Starting from Tianlong, Wudu Tianxia

"The gang leader... the gang leader is dead!"

In front of the black lacquered gate, more than a dozen Tianyi Gang disciples stared wide-eyed at Shen Xuanmo as he breathed his last, their faces filled with disbelief.

"To avenge our leader, let's attack together!"

"Brothers, let's fight him! There are over a dozen of us, what are we afraid of? He's just one guy!"

"How dare you... who are you...?"

"I know, he... he's the boy in the portrait, the demon hunted by Penglai. This is the very creature we're tasked with searching for!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd seemed to have been hit by a bomb, first falling silent, then erupting into a buzzing commotion.

Be nice!

It turned out to be that ruthless man who had ambushed and killed Penglai. Especially considering that he had just killed his own gang leader with a single kick, his heart skipped a beat.

Some people gripped their knives tighter, but took a small step back; others swallowed hard, glanced at their companions, and fell silent.

Gao Yuan stood alone on the steps in front of the door, the hem of his uniform swaying gently in the night breeze.

The Tianyi Gang disciples on the inner side were scattered in a half-circle, shouting to bolster their courage, but not one of them dared to take a step forward.

Before the black lacquered door, candlelight flickered, and the young man stood tall and straight like an ancient pine.

It evokes a sense of elegance and tranquility, like a red candle illuminating a dark night, a lone figure guarding the mysterious gate, with no one venturing beyond its half-closed entrance!

Gao Yuan took in their expressions, then looked up at the moon beneath the dark sky. There were still three hours until Dongfang Weixi.

He glanced at the dozen or so Tianyi Gang disciples blocking the inside of the black iron gate, and seemed to understand something.

With the leaders of the Tianyi Gang eliminated, the gang would collapse without a leader. Even if they were busy fighting for power, the Qinghong Gang would not give up such a lucrative opportunity.

Tianyi Gang has nothing to fear!

only......

The fire at Tianyi Gang's place was quite large; the towering flames had already awakened the neighboring registered households' residences.

If I go to Jiuyao Street to seek bad luck from Hong Zhaoren again, will he find out?

He killed Shen Xuanmo by taking a shortcut. Under the ambush, Chief Shen didn't even have time to use any of his internal energy or techniques before he was defeated.

If Hung Chao-jen becomes aware of this, and a direct confrontation is put on the table, he is not 100% confident of defeating him.

After all, they were all seasoned veterans, and he would never underestimate anyone.

"It's just that Shen Xuanmo and Chen Ping have been together for too long, and they never imagined that I would dare to come and kill them!"

Just as he was pondering this, a gust of wind suddenly arose.

Someone else has arrived!

The dozen or so Tianyi Gang disciples also heard it, and they all gripped their weapons tightly.

Just by listening to the sounds of him leaping and bounding, cutting through the wind and breaking through the air, it was clear that he was no ordinary person.

He gazed intently into the distance.

The newcomer lightly touched the ground with both feet, his wide sleeves fluttering in the wind. He flipped and moved like a wisp of smoke, lightly touching the eaves and tree branches, and suddenly appeared as if stepping into thin air.

He stepped steadily onto the bluestone slab beside Shen Xuanmo's corpse.

He was a rugged man in his forties, dressed in a black outfit with a silver belt, with a full expression and bright eyes.

"It's Hong... Master Hong!"

"Master Hong, you must avenge Tianyi! This scoundrel killed our leader; we mustn't let him escape."

Hearing the Tianyi Gang disciple shout, Gao Yuan was surprised. The person who came was Hong Zhaoren, the leader of the Kuangfeng Sect.

How interesting! Whoever I call out comes to me. I'm really something else!

"On this desolate and bleak night, with the rustling autumn wind and the dazzling firelight, I've disturbed everyone's peaceful dreams. Young brother, you are truly rude!"

Hong Zhaoren spoke casually, his face showing no sign of joy or anger.

He observed it with a detached and indifferent eye.

"This person was probably here all along, but he waited until Shen Xuanmo was dead before appearing, and he even claimed to be helping out from Penglai. I wonder what he's up to."

He thought to himself that the other party would immediately resort to violence, but to his surprise, the other party spoke calmly.

"Master Hong is joking. If anyone is disturbing my sleep, it is you who have made me unable to sleep. Now you are turning around and accusing me. This is not only rude, but also barking rudely."

"Hahaha......"

To Gao Yuan's surprise, the Hongmen leader burst into laughter while pondering.

He looked up at Gao Yuan, his admiration evident in his eyes:

"In youth, one is naturally arrogant and impetuous. In the past, one stood atop the mountain, and now one listens to the wind under the tall trees. What a clever and sharp tongue you have! It reminds me of myself more than ten years ago, when I was just as spirited and fearless."

"So what if they're rude? It's Penglai and Tianyi who'll lose face anyway, what does it have to do with my Kuangfeng Sect? Haha!"

Before Hong Zhaoren's laughter had even faded, his gaze was fixed on Gao Yuan:

"The new generation will always surpass the old, and new talents will always emerge. I thought you were just a kid who could use some underhanded tricks to sneak up on Yan Bo."

"I never expected this. Just because you dared to single-handedly storm into Tianyi and kill Shen Xuanmo, I absolutely do not believe what Penglai said."

Gao Yuan's expression was somewhat strange; he didn't know whether he should tell Hong Zhaoren that Shen Xuanmo was also killed by his sneak attack.

It seems that the leader of the Hongmen has some misunderstanding, which is why he is delaying his actions!

He secretly circulated his internal energy, but his outward appearance remained calm:

"Penglai, driven by selfish interests, robbed and murdered the innocent. Heaven's justice forced the virtuous to indulge in debauchery. It is a place that harbors filth and evil, and all of them deserve to die."

Upon hearing this, Hong Zhaoren took half a step forward, kicked aside the dead man's leg that was blocking Shen Xuanmo's path, and muttered, "He truly deserved to die."

The dozen or so Tianyi Gang disciples, blocked at the door by Gao Yuan, were bewildered, wondering why the Hongmen Master, who had spoken so warmly to their gang leader and addressed him as a brother just days before, would say such a thing.

"Master Hong, you..."

Some disciples felt indignant when they saw that Hong Zhaoren showed no intention of avenging their leader and even echoed his views.

The instant he spoke, Hong Zhaoren stepped on the ground!

He moved with incredible speed, heading straight for Gao Yuan.

Gao Yuan was well-prepared and was about to test the skills of this Hongmen leader.

Unexpectedly, when the leader of the Hongmen was half a zhang away from him, he suddenly turned around and swept past him with a whooshing sound.

"Bang"!

A loud bang!

The disciple who had spoken was sent flying backward, coughing up blood, by a single palm strike. He crashed into the others, who immediately collapsed to the ground.

next moment.

Under the glow of the candlelight and lanterns of the Tianyi Gang, Hong Zhaoren could be seen secretly tapping his waist with his fingertips.

Gao Yuan heard a soft "clang" sound, and a soft sword suddenly appeared, shining with a cold, gleaming light.

In an instant!

Before the black iron gate, the eyes of more than ten disciples of the Tianyi Gang were blinded by the cold light of swords, which flashed across their cheeks and eyebrows!

"Ahhh!!"

A terrified scream echoed through the night sky, the sound rising abruptly and ending even more abruptly!

In about ten breaths, all the disciples on night duty clutched their necks, their short spears and broadswords falling to the ground.

"Bang bang bang..."

A series of thuds echoed as the doorway, which had seemed cramped due to the crowd, suddenly opened up.

Hong Zhaoren's sudden action caught Gao Yuan off guard, causing his eyebrows to twitch.

Such a swift sword, such a cruel heart.

However, judging from the rough and wild appearance of the Hongmen leader, no one would have guessed that he was a master of soft swords.

Well...

It's contrasting, but not cute!

Hong Zhaoren lightly wiped the sword with his sleeve, easily removing the bloodstains, his expression calm.

"Sizzle!"

He sheathed his soft sword in his silver-patterned belt, turned his head, and said to Gao Yuan:

"The Mad Wind Sect is known for its fist and foot techniques, but you are actually skilled in swordsmanship, which is called Mad Wind Swift Sword. You have really made a fool of yourself."

Gale-Sweeping Sword!

No!

Could the sword techniques of Feng Buping of the Huashan Sword Sect in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer have been passed down from Hong Zhaoren?

Gao Yuan calmed himself down, and Hong Zhaoren didn't touch him. Instead, he killed the Tianyi Gang, leaving Gao Yuan completely bewildered.

"What exactly is the Hongmen leader up to with this move?"

At this moment, Hong Zhaoren spoke warmly, like an old friend:

"The Mad Wind Sect exists within the martial arts world, clinging to Penglai, but why should a true man be content to remain subservient to others for long? For me, the young brother's life is more beneficial than offering himself up to Penglai."

Gao Yuan nodded slightly, pretending to agree, and waited for him to continue.

"Besides, since you were able to kill Shen Xuanmo, I'm not entirely confident I can capture you. Why bother wasting my energy on that scoundrel Penglai?"

Gao Yuan cursed inwardly as the Hongmen leader's abacus beads snapped loudly.

"But how will you speak to Turinzi?"

He patted his head, a simple, honest smile on his face.

"Speaking of which, you'll have to bear the blame for the destruction of Tianyi. As for Dulingzi, I'll help you guide him to other prefectures."

If it were only for the reasons mentioned above, Gao Yuan would not believe Hong Zhaoren's good intentions and would still be prepared to use force.

Seeing that he still didn't believe him, Hong Zhaoren could only sigh and drop a bombshell:

"While the Mad Wind Sect appears to be affiliated with Penglai, it has in reality submitted to Elder Murong's command."

Gao Yuan was stunned.

What!

Is there any connection between the Kuangfeng Sect and the Murong family?

"Is the 'Old Master Murong' you're referring to Murong Bo?"

"Exactly."

"Isn't it rumored that he has already passed away?"

Hong Zhaoren said generously:

"Sir, you have faked your death. The fact that I am revealing such a secret to you is my sincere intention. Besides wanting to befriend you, I also admire you so much that I would like to introduce you to Master Murong."

You don't believe me?

Seeing that he remained silent, Hong Zhaoren took two more steps, took out a token with the character "Yan" on it, and patted his chest to guarantee it.

Gao Yuan looked thoughtful, then stole a glance at the somewhat anxious Hong Zhaoren, thinking:

"Whether Murong Bo is dead or not, I know better than you. That old cunning fellow has been roaming around the Huai and Henan regions for years, secretly using force to subdue heroes of the martial arts world and make them submit."

Judging from this, the leader of the Hongmen has been subjected to a lot of manipulation by his elder brother, Murong Bo!

......