The deflated cultivator refused to give up and vowed to turn the tables.

The person just now came from the east and went west.

Su Zinong and Qin Xiangxue sped northward.

Reaching the foot of a mountain, Su Zinong said, "You should leave quickly; those people aren't here to chase you."

"No, you're in danger right now, how can I abandon you!" Qin Xiangxue murmured.

“I know you’re loyal, but you’re only at the mid-stage of the fourth star level, one star lower than me. It’s too dangerous. I’ll drag you along, but we have to slow down.” Su Zinong hardened his heart.

"Do you think my weak cultivation will be a burden to you?" Tears streamed down Qin Xiangxue's face.

"That's not how it should be said, but it's the truth." Although saying this would hurt Qin Xiangxue, Su Zinong had no choice but to hurt her feelings temporarily in order to get her out of danger.

Qin Xiangxue wasn't unaware of this, but she seemed reluctant to part with Su Zinong, so she lingered there.

The two had only exchanged a few words before they were about to leave, but it was already too late. Four men in black rushed in from four directions, using their full speed and agility, and they were no longer on horseback.

Su Zinong pulled Qin Xiangxue up the mountain, turning left and right before disappearing into a thicket.

“Listen to me, Miss Xiangxue. You stay here and hide. I’ll lure the enemy to the other side. Once they’ve passed, go down the mountain and return to Qintian Village. I promise you, I’ll come find you after I’ve escaped this calamity!” Su Zinong whispered.

"Then you must be very careful. I think those enemies have six-star cultivation." Qin Xiangxue knew that this was the only way now. She had indeed dragged Su Zinong down, so she had no choice but to agree while holding back her tears.

Su Zinong gently patted her head and said, "That's a good girl. I'm leaving now. See you later!" With that, he darted out of the bushes and hurried up the mountain.

He didn't need to hold Qin Xiangxue's hand; he walked as fast as he could.

The man in black at the foot of the mountain saw Su Zinong and chased after him.

Su Zinong weaved through the crowd and found a small cave to crawl into. After catching his breath, he realized that even in the cave, he was not safe. If the enemy came, he would have nowhere to go.

So they left the cave and continued north.

Suddenly, a man in black wearing an owl mask appeared and slapped Su Zinong with both palms.

While running, Su Zinong suddenly spotted the enemy. He quickly dodged and turned east, but was grazed on the back by the edge of a palm strike, causing him great pain.

Unexpectedly, they ended up at a cliff, where four men in black had already surrounded them.

Su Zinong peered down the cliff and found himself in a bottomless abyss. A gust of wind blew, causing him to sway and his legs to tremble slightly.

It seems we can't escape our enemy today.

Four men in black had already approached within ten feet of him. The tall man in black, wearing an owl mask, stood in the middle and laughed loudly, saying, "Su Zinong, let's see where you can run now!"

"Who are you all? Why are you chasing me?" Su Zinong asked weakly.

"You're about to die, why ask so many questions!" the owl-man shouted.

“Since I have nowhere to run today, you might as well tell me clearly so I won’t be a fool,” Su Zinong insisted.

“Alright,” the owl-man nodded and said, “Then I’ll tell you something. To be honest, I’m the murderer who killed Zhang Yuncang. You shouldn’t have interfered! A powerless rogue cultivator like you, so high-profile and meddling in other people’s business, is destined for a tragic end.”

“So it really is you,” Su Zinong nodded. “Then who are you people? May I ask?”

"I can't tell you that. You'd better just accept your fate. I'll give you a chance to end it yourself. Otherwise, if I catch you, I'll torture you to death, and that won't be pleasant."

Looking at the current situation, it seemed that Su Zinong was doomed. He couldn't help but recall his past, when he first embarked on the path of cultivation as a rogue cultivator. When his cultivation level was low, he was often bullied and beaten by other cultivators.

He vowed to diligently cultivate himself and become a person with high-level skills so that he would not be bullied by others.

So he secluded himself in the mountains to cultivate in seclusion, and only came down the mountain after reaching the early stage of the fifth star. For a time, he was riding high and complacent, and did many great deeds to help the weak and punish the strong. Later, he was even named one of the top ten young cultivators, ranking tenth.

At that time, many people envied him, and many congratulated him, saying that no one would bully him anymore.

Later, he met Huang Chenghe and became his only friend. Huang Chenghe did not mind that he was a rogue cultivator, treated him like a brother, and was sincere to him.

Therefore, he often traveled the world with Huang Chenghe, eating, drinking and having fun. Although their behavior was often absurd, it was also full of joy.

Just when I thought my spring had arrived, I never imagined that such a wonderful life would come to an abrupt end. I am truly reluctant to let it go.

Good heavens, is it really true that the heavens are jealous of talent?

The owl-masked man had already drawn his sword. The sword gleamed with a golden light; it was a golden sword, slightly shorter than his ordinary longsword.

The owl shouted, "You three guard him and don't let him escape. I'll deal with him!" As it spoke, it walked step by step toward Su Zinong.

Su Zinong quickly drew his Thunder Sword. He was determined to fight to the death, not to surrender obediently!

He swung his sword, trying to gain the upper hand, but his opponent's golden sword was already there to block. The two swords clashed with a clang, the impact making Su Zinong's right hand go numb. He almost dropped his Thunder Sword, and quickly gathered his strength to grip the hilt tightly.

It seems that the other party's cultivation level is much higher than his own, seemingly having reached the late stage of the fifth star or the peak of the fifth star but not yet the sixth star. So he is not the one with the highest cultivation level among the men in black.

Su Zinong's spirits lifted, and he wielded the Thunderbolt Sword with impenetrable skill, occasionally thrusting a sword at his opponent.

The owl-man only attacks and doesn't defend, thus gaining the upper hand.

The two fought for a full half hour, and it seemed that Su Zinong was about to be defeated.

Su Zinong moved his left palm, channeling his inner energy, and then suddenly shattered the inner energy, swinging it towards the owl-man. This was Su Zinong's self-created Invisible Needle Inner Energy.

The opponent seemed to know Su Zinong's techniques very well and knew the power of the invisible needle. He quickly dodged to the right, avoiding the invisible needle, and then charged forward, speeding up his attack.

Su Zinong wanted to use the invisible needle's true energy again, but before he could gather his energy, the golden sword slashed at him, cutting his right side, causing blood to flow freely.

The owl-man seized the opportunity, swept his left foot, and Su Zinong was already lying on the ground, rolling several times towards the cliff.

Seeing this, the owl-man took a step forward, placed his right hand on Su Zinong's back, and laughed loudly, saying, "Still trying to escape?"

Su Zinong closed his eyes and said nothing more.

"Want to close your eyes and wait to die? It's not that easy!" the owl man said, drawing a circle with his right hand in a peculiar gesture, pointing towards Su Zinong's Baihui acupoint on the top of his head.

In an instant, Su Zinong felt all the true energy in his body flow towards the Baihui acupoint on the top of his head and surge out of his body.

He felt his true energy rapidly decreasing, and in the blink of an eye, half of it was absorbed.

"Devilish evil technique!" Su Zinong tried to shout, but found that his voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, almost inaudible.

In just a quarter of an hour, Su Zinong's true energy had been completely drained, leaving him like a cripple, limp and powerless, unable even to stand up.

“Hahahaha,” the owl-man laughed, “Now you’re a cripple, but do you think I’ll let you go? Whether you actually discovered anything in the locked-room murder or not, for safety’s sake, I’ll kill you to silence you!”

As he spoke, he slowly drew his golden sword and thrust it straight at Su Zinong's chest...