Chapter 31: Killed!!

The escort agency.

As soon as Lu Xuan walked through the gate, Ye Qingyi walked over from the courtyard.

"How is Xiao Lin?"

Lu Xuan glanced at this woman who was usually stern and always wore an indifferent expression. Although she didn't show any expression at this moment, when she asked that question, her voice was a little softer than usual.

"He was stabbed three times, but thankfully, none of the wounds hit his vital organs. His father wasn't so lucky... his leg was broken. His younger sister, at least, escaped unharmed."

Ye Qingyi fell silent. Her expression remained cold and unreadable, but a faint tension tightened her features. After a moment, she asked quietly,

"Was it Huo Tianba?"

"Yes."

Ye Qingyi didn't ask anything else, but as Lu Xuan walked past her, she suddenly spoke up.

"It hasn't been peaceful lately... You should be careful too."

Lu Xuan turned his head and looked at her. Ye Qingyi didn't look at him and simply turned to leave.

"I know."

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Late at night, at the back wall of the escort agency, a dark figure vaulted over the wall and landed without a sound.

It was Huo Tianba.

The leader of Flying Cloud Fortress, who was a dignified overlord just a few days ago, was now like a stray dog. His clothes were torn, his beard was unkempt, and his face was covered in mud, but his eyes were as bright as a wolf's.

He hid in the woodshed in the backyard of the escort agency, crouching behind a pile of firewood and gasping for air.

"Damn it... A thousand silver pieces on my head brought so many people to hunt me down. I can't even get away. Those bastards from the Lu Family are to ruthless."

He gritted his teeth and cursed, then pulled half a flatbread from his chest and took a bite. The bread was as hard as a rock; he chewed it twice but couldn't swallow it.

Just then, a loud shout rang out.

"Who's there?!"

Duan Lei rushed out of the side room, holding his broadsword. He had drunk quite a bit of alcohol tonight, his face was as red as pig liver, and he was swaying as he walked. However, he had heard the commotion... and he knew there was a sound in the woodshed.

"Come out! I see you!"

Huo Tianba's expression changed. He threw away the piece of hard bread and stood up from behind the woodpile. The two men stared at each other.

Duan Lei was stunned for a moment, but then he laughed.

"Hahaha! Huo Tianba! I've been looking for you for three days, and you've actually delivered yourself to my doorstep!"

He raised his sword and charged forward drunkenly.

"A thousand silver pieces! It's mine!"

Huo Tianba didn't speak and drew a short blade from his waist. Duan Lei slashed down, fast and fierce, but Huo Tianba was faster.

He dodged to the side, the blade edge grazing his ear and hacking into the woodpile, sending wood chips flying.

Huo Tianba kicked Duan Lei in the stomach.

"Bang!"

Duan Lei flew backward, hit the wall, and his broadsword slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

"You—!"

Before he could climb up, Huo Tianba had already rushed forward and slashed his arm with the blade. Blood spurted out.

Duan Lei let out a miserable shriek, clutching his arm and shrinking back.

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"Don't... don't kill me!"

Huo Tianba sneered and slashed again, this time across his leg.

"With your third-rate skills, you still want to catch me?"

Duan Lei knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

"Spare me, Master! Spare me! I don't want the thousand silver pieces anymore! It's all yours!"

Huo Tianba looked down at him and spat.

"Trash."

He punched Duan Lei in the head. Duan Lei's vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Huo Tianba caught his breath, picked up the broadsword from the ground, and stood up. Just as he turned around, someone was standing at the door of the woodshed.

It wasn't an escort warrior, nor was it someone from the Lu Family.

It was Lu Xuan. He had followed the commotion and now stood in the moonlight, his gaze calm.

Huo Tianba stared at him for a moment before recognizing him as the escort agency's gatekeeper.

"You? Aren't you the gatekeeper here?"

Huo Tianba was stunned for a moment, then laughed. "A piece of trash, and you dare to stop me empty-handed? You're courting death!"

Lu Xuan didn't speak.

Huo Tianba raised his blade and charged at him. He slashed down, but Lu Xuan dodged to the side, the blade edge grazing his chest.

Huo Tianba missed his slash and was stunned. Before he could react, Lu Xuan was already right in front of him.

He punched him in the chest.

"Pfft—"

Huo Tianba spat out a mouthful of blood and flew backward, hitting the wall. He struggled to get up, but his chest had caved in, and several of his ribs were broken.

Huo Tianba's expression changed drastically as he suddenly remembered something.

"That shipment near Maple Leaf Town, did you kill all dozen of my brothers?"

The force behind this blow could not be mistaken. Previously, ten brothers had their chests hollowed out by a single punch, and he had specifically investigated the escort agency. There was no such person in the agency at all.

Who could have imagined that it was actually that most inconspicuous gatekeeper, that piece of trash?

Lu Xuan walked over and looked down at him.

"Those three stabs in Xiao Lin... were they your doing?"

Huo Tianba's eyes widened, but no words came out.

"And the pheasant... did you eat that as well?"

Huo Tianba didn't understand the question, but he understood the cold intent behind it. This man had already decided his fate.

"Don't... don't kill me... I'll give you silver!"

Lu Xuan didn't speak. He flicked his toe, and Duan Lei's broken blade flew into his hand. A flash of red light shone from the blade.

Demon-Subduing Righteous Sun Blade.

First Form: Demon Slayer.

He slashed once, cleanly and efficiently.

Huo Tianba's corpse collapsed to the ground, his eyes still wide open, frozen in fear and disbelief.

Lu Xuan sheathed the blade and turned around. He glanced at Duan Lei, who lay motionless on the ground.

Then he walked past him, his footsteps as light as a drifting feather.

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Some time passed.

Duan Lei opened his eyes; his head was buzzing, and his vision was blurry. He lay on the ground, his whole body aching as if he had fallen apart.

"Huo... Huo Tianba..."

He struggled to climb up and saw the corpse on the ground, Huo Tianba was dead.

His chest was caved in, there was a gash on his throat, and the blood had already drained out, Duan Lei was stunned.

Who killed him?

He had passed out earlier and hadn't seen that person's face. He only remembered being beaten down, and then... and then someone came.

While unconscious, he had only seen that the person's footsteps were very light, as if walking on cotton, Who exactly was it?

Why did they just leave like that?

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The next morning.

Duan Lei dragged his injured leg and limped into the Lu Family estate, "Huo Tianba! I killed him!"

He slammed Huo Tianba's short blade onto the table. Lu Tianhe looked at the blade, then at Duan Lei, his expression gloomy.

"You killed him?"

"Yes! I killed him!"

Duan Lei puffed out his chest, his voice so loud that it was as if he were shouting.

"I found him in the backyard of the escort agency last night, fought him for three hundred rounds, and killed him with one strike!"

Lu Tianhe stared at him.

Duan Lei did indeed have injuries... a slash on his arm, a slash on his leg, and bruises on his face. It looked like they were left from a fight.

"Where is the body?"

"At the gate!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Tianhe hurriedly took the clan Elder and rushed out to see. Sure enough, it was the leader of Flying Cloud Fortress, Huo Tianba.

Could he actually have killed Huo Tianba?

Lu Tianhe's eyes were full of suspicion, but the reward had already been issued, and the whole city knew about it. If they didn't pay, the Lu Family's reputation would be ruined.

"Give it to him."

The Elder took out a banknote and threw it over. Duan Lei's eyes lit up; he pounced on it and scrutinized the banknote in his hand.

"Many thanks, Patriarch Lu! Many thanks, Patriarch Lu!"

He stuffed the banknote into his pocket and limped away.

The Elder watched Duan Lei's retreating figure and said indignantly, "We're just going to let him keep it?"

"Let him have it for now."

Lu Tianhe continued watching Duan Lei disappear into the distance, his expression cold.

"For a fool like him, it doesn't matter how he takes it. We'll make sure he spits it back out."

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Duan Lei returned to the escort agency and began packing his belongings.

Old Guo limped after him.

"Brother Duan, are you leaving already?"

"Yes. Huo Tianba is dead, so it's time for me to leave. Tell Chief Fang for me—I won't be saying goodbye in person!"

Duan Lei tucked the banknote into his bundle and strapped it securely to his back. As he stepped out of the side room, he happened to see Lu Xuan sweeping the courtyard.

His gaze drifted downward.

Lu Xuan's footsteps were light, as though he were walking on cotton.

Duan Lei's pupils suddenly contracted.

That gait... It was exactly the same as the mysterious figure from the previous night.

A layer of cold sweat broke out across his back.

He slowly raised his head and looked at Lu Xuan.

At that moment, Lu Xuan also looked up and met his gaze. His eyes remained calm and utterly unreadable.

Duan Lei's breathing quickened. He shook his head violently.

"It's you... It's you! It has to be you!"

With that, he fled the escort agency like a madman.

Old Guo shouted after him,

"Brother Duan! Brother Duan! Slow down!"

But Duan Lei didn't even seem to hear him. He ran as though he had seen a ghost...

Behind him Lu Xuan sighed...