As soon as he heard that scream, Nangong Shang rushed to the scene immediately. Upon seeing the desiccated corpse, he was certain it was the monster he sought, and promptly plunged into the jungle...
Little did he expect the creature’s incredible speed; after searching for a long time, it had vanished completely. Nangong Shang, who had nearly given up and was heading back to the military camp, unexpectedly spotted the creature halfway there...
What astonished him, however, was to find the creature casually chatting with Ye Jingyu while they sat on the ground, their demeanor suggesting they had known each other for years...
How could this not leave him utterly stunned...
Yet, amidst the shock, Nangong Shang quickly recovered. His original mission was to kill Liang Xiaoke. He presumed Ye Jingyu had been deceived by Liang Xiaoke, so without wasting breath, he flicked his hand, drawing a foot-long short spear from behind his back. Then, with a gentle pull of his other hand, the short spear elongated into a translucent long spear stretching over ten feet...
With a slight flourish, dazzling spear blossoms flickered at the tip, thrusting toward Liang Xiaoke...
"Hey, I'm trying to kill someone..." The moment Liang Xiaoke saw Nangong Shang attack, he leaped up, scrambling to hide behind Ye Jingyu...
"Nangong Shang, stop..." Ye Jingyu finally recalled Nangong Shang’s intense reaction seemed entirely aimed at Liang Xiaoke. Could there be some existing conflict between them?
"Do you know what he is? He's a blood-sucking monster! That soldier outside was drained dry by him," Nangong Shang gripped the long spear tightly, its tip aimed directly at Liang Xiaoke behind Ye Jingyu...
Seeing Nangong Shang’s furious expression, Ye Jingyu offered a wry smile. "Of course I know. Isn't he just a Jiangshi (Vampire/Zombie)? But starting now, he won't randomly suck blood anymore. You don't need to worry about him harming our soldiers; he can even bring the dead soldier back to life..." Ye Jingyu thought of the blood exchange between Jiangshi...
"I don't care if he will stop sucking blood or not; all I know is that he's the one who caused Ruoshui to become like this. I must kill him..." Nangong Shang’s face remained furious, yet he completely missed what Ye Jingyu had said about Jiangshi...
Since Jiangshi had never appeared in this world before, he simply assumed Liang Xiaoke was a monster who practiced demonic arts and needed to consume human blood to advance his cultivation...
"Hmph, you think I'm scared of you, huh? You think you can kill me with that little trick? If I didn't know you were my sworn brother's friend, I’d tear you to shreds right now!" Seeing Nangong Shang remain so aggressive, Liang Xiaoke exploded in curses...
"Your brother?" Nangong Shang froze, casting a bewildered gaze toward Ye Jingyu...
"The elder brother I just befriended. Nangong Shang, whatever misunderstanding you two had before, I hope from this moment forward, you both forget it," Ye Jingyu nodded solemnly...
"You..." Nangong Shang was enraged. He truly couldn't fathom how Ye Jingyu could become brothers with this blood-sucking fiend...
"Even if you kill him, Ruoshui won't recover immediately. We desperately need powerful aid as we advance into the Tianyuan Empire. With him here, our chances of earning merit will be much greater, making it easier for you to obtain the Phoenix Blood. Isn't that a better outcome?" Ye Jingyu stood patiently between the two, explaining...
Seeing Ye Jingyu defend Liang Xiaoke so fiercely, Nangong Shang felt immensely frustrated. He and Yi Ruoshui had witnessed this creature sucking blood in a village once. The kind-hearted Yi Ruoshui stepped forward to intervene, only to be scratched by him and infected with Corpse Poison. Had it not been for Gongsun Xiangyi's Infant Spirit Flower, she might already be dead, and even so, her appearance had yet to fully recover...
This was Yi Ruoshui's deepest pain, which is why he harbored an intense hatred for that blood-sucking monster...
But now, because of Ye Jingyu, he couldn't kill him. How could that not leave him utterly depressed?
Observing Nangong Shang’s frustrated expression—wanting to kill but restrained—Liang Xiaoke, who had been behind Ye Jingyu, suddenly pulled Ye Jingyu aside and declared angrily, "Nangong Shang, don't think I'm actually afraid of you. I’m standing right here today, see if you can handle me..."
"Big Brother..." Ye Jingyu looked deeply troubled...
"Relax, brother, I won't kill him, just teach him a little lesson," Liang Xiaoke waved his hand dismissively...
"If you seek death yourself, don't blame me then," Nangong Shang coldly snorted. He flicked the long spear, conjuring a beautiful spear blossom, and then struck at Liang Xiaoke’s chest at an unbelievable angle...
Liang Xiaoke swayed his body, effortlessly evading Nangong Shang’s thrust. He immediately countered with a punch that slammed into the spear shaft. The immense force sent a numbing shock straight up Nangong Shang’s grip...
Before he could retract his spear, Liang Xiaoke closed the distance rapidly, driving another punch toward his chest...
Nangong Shang was inwardly shocked. He hadn't anticipated that this fellow’s offensive speed was as terrifying as his ability to flee...
He retreated rapidly, deploying the transparent long spear horizontally before his chest to block...
With a resounding "Boom...", Nangong Shang’s spear took the full impact of Liang Xiaoke’s fist. The shockwave forced Nangong Shang backward repeatedly, completely throwing him off balance...
At that moment, Liang Xiaoke moved his feet, appearing before Nangong Shang even faster, smashing another full-power punch toward him...
Nangong Shang grew even more alarmed. Facing such a swift blow, he had no chance to defend other than thrusting the long spear directly toward Liang Xiaoke’s heart—a desperate, mutually destructive move. But he knew his opponent was absolutely confident he could dodge this strike...
However, Liang Xiaoke didn't dodge; he didn't even slow down. It was less like his spear was piercing Liang Xiaoke and more like he was running straight into him...
With a sharp "Crack...", the translucent spear pierced the chainmail over Liang Xiaoke’s chest, burying itself in his torso...
The instant the spear entered his body, Nangong Shang felt Liang Xiaoke’s body twist slightly, successfully avoiding the vital organs around the heart...
But his punch, with unparalleled speed and force, continued its trajectory toward him. At this point, Nangong Shang had absolutely no means of evasion...
Am I going to die? I’m sorry, Ruoshui. Before I die, I couldn't even kill this fiend to avenge you...
With a "Swish...", just as Liang Xiaoke’s fist was about to smash Nangong Shang’s head, it abruptly changed trajectory, whistling past Nangong Shang’s ear. The sheer force of the punch’s wind caused Nangong Shang’s ear to bleed profusely, and the terrifying pressure deeply shook his very soul...