting, he appeared casual, but each move was rich with depth. Like water—flowing into any shape, depending on what it encountered. That was the essence of "transformation."
Even the strongest Dark Force could be effortlessly dissolved.
Yet when Zhou Pan's claw came down, the youth didn't dodge. Instead, he ducked low, chest tucked in, exposing his back.
What kind of strange technique was this?
The back was a vital area—Zhou Pan could easily shatter his spine with a palm strike.
This wasn't martial arts—this was suicide!
Everyone looked on in shock, but Zhou Pan's face twisted in alarm.
He was closer. He saw it more clearly.
The young man's back was oddly humped—squared and solid—clearly concealing some kind of device.
A wave of dread surged through Zhou Pan. But it was too late. He was still mid-air and couldn't change course. He could only cross his arms to protect his vitals.
Too late.
The young man had already hooked a ring inside his sleeve with his left hand—and yanked.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion. Smoke erupted. Shrapnel burst outward.
He really had a device hidden in his back—an iron plate on the bottom, a spring-loaded needle launcher on top, mixed with gunpowder that spewed thick smoke.
"It's poisonous—fall back!" Li Yan shouted.
Everyone inside panicked and scrambled to retreat. But a few constables closest to the blast didn't react in time. They inhaled the toxic smoke—faces turned crimson, noses bled, hands clutched their throats as they hacked violently.
And the unluckiest of all—Zhou Pan.
Though he came from a martial arts school and roamed the jianghu, he always followed the old-school ways. Ever since becoming head of the Divine Fist Guild, he'd lived a cushy life and rarely fought.
He had never encountered such reckless, deadly methods.
Even a Transforming Force expert was still flesh and blood.
At this range, nearly all the needles pierced his body.
The poison coating them wasn't lethal, but it seared the nerves like red-hot needles stabbing into his flesh.
"AHHHHH—!"
Even Zhou Pan couldn't help but scream.
That scream shattered his focus—and he inhaled a lungful of poison smoke.
The youth's lips were bloodied from the blast, but his eyes only grew more vicious. His legs tensed—and he shot forward.
Right hand raised, he struck with the Chasing Moon technique—borrowed from swordplay.
No one noticed that he had triggered another mechanism on his mace.
BANG!
The blow landed squarely on Zhou Pan's chest.
Already weakened by poison and pain, Zhou Pan's defenses failed. A sickening crack echoed as his ribs shattered.
But it wasn't over.
The spiked mace—the "garlic-clove hammer"—sank inward from the impact, revealing a dark hollow inside. A muffled boom followed—more smoke.
Zhou Pan froze in place.
He stared down in disbelief. A fist-sized hole had opened in his chest.
"Killer… from Chang'an… Fire Ghost…"
The youth scoffed, turned, and walked away.
Such brutal, merciless methods stunned everyone in the hall. Though the poison smoke had cleared, not one dared chase after him. They could only watch as the youth and the wandering doctor disappeared.
Thud!
Zhou Pan collapsed, face turning a ghastly black—dead.
Zhang Shitong's scalp tingled as he turned to his father. "Father, have you ever seen such a thing?"
Old Master Zhang frowned deeply. "Never."
Li Yan, on the other hand, picked up a bloodied iron ball from the floor. His eyelids twitched as he muttered, "Damn it… even this has started showing up…"
——
"You should've seen it!" Sha Lafei was spitting everywhere in excitement. "Gunpowder, poison needles, toxic smoke—real killer stuff. With just that, a Dark Force martial artist turned Zhou the Monkey into a pincushion…"
"Zhou Monkey was always scheming—trying to buy off every faction, playing tricks on Brother Yan. Never thought he'd die to some other enemy."
Wang Daoxuan, pale but awake on the kang bed, sighed. "The sun shines long because it follows nature. The seasons flow because of their order. Those who lack the virtue to match their status… will always suffer retribution."
Sha Lafei snorted, "With underlings like his, it was only a matter of time."
He turned his head. "Brother Yan, what are you staring at?"
Li Yan stared solemnly at the iron ball. He shook his head. "Nothing… I just underestimated how dangerous the jianghu really is. I'll have to be more careful."
Firearms.
He should've expected this.
Ever since the court opened the seas, merchant fleets had spread across the oceans. Cannons were everywhere—so guns and firearms weren't that rare anymore.
But—firearms were banned for civilians. And in a world where martial arts thrived, conventional guns were little better than exotic throwing weapons.
Still, things were changing.
That scar-faced youth's back-mounted device was basic black powder, but the gunpowder in his mace was much stronger—and had a different scent.
Combined with martial arts, such weapons were deadly. Even Zhou Pan couldn't withstand it.
From the looks on everyone's faces, this was the first time they'd seen something like this.
Which meant… this new-style gunpowder had only just emerged.
And after this incident, the Changan Commandery Guard had sent out a large search team, even sealed the city gates. The priest Qingyangzi from the City God Temple had been ordered to use magic to track them.
But those two had already vanished without a trace.
All signs pointed to one conclusion—the court already knew about this new gunpowder. In fact, it probably originated from inside the government, which explained their panic.
If Li Yan's guess was right, the world was about to change.
Firearms capable of killing Transforming Force masters… if the court mass-produced them, it would tighten their grip over the martial world.
And secrets never stay buried. Once this tech spread, many things would shift.
Take that rescue mission, for example…
Chen Fagui had used explosive packs and puppetry. If he had this new-style powder in his puppets, they might've been the ones to die.
And there was still the true culprit behind his father's death—Maitreya Sect!
The thought gave Li Yan a headache.
Seeing his frown, Sha Lafei quickly changed the subject and laughed, "Well, at least Zhou Pan's dead. We can finally sleep soundly. Let's head back to Xianyang today!"
*(End of Chapter)*