Chapter 28: The Storm Arises

"What? Wasn't he just…"

"Old man, are you getting senile? Besides you two, who else is here?"

The tall and thin leader said this, but he cast a few glances into the dilapidated temple.

When he saw that indeed no one else was present, he turned back to glare fiercely at the old man, raising his short-handled axe, ready to attack.

As someone seasoned in the Jianghu, Bai Yichen, having also entered the Sitting and Forgetting Heart Refinement method, naturally wouldn't act recklessly over mere passersby. Who was right and who was wrong had nothing to do with him.

He had long sensed the atmosphere change when those three people broke through the temple door, and when he noted the expressions of the old man and the girl.

Combining these observations, Bai Yichen guessed that tonight he had likely encountered a pursuit in the Jianghu.

He quickly performed a Bagua Cicada Leap, using the sound of the rain and the night to conceal his form and unobtrusively leaped onto a beam.

He planned to observe the situation first.

However, sometimes in the Jianghu, even if you do not seek trouble, trouble will come to find you.

Bai Yichen looked at the strands of translucent silk threads near the beam, glimmering silver under the moonlight, and knew that he could not escape today.

However, this resembled the Jianghu technique he had heard about over a hundred years ago called "Thousand Spider Hands."

Unfortunately, the five below were blinded by their own concerns and were still entangled, unaware they had already become prey waiting for the hunter.

As for him, was he like a fish in troubled waters due to a city gate catching fire?

Suddenly, Bai Yichen noticed a thread passing right next to the position of the triangular-eyed man.

A plan formed in his mind. He picked up a small fragment and, with a flick of his finger, struck the triangular-eyed man on the ankle.

"Ah!"

Everyone turned around.

The triangular-eyed man stumbled, a long streak of blood appearing on his leg.

The silver thread was also revealed to everyone, stained with blood droplets.

"What is this thing?"

The tall, thin leader suddenly felt that today's pursuit seemed off.

"This... it must be that young hero's doing! You all hurry and retreat!"

The old man's eyes darted, and he shouted immediately.

"Are you coming or not?"

Bai Yichen fixed his gaze on the temple door, as if waiting for something.

...

In the deep night, the howling wind carried the torrential rain, continuing to patter.

Outside the dilapidated temple, a tall figure stood alone by a crooked old tree amidst the overgrown weeds.

The wildly swaying shadows seemed to envelop the broken temple.

"My silk threads have moved; have they already started fighting?"

"Whatever, they're just a few with Acquired minor skills. It shouldn't amount to much."

Then the figure leaped, sending up a splash of water as he quickly darted toward the temple.

...

After a moment of stalemate, the stout man seized a large knife and swung it toward the old man.

In an instant, the tall, thin man and the triangular-eyed man followed suit. Suddenly, the temple was filled with flashes of blades and the sounds of killing.

Fortunately, the triangular-eyed man's leg was injured, making his movements sluggish.

The old man unleashed a skillful Tiger Fist, but regrettably, with only one person, it seemed difficult to contend against four.

He was on the verge of a precarious situation.

The triangular-eyed man saw the old man entangled with the two others and decided to take another route. Licking his lips, he leered as he approached the young lady.

The girl appeared to have no martial foundation and, weakened from the rain, barely mustered the strength to grab some twigs from the fire and throw them at the triangular-eyed man.

"Ha! You little missy, just surrender to us, won't you?"

The triangular-eyed man sidestepped the soft sparks easily, then, resorting to intimidation, lunged at the girl like a hungry wolf, knocking her to the ground.

The old man, still struggling, widened his eyes in anger.

"Miss! Please, young hero, lend a hand! My lady is Zhang Feiyan, the legitimate daughter of the Zhang family from Dongjiang County! We were harmed by villains in the mountains today, and we implore your assistance. The Zhang family will surely reward you greatly!"

Zhang Feiyan, resembling a sheep, seemed to come to her senses from her sobbing.

Quickly, she managed to utter with her only remaining strength, "My great-aunt is Daoist Mo Mei from Yukun Mountain. She is fierce against evil and will not spare you!"

However, those words were useless to the three men, for who knew where they would go after this job?

Instead, it provoked their brutality.

The triangular-eyed man, with a sinister and ferocious expression, sneered, "In such a large Huangshi Mountain, what does it matter if a few people die? We can just feed your corpses to tigers and wolves, and no one will notice!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Yichen retracted his gaze from the door he had been staring at.

He had initially not wanted to get involved in this dispute, but upon hearing Zhang Feiyan's identity, he could no longer remain a bystander.

Moreover, it was a good opportunity to learn about the situation in Jiangzhou.

Bai Yichen's lips moved slightly as three copper coins appeared in his hand.

With a flick of his wrist, the three coins shot out like concealed weapons.

The wispy clouds played tricks, and flying stars carried resentment.

The copper coins traced three arcs in the air, unexpectedly lightly touching, and firmly embedded themselves.

Boom!

A thunderclap rumbled across the pitch-black sky outside, illuminating the interior of the temple in blinding light.

It revealed the words "Great Xia Tongbao" on the front of the copper coins.

The three would-be assailants, their eyes filled with disbelief and terror, collapsed to the ground in front of the astonished old man and girl, their blood pouring from their brows.

"Wuliang Tianzun, under this vast sky, how could I allow you villains to commit evil?"

Then, Bai Yichen leaped down, casually reciting a slogan befitting his identity as a Daoist from the Xuan Zhen Temple.

"Thank you for your great kindness, Daoist!"

The old man was quick to react, hurriedly changing his form of address as he pulled Zhang Feiyan to thank Bai Yichen.

"It's not over yet, is it, my friend outside?"

Bai Yichen turned to the increasingly dense threads surrounding him and said calmly.

Suddenly, a gust of wild wind surged in through the cracks of the broken door and the hole in the window, bringing with it a chill.

"What an impressive throwing technique, little Daoist. It's making me feel rather eager, but it's a pity for those three useless ones. What will you use to compensate me?"

Outside the window, amidst the howling wind and torrential rain, came a voice like a nightingale, alluring and captivating.

"If they are useless, I'll help you deal with them. Shouldn't you pay me for that?"

Bai Yichen circulated the Sitting and Forgetting Heart Refinement method, suppressing the stirring heat in his heart, and said coldly.

So she even possesses seductive skills.

Moreover, Bai Yichen could smell something unusual in the air, seemingly emanating from the silk threads.

They were likely laced with poison.

This woman could attach her internal energy to the silk threads and manipulate them freely; her strength must be Acquired Perfected.

A Great Success Acquired practitioner can only attach their internal energy to a weapon and use it straightforwardly. Only after reaching Acquired Perfected can one manipulate it freely and play more tricks.

Well then, I might as well use her to test out the new move I just learned.

Bai Yichen made a quick decision.