In the borderland between the Eastern Wilderness and the Ning Cang region, you could stumble upon the world-famous Silent Sea Forest. It’s the final pit stop for traders and wandering heroes before they venture into the realm of Yunzhou. Quite a bustling spot, if I may say!
Then came the wind.
The leaves rustled endlessly, sounding almost like waves crashing down.
Our buddy, Brother Shen Yunfei, hails from this illustrious place, known for its three-entry grand courtyard!
When the crew from Qingyuan Sect rolls into town, they’re naturally treated to the Shen family’s legendary hospitality.
Right then, Shen Yunfei was introducing his fellow disciples to his mother:
“This here is Brother Ouyang, the head honcho of Ruyi Peak. Not only is he super strong, but his painting skills? Absolutely exquisite.”
“Nice to meet you, Auntie.”
Ouyang bowed and whipped out an art book from his pocket:
“Auntie, I heard you run a bookstore, so I brought this art book for you…”
“We can chat about the bookstore later.”
Shen Yunfei cleared his throat and lowered his voice, “By the way, this is Ke… um? Where did he go?”
“They went to interrogate those assassins,” Ouyang replied.
“The mountain rain is about to come,” Shen Yunfei frowned and sighed, “Whenever this order comes out, it signals that Misty Rain Tower has some grand scheme. Brother Ke might struggle to get anything out of them.”
The assassins from Misty Rain Tower would rather bite the b*llet than spill their secrets. Once a traitor, your life would be worse than d*ath!
Ouyang nodded, adding, “So, Brother Ke still has… uh… what was it? Oh right, Plan B.”
“Plan B? What is that…?”
“It’s the fifth contingency plan.”
Ouyang lowered his voice, beckoning a few brothers to come closer. Just as he was speaking, he couldn’t help but let out a weird chuckle.
The more they listened, the weirder their expressions became.
In the distance, Shen Mama and Papa Shen exchanged glances.
“Dear, Qingyuan Sect is a prestigious righteous faction, right?” Shen Mama worried.
Papa Shen scratched his head, “I think so…”
He recalled the art book Ouyang had handed him and the bizarre bunch of tied-up men who were being escorted to the woodshed, gagged and looking like they were kidnapped for ransom.
Old Shen felt a bit uneasy.
At this moment, Shen Yunfei approached, “Dad, please cooperate a little later.”
“Uh?”
…
In the woodshed.
Ke Mo was sitting on a stool sipping tea, while Ying Bing stood at the door, sword in hand.
“You call yourself Bloodhand Buzzard? If you killed someone for every hair you lost, you’ve probably racked up quite the body count!” Ke, the young hero, said with a stern voice.
“Well… actually, I was taking a medicinal bath and accidentally swapped the body-strengthening elixir for hair removal cream, which is why I’ve lost all my hair,” Bloodhand Buzzard mumbled sheepishly.
“And you? d*ath’s Eye Blade? Your reputation on the dark side precedes you. Who sees you and doesn’t d*e?”
“My eyes just easily dry out… it’s a chronic dry eye condition. When the wind blows, I struggle to keep them open,” came the defensive reply.
“Jade-faced Flying Dragon, I hear you’ve even dared to intercept the King of South Border’s family? Pretty bold of you!”
Ke slapped the tea table, his frustration bubbling over.
How are these guys even managing to walk around and not get caught?
In every organization, there’s bound to be a mix of talents, and Misty Rain Tower was no exception.
“I, Qingyuan Sect, shall crush evil wherever it lurks!”
“So, what’s Misty Rain Tower doing in Yunzhou, and what are your plans? You might as well confess!”
“Given that your sins aren’t too grave, I might let you off easy.”
As his voice faded, they exchanged hesitant glances, unsure of how to respond.
The assassin wrapped in bandages scoffed, “You punk, how dare you interrogate us? Go ahead, k*ll us if you can! Or you’ll regret it when our experts arrive, and you’ll have nowhere to bury your dead!”
Being tied up like this? A total humiliation for a heartless assassin!
The others turned red with anger, feeling deeply insulted.
But wait…
Ying Bing’s piercing gaze swept over them, and they fell silent.
Silently glancing at each other, they remained tight-lipped. Living the easy life in the Tower was one thing, but spilling secrets? That would be worse than dying at Ke Mo’s hands.
“Since you refuse to comply…”
Ke Mo dusted off his clothing, stood up, and walked toward the door, signaling Ying Bing with a gesture.
Then, he stepped outside.
Ying Bing, expressionless, unsheathed her Tian Shuang sword and approached slowly.
Seeing her, the assassins suddenly regretted all their life choices. Jade-faced Flying Dragon was literally crying and shaking his head in horror.
Then out of nowhere…
Clang! Bam!
The sounds of a scuffle erupted outside, accompanied by shouting.
“Who are you?!” we heard Ke Mo’s voice.
“Haha, the one who’s going to take your life,” came a low, creepy voice.
Realizing something was off, Ying Bing darted out.
Boom—
Crack—
Smash—
In the courtyard, it seemed like a fierce battle had broken out!
Not long later, a hammer smashed through the air and crashed through the main door, leaving a gaping hole.
In came a figure cloaked in black, wielding an oddly-shaped hammer, exuding a deadly aura that sent chills down everyone’s spine.
“Don’t be scared, I’m not one of those types.”
He spoke in a deep voice.
“And you are…?”
“The Northwest Hammer King.”
The figure pulled out an emblem that verified his identity.
“Outside…”
“Handled! Now hurry and come with me.”
Bang!
Ying Bing’s sword clattered to the ground, lying there, lifeless as if it had lost its spirit.
Bloodhand Buzzard was astonished.
When did such a fierce newbie come along? Even that icy girl, who was impossible to beat, couldn’t take him on?
But the emblem wasn’t a fake!
No one dared doubt anymore, and once freed from their restraints, the disciples followed him.
On their way out, the Qingyuan Sect disciples tried to block them.
“Stop right there, you lunatic!”
Ouyang was the first to intercept.
But was swatted away by a single hammer, like a fly!
Pfft—
He coughed up bl**d, collapsing to the ground in a fit, limbs twitching. It looked like he might not survive.
The blocking disciples from Qingyuan Sect were no match for even a single hammer strike!
Shortly after, they fled into the Silent Sea Forest.
This forest was sprawling for miles; without a guide, you’d lose your way in the twisted paths, making pursuit nearly impossible.
Finally, they escaped to a safe spot with the Northwest Hammer King.
“Thank you for your help, Hammer King.”
Bloodhand Buzzard bowed, genuinely grateful.
A guy like this, if he rises up, might even surpass the Holy Maiden of Demonic Beings.
If only he could clench that golden opportunity…
“We’re all colleagues in the Tower, no need for thanks. I was just passing through.”
The Northwest Hammer King said coldly.
Feeling quite self-assured, he continued, “By the way, you guys are heading to Yunzhou, right? Is something going down in the Tower?”
“Don’t you know, Hammer King?” Jade-faced Flying Dragon looked confused.
A guy like him, being part of any division, must be a key player—he shouldn’t even miss the buzz about that storm brewing.
“I’m the champion of the Ziyang Mansion’s trial. Once the Ziyang branch fell apart, I still hadn’t found anyone from the organization.”
“Ohhh….”
They all had heard about the Ziyang Mansion incident and suddenly had expressions of sympathy.
“If it weren’t for that Shang Wu, you would have been soaring high by now, Hammer King.”
Thinking of earlier experiences, Bloodhand Buzzard and the others were seething with anger.
The Northwest Hammer King nodded, echoing their displeasure:
“That Shang Wu has humiliated me, beat me black and blue! Even forced me into the inner sanctum while hitting me and roasting me over a fire!”
“And… and even made me cook for her!”
The others gasped: “!!”
How tragic!
A killer reduced to cooking for someone, all while enduring everyday violence? This was beyond heartbreaking!
Even more astonishing, how did he escape from the hands of that female demon?
They felt an instant urge to forge a brotherly bond with the Northwest Hammer King.
“Don’t worry, Hammer King. Once you return to your organization, you’ll soar to greatness and wash away that shame!”
Soon after, they started spilling every bit of information they could muster, including the location of Misty Rain Tower in Yunzhou, the elites who’d gone there…
Lastly, Bloodhand Buzzard lamented, “Too bad you killed that Li Mo from Qingyuan Sect, Hammer King. If you’d left evidence behind, you could have collected quite the bounty.”
“Oh?”
The Northwest Hammer King seemed intrigued: “So Li Mo’s bounty is worth quite a lot?”
“Indeed, but…”
d*ath’s Eye Blade advised, “The county is already on lockdown; the garrison must have arrived. If we go now, it might be too late.”
“Right, too late.”
“Is Li Mo even dead?”
“What a shame; I wanted to deal with him personally.”
…
The vibe shifted; the group that had once seemed weak and helpless was now bubbling with murderous energy.
But before they could plan their next move, the Northwest Hammer King chuckled,
“No need to sweat; there’s no need to go looking.”
The group of assassins froze.
He pulled off his mask revealing his face, his expression playful, “Surprise! It’s me, Li Mo!”
The Qingyuan Sect disciples emerged from the trees, including the ‘dead’ Ouyang.
“…..”
The forest fell into silence.
The Northwest Hammer King, indeed, was Li Mo.
The assassins felt a chill run down their spines, their eyes wide as saucers.
What the heck? Were they fishing for trouble now?
