Chapter 164: A Hollow Victory?
A powerful sense of danger washed over Shi Hao and Hou Bomin.
They felt a vortex of energy swirling around them, pulling them towards a fiery abyss.
They could no longer see Huang Facai, only feel themselves being torn apart, about to be crushed.
At the last moment, Shi Hao unleashed his Primordial Energy, his senses heightened, perceiving the subtle shifts in the energy flow, the direction of Huang Facai’s attack.
The Primordial Energy, attainable only by high-rank experts, proved invaluable.
He pinpointed Huang Facai’s location.
He struck, his sword a simple, direct slash, without any visible energy.
But the swirling black vortex around them distorted, and in that fleeting moment of distortion, Hou Bomin saw Huang Facai.
He lashed out, his iron chain shooting forward, the hook at its end aiming for Huang Facai’s throat.
Huang Facai couldn’t understand how Shi Chongyun’s simple sword strike had created an opening in his defenses.
This attack was completely different from Shi Chongyun’s previous moves.
It was a simple, direct slash, yet it seemed to warp space itself.
And because it hadn’t directly clashed with his palm force, Huang Facai, although puzzled, hadn’t realized it was a demonic technique.
Hou Bomin, a seasoned martial artist, instantly seized the opportunity created by Shi Chongyun’s attack, unleashing the power of the Constraining Rope Star, the chain an extension of his will, its movement precise and deadly.
But Huang Facai’s Life Severance technique was a powerful and dangerous move.
He slapped his left hand forward, shattering the chain, then swung his right hand upwards, a wave of black energy, like a turning page, rising from the ground and crashing down on them.
Shi Hao and Hou Bomin leaped back, narrowly escaping.
Hou Bomin, having anticipated this, had already thrown another chain, hooking it onto a distant wall. He grabbed Shi Hao, and as the chain retracted, they were pulled away.
Although weaker than Huang Facai, Hou Bomin’s experience in the jianghu had saved them.
Huang Facai, enraged by their escape, gave chase, his aura menacing.
The stone wall behind them crumbled as they fled… This time, they had more time to react.
Huang Facai’s repeated attacks, although still powerful, were becoming less precise, less effective.
But he couldn’t stop, his frustration growing as they continued to evade him, his attacks destroying the surroundings but not reaching them.
He knew his Life Severance technique couldn’t be sustained.
He suddenly changed his target, abandoning them and lunging towards Du Yuejiao and Xu Xiaoyan, a wave of black demonic energy, like a raging tide, threatening to engulf them and their opponents.
This unexpected move surprised both Shi Hao and Hou Bomin.
The two girls, locked in combat with the staff-wielding man, couldn’t dodge his attack.
And they couldn’t abandon them either.
At that moment, another figure, rolling on the ground, lashed out with a hook, aiming for Huang Facai’s right foot.
It was Xiang Gu.
She rolled through the mud and debris, her body low to the ground.
Behind her, a headless corpse collapsed, its head rolling into a puddle of mud, its eyes wide open in disbelief.
No one had expected her to defeat Zhao Xuanding, the Canyon Stabilizer, severing his head with her Parting Hook.
This surprised even Huang Facai.
Zhao Xuanding was a renowned martial artist in the Three Gorges region, a supernatural ability user whose Earth Splitting Star often saved his life.
He shouldn’t have been so easily killed by an unknown woman.
But it had happened, forcing Huang Facai to leap back, dodging Xiang Gu’s hook.
His momentum broken, his energy depleted after four powerful attacks, his advantage was gone.
Shi Hao and Hou Bomin seized the opportunity, attacking the saber-wielding man while Huang Facai was occupied with Xiang Gu.
After a flurry of blows, Shi Hao’s sword pierced the man’s chest, and Hou Bomin’s chain wrapped around his throat.
Yan Zhuxia, like the wind, joined Xiang Gu in attacking Huang Facai.
Although the two sixth-rank martial artists, Xiang Gu and Yan Zhuxia, were weaker than Huang Facai, whose strength was now waning, they managed to hold him back.
Shi Hao and Hou Bomin turned to the staff-wielding man, who, seeing them approach, turned and fled.
Du Yuejiao and Xu Xiaoyan, seizing the opportunity, each struck with their swords.
The man, afraid of being surrounded and killed, ignored their attacks and ran, blood streaming from his wounds.
Shi Hao and Hou Bomin, anticipating this, ignored him and turned to Huang Facai.
After a fierce exchange, Huang Facai leaped back, one arm severed by Xiang Gu’s hook, a sword wound on his back from Shi Hao.
But he was a fifth-rank expert. With a roar, he unleashed a wave of poisonous energy.
The others, not daring to be touched by the poison, scattered.
Huang Facai, screaming, soared into the sky and escaped.
Shi Hao rolled on the ground, then leaped up, his sword flashing as he pursued Huang Facai, striking him again.
But Huang Facai, although injured, leaving a trail of blood, accelerated, flying over the estate wall and down the cliff.
Shi Hao reached the edge of the cliff and looked down, seeing Huang Facai using the trees to slow his descent and escape.
There was nothing he could do.
He returned to the manor and, looking at the bodies of Zhao Xuanding, Yu He, and the saber-wielding man, and the severed arm of Huang Facai, sighed.
Du Yuejiao approached, “Brother Shi, we won! Why do you look so unhappy?”
Shi Hao said, “Although we won, it’s a hollow victory. We defended the Ba Mountains, but nothing has truly changed.”
A martial artist rushed in, his face beaming, “Master Shi, we’ve won! The Hanyang Gang is retreating!”
Shi Hao asked, “So soon?”
The man said, “We were fighting hard, gaining the upper hand, but it shouldn’t have ended so quickly. Then, the Hanyang Gang’s forces suddenly turned on each other, and another group attacked them from the rear.
“We asked who they were, and they said they were the Danyang Society, that they couldn’t tolerate the Hanyang Gang’s tyranny any longer and had come to join our fight.”
Shi Hao nodded, “I see.”
At daybreak, Daoist Chuan, Gong Muhong, He Guangtao, and the others returned, their faces filled with joy.
They tended to the injured, regrouped, and sent messengers to gather information about the situation in Danyang and Nanhe.
Good news arrived. The Hanyang Gang was being purged.
Diao Hongyan and Jin Ba, two of the Hanyang Three Fiends, were dead. And Huang Facai, fleeing the Ba Mountains, had been intercepted and killed by Xiong Wanghu, the Tiger Roaring Saber Hero.
The Hanyang Gang had collapsed, and Xiong Wanghu’s reputation had soared.
That afternoon, a messenger arrived from Xiong Wanghu, requesting a meeting.
In the evening, Shi Hao and the others descended the mountain and met with Xiong Wanghu on the banks of the Nan River.
Xiong Wanghu’s men, their morale high, carried a long bamboo pole with Huang Facai’s head impaled on it.
Seeing the head of the Hanyang Gang’s leader, even the Nine Villages warriors behind Shi Hao cheered.
“You must be Shi Chongyun,” Xiong Wanghu, a tall, powerfully built man, his every movement radiating strength and confidence, stepped forward and bowed, “Your reputation precedes you, Young Master Shi.”
Shi Hao returned the bow, “Your fame is known throughout the land, Hero Xiong. It’s an honor to meet you.”
Xiong Wanghu said, “You flatter me. Your leadership in uniting the Nine Villages and resisting Huang Facai’s tyranny is truly admirable.”
Shi Hao said, “It was you, Hero Xiong, who united the people against the Hanyang Gang, overthrowing them and bringing that villain Huang Facai to justice. I have long admired your righteousness.”
Xiong Wanghu said, “Now that Huang Facai is dead, and the Hanyang Gang defeated, will the Nine Villages join our Danyang Society and work together to protect the people?”
Shi Hao said, “The Nine Villages of Ba Shan are a temporary alliance, formed to resist the Hanyang Gang’s threat. We will return to our respective villages once the danger is gone. We simply wish for peace and stability in the Hanyang River region.”
Xiong Wanghu said, “Rest assured, the Ba Mountains and the Hanyang River are interconnected. We will support each other. I promise that as long as I live, the tyranny of the Hanyang Gang will never return.”
Shi Hao bowed, “In that case, we have nothing to worry about. We have many injured who need tending to, and I’m sure you also have much to do, consolidating your victory. I won’t take up any more of your time, Hero Xiong.”
Xiong Wanghu bowed in return, and they parted ways.
Du Yuejiao, looking at Huang Facai’s severed head, snorted, “We were the ones who weakened him, and now this Danyang Society takes all the credit. How infuriating.”
Xu Xiaoyan shook her head, “Whether that’s really his head is still uncertain.”
Du Yuejiao looked at her, surprised, “They can even fake that?” She looked at the head again and muttered, “It looks real enough.”
Shi Hao returned to the village, sighed deeply, and said, “Let’s go.”
Back at the manor, Shi Hao gathered Gong Muhong, Daoist Chuan, Yan Zhuxia, and Jing Shilong, excluding the others.
Gong Muhong looked at Shi Hao, puzzled, “We’ve won a great victory. The Hanyang Gang is destroyed, and Huang Facai is dead. Why do you still look so troubled?”
Shi Hao looked around, lowered his voice, and said, “What if I told you that Xiong Wanghu and Huang Facai were working together? Would you believe me?”
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