Corrupt Mind

Huan Chao caught the first punch thrown by his opponent. The one he threw was also blocked by his opponent. They approached each other as a battle of strength began between them.

Huan Manchu said, "I have been waiting for this moment for 20 years. I have never for a moment forgotten what you did to me."

Huan Chao had a different answer. "I had forgotten even you. The boy told me you went out last time. I forgot again. Otherwise I would have come early."

The muscular man's face became even uglier. He angrily pushed Huan Chao back and hit him with a large stone he picked up nearby. The potbellied man crossed his arms in front of him and shielded himself. He was dragged back as the stone shattered. Immediately Huan Manchu jumped up and punched him hard, knocking him to the ground.

Meanwhile, the other young men surrounded Huan Wei again. The young man's only weapon was his dagger. His sword was bent. The other dagger had also dropped.

Still, he recognized something in the people in front of him. If he walked through it, he might succeed. "Listen to me," he said, holding out his hands towards them. "None of you know Huan Manchu. He has only been out of prison for a few days. Are you really going to kill for him?"

"You don't know him either. If you knew what he was capable of, you wouldn't talk like that."

"Make up your minds. Huan Manchu is a murderer. What crime do you think got him 20 years in prison? And now he's here to commit murder. To kill me, whom Huan Fu is protecting. What do you think the outcome will be?"

The three young men looked at each other without attacking him. Huan Wei continued to speak. "If it is found out, you will all be executed, especially Huan Manchu. Many people have come here. The families of the dead will wonder what happened. The forest will be investigated and everything will be revealed."

"You killed them, you fool!" someone shouted. Meanwhile, Huan Chao was throwing Huan Manchu against a rock.

"Do you think Huan Fu will forgive you because I killed them?" Huan Wei spoke up. "I was defending myself and you know it. I killed those who came here to kill me, but now we have a chance."

Huan Chao extended his fist and an invisible force knocked Huan Manchu meters away. When the man got up from the ground, the ominous feeling emanating from him increased. Huan Manchu seemed to be losing himself more and more. He was attacking in a frenzied rage. Huan Chao began to lose battles of strenght with him. A punch to the face broke his nose and he rolled on the ground.

"Look at him." Huan Wei pointed at Huan Manchu. "He knows the punishment he will receive if this gets out. Do you believe he will leave you alive after he kills us?"

No one made a sound. None of them were sure.

"No, he won't." Huan Wei continued. "He will kill you too, and he will clear himself by blaming it on you, on us. You will have died for nothing."

"Then we'll run away," said one of the young men. "We'll call the guards. They'll catch you in the act. We haven't hurt anyone."

"That's where you are wrong." Huan Wei shook his head from side to side. "If you leave, my father and I will kill Huan Manchu. Then I will come and tell Huan Fu what you have done. You cannot escape punishment. But I am giving you two options.

"Kill us and Huan Manchu will kill you. He will be the only winner...

"Or join us and kill Huan Manchu and put the blame on him. That way we'll be in the clear and no one will be punished."

One of the young men pointed his gun at Huan Wei. "Or we kill you and run away. That way you can't tell anyone anything. Then we can tell what Huan Manchu did and send him to death row."

Huan Wei laughed. "Yes, that is an option. But remember this. If I am to die, I will take at least one of you with me. So if anyone of you is stupid enough to want to die for Huan Manchu, whom he only knew yesterday, let him attack first."

No one attacked. They looked at each other and then at Huan Manchu fighting Huan Chao. The winner of the battle was definitely Huan Manchu. Huan Chao was almost beaten. The drunken man was not in shape to fight someone like that.

"Be smart," said Huan Wei. "If we all unite, he doesn't stand a chance against us. He dragged you after him by force. Don't you want revenge on him?"

One of the young men spoke again. "What about Huan Quon? He wanted us to do this."

Huan Wei shrugged. "It's simple. You go to Huan Fu and report him. You say he tried to force you to go with Huan Manchu, but you wouldn't go. When everyone who went turns up dead and Huan Manchu takes the blame, Huan Fu will no longer show mercy to Huan Quon. You don't know it, yet Huan Fu is already tired of what Huan Quon is doing. He won't want to deal with it anymore."

"His father will never allow it."

"A rich merchant or the representative of the Great Sword Palace? Which is higher?"

Huan Wei's question confused them. Of course the representative of the Great Sword Palace was higher. No matter how rich Huan Quon's father was, he couldn't go against Huan Fu.

"What is your answer? Are we going to kill each other in vain or are we going to be victorious?"

While they were talking, Huan Chao had Huan Manchu on the ground. He immediately sat on his chest and started punching him. It was like a street fight between fist users who had no martial training.

Huan Manchu raised his arms and defended his face. Eventually he grabbed Huan Chao by the throat and threw him off with a hard punch to the mouth. One of the potbellied man's teeth was knocked out.

"Give your answer. If we wait any longer, we lose our chance." Huan Wei made them hurry. There was no time to think long and hard. If Huan Chao was unable to fight, they could not touch Huan Manchu.

"Okay," they said. "We don't want to die for this man."

"Then move forward."

Huan Wei found his crooked sword, picked it up and straightened it by pressing on it with his foot. It was not the same as before, but it was still serviceable. Meanwhile, the other young men surrounded Huan Manchu. When the muscular man turned his head to look at them, they all pointed their weapons at him.

As Huan Chao recovering, Huan Manchu stopped fighting and turned to them. "What cowards. Are you going to attack me?"

Huan Wei straightened his sword and pointed it at him. "We will not attack you, Huan Manchu. We will bury you here."

They all attacked at the same time. Huan Wei thrust his sword forward, but Huan Manchu stepped aside and parried it. After catching a spear in his hand, he staggered from the cuts he had received on his leg. Four young men surrounded him.

The one with the spear attacked again. Huan Manchu parried him, yet this time Huan Wei swung the sword held in both hands and cut his back. The others scratched his arms. The man was very tough. This was how much Body Tempering could increase one's fighting strength.

At that moment, Huan Chao also recovered and thrust his fist forward. "Ghost Fist!"

Huan Manchu was struck by an invisible force and thrown forward. He came to a stop against a tree. He punched the ground in anger as he got to stand up. He hadn't expected the idiots he had brought with him to turn against him. How had this boy convinced them?

He was laughing when he stood up. No one attacked him. Huan Chao slowly came to the front. Huan Manchu was laughing.

"You know, Huan Chao, after you sent me to prison, I couldn't choose a path. Cultivation was forbidden there. So I stayed in the Explorer stage for 20 years. When I got out, my friends bought me pills to cleanse my body. When I was using them in the forest, I realized something." He spread his hands wide. "Our forest is not so innocent. There is a Corrupt Region in it."

The young people were astonished. There was nothing but simple energy fields in this forest. How could there be a Corrupt Region?

Huan Wei became even more serious. He knew that the place where he had entered the Traveler stage had become a Corrupt Region. He didn't know the real reason for it, yet it was there. Yuchi Meizhen also thought that there shouldn't be a Corrupt Region in this forest. But the demon they had encountered in the cemetery had invalidated that thought. Demons could only be born in Corrupted Regions.

The ominous feeling emanating from Huan Manchu suddenly multiplied. Even though the man was laughing, they could all see that he was seething with rage. His hatred for Huan Chao prevented him from thinking straight.

"But the Gods smiled on me!" he exclaimed. "I, Huan Manchu! I found the Corrupt Region and entered the Path of the Blood! I am greater than all of you!"

As the man lost himself a little more, blood began to flow from the corner of his right eye. He was laughing loudly, becoming more and more insane. When his gaze finally met Huan Chao's again, all the young men took a step back.

He began to angrily run towards them as his mind was invaded by the corrupt Qi.