After a sudden sound, there was silence, the shadow in the window remaining utterly still, as if it hadn't heard. Wen Yinyue frowned, gazing at the silhouette, a sense of unease creeping over her. She turned to Li Muzhan, "Junior Brother, is that a dummy?"

She lowered her voice, leaning close to Li Muzhan’s ear, her breath like orchid fragrance. Combined with the subtle scent emanating from her body, the two aromas mingled, drifting into Li Muzhan’s nostrils.

Li Muzhan was exceptionally ** now, but with the Great Ming King Scripture protecting him, his heart remained cold and solitary, devoid of any lustful thoughts. He stated calmly, "It's not a *..."

With his Void Eye, he could see clearly: an old man sat inside the room, hands resting on his knees, perfectly motionless, as if in deep meditation. Just now, at that sharp crack, the old man had opened his eyes briefly before closing them again.

This elder possessed a stalwart build and a face long and square, presenting a dignified appearance; however, his eyes were narrow and sharp, flashing with cold light. His hair was white and wispy, as if dusted with frost.

………………………………, Li Muzhan thought to himself, he had never seen this person before. Yet, judging by the electric glare that shot forth when the elder’s eyes opened and closed, his internal energy was profoundly deep, no less than his own. If such a formidable figure made a move, while Senior Brother Lu and the others were skilled, they were still young and still some distance from the pinnacle masters; they were indeed no match.

Wen Yinyue frowned, "Then why is there no movement?"

Li Muzhan whispered, "This person won't be so easily fooled. We'll have to force the issue." If this person was cautious and came out to investigate, Wen Yinyue would have the chance to clearly observe his appearance, confirm if he was the culprit, and then he could decide whether to act. Although he had pinpointed the location with his internal energy, if it truly wasn't the right man, but merely someone coincidentally practicing the same mental technique, he could end up killing the wrong person. Li Muzhan could never abide by the principle of "better to kill a thousand than let one escape."

He made a signal, his large hand encircling Wen Yinyue's slender waist—his touch felt like warm jade, yielding yet surprisingly resilient, an indescribably strange sensation. Wen Yinyue’s body trembled, and she tried to struggle free but found herself utterly immobilized.

Li Muzhan murmured low, "I will take Senior Sister over to look, but do not disturb him *..."

"...Mm *..." Wen Yinyue glared at him, seeing he didn't appear intentional, but with his hand resting on her waist, warmth continuously surged into her, making her feel somewhat weak.

Li Muzhan floated out of the woods like a phantom, gliding toward the small thatched hut on the mountainside. This hut was situated mid-slope, with empty ground all around and no cover nearby. Once they approached, anyone outside would surely notice. But there was no other way to get close without a direct approach. Li Muzhan closed his eyes, flashed once, and crossed the hundred-meter distance in an instant, clinging to the wall, hidden in the shadows.

………………………………”…………

Wen Yinyue understood the inherent danger; her heart hammered wildly. She marveled at Li Muzhan's supreme lightness skill—she herself could never manage such a feat. She let out a breath of relief, but then held her breath, sealing both mouth and nose. She knew that the killer’s martial arts were so potent that even the slightest, slow breath would be detected. Thus, she stopped breathing externally, allowing her internal energy to circulate, switching to 'inner breathing.' The profound subtlety of the Wonderful Lotus Scripture differed from mundane martial cultivation; inner breathing was not difficult for her.

Seeing her achieve this, Li Muzhan secretly praised her wisdom and the agility of her mind. He extended his hand and delicately poked a tiny hole in the windowpane. This action startled Wen Yinyue, pulling her tension taut.

Fortunately, the man still hadn't noticed. Everything Li Muzhan did was silent and soundless, appearing agonizingly slow yet completed in the blink of an eye. The small hole was positioned in the lower right corner of the window. Li Muzhan whispered, "Senior Sister, I’ll tell you when to look, take one glance."

Wen Yinyue nodded, recognizing this as the art of secret sound transmission, which she also knew but dared not use. Deploying this technique caused internal energy fluctuations detectable by high-level martial artists. Li Muzhan’s internal energy was deep and his control minute, so he dared to use it; she did not. The subtle nuances involved were easy to overlook unless one’s deliberation was meticulous. The very reason Li Muzhan wanted to act with his Senior Sister was that she was intelligent enough to grasp things instantly, requiring no excessive explanation.

"Look *..." Li Muzhan suddenly commanded.

Wen Yinyue peeked out quickly and snapped her head back, like a gecko.

"How was it?" Li Muzhan secretly transmitted to her.

Just as Wen Yinyue was about to speak, Li Muzhan abruptly reached out and covered her mouth and nose, muffling her breath. Wen Yinyue instinctively struggled for a moment, then stilled, restraining her respiration. She glared fiercely at Li Muzhan but said nothing, blaming herself for losing emotional control, which nearly caused a dangerous exhale.

Li Muzhan slowly withdrew his hand, the soft sensation receding. Wen Yinyue could still feel the warmth of his hand, her face flushing slightly, but she nodded calmly as if nothing had happened. Li Muzhan understood her meaning.

He paused for thought, then flashed, covering the hundred meters instantly, disappearing into the woods. He whispered, "Senior Sister, go wait for me where you were before!"

"What are you going to do?" Wen Yinyue frowned.

Li Muzhan replied, "I’ll test him."

"You’re going to attack him?" Wen Yinyue asked anxiously.

Li Muzhan nodded. Wen Yinyue immediately grew distressed, "Have you forgotten Master's instructions? If you find the person, do not act yourself; report it up first!"

Li Muzhan shook his head, his expression cold, "This man must die. Every day he lives is an insult to Senior Brother Lu and the others."

Wen Yinyue fell silent for a moment, then sighed and asked, "Can you kill him?"

Li Muzhan stated faintly, "Eight or nine chances out of ten... Senior Sister, go wait for me on the mountaintop!"

Wen Yinyue nodded, "Alright, I won't slow you down. If things go badly, fleeing is the best option!"

………………………………………………………………

She turned and left, her clothes clinging to her body, moving through the woods without making a sound, heading toward the summit, her heart heavy. She understood that no matter what she said, she couldn't dissuade her Junior Brother. She could only watch him risk everything; even if he was defeated and lost his life, she would die with him—it was no great matter.

She quickly reached the mountaintop and settled in a tree, listening for any distant movement.

Seeing Wen Yinyue depart, Li Muzhan flashed again, pressing himself against the wall of the hut, hidden in the dark. He opened his Void Eye, observing the surroundings and the interior.

The old man was seated, holding a sword in one hand and a small white porcelain cup in the other, slowly bringing it to his lips. Suddenly, he tilted his head back, paused for a moment, and then slowly lowered the cup, letting out a sigh.

He set the small cup down, picked up his chopsticks, and took a piece of beef to his mouth, chewing slowly. On the table was only one plate of braised beef. Torches blazed fiercely, illuminating the interior as brightly as day; the long sword was drawn, its blade gleaming coldly. While chewing the beef, he brought the sword close, gently wiping the blade with a snow-white handkerchief. The sword was pristine and bright, and the reflection on the steel showed his face, his narrow eyes holding a look of profound bewilderment.

"Alas..." he sighed, holding the sword with his left hand, pouring a full cup of wine with his right, then draining it in one gulp before slowly setting the cup down. Next, he picked up a piece of beef and chewed slowly, his eyes vacant and lost, as if recalling past events. He then poured another cup of wine and finished it in one draught.

In the brief moment he paused, "Bang!" the window exploded, shattering into splinters that shot everywhere, and a streak of cold light arrived before him.

The old man sat immovable as Mount Tai, his expression unchanging. He let out a cold chuckle, waved his left hand wielding the sword, and the tip transformed into a single point of cold light, slicing through the debris, aiming for Li Muzhan’s chest.

Li Muzhan’s sword also struck toward the elder’s chest. Their sword techniques were almost identical—the simplest, quickest, and most concise direct thrust. Li Muzhan neither dodged nor retreated, allowing the sword tip to pierce inward. The elder’s movement was incredibly swift; just as the sword tip reached him, the chair slid smoothly sideways, evading the blow. As he retracted his move, Li Muzhan was unharmed.

"Hmph!" The elder let out a muffled groan, staring at Li Muzhan in surprise. He looked down at his chest, muttered something, and "Thwack," a spray of crimson burst forth. He looked up again, pointed at Li Muzhan, a mixture of disbelief and astonishment on his face, and slowly began to topple backward.

Li Muzhan’s fingers twitched, and two objects flew up—a piece of gray cloth and the elder’s severed head. He caught the gray cloth and wrapped the head inside it. Then, he flashed again, carrying the round bundle, and violently slammed into the west wall. With a dull thud, the wall blew apart, and a sky full of cold light descended, engulfing Li Muzhan.

………………………………

Li Muzhan plunged straight into the mass of cold light, neither dodging nor parrying. His left shoulder was instantly pierced by a sword. The swordsman, an elder in green robes, stared at him in shock. Since refining several clusters of starlight, the nature of his internal energy had transformed. The power of the Vast Sea Divine Finger was even stronger; it was not only condensed and solid but also utterly silent, emitting no internal energy aura, making it harder to detect.

A bloom of blood splashed from the elder’s heart, and he slowly collapsed. Li Muzhan ignored the sword in his shoulder, sprang into the woods, flickered a few times, and vanished.

As soon as he disappeared, three elders appeared in the spot where he had been standing. All wore gray robes, their faces grim, staring intently at the green-robed elder on the ground. The three elders were diverse in appearance and build. A short, stout elder bent down, turning the green-robed man over, revealing a bloody hole in his chest where blood was still welling up; the man was long dead.

The stout elder wiped his forehead. "What a formidable and vicious sword technique!" He turned to the gaunt, skeletal elder, "Old Li, what now?"

The burly, tall elder beside him scoffed, "What else can we do? Chase him!"

"Are we really chasing?" The stout elder hesitated, looking at the thin old man.

The thin elder’s face was dark enough to drip water. He stared intently at the wound on the green-robed elder without speaking, then shook his head. "It’s not a sword wound; it’s finger force *..."

"Canghai Divine Finger?" the stout elder frowned.

"Finger force of this magnitude...*" The thin elder shook his head. In terms of sheer finger strength, nothing surpassed the Vajra Finger of the Lan Tuo Temple, which was indestructible, comparable to divine weapons, easily piercing human bodies. But even if the Vajra Finger struck them, it wouldn't penetrate; their profound internal energy provided bodily protection, neutralizing most of the force upon impact. Piercing the heart of an ordinary master was nothing, but this companion’s internal energy was exceptionally deep, yet his heart had been pierced—that finger force was truly terrifying.

The burly elder rushed into the hut and emerged moments later, his face dark with anger, "Damn it, Old Third’s head has been cut off!"

"Chase!" The thin elder spat out the word.

The three transformed into streaks of light, plunging into the woods, disappearing from view.