According to Xi Yan, the man she had helped, the people currently surrounding them were disciples of the Blood Serpent Sect. A white, horned serpent emblem was visible on their backs. At first, Cang Er had no idea what it meant until she was told.

  Their five-year-old daughter cried loudly at the chaos, but Xi Yan quickly pulled his wife and child to hide. Now, only Cang Er stood bravely against the seven rough-looking men from the Blood Serpent Sect.

  "You're asking for death, girl," said a tall, bald man. He wielded a long chain weapon with a spiked iron ball at the end, looking incredibly heavy. "We only came for that Xi fellow. Why are you interfering?"

  "Do you think I'll just stand by and let evil unfold right in front of me? Keep dreaming!" Cang Er snapped. "Now, I am your opponent."

  The bald man's eye twitched. "If you insist." He then gestured with his hand, signaling his men to attack.

  They showed no regard for martial ethics whatsoever. Against a mere young girl like Cang Er, the Blood Serpent disciples had no qualms about ganging up. Six men, armed with swords and sabers, quickly surrounded her.

  Cang Er dodged a thrust, only to face a saber swing that nearly grazed her chest. She struck back to her right at the swordsman, but a blunt strike from another saber landed on her leg.

  She gasped as her body was suddenly lifted and slammed onto the ground.

  "Kill her!" someone shouted.

  Cang Er's eyes widened as she saw the glinting weapons poised to pierce her stomach. She rolled in a random direction, parrying as best she could. By the time she got back on her feet, blood had already stained her leg and left arm.

  "Bastards," she muttered as the six men charged again.

  Summoning all her strength, she unleashed her father's martial art, Falling Star. This formidable technique was anything but weak; in the right hands, it could be terrifyingly powerful.

  However, Cang Er was no Lu Kwan, the master of Falling Star. She had yet to grasp even a quarter of its full potential due to its immense difficulty. Furthermore, her internal energy control was not strong enough to defeat six Blood Serpent disciples at once.

  While her movements became more refined, they lacked substance. For the first three moves, her opponents were caught off guard, but soon, they began to see the openings in her attacks and exploited them.

  As Cang Er slashed, she left a wide opening from her armpit to her right waist. One man blocked her blade while another thrust at her ribs from the right.

  "Aahhh!" she screamed in terror, leaping backward. Had she been just a fraction slower, her chest would have been skewered from the side.

  She had to block again as a saber came at her from behind. Unable to fully evade the next sword strike from the left, a deep cut appeared on her cheek. Her robe was torn at the back by a saber swing she hadn't even seen, narrowly missing her spine.

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  Within ten moves, Cang Er's attire was in tatters, her vision darkening. Blood soaked her body from head to waist.

  Despite the excruciating pain, Cang Er remained standing.

  "A truly tenacious warrior," the bald man remarked, signaling his men to step back. He bowed slightly. "You have my respect."

  Panting heavily, her sword barely keeping her upright, Cang Er scoffed, "To hell... with your... respect...."

  "I shall end your suffering." The bald man raised his chain weapon, spinning it faster and faster. "Remember my name. I am Mu Lin Dong, head disciple of the Blood Serpent Sect."

  "I fear you not," Cang Er forced herself to lift her sword. "Come at me!"

  However, her vision only grew darker. Just before everything went black, she caught sight of Lin Dong swinging his chain. But before it could reach her, a man dressed in white intercepted the attack. Then, another white-clad figure, an elder, struck Lin Dong from the side.

  After that, her world turned to darkness.

  ***

  What should have been a two-day journey had taken far longer due to frequent stops for training. Even after two weeks, they had yet to reach the Mystic Devil’s abode.

  Yang Feng kept assuring him they were close,very close, in fact. Yet, Long Wei saw no signs of "closeness."

  Even so, Long Wei had to be grateful to Yang Feng, for this long journey had granted him immense benefits. The internal energy within him had grown purer and stronger,at least, that was what Yang Feng claimed. He was now practicing how to strike using that internal energy while maintaining his daily meditation every morning and night.

  "Why morning and night?" Long Wei asked, still confused. "Before this, you told me to meditate all day."

  "Morning sunlight strengthens your bones," Yang Feng explained. "At night, especially during a full moon, moonlight enhances your internal energy."

  "Then why didn’t you tell me this from the start? Why only three days ago?"

  "Ah, well, that’s my own foolishness." Yang Feng scratched his graying head. "More importantly, we’re out of money. We need to find work in the village so we don’t starve."

  As they stepped into a small village, Long Wei still didn’t quite understand. "We can hunt for food. We don’t really need money, do we?"

  Yang Feng shook his head. "Right now, we do. We need to buy at least two more sets of clothing so we’re not always wearing the same ones." The old man sniffed his robe and immediately grimaced. "The smell is unbearable."

  Long Wei did the same and had to agree. "How many days has it been since we last washed these?"

  "Two, I think. The last time we found a stream was four days ago. That’s why we need more clothes,so we have something to wear while one set is being washed. Imagine if an enemy attacked while we were stuck wearing just our undergarments. That would be disgraceful."

  Yang Feng led Long Wei to a small restaurant. It looked wealthier compared to the simple village houses. He grinned widely.

  "A perfect place to work in exchange for money."

  "Do we even know how to cook?"

  "I meant washing dishes. Look at how busy it is. The dishwasher must be overwhelmed. Come on, let’s help!"

  "And what about you?"

  "I’ll sit and wait for you to finish and get paid." Yang Feng chuckled.

  Long Wei sighed but didn’t argue. The old man was eccentric,he always made Long Wei work in villages, yet never lifted a finger himself.

  As soon as they stepped inside, a loud slap echoed through the restaurant, stunning everyone.

  "You’re coughing up blood, and your body looks terrible! Look at your pale face, your frail frame, the dark circles under your eyes! Keep working, and you’ll be dead in three days from exhaustion!" shouted an elderly man from behind the curtain separating the dining area from the kitchen.

  "And who are you?" another man retorted. "She’s helping her parents."

  "A disgraceful father! Forcing a sick child to work? Fight me! If you win, you can keep your beautiful daughter!"

  "Damn you!"

  Long Wei was shocked as a fat man was sent flying from behind the curtain, one of his eyes swollen shut.

  Shortly after, a hunched, cross-eyed old man emerged.

  Before Long Wei could react, Yang Feng leaned in, whispering with a pleased tone, "That’s the Mystic Devil."