NOVPUB"Drink up! Drink up!"
Atop a mountain that was easy to defend but hard to attack, a group of men with various attires and fierce demeanors eagerly drank wine and devoured meat.
This was a band of mountain bandits in a stronghold often seen on the borderlands between two countries, evidently celebrating something.
"Hahaha! That so-called head of the South Cloud Escort Agency, daring to be arrogant and spout nonsense in front of our Black Hill Stronghold, not knowing how to spell ’death’. Now both the people and the goods are gone!"
The bandits of Black Hill Stronghold were all in high spirits, simply because they had recently plundered an escort team, reaping huge rewards—every one of them had received a bounty from the owner of the cottage.
"What is... that?"
One of the bandits, burping from the alcohol, shook his head and suddenly looked up into the sky with a startled expression.
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, enveloping the stronghold with shadow, obscuring the light even though it was still daytime—the interior of Black Hill Stronghold was plunged into darkness, where one could not see their own hand in front of their face. 𝘯𝘰𝑣𝘱𝑢𝘣.𝑐𝑜𝑚
"There’s someone... in the clouds!"
Some with sharper eyes widened in shock as they noticed a vague figure standing tall within the amassed dark clouds. The figure was seven feet tall, and even if only a silhouette was visible, its massive and robust body could be seen.
"Has the sky... fallen down?"
What made the flesh crawl was the way the clouds in the sky plummeted toward the ground as if the sky had collapsed, descending upon the stronghold below.
"Run!"
Some managed to react, desperately trying to flee, but there was nowhere to escape.
"Boom!"
The mass of dark clouds crushed down, sending the entire stronghold shaking violently. Houses and buildings collapsed under what seemed like a tremendous weight. Bandits were smashed into meat patties, unable to even let out a scream.
Subsequently, the clouds wriggled and absorbed the smashed bandits, wrapping around them and compressing them into tiny blood-red spheres.
From within the clouds, the towering figure beckoned, and the blood-red spheres—formed from the compressing of hundreds of people’s flesh and blood—fell into his palm. He opened his mouth wide, tossed them in, and with a gulp, swallowed them whole.
The dark clouds dispersed slightly, revealing the true form of the robust figure: a rugged, strong man in his thirties. His hair was unkempt, his clothes tattered, giving off the impression of a wild beast that devours raw meat and drinks blood.
"Tasteless... consider it an appetizer, a little snack then. Let’s see which Warrior Sect is lucky enough to catch my eye," the strong man licked his lips, an evil curve forming on the corner of his mouth.
As the strong man pondered where to feast next, his pupils suddenly contracted while he towered above. Sensing something, he noticed in a nearby forest, a pair of eyes staring at him—a person in a black robe.
Whoosh!
Without any hesitation, the robust man plunged from the clouds and landed in the forest, facing the black-robed person. The figure, more terrifying than a Demon Monster, knelt on one knee as if he had encountered a monarch or demon lord, a mix of excitement and fear in his voice: "Subordinate greets the Master of the Association!"
The robed figure stood silently—it was eerie. Dressed in a black robe, but the insides were filled with black mist instead of solid flesh, an ethereal presence. The pair of cold, light-golden eyes made one’s hair stand on end—it was like facing a higher-dimensional predator.
"Bei Yingkuang, it seems you’ve made considerable progress over these decades," said the black-robed person, his voice ringing directly in the strong man’s ears.
The robust man, Bei Yingkuang, quickly responded, "All thanks to the Master’s meticulous cultivation! Otherwise, I would not have achieved what I have today!"
The black-robed person nodded slightly with satisfaction at Bei Yingkuang’s humble and respectful demeanor.
"The Master... has come to find me personally? There must be a significant task!" Bei Yingkuang waited quietly, knowing that whenever the Master of the Association appeared, it was surely for something important.
The robe-clad figure said calmly, "I want you to deal with someone."
Upon hearing this, Bei Yingkuang relaxed, grinning: "Just command me, Master! Below a Martial Saint, no matter who it is, I will bring their head to you!"
(Next chapter will be updated at 10:00 PM on the 31st on Qidian Chinese Network)
