Chapter Forty-One: Su Dongli

The remaining members of the Ghost Gate knew well the formidable power of the old man. Seeing their leader had already retreated, they scrambled one after another into the surrounding mountain forest.

"You think you can leave right in front of me?" Su Dongli let out a cold snort. His figure vanished, and in the next instant, he appeared behind a man in black robes.

His fingertips were fitted with five sharp, claw-like blades. With a forward swipe, he drove them deep into the enemy's back. The man let out a pained groan and collapsed to the ground, gasping for his final breaths.

Yu Qi, surprised to see Su Dongli here, quickly shouted, "Uncle Su, don't kill them!"

Su Dongli didn't know what scheme Yu Qi was plotting, but since the boy had asked, he would simply spare their lives. Having dealt with the first, his figure flickered again, appearing behind another attacker.

The man stiffened, just about to turn and counter-attack, when a sharp pain erupted in his back. It felt as if a pair of giant hands were churning his internal organs. Blood spilled from the corners of his mouth as he slumped over, though he was not dead—merely stripped of his ability to fight.

Su Dongli continued his pursuit of the next target. Yu Qi walked over to the incapacitated, black-robed men. With Cold Frost gripped in his hand, he made a light stroke, ending their lives.

At that moment, a stream of intangible internal energy flowed into his chest. The Demonic Seed within him began to vibrate with excitement, as if a parched earth had finally received a torrential rain. This was exactly why he had asked Su Dongli to hold back. Relying on his own strength to fight them one-on-one might have been possible, but they would never grant him such an opportunity. He had to rely on Su Dongli’s overwhelming power to create these openings, allowing him to nourish the Demonic Seed.

By now, all the fleeing men in black had been neutralized by Su Dongli. After striking down the last one, Su Dongli leaped into the thickets to pursue the hat-wearing man of the "Qian" rank.

Yu Qi continued to harvest the lives of the Ghost Gate members one by one. As he felt the tremors of the Demonic Seed in his chest, a subtle sense of bloodlust began to stir in his mind.

Yu Qi felt no pity for those who sought to take his life; as assassins, they surely knew that they, too, might one day die by another's hand. Suppressing the urge to kill, he sheathed Cold Frost and walked over to Mu Qingnan. "Qingnan, are you alright?"

Mu Qingnan dispersed the remaining soldiers and looked at the three gashes on his abdomen. "Big Brother, that was too close. I was nearly gutted."

"Your combat experience is lacking. You must practice more when we return." Seeing that the injuries were not life-threatening, Yu Qi let out a sigh of relief.

From the nearby woods came a series of booming roars; clearly, Su Dongli was engaged in battle with the man in the conical hat. "Let’s go, Qingnan. Let’s find Uncle Su," Yu Qi said, leading the way.

When they arrived, the area was littered with broken branches, and a large patch of the grassy ground had been churned up. The old man stood there, his clothes slightly tattered, holding the neck of a man around thirty years of age.

"Uncle Su!" The two hurried to his side.

"Yu Qi, I’ve left this one with a breath of life as well," Uncle Su said, tossing the man to the ground and breathing heavily. "Why did you tell me not to kill them? You aren't feeling sympathetic toward them, are you?"

To sympathize with an enemy was to be cruel to oneself. Su Dongli did not want Yu Qi and Mu Qingnan to harbor such misplaced kindness.

"Don't worry, Uncle Su. The reason I asked you to spare them is that I have a sword that needs to absorb the internal energy of those I kill in order to grow." As he spoke, Yu Qi drew Cold Frost once more.

With a gentle sweep, a spray of blood painted the air, and the man was gone for good. Perhaps because this man’s cultivation was stronger, the energy absorbed by the Demonic Seed was even more substantial. It vibrated more violently than before, and Yu Qi hurriedly held it in his hand.

Having absorbed the energy of so many experts, the Demonic Seed had undergone a dramatic change. The blade, which had previously been thin as a sliver, had grown by more than ten centimeters. Yu Qi could now clearly see the sword's appearance: the edges were a vibrant, blood-red, while the center of the blade was pitch black—both beautiful and eerie.

"This sword... it possesses such potent demonic energy. Yu Qi, you must be very careful when using it." The moment Yu Qi revealed the blade, Su Dongli sensed the intense malevolent aura radiating from it. Like Mu Wenfeng, he feared that Yu Qi might be consumed by the demonic energy and eventually become a heartless monster.

"Don't worry, Uncle Su. This sword has been with me for a long time; I know my limits." Yu Qi smiled, his eyes fixed on the blade that had accompanied him for years.

"Let's go. It is time to return," Su Dongli said. Although the leader had escaped, they knew who had killed Huang Zaoze, which meant they had more or less completed their mission. The rest could be left to Mu Wenfeng.

On the road, Mu Qingnan suddenly asked, "Uncle Su, how did you know we were here?"

Su Dongli stroked his beard and chuckled, "I was following behind you the moment you left, you just didn't know it."

Yu Qi was startled. The old man had been following them for so long, and he hadn't noticed a thing. Just how powerful was Uncle Su?

After reaching Anli County, the group bought two horses and headed straight for Fenghua City. They didn't buy a third because Su Dongli had no use for one; his own speed already surpassed that of any horse.

During the journey back, Yu Qi learned from Su Dongli why he had been protecting them from the shadows. Yu Qi looked at Qingnan and asked, "Qingnan, think carefully. Have you offended anyone? If we don't root this person out, it will surely cause you no end of trouble in the future."

Mu Qingnan pondered for a moment. He truly couldn't think of anyone he had offended. Although he could be a bit overbearing at times in Fenghua City, he hadn't done anything truly heinous. Who could be so desperate to see him dead?

"Young Master, don't overthink it. Once we return, I will investigate, and we will have results soon," Su Dongli said from the side.

In truth, Mu Wenfeng had sent him to determine if there was indeed someone who desperately wanted Mu Qingnan dead. He must have held some clues; Mu Wenfeng would never allow his son to remain in danger. Once they returned, he would surely drag the mastermind out into the light.