Chapter 344 - 328: Is This a Disciple of the Guixi Sect?
"What the fuck?! You killed her? Are you fucking kill-stealing?!"
The shocked cry echoed the thoughts of countless City Patrol Guard players on the scene.
Some of the City Patrol Guards had just returned from a corpse run, while others had decided Ma Tietou was too tough to fight head-on. Their eyes darted about as the gears in their heads began to whir furiously.
Ma Tietou was an elite monster with high attack and high defense. He was a pain to fight, and what’s worse, he’d break your bones, making it easy to get yourself killed.
But this storyteller, Mu Ling, was another story entirely! With his squishy build, he looked like a gust of wind could knock him over. Wasn’t he just a weak, walking murderer? Arresting him would be free credit, wouldn’t it?
As a result, the mob that had been swarming Ma Tietou instantly split.
[One Sword Rules], [Righteous Light], and a portion of the City Patrol Guards were still doggedly fighting Ma Tietou, while the other opportunists howled and charged toward the lone figure of Mu Ling.
The officials, who had been loitering on the periphery in a poor imitation of an encirclement, were in fact just slacking off. Now, they finally found a way to feel useful.
’Arrest Ma Tietou? Are you kidding? If we get our bones broken, who’s going to take responsibility? If we die? Our monthly salary is peanuts. Why would we risk our lives for this?’
’But arresting Mu Ling? Heh, now that’s a surefire way to score some points.’
The iron rulers in the hands of the Chief Constable and the constables whistled through the air. They put even more distance between themselves and Ma Tietou, choosing to first apprehend this soft target... ah, no, this vicious, murderous storyteller, to prove that they hadn’t been slacking off the entire time.
Zhao Decang, meanwhile, hid behind a pillar at the entrance to the An Family residence, watching the officials’ movements without a word.
...
In the center of the fray.
Ma Tietou sent [Righteous Light] flying with a bone-shattering kick, panting heavily.
His gaze traveled past the crowd, landing and locking onto Liu Yue, who lay in a pool of her own blood.
Her simple white mourning clothes were now stained a glaring crimson by the blood pouring from her chest. The red was so vivid, so piercing, it made Ma Tietou’s eyes burn as if they were about to split open.
In a daze, he thought he could hear Liu Yue’s familiar scolding. ’Ma Tietou, you idiot! You can’t even handle something so simple!’
’Look at how clumsy you are. How are you ever going to survive without me?’
’She looked down on him, she called him stupid, but wasn’t she always the one to clean up his messes? Every time he got into trouble, she’d scold him endlessly while pulling out silver to make things right.’
’She was the only thing he had to live for here!’
’And now, she was dead?’
’Dead, just like that. Right in front of him, by the blade of that scrawny storyteller.’
Ma Tietou let out a roar, his grief transforming into primal strength.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!! ALL OF YOU, GET OUT OF MY WAY!!"
With the City Patrol Guards splitting their forces, and with many AFK players either getting killed in the crossfire or logging in just to scramble out of the way, the encirclement finally showed an opening.
Ma Tietou abandoned all defense, letting several weapons hack into his back. He recklessly unleashed a signature skill of the Bone-Breaking Lineage, brutally snapping the arms of two players in his path. He even snatched a cleaver from one of them and carved a bloody path forward!
He now had only one target: Mu Ling!
...
A three-pronged attack.
The greedy ropes of the players, the heavy shackles of the officials, and the murderous rage of Ma Tietou, who wanted him dead a thousand times over.
All three forces converged on Mu Ling.
Mu Ling simply knelt where he was, not even lifting a hand to defend himself.
’My vengeance is complete, my purpose fulfilled.’
’Yao’er has been avenged. The venomous bitch is dead. There is nothing left for me in this world.’
’Dying here might be a release in itself...’
Mu Ling slowly closed his eyes, awaiting the final moment.
However.
"WHOOSH—!!"
A sharp sound cut through the noisy Spirit Hall. A Wooden Sword buried itself in the stone bricks right in front of Mu Ling!
"BOOM!!"
A shockwave rolled out, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Mu Ling is now a disciple of my Guixi Sect!"
"Who dares lay a hand on him?!"
The players who had been baying for the murderer’s blood screeched to a halt when they saw Su Ling’er descend from the sky. The looks on their faces were priceless.
"???"
"How the fuck did he suddenly become a member of the Guixi Sect? Did he get an official invite?!"
"You’ve got to be kidding me. Was killing Liu Yue the hidden requirement to join the Guixi Sect?!"
"What the fuck! If I’d known, I would’ve killed that bitch myself! A rare chance to ride the Guixi Sect’s coattails, and it gets snatched by some NPC?!"
"The salt is real! I’m so pissed! I’m rage quitting!!"
The players stamped their feet and beat their chests, so jealous they could spit blood. Mu Ling, however, remained kneeling, his expression numb, completely unresponsive.
The officials who had hoped to score an easy arrest were so terrified their legs gave out, and their weapons clattered to the ground.
Zhao Decang wiped the cold sweat from his brow. ’Good heavens, why is she back!’ he thought. ’Are those young dandies... still alive...?’
The entire Spirit Hall fell into a deathly stillness at this sudden turn of events. Before Miss Su, everyone, as if by silent agreement, froze in place.
Except for one person.
Ma Tietou.
He stared at the Wooden Sword barring his path, then at Mu Ling kneeling behind it. Instead of being deterred, the vicious light in his eyes grew even more crazed.
’I don’t care who you are,’ he thought. ’Even if the Jade Emperor himself showed up... I’d still kill him!’
Instead of retreating, he charged. Seizing the moment while everyone was stunned, he raised the cleaver and lunged at Mu Ling with the greatest speed of his life, bringing the blade down in a vicious chop!
The blade howled, carrying all of Ma Tietou’s hatred and brute strength. It was about to cleave the kneeling scholar in two.
However, just as the blade was inches from the top of Mu Ling’s head—
A gentle breeze blew past, and Su Ling’er appeared in front of Ma Tietou in a flash.
Su Ling’er once again raised her slender, pale right hand.
She made a fist and punched.
"BANG—!!!"
The instant that small, delicate fist made contact with Ma Tietou, his enormous body was sent flying backward before he could even scream.
"CRASH—!!!"
A tremendous crash echoed throughout the An Mansion!
Ma Tietou flew across half the courtyard and slammed into the An Family’s thick, brick courtyard wall!
Bricks shattered and dust flew.
The wall spiderwebbed with cracks centered on his point of impact. Rubble rained down, burying the lower half of his body.
"PTUI—"
Ma Tietou spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with several broken teeth. His head lolled to the side, his body embedded in the wall, on the verge of unconsciousness.
The scene fell utterly silent, leaving only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves.
After a full three seconds, the City Patrol Guard players snapped back to life and erupted in shock.
"Ho... ly... shit!!!"
"One punch?! It only took one punch?!"
"Wait, isn’t she a sword user?! Dozens of us have been wailing on this monster for ages, and we barely even scratched it! We just got a bunch of broken arms and legs for our trouble! And then Miss Su just walks up, throws out a basic attack, and one-shots the thing?!"
"Is this what a total stat check looks like? Is this what an Immortal can do?! Is this a disciple of the Guixi Sect?"